Love Machine

This video is around 2 mos. old.  This is Canon around 9 mos. old dancing to "Love Machine."

Hey Aunt Jo!

Pssst... Aunt Jo.....

We have something to say to you...

Whoops, almost ready...

There we go!  Happy Birthday!

We're glad you're coming home to visit in a couple months! 

Joz, this one's for you

 I'm back!  Joz, today you are in for a treat!  Because today you are checking this blog and aren't disappointed!!!!  (My friend Joslynn told me that she feels like she's being duped everyday when she continues to check this blog only to find "Man of Many Hats" again rather than a new posting.)  I've been absent from the blogosphere through Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and all kinds of other things like birthdays, Canon's first steps, etc.  My computer was messed up for awhile, but it's now back from the shop and working fine. 

Hmmm, what to post about?  Well, we got to have our family over for Grammy's b-day party recently.  It was so FUN having everyone over.  I had a panic when the beans in the Mexican bean soup I was making as the  main course were still hard as rocks after cooking all day in the crock pot and with only a few hours to spare.  Thanks to my quick-thinking sister Julie's quick thinking, the meal was saved by throwing the soup on the stove top to cook the rest of the way.  Also, we ran out of bowls and plates.  I don't mean that they were dirty--I mean we didn't have enough dishes in the house for everyone!  That was funny.  For bowls, we got creative and used mugs and small serving bowls.  And we had everyone eat their cupcakes on Sadie & Canon's plates. 

Canon is officially walking!  He's getting better a little everyday.  I'll upload the video of him walking as soon as I can figure out how to turn it right side up.  (Bipin?!?!?  Michelle?!?!?  Help!)  He's also getting into EVERYTHING.  Here he is climbing over the rungs underneath one of our chairs...

Made it!  And then here he is getting into all kinds of other fun things...  Each age is so unique with it's set of joys and challenges.  We really are so happy to have him.  I was just remembering that a year ago I was on bedrest and pregnant with him.  I'm so thankful to the Lord for his power to sustain Canon through a tough time and bring him to full term in strong health.  He's such a "bundle of love," as my brother David calls him. 

Going back a couple months, here is Canon with his cousin Caleb who is only one week younger.  We hope they'll be very good buddies. 

Here's Shelby hanging out!

We got to have little Weston over last week, so Shelby & I took the kids out on a walk.  In the picture, Weston looks a little unsure of the wagon, but he LOVED it!  Sadie & Weston play so good together and always seem to crack each other up.

One more thing: here is Sadie & Canon with Addy & John Michael when they came to visit a couple weeks ago.

Those last 2 go to show how hilarious it is trying to take a picture of more than one kid at a time!!!  Thanks for the visit, guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Pics to come: Canon in his "my uncle kicks butt" t-shirt (from Uncle Nick) and sporting his new "homemade haircut" & Sadie making "cupcakes" out of Play-doh.  Joellen, I'll put up a picture of Sadie playing with her Elmo kitchen, too.  She LOVES it and plays with it everyday!

Currently Sesame Street - Happy Healthy Monsters By Zoe, Elmo, and more see related

A Man of Many Hats

Canon is a man of many hats.  His Grammy found 3 hats for him that she couldn't resist.  They look so cute on him!  The dalmation one was part of his Halloween costume, as you can see below.

We took the kids trick-or-treating on our street and the street over with our good buddies and their kids.   Sadie, got to wear her very special princess dress, and was very happy about that. 

Here's Sadie and Lily getting ready to load up with candy.

 My mom, Auntie Ruth, & Uncle John got to come out last weekend and I hardly took more than a couple pictures!  Here's one for ya, mom!

We have SO MANY massive oak trees in our yard.  Travis and Sadie have been loving it (well, Travis loved it until we had to start raking it this week). 

Canon has been standing up on anything he can get his hands on.  He also is now crawling like crazy.  This all is happening so much faster than it did with Sadie.  He's only 7 mos., and I think she was at least 10 mos. when she deciding to give up rolling for crawling. 

We took the kids out to Cades Cove a month or so ago.  The leaves were just past their prime, but it was still beautiful. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!   Can't wait to have me some yummy turkey with the fam (& Joslynn and RJ who will be with us at Trav's mom's for our Thanksgiving meal)!

The Garage Door and other things

The garage door is in!  This is how we do it in Tennessee ... screens, pools, & shutters all over the yard.

Our next outside project is the scary bushes and the even scarier back yard.  We're hoping to get some of this done before it gets cold, which will hopefully not be for another month. 

Here is my friend Holly and her beautiful new baby girl, Hosanna Grace.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but she has red hair just like her momma!  

Canon's first "real meal": rice cereal!  He LOVED it.  He cried every time I took the spoon away because he wanted more. 

Sadie had to help, of course.

Shelby was over & got to join in with the festivities.

Sadie's new favorite activity: sidewalk chalk.

The "crazy" face she learned from one of Addy's home videos:

Here's Canon hanging out in his chair.  We won't be able to contain him in chairs for much longer!

Jonanny's birthday party was a couple weeks ago, and we had such a nice time with the fam.  Here she is blowing out the candles on her AMAZING cupcakes:

Grammy holding Sadie as she stares in a daze at the enticing cupcakes.

Marlee playing catch with Sades:

Monica (our very grown-up flower girl!!!) & Sadie. 

That's all for now!