Another Week Goes By

Everyone seemed okay Monday morning (after sick Sunday) so we started out the week as normal. We enjoyed playing outside one afternoon this week. Kevin and the kids rode the 4-wheeler while I went through some totes in the shop (preparing for a yard sale). Then the kids and I played on the swing set. Mason loved sliding!

Anna is learning so much in Pre-K. This week they have focused on the letter "A" and numbers "1, 2, 3, 4 & 5". They also practiced writing their first & last names. She did an excellent job too!

Anna spent last night with Papaw & Grammy. So we went out to eat and then to Wal-Mart. It's amazing how much easier it is when you just have one child! I've been fairly productive around the house today.

These are some pictures that I took this week. I've been trying to upload a video of the kids but can't seem to get it done. I'll keep trying...

Maybe a future nurse? Mom can help her get a job!

Maybe a future doctor? He needs to be one after all his doctor visits!

What a team they make! Wouldn't you want them caring for you?

Back from the Doctor

Yeah, Anna doesn't have strep throat! She has "cobblestoning". The bumps are caused by her allergies being worse and the drainage. They added a nose spray and Benadryl to her allergy regimen. She already takes Singulair every day. Hopefully it won't progress into an infection.

So far Mason hasn't vomited any more. So it was probably just from missing his dose of medicine yesterday. This doesn't look encouraging for trying to start weaning him off the Reglan in October.

Anna Is Growing Up

Our little girl is growing up! Monday was the start of Pre-K for Anna! She has worked her way up from the youngest building to the oldest building at daycare!! So far she seems to really like her new class and teachers. The second day they started learning to count to 10 in Spanish. (I'm sure Timmy will be proud of her!) We received a list of things they plan to accomplish this year. One is learning to write their full name. Too bad Anna doesn't have an easy last name- like Jones or Smith! I am certain that she will be prepared for Kindergarten next year. The Tuesday before our S. Carolina trip was Anna's last day in Mrs. Theresa and Ms. Jessica's room. We are so blessed that Anna had Mrs. Theresa for a teacher! She is awesome and wonderful!! We are really going to miss her. We just hope that Mason gets her in the future. Brianna, Anna's "special friend" from Mrs. Theresa's class, didn't get into the same room as Anna this year. But they still see one other when playing outside.

Anna & Mrs. Theresa (last year's teacher)

Anna & Brianna- "Special Friends"

Mason rode the 4-wheeler with Daddy one afternoon this week. He seemed to really enjoy it. Anna played outside more this week too. We have enjoyed some of the less hot days we've had recently (at least until yesterday's horrible humidity).

Riding with Daddy

Saturday I took Anna & Mason to the Kids Fun Fair sponsored by my employer. We got there just a few minutes before it started at 8:00 a.m. and there was a LONGGGGG line. But we braved the heat and humidity and it was worth it. They were giving away backpacks with lots of goodies inside them. They also had good entertainment and a petting zoo. After the Kids Fun Fair we went to the mall. My intentions were to let the kids play on the playground until a certain store opened so I could return an item and then go home. Well, that all changed. Kevin decided to come meet us at the mall. We ended up shopping the day away! Anna got a Build-A- Bear for being a good girl the first week of Pre-K. Can you believe that she picked out a Hannah Montana outfit for her bear??? What a surprise! She even named it "Hannah Anna".

Mason, Anna & Hannah Anna Bear ride a mall ride

Now for the not-so fun stuff...

Mason threw up this morning...and not just a little bit. He had drunk his milk about 30 minutes before it happened. I had placed him in the high chair to eat a breakfast bar and he just coughed a little bit and then it hit. He missed a dose of Reglan yesterday so I'm hoping that was the only cause and it won't happen again. But to be on the safe side, I kept him home from church. I would hate for him to vomit all over the pew and carpet. As for Anna, she has been complaining about her throat hurting for a couple of days. She hasn't had any other symptoms so we've just been doing some Benadryl. This morning she was still complaining (and she typically doesn't complain about sickness unless it's really bad) so I got the flashlight and looked in her throat. It was red and I noticed some bumps on it too. I wasn't sure if the bumps were normal so I checked Kevin's (no bumps) and he checked me (no bumps). She doesn't have fever or any other symptoms. But I guess we'll take her to the doctor to be checked just in case it's the start of strep throat. I sure hope not (for her sake and because she was drinking my soda yesterday).

South Carolina Trip

We are back from our trip to South Carolina! We had a wonderful time! Mason's fever went away last Tuesday so we were able to leave him behind without as much worry. Our trip started Wednesday morning by taking Mason to Grammy's house. (They went to Grammy's church Wednesday night and then came to our house to stay until Sunday morning.)

Ready to go to Grammy's and thankful that he doesn't have to ride to South Carolina!

We drove to Pigeon Forge, TN and stayed there Wednesday and Thursday nights. We had a terrific time. I would definitely recommend it, if you don't mind a long drive. It's comparable to Branson, MO when it comes to activities. Anna did some activities for the first time like riding bumper boats and go-karts. She really enjoyed the go-karts! Before we got stopped at the end of the ride, she was saying "I want to do it again!!!" (By the way, the girls beat Daddy on the go-kart track!)

Anna & Kevin got soaked riding the bumper boats!

Pigeon Forge has the best Christmas Village! There are several shops that are full of Christmas ornaments and decorations. I told Kevin that if I had lots of money, I could really be dangerous in that place! Of course there were outlet malls too....and I was dangerous in the Carter's outlet! Anna and Mason need clothes for this fall/winter so I got them a good start at Carter's.

Anna with a reindeer shrub behind her. You can't see it in the picture but his nose was red "like Rudolph's".

Thursday was our day at Dollywood. We arrived when they opened at 10:00 a.m. and left when they closed at 7:00 p.m. So we made an entire day of Dollywood! We had so much fun riding rides! Anna is much more adventurous than I expected. She loved the big rides too. Her favorite rides were "the water rides". We rode Daredevil Falls, Slidewinder and Smoky Mountain River Rampage several times. The only ride she didn't like was Blazing Fury. It was an indoor roller coaster and mostly in the dark. At one point you hear and see a train coming at you and then you drop off right before you collide. That was the only ride that she said she didn't want to ride again. Kevin rode the three big roller coasters at the park. My excuse was that someone had to stay with Anna because she didn't meet the height requirement. Good excuse, huh?!!

Family Photo

A little wet after riding Smoky Mountain River Rampage!

Taking a ride on the Steam Engine (and an opportunity to sit down!)

Kevin is on this roller coaster...somewhere!

Friday morning we began our journey on to Greenville, SC. We took the scenic route from Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was beautiful! The difference in temperature was amazing too. At one of the highest altitudes it was 65 degrees. By the time we made it back down to lower altitudes, it was around 75 degrees. We looked for black bears but never saw any. I must say that Kevin and I appreciated the beauty of the Smoky Mountains more so than Anna. She preferred her Hannah Montana DVD over watching out her window. Although, the tunnels we went through did catch her amazement.

Up in the Smoky Mountains.

One of the tunnels we drove through...so neat!

We finally made it to Greenville, SC, our final destination, about 2:30 p.m. The wedding rehearsal was at 3:30 in a town about 30 minutes away. So we changed clothes quickly and headed for Lyman, SC. (This was after arriving to find our hotel door standing wide open. We soon realized why...the door wouldn't stay shut. Kevin had to go back and ask for another room. Fortunately we only moved next door.)

This whole trip started with Anna being asked to be the flower girl in Christopher and Vicky's wedding. Christopher's mother, Bev, babysat Anna from about 3 weeks old until she was 2 1/2. During this time she became one of their family members. So when Chris & Vicky decided to get married, Anna was given the honor of being the flower girl.

The wedding rehearsal was a little on the hot side (outdoor wedding) but it could have been much worse. Then Christopher's parents hosted a rehearsal dinner that was fantastic. Afterward at the hotel, Anna tried swimming with Dustin but the water was just too cold for her. So we sat and watched Dustin and Nathan jump and flip into the pool.

Saturday afternoon we went to a mall in Greenville. Then we went to the downtown area where they have lots of small shops. We wish we'd had more time to spend in the area. It appeared to be a place with lots to do.

The wedding was Saturday at 6:30 p.m. God blessed Chris & Vicky with great weather. Although it was cloudy it didn't rain. The clouds really helped keep the temperature down too. The ceremony was beautiful, as was the bride. Chris and Vicky make a lovely couple.

Dustin, Vicky, Chris & Anna

Anna & Dustin (brother of the groom)

Anna & Courtney (sister of the groom)

Anna & Nathan (brother of the groom)

Anna & Mrs. Bev (mother of the groom)

Anna and her proud parents

Our plans had been to stay in Greenville Saturday night and then drive straight home on Sunday. However, we were dreading an 11 hour drive and were ready to see Mason too. So we decided to leave the reception early and drive back to Knoxville, TN. We got to our hotel about 11:00 p.m. Then we got up early Sunday morning and started the drive back home. We got to Papaw and Grammy's house about 2:45 p.m. It was so good to see Mason's smile and him reaching out his little arms for me!! Anna and I made up a song in Jackson, TN while eating lunch. It's to the tune of "On the Road Again". It goes...

"On the road again, Just can't wait to get on the road again, we're going home to see our little Mason Lynn, and we can't wait to get on the road again!" Anna thought this was so funny!

We were so honored that Chris and Vicky chose Anna as their flower girl. We enjoyed our family adventure to TN, NC and SC. It really got me in the traveling spirit. We have already started thinking about our next family adventure and coming up with places we'd like to travel to in the future. Hopefully as Mason gets older he will do better at traveling and we can take him too! What's a family vacation when you have to leave a family member behind??!! Anna was a precious little girl on the trip. She was so well behaved and seemed to enjoy her time alone with Daddy and Mama. She made a beautiful flower girl too!

Thank you to Grammy for keeping Mason while we were gone. Thanks also to Papaw, Aun'tee and Unc for helping entertain Mason. Mason REALLY appreciated being able to stay at home and not be stuck in a car seat for 22 hours!

Prayers Please

Poor Mason is sick again. Last week his nose started running and by Saturday morning the cough had arrived. Some of you know we have a BIG week this week and really don't need illness. So we took Mason to the doctor Saturday afternoon. We got a prescription for an antibiotic but after discussing resistance to antibiotics with the doctor, decided to not fill it yet. Well, about 3:00 a.m. this morning, the fever hit! Mason and I slept on the couch from 3:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. (Actually I wouldn't call it sleep...not when someone is constantly flipping, flopping, turning, etc, etc on top of you.) So he went to Mimi's house today and we got his antibiotic filled and started. (THANK YOU, MIMI!) Please pray that he will soon be better! He just went through this three weeks ago...and it took an antibiotic and two shots to get him over it then! Due to our Big Week, it would be nice for the antibiotic to work and to work QUICKLY! Not to mention he has got to be tired of being sick!!!

Summer Fun

We did more swimming this week. The Jernigans, our friends/neighbors/church family, were on vacation and invited us to use their pool while they were gone. We went one afternoon and had a great time. Anna loves jumping off their diving board! (Thank you, Jernigans!)

Anna jumping off the diving board.

Having so much fun!

Kevin was out of town for two days this week. So the kids and I were on our own one night. We made it fine because Anna was a "big girl" and helped me.

Mason had an appointment with a Pediatric Gastroenterologist on Friday. He and I went to Little Rock and made a day out of it. He did really well on the drive. He slept most of the way there and most of the way back. God helped me out! This appointment was made back in June when he began vomiting again. The local pediatrician placed him on Reglan and that worked. But we kept the appointment just to get "established" as a patient...just in case...hopefully we won't have to go back there again. The doctor told us to keep him on the Reglan for another two months and then decrease it from 3 times per day to 2 times per day. If he does well with the decrease then we will try discontinuing it altogether a few weeks later.

After the doctor appointment we did some shopping. There was a Wal-Mart close by so we made a stop there. Does anyone else feel like they live at Wal-Mart?? How sad is it that I can't go to Little Rock without stopping at Wal-Mart??!! Then we stopped in North Little Rock at Baby Depot. I love that place! I got some really good deals on some clothes for the kids. Kevin may never let me go to Little Rock alone again. He called me twice to see how close we were to home and both times my response was "we're still at Baby Depot."

Today Mimi watched Anna & Mason for several hours while Kevin and I did some shopping. I think they all had a fun time. Tomorrow is Mimi's birthday! She is planning to go to church with us and then we will go out to eat. We mentioned going to church with Mimi but Anna wanted to go to "her church".

Hope everyone in our area is enjoying the cooler temperatures. What a change from one week ago!

Water Park Fun!

Anna & I finally went to the water park this summer. It will most likely be our one and only trip this summer. Hopefully next year we can go more often. We invited Katelyn, Dania, Ms. Holly and Ms. Alicia. It was a very HOT day and the water felt great! The girls had a wonderful time (and the big girls did too).

Here's a picture of the three little ladies.

(I should have taken more than one picture because Anna's eyes are closed. Unfortuantley, between my sun glasses, the glare on my camera, etc, etc, I didn't realize it at the time. Getting the three of them to be still at the same time was another obstacle!)

Here are the best buddies!

Sizzling St. Louis

We had a wonderful trip to St. Louis. We left last Friday afternoon and got back Tuesday afternoon. Friday thru Sunday was just fun days for all of us. Then Monday and Tuesday were a business trip for Kevin. Thank goodness for DVD players…that entertained Anna for most of the drive there and back. (I think she only asked “are we there yet?” once on the way there and once on the way back. I thought that was excellent!) As for Mason, this trip served as reassurance that I’ve made the right decision by not taking him to South Carolina (our next trip)!!! He is definitely not a travel fan (at least not yet). We traveled with Anna when she was younger than him, but as always…they are nothing alike. He did pretty good as we visited the local attractions (especially considering the heat and lack of naps). Being confined (car seat, stroller, pack-n-play, highchair) were his worst moments. Here are a few of the almost two-hundred pictures that I took. (I love to take pictures! My dream job would be to have my own studio…maybe one day…)

Grant’s Farm

It was a hot July day on our visit. We still had fun though! They have lots of neat animals to view. Anna got to pet some goats. But that’s nothing when Papaw has goats at his farm.

What's everyone looking at??

Kevin & Anna check out a Clydesdale.

Do we look sweaty or what?

The Magic House- St. Louis Children’s Museum

This was probably our most surprising visit. It was way more than we expected! It has lots of interactive exhibits where the kids can play. Anna’s favorite two things were the water play area and the 3-story spiral slide. They even let me slide down it and it was fun. We were also surprised that they had an area for Mason sized activities.

Mason loved this little slide. He went down it and up it several times!

(Look at his big arm muscle!)

Anna made me a chocolate ice cream cone.

Anna & me with the Electrostatic Generator.

Mason did it too.

Mason also loved this exhibit where air kept the balls up in the air. He was trying SO hard to reach one of the balls.

Anna enjoyed this water play area very much.

A tired Anna fills in the gap for Ring Around the Rosy.

St. Louis Zoo

We had a very hot day for our zoo visit! (Thanks to the Jernigan’s for sending a fan that sprayed water too! It was a life-saver!!!) We were impressed with the zoo. It has a lot more shade than the Memphis Zoo and several of the exhibits are indoors (with air conditioning).

Ready to enter the zoo!

Anna & Daddy pause for another picture.

Anna is fascinated with crocodiles, alligators and snakes! She loves to look at them.

Mason enjoyed the train ride around the zoo most. It provided a much needed breeze. His wet hair is a combination of sweat and water from the fan sprayer.

We ran across this water play area as we were about to leave. Although Anna wasn’t dressed for getting wet, we told her she could get “a little wet”. As you can imagine, by the time she finished, she was soaked from head to toe. But we know it felt so good to her!

The Gateway Arch

I’ve been up to the top of the Arch before but this was Kevin (and Anna & Mason’s) first time. It is such an amazing structure!

A picture I snapped as we walked to the Arch.

The girls are at the highest point- 630 feet!

Proof that the guys went too!

A picture at the Gateway Arch Museum. Now why does it take a wild animal to excite Mason so much??!!

Anna was fascinated by the human replicas in the museum. They were so life-like…they moved their body and lips as you heard them speaking. Anna asked several times if they were real.

Hyatt Regency at Union Station (Hotel)

Our hotel was great. It was at Union Station (an old railway terminal). It is now a mall full of great specialty stores. So Monday & Tuesday while Kevin was in meetings, the kids and I shopped. I even got some Christmas shopping done!

The guys watch as some other children play remote controlled bumper boats.

Mason enjoys a mall ride.

Anna loved the beautiful water fountains throughout the hotel and mall.

Kevin and Anna took a paddle boat ride.

Anna said her favorite part of the trip was “everything!” Although we had a great trip we were glad to get back home. ‘There’s no place like home’ is so true. After traveling with two little ones, I need a vacation after my vacation! Hopefully we will have great memories of this trip for years to come. We don’t remember days, we remember moments…and we had some great moments!