The Diddle Family Adventures...

First Day, Birthday, and Soccer

2011-11-20T23:30:00.001-05:00

Murphy is very proud of his very first trophy!

Bennie loves to eat!

Murphy is ready for his first day at his new school, Tate's School of Discovery!

In front of his school

Mrs. Laura

4th Birthday!

Star Wars swimming party

New tent!

Murphy's dinner choice on his real birthday- Wasabi!

Murphy has been waiting FOREVER to turn 4 so he can watch Star Wars! This was his first viewing. Chris might have been even more excited than Murph!

Trip to the Mountains (plus a few more!)

2011-11-20T23:00:00.009-05:00

Here are a few shots of Bennie from earlier this fall! Playing with Morgan

Two failed attempts at a picture of the two of them- not looking good for this year's Christmas card!

We had a great time in the mountains this September!

Celebrations!

2011-07-27T09:09:00.005-04:00

Some of these pics are out of order, but here they are!:) We got to celebrate Walker's birthday in Nashville and Knoxville this year as opposed to Pawley's Island! The weekend before his bday, we went out to dinner in Nashville with NeNe to celebrate all of our summer bdays! (Me, Walker, Will, and Katie) We had dinner with friends in Knoxville the next weekend and were so excited that Abby and her girls were in town! Abby, Meg, Tinsley, and AK after Walker's dinner!

Murphy and Allie Harris loved having a sleepover one night at DeeDee and Dibs' house! How sweet are they laying on the couch?

Allie Harris and Bennie! I'm sad that I missed getting a pic of Gray- she was already in bed!

Bennie waiting patiently for us to eat dinner!

Murphy getting some Katie time!

Bennie getting some Big time!

We had fun playing over at Hagen and Lizzy's house while we were in Nashville!

Walker and his little sis celebrating his bday!

Summer Highlights!

2011-07-24T15:42:00.006-04:00

We have been busy this summer! I haven't blogged because we've been busy playing, going to camp, organizing, and adding new jobs to our family! I have decided to go back to teaching and will be heading back to school in the fall. Murphy and I will be at the same school, Tate's School of Discovery! I will be teaching 5th grade and he will be in the 4 year-old class! It is a precious private school on 52 acres starting in preschool and going through 5th grade. I also am selling Rodan + Fields Dermatologists. I love these products, but most importantly, I love selling the results they bring people! On to the pics: Our family at church on June 12. We had fun earlier this summer playing in the backyard with Teagan!

So sweet!

We took a quick trip to Kiawah over Memorial Day with the Lemoncelli's!

Murph and Avery

Bennie being a trooper!

Limbo!

Mmmm! Marble Slab!

Bennie loves to stand and hang on!

Wii boxing with Daddy on Father's Day!

Murphy's first trip to the dentist- he had several cavities, so more to come on that later!

Sorry it has been so long!!

2011-05-20T15:15:00.004-04:00

We have had a busy spring! Here are a few highlights! 4 Generations: Bennie in NeNe's Sunday School class! She was a great student!

She loves the songs!

Murphy loved his dinosaur at the SHPC Easter Egg Hunt

Collecting eggs!

Murphy shared an egg with his sister!

Easter Playgroup at our house- Poor Teagan, surrounded by all those boys!

Bennie on Easter morning! She wore Lizzy Brandt's pretty dress!

Here is Murphy on Easter morning. Barbara Babb, our family friend, made it!

Fuzzy family Easter pic!

Bennie loves solid food! She eats apples, green beans, peas, carrots, and squash. I love this pic- she is totally leaning into the spoon!:)

Murphy loves creating things in the kitchen from his Silly Snacks cookbook. Here he is with a "Squishy Fish!" yummy!

Last saturday we went with Connor and Pierce to pick strawberries at the Fruit and Berry Patch in Halls. It was kind of rainy, but lots of fun!

This covered tree path was so neat!

Saturday night, we went to eat at Wasabi with friends and babies. This was Murphy's first experience dining at a Japaneese steakhouse! He loved it!!!

I will try to do better this summer about posting!

Random Pics from February and Early March

2011-03-21T20:22:00.005-04:00

JuJu gave Murphy a power wheel truck she had gotten from a co-worker. Here he is racing down the yard to hop in! He was most excited about the real working radio!

Getting instructions from "Andy Poke" as he calls Andy Pope!

Andy giving Murph a ride!

So cool!

Walker and I before our Nine O'clock Cotillion in early March

NeNe and her sweet girl!

Sweet kisses!

Murphy hanging out with baby sis

Cuddle time!

Oops didn't mean to put up 2- still sweet, though!

Tummy Time!

Benton had RSV last week. She is doing much better! She didn't mind the breathing treatments at all!

She is chewing and slobbering on everything these days!

A little reading!

A brother sister conversation...

February Fun

2011-03-01T15:02:00.003-05:00

Murphy and Daddy heading out to Murphy's 1st Tennessee Basketball game! He had so much fun! Halfway through the game, they got to go up to the skyboxes. Of course, he asked if they had a kid show on the TV!:)

They had a Cat in the Hat day at school last week and Mrs. Brenda painted whiskers on their faces!

Bennie Boo!

Sissy is already 3 months- we can't believe it!

She is such a sweet baby and very soft-spoken when she coos and laughs!

Walker and I went to the Jason Aldean cocert last Friday night with some friends. It was so much fun! Murph wanted to be in the picture!

We also celebrated 6 years of marriage on February 19. We are so thankful to have each other and our two sweet kids!

A Benton Post!

2011-02-16T16:24:00.003-05:00

Murphy has had his fair share on posts, so I thought it was time for Benton to have her own post! She loves to touch noses with her Daddy and giggles at him! Catching a snooze in Mommy's bed!

I love when she does this with her mouth!

I finally had my camera nearby when she was smiling at me! She is so sneaky and likes to smile when the camera is not around!

She is also starting to enjoy her bumbo! I think she looks so much like Murphy as a baby, but she has her own look at the same time!

2011-02-11T11:52:00.005-05:00

Wow- time has flown by! We have been having so much fun with Benton, aka "Bennie Boo" that we have forgotten to blog! (Not to mention the lack of picture taking- poor 2nd child!) Here is a catch up blog with Christmas below as well! Benton at 1 month- 7lbs, 19 in. Murphy having fun outside on one of our MANY January snow days!

Murphy fell asleep one night with the Rubix cube DeeDee got him at Walgreens! My little nerd baby...

Murph is really into Jell-o Jigglers right now! He loves making his name! Here are some winter shapes.

Playing together, sort of! Murph is also following the Vols this year and loves Tobias Harris, #12!

Another way we stay busy inside is building forts. This was his very own apartment in the playroom! He has also made igloos, sleeping gas-stations(?), and rocketships!

Being a big helper!

"See mom, her does like cars!"

Benton at 2 months, 8lbs, 20 inches:)

NeNe makes the coolest rocketships!

Here are the Christmas pictures- this is from our card/birth announcement!

This one was used on NeNe's card!

Murph and Bennie Boo on Christmas Eve at DeeDee and Dibs' house!

Benton's Bacon!:)

Two tired babies on Christmas Eve!

One of his favorite gifts- Paper Jams!!

Benton's gifts:)

Big and Murph playing on the new Smart Cycle

Touchdown!

Bath Time & Visitors

2010-12-21T21:42:00.005-05:00

Benton's first bath at home Getting warm in the froggy towel

Bath time in Mommy's tub!

Meeting Om for the first time!

And RiRi!

Pop Pop with his 4th great grandchild! (Lillard comes from Pop Pop, DeeDee's dad)

Meeting Uncle Mikey (Michael Faulk), Benton's godfather

Uncle Wes and Aunt Sabi made a surprise visit from Boston! They just made Thanksgiving that much sweeter!

Miss Abby stopped by after the UT game to meet her newest baby and to love on her Murph man!

Cousin time! Murph and AH had fun playing dress up! She had to settle for Dash since we don't have any princess costumes- and made a very cute super hero! They said they were saving the babies!

Baby Gray was loving Baby Benton, and her paci! What a sweetie!

The girl cousins!

Austie with Murph and Benton

BFF's and Beach buddies- Benton and Bennett Bruner! They will have so much fun spending time at the beach together growing up!

Murphy had to jump in on the action!

Murph playing with Charlee Hunter!

NeNe and her girl!

Benton Lillard Diddle

2010-12-14T10:54:00.006-05:00

Benton arrived on November 24, 2010 at 12:18 pm! She was 5 lbs, 9 oz and 17 inches! She is our tiny baby! We all love her so much and don't remember life without her. She is a great baby so far and Murphy is an excellent big brother! He loves her so much, and we often have to remind him not to love too hard! Daddy and daughter- I think there is one just like this with Murphy!

Murphy meeting his sister for the first time! Julieanne and Macy brought him up to us and they said he said," Guys, I already love her!"

First family photo

DeeDee holding her 4th grandchild and 3rd granddaughter!

NeNe checking out her first granddaughter!

Dibs teaching her about Vols Basketball

Mommy and Benton enjoying their First Thanksgiving together!

Look how tiny! She's smaller than the diaper bag! (She is almost up to 6 lbs now!)

JuJu and May May!

"Aunt" Alli! (Benton's godmother) What a friend- Alli has been at the hospital for both of my babies' arrivals!

Going home!

Ready to go join my brother at home!

Native American Thanksgiving Feast!

2010-11-22T20:54:00.003-05:00

Murphy's preschool class celebrated Thanksgiving last week by having a Native American feast. He had a great time with all his friends! Who knew the Native Americans ate fish sticks and tater tots back then?:)

His teachers, Mrs. Bonnie and Mrs. Brenda, always plan fun things for the kiddos. He really loves his teachers and his school!

Murphy and Lilly- one of his favorite girls!

Murphy listening to the Bible story

Singing some songs at rug time

Murphy loves sitting and playing with his trains on top of his train table lately!

Relaxing before dinner... He loves his W&L t-shirt daddy brought back from his 10 year college reunion. He calls it his "College Shirt!"

Preparing...

2010-11-12T22:24:00.003-05:00

We are trying to soak up as much time with Murphy as an only child in the next few weeks. I hope he still loves his sister this much when she arrives! Murphy is posing with all of the sweet gifts I got at my surprise shower! He said, "Oh, is it her birthday? She isn't even out yet!"

Thanks again to Allison, Julieanne, and Macy for putting it all together!

I love my new car seat cover! A girl I went to High School with made it! Her name is Elizabeth Byerly if anyone is interested in one! She is very talented!

Just for Fun...

2010-11-09T21:47:00.002-05:00

Murphy loves to work on his computer with his "smart" glasses on! He is quite the little pretender these days! DeeDee popped the lenses out of an old pair of her readers for him- you can't tell here, but they even have lights on the sides!

Our new baby sister will be here before we know it! Murphy is anxiously awaiting her arrival and asks daily, "When is she getting out of there?" The other day he said, "Hey, its November! Why are you not out yet?" Of course, it won't be until the end of November and this three year old's strongest suit is definitely not patience, so we could have a long few weeks ahead of us!!:)

Pumpkin Patch and Late October

2010-11-02T20:44:00.006-04:00

We went to the fruit and berry patch a couple of Saturdays ago with our palygroup friends. We ran wild through the Corn Maze, went on a hayride, picked out pumpkins, and got to feed some animals. We had such a great time! It was very special that all of the Daddies could make it as well! Here are the pics!

We stopped for lunch at our new Five Guys on the way home!

Here is Murphy hard at work washing his pumpkins!

He helped Daddy design the Jack-O-Lantern face! He liked watching it glow before bedtime!

Murphy had "Farm Day" at school last Thursday. They fed the animals, did the wash, and all sorts of other farm chores all day. He thought it was great! Here is our little farmer before school!

We have had a great start to fall and have gotten to do so many fun things! We went to a Halloween party on Sunday, but I forgot my camera!:( Hopefully I can borrow some pics from friends! We have a birthday party every weekend until Thanksgiving, so we will be busy! I guess that will make time pass quickly until we get to meet the newest member of our family! We have been preparing for her arrival and Murphy is very interested in learning how to take care of a baby. Hopefully this will continue when she actually arrives!

Friday Funday!

2010-10-16T20:12:00.006-04:00

We had an activity packed day yesterday! We had our Playgroup Halloween Party at Drew's house in the morning and then went to "Boo at the Zoo" with the Mewetts that night! It was such a fun, sugar-filled day!:) Playgroup buddies(l to r): Will and Alex, Murphy, Jake, Andy, and Ben, Connor. Drew and baby Pearce in front and Hank and Baxter standing in back!

Waiting patiently to start decorating pumpkins!

"Dash"!

The group with Mommies! I didn't get any pics of them running around the circle driveway at Jennie's, but it was hysterical! I think they all ran at least a mile! They would have been so blurry anyway!:)

He loves to show his muscles in his costume. It came with a black eye mask, but his head is so big, it didn't fit! hehe!

Murphy and Teagan enjoying "Boo at the Zoo"! I love how she is also flexing her Piggy muscles!

"Dash" scaling the rope in the play area!

Fun Fun!

They had a tent with dancing and Murphy found another "Incredible" to dance with!

Cuties dancing!

Dinner on the run!

Glow sticks! Mo said Teagan slept with hers!:)

What a nice end to a fun day! I think he thought it was actually Halloween!

Fall Update in Pictures!

2010-10-07T15:56:00.007-04:00

We have been busy since coming back from Disney World. Here is our fall so far in pictures...
Murphy is enjoying helping out in the kitchen! His favorite job is scooping out avacado. (Sorry, Andy Wonnna...) Most of it gets eaten, though! :)

Murphy and Daddy had fun practicing on the cool balance bike Aunt Alli gave him for his bday! He is still working up the courage to go down a hill without Daddy! He got a buzzy bee painted on his face at Khaki's birthday party!

Waiting on cake with Connor...

Khaki, the birthday girl, and Lilly- two of Murphy's favorite girls!:)

Murphy had so much fun when he got to "babysit" for Phillips. She was a good listener when he read to her!

Posing with the Fall decorations outside the Aquarium

Trying to grab the big sharks! He said he saw a nice one named Bruce! (from Nemo)

He LOVED these tanks!

The penguin playground was open this time. You can crawl into the tube and see the penguins playing in the water all around you! It was really neat!

This was hysterical- They have a Plexiglas floor with water under it. He kept stopping short like he was about to fall in! He finally realized you could walk on it!

We watched a dive show and Murphy was a great listener! What you see here is him copying the diver who was also upside down...

NeNe always has to find a creek to throw rocks into...

Enjoying the largest, messiest sucker in Gatlinburg...

Ready for church on Sunday!

Murphy loves his new school! We had a fun time on Monday night at Open House. Murphy is doing a lot of neat things this year and really loves his teachers, Mrs. Bonnie and Mrs. Brenda!

They say he wears his "smart glasses" every day! So silly!

I am going to try to do a better job of updating individual events! Happy Fall everyone!

Disney World Highlights!

2010-10-04T15:03:00.006-04:00

Here are some of the highlights from our trip to Disney World a few weeks ago. Our trip was Murphy's 3rd birthday present from us and our last trip as a family of 3! We had so much fun! We stayed just the right amount of time for Murphy. He was in heaven! Walker and I had so much fun watching him experience it for the first time! Here he is on his way to Orlando... Getting a birthday pin at the All-Star Movie Resorts at check-in. (It was at 10:30 pm!)

His favorite character at breakfast-Goofy!

Meeting Alice and the White Rabbit!

This was so neat- he got picked by Alice to ride the teacups with her and the White Rabbit! It was called a "Magical Moment" that they do at the parks each day. It is random, so we don't know why they picked him, but it sure was special!

Finally getting to meet Mickey and Minnie!

And Jessie and Woody!

Relaxing in the stroller with a Mickey sucker!

Taking a monorail ride after a fun and sweaty day at the Magic Kingdom!

The next day at Hollywood Studios- a high-five for Lightning McQueen!

Waiting patiently for the Playhouse Disney show to start...

Being silly with June and Quincy!

Big Muscles just like Mr. Incredible!

Murphy and Daddy about to go in to Muppets in 3D!

Working away outside the Lego store!

Murphy's 3rd Birthday Party!

2010-09-08T19:44:00.006-04:00

Murphy had a fun-filled 3rd Birthday Weekend! Mommy and Daddy had Julia and Matthew's wedding festivities all weekend, so he got to spend time with DeeDee and Dibs, Miss Lane, and Big and Katie! He had lots of fun! NeNe came to visit on Sunday just in time for his party with friends at Jumpity Jump! Here he is opening some of his presents from NeNe, Om, and Big and Katie before his party. Above is the present from Om- inside was a red cape and a black cape that she made for him along with a Spiderman T-shirt and a Batman T-shirt! Below is the present from Big and Katie- Buzz Lightyear "night vision" goggles and a Handy Manny flashlight book!

Checking out his new Buzz Lightyear CD player and Fairytale books on CD from NeNe!

Getting a quick squeeze from Dibs at Jumpity Jump! (I wish I had gotten more pics of jumping with friends, but they were all over the place!)

Sliding with NeNe and Louis!

The Toy Story 3 cake- Is anyone surprised this was the theme?:)

Getting ready to lick his candles! (I was blocking the blowing candles out shot!)

Some of his friends at the party-Andy, Jake, Ben, and Connor

More friends-Teagan, Caroline, Chase, and Drew

Chowing down!

Present time! Murphy's best buddy Teagan was a great helper!

Sorry I forgot to turn this one! Uncle Mikey and Uncle Tee!

More present opening!

The big hit- Toy Story Guitar from Uncle Tee!

Smokies Game

2010-08-19T13:54:00.003-04:00

We recently went to a Friday night TN Smokies game. We thought Murphy would love it, and boy were we right! He loved all aspects from the BIG tub of popcorn to the mascots, games, and so on! We went to watch Alex throw out the first pitch, as it was Webb School Alumni Night! He threw it so fast the pic didn't turn out, but here he is teaching Murph a little bit about baseball!

Doesn't everyone need a foam finger bigger than their head? (Even when their head is larger than most?!:)

Dippin' Dots with BeBe was also a big hit!

What could be a better end to a wonderful evening of junk food and baseball? Getting to sit in the firetruck in the parking lot, of course!

Berry Pickin'

2010-08-12T14:47:00.005-04:00

A couple of Fridays ago, we went to the berry patch just outside of Knoxville with our playgroup buddies. We had so much fun! Murphy is loving the book, Blueberries for Sal right now so it was really exciting for him! He began eating them right off the bushes just like Sal! We got a lot of blueberries, a few blackberries(they are almost done for the season), and some grapes. We will most definitely go back in the fall to pick apples and pumpkins! I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Happy summer!

Beach Trip 2010!

2010-08-01T21:39:00.006-04:00

Daddy and Murphy had so much fun in the waves at Kiawah Island the first week of our trip. They saw a small shark just after this pic was taken!

Murph doesn't mind the sand at all! It is a mess! (See video at the bottom!:)

Deciding to take a little rest!

Riding the waves!

He loved the pool at Kiawah!

BIG breakfast!

Chillin' at Pawley's Island the second week!

He really liked all of the beach activities this year- especially the popsicles!

Relaxing with DeeDee

He also loved "Baby Abby", although she has grown up from last year. These two were big buddies!

Play-dough fun!

Daddy taught Murphy to fish with his new Batman fishing pole. Walker used to fish from the same dock when he was Murph's age!

His biggest catch- a clam!

Afternoon boat ride with Daddy and Collin!

Sea Kayaking with DeeDee! (or riding the gondola as he says)

Snack time with Abby!

Sharing another snack with Abby and Alex and Avery Abernethy, our friends who live in Murrell's Inlet, right next to Pawley's. Walker grew up with their Daddy, Chip!

Murph holding the newest Abernethy, little brother, Austin!

Here are two fun videos of Murph in action on our trip!

June Highlights

2010-07-03T19:18:00.003-04:00

At the beginning of June, we transitioned to a big boy bed. It is obvious the crib had become way too much fun! I'll post pics of the room when the finishing touches are in- which may be awhile at the rate I'm going!:) We have loved spending time with Pop!(DeeDee's dad) He moved here this year from Memphis to be near 2 of his daughters and Gramco, who is in the nursing home here in Knoxville. Murphy thinks he is the greatest! (Pop seems to think Murph is pretty neat, too!:)

First movie at the theatre- Toy Story 3! "It was good! A little bit scary, and Mommy cried at the end." (Direct quote from this little critic!)

Murph is also enjoying the pool so much this summer! He is quite a little fish these days!

Our summer has been fun, action-packed, and super busy so far! So much that blogging has moved down on the list! We are headed to the beach tomorrow for almost two weeks. Happy 4th of July!!

3+1=4

2010-06-01T21:45:00.002-04:00

Murphy is going to be a BIG BROTHER! The due date is November 30- Aunt Alli's birthday!:) Everyone around here is quite excited!

(Sorry for the out of focus pic- we were moving fast that day!)

Murphy Montage

2010-05-25T14:51:00.005-04:00

Murph is really enjoying pretending to be someone else these days! He loves accessorizing to look like someone else. Most popular are Daddy and Spiderman! He also loves sporting his bike helmet around the house, which comes in handy. With that noggin, once he gets a forward motion, gravity takes over and we often fall on our head!:) Hope everyone is enjoying the start of summer!

Mother's Day Program Videos!

2010-05-06T16:36:00.003-04:00

Here are some video clips of Murphy's Program at school. They sang the cutest songs and he really got into it! Of course, he practiced for us all week!

Spring Pictures!

2010-05-03T15:23:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the long delay in posts! My organizing business is keeping me very busy! I am loving it! My computer has been under the weather and in the shop. I guess both of those factors are why I haven't updated in forever and why I had tons of pics to load this time! To save time, I will just give you a few captions! Earlier this spring, Murphy got to meet some of the Yo Gabba Gabba characters at the zoo!

Enjoying a nice lunch at the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge with NeNe and Mommy and then getting to sit on a horse named Hollywood! Murphy has really become interested in horses lately!

We had a fun Easter playgroup at Miss Lara's. Drew and Murphy are enjoying a snack and coloring while Miss Lara hides the eggs!

Showing Daddy and Dibs his loot at the Cherokee Egg Hunt

Murph and Daddy had a blast sliding down the hill!

Modeling his Spiderman bike helmet on Easter morning!

Below are several pictures from our trip to Kiawah in April. We had a blast playing on the beach and hanging out with DeeDee and Dibs!

This weekend Big and Katie stayed with us while he coached his AAU team. They even got to stay an extra night because of the flooding in Nashville. We had so much fun with them! We missed NeNe, but are thankful she stayed home with Gram and was safe from the flooding!

Murphy was excited to dress like Big for the game- seersucker bottoms and a big boy top!:)

Feels Like Spring... At least for the Weekend!

2010-03-21T20:54:00.004-04:00

We had the best time spending most of this weekend outside! Murph loved playing with his water table and in the dirt on Friday!

On Saturday, we went to Car-la-line's (Caroline Smith's) 4th birthday party at Ijams nature center. They couldn't have asked for a better day! They got to see a real owl!

Murph raised his hand when she was taking questions, and honestly, I was terrified of what might come out of his mouth. (Mostly I was thinking he would ramble on about non-relevant facts about Toy Story or Spider-man.) But, he actually said,"Hey, will dat owl bite my weg?" At least it was on the subject!:)

They went on a treasure hunt through the woods and Murph kept up nicely! He seems too big to me here!

Attempt at a group pic- the birthday girl is third from the right!:)

When they found the treasure chest, it had a kaleidoscope for each child! Murph picked an orange one.

Mmmm... chocolate cupcakes!

Healthy Weekend!

2010-03-15T16:16:00.002-04:00

We are finally healthy! (I hope!) We went to the zoo Saturday and had a great time! This monkey was so cool! He put on quite a show and even gave Murphy a "high five" through the glass!

Being silly with the otters

Murph was also ready to go play with his church buddies on Sunday. They looked for the lost sheep in Sunday School!

NeNe got him this coat in the fall and I'm just getting around to taking his picture in it. As Murphy would say, "I lookin' sharp!"

YUCK!

2010-03-12T16:13:00.001-05:00

We have been battling a stomach bug at our house this week- YUCK! Murphy was so sweet to share his germs with Daddy and NeNe!:( He seems to be on the mend, but it has been a rough one! Here is the little patient nursing a popsicle! Here's to a much healthier week next week!

Scary Dinosaur!

2010-03-02T20:37:00.002-05:00

5 Year Anniversary and Cotillion

2010-02-23T14:16:00.002-05:00

Walker and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary last weekend. It was a great weekend! We had 9 o'clock Cotillion on Friday night(our anniversary) and went out to eat with NeNe and Murphy on Saturday night. Then, Walker and I went to see "Valentine's Day" while NeNe and Murph went home. It was a great way to celebrate! Below is a pic of Murphy drinking the remaining drops of salsa off of his lunch plate! He gets that honest!:) Walker and Me before leaving on Friday night.

Murphy had to get in on the action and model his new dinosaur towel. He really does a great impression of a "scawwy" dinosaur!

We are finally getting around to celebrating by ourselves tonight- dinner at one of our favorite Knoxville spots- Bistro!

Valentine's Day Playgroup

2010-02-17T14:50:00.002-05:00

We had a great time eating cookies and sharing Valentines with our playgroup friends on Friday! The strawberry milk was really yummy!:) Here is a pic of Murphy and our host, Connor! Jake, Ben, and Andy enjoying the treats!

Nice nose, Murph!:)

One of Murphy's new favorite activities- watching Veggie Tales on Mommy and Daddy's bed!

He loves sitting up high on the red pillow!

Winter Wonderland!

2010-02-03T14:06:00.006-05:00

We had a wonderful, relaxing weekend in the snow! Murphy loved all aspects of it- from sledding to hot chocolate! We have all been going in so many directions lately and it was so nice to be forced to slow down and spend some great time as a family! I didn't take as many pics because we were enjoying ourselves too much! Sometimes it is better to make memories instead of trying to capture every moment.:) Oops- forgot to rotate this one. Walker loved his snowball maker! (ice-cream scooper) He had a blast pelting us and the dogs with snowballs!

Sledding down our little hill

When his sled stopped, Murphy just rolled down the hill!

For our inside time, we made a tent, which Murphy thought looked more like a volcano!

We also painted! Murphy wanted to use himself as a canvas. First mission- to paint "Andy" on his foot like in "Toy Story".

Second mission- paint himself! He also had me write the names off his three favorite "Cars" characters on his body-what a nut!

Relaxing with hot chocolate on the beanbag!

Snowy Days!

2010-01-10T14:27:00.005-05:00

What a treat this week has been! Murphy had a fabulous time in the snow! Sledding on the baking sheet!

Whee!

He kept saying, "Do again, do again!"

Playing in the snow with Halle

I love this!

Having fun with Daddy!

Just a little spelling in the snow!

Warming up in my Cars jammies from Aunt Alli!

Cute snow bibs!

Eating Cars soup- "Warm, please!"

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

2010-01-06T15:15:00.006-05:00

We had a very busy and very Merry Christmas! Here is what Santa left for Murphy! He was a very good boy this year! Checking out his loot...

Digging in to the stocking Santa filled at DeeDee and Dibs' house!

Allie Harris and DeeDee

AH and Murphy modeling their new boots! AH got Uggs for her trip to Aspen in February and Murphy got boots just like Daddy's!

Murphy loved helping Dibs open his gifts!

Aunt Sabi gave "Uncle" as Murphy calls him, a gloved scraper for the car! She is a pro- she went to college in Wisconsin!

DeeDee hanging out with Murph and AH on Christmas morning!

They sure love their DeeDee!

An attempt at a cousin pic!

Murphy got a cool Cars track from Big! He loves it!!

Santa left a note for Muphy at NeNe's. His sleigh got heavy, so he dropped his train table off there!

Murphy, Big, and Katie relaxing on Christmas night!

Nice face, Murph!

Playing with cousin Virginia!

Murphy had fun playing with Miss Lindsey at our house while Mommy and Daddy went to Gramps' funeral. He lived an amazing 100 years!

I got to see my dear friend, Melissa, over the holidays! It was so great to see her and talk about our kids! She has Malie and a Murphy also!:)

NYE- Kara, Jessi, me, Adrienne, and Courtney!

Here's to a happy and healthy 2010!

December Fun!

2009-12-24T11:14:00.006-05:00

We have had a busy December! Here is what we have been up to! We had our playgroup cookie decorating at our house- Connor and Murphy hard at work here! A group decorating shot-

A little fuzzy- the boys concentrating!

Jake had an icing goatee...

So did Ben!

This is concentration!

Getting it just right!

Andy watching his brothers eat icing!

Murphy loves Pierce! Here he is taking care of him while the mommies were busy!

Group shot! Amazing they are all looking at the camera!

Having fun in the Thomas tent with Mommy and Alli

Outside chilly fun!

Drawing with Daddy!

Opening gifts from Aunt Alli! Cars PJ's, Pixar underwear, an Alien popper, and an Elmo bath toy!

Trying out the Toy Story underwear!

Talking with Santa at Miss Sherri's house...

and bouncing with Cooper!

Murphy's school Christmas Party

Cupcakes with "Jacks"

Waiting to see Santa at Cherokee with DeeDee and NeNe!

Serious conversation with the big guy!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Murph's First Present of the Year!

2009-12-10T16:09:00.002-05:00

Simonne and Taylor gave Murphy his first present of the season. Here is a short video of him enjoying it!

Gobble,Gobble!

2009-12-01T14:46:00.004-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving week! We spent part of it in Nashville and part in Knoxville. Here are some highlights! Murphy is modeling his new "hat". (Actually his diaper! Luckily it was dry!!:) Chowing down on the yummy Thanksgiving feast!

Playing with John David...

and Whitney!

Computer time with NeNe

Watching Cars Movie with Mommy

And working on some stuff as Murphy the Builder!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Murphy's First Haircut

2009-11-18T13:35:00.004-05:00

Murphy finally got his first haircut today! He had a great little mullet going, but it was time! We had thus far been able to avoid it looking like a rat tail by fluffing it enough to make a duck tail, but lately it has not been cutting it! This before pic doesn't do it justice! We let Mr. Ralph give Woody a haircut first!

Not too sure...

After promising him some M's (M&M's) he began to warm up to the idea of getting a haircut!

The after pic- he only cut the back and just above his ears because there wasn't enough to cut in the front or on top!

Murphy also got some new slippers. This pic is amazing because Murphy has been afraid of furry slippers for awhile. (No, I am not kidding!) He backs away from them and says "Help! Help!" (He is also terrified of pinecones, but that's an issue for another time!) Anyway, this kid is so strange! He loved these "Cars Movie, Lightning McQueen, Shoes" as he calls them! At least he faced his fear and got over it!:)

Whew! So this is how it gonna be now?

2009-11-16T20:55:00.005-05:00

We are finally almost entirely moved into our new home!(Minus the patio furniture that will be moved tomorrow!) We close on the sale of our old house on Friday and are almost ready! We are loving the extra space and storage(that's my favorite) and Murphy is in hog heaven! Here is the last pic of Murphy at his old house- notice the nice Lightning McQueen tattooed arm and matching socks, both courtesy of "Taw-get". With all that being said, I think Murphy is enjoying himself a little too much. Today Walker put him down for his nap and when I got home 30 minutes later he was still talking in his bed. I went in and he was in the process of climbing out of the crib. This is usually an impossible task for him when he has on his sleepsack, but, alas, it was on the floor. He somehow got out of it and was headed for a "nap detour". I said, "Did Daddy forget your sleepsack?" He says, "No, I take off cause I shoo-shoo." Okay, I think, valid reason. We clean up and head back for Nap- round 2. He then proceeds to tell me in a very polite, respectful tone, "I not nap today Mommy, I will play,play,play!" (BTW, the last part was sung like the gecko in the Wonderpets) Well, he lost that battle and I put him down- SO I THOUGHT! I hear him reading, talking, etc. for about 30 minutes, but this is normal, so I thought nothing of it and went about my usual naptime activity- multitasking while chatting on the phone. I had just stepped outside to see why both dogs were barking when we live in a neighborhood with only one other house and no dogs when I see a shadow glide by in the window. I told my friend Emily that we either had a tiny ghost or Murphy was on the loose! I came in and yelled, Muuuurphy!" He comes around the corner, "bottomless", and says, "Oh, hi! I going upstaiws to play!" What the heck? "Ok" I said and fell out laughing! So, I guess in the end it was Murphy-1, Mommy-0! (And to top it all off, he had left a trail of pee pee down the hardwood in the hallway on his little "streak"! So I guess this is how it gonna be now! And it's all thanks to this room...

Now who can blame him for not wanting to sleep when you know all of these toys are just sitting above your room waiting to be played with?

And who can blame me for becomming a raisin every night in here? This is one of my favorite parts of the house- those who know me well know I take a bath EVERY night!:)

I guess most moms would give up and say, oh I guess we'll move into a big bed or I guess his nap days are over- but no, not me, I'm going on line to order a bed tent!:)

October Beach Trip and Halloween

2009-11-11T20:11:00.007-05:00

A few weeks ago Murphy and I went to Kiawah with NeNe and "Auntie Wonna" (Rhonda)! We had so much fun and the weather was a little warmer each day! We rode bikes, played on the playground, shopped, and did NOT go to the ER or the doctor this time! Murphy also discovered his love for Toy Story and High School Musical, which is still going strong! Cuddling in his bed with Auntie Wonna

Sliding on the big twisty slide at Night Heron Park- our favorite!

Playing on the steps with Mommy

Posing on the pumpkins at Rosebank Farms

NeNe and Murphy enjoying a rare quiet moment

Building sandcastles

Looking for butterflies in the gardens at The Sanctuary

Back at home- relaxing with Miller!

Wednesday night Halloween dinner at Cherokee with DeeDee and Dibs- I need to start brushing his teeth more often! :)

Giving DeeDee a turn with the teeth...

"Max" from Where the Wild Things Are! DeeDee made his costume from scratch! It was awesome and looked just like I had pictured it! He really got into it and said, "I'll eat you up!" just like Max! Thanks, DeeDee! It was so special and one-of-a-kind!:)

He really got into Trick-or-Treating once he realized you get to eat the candy!

On the move to the next candy stop!

His favorite stop- Chris and Courtney's house for suckers!

We made it to the UT/South Carolina game after Trick-or-Treating. We were so glad to have Becca and Jason in town for the game and had a great time with them Friday and Saturday nights! Murphy also loved seeing "Jayna" as he called them at first. We think he was combining their names into one!

Walker and Jason watching UT kick some South Carolina butt! We also won the game they came to last year, so I think they need to start coming to all the games!

Picture Catch-Up

2009-10-21T15:19:00.003-04:00

I was going back over pics from the last month, and found some to share! Here are Murphy and NeNe playing checkers at Cracker Barrell last month. He loves moving checkers around the board!

Chillin' in the big chair- his new favorite spot!

Being silly with Mommy! He said, "Mommy and Murphy get in the bag!"

This pic is at least a month old, and I may have already put it up. We are now almost move-in ready! We will be in by November 3rd or so, when the fence gets here!

Front porch lights

Here is a video of Murphy playing while I am trying to talk to him!

Messy Murphy!

2009-10-14T16:04:00.004-04:00

During all of the rain in September, we started getting bored, so I decided we should make an indoor sandbox using cornmeal. Here are the results!

On another note, we just got around to doing our 2 year check-up yesterday! Murphy is developing well and weighs 27 lbs, 13 oz. He is 35 inches tall! Both are around the 50th percentile. The doctor also estimates he will end up being 5' 10" to 6' tall. Thanks, Big Will, for the tall genes! Murphy loves to go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and loves books and learning new things! His latest obsessions are Cars movie things, Thomas and Friends, and Max from Where the Wild Things Are!

We are moving soon, so I have not done a great job updating, but as soon as things calm down I will do a better job!

Seattle

2009-09-23T15:49:00.008-04:00

We went to Seattle last week fo Wes and Sabrina's wedding and had a fabulous time! It was beautiful and the weather was excellent! Murphy and Allie Harris were both in the wedding and did great! NeNe got to come help us out and she had lots of fun, too! We are so thankful that she could help us and also spend time exploring the city with us! These are pics from our fun days in Seattle. I did not use my camera at night- I just wanted to enjoy the festivities without taking pics, but hopefully I can borrow some from others who were there! Murphy was ready to go from the moment he woke up on Thursday morning! "Pack-pack" and all! He really enjoyed the flight and did well- it was 4 and a half hours!

These didn't stay on long, but it makes a cute pic!

We went to the Seattle Aquarium on Friday- we all loved it!

Octopus arm!

Trying to get a pic with NeNe!

He liked this otter statue...

Posing with the Pirate and Daddy down by the waterfont

We saw the Seattle episode of Man vs. Food before we went out there and HAD to go to The Crab Pot- it was right on the water and we enjoyed a steaming pot of shrimp, crabs, mussels, clams, and more!

Murph loved all of the shells and talked on his "Shell-phone"!

I got a good piece of meat out of this crab leg- they only gave you a mallet as a utensil!

Mom and I enjoying the waterfront

Murphy had the biggest sucker! It was like a giant gobstopper on a stick!

This was actually a sculpture in Olympic Park- not a real tree!

NeNe and Murph getting fresh fruit and veggies at Pike Place market

We went to the Woodland Park Zoo on Monday. Murph enjoyed running and climbing much more than the animals!

Here he is "hatching" in the children's play area!

This was some kind of rigged fish at the Fish Market that they pulled to scare passers-by. It totally got us even after we saw other people fall for it!

The flowers and produce were gorgeous!

Massive lobster tails!

Dungeness Crabs

More seafood!

Wild salmon

Becca and Jason's Wedding

2009-09-21T14:39:00.004-04:00

Our good friends Becca and Jason were married September 5. We were so happy to make the trip to Cincinnati to celebrate with them! We had an awesome time and really enjoyed catching up with Sharon and Kevin and Amber and Brian! We opted to leave Murphy at home, but really had fun playing with their kiddos! As you can tell from the pics, we missed him and are glad we got to borrow other children!:) Here are Becca and Jason making their entrance into the reception! Meg and Walker

Walker took advantage of his last weekend to wear seersucker! He and Luke had to take a pic in their matching outfits!

Becca and her dad's dance!

I had to get in my baby time with Siena. What a sweet girl! I would have held her the whole time, but her parents like her too, so I had to eventually give her back!:)

Mr. and Mrs. Beischel (I hope I spelled that right!)

Becca and Linda gettin' down on the dance floor!

I had to take this pic the next day- I have one of Ang after her wedding, but that was before I had a digital camera!

Ready to pack up and head out for the Honeymoon! Love you guys and can't wait to see you again soon!

Murphy and Connor

2009-09-07T21:23:00.003-04:00

Murphy got to have his friend Connor over on Friday. His mom just had a baby, so we went and picked him up and played all morning! He thought it was really neat to have Connor ride in our car! They talked back and forth on the way to the playground- it was really cute! Here they are in their cars! Connor pushing the big "scooper", according to Murphy!

Murphy really loves his friends- I'm glad Connor is so good natured and puts up with him sitting on him!

???? Is he whispering to him, or trying to get a little bite of Connor? Mandy, I promise he did not torture your child the whole time!:)

Playing at home with cars and trains!

This video is cute- Murphy and Connor were playing in the little school bus, so we sang wheels on the bus! Please excuse my singing! (Another disclaimer for Mandy-he looks like he was hitting, but he was actually just patting! We need to spend less time with the dog and more time with friends, I guess!) haha

Murphy's 2nd Birthday with Mommy and Daddy!

2009-09-03T13:55:00.004-04:00

We took Murphy to the zoo for his birthday on Monday. This was the first time he was really interested in the animals. It was a lot of fun! Here are my two guys with hats backwards looking at Lions. (I think!) "Roar!" Telling Daddy what the Lion says! I said, "Who was in a lion's den?" Murph said, "Daniel!" (NeNe will be so proud!:)

Looking at a big gorilla!

Mommy's favorite- the otters! Murphy said, "Come over here, oddows!" I am so glad he enjoyed them!

All smiles inside the owl, until he started hooting at us- none of us were expecting it and it scared Murphy to death!

Turtle Tuck!

Here is Murphy trying to go in and see a real "Turtle Tuck"

He was cautious and gentle in the petting zoo- which surprised me!

Washing hands like a big boy

He loves Kids Cove at the zoo! Climbing into the tunnel...

Going down...

Whee!

We ate at Mr. Gatti's for lunch! Notice Murphy is not looking at the camera, but at the biggest TV he has ever seen!

Looking a little tired on the motorcycle!

Murphy's 2nd Birthday Party!

2009-09-02T21:52:00.007-04:00

Murphy had a fun 2nd Birthday Party! We had a great group of family and close friends over to celebrate! He loved all of his gifts and had so much fun with all of his favorite people!:) Here are the pics of our pirate hamming it up! He really enjoyed getting into character! We are so lucky to have such a sweet boy and wonderful friends and family!

August Beach Trip

2009-08-31T14:25:00.005-04:00

We went to the beach a few weeks ago with DeeDee and BeBe and had so much fun, although we got off to a "rocky" start! Within 12 hours of arriving, Murphy fell outside in his crocs- ugh! and had to have 5 pebbles removed from his forehead and replaced with 4 stitches! He was a very brave boy and had a great time the rest of the week. They never affected him at all! The first pic is at home before we left and the last is on the way to the doctor to get his stitches out!

Water Fun at Playgroup!

2009-08-10T21:13:00.003-04:00

We had a lot of fun at playgroup today! We went to Connor's house and played in the backyard. Thanks, Mandy, for all the fun and the Popsicles! L to R- Ben, Murphy, Connor, Jake, and Andy Running through the sprinkler! Murphy was saying, "Rain, rain!"

Time for Popsicles!

I love this one- Andy is feeding Ben! (These are the Mowery triplets with Murph)

Hiney shot- we just had to do it, they were so cute! L to R- Murphy, Connor, Andy, Jake, and Ben! Wow, Lara, I think I actually got that right even from "behind!" haha

Not much to report, but it is an update!:)

2009-08-04T21:44:00.003-04:00

We haven't had much going on around here lately, but Murphy is finally back to 100 percent! We spent the week after the beach getting over hand, foot, and mouth and then went to Nashville for the weekend to visit NeNe, Gram, and Big Will. This week we had a great playgroup at the playground with 2 sets of triplets! (I can't believe I forgot my camera!!) Murphy climbed out of his pack & play, which was so funny! I was cooking and he was in it. All of a sudden, I heard footsteps and he popped into the kitchen and said, "I get OUT!" All I could do was laugh! Miller has also been busy- he has gotten out twice this week. He always comes back and when he does Murphy says, "I love you, MiMi- BAD DOG!" Here he is hanging out at Gram and NeNe's a couple of weekends ago. It's hard to believe our little guy will be 2 at the end of the month! Playing Gram's piano!

On another note, our new house is really coming along! Some drywall was put up today and Walker and I got to pick out tile tonight! It was really exciting!

Pawley's Island 2009

2009-07-26T14:51:00.009-04:00

We had another great week at Pawley's this year! Here are the pics! Murphy loved the pirate hat he got to wear at our Annual Fish House lunch on the way in! Allie Harris was brave to feed Murphy. This was taken before he decided he would try a nibble of her finger!

He loved sitting in his giraffe beach chair!

Allie Harris loves water. She loved using the watering can to keep everyone cool on the beach!

Murphy liked knocking down the sandcastles DeeDee and AH were building. They were good sports about it, but had to build fast- he was a one-man wrecking ball!:)

Here is Murphy organizing his sea animals- a man after my own heart!

Something was so funny...

Cousin love...

Reading books after nap time

Running on the beach with mommy

Open beach!

Strolling with Daddy

This is my favorite pic of Murph- climbing as usual!

Relaxing with DeeDee

Playing in the sand

DeeDee drew some shapes and a train in the sand for Murph and AH

Cute little beach bum!

Cool dude!

Sweet baby Abby Bruner! She was so much fun! Murphy loved her- maybe a little too much!:)

Rocking with DeeDee- this was the start of the dreaded hand, foot, and mouth disease! YUCK!

Looking at Thomas the Train with Aunt Sabi!

AH "working"- She looks so cute in a ponytail!

Uncle Wes and Aunt Sabi making Murphy comfortable when he was sick

Sticker Fun!

Murph and Daddy checking on the progress to our new house while we were gone! Before we left there was only framing up on the bottom level!

Checking out Mommy's big bathtub!

Gotta love the big dumpster out front!

Reading with his buddy, Mikey! He missed him while we were away!:)

4th of July!

2009-07-07T21:13:00.005-04:00

We had a great 4th of July! We went to Fletcher and Courtney's cookout in the morning and Murphy had a great time with his buddy Cooper! (Sorry, forgot to take the camera!) We went to Cherokee for the "Street Fair" in the afternoon. Murphy loved fishing for ducks, jumping in the bouncy house, going down the slide, and chowing down on sno-cones and cotton candy! However, he did not enjoy the carousel at all! I couldn't get him on it! The last time we were at the zoo, he rode the big carousel, but seemed very nervous. Oh, well, not everyone likes to go around in circles on big fake animals! (haha) It was a great day! Here is Murphy in the bouncy house! Checking it out- he loved it when the big boys got in and bounced him all over the place!

Walker tried to get a good shot on the slide, but it was so fast! I had to go with him because it was really high and there was a maze to get to the ladder. We only did it 2 or 3 times because that was all I could take, but Murphy would have gone all night!:)

Cooling off with Daddy and enjoying a sno-cone!

Still enjoying the sno-cone!

Pic with Mommy at dinner time!

We are off to Pawley's Island, SC on Thursday morning! Murphy is going to have so much fun with his cousin, Allie Harris, and baby Abby!

June Fun!

2009-07-04T15:12:00.011-04:00

June has been a fun, busy month for us! Here are some pics of what we have been up to this month! At the beginning of June, Walker and I left Murphy with NeNe, Gram, and RiRi and went to Rachel Tegano's wedding in Atlantic Beach, NC. We had so much fun hanging on the beach and spending time with DeeDee and Dibs and Abby and Graydon! Murphy also got to play with Auntie Rhonda, Hannah, Inga and Big! Here are Rachel and Frank Wooten dancing their first dance! On Thursday before the wedding we took an afternoon cruise over to Shackleford Island, which is inhabited by wild horses. It was beautiful, although the horses looked a little frail.

Sunset cruise back from Shackleford Island with my sis-in-law, Abby!

Walker enjoying his cocktail hour on the boat!

Dancing the night away with Tinsley at the NC Aquarium. They had an afterparty there where the rehearsal dinner was held. It was really cool!

Walker and me before the wedding ceremony

Daddy and Murphy had a great father's day!

Murphy giving Daddy a father's day "lick" before church! He tends to be a bit aggressive on the kiss to those he loves the most!haha

Being silly in the bathtub

Walker organized a very nice dinner for my birthday at the end of June. Here we are celebrating at Northshore Brasserie. L to R- Tee, Tinsley, me and Walker, Carrie, Elene, Ryan, Greg, Michael, Bart, Gavin, Lindsey, Lloyd, and Kara.

Family pic at Gramps' 100th birthday brunch!

Gramps turned 100 on July 1st. We had a nice brunch to celebrate this incredible milestone on June 27th. Here he is blowing out his candles! He was the first OBGYN in East Tennessee and was one of the founders of UT Hospital. He has delivered too many babies to count! Abby and Shannon took lots more pics at the party than I did, so I will try to snag some from them and add more later! Murphy loved playing with his cousins Allie Harris, Charlotte, and John Wallace! He also told Gramps "Happy Day!" and gave him a sweet kiss!:)

Murphy got to hang out with Miss Abby last Sunday night while NeNe took us out to celebrate Big Will's graduation and mine and Walker's birthdays at Copper Cellar. NeNe was delighted that Murphy was still up when we got home so she could get a good squeeze!

We also got to have some fun at our pool before NeNe and Big had to head back! Murphy loves the pool and has just this week begun kicking to and from us with his head under! He is going to be a great swimmer!

Murphy got to play with his buddy Connor Welch. They are in playgroup together on Mondays and play really well with each other!

Chillin' in my shades with "Big"!

I will try to do one more update before we head to Pawley's on Thursay!

ABC's

2009-06-05T15:44:00.002-04:00

Murphy loves letters! Here is a short video of him shouting them out at the TV! I can't believe he misses "Coo" (Q), but he does attempt wubawoo(W)!

Reading with NeNe

2009-05-28T20:49:00.003-04:00

Here is a quick video of Murphy loving the book, No, David! I used to love to read this to my kids at school.Murphy is no different than those 1st grade boys who think bare hiney's are the funniest thing ever! I have this on my facebook, so most of you have seen it, but if you are not, here you go! I am so happy that he loves books so much! I just hope he continues to!

It's been awhile...

2009-05-24T15:55:00.009-04:00

Sorry! I have no excuse except that we have been having so much fun lately, that I keep forgetting to update! Walker and I went to Las Vegas for a couple of days, Murphy and I went to Nashville after that, we've been to the zoo, played in the yard A LOT, and the pool opened this weekend! Whew! You may want to sit down- this is a long post!:) At MIX Las Vegas, on top of our hotel- THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay! What a gorgeous view!

Before seeing our Cirque du Soleil show, LOVE! It was fabulous!

Walker relaxing in the lazy river- he loves a lazy river!

We had such a relaxing time at our awesome pool!

We had great weather- 97 & sunny with no humidity! (Notice the shirt, Ang?)

Walker petting a stingray at the Aquarium in our hotel

Trying to get a pic with the sharks-obviously this did not work out!haha

View of the Venetian from outside

Our dinner show at SW Steakhouse in The Wynn- dinner was great- the show was too, just a little off-the-wall!

Murphy enjoying some time with NeNe at Snappy Tomato in Nashville!

Playing at the Nature Center's dirt playground- every little boy's idea of heaven on earth!

Give Murphy a dirt or sand hole and he is set!

The after shot- covered from head to toe with dirt!

We got to spend some time with my good friends, Sharon and Kevin, and their little boy, Luke! They just moved to Nashville, and we are so excited to get to see them more often! (Is it just me, or does Murphy's noggin look gigantic here?)

Coloring at the table with washable (thank goodness!) markers!

Luke helped NeNe give Murphy his bath. Murphy thought it was funny when Luke helped rinse his head!

Daddy and Murphy playing on Mommy's yoga mat- at least it's getting some use with them!:)

We had a fun trip to the zoo on Wednesday- he loves to "drive,drive" the jeep!

Checking out the big "Rafs"

He loved this tortoise statue- he kept saying, "Tuck, Tuck!" (From the Wonder Pets)

The slide was a huge hit!

This was a miracle shot considering he had me in a choke hold on the Carousel. He never cried, but seemed quite concerned the whole time- I was finally able to pull away long enough to snap a pic!

He loves anything to do with water- especially the sprinkler!

"I rock, rock!"

Allie Harris and Abby have been here this weekend and we have had so much fun at the pool! They are both such water bugs! Allie Harris loved to "make it grow" with the watering can!

Murphy shared his hat so she wouldn't burn- but not so willingly at first!:)

Sneaking a sip of Aunt Abby's tea!

Kicking in the big pool with daddy! It was freezing!

Mother's Day at St. Mark... and a few more!

2009-05-07T14:30:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we went to Murphy's Mother's Day party at his school. It was so cute! Jack said the blessing and Murphy was quick to finish it with a big "Amen!" He was also the first to the table for cookies- big surprise! :) He showed me his favorite things in his classroom and also gave me a sweet frame with his picture in it! (See below) Folding his hands for the blessing! ( My pics are so blurry- I think there was a smudge on the lens!)

Wearing mommy's glasses! He likes to put them on and bump into things when it makes his vision blurry- strange child!

P.S. I do not let him do this often! haha:)

Well, NeNe, there is your "Murphy moment" for the day! Hope it helps you get a fix!:)

I wanna be like...

2009-04-27T15:25:00.003-04:00

DADDY! I love playing golf in the yard!

Reading on the potty- hehehe!

"Talking" on the phone like daddy!

BIG WILL!

I can shoot the ball just like Big Will!

UNCLE WES!

I can be a doctor like Uncle Wes! (Listening to the bball's heart!:)