Jen and Charlie

Jen and Charlie came down for a visit today! They drove all the way from Cincinnati, to come have fun with us! We went out to lunch, played at the house, and took a walk. The boys played so hard, they were both wiped out by the end of the afternoon!

Winchester Spring 5K

Today was the Winchester Spring 5K, which was the 2nd race that Tara and I have run together. We did not train well for this race and were actually dreading it a little. Even so, we still got up early and forced ourselves through the mind battle! It was great though, because right at the end we heard 4 little voices yelling, "Go, Mommy!" Jason had brought the Hayes boys to see their Mom run the race! It gave us a little boost to help finish the race strong! Even though our time wasn't any better than our 1st race, we had a great time and the feeling of accomplishment.

Tara getting ready to kick some tail!

Two Tough Mommas!! (Before the race)

Still lookin' tough! (After the race--our faces don't look very red...I think we need to run faster!)

The Whole Crew (After the race--Poor Noah, had the sun in his eyes!)

This was the first race that Jeff has done since we lived in Asheville. He decided to try running this one with the jogging stroller! Noah loved it! He had his little legs stuck straight out in front of him and was grinning at the spectators along the way. Jeff said that Noah hardly made a sound, and would turn his head to watch the dogs barking and the crowd cheering. I had to take his word for it, because he ended up being WAY ahead of Tara and me! Would you believe that he even placed?!?! He got 3rd in the 20-29 age group! And that's all while pushing a jogging stroller with a 21 lbs. baby in it!!! Way to go, Jeff!!! That's my man!! :)

Jeff and Noah with their 3rd place medal!

On to La Grange!

Monday evening we left Mamaw and Papaw's in Corbin, and continued our drive up to La Grange, KY. Jeff was scheduled to work in the La Grange store on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Wal-Mart was putting him up in a hotel overnight. I wanted to go with him, so we just extended our Memorial Day travels a bit. The hotel we stayed in ended up being right across the street from the Wal-Mart, which worked out great! Jeff was able to walk to work, while Noah and I lounged at the hotel!

The hotel had a heated indoor pool, so Jeff and I decided to take Noah swimming for the 1st time! I'm not sure he really enjoyed it...in fact, I don't think he liked it very much at all! Especially when Daddy jumped into the pool, made a really big splash, and didn't come up for a while! (This made Noah holler, until Jeff's head emerged from under the water...then all was well again.)

Noah getting ready to go swimming for the 1st time!

I don't think Noah knew what to think...he had that look on his face the whole time!

Memorial Day Weekend--Part II

Monday afternoon we left Somerset, and made the trek over to Corbin to see my family. Mamaw and Papaw had us all over for a cookout. All six grandSONS were there and had a blast playing together! The big kids played cornhole and went on motorcycle rides...


Jeff, Noah, and I had to cut out early because the next part of our trip was just beginning...

Memorial Day Weekend--Part I

Right after Kim and Cathy left on Sunday morning, I began packing for our trip down to Sunnybrook. (I'd like to say that I was all prepared for the trip, but things got a little frantic when Jeff looked at me and said, "Uh, babe, I don't think I have enough clean socks and underwear to go on this trip.") So at 8:45 a.m. I started a load of laundry, and we were grabbing the clean stuff on our way out the door! Oops! Oh, well, we still made it to Sunnybrook, a mere 15 minutes off our goal time of 1:00 p.m!

We met up with Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Nay, and Uncle Jerry at Hobert and Faye's house. Hobert is Grandpa Don's first cousin, and they grew up together in Sunnybrook. Hobert and Faye are the sweetest couple you will ever meet! (I could do a whole post about their wedding ceremony alone!) They're always tickled to have us come visit, and they go out of their way to make sure they have a spread of food to offer. Faye won't let you walk out her door hungry! We had a nice visit with them, and then we drove up to the Pleasant Hill Cemetery to place Memorial flowers. That evening we drove up to Somerset and stayed in a hotel with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Nay. We had a great time being together with family!

A Visit with My Aunties

I was so excited to have my aunts, Cathy and Kim, come down from Indiana to stay with us for a few days! They arrived Friday night and stayed through Sunday morning. We had a great "Girls Weekend" together! Jeff was super sweet and watched Noah for me on Saturday, while Cathy, Kim, and I hit downtown Winchester to do some serious shopping! We had lunch at a lovely restaurant called, "The Colonel's Lady Tea Room". They served the food on mismatched China, and each table had a set of antique salt & pepper shakers adorning their centers. I had such a great time with my aunts, that I forgot to take pictures! I did get a couple of Noah trying out the new romper that Aunt Kim got him...

Check out the cute little frog jumping across his back! And the ducky on the pocket!

Noah has been reluctant to stand thus far, but Cathy pulled some OT moves on him and he stood right up!

In Need of a Name

About four years ago, when I took my first teaching job, I began thinking about a part-time business that I could run during the summers. I wanted it to be something that I would enjoy, that would use my skills, but be different than being in the classroom. I decided that I would like to be a professional organizer. Someone who helps others organize their space. Whether it be a closet, home office, nursery, pantry, storage space, etc. I thought I could be another set of eyes and hands to come alongside them, and help them to de-clutter a bit. Well, that brings me to now...I'm really going to try it! It may take me a while to get things up and running, but I'm taking the steps to get it going! One of those steps is to decide upon a name. I've posted a poll in the sidebar of my blog--you can vote for your favorite name there. Or if you have a suggestion for me, I'm open to those as well!

Scott & Amanda

Our friends Scott and Amanda, came down from Muncie last weekend to visit. We've known Scott pretty much all our lives. I remember sitting next to him in the elementary school cafeteria....they made us sit in alphabetical order back then, so we sat by each other a lot! Jeff and Scott were on many of the same athletic teams together, as we made our way through school at Daleville. Then Amanda joined in (she grew up in Yorktown--arch rivals of the Broncos!) and we've all been friends since!

When they first arrived at our house, I was trying to get Noah to take his afternoon nap. When I realized my efforts were in vain, that he was too excited about having guests to sleep, I let him skip the nap, and play with Scott and Amanda instead! We think that Scott reminded Noah of Jeff, because Noah reached for him and said, "da, da" when he first saw him. They had a great time playing ball together!...

That night we had yakiniku for dinner. I just got this new serving platter, and we put all the fixings in the platter before we cooked them. It looked beautiful! And it tasted even better than it looked!

On Sunday, the guys went to the driving range while the girls (and Noah) caught up on some R&R. Then we headed over to the Hayes house for a cookout and some cornhole! It was really fun! Amanda took some pics of everyone playing cornhole...I'll add those once I get a copy.

One Lovely Blog Award

Jen Swendiman, of Point B & Beyond gave me this award! (Jen is Jeff's cousin.) Thanks Jen!

The rules of accepting the award are as follows:

1. accept the award

2. post it on your blog together with the name and link of the person who granted the award

3. pass the award onto 5 other blogs you enjoy following

Don't forget to let the recipients know they have been chosen so they can continue the links & awards!

Here are the 5 blogs I have chosen to receive this award:

1. Whipple Words --by Janet Whipple. Janet's blog lets you take a peek into the adoption process, and shows how big God's plan is for us! I love to read her updates and see the incredible journey they're on. She's so genuine and authentic in what she writes, you may need some Kleenex!

2. Raisin' 4--by Whitney Daugherty. Whitney is such an inspiration! She has four little ones, and her blog is about their daily adventures. I love to read her posts, because she's real. She shares her ups and downs and always brings things back into focus with God's word.

3. The Long Family Chronicles--by Allyson Long. Allyson is a friend from college, and became a mommy not too long after I had Noah. Her blog is about life with a newborn, and everything that's goes along with that! We've supported each other through the sleepless nights, baby illnesses, and feeding challenges. We've also shared in each other's joy as our little ones reach new milestones! She's always an encouragement to me!

4. Mixon Mania--by Sara Mixon. I knew Sara back in high school, and we've recently been reunited through Facebook and our love of digital scrapbooking! She is a budding photographer, and does beautiful work. You can check it out at her photography blog Sara Mixon Photography.

5. Two Walls and a King--by Jennifer Walls. Jennifer is another friend from school, who I was also reunited with through Facebook and digital scrapbooking. She has just started a cake business, and is so creative with what she makes! Her cakes are amazing! Take a look for yourself Frosted.

Bonus: Point B & Beyond--by Jen Swendiman. I know, she's the one who gave me this award, but she's also the very first blog that I ever followed! We share many of the same interests, and her ideas have inspired me to pursue some of the dreams I had tucked away. In her blog, she shares organizational tips, recipes, and her wisdom.

I've realized that all of these blogs have one thing in common--They're all written by moms. Real moms, who are trying to make a difference in the lives of their children and everyone around them. Thanks ladies for sharing your lives through your blogs!

On the Move!

Noah's been working on the whole crawling thing for a while now. He was scooting, turning, pivoting, rolling, and sliding to get where he wanted to go. I think he's actually getting the movements coordinated now! I took this video earlier this morning, and he seems to be getting better at it as we "speak". I just had to redirect him from crawling out of the room! Looks like my life just went into overdrive!

My 1st Mother's Day (as an official MOM!)

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." Rajneesh

I spent my first Mother's Day in Knoxville, with a VERY new Mommy and her very new baby! Jeff, Noah, and I loaded up in the van and headed down to visit with Andy, Jessica, and Josiah. Yes, I know we were just there on Monday, but I had to go see Josiah again! They're only little like that for a short time... Andy and Jeff got a chance to go out Saturday evening, while Jessie and I stayed home with the kiddos. Jessie and I had a great time just being together and enjoying our little ones!

Saturday night we stayed in a hotel. When I first put Noah down in his Pack 'n Play for the night, he kept looking at me and just cried and cried. I thought he was probably used to not being able to see us in the middle of the night, and since he's so used to having his own space, I tried covering the sides of the Pack 'n Play with a blanket so he couldn't see us. As soon as the blanket was in place, he went right to sleep! It was so funny, because the next morning Jeff got up to go to the bathroom, Noah saw him, and started to fuss a bit. So when I needed to go, I crawled across the hotel room floor just so he wouldn't see me! (I was hoping to get a few extra minutes of sleep.) It worked! He didn't see or hear me and we were all able to sleep a tad longer! However, I was completely freaked out about bed bugs, and crawling across the floor did not help with that at all! I spent several minutes examining my skin, and scrubbing really well in the shower that morning! :)

On Mother's Day morning, we went back to Andy and Jess's house to spend a little more time with them. Noah was playing with Josiah's toys and having such a great time, that I could hardly get his attention long enough to look at Josiah. But, when I finally did get him to look at the baby, he grinned, laughed, and reached out to touch Josiah's hand. It was so incredibly precious!

That Must Have Been One WILD Nap!

This is what Noah's hair looked like when he got up from his nap yesterday....

It makes me want to have one of those fancy camera monitors, so I can see what he really does at nap time! :)

Spinning Baby

On our way back from meeting Josiah, we stopped by Mamaw and Papaw's house to take a little break from traveling. Noah was so glad to see Mamaw and Papaw! He had a blast playing on the floor with them...

Josiah David Ashton

Welcome to the World Josiah David Ashton!

Born on May 4th at 12:14 a.m.
Weight: 6 lbs. 10 oz. Length: 19.5 in. The New FamilyNothing sweeter...

The Proud Papa

Taking a Look Around...

Yesterday, Jeff, Noah, and I drove down to Knoxville, to meet Josiah for the first time! He's so precious! Unfortunately, due to hospital policy, we weren't able to take Noah into the room with us. We ended up having to take turns sitting in the waiting room, while the other one went in to see Josiah. I got to go first, and spent about hour with the little guy. I can't believe that in 10 months time I have forgotten how tiny Noah was! When I held Josiah, I was in awe all over again about the miracle of birth and how fragile newborns seem! It was amazing...and yes, made me want another one! ;) Then Andy went out to sit with Noah, while Jeff came back with me to hold Josiah. Jeff also said that he had forgotten how tiny they are when they arrive! He was a little hesitant to hold Josiah (didn't want to break someone else's child), but sat and rocked him for a while.

I loved watching Jess and Andy interact with Josiah! They're both beaming with pride and gratefulness to God for a healthy baby! I'll let them share their birth story with you...it's quite amazing! The Lord was definitely watching over them during the whole thing!

10 Months Old!

I took this picture right before Noah went to bed tonight--he wanted to stay up and play!

Noah is 10 months old today! This has been a very eventful day...it started out with a phone call at 7:45 a.m. with the news that Jessica's contractions had begun! They arrived at the hospital a bit before 7:00 p.m. this evening, and she's been doing great! I just got the latest update...she's at 9 cm, and the doctor was getting ready to break her water...so Josiah should be here very soon! If he's born tonight, he and Noah will be 10 months apart to the day! July 3rd and May 3rd--that will be easy to remember!

Another of today's happenings, was that Noah stayed in the church nursery the whole time without them needing to page me out of the service! When we first dropped him off, we sat him down on the play mat, and they distracted him with toys, while we slipped out the door unnoticed...or so we thought! As I was getting him signed in, and getting his sticker made, I heard him crying his little heart out! I thought they would have to page me for sure...but he was able to calm himself down, took his whole bottle (which he usually won't do), and was playing blissfully when we returned to pick him up! Yay!! What a big boy!! This was all a little bittersweet for me, because I'm glad that he is able to calm himself, recognize that we will return, and that I can actually enjoy a whole service. However, he was so busy playing when we went to get him, he didn't even notice us at first! I just can't believe how fast they grow and change!

Our 1st Derby Party!

Maybe it's because we grew up in Daleville, Indiana, but neither Jeff nor I had ever been to a Derby Party! Welcome to Kentucky! Some of our friends invited us to their house to experience the Derby true KY style. The hostess wore her hat and dress...though she did not require it of her guests, she says she's going to make formal attire mandatory for next year. ;) They grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and there was a massive spread of food! Taco dip, bean salad, cheese & crackers, fresh fruit, dill pickle roll-ups, Buffalo dip, mini Hot Browns, bacon-wrapped scallops, mac & cheese, etc. Don't worry I didn't forget the desserts--Banana pudding, Heath Bar cake, German chocolate cake, and of course, Derby Pie! It was incredible!

Then there was the race...it was the fastest, most exciting two minutes ever! I was amazed to learn some of the history/trivia about the Derby. And to watch the winner, Mine That Bird,...coming all the way from the back...I was so impressed with the whole thing! After the race was over, they divvied out the winnings--to an expectant mother and a young boy. The boy wasn't too interested at first, but then when they handed him the $50 his eyes got big and he exclaimed, "I'm rich!" His reaction was hilarious!

The kids all brought white T-shirts to decorate their own "silks". I brought a Onesie for Noah, but he was getting so sleepy that we didn't stick around to decorate it. :( It was a really fun party! I think we like this Kentucky tradition!

Night-Night, Turn Out the Light

One of my favorite parts of being a mom, is getting to watch our little sponge of a son learn new things every day! Though he has yet to say any words, he is definitely picking up on language and recognizes that some objects have names. The past few nights, after Noah's bath, we'll stand together in front of the mirror and we play a bit, laughing at those silly people looking back at us! Then I'll say, "It's time to turn out the light, Noah." We turn to leave, and I help him to flip the switch on our way out.

Two nights ago, we went through this whole routine...and when I said, "It's time to turn out the light, Noah, " he spun around 180 degrees and reached for the switch! This is probably a very small accomplishment, but I was impressed nonetheless! Our little boy is learning the meaning of words!

Another of Noah's most recent accomplishments, is his attempts at crawling...well, if you can call it that...see for yourself:

**I love how he stops to play with the pattern on the carpet! :)