Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Camping for 4 please

This last weekend was perfect weather for some camping and so that's just what we did! Just the 4 of us....it's not often we get to go somewhere being just our core. I know we each LOVED it immensely! The weather was a little cooler in the evenings then what we thought but we all had good sleeping bags and extra blankets and did great! My girls are pretty squirmy in bed and so I had to restuff them in their bags quite often through the night to keep them warm but nobody complained! Jon even slept out by the fire Friday night....like old times for him (when he was younger....I don't make him sleep outside, I promise)! We absolutely hands down had the best time. Our brains were quickly cleared of all the buzz of life and we were very relaxed and everyone was happy! We fell asleep each night to the sounds of the waterfall and woke up each morning with the sunlight....no alarm clocks, no mommy/daddy calling our names, no phones. We rode our bikes around some on Friday and then Saturday we hiked to "Fall Creek Falls"....otherwise we just hung out by the fire and the kids were able to explore in the area around the tents!! No one wanted to leave on Sunday.....pure and simple fun!


Please take note of my oldest....never at a loss for a pose!!!

Making breakfast

Daddy's job for the weekend!

This was the view up while sitting on our chairs by the fire

Climbing trees



While hiking to the falls


Breathtakingly MAGNIFICENT!!!!

Of course you gotta roast marsh mellows

Early morning yummy breakfast of pancakes, veggie sausage, mango, and blueberries!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Nature spells "Hughes"

I've had my eye on a couple different websites that have taken pictures of different objects which look like a letter. I've been wanting to spell out our last name and have it framed. So anyways while on our camping trip this weekend Kayden started noticing different things while hiking that looked like certain letters. It then hit me that we would take our own letter pictures and even better out in nature!!! I wish I could have figured out how to make the letters small enough to sit side by side but I guess you'll get the idea from scrolling down. HUGHES. Another blog to follow from our FANTASTIC weekend!!! 


Thursday, March 19, 2009

Finally some rays

It's been raining here quite a bit lately.....good for the earth...not always so good for us!! Finally, Monday evening after we ate dinner the sun was making itself be known through the clouds and we decided to go for a walk. Something so simple as an evening walk with people you love and laugh with is all the soul needs for a little pick me up!!!

As we first got outside

The girls were walking by puddles just dying to jump in them....we finally relented and they splashed and jumped around like this was the GREATEST fun ever!!!

End result!!!

After we walked away from the puddles Emery realized she was gonna have to keep her clothes on because we were in public and this is what we got...DEEEEERAAAMAA!!

On our drive back home, passing the lake...beauty! 

We have a beautiful weekend in store....70's! So with that forecast in sight our cars are packed and we are headed out for a semi long camping weekend....just the 4 of us! Pretty excited! 

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Pancake Breakfast

This morning we had the privilege of going to a pancake breakfast in honor of a sweet, precious, loving, gorgeous little girl name Mary Alice (Jon works with her dad)!!! She was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis....I think when she was just a baby. She has the absolute best parents in the world who decided to be proactive to allow their daughter every chance at the longest and healthiest life possible by raising money towards research for CF. One of the benefits being this pancake breakfast! As I sat in the restaurant this morning it hit me, for the first time since we met them, why we were there.....I can't even begin to put myself in their shoes. They choose each day to get up and make the best out of each day, what an example to live by. I ask you all to say an extra prayer this morning because Mary Alice is having a procedure done this morning and has to be put under anesthesia. Pray for her Dr's....all of them and pray for whatever it they are looking for to "not be found" or be negative. I can't wait for the day where we can enjoy life to the fullest.....in that we have NO WORRIES AT ALL!!!!

Kayden, Mary Alice, and Emery
Jon and Mike (her dad) doing dishes!!!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Smiles and Frowns

As some of you know I am training for my 1st 1/2 marathon. Monday's are pretty much the same around our house. I start the day with my "long run", we run a couple errands if needed, head home for lunch and nap time or quiet time, dance class is 4:00-5:30 and then home for supper and nighttime routines!! Well today was my 9 mile run and I've been needing to practice eating something called "GU" to keep my energy level up and get me through the run. I ate the 1st one on the way to the gym and almost puked in the car....Kayden was quite concerned. I'm not really sure how else to describe it except it tasted like gooey carmel.....may sound yummy to you BUT NO it was not!! The pukey feeling subsided as a started running and I did quite well running my miles today. Then an hour into my run I had to eat another one and it went down pretty well, wasn't until after I finished  that the pukey feeling came back! I'm not excited about putting this nasty substance into my body but hoping that it will help me finish the race on April 25th with flying times!!! If anyone has any other suggestions on what to use HELP!!!! 

Made me smile......I LOVE fresh flowers in my house!!! Found an Organic Sport Drink a month or so ago that I LOVE called LIV!!!
Made me frown....empty packet of GU energy gel!!! Can't wait to take it again on Friday..total sarcasm!!! 

Potty Training

First of all I must say that Emery will most likely NOT appreciate this blog if it is still around by the time she is able to get on to a computer and read!! BUT I had to post this anyway....precious little moments to me! I am quite opinionated regarding certain "parenting" issues. i.e. what goes into my children's body's- solids and liquids, bedtime and naptime/quiet time, amount TV time and what they view,  teaching them about God, outside time, and the list could go on. Now then there are a few things that I'm very lax about because I'm quite certain they will be handled by the time they enter college!!! For example Kayden sucked on a paci until she was a little over 4 y/o much to her dentists' dismay! Potty training is another "not gonna stress" about thing. I wouldn't even be pushing it but her daycare pushes it at her age and so we are going with it. She pretty much has it down minus her "fear" of pooping!!! I'm not certain she is afraid of pooping but she has no problems peeping. She typically will wait until she gets home and them poop in her underware....WHY??? Not sure but whatev! So last night before bedtime I found Jon sitting in the bathroom with Emery telling her story's to distract her while she pooped away!!!! Not a precious moment to you maybe and probably didn't appreciate me using "poop" so many times but to me it was another reminder of how as parents we will do just about anything for our kids!!! Emery Grae, if your old enough to read this and this blog still exists mommy is VERY sorry but I had to blog about this and I hope you will forgive me!!!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Knoxville Zoo

Last Tuesday my niece, Taylor, was on her spring break and so we decided that would be a perfect opportunity to head to the Knoxville Zoo! My younger sister Karlie lives there now and it was a good opportunity to do something in "her" town! It was a perfect day because we all (my mom, Kristi, my younger sister Karlie, and myself) happened to all be off work which is unheard of unless planned WAY in advance!! It was not a perfect weather day.....a pretty chilly 30 degrees give or take a little depending on the time. But we bundled up and had a blast. We spent about 4 1/2-5 hours there! I think we were the ONLY people there for most of the day, every once in a while we would bump into someone!! There was a baby penguin who had just hatched the end of January and although we didn't get to see him/her (you can't tell a penguin's sex by looking, they have to do a blood test) we did learn a few things about them. They are VERY loyal to their partners, as if they are married....somethings human's could study and learn from! We were very surprised at how many animals we did get to see because of it being cold. We look forward to many more visits as my mom got each of us a Zoo membership which allows you to visit MOST Zoo's in the USA!!!! Very cool Easter gift!!!! 

Having fun in the gift shop!!
Right after we took this picture (we are standing by the Zebra's) one of them had it's "better side" facing us and started pooping!!! NO sarcasm when I say that me, mom, Kristi, and Karlie were in tears of laughter at watching the girls see it poop!! Tay of course was laughing, Kayden seemed a bit puzzled and very much in awe of what was taking place and Emery was saying..."mmmmm he gonna be in trouble for pooping"!!!! Hilarious to watch each age react differently!
The otters TOTALLY loved the attention and put on a show for us!

Karlie and her nieces hopped on the back of this very old Land Rover!
Of course monkeys are ALWAYS entertaining, they were picking each others.....whatever it is they pick at....bugs, dirt...I don't know but it's fun to watch them!
Silliness!
Some animals mom caught!

After finishing at the Zoo we took a trolley ride around downtown Knoxville! It was fun and FREE!! This is the free transportation Knoxville provides! Emery especially loved the Chawlie ride as some of you know her LOVE for trains! 

Sweet little thing loved every single minute!!!

We then ate at a great little place called Tomato Head!!! Great food with vegetarian and vegan options!!! Karlie lives a cool area of downtown Knoxville, great little shops, old buildings, just a fun place!!!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Rainy Day....CDM here we come!!!

Right now the main exhibit is houses in different parts of the country. Very interesting to see the way people live. Below Emery is in a "hut" type of house which the people in Mongolia live in. The Cambodians live on boats, ect. 

Playing "house" in the "Little Yellow House"....that's what it's called!
They have different art times and at this particular session the girl read the story of Cinderella and then had all the different yarns, material, feathers, hay, glittery items laid out (as seen below) for the kids to choose from place on the paper. Each item represented a part of the story! There was no special place to glue down everything.....imaginations take OVER!!! 

Kayden's idea of Cinderllla! 

Emery's piece of art!
The girls playing in the "water area"













My phone rang at 4:50 am last Saturday and when the person on the other line asked if I wanted to stay home from work I of course said "YES"!!! Well once we all crawled out of bed after a busy week we found it raining outside! So thanks to a membership to the Creative Discovery Museum we purchased last year (we will be getting this membership every year because after 2 visits the membership was  payed for) we decided that today was a perfect day to go visit!!! The exhibits change out every 3-4 months not to mention the endless other things there are to do! The girls LOVE it!!!