Keeping Up With The Joneses...

Connor's Party- Part 2

2012-01-24T07:50:00.001-06:00

After the kids (and adults) ran and bounced around for about an hour and a half, we headed to the party room for cake and ice cream. Connor's party didn't really have a theme this, but he did request a football on his cake so that's exactly what I did.

This was my first year to go with a cake from Kroger instead of our normal cake lady. I was happy with how it turned out, not to mention we only looked at it for about 2 minutes before it was sliced.

ALL the presents...it felt like Christmas all over again!

Ava, Makayla, and Lola

Garner and the birhday boy

Brinkley (she's so sweet, you just want to squeeze her) & Garner

He blew all the candles out in one breath

Madison, Leia and Josh

Of course Connor wanted to move so he could sit next to Josh

Josh, Caleb (Josh's brother) & Connor

Josh's parents & Big Daddy & Gigi

Chris, Chris, and Carson with his mom

Nana, Bubba, and Aunt Pat

Connor was SO excited to open all his presents

LeapPad from Grandaddy and Mimi...I'm hoping this toy allows me keep my iPhone in my purse instead of in his hands

Aunt Pat got him an Oklahoma shirt...Grandaddy wants us to move so bad!

Brinkley was so excited

Connor telling Ava thank you

Madison and Connor, Madison is Connor's girlfriend at school

Of course we came straight home and had to take all the presents out of the packaging

Matt and I are very blessed to have wonderful family and friends in our lives. Connor is definitely a very loved little boy! The party was a complete success and I'm sure all the kids slept like babies that night!

***Thanks Caroline for all the pictures you took!

Connor's 3rd Birthday Party

2012-01-22T20:02:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Connor's 3rd birthday party at Pump It Up this year! I thought it would be a lot less stressful to have a party somewhere besides the house, however, that was not the case. I will say, it was definitely nice not to have to clean up after everyone left. We had a really good turn out and Connor was able to invite his friends from school and his friends from outside of school.

Josh, Connor's best friend at school

I'm sure these two are a handful in class

I think Connor's favorite was the slide

Leia and her sister

Uncle Ryan and Ms. Sarah

Uncle Chris & Aunt Cici

Yaya & Bobo

Lola, Brandy & Makayla

Garner taking a break from the slide

Yaya, Bobo & Aunt Pat

Brinkley & Ashley

I love watching these two together

His birthday shirt turned out so cute, except I should have gotten short sleeve because he was burning up!

Operation Spring Clean Out

2012-01-09T19:33:00.000-06:00

I only have a few New Year's resolutions and cleaning out the clutter in our ENTIRE house is close to the top of the list! Anyone who knows me, knows I always have my planner to keep our schedule organized, I like my papers at work in a certain order, so naturally most people assume I am organized at home. Truth be told, I'm a stuffer...I'm that person who will stuff crap in a cabinet or a drawer or a closet, because then you close the door and voila it looks clutter free! Not to mention, having a toddler around does not make staying organized at home any easier. Heaven help us if we should ever have to down size!

The first room that I tackled was Connor's playroom. There were toys upstairs, downstairs, in the kitchen, basically EVERYWHERE I looked. Here's the before shot:

I know Caroline is probably having a heart attack looking at this picture!

So many toys for a three year old!

AFTER:

I think this is my new happy place in our home

Where did all the toys go you might ask...

In the newly cleaned out playroom closet!

It's perfect for all his bigger baby toys and riding toys, plus the shelving lets us (me) stay more organized.

Paci Puppy

2012-01-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

This post goes way back before Thanksgiving...Connor will be three in January and I knew it was time to get rid of the pacis. He had only been using the paci at home during nap and night time. On Friday afternoon, I asked Connor if he wanted to go to Build A Bear and put all his pacis in a stuffed animal since he was such a big boy now. He agreed, but I don't really think he knew 100% what he was agreeing to.

He collected ALL his pacis out of his drawer, he would sleep with one clipped to him and another one in his hand (and yes, he did have a purple paci)

When we got to the store he picked a dog, so we decided to name it Paci Puppy

Helping stuff the puppy

Adding the pacis to the puppy

Giving the puppy a bath

He was so happy!

Then the puppy was dressed in pajamas so he could sleep with Connor at night

***UPDATE*** Connor did pretty well sleeping with no pacis for about the first week. Then he stopped taking naps because he couldn't find a way to soothe himself to sleep. No nap for Connor equals me losing my sanity. Then we found out about Bradley and Lonnie passing away so my nerves were very short. After Bradley's funeral, Connor wouldn't nap so I had to break out the one paci I had stashed for an emergency. Matt thinks we took 5 steps backwards, but I feel like we took at least one step forward. He used to sleep with 2-3 pacis at night, now we are down to one!

Enchanted Forest

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

We have started a Christmas tradition in the last couple of years with Chris and Caroline. We all go out for dinner and then do something fun that is Christmas related for Connor. Last year we did Starry Nights and this year we went to the Enchanted Forest at the Pink Palace Museum.

Petting the polar bear

Not sure who was more excited, Connor or Cici?

I was shocked by the ginger bread houses, they were so neat!

Connor's favorite was the big train display

Maybe next year Connor will be old enough to enjoy some ice skating at the zoo!

Healing in Oklahoma

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

After Matt's mom's funeral, we headed to Oklahoma to regroup and spend some quality time with family. It was definitely what the doctor ordered!

Bradley, Grandaddy's new puppy

This kid ALWAYS has a football in his hand!

Connor got to go hunting with the boys (aka sit in a heated tent with grandaddy and look for deer)

Matt and his mini me

Enjoying breakfast on the front porch

Three generations of Jones boys

This is what I did while the boys went hunting...very relaxing!

Connor was envisioning summers in the pool at Mimi's house

Connor's BFF for the weekend, Ms. Kim

Take one....

Take two...Connor loves the ladies!

Mimi and Grandaddy

Everything is more fun at Grandaddy's house

Rough housing

Mimi prepared a Japense dinner, which was delicious!

It was kind of similar to fondue in a round about way (hard to explain)

Of course, Buddy showed up to keep an eye on Connor

This is the only "deer" Connor saw while hunting

Garner's Birthday

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated Garner's 10th birthday. I can't believe how fast time flies by. I remember when I first started dating Matt, Garner was only two! We met everyone for dinner at JT's Wings in Munford (Garner's pick).

Yaya and Connor

Thank goodness for iphones, the itsy bitsy spider saved our sanity!

Happy Birthday Garner!!!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T18:17:00.000-06:00

I'm so far behind on blogging I really don't even know where to begin...so I guess I'll start with the most recent, Christmas! (warning: LOTS of pictures)

Connor's 2011 ornament (picked by Connor himself)

Christmas Eve at Gigi and Big Daddy's

Angelina and Brittany

Connor wasn't excited at all...

Rachel and Connor

Stephanie and Brent (bless their hearts, they were SO sick)

Connor is always willing to help!

Helping Big Daddy

Bradley

Gigi was surprised with her new coffee maker

Then there was one last BIG present for Connor...

A HUGE train set!!!

Santa's present

Connor's stocking (believe it or not, he really wanted Santa to bring him an umbrella)

New crocs

His own robe

Anything that makes him more like daddy puts a big smile on his face

Test drive

Christmas at Grandaddy's

Connor helping again...

I'm not sure who had more fun, Connor or Garner!

Then came Christmas with my dad and Meg (and their new puppy, Jake)

And look what he got!!! We seriously need an extra garage just for Connor's cars!

It was raining outside, so Connor and Jake took a little test drive inside

Matt's missing in these pictures because he was laying in bed with a migraine

Is he not the cutest puppy?!?!?

We couldn't have asked for a better Christmas, spending time with family and friends was the best part!

Football Practice {Inside}

2011-12-14T08:46:00.000-06:00

Apparently throwing the football inside the house wasn't enough excitement for my two boys. Last night, I heard Connor say "Daddy, kick it!". I looked straight at Matt and gave him the evil eye assuming he would know that meant "No, don't kick the ball inside". Well, I was wrong!

Next thing I know, Matt is laying on the floor holding the ball so Connor can run and kick it. To my surprise he was actually pretty good (I still don't condone kicking balls in the house)!

After Connor had kicked it about 20 times, Matt decided it was his turn to kick the ball. So he showed Connor how to hold it with one finger while I was envisioning something breaking.

When these two get together, it always means trouble!

Roller Coaster Ride

2011-12-07T21:00:00.000-06:00

To say that the last couple of weeks have been rough, is a HUGE understatement. It's been a roller coaster ride that our entire family would like to get off of.

The ride started first thing Monday morning on November 21st. I received a call from Matt that his brother's best friend, Bradley, was killed in a car accident. I was at a loss for words because Bradley had a daughter who is a few months younger than Connor. He was only 25 and had only been married for three years and this young family's life had been completely turned upside down.

Monday evening Matt, Connor, and I were eating dinner trying to figure out how we were going to shuffle Connor around. Connor was out of school the day after Thanksgiving and we wanted to make sure were able to attend Bradley's visitation and funeral, little did we know what was about to come next.

It was bath night, so I was giving Connor his bath while Matt cleaned up the kitchen. When I finished his bath I walked into the living room to hear that Matt's mom had passed away. I remember thinking that this can't be happening and I really had no words.

We celebrated Thanksgiving as best we could and then we attended Bradley's visitation and funeral that following Friday and Saturday. After that heart wrenching service, Matt and his dad started planning Lonnie's memorial service. Her service was the following Wednesday and it was nice to see everyone who came to show their respect and appreciation for her and Matt.

These past couple of weeks I've gone through every emotion possible. But the biggest lesson from all of this is that none of us are promised a tomorrow. My one regret is taking my time with Ms. Lonnie for granted, I just always expected to see her again and again and again.

With all of that being said, life lately has really been rough. So we are going to hug the ones we love a little tighter and remember to enjoy the time we get to spend with each other because we don't know what tomorrow holds. This holiday season is going to be hard, but we are going to try to focus on the good times as best we can.

Payback

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

When I married Matt, I knew what I was going to be in for when we had a boy...lots of payback from when Matt was a teenager! However, I expected the payback to start when Connor is a teenager, which would give me plenty of time to prepare.

I was completely wrong on when the payback was going to begin. It all started with the new family across the street. Their college age son has a loud truck and when he's home for the summer you always hear him pull up around 3 in the morning. Normally that wouldn't bother me, but now that I have a sleeping child at that time, it really ticks me off. I'm sure this is the same feeling the previous neighbors had when Matt was in college and ragged his truck through the neighborhood!

This brings me to our latest incident...this past week we heard a huge crash. Immediately Matt thought Connor had done something in his bedroom and raced upstairs, but that wasn't it. Then Matt asked if I had dropped something, to which I replied no. He then proceeds to open the front door and ask if the lights were burnt out. At this point I'm irritated with the 20 questions...then he looks at the end of the driveway...

Someone had missed their turn and backed right into the column at the end of the driveway...of course they drove off.

At least the person didn't hit the one with the mailbox in it

The frustrating part is that it wiped all the lights in the front of the house out because the light on top was connected to the porch lights.

Matt has never knocked down a mailbox before, but to say he wasn't with someone who did and then drive off would be a lie. See what I mean, the payback has already started...

Random Pictures

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

I noticed that I have a lot of random pictures on my phone, so here is a phone dump.

This was on our way to have our family pictures done, he had to take EVERY stuffed animal he owned.

Watching football at Hueys

Connor wanted to wear UGGs, plus he had to wear his working gloves.

My dad got Connor this lizard shirt from his trip to Cabo,Connor loves it!

Connor has requested the recliner be moved back in the living room. Oh to have the life of a toddler!

Preview Family Photos

2011-11-17T08:00:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, we had our family pictures taken at Memorial Gardens. Brandi has posted some of the pictures on Facebook and now I'm just waiting for my copy of the CD so I can get the Christmas cards printed (trying not to wait until the last minute this year). I absolutely love how the pictures turned out!

This one I'll probably get made into a canvas

Look how grown up he is!

Hibachi

2011-11-16T12:07:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, Connor and I went out to eat with Gigi and Big Daddy to a new hibachi restuarant in Germantown. Connor has been to hibachi restuarants before, but this was the first time he has really enjoyed the "cooking show". Not too mention, everything is better when you get to eat dinner with chop sticks!

Who Did That???

2011-11-03T13:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday when I drove up to the house after work, I saw the blinds moving. I thought to myself I wonder how Cooper got out of her cage, but oh well no big deal because there wasn't anything she could get into to. Boy was I wrong!

This is what I saw when I walked into the foyer...

Then I looked at the couch...

And this is how my conversation with Connor went:

Me: Connor, come here....

Connor: OH NO! Who did that???

Me: Cooper did it

Connor: OH MY GOSH! Bad Cooper, Bad Cooper!!!

This is the pile after I got done gathering everything up. Cooper somehow managed to open the packages and only eat the candy. Bless Connor's heart, he has NO Halloween candy left. (On a side note: Cooper is fine)

Howdy Y'all

2011-10-31T19:27:00.000-05:00

This is probably one of the last years I can persuade Connor on his Halloween costume. Since he has been wearing his cowboy boots non-stop, I figured a cowboy was the perfect idea! Matt took him shopping for the hat, which by the way he needs a youth size because his head is so big. My mom made his adorable chaps and everything else just came together.

Matt and Connor went trick or treating at a few houses, while I stayed home and ~~ate~~ passed out candy. When they got home, Connor was allowed to pick one piece of candy before we called it night. Holidays are just so much more fun with kids!

Rewind Two Weeks

2011-10-31T16:01:00.000-05:00

Last week I was a bad blogger, so once again I have to play catch up. Two weekends ago, we went to Hope's Halloween Festival on Friday night. Connor was very excited when we pulled in the parking lot, but that quickly changed! Once we got to the slides, Connor stood still from the overwhelming number of kids. He attempted the inflatable obstacle course, but there were some many kids stuck in the back he had to be pulled out. Needless to say, we decided to go inside and play the games after that.

Saturday morning I had to take my car to the shop for the second time in one week. Connor kept himself entertained with the snack dispenser. Bless his heart, he's going to grow up thinking that all of those machines are broken! (that's what I always say because I NEVER have change)

Saturday night we went to Mellow Mushroom with Gigi and Big Daddy. Apparently this is not Connor's first trip and he knew exactly where he wanted to sit when we got to the table. He positioned his chair perfectly to see the pizza maker throwing the dough up in the air. (Connor is still throwing everything in the air pretending he is the pizza man)

See the pizza dough flying in the air???

Tuesday night was Chucke Cheese night for Connor's school. He had been talking about going for over a week (literally he would ask 30 times a day to go). He was too busy to eat, but enjoyed running around like a manic and playing the games.

I'm not sure who was more excited...

He got mad because the machine took his token

Of course he had to ride the horse...good thing he is always wearing his boots these days!

This past weekend we had Race for the Cure (I have no pictures because my finger tips were frozen) and Amber's Halloween Party. And tonight Connor is anxiously awaiting trick or treating!

Football & Pumpkins

2011-10-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was packed full of events and things that had to get done. Friday night we ate Mexican before going to the Houston vs Germantown football game. I haven't been able to get to a game this year and I wanted the chance to see Angelina and Brittany on the pom squad. (Not to mention Connor is OBSESSED with football, so it was good entertainment for him too)

Even though he doesn't look excited, I promise he was!

Saturday consisted on shuffling cars around ALL day long! My car needed an oil change and Matt's truck got new tires, which left us with no car so we borrowed my mom's. In the middle of car shuffling, we had to take a break so I could get my haircut. Then we picked up both cars and returned my mom's car.

Memphis Spirit! Roy told Connor he got him the game ball from Houston's game...Connor acted like it was a golden football!

By the time we got done at Gigi and Big Daddy's it was time to head home and get ready for Yaya's. Yaya was having a pumpkin carving party (really it was just a good excuse for us all to get together). Instead of picking an easy pattern to carve, we picked complicated ones. Let me tell you, that was hard work! And who knew Matt was such a good pumpkin carver???

I had to do the worst part...scrap out the insides

Please excuse Connor's sweat: 1) his last name is Jones 2) he had just come inside from playing football

So proud of Garner, she did everything by herself and didn't complain once (the complete opposite of me)

So happy for Bobo and Marty...Baby O is due in April

Matt's pumpkin

Bobo's pumpkin

Garner's pumpkin (it's a mummy) she did EVERYTHING by herself!

On Sunday we didn't have our church class so we were able to sleep in for once, which was nice. We had a delicious breakfast at Perkins and then the rest of the day we ran errands. For some reason it seems like Sundays fly by!

Brinkley's Birthday

2011-10-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday, Brinkley turned 2! It's hard to believe that the kids are all growing up so fast. I remember when Brinkley came to Connor's first birthday party, she was just so tiny and precious!

Brinkley had the cutest Minnie Mouse birthday party on Sunday afternoon. We were greeted at the door by Minnie Mouse herself (Brinkley with Minnie's ears on)! One of the party favors were ears for each of the kids. At first Connor wanted nothing to do with them, but eventually he warmed up to the idea (only for a few minutes).

Last year at Brinkley's party, Connor wouldn't let go of my leg. This year he was the complete opposite! It may have been because I let him take his football in to share with everyone else. (I have to say that I was a nervous he was going to break something). He really enjoyed watching Brinkley open all of her gifts...

Patiently waiting and watching

Brinkley diving in!

Connor got her some play dough, which I'm sure Ashley is ecstatic about...

And he got her some puzzles!

Could she be anymore precious???

I think her favorite toy was this laptop, no other toys compared to this!

And then she opened the phone...the girl loves to play office!

After presents came time for cake and I think Brinkley and Connor enjoyed every bite!

Connor practiced singing the Happy Birthday song 3 times Saturday night...so he was ready!

However, Brinkley did not like everyone singing to her...bless her heart!

Connor started to get a little antsy, so he headed out front with Matt to throw the football. He's really gotten into sports lately. Right now since football is basically on every channel during the weekends, it's his favorite to play!

While the boys played football, Brinkley drove around on her new four wheeler.

The party was absolutely wonderful and now my wheels are starting to turn getting ready for Connor's 3rd birthday!

Arlington BBQ Fest

2011-10-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

On Friday night, Matt and I were lucky to have another date night. (Gigi and Big Daddy picked Connor up early from school and headed to the zoo for the afternoon) We met Ryan up in Arlington at Vinegar Jims for dinner. After dinner we all decided to head over to the BBQ Fest and walk around for a little bit. I ran into Miaya, she was there supporting her boyfriend who competes. It was such a cute little festival and the weather was absolutely amazing. However, since we are now one of those old married couples, we were home and in bed by 10:30...sad I know!

A Little Behind

2011-10-09T20:16:00.000-05:00

I"m a little behind on updating the blog, but I hope to get back in the swing of things. Last week was my first week back to work since the surgery. Everything went well, excep I was just a little tired by the end of the day. On Tuesday I had my follow up with my doctor, she said that everything went well and that I seem to be healing great!

Since I'm behind on blogging, I'll have to go backwards to catch up. Last weekend we stayed pretty busy. Friday night, Matt and I went to eat at Houston's to celebrate our 3 year anniversary (while Connor stayed with Gigi and Big Daddy). Saturday morning Matt had to work, so Connor and I ran errands. I'm still not able to lift Connor, which means I'm very dependent on his mood!

Saturday evening we met Mimi, Grandaddy, Ms. Pat, and Mr. Jeff at the park. Connor had an absolute blast! After the park we all headed to Cracker Barrel for dinner.

Connor enjoyed showing Grandaddy everything

Look at the crazy hair!

As I took this picture, all I could think of was a broken arm or leg.

On Sunday, we had our class at church and then we attempted the movies. The Lion King recently came back to the big screen and I thought it would be a great idea to take Connor. First off, I had no idea that a matinee movie for three people costs $21.50!!! (Apparently I haven't been to the movies in a long time) The movie started and we were only 5 minutes in before Connor had to go potty. Then he had to go potty again and again. Finally on the fourth time I decided we were leaving! So we were only 45 minutes into the movie when we headed out, not to mention someone needed a nap.

The food shown was not included in the $21.50...

Healing {one day at a time}

2011-09-29T20:32:00.002-05:00

A week ago I had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. I had surgery done in May 2010 for the same thing, however this surgery was much more in depth. Since the size of the cyst was rather large, my doctor had to preform a csection. I completely under estimated the pain and recovery time. Surgery was at noon and I didn't get discharged from the hospital until 1 pm on Saturday.

Once I got home, I was in a lot of pain. Getting into our tall bed was awful, I dreaded having to get up to use the restroom. Basically for the last week, I've been doing nothing but laying around. Matt has become the chef, nanny, housekeeper, and nurse for the past week. I think it's been an eye opening experience for him, especially having to deal with Connor 100% of the time. Today is the first day that I've felt somewhat like myself. My follow up is next Tuesday and I hope to get a good report. I know I have a few more weeks of healing, but I'm looking forward to getting back to our normal life!

This should go without saying, but we couldn't have made it this week without the help of our family...thanks!

Just Another Day In My Life...

2011-09-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

Below is a text message that I sent Matt last week. There never seems to be a dull moment in my life, especially with a two and a half year old!

He calls his Memphis football jersey, his football game shirt. (This is his "say cheese" face)

An Unexpected Family Reunion

2011-09-20T09:26:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we drove up to Terre Haute, Indiana for a very unexpected family reunion. My mom and Roy were headed to a family reunion in Lynchburg, Virginia when they received the heartbreaking phone call that her brother had been killed in a tragic accident.

When my mom called me, I was completely shocked and speechless. All I could picture in my head was my loving uncle sitting across from me at breakfast a year ago when we were all in Atlanta for my cousin's wedding. Looking back, I definitely took that time for granted and wish I could go back.

The funeral was Saturday afternoon and the entire family came in town. It was good to see cousins and aunts/uncles that I haven't seen in years, however, I wish it would have been for different circumstances. Since my uncle was retired Airforce, he had a military funeral. The 21 gun salute made my heart stop and tears flow down my face, it was a very emotionally draining weekend.

This accident was a reminder that tomorrow is never a guarantee and not to take life for granted.

Cousins

2011-09-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, my cousin and his family stopped in on their way to Florida. We all met for BBQ at my mom's and let the kids plays. He has a son, Garrett, who is 7 and a daughter, Chloe, who is 2. Of course the first 15 minutes were spent with Connor literally attached to my leg playing the shy game. After that he was good to go. It was a very hot August evening and the kids were drenched with sweat, but that didn't seem to phase them!

Sweet Chloe, she had so much personality

Garrett was trying to wrangle the two young ones!

Why is it that I spend so much money on toys...

and all he wants to do is play in the wind chime!

Garrett was the only one listening when we said "SMILE"

Then I got the look, the "I'm outta here, catch me if you can" look!

Germantown Festival

2011-09-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we attended the Germantown Festival with Gigi and Big Daddy. We went first thing Saturday morning before it got crowded and before the day heated up. There didn't seem to be as many booths as there has been in the past, but we still saw some really cute things. There was one particular booth I was looking for, a winter hat for Connor, but it wasn't there this year...very disappointing! As soon as we walked up to the festival, Connor spotted the rides and wouldn't stop talking about going on them. I only had to tell him almost a hundred times that we would go after we walked past all the booths.

Could he look anymore pitiful???

Patiently waiting...

There was this sweet girl who helped him through the inflatable obstacle...bless her heart

Yes he is wearing boots with shorts, but I couldn't convince him to wear anything else!

He LOVED the swings!

No joke, this ride lasted more than 5 minutes

Then he tried out the airplanes

Not nearly as fun as the swings

And he ended his fun morning on the playground. After a tantrum of throwing himself on the ground, it was time to call it quits and head home for a nap.

Big Phil's 50th Birthday

2011-09-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

Last Friday night, we attended Big Phil's "surprise" birthday party. Big Phil is Chase's dad and Matt used to eat at their house every night for dinner during his college years. Big Phil and Ms. Cheri are some of the sweetest people you'll meet, they'd do anyhing to help you out.

Chase, Matt, and Ryan

Cassie and Chase

Here I am with my grandma sweater, that's what Matt calls it

Matt, Ryan, and Jacob

Jacob, Ryan, Matt, Chase, Paul, and Ryan S.

Big Phil with the guys...never a dull moment with this group!

Gigi's Birthday Lunch

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Gigi's birthday was September 7th, however, we weren't able to celebrate until this past weekend. We decided on doing lunch after church this past Sunday before Connor's nap. I thought he would have enough steam left in him, but I was wrong. I don't think he lasted more than 20 minutes! Oh well, at least we were in the corner of the restuarant so it didn't bother me too much.

Gigi wanted to take pictures first thing, which was a good idea

Attempt #1

Attempt #2...I think I got a semi decent picture on my mom's camera; however, this is a good depiction of our life with Connor!

Punta Cana {Part 1}

2011-09-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

(Since I have to get some pictures from Cassie, I'll have to do two separate posts on Punta Cana.)

About 2 weeks ago, Matt and I went on a quick trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with Chase and Cassie. We've been planning this trip since the end of February and to be honest I thought the day would never come!

Memphis Airport bright and early

We left Memphis bright and early on Wednesday morning and headed to our connection flight in Atlanta. After a long day of flying and waiting, we ended up getting to the Dominican around 3 in the afternoon. Once we arrived, we scooped up our luggage and had a short taxi ride to the resort.

The Punta Cana airport is an outside airport aka no air conditioning (Matt's worst nightmare)

We stayed at the Majestic and ended up getting "upgraded" to a pool suite rooms. The Majestic has 2 resorts that run side by side. We had originally booked for the newer resort, however it was over booked and we agreed to stay next door. Along with the upgrade of our rooms we also were given wrist bands for acess to both resorts, which meant double the restuarants.

This is the view from our sliding glass door, we had a little backyard and then you could jump right into the pool

The humidity attacked my camera, but this is looking across the pool to the right of our porch area

The weather was in the 90's for most of the trip, but there was a constant breeze which made laying on the beach very pleasant (especially if you were under an umbrella). I'm used to Destin's beaches where the water normally has seedweed, this was the complete opposite. The water was crystal blue and very warm!

Our daily routine for the week was to wake up at 7:30 and meet for breakfast. Then we would go back to the rooms, change clothes, and be on the beach by 9. We'd go between the beach and pool all day and head in for lunch around 12:30. After lunch we took about an hour nap to get some relief from the sun and then we were back out until it was time to get ready for dinner. We went to dinner around 6:30 and we were back in the rooms no later than 9:30 every night. Relaxing and laying out in the sun is extremely exhausting!

Dinner at the Japenese restuarant

On our way to the Itialian restuarant

Drinks before dinner in the lobby

Matt was about to pass out because there was no air conditioning or fans in the lobby area (he sweats when it's 40 degrees outside)

Itialian wasn't filling enough, so we headed to the steak house

Round 2 at the steak house

The food wasn't the greatest, but all in all we had a great time! It was nice to get away from work and cell phones, however I was ready to get home to see Connor. Connor stayed with Gigi and Big Daddy all week and had his own mini vacation from reality!

View from the plane as we were leaving

Still Here

2011-09-08T14:09:00.000-05:00

Matt and I just got back from vacationing in Punta Cana and I can't seem to get out of the vacation mode. I plan on editing pictures this weekend and posting all the gorgeous pictures. But for now, I'll leave you with this...

This was right after his hair cut 2 weeks ago, doesn't he just look so grown up?!

Weekend Recap

2011-08-15T15:21:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we were very go, go, go. It all started Saturday around lunch time, Ryan came over and we all headed out to the Hunting Extravaganza at the Agricenter. To my amazement, we saw a lot of people that we knew. Apparently this was the thing to do on Saturday and it was even better when I found out that it was indoors!

Connor's favorite part was the live grizzly bear

Connor's best friend for the day was Ryan

Serious conversation with Dad (he no longer calls Matt "daddy", only "dad"...very sad!)

On our way home, we couldn't figure out what to do next until Ryan suggested going to Chuckie Cheese and that's all Connor needed to hear! When we got there it wasn't too busy, but that quickly changed. I was in sensory overload and there were kids running around everywhere. After Connor cashed in his 530 tickets for a ball we could have bought at Target for $2.99, I was ready to go home.

Trouble, Trouble, and Trouble

Later that evening we went to the shoe store in search of the perfect pair for Matt. Of course Connor picked out a pair, but after explaining to him that the Dora shoes were for girls we put them back on the shelf. (He was not a happy camper)

On Sunday we went to church for our Dave Ramsey orientation. My step sister has been raving about this for the past couple years and we decided it was a good thing to do. After church we went to lunch and ran a bunch of errands.

I hope this week goes as fast as last week!

Sunflowers

2011-08-09T14:37:00.000-05:00

The sunflowers are in full bloom around the Memphis area (Germantown Parkway and Walnut Grove to be exact). My mom has been hounding suggesting that I get Connor out there for pictures before the sunflowers died. I agreed, but I was not looking forward to dealing with the heat.

When we got back from New Orleans, I decided that I would take Connor first thing Sunday morning to try to beat the heat. Well I made it there first thing, but I did not beat the heat. It was SO HOT that my camera kept fogging up and the attention span of my 2 1/2 year old was not very long. Here's what I got. . .

The Big Easy

2011-08-07T19:56:00.000-05:00

Matt had to go down to New Orleans for work and asked if I wanted to go. After a few hours of making sure everyone's calendars coincided (Gigi's, work, kennel), I said yes. I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend out of Memphis.

We left Thursday afternoon and we were able to beat rush hour traffic out of Memphis. It was pretty much smooth sailing all the way down.

Matt had a meeting first thing Friday morning, so I took advantage of the alone time. There was a mall right across the street, which was perfect! I walked around the mall for awhile and then walked down Canal St. After almost sweating to death, I decided to call it quits and head back to the room.

Once Matt got back from his meeting and lunch, we headed back out to the Riverwalk. I ended up finding a pair of cute flats (and it was tax free weekend)! We also enjoyed an order of beignets from Cafe du Monde. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. In the meantime, it started to pour down rain which was nice because it cooled everything down.

We enjoyed dinner at Bourbon House and then strolled down Bourbon St. I haven't been to New Orleans since my college days when the Memphis Tigers played in a bowl game. Times have definitely changed since then for me! Now that I'm more grown up and have more responsibility, Bourbon St. just isn't the same. . .

We had a great time and we were home in Memphis late Saturday afternoon.(Thanks Dennis!)

Interview with Connor

2011-07-31T10:54:00.001-05:00

I saw this cute interview that Memphis Mama did with her son. I thought it would be fun to ask Connor and see what his responses would be.

What is your name? Connor Jones

How old are you? 3 (really 2 1/2)

What is your favorite color? blue one

Who is your best friend? Joshie

What is your favorite animal? Otter (his beanie baby)

What do you want to be when you grow up? Dora (maybe that means he wants to be an explorer)

What is your favorite movie? Tangles

What is your favorite book? Brown Bear

What makes your happy? Yaya's house

What makes you sad? Yaya did that (???)

What is your favorite food? Hot Dogs!

What is your favorite song to sing? ABC's

What games do you like to play? Basketball

I might have to try this again in a few months to see how his answers change.

Randoms

2011-07-29T19:00:00.001-05:00

Since I kind of fell off the blogging bandwagon for a while, I have a lot of random pictures to catch up on. So here's a post of nothing but random pictures...

Ms. Winnie gave Connor an Otter beanie baby, which has become his new best friend. Otter goes everywhere with us!

Sometimes while I workout, Connor will bounce his energy out on the mini trampoline

This was another find from Ms. Winnie's garage sale, thanks to Gigi

This is what happens when he insists on doing it himself

Nothing like a McDonald's breakfast on Saturday morning

Matt and Connor made a trip out to see the moo moos

His boots are so cute!

My sweet boy isn't a baby anymore...

He added a new train to his collection...as you can see, he likes to wear his boots with shorts (I try to choose my battles wisely these days...this was not a battle I wanted to fight)

So there you have it, our life in random pictures!

Spider Bite Progress

2011-07-28T19:03:00.002-05:00

So it's been about 3 weeks since Matt was bitten by a spider. The bite happened on a Friday or Saturday and by the following Tuesday, it looked bad enough to go to the doctor. The doctor decided that the bite needed to be numbed and then lanced to drain it. Since the infection was so deep, Matt had to go several times to have the packing changed.

This is how it looked before his first doctor appointment.

It was very swollen...no after pictures because I couldn't even look at it.

After the third time, the doctor decided to leave the packing out and let the wound finish healing. He also received the test results back from the culture. The results confirmed that it was a brown recluse spider bite with traces of staff. I'm happy that it is healing and it wasn't any worse, but I'm very anxious for it to be over.

Of course Connor had a boo boo that required a bandage

The older Connor gets, the more he wants to be just like Matt...very sweet!

Baby Dog

2011-07-27T19:08:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, Chase saved a puppy from the scary streets of Memphis while he was working. Apparently someone tossed the puppy out of a car on a busy street and Chase just happened to be there to scoop it up. His neighbor (who works for a dog rescue) met him to pick up the puppy and take it to the vet. The vet said that it was only about six weeks old and had some injuries from being tossed.

Of course we knew Connor would enjoy having a friend chase him around the yard for the evening. We told Connor we were going to see visit the "baby dog". I figured if I said baby, he would be a little bit more gentle (I was right).

For a brief second we thought maybe we would adopt the "baby dog"...like I said, a BRIEF second!

Plum District

2011-07-27T17:45:00.000-05:00

Today I saw several people talking about Plum District on their blogs. The concept is basically the same as Groupon and Living Social. However, the one thing that really caught my eye was the Erin Condren deal. I have been eyeing her Life Planner as a replacement to my momAgenda ever since I saw it mentioned on Blue-Eyed Bride.

The deal was pay $25 for $50 worth of merchandise, so now I just have to decide what I am going to order! It'll probably be the Life Planner, but she has so many cute things it's hard to decide.

I'm anxious to see what other deals Plum District has to offer in the future!

Workout Buddy

2011-07-26T20:27:00.001-05:00

With our beach trip quickly approaching, I have decided it's time to start working out. It probably would have been better to start working out at the beginning of the summer, but there's nothing like a little procrastination!

Jillian Michaels has been kicking my butt and I've never felt SO out of shape. I feel like contestants on the biggest loser are more in shape than I am (it's really kind of sad). Besides Jillian, I have finally dusted off the elliptical machine!

Tonight Connor decided to join me during my workout. While I was on the elliptical machine, Connor was on the 1980's stair stepper. He really surprised me by keeping a good pace and there was no way I was going to let a toddler beat me!

Then he decided to take a break to do the 'sit n spin' that Brinkley got him

Finally it was time to stretch for our cool down

He actually broke a little sweat during his workout

Could he make it look any easier???

2 1/2 Year Check Up

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

This past week Connor had his 2 1/2 year check up. It's hard to believe that he'll be 3 soon! The doctor's appointment went really well. She was happy to see how much his speech has improved and he seems to be staying on the same growth chart curve.

Stats:

weight 32 lbs (75th)

height 36 in (45th)

head 20.5 in (95th)

Other than having to work on getting rid of the paci at nighttime, there really wasn't much else we needed to work on. No shots until kindergarten and he doesn't have another well child check up until he's 3. She also said that his tubes were still in his ears, so I'm hoping those will be helpful during the germy winter!

HOT

2011-07-13T11:09:00.000-05:00

HOT is the only way to describe Memphis these days. It's so hot that staying indoors is about the only thing I want to do. With that being said, we haven't really been up to much and I have been slacking on taking pictures.

See where it says "Feels Like 113"??? They are NOT kidding!

Here's Connor testing out the police car at Toys R Us (which we did not buy). We went with the intention of buying a big wheel, but decided he's still too young to figure out the concept of pedaling.

Connor's been going through a growth spurt lately and his little body has been requiring extra sleep. He fell asleep watching TV on the couch, which NEVER happens.

Living proof that a paci isn't required for sleep! (I haven't really tackled that issue yet...)

Our own little Harry Potter...Connor's nails grow so fast, I just can't keep up with it. Obviously I was one day too late on the nail clipping!

In other news, Matt was bitten by some kind of spider on his arm this past weekend. He finally went to his doctor last night because it kept looking worse. The doctor decided to lance the bite and drain it. Matt thought it would just be a little nick on his arm, but the doctor had a different plan. So after an arm bandage and an antibiotic shot in the butt, he should be on the mend soon. He has to keep it bandaged for a week and then go back for a follow up. (I'll refrain from showing pictures)

So I guess we have been a little busy, but it hasn't been anything exciting!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-06-29T09:13:00.000-05:00

Work has been super busy which means when I get home the computer is the last thing I want to look at, hence the lack of blogging.

We had a great weekend and we are all looking forward to a nice long weekend. Friday night Connor and I went out to eat with Gigi and Big Daddy. On the way home Connor discovered a bag in the back seat, which just happened to be in his reach.

Yes that is a bra around his neck...I'm sure Matt is going to love this picture!

On Sunday, Matt smoked his first boston butt and smoked part of the deck as well (separate post on that later). While he was cooking, Connor and I enjoyed our new Walmart pool. I'm sure our neighbors think we are complete rednecks (they all have in ground pools), but Connor had a blast and that's all that matters!

His favorite part is the little slide

Singles Day- Meet Ryan

2011-06-24T14:41:00.001-05:00

Today Kelly is hosting Show Us Your Life- Singles Day and I would like to introduce you to an eligible Memphis bachelor.

Meet Ryan

(groomsman, not the groom)

Single

Lives in Memphis Area

Outdoorsmen

(this is just a quick highlight)

He's a nice caring guy with a lot to offer and any woman would be lucky to have him. Comment for more information or contact Ryan via facebook.

Play Catch Up

2011-06-15T20:50:00.000-05:00

Here's our life for the past week in bullet points (and pictures):

Saturday morning Connor had his 2nd swim lesson. He did pretty well, but wasn't fond of the cool water temperature.

Saturday afternoon we went boot shopping to replace Connor's green rubber boots. The green boots are just too hot for summer time. He had a blast and loved checking himself out in the mirror. The funniest thing was watching Connor flirt with the cute girls that were shopping!

See where he gets his boot obsession from???

Grannie came over Saturday night (with a milkshake in hand) to watch Connor while Matt and I went out for dinner. We went to Carrabbas for dinner and then to see Hangover 2. It was nice to have a relaxing night out of the house!
Sunday we grabbed lunch with Gigi and Big Daddy and then went back to their house to play on the swing set.
Sunday night we grilled out and Connor was very persistent about me turning the sprinkler on. Oh to be a kid and strip down in the backyard!

Matt and Cooper shared cantaloupe...I asked him "Did you ever picture yourself sitting on the couch sharing cantaloupe with a chihuahua?"

Tuesday night Grandaddy came over for dinner and a visit with his favorite grandson! Connor showed him his bubbles, new boots and then they played some basketball.
It's been a busy week at work and it seems like everyone is extra argumentative lately. Basically brokers have been arguing that the sky is not blue it's purple! Martie and I CANNOT wait until Friday at 4:30...that means we have a two day break!

2 Sick Days Later...

2011-06-09T14:57:00.000-05:00

I'm finally back at work. Connor was kind enough to share whatever he had on Saturday with Matt and I. I honestly don't think that I have ever been that sick in my entire life. Thankfully Gigi and Big Daddy were able to keep Connor on Tuesday night. On the positive side of the illness, I lost 7 pounds in two days!!! But to be honest, I would have rather gained 20 pounds than be that sick.

So much for hoping for a calm week...maybe the weekend will be better!

Weekend Recap

2011-06-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

We had quite an exhausting weekend!!! Friday night we just stayed in and ordered pizza, we were trying to rest up for our busy Saturday.

Saturday morning, Connor had his first swimming lesson. I was nervous he wasn't going to like the water, but he definitely proved me wrong. It's a parent/tot class, which requires me to get in the water with him. Thankfully the pool is heated so we weren't freezing. There were about 7 other toddlers in the class and they all did pretty well. He practiced blowing bubbles, kicking, jumping in, and Connor's favorite was going down the slide into the pool.

On our way home

After swimming we rushed home for lunch and a quick nap. Connor had a birthday party for one of the kids in his class at Pump It Up. Usually Connor clams up in social settings and takes about 20-30 minutes to come out of his shell. However, as soon as he saw his friends, he was good to go!

Connor and his BFF, Josh, were so brave (and big)...look how steep the stairs were!

When they finished running/jumping/sliding in the play room (for an hour and a half), it was time for pizza and cake. While we were eating pizza, the kid directly in front of Connor didn't look very good. All of a sudden he started throwing up and my first thought was "YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!". All I could keep thinking about was the stomach bug and sure enough not 2 hours after we got home, Connor started throwing up. Needless to say it was a long night and I just felt so bad for Connor. He looked so pitiful and we ended up just letting him sleep on the couch until the vomiting stopped. Luckily it stopped around 10, but he was so exhausted.

He woke up in a good mood this morning, but he was still tired and all he wanted to do was lay around. Matt and I cleaned the house (yes, you heard right...Matt cleaned!) and Connor watched cartoons for most of the day. It's so hot and humid in Memphis, that I don't want to do anything outside...I don't even want to leave the house.

Today was one of those days where if he wanted a pink balloon he got one.

And if he wanted 5 balloons, he got that too!

Hopefully we'll have a calm week!

Big Boy Bed

2011-06-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

About two weeks ago, I decided to convert Connor's crib into the toddler bed. He sleeps on a cot at school so I knew he would stay put and not wander around, however, I won't lie...I did have a slight fear that this could be a bad decision.

He was so excited to have his big boy bed

He could get out

and in all on his own!

We haven't had any problems with him in the new bed and he never gets out. He'll lay in bed calling you to come get him and that's the way I like it!

SIDE NOTE: When purchasing a convertible crib, make sure you buy ALL coordinating bed pieces (toddler rail and adult rails) when you purchase the crib. Otherwise when it's time to put the toddler bed together, you may find out the crib/color has been discontinued. Then you'll have to find a good friend (like Ashley) and call every boutique in the south region looking for your missing pieces in sheer panic and disgust! Luckily we found the adult rails in Georgia and the toddler rail is slightly a different color, but it will do for a few months.

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

2011-05-31T20:55:00.001-05:00

Even though we had an extra long weekend, we found a way to stay extremely busy! The weekend started on Friday evening when we decided to go see Chase and Cassie's new house. They were in the process of moving everything in and I can't wait to see it once it's all decorated!

I told Connor there was a surprise in the backyard...

Look what he found!!! Chase and Cassie have 2 new baby goats to help keep the back of the lot clear. They were so cute, but Connor was not interested in petting them.

On Saturday Matt and Chase hung out while Connor and I ran errands. We grabbed some breakfast, went to Target, and then went to Gigi's house to try out the new sprinkler!

Who doesn't love a sprinkler on a hot day?!

Pure Happiness

Then Big Daddy showed him how to spray people...after that the sprinkler was on the move.

On Sunday, Connor and I went to visit Colleen and Meredith at the Irish Feis being held at CBU. Meredith has been doing Irish dance for about 5 years and she's extremely talented. I knew Connor would have a blast seeing all the pretty girls!!!

Meredith has grown up so much since I saw her last!

Colleen and Connor

Meredith is as tall as me! This picture makes me feel VERY old...

Meredith and Connor had a special bond from the very beginning

And this is how I remember things with Meredith...memories...I used to be her babysitter and now she's almost old enough to babysit Connor

On Sunday evening we went to Gigi's for a cookout...it was definitely hot outside, but the food was delicious!

Gigi and Big Daddy got Connor a new swing after he went flying like superman at Easter

Doesn't he look so grown up???

Playing catch with Daddy

Stella, from across the street, came over to play with Connor

He was so sweet and gentle with her (very surprising to me)

And I think it gave Matt a glimpse at life with two kids and I didn't hear much objection.

We had a wonderful weekend and that couldn't have been possible without all the men and women who have given their time and lives to protect this country's freedom, so thank you to those who have served!

Cookout and Campfire

2011-05-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

We visited the Brockway's for a family cookout this past weekend and enjoyed the relaxation of it all. Not only did we have great food, we also enjoyed the warmth of the fire (it was a very cool May night). Connor's usual buddy, Rachel, was feeling under the weather...so his next choice was Buddy (the dog)!

Sweet music to our ears!

Matt was determined to wear Buddy out

Connor kept saying "my turn, it's my turn"

So in love, I'm surprised Connor wasn't begging to take Buddy home with us

Cuddling watching cartoons

Love my two boys!

Trip to the Dentist

2011-05-19T07:00:00.007-05:00

This past weekend Connor and I made a quick trip to the dentist. I had an awful canker sore and my mom said she had just the right stuff to fix me up! It's been a while since Connor's gone to my mom's office, so I thought this might be a good time to introduce him to the back of the office. I was secretly hoping that he would be extremely excited to practice "riding" in the chair, however that was not the case. He definitely had to warm up to the idea!

First Rabbit had to take a ride and Connor wanted to be the controller of the chair

Anything to entertain a two year old

Looking for Mr. Sunshine (the light)

There he is!!!

The first dental check up should be very interesting!

The Great Debate

2011-05-18T07:16:00.003-05:00

The great debate in our house these days is which movie to watch Shrek or Tangled???

Oh to have the tough decisions of a two year old!

President Obama Visits Memphis

2011-05-16T11:33:00.000-05:00

There never seems to be a dull moment working downtown. Last week we were watching the Mississippi River slowly rise and then today we were watching President Obama drive by our office!

Booker T. Washington High School submitted a video to compete for President Obama's commencement speech and wouldn't you know, they won! He landed at 10 am at the local navy base and by 10:30ish he was driving by our building. (The pictures aren't very good, but this was our view from the 10th floor)

They had the interstates blocked for about 20 minutes before his arrival

I'm glad I wasn't one of the people stuck on the bridge, I probably would have had a panic attack!

There he is

I couldn't keep up with the number of cars in the escort

There he is again (he's either in this car or the one before it)

Connor Said What?

2011-05-13T20:09:00.000-05:00

For Mother's Day, my mom gave me this cute book called "_(child's name)_ Said What?". It's a little book that you can write down the funny things your kids say as they grow up.

This is really coming in handy because Connor is starting to talk a lot. Some of things he says has Matt and I laughing so hard tears start streaming down our face!

For instance, on the way home from school the other day I heard Connor is the back say "Ohhhh my goodnessss, Gabby broke it!". I have no idea where he learned that phrase, but apparently Gabby had gotten in trouble at school earlier that day. Now "Oh my goodness" seems to be his favorite phrase. I can't wait to fill this book up with all the memories to come!

via CooCoo Concepts

Memphis Flood {2011}

2011-05-10T20:08:00.000-05:00

Ol' Man River is having no mercy on Memphis! There are so many people who have been forced to evacuate their homes and leave everything they worked so hard for behind. Shelters are setup across the city and the police are working around the clock to keep everyone safe.

The Mississippi River finally crested at 48 ft early this morning, which is just inches below the record high from 1937 of 48.7 ft. Since I work downtown, I've had the opportunity to watch the river slowly rise over the past week. Our parking lot is almost in spitting distance of the river, so we've all been keeping a close eye!

There have been so many tourists checking out the river, so today the girls and I joined them to take a few pictures of our own.

This is looking across to Mud Island

The cobblestones are far from being visible

Two brave people in kayaks rowing down the river...you couldn't pay me float in a little boat on that river!

Mud Island Amphitheater

You can't even see the fence that runs underneath the trees

I thought this was just a pile of garbage bags, but if you look closely it's a WHOLE dumpster full of trash

Trolley Central

The news crews have been downtown pretty much all week

This is looking at Riverside Drive and Beale Street, which would usually be the entrance into BBQ Fest this time of the year

Do you think they got a refund for the misspelling???

It's been said that it will take weeks for the river to recede, but it will probably take years for some of the evacuees to get their life back on track. It's a very sad week in Memphis.

Happy Mother's Day {2011}

2011-05-08T20:52:00.000-05:00

We have had a busy weekend, but we've enjoyed every minute of it! Connor has been saying "milkshake" non-stop this past week so finally we gave in and headed to Sonic...

I think the picture says it all

On Saturday, Matt worked so Connor and I made ourselves useful. I cleaned/organized the garage, while Connor gave Cooper wagon rides.

Saturday night, Caroline and I went to our very first Go Girl Paint Party.

Caroline was very calm and confident

While I was about to have an anxiety attack! No joke, I have no idea while I was so stressed...I think it's because I don't have an ounce of artistic ability in my body.

Here's the finished product...I had to give myself a pat on the back for a job well done!

On Sunday, we went to Gigi's house to give her a Mother's Day present. While we were there, Connor wanted to try out her "perfect sit up" machine.

I also planted some flowers on the front porch.

The flowers look really good with my new flag, courtesy of Ashley!

Connor's Art

Matt spotted this cute turtle walking across the backyard

Like father like son...

All in all, I had a wonderful Mother's Day and I couldn't be happier! Not to mention, I absolutely LOVE my Mother's Day gift...

Annual Crawfish Boil

2011-05-02T19:45:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was the annual crawfish boil at Brent and Stephanie's house. They provide the crawfish (and fixings), while everyone else brings an appetizer or dessert. The weather has been very hit or miss around here these days, but thankfully the rain held off until late that night.

Connor and Rachel

Attempting to go through the bounce house

Could he be any happier???

Poor Connor, the boy on the left just slammed him coming through the bounce house...after that we didn't play in the bounce house with the big kids

Rachel doing flips on the trampoline

Connor's little friend for the evening...Jasmine

It took him a little bit to get comfortable jumping, but once he got the hang of it you couldn't get him off

Connor and Gigi

Head Chef Brent

(and his helper, Byron)

I think he got a little higher than he wanted to

See ALL the BIG kids in the bounce house??? If I had to guess, I would venture to say there were at least 20 kids running around (wild)

Big Daddy being funny with Stephanie

We had a great time at the party and enjoyed all the wonderful food. Plus there was the bonus of Connor jumping all his energy out.

Easter 2011- Part 2

2011-04-27T08:38:00.000-05:00

After Connor had a nice long nap, we headed to Yaya's for round 2.

Momma duck with 3 babies

He's obsessed with fishing at Yaya's

One of many

Two peas in a pod

Peep Drinks

Connor loved his peep drink

Garner looked like she was lounging on the beach

Ms. Candy helping with the bubbles

Momma Duck with 12 babies!!!! (I could not even imagine...this is a different momma duck)

By the time we got home, everyone was exhausted. We had a wonderful weekend and we have another busy weekend coming up.

Easter 2011- Part 1

2011-04-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

Just like any other holiday, we had a very busy day planned! We woke up bright and early to get ready for the 8 am church service. Of course, we had to give ourselves a little extra time so Connor could check out everything in his Easter basket.

Candy, bubble gun, and cars for his train set

He was still half asleep

Who says you can't have jelly beans for breakfast??? (Besides Gigi)

Bubbles everywhere

The completed swing set!!! Big Daddy and Gigi did such a wonderful job!

So strong

Connor loves the slide

Look how cute the baby bird is!

Rachel is always so sweet to keep Connor entertained, that girl has so much energy!

Not a cute picture of the baby bird...

Waiting patiently for Easter baskets

Close your eyes...

...

After baskets, it was time for the egg hunt

The poor kid really had to work for those eggs

Big Daddy helped find the last few eggs

We had a wonderful time at Big Daddy's and Gigi's, but it was time to head home for a quick nap before we headed over to Yaya's.

Grandpa Came To Visit

2011-04-20T19:07:00.001-05:00

This past weekend my dad came in town for a quick visit. He hadn't seen Connor since this past October and he was shocked to see how much he had changed. Since Grandpa wasn't able to make it in for Connor's birthday, he decided to personally deliver his presents.

Connor is in love with the idea of birthdays (and everything that comes with it...presents, happy cake, balloons, etc)

Thomas the Train!!!

They basically played "Choo Choo Train" all weekend

Connor's favorite part is watching the cars fall off the track

Besides playing with choo choo trains, we went to the park so a certain someone could run out some energy

His obsession with Shrek and slides are neck in neck

He absolutely loved swinging

I remember when I used to ride on my dad shoulders, now it's Connor's turn. We had a really good time while he was in town and can't wait for him to come back!

Oklahoma Trip

2011-04-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

We just returned from a nice long weekend in Oklahoma visiting Grandaddy, Mimi, and Reid. It was a trip that was long overdue! We headed out Thursday afternoon and got back Sunday evening. The worst part of the trip was the drive, I just don't like doing road trips especially with a toddler.

When we go to Oklahoma, I can almost guarantee 2 things for the trip. The first thing is, Matt will get a speeding ticket (I think Connor and I are bad luck). The second thing is, it will be extremely windy! (Although I hear it isn't ALWAYS like that. . .) Our trip consisted of family time, checking out the cows, and more family time. I'm not sure who was more giddy, Connor or Grandaddy and Mimi!

It didn't take long for Connor to find Mimi's new toy

Mimi made sure he was buckled up, especially since Matt was driving!

So serious

Best Friends

Miss Gilley was very intrigued by Connor

Apparently cows are very unsure of little people and think they are coyotes, you learn something new everyday

This kid adds more gray hairs to my head everyday

So big

He would be happier if I would let him roll around in the dirt

Rocks are going to be the new thing that gets him in trouble very quickly

***FLASHBACK***

This is Connor when he was 4 months old on his first trip to Oklahoma. My oh my, time sure has flown by!

Lawn mower rides with Grandaddy

I don't think his smile could be any bigger!

Buckled up and ready for another ride

Waving and shouting "Bye Mom"

Connor's new friend for the weekend, Rowdy

"Riley" as Connor called him

Then we had an Easter egg hunt

The first egg, he thought he had won the jackpot!

Couldn't wait to find all the eggs

Seeing how it was so windy, it seemed fitting to fly a kite

Generation of Joneses

Brotherly Love

I promise I was there, even though I wasn't in a single picture! We had a wonderful time and we definitely need to go back sooner rather than later. Thanks Mimi and Grandaddy for a wonderful weekend, we love you.

Mom

2011-04-04T20:17:00.001-05:00

Apparently Mom is my new name around here these days. I've gone from Momma to Mommy to just plain Mom! It's like Connor went to bed one night as my sweet toddler boy and woke up the next morning as my 16 year boy saying "Hey, Mom...more milk!". I don't always respond when he calls me Mom because I just don't recognize him saying that. It's not until he says "Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!", that I realize he's talking to me! (poor kid)

We had a good weekend and it was pretty laid back. Friday after I picked Connor up from school, I had a small happy for him. He finally owns the FULL collection of Shrek (1-4)! The kid thought it was Christmas morning, I don't think his smile could have been any bigger. Then Friday night, we went to eat Mexican at the mall. After dinner Connor had the chance to play in the kids area. He had a blast! Every time he would do something, he'd say "Mom see?" if I didn't respond he'd just yell it louder.

On Saturday, Matt worked and we went to my mom's. I dropped Connor off for a little bit so I could get my passport taken care of for our trip. When I got back to her house this is what I saw...

The playhouse is definitely coming along. I think I'll be able to drop Connor off for long weekend visits at Gigi's and Big Daddy's once it's complete!

Saturday evening, Connor and I rode with Matt to meet some guys at the shop. Connor started to get antsy waiting on Matt, so he hopped up in the driver's seat. It's the little things (and Shrek) that make him so happy in life!

Shrek is never far away!

He's obsessed with hats, because it's the one thing he can get on and off without any help.

Driving while watching Shrek...scary!

This is why it's illegal to have a TV in the front

Sunday we had a nice family breakfast and enjoyed more time playing outside. I'm glad we enjoyed the outdoors while we could because it looks like we have rain in the forecast for most of the week.

Matt Made The List

2011-04-01T10:47:00.000-05:00

My sh*t list that is...Yesterday when I got home from work, I opened the door so Connor could go in while I got stuff out of the car. Then I heard "Uh oh, bad Cooper!" and I knew it couldn't be good.

I guess I forgot to lock Cooper's cage that morning or she let herself out, but that's besides the point. Matt left the trash bag sitting in the kitchen and Cooper just helped herself!

Not what I was looking forward to cleaning up when I got home, which is why he made the list! (And received a nice text message, including pictures)

Thankfully someone decided to help me out! (The tape X's are where Connor stands to shoot the basketball, in case you were wondering)

Finally after we I got everything cleaned up, we started our normal nightly routine. Connor has become so picky when it comes to food, that I've decided to give him choices and he can pick what we eat (sides only). If he picks it, then there isn't much of an argument when we sit down.

Here he is trying to make a decision last night...

I can't believe it's April already, the year is flying by!

In other news. . .

2011-03-30T07:00:00.003-05:00

Here's what else we did this past weekend

We played soccer

and basketball

(look at that form)

crawled through the tunnel

and cleaned!!!

(he was hot from playing basketball)

Connor also figured out how to open up the doors (interior doors) this weekend, never a quiet moment around here!

Happy Birthday Yaya!

2011-03-28T19:50:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated Yaya's birthday at Firebirds. It was a good excuse to get out of the house since the weather had been so icky. I have to admit, I was that parent who brought the portable DVD player so my toddler could watch Shrek. It was the only thing that would ensure me 2 glasses of wine and a nice dinner for me AND the entire restaurant! (The volume was completely turned down, the boy knows this movie line by line)

You can also see that I broke out the paci for the night too!

Garner is so sweet with Connor, bless her heart!

Connor loves Bobo

(Note to self: I need an iphone 4 so I'll have a flash like this or just charge my camera so I can use that)

Connor is really into birthdays lately, I think part of it is because we celebrated Matt's birthday for about a month. Who doesn't love "happy cake" on a regular basis?! Besides eating "happy cake", Connor's next favorite thing is to sing Happy Birthday. Bless his heart, by the end of the night he was like a broken record!

Bobo was very prepared!

Connor was stained for 2 days from the "happy cake" icing

Happy Birthday Yaya, we love you!!!

Sad Face

2011-03-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

This is what I saw on Connor's daily sheet when I picked him up yesterday

Once again, Connor had gotten in trouble for hitting. This behavior is very out of character for him, I think it may have something to do with the full/super moon this week. His punishment was not going to Chuckie Cheese (school fundraiser night) and he couldn't watch Shrek. He could care less about Chuckie Cheese, but not watching Shrek went straight to his heart! There were a lot of tears shed over this and hopefully he has learned his lesson, hitting/misbehaving = NO SHREK. I'll find out this afternoon. . .

And it begins...

2011-03-22T21:08:00.001-05:00

Up until today, parenthood hasn't been that hard. Yes it has been exhausting (physically and mentally), a test of our patience, and most of all very rewarding. However, today was a day where I felt a bit of failure.

Here is my conversation with Connor in the hallway at school (after reading a LONG note on the back of his daily paper).

Me: Did you listen today?

C: No. (at least he didn't lie!)

Me: Did you hit your friend today?

C: Yes.

Me: Which friend?

C: Madison.

Me: You need to listen to Ms. Brittany and we DO NOT hit anyone. Do you understand?

C: Yes (with a quivering lip)

He was reminded of how he needs to act at school several times tonight. I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day and I'm hoping he makes better choices. Parenthood is truly the hardest job out there! (And I've only has this job for 2 years)

Nothing out of the ordinary

2011-03-20T20:37:00.000-05:00

This weekend was like just like any other weekend, except the weather was absolutely PERFECT!

Connor took Cooper for a walk Friday evening

Then he laid on the couch and watched Shrek 3 (I had to order it on demand because I couldn't watch Shrek 1 anymore!)

Saturday Matt worked, so we headed over to help Big Daddy with the new play set Connor got for his birthday.

Big Daddy is so patient with Connor, bless his heart

Gigi and I helped by supervising

Saturday after Matt got off work we rode around town with the windows down. We made a quick stop at the new park by Grandaddy's house and Connor had a blast going down the slide!

After the park, we headed to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Connor was SO good during dinner, I think the peg game kept him entertained.

Or could it have been the thrill of organization?

Either way, he was good and we were able to enjoy a nice dinner out!

Our Spring Elf

2011-03-15T19:45:00.000-05:00

Connor wore his new pajamas and the first words out of Matt's mouth were "He looks like an elf!". I couldn't stop smiling the whole time he was running around the house.

Grandaddy is in town and he stopped by to see Connor. Unfortunately, Connor was on a sugar high from a chocolate chip cookie and was basically bouncing off the walls! Finally towards the end of the visit he started to calm down. Then they practiced their ABC's...

Say it isn't so...

2011-03-13T20:15:00.001-05:00

Connor has gone exactly 2 full weeks without a potty accident (at home and school) and I couldn't be more proud of him. Of course he still wears a pull up at nap time and night time, but other than that it's strictly undies. For a little reward he got to go to Toys R Us and pick out a toy (he picked a bowling set). Then we headed to Yogurt Mountain for a sweet treat. All in all, we had a great Saturday morning!

Since he isn't wearing a diaper anymore, his clothes fit a lot looser. I really have no idea what size shorts he'll wear this summer.

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing. Saturday night, Gigi and Big Daddy watched Connor while Matt and I ate at Genghis Grill. The food is really good, but the wait was unbelievable! Today Matt and Connor are trying to get over some kind of cold, so it was a very low key day.

Best Buddies

This kid kills me with his organization

Looking at airplanes

He really might have a small case of OCD! I thought he was going to lose it when Cooper accidentally knocked one off...he started yelling "say sorry Cooper!"

Sweet boy! (side note: his lips/eczema are looking really good lately)

He looks like a big kid more and more everyday!

Off to another work week! (I wonder who thought up the theory of working 5 days and having a 2 day weekend.)

Cutest Backpacks

2011-03-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

So I've been on the hunt for the last couple months for the perfect backpack for Connor. The older he gets the less stuff we have to pack for our outings. I wanted something that was personalized, boyish, and I wanted a zipper. What better place to look other than Etsy?!

After a quick search...Voilà! I found Terri at InspiredByGrands and she couldn't have been more helpful through the entire process. I, like always, had a list of questions which she patiently answered each one of them. The turnaround time was quick and the product was even cutier in person!

I order one for Connor, but I couldn't pass up on a girly backpack for sweet Brinkley!

Aren't they so cute

The straps were as cute as the front

Terri also included a cute tissue holder with each backpack (Connor's tissue holder wasn't pink, it had trucks on it...just wanted to clarify)

He hasn't quite figured out how to put it on

He looks like a BIG kid about to go to school (slight tear)

Weekend Recap

2011-03-08T18:14:00.001-06:00

Our weekend was so laid back, that Connor didn't change out of his pajamas all weekend! Matt worked Saturday so Connor and I cleaned the house, watched Shrek and Nemo more time than I can count, and relaxed. Saturday night we ordered Memphis Pizza Cafe (which was delish) and caught up on our DVR'd shows.

On Sunday, Matt had to work for a couple of hours so Connor and I slept in until 9! Sleeping until 9 is unheard of in our house these days, apparently Connor was exhausted from cleaning all day (like me). The rest of the day consisted of playing and a nap for Connor.

Clipping his nails (not really)

Chapstick application #1

Chapstick application #200

Nothing better than playing basketball in the foyer!

Sword fight

Our weekend wouldn't be complete without a few meltdowns

Organizing the sprite

He probably lined them up and put them back in the box about 6 times

Matt was teaching Connor how to stack cups, oh the little things in life!

It's Official

2011-03-03T17:17:00.001-06:00

We have booked our vacation to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I couldn't be more excited! We will be enjoying 4 nights here:

{via}

These two love birds will be joining us on the trip.

The trip is months away, but I am already dreaming about it!

Family Affair

2011-02-27T20:48:00.000-06:00

For the most part our weekend was relaxing, however, Connor got really sick Saturday evening and it almost gave me a panic attack because it was that serious.

Reid came in town for the weekend (we hadn't seen him since Christmas) so we all got together at Yaya's for dinner. The weather was beautiful Saturday afternoon, so the guys decided that they wanted to fish. When I say fish, I use that term very loosely. Basically you put your bait in the water and in about 2 minutes you've caught a HUGE catfish (that's why Matt likes to "fish" at Yaya's).

Here's are weekend get together in pictures (there's a lot!)

It was a paci kind of weekend

1st catch

Chase is so good with Connor!

Taking a walk around the lake

Connor was obsessed with Yaya's old sunglasses

Unfortunately, they didn't make it...sorry Yaya!

2nd catch

At this point Connor was starting to feel a tiny bit better

Then he saw the cake and everything was better...I've lost count how many times we've celebrated Matt's birthday!

Yaya made a delicious dinner as always

Connor had a blast playing peekaboo with Bobo

Garner is very patient with Connor

***Connor had a fever that spiked extremely high Saturday evening. I spoke with his doctor and she advised that we stay at home and see if it would come down instead of sitting in the ER (he didn't have any other symptoms besides the fever). We gave him Tylenol and a tepid bath, both things helped bring his fever down from 105.7 to 102.0. The doctor gave us strict orders to wake up and check on him every 3 hours because she wanted to make sure it wasn't meningitis (talk about panic mode)!

He hasn't had fever all day today, but he has been extremely emotional. One minute he's laughing and then the next he's screaming! Needless to say, it has been a very LONG day.

Severe Weather

2011-02-24T21:10:00.001-06:00

Tonight Memphis had a line of strong thunderstorms roll through. All day the weather people had been talking about the possibility of tornadoes and then word spread that the tornado chasers were downtown (along with The Weather Channel). None of that news sat well with me!

Dave Brown is always so calm and informative

My main goal was to make it home with Connor before it started raining, which was a success. The tornado sirens started going off around 6:30 (perfect timing for bedtime) and continued for about 45 minutes. I haven't always been scared of storms, but last summer a tornado hit about a mile from the house. Plus I have someone else to worry about too. So I cleared the closet out for Connor and I (Matt was still at work, so he had to fend for himself).

While I was cleaning the closet, Connor was checking the flashlights to make sure everything was working probably. As my dad said, he's definitely my little helper (sometimes too helpful)!

Our neighbors were probably wondering what was going on...it looked like we were having a light show in the bedroom!

Just checking to see how bright it was

The little things are the most entertaining to him!

I'm happy to report that we didn't have any damage, not even a flicker of electricity. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the rest of the neighborhood, the front half doesn't have power. Now things are quiet and I'm hoping the rain continues so I'll have a good night's sleep!

Driving, Driving, and More Driving...

2011-02-22T19:24:00.000-06:00

that is ALL Connor has been doing lately. If he's not driving the Jeep then he is driving (or sitting) in the beep beep. Thank goodness Memphis had great weather this past weekend!

One For The Memory Books

2011-02-16T20:43:00.000-06:00

Connor's potty training has had it's ups and downs, but I'm very proud of how well he is doing. He still has accidents and we definitely have some days that are better than others.

This past weekend Connor gave us a memory for the books! I'm that mom that asks every 10 minutes "Connor do you have to potty?". After a few times of Connor saying "no" he starts to get irritated and finally says "Mommy, NO potty!". Bless his heart, I know I annoy him to no end, but I'm just trying to make sure he doesn't have an accident.

On Saturday morning, I was working on the computer and Matt was in the shower. Connor was running around the house in his PJ shirt and undies (no pants, it's what he prefers these days). All of a sudden he stopped to focus on the TV. I asked if he had to potty and he of course said no (because the Fresh Beats were on). Then I told him that he better not potty in his pants because big boys potty on the potty, not in their pants.

The next thing I know is that I'm looking up from my computer and Connor is pulling his undies off. Then he proceeds to go #2 on THE FLOOR! I could not believe my eyes and then he handed me his undies. Apparently he was really listening when I said "No potty in your pants".

After everything was cleaned up, I explained to him that we don't potty in our pants and we don't potty on the floor. At least he saved me from an extra piece of laundry!