The Merediths

Trevin earns his Wolf

2012-01-26T13:34:00.003-05:00

Yay Trev!

Spelling Bee

2012-01-25T21:41:00.002-05:00

Kierstyn was in the school-wide spelling bee today. The top 8 kids from each grade (grades 4-8) participate in the school-wide bee. Kierstyn has been studying the list of words intensely the past several days.

She made it to round 7 and got out on the word "tardigrade." Yeah, I'd never heard of that word before either. She ended up in 7th place (out of 40) so she totally rocked it!

We made a stop at Sweet CeCe's after school to celebrate her awesome-ness.

What's going on....

2012-01-23T10:00:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. I've been absent from the blog for a bit. Just couldn't get in the mood to update and I was busy with other things. Rest assured after I finish this post I'm updated. :)

2012 is off to a great start! We have enjoyed having Kelly home for several weeks in a row. Of course that just makes it all the harder for us to have him leave again. I have made some changes (not resolutions) and so far, so good. I love how the new year always gives me extra motivation to do all the things I'm supposed to be doing anyways.

I was released from my YW calling the first of January and I am now teaching Primary. I am teaching the 11 year olds (Kierstyn's class) and I love it! I love that I am challenged each week to study and learn right along with the kids. I'm also filling in as a Webelos leader. I only have 2 boys and I really have no idea what I'm doing but it's ok.

We decided to invest in granite countertops and stainless steel appliances for our kitchen in the hopes that it will make our house more sellable. *See post below.* We have had a pretty steady stream of lookers (not counting the last 3-4 weeks before/after Christmas) and the one comment we keep getting over and over is that our kitchen is not updated. We hope this will do the trick!

Kierstyn has been getting up early 3 mornings during the week to run on the treadmill and do "stomach exercises" with Kelly. Occasionally I even join them. :) She wants to run a 5K in February so this is her training regimen. I'm very proud of her. She's also in the school spelling bee this Wednesday so we've been studying spelling words.

I finally got around to another project in Kierstyn's room. I've been wanting to do this on her wall for over a year but I finally just convinced her to let me do it. Actually she bought a new clock and when I suggested that we hang it in the grouping she finally acquiesced. :) It's just a bunch of different fabrics in embroidery hoops. Super easy. I'm not totally sure what I think of the final product but it's up for now.

This is from one day over Christmas vacation. Kierstyn was cleaning her room and she set up shop right outside her bedroom door with all her "junk" (her word, not mine) to sell to her brothers. She makes life interesting. :)

This cutie can grow some hair! This was taken before his most recent haircut but it's still pretty long. Trevin has wrestled in a couple of wrestling tournaments up in Middle TN with his cousin's wrestling team. Grand-daddy is coaching this year and Trevin has enjoyed his time with GD.

My latest project is working on my Blurb book for 2011. Only 3 months to go! Once that's finished I have several more things lined up. It is January, after all.

Kitchen Reveal

2012-01-23T09:00:00.003-05:00

New granite countertops + new stainless steel appliances = hopefully we can get this house sold now! :)

Meeting Baby Paxton

2012-01-23T08:42:00.006-05:00

My newest nephew arrived on December 28, 2011. We were able to see him a week later. He is just the cutest (& sweetest) baby ever.

We're up to 22 grandchildren on the Meredith side. (That's a lot of cousin birthdays to remember!)

New Years Eve at Disney World

2012-01-09T21:39:00.006-05:00

While in Orlando we did lots of shopping and swimming, played miniature golf, slept in, ate the best breakfast every morning, and visited with friends. Since we went to SeaWorld earlier in the week we decided to squeeze Disney into one day. We left the hotel at 8:00am and got back after midnight. We went to 3 parks in 1 day! Did you know that the week between Christmas and New Years is the busiest week of the year at Disney? We didn't (or we probably would have picked a different time to go) but we were still able to see/do almost everything we wanted to. Magic Kingdom closed due to capacity almost every day that week. Originally we wanted to end up at MK for the fireworks but we were afraid that if we didn't go there first it would be closed.
We rode several rides including It's a Small World, Winnie the Pooh, and Space Mountain and saw the daytime parade.
Next we headed over to Animal Kingdom (Kelly's favorite park). AK was much less crowded! We didn't even have to wait for the safari ride and we were able to see so many animals.

YES! We did get one family picture. :) That mountain behind us is the Mount Everest roller coaster that K&K rode 8 times!

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures. Ever.Lion King showAfter Animal Kingdom we headed over to Hollywood Studios. It was very crowded and unfortunately several of the shows/rides we wanted to see were already closed for the night. And the roller coaster that K&K wanted to ride was a 110 minute wait. Boo. We did get to see a really cool Indiana Jones stunt show. We had planned to stay at HS til midnight but by 11:00 we were all getting cold and it was soooo crowded....so we decided to head back to the parking lot. We were able to watch the fireworks over the castle at Magic Kingdom. It was a very fun way to ring in the New Year!

Sea World

2012-01-09T16:00:00.001-05:00

On December 26th, we packed up and headed to ORLANDO! Good times!!!When we got to Orlando we were given free tickets to Sea World so we added that to the weeks agenda. I'm so glad we did!! This is the park we used to go to all the time when we lived in Florida when the kids were little. 8 years later, it didn't disappoint.

Watching the dolphins
Kyler, Kierstyn, & I rode the paddleboats.

Trevin LOVED the real flamingos!

K&K decided to spend some money on a Quick Queue which allowed them to jump to the front of the line. They rode Kraken and Manta (roller coasters) several times while the rest of us watched the Shamu show and another Christmas show that was one of the best I've ever seen.

Christmas Morning

2012-01-09T11:06:00.004-05:00

We made them wait til 7:00. Here they are waiting on the stairs to go see what Santa brought:
Trev was pretty excited :)
and of course Santa brought exactly what he wanted!He was probably equally excited about this present from his sister (who has been dying to give this to him!).

And the personally designed purple Converse (to go with his favorite purple jacket) were a big hit too!

(I'm just now realizing how this kid got everything he wanted for Christmas!) A new iPod, too!!!

That smart Santa brought Kierstyn exactly what she wanted too--an iPod dock....that changes colors. Ooooohhhhh! Ahhhhhhh!A bracelet, ponytail holders and a lava lamp(!) from her brothersEarrings!!!

She was so funny. When we were all done she set up/organized all her gifts on display which made for a nice picture.

Mr. Emotion gave us a little grin when he opened his electric razor. :)

The last present the kids opened was a poem....

Pack up your bags

Get ready to go

We’re taking a trip

To Or-lan-do!

Shop at the mall,

Spend Christmas cash

Visit with friends

We’ll have a big bash.

Play miniature golf,

Swim in the pool,

Plus 2 days at Disney--

Won’t that be cool?

Tomorrow afternoon

We’ll be on our way

Making fun memories

Hip, Hip Hooray!

So yeah, we surprised them with a trip to Orlando (pictures to come). I can't believe we were really able to keep it a secret!

And I was of course spoiled with lots of new clothes and a new camera!

Trying out the new camera:

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

More Christmas in Murfreesboro

2011-12-24T10:56:00.004-05:00

We celebrated in Murfreesboro with my mom and my brother's family a couple of weeks before Christmas too.

And of course no family gathering could be complete without a little "show" by the kids. :)

Meredith Cousins Christmas

2011-12-23T09:04:00.004-05:00

It's always sure to be a good (and cRaZy!) time when you get this many cousins together! We were only missing MK's crew this year so we had 16 Meredith cousins gathered for our Christmas exchange.

December iPhone pictures

2011-12-23T08:47:00.002-05:00

We're still here! Just trying to enjoy the Christmas season by spending lots of time together (and apparently ignoring the blog). :)

Trev after his "No Cavities" trip to the dentist.
Date Night= Mom + Trevin + Subway

We're so cool we gotta wear shades! haha

Beautiful Kierstyn on her way to Friday Night Lightning

Trevin's amazing invention (the invisible iPod). Please read his awesome story below!

Trevin & his friend G at Exhibit Night.

I know it's December!

2011-12-08T12:03:00.005-05:00

How cow! How did it get to be December already?! And we're practically halfway through it too. Only 17 more days til Christmas? Good thing I've got most of my shopping done. :)

Before I move on to Christmas-related items, I must first mention that soccer season is officially over. Kyler's team won the District Championships!!! It was pouring down rain for the entire game...which made for a fun game for the boys (especially since they won 5-1!) but pretty soggy for the spectators. Even with all the rain, it was an exciting game to watch!

Moving right along.

So I know it is December because....

Our tree is up! I leave the lights on pretty much all day every day. I love my tree! (and look! we've even got a few presents under there!)

I know it's December because....

I've started to make my annual batches of caramel corn. My grandma used to make this caramel corn every year and we always got a big bagful at Christmas. I've carried on the tradition and now I'm the one making big bags of caramel corn for everyone in my family. I just love thinking about her each year as I pull out her recipe. Not to mention the sugar rush I get from sampling. :)

I know it's December because...

Buddy is baaaaaaaack! Our Elf has returned. Kierstyn and Trevin fight every morning to see who can find his new hiding spot first. The other day Buddy roasted some marshmallows right on the kitchen counter!

I know it's December because....

We are remembering family traditions. I did this when the kids were younger but haven't done it for a couple of years. Recently I've realized that Trevin kind of misses out on a few things being the youngest (we seem to outgrow certain traditions the older the kids get) so I decided to do this again for him--and the other kids have joined in as well. I wrapped up all our Christmas books as our own kind of Christmas Advent. Trevin unwraps one every night and we read it together before bedtime. Sweet memories.

I know it's December because...

We had our Christmas party at church last night. My Young Women were in charge of serving hot chocolate to the little kids after they had a visit with Santa. Cute little Santa's helpers! :)

Sweet Dreams

2011-12-06T21:35:00.000-05:00

What THEY are Thankful for...

2011-11-30T21:31:00.000-05:00

Kyler

-my friends

-camping

-music

-rain

-challenges

-espanol

Kierstyn

-making it into the talent show

-my family

-Buck and Lisa

-my friends

-mom's new van

-our new Stake President

-my best friend Annie

-an amazing Math teacher

-my progress in Seussical

-NormalPalooza

-all the people who are fighting [for our country]

-Internet

-sports

Trevin

-cousins

-school

-my friends

-summer

-earth

-the Lord

-Wii

-our new van

-my family

-God

-sun

-NormalPalooza

-Bob

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-30T21:00:00.000-05:00

heated seats in my van. It was freeeeeezing up on the mountain tonight!

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-29T21:34:00.001-05:00

a lunch date with my sweetheart.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-28T20:13:00.002-05:00

an extra hour with my kiddos today! They got out of school 1 hour early this afternoon due to flooding in the area. And tomorrow I get 2 extra hours with them since they are on a 2 hr. delay. Well, let's be honest, we'll probably all sleep in.....which is something else to be thankful for.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-27T19:44:00.001-05:00

a husband who doesn't mind popcorn/cereal/whatever you can find for dinner--more nights than I'd care to admit.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-26T22:01:00.001-05:00

having enough.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-25T23:20:00.000-05:00

pretty toes and an afternoon with 4 of my favorite ladies!

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-24T22:24:00.002-05:00

a fun 5K family run, happy kids, and a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-23T20:56:00.001-05:00

extended family.

We had a fun/crazy night with 15 Meredith cousins at the hotel pool. My kids love all their cousins. Looking forward to more craziness tomorrow as we feast together. :)

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-22T21:02:00.002-05:00

being mistaken for a "teenager" twice today!

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-21T20:41:00.002-05:00

reading time with Trevin.

It seems that with Trevin being the third child that I haven't been able to read with him as much as I did with the other two. Thankfully his reading ability/desire hasn't suffered....I think he likes to read even more than Kyler and Kierstyn! (and that's saying a lot!) We've been reading a book together for about a week now. He picked it out from the library and it was a little challenging for him so I suggested we read it together. Tonight when I got home from Kyler's soccer game he was on his bed reading his "other" book. He looked up at me and said, "Can we read our book now?"

More Seussical!

2011-11-21T08:23:00.002-05:00

The Bird Girls

Kierstyn & her friend, LL (one of the Whos from Whoville)
Kierstyn and her friend R (a Jungle Citizen)

Kierstyn has had play practice practically every day after school for the last 2 1/2 months. It was quite a commitment. The show was absolutely great and Kierstyn was fabulous!!!

But I think we're all ready for a little break.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-20T23:03:00.003-05:00

a walk in the rain with friends, a Sunday evening movie with the kids, & the doctors at the ER who were able to make Kelly's eye feel better.

I'm Thankful for....

2011-11-19T19:42:00.000-05:00

getting started on my Christmas shopping! (Seriously, those people who are already done with their shopping disgust me.)

I'm Thankful for....

2011-11-18T23:19:00.001-05:00

2 grandmas who drove 2 hours to see Kierstyn perform as Bird Girl #2 in The Seussical. She loved having them there (and so did the rest of us!).

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

family time. We were able to spend the afternoon/evening shopping and watching Kyler's soccer game together. Looking forward to more family time this weekend, too. :)

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-16T21:51:00.001-05:00

rainy days and my husband's listening ear.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

answered prayers!.....which today came in the form of a canceled soccer game. :)

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-14T22:18:00.002-05:00

the wonderful Family Home Evening lesson Kierstyn taught on Thanksgiving tonight. She is always so well prepared :) with a plenty-long-enough lesson. It was fun to hear about all the things each one of us is thankful for.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-13T20:25:00.002-05:00

dishwashers and washing machines.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-12T21:13:00.003-05:00

gratitude lists.

When I'm having a bad day and feel like nothing's going right, it's nice to be "forced" to look for the blessings in my life. And somehow I always seem to come up with something to be thankful for.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-11T21:46:00.000-05:00

my warm, cozy bed.

Just knowing that Kyler is camping tonight in this freezing cold weather makes my bed seem even warmer!

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

being able to check everything off my to-do list today.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-09T21:25:00.001-05:00

no cavities at the dentist!

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-08T22:00:00.001-05:00

good friends and good food. Everyone needs a Girls Night Out to recharge once in awhile.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-07T22:01:00.002-05:00

some one-on-one time with Kyler. I took him to his soccer game tonight and then we went shopping together afterwards, just the two of us.

Lately we've been watching old home movies of the kids when they were little. It's been fun to reminisce about those little babies I used to spend all day with. It's really hard to believe that my 13 year old son who towers over me, has a deep voice and bigger feet than even his dad used to be so itty bitty. As much as I loved my babies when they were little, I think I love watching them grow up and become my friend even more.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-06T19:59:00.001-05:00

a perfect Sunday afternoon hike with my family.

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-05T21:44:00.003-04:00

cooperative children.

And considering that today was family picture day, that is indeed something to be grateful for! :) On the way home tonight Trevin said, "That was the funnest picture taking we've ever had."

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-04T21:40:00.001-04:00

beautiful fall leaves. As I drove up the mountain today the colors on the trees were amazing with the sunshine and the blue sky in the background. Nature sure does some awesome things!

Kierstyn's Talent Show Performance: "You Lie" by the Band Perry

2011-11-04T12:00:00.001-04:00

I am seriously amazed that a child of mine can have enough courage to stand in front of the entire school and sing. I don't think this girl is afraid of anything!

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-03T21:41:00.004-04:00

the new wheels parked in my garage!!!

I am grateful to now have a more reliable means of transportation. My Trailblazer has served me well these last few years but I am more than a little excited to have better gas mileage and a vehicle that doesn't have wonky transmission issues. :)

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-02T21:42:00.002-04:00

being a few minutes early to pick up Kierstyn this afternoon and catching her performance at the Talent Show dress rehearsal. She's going to knock their socks off at the show tomorrow!

I'm Thankful for...

2011-11-01T22:22:00.002-04:00

And so it begins. It's November so it's time for my daily dose of gratitude posts. I got so excited this morning when I remembered it was November and I could start my thankful blog posts. :)

Today I'm thankful for many things but especially grateful for a very, very hardworking (overworked!) husband who does so much for our family! You name it, he does it. I am amazed at all he can and willingly does for us.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:50:00.001-04:00

Trunk or Treat

2011-10-27T09:55:00.000-04:00

Trevin in his awesome Lego man costume....Kelly and Trevin had fun creating this together. :)
Sophie, Anna, & Kierstyn continued their tradition of a group theme. This year: Cowgirls
Kyler and C.J. went as twin Afro brothers. Don't they look just alike?! :)

The Nation's Capitol with Kierstyn

2011-10-26T11:40:00.001-04:00

Kelly and I took Kierstyn to Washington D.C. for a few days over Fall Break. It's always fun to have some time with our children one-on-one (or two-on-one). We've made it a tradition to take each of our kids to D.C. alone when they are in 5th grade. Kierstyn wrote all about our trip so I'll let her do the talking...

Oct. 16, 2011

Today was crazy! We were driving for 3 1/2 hours until we got stopped. There was a wreck that was 1/4 of a mile in front of us. There were many people getting out of their cars to see what happened. I saw a firetruck, ambulance, police car, and helicopter. Two people had to get life-flighted. A lot of people were getting out of the line and into the grass to turn around. We even saw a car get stuck in a ditch.

Finally, after 3 1/2 hours being stuck in the line, we started. We drove for 5 more hours until we arrived at Chris' house. She has been my mom's best friend since high school.

Oct. 17, 2011

We went to Arlington cemetery, the Holocaust museum, Martin Luther King Memorial, and Lincoln Memorial. We also saw the Washington monument.

At the cemetery we saw the changing of the guards by the tombstone of the unknown soldier. The guard took 21 steps and he waited 21 seconds until he started walking. We had to stand the whole time!

Later, as we were walking and looking at graves, there was this trumpeting noise. It kept getting closer and closer until we saw soldiers right in front of us. THere were a ton of them. They just kept coming and coming. When they had finally left we heard the sound of horses. THe horses were pulling a cart that had a casket in it. Following the horses wear a limousine. Then there was a ton of cars that just kept coming and coming.

When they left we started walking again. We saw a lot of graves. I spotted a grave that had broken. We walked and walked until we arrived at the Arlington house. George Washington had a step-son John. John had a sone George Washington Parke Custis. George then had a daughter Mary Custis. She married Robert E. Lee and they were the ones who lived in the house. They had 6 rooms on the bottom floor. Family parlor, office and study, morning room, ad the conservatory and garden. At the house they told you about each room and why they were important. When we were done looking at the house, we went to the Kennedy's graves. It was really sad but cool.

At the Holocaust museum I learned about the time of the Holocaust. It must've been a very hard time for all of the Jews. When we were done looking at the Holocaust exhibit, we went over to see Daniel's Story [the children's exhibit]. Daniel was a Jew back in the time of the Holocaust. He tells you about when his life was so fun. Then you get to see what happened when the Germans came in and took away everything He had to go to the ghetto and then to a concentration camp. I would've hated to be him. We got all the way to the concentration camp when a guard came and shoved us out. We went back there the next day to finish it.

When we were done looking at the Holocaust museum, we walked over to the [Capitol and the] Washington Monument. We took pictures and then went to find Mark.

When we found him, we walked over to the Martin Luther King Memorial. There was a big statue of Martin Luther King with a quote on the side. I took pictures and even saw one of Kyler's friends, Kevin.

When we were done there, we walked all the way back over to the Lincoln Memorial. There were a lot of people there so it was tricky for me to get a picture but I did.

Mark was so nice and took us out to dinner. We went to a place called Occidental. I ordered shrimp and french fries. The shrimp was absolutely disgusting and the french fries were absolutely delicious. When we finished our dinner we went back to our hotel and went to bed.

October 18, 2011

Today we went to the Air and Space Museum, National Archives, Ford's Theater (which was closed), Hard Rock Cafe, Museum of Natural History, Museum of American History, and the White House.

At the Air and Space Museum I saw lots of different things, There was a space shuttle, planes, and more. There was also a really cool section in the back where you get in a space shuttle and fight other space shuttles. My dad and I did this even though we had no idea what we were doing. He controlled where we were going while I just shot. We had a great time.

After we looked at some more cool shuttles and planes, we headed over to the space exhibit. It was very creative and I just loved how they did their model of the planet set up to be space.

The exhibit also had a place where you could learn about each planet and then take a quiz. I did earth and found out that it is the only lent with humans because it has the most oxygen. It also had 3 more things which I forgot. It was a really cool exhibit. I loved the Air and Space museum because it helped me learn more about our upcoming module, Space.

At the National Archives museum I saw the real documents of the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. I learned more about how and why they were written and documented. In the room where they were, there were a lot of guards and it was really dark. The guards were there to make sure nobody tole anything, and it was dark because it also protected the documents. Over the years, they had been put in sunlight and they got damaged, so now they keep them in the dark. That is also why you can't take pictures of them. After we had finished looking at the documents, we went over to the museum store. I had told Alex I would get her something and I had to get it. It took me a while until I finally decided on a long pencil for Alex, and a fat one for me. I checked out and we left.

I was very disappointed when we got to Ford's Theatre and it was closed. I still went to the store and bought myself a pencil. My mom and I wanted to go to the Peterson's House to see where Abrahm Lincoln died, but it was closed too.

We started to get hungry so we kept on walking until I spotted a restaurant, Hard Rock Cafe. It turned out to be the best place I had ever eaten. I ordered potato skins and they were delicious. While we were waiting for our food, my mom and I walked upstairs and looked at famous singer's pictures and autographs. It was really cool. When we all finished our food, my mom, dad, and I ordered a brownie sundae. It was so good. We all walked out of the restaurant, our stomachs so full.

We walked all the way over to the Museum of Natural History. At the museum, I saw dinosaurs,

fossils, ocean life, ice age exhibit, an exhibit about racism, and the Hope Diamond. The exhibit about racism was my favorite, It showed a video of different skin colored people talking about what happens at school. Like trying to find a place to sit at lunch, who you tried to hang out with, and what people turned them down because they're black or just because they're white. It helped me to understand the importance of letting people join a group with you and your friends even if they're a different color. The Hope Diamond was pretty cool too. It was like the most beautiful necklace I had ever seen I wonder if anyone has actually worn that before? That museum was pretty cool.

Showing Appreciation

2011-10-25T10:07:00.000-04:00

Last month as the Primary began to seriously prepare for their sacrament meeting presentation Kierstyn and a friend came up with the idea to do something for all the Primary teachers. The Friday before the program Kierstyn had 2 friends come over to bake pumpkin bread and make Thank You cards for all the teachers. They had a lot of fun and I thought it was a really sweet thing to do.

Mac(!), DC, Halloween, & Primary program

2011-10-22T22:37:00.002-04:00

Computer crashed....again. But good news--I finally got a Mac!!! I'm giddy with excitement but I have to wait til Wednesday for it to come in.

Kelly, Kierstyn and I had a fun whirlwind trip to DC over Fall Break. Um, not sure when I'll get around to posting about it. I'll have to figure out my new computer first. The boys spent a few fun days in the 'Boro with my mom and their cousins.

Kierstyn had 2 girls from church over yesterday to make pumpkin bread for all the Primary teachers. Their sacrament program is tomorrow and Kierstyn really wanted to do something for the teachers. It was fun.

Halloween is a week away. Kierstyn is all set in her cowgirl attire. Kyler bought an Afro wig that he thinks qualifies as a "costume". Kelly and Trevin spent several hours yesterday making a Lego man costume. Why have I never solicited Kelly's help with Halloween costumes before now?! Hoping to finish it up tomorrow.

I'm not ready for Fall Break to be over! And we've got a crazy week coming up. Ever feel like you need a vacation from your vacation???

The Middle Half-Year 5

2011-10-15T22:00:00.001-04:00

This was Kelly's 5th year to run the Half Marathon in our hometown. He got a really cool pullover for running all 5 years.

Kierstyn and I cheered him on and she ran the last mile with him.

*I've got pictures of them running together but it's on another camera and I have to figure out how to hook it up to my new computer. More pictures to come (hopefully) :)*

Exhibit Night--October

2011-10-08T14:15:00.003-04:00

Trevin has been learning about ecosystems this quarter. Here is his red-tailed hawk (which lives in a meadow):And this is the flower he painted:______________________________________________________
Kierstyn has been studying the Civil War. Her Advanced Studies class participated in a wax museum for Exhibit Night. Kierstyn was quite the hit in her portrayal of Harriet Tubman:And here is Harriet with her good friend Abraham Lincoln :)
_______________________________________________________
The 8th graders have been writing personal narratives. Kyler made this artwork to go with his personal narrative about his trip to Idaho this summer:And this is a little math problem he constructed:

Speedy Kids

2011-10-01T20:39:00.004-04:00

I can't believe it. Cross country season has come and gone. :(
Trevin ran in his last regular season meet on Thursday.
Here is our awesome 3rd grade team:Can you spot Trevin in the pack?
He ran fast, as usual. That speedy little guy.And crossed the finish line in 6th place! WooWoo!
He was all smiles after the race.
Because he knew he was going to get one of these. :)He placed 10th overall for the season. So proud of him!

Today Trevin and Kierstyn both ran in a County-wide Cross Country meet held at the Chickamauga Dam. This course had a lot more hills. But that hilly course was no match for these speedy kids! Trevin ran his heart out and came in 11th place.

Kierstyn was excited to be able to race today. Her play practices interfered with cross country practice so she was unable to run in any of the regular season meets. She more than made up for that today. In fact she was so speedy I couldn't even capture her on camera! 4th place...not bad for a girl who barely trained.

Raingutter Regatta

2011-10-01T20:21:00.004-04:00

Wednesday night our Cub Scouts held their first Raingutter Regatta. The idea is to blow your ship from one end of a water-filled raingutter (or PVC pipe in this case) to the other while racing an opponentThe most important skill to master is the proper blowing techniqueSlow and steady, not too hard....until you get your ship to the end

The boys had a quick program afterwards. This was Trevin's Friend"ship" boat.
Kyler participated in a Raingutter Regatta once, too. Click here to see what a little cutie he was.

Spirit Week: Favorite Team Day

2011-09-30T15:55:00.000-04:00

Kierstyn loves her Florida Gators!

The Gator chomp :)

Spirit Week: Lightning Spirit Day

2011-09-29T11:00:00.001-04:00

Let's go, Lightning! Let's GO!

Spirit Week: Decades Day

2011-09-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

My cute hippie chick

Spirit Week: Twins (or Triplets) Day

2011-09-27T17:20:00.001-04:00

You have NO IDEA how much thought and planning (and shopping trips) went into this day. :)I think they are just adorable!

Spirit Week: Favorite Color Day

2011-09-26T22:00:00.001-04:00

It's Spirit Week! You can bet that Kierstyn has been planning her outfits for over a week....ever since she brought the sheet home. I'm pretty sure that her every free moment was spent thinking about this.

She was up at 5:30 this morning to get ready. Her favorite color is navy. :)

a whole lot of randomness

2011-09-23T11:04:00.003-04:00

It's been a cloudy, rainy couple of days. I normally wouldn't mind but yesterday was the only Cross Country meet that Kierstyn was going to be able to run in (because of her play practices) so I was pretty bummed when it was canceled.

My latest food obsession: Trader Joe's Sea Salt & Turbinado Sugar Dark Chocolate Almonds. Trust me, your life is not complete until you try these. Good thing there isn't a Trader Joe's around here....

Kelly and the kids are having a pushup contest. They are doing 100 pushups every day and timing themselves to see how fast they can finish. Something about the competition aspect makes it a little more fun for them. I'm content to just watch (and eat my almonds :)).

Check out this awesome picture Kelly sent me last nightCity lights of San Francisco

Kyler went to Jekyll Island, GA, for a school trip. He was gone 3 1/2 days. I picked him up Wednesday night. I need to make him write down what he learned/what he remembers from the trip. He did tell me a little bit about it on the way home that night. He had a good time.

At the risk of jinxing myself and causing a devastating computer crash and loss of files, I have been working on my blog book for 2011. I'm finished through mid-August. It helps that I haven't blogged quite as much this year. I hate that I haven't blogged quite as much this year.

Kelly acquiesced to my plea for family pictures. So I will now be obsessed with finding photo-worthy coordinating (but not too matchy-matchy) outfits for the 5 of us. It will likely consume my waking moments until I feel like I've got it all together--which will no doubt be the day before pictures.

I love my Dictionary app on my iPhone. I use it at least 3 times a week.

Biggest Loser started this week--yay! I really liked it except for Anna, the trainer. She totally got on my nerves. And I'm glad Debbie was the one voted off.

Heard this last night and I think it was something I needed to hear: "Every day is important to you because the way you choose to spend your time will determine the person you become."--Kristen M. Oaks

Happy Friday!!! Hooray for the weekend!

Trevin's 1st Cross Country race

2011-09-16T16:32:00.002-04:00

Trevin is excited to be in 3rd grade....and finally old enough to run on the cross country team! He ran in his first meet yesterday.

There are a lot of kids that run
But Trevin had what it takes to stay near the front of the pack
Afterwards he asked, "Are you sure that was a mile? It only felt like half a mile."He got his 10th place ribbon after school today. :)
Way to go, Trev!

Idaho

2011-09-12T21:03:00.010-04:00

For those of you who don't already know or haven't figured it out, the Merediths are thinking it's time for a change. There are a lot of reasons that factor into our decision but they're mostly personal so I won't get into it here but we have decided that we would like a change of pace/lifestyle/scenery so we are contemplating a move out West. Our house is for sale and we believe that if this is what Heavenly Father wants for us, the way will be made possible. (And if it's not what He wants for us, then we are happy to stay right where we are.) So in preparation and anticipation of these changes we took a trip out to Idaho to visit with friends in the town we would like to move to.

We flew into Salt Lake and picked up our rental car:
Then spent a few hours at Temple Square...

We spent 5 1/2 days with our dear friends, the Hitt family, in the thriving metropolis (haha) of Malta, Idaho. The kids went to school one day, we went to a volleyball game, a high school football game, rode 4-wheelers and dirt bikes, played backyard football, relaxed in the hot tub, looked for houses, went to church, and lots of other fun things.

We visited the City of Rocks

and drove by a Relief Society building that was built in 1901(!)

A highlight for Kierstyn was our Girls Night Out to Chili's and The Band Perry concert!!!

All that fun wore these boys out!

.....stay tuned for future updates on our potential move. :)

the birthday festivities

2011-09-10T09:36:00.003-04:00

Kierstyn requested this for her birthday dinnerand carrot cake for dessert :)

Last night she took 2 friends to the mall with her and ("fiiiiiiiinally") got to get her ears pierced!
Getting ready....First one sideThen the other
Still smiling....I guess it didn't hurt that bad after all.

{eleven}

2011-09-08T10:37:00.007-04:00

Kierstyn...
is very talented
is determined
is independent
is active
is talkative
is out-going
is a leader
is very thoughtful
loves to give and make things for others
loves to sing
is smart and gifted in many ways
Love, Dad

Kierstyn...
has the cutest freckles ever, especially the ones on her nose
loves to be the center of attention
still loves to read--her favorite authors right now are Deborah Wiles & Sharon Creech
is very smart
is giving--she is always making something to give to someone, esp. her cousins
is a natural-born momma--she is sooooo good with little ones
loves to listen to music (while reading, while sleeping, pretty much all the time)
dreams of the "fame" she will have one day
loves to sing
is excited to have a lead part in the school musical
is easily distracted
likes boys
is brave and never scared to share the gospel
is fiercely independent
is my mini-me and my polar opposite
is a very good piano player
prefers friends who are older than her
shaves her legs(!)
would eat pizza every single day if she could
is amazing--just the way she is!
Love, Mom

Kierstyn...
She likes to listen to music
She loves horses
She likes to play football
She's athletic
She loves singing
She like acting
She likes playing school and house
Love, Kyler

Kierstyn...
is awesome
is nice
is the best
loves us
loves school
loves her teacher
loves her mom and dad
has a lot of freckles
is the mouth of the South
loves stuffed animals
loves her cousins
is thankful for the things she has
Love, Trevin

Happy Birthday to our one and only Sis!
We Love You!!!

My Young Women :)

2011-08-25T09:40:00.003-04:00

I feel very blessed to associate with some pretty amazing Young Women! I get to teach them on Sundays, hang out with them on Wednesday nights and do lots of other fun things with them. The past two weeks we've been learning how to sew pillowcase dresses to send to Little Dresses for Africa. The girls did a great job!

backyard football

2011-08-25T08:16:00.002-04:00

We've enjoyed having Kelly home with us these past few weeks.

He's even had time for an after-school football skills clinic :)

{thirty-six} & {fifteen}

2011-08-24T09:50:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's true. I had a birthday last week. I realized that now I'm edging up on forty. Age has never mattered to me and I'm happy that it still doesn't. Still, to think of myself as forty is kind of surreal.

I celebrated several times...dinner out with friends earlier in the week, an attempt to see a movie at the theater (The Help--it was sold out), ice cream with the girls, bbq dinner and banana pudding with my family, and a movie with my sweetheart.

And here is my new ring....which was my birthday present & 15-year anniversary (in May) present from Kelly. It is my original setting, only in platinum, and a new diamond band. I'm not a huge jewelry person but I LOVE it!

Rafting on the Hiwassee

2011-08-23T22:38:00.004-04:00

It's tough work going back to school....so we celebrated making it through the first week with a rafting trip on the Hiwassee. :)

Back to School

2011-08-23T08:16:00.005-04:00

First Day of School~August 10, 2011
Trevin, the 3rd grader

Kierstyn, the 5th grader

and Kyler, the 8th(!) grader

And just for fun, here's a look back at some previous first days of school....
2010
2009
2008 and 2008
2007 and 2007

For the record...

2011-08-22T20:54:00.003-04:00

We did accomplish almost everything on our bucket list this summer....

Our {Final} Summer 2011 Bucket List
~~Go to Gatlinburg~~
~~Swim~~
Finish Harry Potter books {Mom} (*I'm reading Book 5)
~~Learn how to make a dress {Kierstyn}~~
~~Invite friends over~~
~~Go out on boat/Go wakeboarding~~
~~Have a party or sleepover~~
~~Go to M'boro~~
~~Creative Girls activities {Kierstyn}~~
~~Paint my bedroom {Mom}~~
Go to Soddy water area (*We went whitewater rafting instead)
~~Go out for donuts~~
~~Go see Smurfs movie~~
~~Diving Camp {Kierstyn}~~
~~Scout Camp {Kyler}~~
~~Wrestling Camp {Trevin}~~
~~lots of cousin switcheroos~~
~~Babysit {Kierstyn}~~
~~Go to Florida~~
Earn my Wolf badge {Trevin} (*He didn't finish yet but he's marked off A LOT of requirements)
Go on a family camping trip (*We're moving this to the "Fall Bucket List" as we decided that it's WAY TOO HOT to go camping in the summertime!)

Trip to California

2011-08-22T10:24:00.009-04:00

Kelly had a huge business trip touring several sites out West this summer and was gone for 3 weeks (too long!). Lucky for me, I was able to meet him in California in the middle of his trip for a long weekend. It was a nice end-of-summer trip, just what I needed before getting into back-to-school mode.

We spent one night in Livermore, CA. Kelly visited a site in Stockton and afterwards we walked around the small downtown area and ate a yummy lunch at a restaurant that handed out Tootsie pops with the check.

We drove down to Big Sur and enjoyed a hike in the mountains....
A beautiful scenic drive down Hwy 1....

a walk along the beach....

We spent a night in {expensive} Carmel-by-the-Sea. We were lucky to find a room, even if it was just 2 twin beds.
We shopped at the many shops in Carmel, walked on the beach, saw Pebble Beach golf course (along with several others), and went on the 17-mile drive on the way to Monterey where we saw seals and sailboats as we dined oceanside...
We took a walk through Muir Woods. Amazing, awe-inspiring trees...
And a day in San Francisco! We walked around Fisherman's Wharf, enjoyed street performers, ate at Pier 39, stopped in at Ghiradelli's, and drove the crazy up and down streets.
Alcatraz...
Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge...
On our last night we drove up to the Oakland temple...
Another wonderful trip! Can't wait for the next one...

More summer fun

2011-08-21T21:40:00.003-04:00

Our summer was filled with lots of fun....

Spending time with cousins in Murfreesboro:
Lunch with (some of) the Greenfields when they came to town:

Swimming with friends:

Seeing The Smurfs in 3D:

Lawnmower kids (they're getting really good!):

Kyler with his new necklace (and haircut):

Kyler with his new shades:

City Swim Meet

2011-08-15T08:28:00.003-04:00

July 22, 2011
Kierstyn was the only one of the kids who wanted to swim in the City Swim Meet (the boys had fizzled by end of summer). It was a fun...and HOT morning.
Kierstyn with her best (new) swimming bud, Lauren. These girls had a lot of fun together at early morning swim practices all summer.Kierstyn swam the 100 yard free, the 50 yard breast, & the 100 yard IM, & was on the 200 Yard Medley Relay. She did great for a first-year swimmer! She even placed first in her 100 yard free heat.

Grrrrrrr....

2011-08-04T16:45:00.003-04:00

Can't get the Internet to work on my computer at home. Apparently I'm not smart enough to figure out which cord goes where. :( I really want to post pictures of Kierstyn at the City-wide Swim meet and pictures of my trip to Cali with Kelly...
Looks like I'm going to have to wait for my computer-savvy husband to help me out.

UPDATE: Our Summer 2011 Bucket List

2011-07-22T14:01:00.002-04:00

Summer is quickly coming to an end :( so I guess it's time to re-evaluate our bucket list and see what we can squeeze into the next 2 1/2 weeks. I'd say we've done pretty good so far!

Our {Updated} Summer 2011 Bucket List
~~Go to Gatlinburg~~
~~Swim~~
Finish Harry Potter books {Mom} (*I'm ready for Book 5)
Learn how to make a dress {Kierstyn}
~~Invite friends over~~
~~Go out on boat/Go wakeboarding~~
~~Have a party or sleepover~~
~~Go to M'boro~~
~~Creative Girls activities {Kierstyn}~~
~~Paint my bedroom {Mom}~~
Go to Soddy water area
Go out for donuts
Go see Smurfs movie
~~Diving Camp {Kierstyn}~~
~~Scout Camp {Kyler}~~
~~Wrestling Camp {Trevin}~~
Do lots of cousin switcheroos
Babysit {Kierstyn}
~~Go to Florida~~
Earn my Wolf badge {Trevin}
Go on a family camping trip

Here Comes the Sun!

2011-07-16T16:52:00.004-04:00

We had originally planned to take a trip to St. Louis this summer to visit our dear family friends, the Palmers, but because of some things that came up at work that didn't pan out for us. :( However, we did get to take an unexpected trip to Florida instead. :)

As I mentioned previously, Kyler did NOT want to leave Idaho......so we let him stay an extra week and then he eventually met us in Orlando (his first solo flight--eeek!). He had such a fun time with our friends, the Hitts--helping the boys move hand lines, camping, etc. He wants to move to Idaho and be a cowboy now! :)

Our trip to Florida began with a detour to Jekyll Island, GA, (after Kelly made a visit to a customer just outside of Savannah). It was an interesting place and we enjoyed finding shells and sand dollars and hermit crabs galore! If the weather had been nicer I think we would have really enjoyed a bike ride around the island.

After one night at Jekyll Island we drove down to Daytona Beach where Kierstyn and Trevin absolutely LOVED jumping the ocean waves and playing in the sand. We also rode the ferris wheel and took walks along the boardwalk.After a couple days in Daytona it was time to head to Orlando where we were finally reunited with Kyler! :) Picking him up at the airport at midnight:We went to church in Clermont (where we used to live) on Sunday. We moved away 7 years ago and it was fun to see some familiar faces at church. We had a great time visiting with our friends, the Lowes, that evening.

The next couple of days we enjoyed our wonderful hotel: swimming, mini golf, kids activities, etc. while Kelly went to work. We also managed a trip to the outlet malls, dinner at Kobe Steak House, and the Lego store. We introduced our kids to the game of Life (Trevin was a Dr. both times we played!) and just enjoyed being together.

Kyler got a lot of sleeping in....Idaho must have really worn him out!Kierstyn and Trevin loved the Hideaway Cove with Ms. Suzy and Kierstyn's new friend from England. They colored pictures, huluhooped, and made these fantastic hats And all too soon it was time to come home...

Catching Up...

2011-07-16T16:43:00.004-04:00

Man, do I have some catching up to do.....It's been a busy few weeks. Girls Camp was great! We (as Stake leaders) learned a lot from our experiences last year which made things run a lot more smoothly this year. Thankfully the weather was not as hot as last year. I feel blessed to work with such amazing women and I learn so much from my association with them. And of course it was even more special to spend a week with "my" awesome Young Women. :)

After Girls Camp, I went up to M'boro and spent the 4th with family. Fun times! Swimming with cousins, cookout at MM/GD, playing croquet, and fireworks.

The next day, I met up up with my college roommate in Franklin, TN, for 2 days of shopping, eating, talking, and cruising around in this....
My photos are pretty lame but I did get a least one picture of the 2 of us. We don't get to see each other often enough which makes every moment spent together that much more fun!

He doesn't want to come home...

2011-07-02T18:51:00.002-04:00

Kyler has gone back to his roots and he doesn't want to come home! He and Kelly have been in Idaho this week (where Kyler was born)--camping, 4-wheeling, and shooting guns. He's in heaven!

June iPhone Pics

2011-06-26T21:34:00.003-04:00

Swim meet

Fun in the sand at Riverbend
Trev's new do

Sleeping on the way home from wrestling camp
Happy Father's Day! Kyler, Kierstyn and I put together a cabinet in the garage for Kelly.
Washing Daddy's truck
Flowers from my yard

Playing trains at Mama Mary's house

Kierstyn and her cousin Calli had their nails done

Fried ice cream lollipop tree at a restaurant in Boise

{thirty-seven}

2011-06-21T19:21:00.008-04:00

Kelly....
is a hard worker
is generous
loves to shop
always over-packs
really loves to work out (really)
is FUN
loves to play and watch all kinds of sports
is competitive
was my high school sweetheart
gives good back massages
takes good care of his vehicle
loves sesame kale from Greenlife
is a great coach
can fix anything
likes to be busy
loves me more than I deserve :)
Love, Jen

Dad.....
pushes us to get better
likes to watch sports
takes us fun places
exercises and eats healthy
travels a lot
plays basketball with me
is a good fisherman
Love, Kyler

Dad....
is always thinking about making other people happy. He has always been kind-hearted and likes to go places with me and my brothers. He is very athletic (I get it from him). He pushes us when we are doing something hard and he helps us achieve our goals whether they be spiritual or physical. A couple weeks ago he took me to his work and I got to drive a forklift. Even though I had a hard time he helped me. It was a very fun experience. He is the best dad in the world. I love him so much.
Kind-hearted
Excellent
Loves to be with his family
Long trips (we miss him when he's gone!)
Young
Love, Kierstyn

Dad....
is so cool
likes to work on projects with me and other people
likes to be with his family and friends
has to travel a lot for work
took me to a wrestling camp with him on Father's Day
loves us
I LOVE HIM!!!
Love, Trevin

Ken Chertow Wrestling Camp

2011-06-18T20:36:00.004-04:00

Trevin is in Ohio at a wrestling camp for a few days with his cousins, Landon and Logan.

on the mat...

with Olympic wrestler Nate Carr...
with Ken Chertow...
and with a black eye!

Swim Meet vs. Stuart Heights

2011-06-17T11:38:00.005-04:00

Trevin swam on the free relay and as an alternate for the free....

And the backstroke exhibition...

Kierstyn swam freestyle and backstroke exhibition...

Summer Update

2011-06-13T13:45:00.004-04:00

Kyler~arrived home at midnight on Friday after a week at Scout Camp. He walked in the front door, up the stairs and straight into the shower. Then of course he crashed in his own bed (which must have felt like heaven)...and didn't wake up until almost 3:00 the next day! He worked on several Merit badges at camp: Environmental Science, Cooking, Emergency Preparedness, Camping, and Wilderness Survival. Last week he was invited to the VW Family Celebration with friends and loved it! He was front row at the Switchblade concert which he thought was way cool. Oh, and he shaved for the first time a couple weeks ago.

Kierstyn~has been enjoying Swim team practices and swam in her first meet last Thursday. She is making new friends and looooooves those cute coaches. :) She was a natural today at her first Diving Class and I think she's going to like that as well. She has had several playdates which always make her happy, one of which included wakeboarding on the river. She has been crafting nonstop--already making Christmas presents for her 20+ cousins. She was excited to finally get to shave her legs for the first time ever today. (*sniff* Where have my babies gone? *sniff*)

Trevin~also loves Swim team practices. He doesn't like getting up early though. :) I think his favorite part is the cute swim suit he gets to wear. I finally had to break down and buy a 2nd one for him because he was refusing to take his off (wear to swim practice, wear all day long, sleep in it, wear to swim practice again,...) He started the Diving Class today too and even though the coach was "25% mean" (Trevin's words) I think he liked it. Trevin has had a few playdates of his own. He also had his first piano lesson last week and has been practicing without being asked--so refreshing!

Jen~was happy to take a quick overnight trip to AL last week. It's always good to spend time with a dear friend. :) Kim took these beautiful pictures while we were there. Trying to keep up with the kids has been tiring but fun. I love summertime! Busy with Young Women--we had our campfire cookout last week and then Youth Conference over the weekend. Project for this week is painting a new bookcase that Kelly built for the boys' room.

Kelly~has been in Texas for over a week and we are glad he is home for a few days! We miss him when he's not here.

Trip to Gatlinburg/Sevierville

2011-06-03T13:39:00.009-04:00

We started summer off right--with a looooong weekend trip to the Smokies. We laughed about all the "Rednecks" we saw but I realize now that we did several "Redneck-ish" activities ourselves so what does that say about us?! :)

After our last trip to Gatlinburg, Kelly insisted that we revisit Ober Gatlinburg and ride the alpine slide again. Instead of driving up we took the Tram to the top this time. Everyone (except mom) rode the alpine slide, we did the new maze, and the kids ice skated for a couple of hours.

While in Gatlinburg we also went to the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, played miniature golf--AND SAW A REAL BEAR!, enjoyed the hotel breakfast and swimming pool, ate ice cream cones, and walked through the streets.

After a couple days in Gatlinburg we headed over to Sevierville to meet my dad and my brother and his family. We stayed at Wilderness at the Smokies, an indoor water park/hotel/resort. It was AWESOME and the kids loved it (especially Kierstyn; she did NOT want to get out of the water each day!). Along with the water park we enjoyed delicious meals at The Old Mill and The Apple Barn (my favorite!), some crazy outlet mall shopping, and a night at the Track (go carts, bumper boats, and arcade).

After Kyler's last experience with a go-cart we didn't think we'd ever let him drive one again but he proved that 4 years can make a lot of difference. :) Go, Speed Racer, Go!

Kierstyn, Jason, and Calli had fun soaking each other on the bumper boats!We can't wait to go back!

Our Summer Bucket List

2011-06-03T11:46:00.008-04:00

At the beginning of last summer the kids and I sat down and made a list of things we wanted to do during the summer. We had a lot of fun checking off most of the things on our list. So much fun that we decided to do it again this year! (And we've already crossed a few things off our list!)

Our Summer 2011 Bucket List:
~~Go to Gatlinburg~~
~~Swim~~
Finish Harry Potter books {Mom}
Learn how to make a dress {Kierstyn}
~~Invite friends over~~
Go out on boat/Go wakeboarding
Have a party or sleepover
Go to M'boro
Creative Girls activities {Kierstyn}
Paint my bedroom {Mom}
Go to Soddy water area
Go out for donuts
Go see Smurfs movie
Diving Camp {Kierstyn}
Pep Band Camp {Kierstyn}
Scout Camp {Kyler}
Wrestling Camp {Trevin}
Do lots of cousin switcheroos
Babysit {Kierstyn}
Go to St. Louis/Nauvoo
Go to Florida
Earn my Wolf badge {Trevin}
Go on a family camping trip

totally random and non-related

2011-06-03T11:19:00.000-04:00

Because these pictures don't fit anywhere else....

For our last Exhibit Night, Kierstyn dressed as John Muir, a famous environmentalist. It was kind of last minute and we didn't have time to fashion a beard but at least she had this cool mustache on hand. No one even knew it was her! :)

Last month was the Annual Activity Day Girls Mother/Daughter Dinner. These girls have the most AWESOME Activity Day leader EVER! We had Hawaiian Haystacks and the girls came up and talked about all the fun things they have done over the past year. The girls helped with the kitchen prep:

The first day of summer vacation Kyler was up early and set out on his bike. He came back soon after and wanted me to come see what he had found--a turtle!

Reflections on the school year...

2011-05-31T09:52:00.000-04:00

Kyler:
My teachers this year were Mr. Fahey (Geography), Mr. Jorgensen (Math), Mr. Budds (Science), and Mrs. Picone (Language Arts). We studied North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia in Geography. I did a project on Romania and learned that 20, 815 lei is equal to 1 U.S. dollar. I wrote an I-Search paper about Tiki Barber in Language Arts. I also took German, P.E., DARPA, and Study Hall. I played soccer and ran cross country for my school. My friends this year were Noah, Konnor, Eryck, Dameyne, Audrey, Haley, and Cristy.

Kierstyn:
My teachers this year were Ms. Lail and Ms. Kaminski (for math). My modules were Going West, Going Green, Mythbusters, and National Treasure. For Advanced Studies I had to teach my class a lesson about the Oregon Trail. My friends were Alex, Rian, Meghana, Taylor, Thomas, Mason, Caleb, and Oliver. I did Cross Country and participated in the County-wide track meet. I was the anchor reporter for our 4th grade play ("Going West") and I was in the Spring Musical ("Once on this Island"). I played the flute in band. I got all A's.

Trevin:
My teachers this year were Mrs. Romans and Mrs. Bryant ( for math). I studied Japan, Native Americans, Oceans, and Dinosaurs. Some of my friends were Sam, Gracie, Maxwell, Zander, Will, Darwin, Melina, Melanie, Mrs. Romans, and much, much more! My favorite learning expedition was the Fossil Dig. It was so much fun! I read the entire A to Z Mysteries series and lots and lots of Geronimo Stilton books. I was in the Normal Park Singers this year. My Related Arts were Music, P.E., Spanish, Science, Art, and Library. Science was my favorite.
I LOVE SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pinewood Derby

2011-05-19T08:43:00.003-04:00

Yep, it's Pinewood Derby time again. Trevin decided to build a Lego racer this year. It was actually built around the block of wood. Kelly and Trev had a good time working on it together.My newest favorite picture (how cute are they?!) :

The Derby race was last night!Trevin used his Lego car for the "Outlaw Race" but chose to use one of Kyler's old cars (the black one pictured below) for the actual race. Kyler's car placed 2nd.
Fun times!

Vollyball & Soccer

2011-05-19T08:14:00.005-04:00

This Spring we spent our Saturdays at the Y. Kierstyn played volleyball and Trevin played soccer. It was the first time either of them had played that sport and they both really enjoyed their seasons.

Kierstyn had a great coach that all the girls loved. She was the smallest on her team (playing with 10-14 year olds) but Kierstyn is a real hustler. Serving the ball over the net proved to be difficult for most of the girls, including Kierstyn, but we think with a little more practice she could be a real super star! She is very aggressive on the court and quick to call for the ball.

Trevin loved soccer! No one could believe that it was his first time playing on a soccer team. He is a natural. (Must have gotten his skills from his mama; well, more likely, from his Uncle Jason.) He is ALL OVER the field. His coach finally gave up trying to teach him to stay on his side of the field and just put him at center midfielder so that he could go wherever/everywhere. He was also awesome at throw-ins.

Once On This Island: Spring Musical

2011-05-19T07:49:00.005-04:00

This Spring Musical was a huge part of Kierstyn's life for the past 6 weeks. She was only able to make it to 1 day (out of 3) of tryouts but she still got a part in the chorus. She was disappointed at first that she didn't have a bigger role but it was such a great first theatre experience for her. She learned a lot! She had rehearsals every day after school until 5:30. Some days she really didn't want to go to rehearsal but she developed friendships with many new people. (She especially liked the fact that she got to hang out with 8th graders!) She was the only one who could hit the high note in one of the songs and so she got to hold out this solo note for 4 beats all by herself!
Mama Mary came to the evening performance and brought along a special guest. :)

4th grade County Track Meet

2011-05-18T16:45:00.004-04:00

Kierstyn came in 2nd place at the 400m race! (watch her fly by and pass 2 girls at the end)

...and if you're wondering what that thing is between her eyes.....she attempted a back handspring in her room one night and landed on her face--ouch!

15 Years(!) & Mothers Day

2011-05-18T16:33:00.003-04:00

15 years
Yes, it's true. I've been married 15 years. Time sure does fly when you're having fun! :) Kierstyn made me the sweetest present with some of our wedding pictures. She worked very hard on it and was SO excited to give it to me the morning of my anniversary.Kelly and I sort of celebrated early with our trip to Hawaii back in February but we did go out for dinner the Saturday after our anniversary (he was out of town on the actual day). Dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant and a quick walk downtown, and then I came home to a clean house and these:

Mothers Day
Mothers Day was lovely too. I was properly pampered even though Kelly wasn't feeling well. Kierstyn put on one of her famous "shows" which was hysterically funny. Trust me. It was a Best Mom Contest and guess who won?! :)

My sweet children also scattered these love notes all over the house for me to find.

Atlanta Temple Cultural Celebration: Southern Lights

2011-05-18T16:09:00.001-04:00

Kyler, along with 2000+ youth in the Atlanta Temple district, practiced for 2 months for the Cultural Celebration that was held the night before the Atlanta temple was rededicated. It was called Southern Lights and it was a program of song and dance about the growth of the church in this area along with a general history of the South. The boys in our stake learned a Revolutionary War dance. Kelly went with the boys down to Atlanta for the celebration while Kierstyn, Trevin, and I watched it at home. It was a wonderful experience.

One of the girls in our ward put together this video:

The Day of the Tornadoes

2011-05-18T08:54:00.003-04:00

April 27, 2011 is a day that most of us in the South will not soon forget. Over 200 tornadoes were reported in numerous Southern states and over 400 people died as a result of the storms. Here in the Tennessee valley we weathered line after line of tornadoes all throughout the day.

The first storms came through around 8:30 when the kids were at school. Several HUGE trees were uprooted in that area of town (the kids go to school about 6-7 miles from where we live) and the power was out. By about 10:00 word was spreading that we needed to go pick up our kids. The school wasn't able to call out to parents because of power outage/phone lines were down. I picked up the kids and was dumb-founded by the damage I saw. I had a hard time getting to Trevin's school because every street I turned down had a huge tree laying in the middle of it!

Our Lower School (PreK-3rd grade) campus lost an enormous tree on the front lawn and it crushed a beloved metal dinosaur sculpture when it came crashing down. Thankfully though all the kids were safe.

As the day wore on we periodically took cover in the closet but we were never really too scared. By the next morning it was evident that we had been very, very lucky. So many in our area had been hit hard by tornadoes and thousands were without power for a week or more. The kids were out of school for the rest of the week. We feel so blessed that we didn't have any damage and that we were some of the lucky ones that didn't even lose power.

Fossil Dig 3.26.2011

2011-05-18T08:44:00.003-04:00

Back in April I went with Trevin's class on a fossil dig. They are studying Dinosaurs this quarter and are learning about that time period in the earth's history. Interestingly enough, the location of the fossil dig was right behind Waffle House. :) You wouldn't believe all the fossils these kids found!

Look at all these crinoids that Trevin dug up:

blog love

2011-05-09T11:47:00.002-04:00

Oh my. Please excuse the lack of blog love as of late. I was having computer issues which appear to be (temporarily) solved. Now I'm up to my neck in a huuuuge sewing project. And just yesterday I received a hugely responsible calling at church.

But I need to blog about.....
The tornado outbreak in our area, Atlanta temple cultural celebration, Mother's Day, Spring Musical this Friday, and I can't remember what else.

See you on the other side of this craziness!!!! :)

Atlanta Temple Open House 4.22.11

2011-04-25T08:37:00.002-04:00

I love to see the temple.
I'm going there someday
To feel the Holy Spirit,
To listen and to pray.
For the temple is a house of God,
A place of love and beauty.
I'll prepare myself while I am young;
This is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple.
I'll go inside someday.
I'll covenant with my Father;
I'll promise to obey.
For the temple is a holy place
Where we are sealed together.
As a child of God, I've learned this truth:
A family is forever.

I love to see the temple, I'm going there...

2011-04-21T13:38:00.003-04:00

tomorrow! :) Kelly and I were married in the Atlanta temple on May 4, 1996.

The temple in Atlanta has been closed for renovations for almost 2 years and it is finally ready to reopen! Before the temple is rededicated, however, it is open for public tours. I am excited to take the kids through the temple so they can feel the sweet, sacred peace that resides there. We're headed there tomorrow.

Click here for answers to frequently asked questions about the temple.