June 18th

My husband bought our plane tickets! And the countdown has begun.  On June 18th we- the kids, my sweet Grandma (who volunteered to fly over here to help me finish up the packing and cleaning and fly back with me just to help with the kids on the plane!!) and myself are flyin out of Nashville and into Seattle. My grandma will fly back home and the kids and I (and Alex- once he gets to Seattle to join us) are staying a month or so at my in-laws. (How gracious are they?!) My husband doesn't start his post-doc until August 16th so we will move down to the Portland area in early August. (more about post-doc info here) We get to take the easy way out while Alex and his Dad (who also volunteered to help) will be driving 10 hour days across the country. Nice guys right there. I don't envy them though.

I took this sunrise shot (from the porch!) when we were at my in-laws house for Christmas.  And because Seattle is on pacific time (which is 2 hours earlier than Tennessee) my kids always seem to get me up just in time to see it.  I also just wanted to show you what we get to wake up too. I'm not excited or anything. :)

We're literally counting the days now....not necessarily excited about the whole process of packing and moving again (it seriously feels like we just got settled in here), but to start this next chapter of our life. I've packed my first box, northwest here we come!!!

Wordless Wednesday. Spring!

Happy Spring! :)

99 things...

I saw this on a friend of a friend's blog and thought it would be fun to do myself. A little "about me" stuff if you will...:)

Instructions:
Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.


1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii-Maui, twice. :)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm- Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables- Does herbs and strawberries count?I will when I have a yard.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight 

22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon- Id like too.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing- on a fake wall- not the same I know. Same Idea though..
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted -pencil drawing.
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling- Maui again. *sigh*
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class- No but I really want too!
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 

62. Gone whale watching- Does watching from the shore count?
63. Got flowers for no reason- He loves me.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check -once.
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy- Trolls. Don't laugh. :)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job- Does not getting called back to babysit again count?
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone- My pinky toe- Back walk over in a public bathroom is not a good idea.
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle- Many times. And Id like to own one too. Someday.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper- It was a tether-ball action shot. 4th grade champ. ;)
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating- a fish.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous- John Elway.
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Bubba's buzz cut

 Cute, but totally shaggy. 
Come to think of it, my husband might need a haircut soon too.

 I am generally anti-candy for wee ones. But In the case of needing a toddler to sit still for 10 minutes, I will do whatever it takes. I actually gave him a sucker to tide him over the last time I buzzed him and it worked wonders. Too bad hes got more teeth this time around and decided to chew it instead.  So it was gone in less than two minutes.

And two minutes of buzzing was about all he could handle. He cried, and I felt bad. 
But I couldn't let him run around half buzzed! Or could I?

 
He looks so grown up now. Its amazing how something like a simple haircut can transform what I consider my "baby" into a 21 month old little boy. I'm not sure If I'm ready for him to grow up.

Polaroids. Who knew?!

 

Have you taken a Polaroid lately? 

http://www.poladroid.net/

Its pretty fun. Im not gonna lie.

Our last day in Atlanta

 We got to meet this guy. And he let us feel his beard.

We learned this.

We got to see the World of Coca-Cola building. And a ginormous Coke bottle.

And more super tall buildings.

 We explored. 

We saw and old gate. And took a picture of it.

 

 We thought it might be fun to go to the CNN Center.

The inside of this building was unreal.

We thought it was anyways.
 

 Then we went to The Children's Museum.

And discovered Moon Sand is possibly the coolest stuff on the planet.

 We painted. And smiled funny.

We took weird pictures of ourselves. 

And cute pictures of others.

 We shopped.

We found a lantern.

We loved the view from our hotel room.

And here's the view at night. (taken the night before) Just in case you were curious.

We had to say goodbye to our lovely hotel. Embassy Suites.

 We ate here for lunch on the way out. And cole slaw topped hot dogs never tasted better.

 We drove home, and saw this on the way.

We were tuckered out. So we took a nap.

The end.