Orange and Black

Go VOLS Go!!!!!
Little did we know that those VICTORIOUS VOLUNTEERS would sport some orange and black for their Halloween game!!! Riley waffled between being an Ole Miss cheerleader or a UT cheerleader, and decided with her mama's alma mater! YIPPIE! We're thinking the orange and black vibe we sent from Mississippi helped spur us on to victory!

Mike really wanted to be neighbors with this guy...he had the game showing in his front yard on what we estimate to be an 8 foot screen while he handed out candy! So good to see the "Volunteer Spirit" alive and well in the great state of MISSISSIPPI! We aren't the only VOL fans around these parts!!


Riley and her friend Riley (yep, Riley x 2) from one road over hit the streets (newly blacktopped I might add) to collect their bounty...


It was a T-riffic night...get it??? T-riffic? Vols, power T???

A Boo-tiful time with Friends!

We were lucky enough to enjoy a visit from sweet friends this weekend. We went to the soccer field, corn maze, pumpkin patch, singing chicken show, petting zoo and pig races (yes, Riley LOVED this).

I took WAY too many pictures (is that even possible)!? Dumped them into a slide show to the right. Click on it to enlarge them in a new window.

E I E I O ! ! !

Much to my delight, Riley's first field trip was today! It couldn't have been scripted any better. You see, my little pig lover's VERY FIRST field trip ever was to a FARM! Needless to say she has been estatic for weeks and has asked me numerous times if she had "turned in her money yet". I wish I could pull her aside and let her know that I actually collected field trip money for 6 years prior to being blessed with her, therefore it was second nature for me to promptly send in her money and permission slip (sealed and labeled envelope of course) only hours after receiving the permission slip and information. One day she'll become fully aware of just how deep my obsessive compulsive issues are! I put together a little slide show to the right and below is a little video of her at Sonic afterwards recapping her day (actually she's just rambling on and on, but she's happy)! Enjoy!

Frogs and an Empty Lot

Here in the great state of Mississippi (most humid, rainy place EVER for the past 12 days or so) we have a variety of frogs. Riley even has a toad house and regularly encourages visitors to enter (ok, sometimes it's by force, but she's only 5 years old). We usually "check on them" each night (you know, turn down service, mints on pillows, mini bar, tiny shaped soaps wrapped in thin paper). This week we encountered a new species ON the front door! Yep, those little suckers (pun intended) were STUCK on the front door. They just hung out there and filled their little froggy bellies with little bugs that were helplessly attracted to the lamp I had turned on in the foyer. Go away from the light..... YIKES! Bugs and Kendra DO NOT mix. Riley has happily (yes, deep down I'm glad) adopted her Daddy's love for all things crawly, and this love of critters great and small has magnified since our move to the wilderness...I mean great state of Mississippi. About that vacant lot...
While we were brushing Riley's teeth one evening this week, she proudly pointed out that her 6 year molar on one side had almost entirely broken through the gum. I was wowed (b/c she hasn't complained and b/c I usually know when she has so much as a cuticle out of place). Once we enjoyed "viewing the molar" for a bit, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror and asked "how long do you think I'll have my empty lot". I asked her if her Daddy called her "space" an empty lot, and she said, "no, it's just what that empty space makes me think of." We've patiently waited on that little tooth to come in since July, and have been assured it will in its own time, but we've never referred to the "space" as an empty lot. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was channeling Junie B. Jones.

SUPER KID

My sweet mama had a pair of pajamas sent to me for Mother's Day this year. Check this place out! Well, little queenie had been envious of my jammies since their arrival. SO...when pajama day rolled around today at good 'ole Lewisburg Elementary she was prepared! Mine say, "SUPER MOM" (it goes to my head sometimes, really). Riley was thrilled to sport her new attire! What do you think?

There's No Place Like Home!

In honor of our weekend trek across the GREAT STATE OF TENNESSEE, I'll be blogging in orange! We had a fabulous visit at home with mom, dad, Jeff, and that sneaky Nannie and Grandaddy showed up too! We left Thursday evening after Mike got off of work and stopped on the other side of Nashville for the night. Riley loves hotels and quickly set about collecting the free soaps and shampoos once we were checked in. She got ready for bed and put a little cup of water on the nightstand and loved that "they give you a note pad and pen right here just in case you need to draw or write something". She was truly blown away when she realized the second notepad and pen on the "executive desk". Mike had a similar reaction to the complimentary breakfast bar, so a good time was had by all!

I miss this guy!

I've gotten used to missing this guy over the years. My "first" best friend.

This girl loves her Grammie and Poppy!

It was Grammie's birthday, so it was a great reason (not that we need one) to go home. I hadn't laid eyes on my sweet little mama in 7 weeks! That was a lifetime! We spent the afternoon and evening at home and even got in a little shopping Saturday morning before mom's birthday lunch. Mike took Riley to visit with Granny and Papa and she even got a bonus visit since Broc, Baylor, and Uncle Brian were there. It was so nice to spend a little time with mom! Dad, Mike and Riley met us for lunch at Puleo's. Yummy! We got back in time to cheer on the VOLS and Nannie and Grandaddy came in from NC to see us! We were so happy that they could visit! Riley kept everyone "entertained". I thought Grandaddy was going to never stop laughing at her. Mom, Dad and I shed many a tear when it was time for us to leave, but I was proud of myself for "drying it up" before we were out of west Knoxville. I couldn't think about them too much on the way home or my eyes got all watery. Mike and I had lots of "I can't believe we live in Mississippi" conversations on the way home. We're still in limbo with regard to the "why we've ended up here" question, but are also still confident that moving was the right thing to do for our little family. We don't know the future, but we do know that it will become clear in God's time, not ours. GULP...that's a tough pill to swallow while cryin' it out, saying goodbye, red eyed with your mom and dad in their driveway.

Reading Junie B. Jones to Nannie before bed.

Being silly with Poppy. She wore an Ole Miss shirt to "make him mad".

She set up a shoe store with a few pair she borrowed from Grammie.

Friday Night Lights

Give me a L....Give me a H....Give me a S.....LHS, LHS, LHS! GO LEWISBURG!

(Posing with "Pat" the Patriot)

Ok, more like, Give me a BREAK! Talk about a sure fire way to feel old. Have you been to a high school football game lately? So young, so much energy, so carefree! We experienced it firsthand this past Friday evening as we took in our first Lewisburg High School game. Riley was really excited, as this was her first official, not on TV game, and Mike and I were anxious to do a little PR out in the community. We found out that this is only their 2nd season with a football team b/c the Lewisburg "compound" is relatively new. It was homecoming and there were lots to see with regard to "high school culture". It was really surreal. Lots of things have changed, but lots of things have stayed the same! Riley enjoyed the game, cheerleaders, homecoming stuff at halftime, rolling down the bleachers (yep, took a nosedive down about 3 of them while chasing a PowerAde she got at the "confession stand"). Still can't believe she didn't even get a bruise. Just scared the life out of us (and tons of strangers). Nothing says, "hello new community" like your 5 year old flailing down the bleachers. I swear it was in slow motion and all you could see were arms, legs, and feet. After all a very valuable PowerAde was at stake...certainly couldn't be replaced with $2. GOOD GRIEF! So, not only did we age in that all those young, energetic high schoolers made us feel like our AARP cards were one stamp away; BUT our sweet daughter took 10 years off our lives with her stunt. Counting our blessings, we left at halftime and she was asleep before we arrived home (4 miles total).

If she yelled, "Go Lewisburg" once, she yelled it 100 times. Honestly! Ask the poor deaf guy that sat in front of us.