Photo Shoot = Fail!

This weekend we went for a drive up toward Union City for Eric to pick up something he had ordered.  We passed this old abandoned house and I made him turn around and go back so I could get a quick pic of Kendall.  I took several and didn’t realize until we had driven off that the auto focus was turned off on my point and shoot… this was the only one that came out.  :-(  I guess we will have to make another trip that way sometime! 

(Yes, she dresses herself.  I have no say anymore… )

We are VERY VERY busy preparing for our move!  I should be up organizing and cleaning… but I am exhausted!  We were in Memphis today doing the final inspection on the house.  Then to the doctor’s office… Noah has double ear infections.  Poor little guy!  I am just so glad that his doctor got him in! 

It is so hard to believe that in TWO days our entire house will be packed up and getting ready to head to Collierville.  These last couple weeks have FLOWN by… which I knew they would with all that we have going on!  Miss K is staying with my mom for a couple days so I can try to get the house all organized for the movers.  Everytime I get something organized – she drags everything all over the place… makes me nuts.

While at the new house today I was taking pics of everything so I could try and figure out where to have movers put furniture, etc.  This house is awesome because of all the storage areas and the wall space.  I can’t wait to hang pictures!  I am thinking I am going to do all large gallery mounts.  It will fit the style of the house well. 

More soon!  :-)

Christmas on my mind…

Yes, I know I said I was not ready to even start thinking about Christmas yet… but somehow little bits and pieces of it keep creeping into my brain. 

A recent trip to Hallmark got me thinking about decorating my tree this year.  Which reminded me that I needed to decide what ornaments we were going to get.  We always buy 5 new ornaments that represent special memories from that year. There are so many great ones to choose from.  These are ones that I definitely want this year…

1.  Charlie Brown Christmas Ornament – if you know me at all, you know that I am a NUT about Charlie Brown.  I have been since I was a kid.  I NEVER miss watching his holiday shows. 

2.  Wired For Fun ornament – this could represent both of my boys who ALWAYS have something electronic in their hands!!!

 

3.  Cousin Eddie’s RV from Christmas Vacation ornament – need I really say more about this one???  This is our FAVORITE holiday movie of all time.  We watch it EVERY SINGLE YEAR on Christmas Eve and sometimes Thanksgiving too (if we are with my family). 

4.  Spa-Lendid Friends ornament – I started collecting these a couple years ago and they are my FAVORITE!  I want this one because it TOTALLY represents me and Dawn and how much fun we have on our “girl” outings. 

5.  Kitchen Queen or  Snow Much Fun to Cook ornament– this reminds me of how much I LOVE doing holiday baking right now.  :-)  I can’t decide which one I like better…  I am partial to snowmen…

6.  Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer – it even plays the song!!!  We always laugh because this was Kendall’s favorite song and video since forever… and my mom used to always tease her about it. 

7.  Ralphie’s Pink Nightmare ornament – I just LOVE this scene in the Christmas Story movie!  Another annual tradition around our house!  My mom is actually doing a Christmas Story themed tree this year so I bought this for her and gave it to her a few weeks ago!  :-)

As you can see… so many GREAT ornaments this year!  Ok… now I am getting excited for Christmas!  ;-)  If we could just get closed on the new house and moved over so I could start decorating!!! 

Moving is never easy…

You would think after 11 moves in 16 years I would be a professional mover… but NO I am not.  I have declared that this will be MY last and final move.  If Eric moves again… he’s doing it alone!  ;-) 

I am thankful that he got such a great offer from a wonderful company… and that they offer a relocation package.  I just wish things were moving smoother than they are.  I think we got spoiled by a past relo we had.  I literally spend ALL DAY, EVERY DAY on the phone with someone relo related trying to get things organized and scheduled.  It is insane… especially when I have a ZILLION things I NEED to be doing here to get my house ready for the movers to come pack up. 

The new house is all ready for us.  We are just waiting for our closing date next week. YES, I said NEXT week!  Wow – time really is flying by!  I am ready to just get moved on over and settled in before the holidays.  It is hard on the kids leaving their friends and I think it just makes it harder the longer we wait and they have to dwell and dread the final day here.  I know that past the anger and tears – they WILL make new friends and learn to love it there as much as they do here. It is still hard to see them hurting though.  I have cried far more tears than they have…

The middle and high schools have an AMAZING football program.  They have been to the play-offs for 15 straight years!  :-)  I just hope Logan builds up his confidence enough to try out.  I know he will do GREAT there!  They also have drama clubs which are right up Noah’s alley.  He loves doing school plays!!  Their scholastic programs are among the top in the state too.  It is a good move!!

Back to the house… I know I said I was not going to share any pictures of the house before we moved in, but I am calling on you all to help me with some decorating advice.  When I first saw this room in the house, I was in LOVE… L-O-V-E!!! 

I thought about how this would have been my dream room when I was a paper scrapbooker.  I could just see the shelves filled with paper trays full of colored cardstock and drawer organizers…  BUT – I am not a paper scrapper anymore and this will be Kendall’s play room.  I do LOVE the shelves… but the room is plain and busy at the same time.  Any decorating ideas???  It is a very large room and as you can see… has plenty of shelves!  ;-)  I have scoured the net for pictures of any rooms remotely similiar and haven’t found any.  Any ideas??

Any ideas??  Anyone?  

Field Trip to the Farm – part 3

They loaded up on the trailer to take a hay ride over to the Corn Maze. 

 

 

 

My dad went on the hayride with the kids while mom and I stayed off and took pictures!  ;-)  Check out that snazzy camera around my dad’s neck.  I am soooo excited that he is now a DSLR owner.  His pictures are so much better!!  :-)  Don’t get me wrong… I am NOT saying the camera is what makes them great.  He used to be a photography hobbyist and used a film 35mm.  He has never been happy with his images since he went digital with a point and shoot.  Now that he has a DSLR he can take much better images because he has more control like he used to!

 

See my dad standing up (towards the front) taking pics of the kids…  :-)

 

Noah went through this corn maze a week ago… but it was on a church trip and they did it with flashnights at night.  Well… he convinced us all that he knew his way around today.  Let’s just say… he was MISTAKEN and I remember why I HATE corn mazes!  ;-)

 

After the corn maze, the kids got to go find pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.  As you can imagine, they were pretty picked over and hard to find since it’s after Halloween.  However, they did manage to find a couple pretty good ones.  :-) 

 

And that sums up a great 4th grade field trip to the farm!  :-) 

Field Trip to the Farm – part 2

The farm had a cute little petting zoo are that my kids really enjoyed.

 

These goats were really sweet to pet but man did your hand stink when you got done.  Yuck!  Thank goodness for hand sanitizer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mom… I sure hope I have her genes running strong in my body because doesn’t she look GORGEOUS?!!

 

 

 

More tomorrow!