celebrations...

I haven't written anything on here in weeks! It's been super busy the past month. In exactly one week we will be driving on our way to Tallahassee!! I can't believe it's almost time to go! The time has just FLOWN by!! We got up really early yesterday, to see all the hot air balloons in Kingsport. The do this every year early in the morning. I guess as sort of an end of Fun Fest? I don't know, I had never been to Fun Fest though I had heard about it. But, I'd never heard of the hot air balloons. We got down town about 7:30 and it was packed!! Tons of people lined the sides of the street, sitting on the curb and it lawn chairs just waiting to watch the balloons go up. It reminded me of waiting for a parade to start. Anyway... I was amazed to see so many people. Especially tons of families with little kids. I wasn't exactly thrilled about getting up at 5:30 so we could be in Kingsport by 7:30 but it really was BEAUTIFUL! The kids LOVED it! We stayed until the very last one was way up in the air. Then we went with Josh's Mom and had breakfast. By 11:00 we were all wiped out and everyone came home and took a looong nap.




Today was Josh's brother's Birthday and Noah's Birthday is in just two days so Josh's Mom had a Birthday cookout for them today. It was also the last time we will all get together before the big move! They got Noah the coolest riding wagon with little seats and doors in it. So cute!! They rode around in the driveway forever. Bella and Jack loved it! Noah was not so sure what to think at first. Then Isabella and Jack got got to practice riding their bikes! The bikes were presents they got last month from Grandma. But, because our driveway is gravel and the road we live off is way too busy with traffic and doesn't have sidewalks they have just kept them to ride at Grandma's house. But, they will be going with us to Florida. We will have sidewalks where we are living.





Also, we got to spend the 4th of July weekend in a cabin in North Carolina. It was so beautiful and the friends that invited us had a little boy who was two. So the kids had so much fun playing with him. This is a view from the back deck...

Birthday Weekend....

This weekend was so busy!! Friday was my 26th Birthday! Josh's Mom had invited me to go with her to get a massage as a birthday present. So we headed to Kingport early so I could do that. It was my first massage experience so I wasn't really sure what to expect. But it was really calming and nice. They have soft music playing and the table which looked like a little bed was heated! She used all these hot stones and oils. lavender and tea tree oil, and hot towels... It was awesome! I told her I held a lot of stress in my shoulders and when she started massaging them I could hear this weird popping noise. I was thinking what IS that?! LOL. She said it was my lymphatic system releasing toxins that were built up in my muscles. I'm sure there was a lot to work out of there!! Anyway... after all that I didn't want to move! But we had to go back to Josh's mom's they took us all out for lunch. Then we came back home and just spent the day hanging out together. Josh got me two beautiful books. One was short stories of Richard Yates. Who I've gotten really into lately and the other was Wally Lamb's latest book. Then He gave me a beautiful butterfly pendant Isabella had picked out at the Blue Plum Festival for me. It was really so beautiful, and she was so proud and excited to show me. It was really such a great day.

Then Saturday we went back to Josh's Moms to have a cookout with the whole family. My parents were there, and Josh's brother and Judy. She made this really yummy marinated basil, lime chicken and grilled vegetables, and cold chinese noodles. It was soooo good!! She even made cakes for each of us. A cheesecake for Josh, and a Texas sheet cake for me. Which if you don't know is the most awesome chocolate cake on the planet! Any chocoholic lovers dream!!! It was so sweet of her, especially because she had been on call all weekend! She had only gotten home a few hours earlier. Later that night we went to Down Home with Dad to hear a band play.

Then..... Sunday we had Josh's Birthday and we celebrated here at the house with just us! Bella got him Scooby-Doo shirt she couldn't wait for him to open. And he loved it! It was such a fun weekend. I feel so loved! It was also so special to spend it with my Dad, after he had been so sick. It really puts things into prospective.

Random Bella quote from this weekend...
"Mommy, why does Jack not have a shirt on?"

Me- "Because he just doesn't want to wear one right now."

"Jack you look like a REAL man!!"

Being Crafty.

Out of all the toys my kids have there most favorite things are balloons!! They always end up getting one of those giant foil ones that takes up half the room at their Birthday. I always forget about them until 2 in the morning when I get up to pee and they scare me to death, floating around in a dark room. I can't tell you how many times I thought someone was in my house only to realize it was just a balloon.

We did crafts today, Bella got a HUGE box of arts and crafts supplies as a Birthday present from Grandma and Judy. Today we started out by making hand print butterflies... tomorrow we are going to work on something with either dinosaurs or fire trucks for Jack. Since those are his favorite things!


Also... Bella was doing free Makeovers today. Jack rocks pink eyeshadow David Bowie style. :P