Happy Birthday JJ!

Today is JJ's birthday--he is celebrating by taking an important anatomy test at school. After school I think we are going to have some fun as a family and go out for some good Memphis BBQ. I thought it would be fun today to have everyone who reads our blog to wish JJ a happy birthday by leaving him a fun comment, if you want you can include a memory that you have of him as well. He loves to read the comments on the blog and I know he will be excited to read what everyone leaves him today on his birthday. Happy Birthday JJ, hope you have a great day and do awesome on your test!!

SCO Potluck

Today all the LDS SCO couples got together at Shelby Farms for a potluck. It was fun to see and meet some new people that live in the Memphis area that also go to school with JJ. There are so many young couples down here with little families. Lucy had a blast playing with all the other kids. This is where the kids all ended up
This is where the adults are
Lucy really enjoyed climbing up this little ramp
Lucy and some of her friends
Mary,Lucy,Rhylan,Louisa and Kinsley

Firetrucks

This morning JJ took Lucy to Lowe's and helped her build a firetruck. Every other Saturday they have these free activities for children. When we were there a couple of weeks ago we saw they were making firetrucks today and since Lucy loves firetrucks we thought this would be a fun one to go to. JJ said she had a blast, she got her own tools and apron to wear.

JJ said she was really good at putting the nails in place

JJ and Lucy with the finished firetruck
Lucy loves her firetruck and was very excited to show it to me. We will have to go again in October, they are making pumpkins and skeletons.

Waiting For Dad

Lucy and I like to go outside and wait for JJ to come home from school. It is like Lucy knows when the time is getting close because around 4:30 everyday she starts asking when we can go outside and wait for Dad to come home from "Eye School."
We usually have to bring out Baby Sarah, Lucy takes her for a nice walk

And then we play on the slide, I finally found a slide for Lucy. She loves it and loves to let Sarah go down the slide too.

Ready to Ride

Freezer Dinners

I have had a very productive day today. I got up early and went to Zumba class and did some Salsa dancing and then I went over to a friends house and made freezer dinners. JJ goes to school with Riley and they live really close to us in MS. So while the boys played wii ,Lucy played and Rhylan took a nap we cooked. We made bulk spaghetti sauce, Lasagna and Manicotti. Here is a picture of the manicotti
Here I am with a pan of manicotti. It is chicken manicotti with Italian sausage--it smelled SO good.
And here is Savannah
Here we are with our dinners. I made 2 9x9's and 1 9x13 of Lasagna and 4 9x9's of manicotti.
I am so excited to have all these yummy dinners just ready to heat up in my freezer. JJ's parents gave us a freezer kinda like Savannah's in the picture so I am excited to finish stocking it full of yummy things to eat
If any of you are interested in the recipes we used I would be happy to share. We used Jenny Stangers recipes from her yummy cookbook "Fantastic Freezer Dinners"
Here is the link to her web page
http://www.freezerdinner.com/

White Coat Ceremony

Yesterday JJ had his White Coat Ceremony to welcome him into optometry school. They receive their White Coats there and are now able to wear them to school. It was a nice ceremony where students were recognized for many awards and many teachers were also awarded. JJ's class walked into to ceremony--here is JJ walking in

I am sure the other parts of the ceremony were also nice, Lucy and I were only able to sit still for the first hour or so and then we missed the rest but were able to spend it running around. She was able to sit and play with her friend Rhylan for a while.
Here is the class of 2012 being recognized . They each got to walk across the stage.
Here is the SCO graduating class of 2012


After the ceremony we went back to the school and had a nice BBQ dinner. This ceremony is part of the homecoming celebrations. They had some fun activities and lots of good food. I was able to tour JJ's school for the first time. He showed me where his classes, labs, locker and where he eats lunch. This is him by his locker. The school seems very nice and JJ is really enjoying learning new things everyday.

What Did You Say Was In The House?

Last night while I was getting Lucy ready for bed JJ came in and said you are never going to believe what is in our house! I don't think I really wanted to know. I thought maybe he found some more termites in our house, yes we have termites in our house. Maybe I posted something about that and maybe not. Anyways, pest control came and hopefully those are taken care of. Anyways JJ says, there is a snake in our house. Fantastic!! JJ took a couple of pictures so I can show the office this morning. He just guided it out with a broom and it gladly went out. I think it was pretty freaked out about being in here. We had the windows open yesterday and the screens in the bedroom aren't that great so we are thinking that that has to be the only way it got in. At least I hope so because maintenance is coming over today to replace them. I was pretty nervous going to sleep last night, I didn't want any snakes in bed with me!!

I tried to find out what kind of snake it is but didn't really find any that looked just like it. It actually wasn't that big and it isn't poisonous so at least maybe that will make me feel better about having a snake in the house. Good think JJ was home to get it out. We are thinking moving north in 4 years sounds nice!!!

Lucy and Baby Morgan

Recently I have started babysitting for some friends. I watch baby Morgan who is almost 4 months old just a couple hours each week. Lucy gets to excited when Morgan comes over. Yesterday I told Lucy that the baby was coming over and she was so excited. Lucy loves to play with Morgan when she is here .

I think Lucy wishes she was a baby sometimes!

Lucy was so sad when Morgan's Dad came and took her home. She seriously cried and wanted the baby to come back. It is cute that she loves the baby so much.

Just Having Fun

We have been getting some great weather here this week. It is so great to go out and enjoy it. We had lunch outside the other day. Lucy was very upset with all the flies on her food. She kept saying uh-oh and tried her best to shoo them away.

Lucy loves to go over to the neighbors house and play with their toys on their patio. She will take Sarah over there and keep her self occupied for a while.

She loves it when the big kids come home on the school bus. We go out and play with them while we wait for JJ to come home from school. Her new friend is Cameron, he is in 2nd grade. He loves to play with lucy. Last night he came over and asked if Lucy could come out and play. Hoe cute. It is fun to have so many fun friends to play with.

Does Your Child Have A Cell Phone?

I was reading a Parent magazine today and read that one of Lucys toy phones was recently recalled. I just thought I would share because I remember back when Lucy got this toy there were lots of other friends that had the same one. I got mine in a set that came with some keys and my phone still was recalled. If you think you might have the same phone you can just call

1-888-620-0930.

Here is what is said in the magazine about the recall.
Little Tikes Toy Cell Phones
Kids Station Toys International Ltd. recalled about 1 million Little Tikes Chit 'N Chat Toy Cell Phones (sold at department stores, juvenile product stores, and drugstores nationwide from June 2006 through March 2008) after discovering that the hinge cover on the toy cell phone could detach from the phone, posing a choking hazard to young children. Products with a visible screw on the hinge were not included in the recall.

Christy's Visit

Last Saturday my sister Christy drove me and Lucy home. Before we left my Dad picked us some apples and pears off their trees in the backyard. We are still enjoying them! Lucy loves being Grandpa and Grandmas helper and she sure had fun picking some fruit.

Lucy picking a pear.
The 3 of us before taking off
Christy, Dad, Lucy, Me, Courtney and Jordan
We made good time and when we got there we decided to go out for some good BBQ. Christy rode in the back with Lucy on the way there. Lucy loved borrowing Christy's sunglasses in the car.
We went and ate at Central BBQ and we loved it. It was so yummy and we will be back there soon. This was our first time going out to BBQ and there are tons of great places we still have to try. So everyone should come visit so we can go out to a new place every time with our guests!

Sunday we took Christy up to Mud Island and went to the Mississippi River park. It was alot of fun and it was such a beautiful day to walk around and get out feet wet.

Our family sitting on the city of Memphis

In front of the real Mississippi River.
With the Memphis city behind us.
Monday we wanted to just relax and hang out. We went to a friends swimming pool and went swimming with a bunch of our friends. It was a great day to swim. We are lucky our pools here are still open. Good thing cause it is still hot.
Lucy thought her friends floaty toy was alot of fun.

It was so fun to have our first guest come down and see us here in our new town. It was fun to show her the things we like to do and have discovered here so far. We are so glad she was able to come down for a long weekend and hang out with us. Thanks for coming Christy!!