Caleb is starting to read!

I went to Caleb's school the other day to help in his class. As I was getting ready to read, his teacher asked him if wanted to read a book to me. So we went into the hallway, and he read a book called "My Bus"! It was so exciting, and he was so proud! He is becoming such a big boy!

It was also so sweet that when he got to choose a reward this week for all the stickers he had earned, he chose a frog for his brother (he had gotten one the first time and knew that Bennett liked it). It was really thoughtful and generous of him!

Labor Day Fun

This year for Labor Day were were able to enjoy the last Diamond Jaxx game of the season with family and friends! The girls + 2 headed to Jackson early for a little fall shopping. Then we grabbed lunch at the mall and headed to the game. We had such a great time...thanks mom for working out tickets for us! Yes, that is Ryne Sandberg...he was coaching the Tennessee Smokies!

Most exciting soccer game...EVER!

Last Saturday Caleb had his first soccer game of the season. We thought that this being his second year would make a difference in his skill level, but didn't have a clue how much. If you remember from last year, the most exciting part of soccer for Caleb was seeing how many times he could fall on the ground. Well, this year as soon as the ball hit the ground, he took off and headed straight for the goal. He scored the first one of the game, and then went on to score 4-5 more! I know that I'm going to be labeled that crazy soccer mom that gets way too excited over little league sports, but I'm okay with that...it really was the most exciting soccer game I've ever seen! I got at least 3 goals on video, but wasn't able to get action shots of the game. Here are a few cute pics that I took while he was on the sidelines and after the game.Caleb and Hunter were so hot afterward that they HAD to take off their shirts :)

Friday Night Fun

After a fun day of painting and working at the property Friday morning and afternoon, we had a fun filled evening! We had a minister's fellowship out at Covenant Ranch, a Christian camp here in Paris that uses outdoor activities to strengthen people's relationship with Christ. We were able to try out the zip line, and it was so much fun! Corey's face cracks me up...he doesn't like heights, hehe! The boys LOVED it, and I have to admit it was a little strange jumping off the platform, but it was lots of fun! If you are looking for a neat place to take your youth group our couples for a retreat, this is a really great place! They also have paintball, a ropes course, skeet shooting, archery...

Afterward, we headed to the Henry County football game! I love being in a town where everyone is cheering for one team! It was a great game, the Patriots won, and we had a lot of fun in the Maplewood cheering section...I did embarrass them, but I needed a picture for my blog...see, aren't you guys glad we took this!The boys wanted snacks...at this point it was almost laughable...Caleb was eating popcorn, a sucker, and a dill pickle!

And at halftime, Jennifer came up to our seats to watch the band perform their field show with me...it was like old times! Two band nerds discussing things that only we band folks understand :) They did a great job, by the way!What a fun way to spend a Friday!

Unbelieveable Deals!

Many of you follow both our family blog and that of my dear friend, Jennifer...if you do, you have definitely noticed her amazing shopping skills and coupon prowess! Well, I simply couldn't understand how she would get all these incredible deals, so she decided to take me out for a little hands on tutorial. After our first PTO meeting (how exciting is that?!), we headed to Kroger. And yes, I had someone take a picture! I won't try to explain exactly how it worked, but it consisted of a sale, printed double coupons and loadable coupons. So, here is what I got...it totaled up to right around $34 before discounts from sales and coupons. And afterward, the final price was $5. 26...yes, INCREDIBLE! She definitely made a believer of me...now I just have to figure out how to do it by myself...or I could just take her shopping with me every week! Thanks for the fun lesson, Jennifer!

Progress at the Property

This week we were able to accomplish quite a bit at the property. Corey and some of the men poured the concrete sidewalk on the back side of the building on two separate days. Bennett was excited about getting in the concrete and helping, too! They also worked on the pavilion one day to get the ceiling in and get it ready for our upcoming church picnic. There are some visible changes on the sanctuary as well...check out the ceiling...it's beginning to take shape! Also, on Friday we began priming the classrooms and hallway...what a painting crew! Here are some pictures of this week's progress.Bennett and I started out by painting Corey's office...by 2:30, our paint crew had finished the back section of the hallway, the office suite (4 rooms) and 4 classrooms!

Soooo Ready for some Football!

We were so excited about the Titans pre-season game the other night that we had a special Titans dessert after dinner while we watched the game...Go Titans! We can't wait for another great season!

Seeing God

In the car the other day, Bennett said, "I wish God would come here so we could see him." Caleb responded by saying, "He will come here one day!" Bennett said that he wished God would go ahead and come now to which Caleb said, "Well, I hope He will wait, because I really want to go to the fair this week!" So funny...I love these boys!

It does make me think though...Are you ready for Him to come? He is coming. Is there something that you are waiting for before you are ready to see Him? Don't wait!

We have a new pet!

Thanks to our sweet friend, Leah, who went on vacation to Florida and bought each of the boys a hermit crab, we have a new pet...yep, I used the singular article, a. That is because, bless her heart, one of the crabs died shortly after she arrived home. Well, Leah went to the pet store in Jackson and bought another crab to replace the first one right before she came to visit us. And on the drive here, the new crab pinched the leg off the first crab...and then there was one. The boys never knew that there were two (we disposed of number 2 while Bennett was napping and Caleb was still at school), so they were so excited about their new pet! They chose the name, "Crabby Cain" for him...and decided that he would like to play with their Lego skateboard ramp. Oh, my! I'm not sure number 3 has much more of a chance than the first two! Thanks so much, Leah for your thoughtfulness and for coming up to spend some time with us! We love you!

Fantasy Football and Princess Shoes?

Corey and his college buddies started their Fantasy Football league 10-11 years ago, and each year they get together on draft day to play golf, have their draft, and then hang out afterward. Well, a lot of the time the boys and I will get together with some of our friends whose husbands/daddies are drafting. This year, we hung out with my college roommate and sweet friend, Meg and her precious little girl, Kate. After dinner, we headed to their home to play. As you know, my boys are definitely all boy...they love camo, the outdoors, sports...so, Meg was concerned about them since they only had "girl toys" at their house. I told her not to worry, the boys would be fine...and they were :)Thanks Meg for a fun night, and thanks to Kate for sharing her princess shoes!
P.S. Caleb did not want me to blog about this, but I couldn't help it...please do not tease my boys about this if you ever want to see the cute pictures of them doing silly stuff...they will stop letting me take them, hehe :)