Chattanooga

We were planning to go to Philadelphia and visit Josh's family the first weekend in August but unfortunately Josh suffered with a kidney stone for several days and so we had to reschedule that trip for later. Instead, once Josh recovered we headed to Chattanooga for one last trip before school begins. We had such a fun time...see for yourself...

Lunch at Sugar's Ribs...

An afternoon at the Adventure Science Center...

A ride on the Incline Railway...

Cosmic Mini-Golf...

Our first ride on a steam engine (all of our other train rides have been pulled by a diesel train) at TN Valley Railway...

On top of Lookout Mountain...

An adventure into the caves of Ruby Falls...

We made some wonderful memories and it was neat to take my boys somewhere that I went on vacation as a kid. Ethan begins 3rd grade tomorrow. Can't believe how quickly this break from school has gone!

Progress, Playing, & a Possible Premonition

I am proud to report that Landen has progressed very well with potty training in the past week. He now pee-pees in the potty, even when we're out in public and rarely has an accident. He even pee'd outside in a "have to" circumstance and he has NEVER been fond of that idea...nevermind that I had to put his fold-up potty seat on the grass for him to sit on, ha! He will NOT do #2 on the potty yet though. He has learned that we don't like it much when he does it in his underwear so he has began to ask to take a bath when he needs to do his business. He's always liked to be alone when he's filling his diaper so we've tried sitting  him on the potty and giving him a few minutes of privacy but that hasn't helped yet either. Oh well, he's made TONS of progress in a short time so we'll focus on that and keep working toward the other.

               In his big boy underwear!

        

   Proud of his stickers on his potty chart.

Sunday afternoon had beautiful weather! So, we played out in the back yard for several hours...

                 Trying not to smile!

                      Sweet Face!

Such a jokester...always making us     laugh!

This face is hilarious! Love this shot ❤

Ethan had his first practice for Fall baseball this week. He is playing in a new league where the kids pitch and he has a new coach and all new teammates. Josh is helping coach. Ethan seemed to really enjoy his practice. He is still improving so much. His batting had improved before last season but now his throwing and catching have really improved too! So proud of him.❤

We went to school registration this week and got Ethan signed up for 3rd grade. He had a teacher in mind that he preferred and was telling me about his hope of getting her before we went to sign-up. I told him not to get his hopes up because there were many other teachers that he might end up with, and many of them would be wonderful as well. Guess what...he got the teacher he was wanting! What are the odds? He was thrilled!!! I don't know her yet but I'm so glad that he's looking forward to the upcoming school year. 

Going With The Flow of Summer

We are really living up these last few weeks of Summer break. It has been crazy busy but super fun!! On Wednesday we went swimming with friends that we have been meaning to swim with all Summer. The boys had a ball!

Right about the time we were drying out to head home from our fun day of swimming, Josh called and said that he had to take an unexpected trip to Alabama for work. He was leaving right away and was already at home packing. It dawned on me that the boys and I didn't have any set plans for the next day and I hated for Josh to make the six and a half hour drive alone, so I told him to throw the boys some clothes in his bag and we would be right home to head out with him. We can't just pick up and go with him when Ethan is in school so I thought it was nice that we could take advantage. The boys and I had fun on Thursday just hanging out at the hotel. We read books, played games, ordered pizza, and just enjoyed playing. We opted not to swim since we were all three a little sunburned from the day before. 

The plan was to drive down to the beach (1.5 hours away) before heading home on Thursday evening. But that plan did NOT pan out. Josh ended up having to work 19 hours on Thursday (there were more issues than he had anticipated), we had to stay another night in the hotel, he had to go back for an hour the next morning, and then we had to head home in order to make it to an event that had been planned for over a month.

Ethan's baseball team FINALLY got to have their team pool party. It was rained out on it's original scheduled date. We rolled back into town just in time to pick up the baseball cupcakes, change the boys into swim suits and head straight to the party!

After the swim party, one of Ethan's buddies (John) who just happens to be his distant cousin as well, came home with us and spent the night. On Saturday, we took all three boys to eat at Shogun (where else would Ethan choose?) and then to see "Turbo" in 3D at the theater. Landen was the best he's ever been in a movie. He didn't move a muscle through the entire movie!

On Sunday, the boys played with their cousin Zoe after church. On Monday, Alera & Ty came over to play. And today, the boys and I went to The Paintin' Place and they painted freestyle. When we went there to make Father's Day gifts they didn't like that they couldn't just paint however they wanted (we made deer out of footprints on a ceramic plate for their dad's desk...since he's a deer hunter and Ethan enjoys hunting with him). So, I had promised them a trip back soon so they could paint whatever they wanted, however they wanted. They really enjoyed it! Landen painted a snake and Ethan painted a Poke ball and some type of canoe looking dish for his Grammy. Landen kept saying "See my snake? It is gween, and awange, and bwack. Ain't it cute? I did it all by myself!"

Of course, I was holding their pieces while they painted them, and helping refill paint pallets, and washing brushes, so I didn't get a single picture but we pick them up next week, after they've been fired, and I'll be sure to snap a pic then.  

I don't want to think about school starting but my "type A" personality won't  allow me to procrastinate so....we have new school clothes, shoes, socks/underwear, and backpack all bought and hid away under the bed so that it doesn't taunt us with the reality of Summer break ending. All we like is buying a lunchbox and school supplies once we get the list next week. I might even have his back-to-school haircut scheduled already...shhh! I don't look forward to it but it's gonna' happen anyway, so we might as well prepare, right??

Summer Adventures and Potty Training Take Three or Twelve or Something Like That...

Last Friday the boys and I met up with the Smith family at the Nashville Zoo. All of the boys had such a fun time together and the weather was perfect! One more adventure checked off our Summer bucket list.

 

The same evening, after the zoo, we took the boys and Ethan's buddy, Carter to the drive-in to see Despicable Me 2. It was the boy's first time to the drive-in and they thought laying on quilts and pillows in the back of their dad's truck while watching a movie was the coolest! Check another adventure of the Summer bucket list ✅.

On Sunday evening, the boys had a dance party in their pj's...

And, we are once again giving potty training a shot. I thought we were doing great. Landen wore underwear all day yesterday and only had two accidents. I was taking him to the potty every 15-20 minutes and he must've been tired of going because he brought me a diaper and asked me to put it on him. I reminded him that he was using the potty and asked why he wanted the diaper on and he said "So I can pee in it!"  and then he sat down and said "See....like this" as he proceeded to show me where the diaper should go. I couldn't help but laugh. We pressed on though and he wore underwear with no more accidents until 8:30pm, when we put a diaper on for bed. The problem is that in days like today when we're gone from 10am-4pm and then again from 6pm-9pm, I can't take him to the toilet every 15-20 minutes and so he has to wear a diaper. I feel like that's a step backwards and confusing to him. Hmmm...

What's happened in the last month???

In the last month....

My old laptop has died and so I am still learning how to work the new one with a different type of software. In the meantime, I am trying out blogging from my phone.

The Spring baseball season ended for Ethan in mid-June. He had a great season and learned a lot. Taking baseball lessons in BG has helped him to grow as a player so much. He will be beginning Fall baseball in BG very soon! 

We went down to TN and had lunch with Josh one day and played at Incredible Dave's.

We went to our first Nashville Sounds game with friends.

We had to take Landen to the E.R. Yet again! This time in the middle of the night. He was fine before bed and woke up at 3am really struggling to breathe. Turned out he had Croup. After a breathing treatment and x-rays of his lungs we were sent home with steroids.

After a few days, Landen began feeling better and we went shopping. He enjoyed trying on sunglasses with me :)

We went back to the orthopedic doctor for a checkup on Landen's leg. The bone is completely healed and looks great. He walks/runs almost completely normal

now. We go back in 3 months for one last check. We're so thankful that his leg has healed!

After this appointment, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed to Hobby Lobby.

     Silly Boys!! This was all completely       their idea. I knew HL was a fun place but who knew it could be this much fun?!?!

After HL, we headed to our afternoon appointment...a check-up with the pediatrician to follow up on Landen's Croup diagnosis. His breathing was still labored so we had another x-ray of his lungs to rule out pneumonia and then the dr. sent us home with another steroid prescription and a nebulizer for breathing treatments at home. After a week of this treatment, Landen is much better. The pediatrician says this could be a one time occurrence or it could re-occur. We are hoping it was a fluke but only time will tell.

Josh and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary in Charleston, SC for 4 days. It was the first time we've ever  left the boys for that long. It was difficult but much needed for all 4 of us I think.

We celebrated Independence Day with family and friends under a huge tent in our backyard. It was pouring rain ALL day but stopped long enough for firework  fun at dark. 

Tonight we celebrated Josh's birthday with his requested dinner menu and a coconut pie...his favorite!

It has been an exciting month and we're looking forward to some fun things coming up!