Thanksgiving Week

I feel like Jake and I have been gone for a month. Although it was only a week...we crammed a lot in it.

For some reason I didn't take a lot of pictures. So I'll show ya what I can.

It started last weekend in Knoxville. We visited my sis and went to the last UT home game.

Jake loved the band. (He's such a smart boy)

It was kinda cold so he went to go play with his cousins while I went to the game.

Skipping ahead a couple of days....Jake and I spent the entire Thanksgiving week at my parents house. We saw family, visited the teachers at mom's school and I tried not to over eat. (tried being the important word)

This past Friday we went back to Knoxville and got in the Christmas spirit. We started the weekend off at Knoxville's Fantasy of Trees. It's a huge room just full of decorated trees, music, and kiddy crafts. Oh... they also have some inside rides. Jake took a spin on the carousel. He was so focused that I couldn't even get him to smile.

Finally at the end of the night, with help from poppy, he flashed that famous grin.

Then on Saturday we headed to Pigeon Forge to make good on that Dollywood season pass I got back in the summer. This fall was way busier then I thought so I didn't get to use my pass much.

Once again.. not many pictures. Just know it was cold. That's why Jake traveled like this after the sun went down. We lost his cute hat so he had to wear this girly hat.
The lights were fun. If you've never been at Christmas give it a try. We would get so tickled at Dave trying to make it through the dollywood shows. Dave always has a "fun" comment at the most inappropriate time. I will just leave it at that.
So now it's Monday and I'm tired. Still not unpacked and ignoring my bags. Today is about baggy clothes and regrouping. We do have a heart doctor's appointment in a couple of hours.

Praying for a good report.

I

Caught Ya!

We Heart The Predators!!

Whether you are a hockey fan or not... it gets the upmost respect in this house. Hockey allows me to stay home with my Jake. For that reason I will always heart hockey.
Saturday Jake went to his first game of the season. Things have changed. Last year we would barely make it to the second period. This year I'm proud to say we made it through the second and into the third.

Dave got to "roll it up" with Jake for part of the night.

Then, Jake discovered the seats bounced. So that got us through another period.

Of course you never know who you will see at Predators game. One time Kenny Chesney was there. Vince Gill is almost alway there. But this evening I saw a different kind of celebrity. This guy... and yes my camera is zoomingly challenged. (we weren't even that far away stupid camera)

It's Jim Bob Duggar!! He has like 18 children and his own show on TLC. Yep maybe one day I'll get to ride the zamboni. A girl can dream can't she.

Monday.. Monday

You all know Rick Warren? He's the guy who wrote "Purpose Driven Life".

There's an interview he gave once that I received as an email a while ago. I loved it so much that I keep it with me almost all the time. I read it at least once a week for focus.

Here's just a portion of that interview.

Life is a series of problems:

Either you are in one now, you're coming out of one or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character then your comfort; God is more interested in making your life Holy then making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ-likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife Kay getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys- you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain. But one of the easiest way to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

So whadda you think? It is so true. When your problems are bugging you... do something for someone else. Send a card. Make a meal. Close the blinds...turn up the music and praise HIM. Dance. It's so good to know that when everything seems too much.. that God loves you. Has a perfect plan for you and already has it worked out. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Jake's New Thing

What's the deal with this?

Four remotes. No backs. There's another in his room right now with the same problem.

As usual we find good in this problem. Jake's fine motor skills have come a long way to get the backs off. WHOO-HOO!! Good job baby! Now show mamma where the backs are... please?

New Friends. New Places.

The title was pretty much our weekend.

Dave and I went to a Williams Syndrome Support Group Saturday afternoon.

We met some wonderful families who have been there...done that.

It was so great to meet others who know what we are going through.

Can't wait to get to know everyone better.

Since we were downtown we dined at the fine institution known as the San Antonio Taco Company...SATCO. Oh yes I did get me some chips and cheese!! Top that off with a little Starbucks for dessert and I was quite happy.

Sunday... we headed out for some much needed family time. We needed something fun and free!!

We headed to the Trace. The Natchez Trace that is, for some time in the great outdoors.

I love being outdoors. Look at these beautiful places.

Jake had a good time. He just wanted to play in the leaves.

In the dirt. In the water.

In the acorns.

We got back from out little hike (really it wasn't a hike at all) and discovered David had a stow-away.

I made him take his friend elsewhere while I gave Jake his snack.

Can you tell what he's been eating?

I found these crunchy freeze dried blueberries at Trader Joes. They are delicious and Jake eats them like a champ.

So to summed it up. Good times. Good food. Good memories.

The Sleepy Dragon

Guess who didn't take a nap on Halloween?

Guess who stayed awake all day and then didn't hardly smile at all while trick or treating?

Hmmmm? Was it....?

CLOSE.. but nope... it was the this guy.


Jake's sleep schedule has been way off since surgery. So no nap means..not much smiling.

But check out that costume. The back is the cutest.

We hit the neighborhood with some friends and then called in a night. Jake was in bed by 8:30.

Earlier in the day we hit Pumpkinfest.

My little explorer checked out everything on the square. Check out my cuties. I mean my handsome men.

But the funniest part of the day is when Jake met Chewy.

The look on Jake's face was hilarious. Not excited. Not scared. Not anxious. Just curious.

I mean he stared him down. I could of stood Mickey Mouse of his head and Jake still wouldn't of turned to look. The zoomed in version still makes me laugh.

Hope everyone had as much fun as we did.