This Is Kristin

…Sick Tummy, Another rainy day (good for the earth but puts a damper on outside summer play and swimming), and two pulled teeth…

~I picked this big mama tomato today! I’ve been watching this one grow and just hoping the bugs wouldn’t get to it before it got ripe. The tops of my tomatoes have been splitting, (advice please) but they are super tasty and make excellent salsa. Next I’m going to try some spaghetti sauce with my roma tomatoes.

~This is one of Blue’s journal entry drawings of a tomato growing in our garden…. I just love summer!

“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings.”  ~Hodding Carter

• Sad…. to say goodbye to my friend and neighbor who is moving this week.  
• Happy… to have another little vacation to look forward to this week.  
• Excited… for my friend who is due with her baby any day now, and excited to have dinner with her and her husband tonight.  Trying to think of good “end of the pregnancy”  food to serve.  
• Grateful… for the time that Brody has had off, it’s wonderful to have him around these few weeks. 
• Enjoying… the good weather we are having.. 75 as the high people, it’s nice! 
• Happy S.S.S. 

We went on our first mini vacation to Chattanooga Tennessee. Cooper loved saying “nooga,” randomly throughout our drive there. The older two boys played checkers, and cards, without getting car sick, (they do not take after me in that area) and we watched the beautiful and green Tennessee scenery pass us by.

Our first day we went to the TN aquarium, and loved it. The fish were beautiful, and the enviorment serene. Cooper was excited the entire time, saying loudly, “OH MY GOSH!” at every aquarium window we saw.

We stayed at a hotel, and swam that evening, then stayed up late eating sandwiches and cookies, watching the movie, “Tale of Desperaux,” (which is another topic for another time- but can I just say- cute mouse, but totally weird story.)

The next day we first went to see an IMAX 3D movie, which was so awesome. I had never seen one of those before, and it was incredible. My favorite thing was watching the boys try to reach out and grab the fishies.

Later in the day we ventured deep underground into a cave, to see a waterfall inside of a mountain. I was not aware that we were going into a cave- I thought “hike to the falls,” meant outside on the mountain we were on, until the elevator took us a couple hundred feet down and opened it’s doors into the cold cave. We were under ground for a little over an hour, and it was a really neat experience. I managed to push the thought of “what would happen if there was an earth quake right now?” out of my head, and Cooper managed to nap in Brody’s arms. The other boys were mezmorized the entire time. (we had just recently watched “Journey to the center of the earth,” and my oldest had watched it 5 times in a couple of days, so this was a really cool experience for him) The water fall inside the cave was just beautiful, and mysterious. It comes in through a crack at the top and leaves out the bottom, and they still aren’t sure exactly where it comes from, or where it empties out.

Lastly we stood at the top of the tower and looked out over the city of Chattanooga, and the river, then drove home, all tired but happy with our first mini vacation.

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes, and all your money. Then take half the clothes, and twice the money.” ~Susan Heller

We are getting ready to go on a couple mini vacations, and I am so excited to get away for a little bit, and stay in a hotel. I hope to have lots of fun, and take lots of good pictures!

This was such a fun surprise to wake up to on my birthday!  I had been saying I wanted a bike, and I love this vintage style.  

Blue made me walk down the stairs with my eyes closed, and once I made it safely to the bottom, I found this bike with a camo balloon tied to it, and cards in the basket. (oh, I love the basket!)  I love it!  (I just have to learn to “dismount” without crashing. I have been used to riding a friends’ bike, which has a male bike, so I have to swing my leg over the back when I get off. When I stop on this bike and try to swing my leg over the back, I tip over.)

Then a couple of Days later, I got this in the mail.  It’s made from a figure drawing that Aiden draws. This is so special, I adore it.  

Thank you Brody for some amazing birthday gifts!

We have been sick around here for the past week, and are all finally emerging (slowly) from the fog.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had something that makes it really hard to get out of bed, or function whatsoever, but this sickness did just that.  I feel so bad for our family that is visiting, and I am sure that it’s hard to be sick and away from home.  But for these last few days that they are here we are on the mend.  

We are having a 4th of July fireworks spectacular on our street this evening!  We’ve got some glow sticks and a bag of fireworks!  It is a bittersweet day, knowing that it will be the last 4th of July I will spend with my neighbors who are moving in a few weeks, but I am so glad that they are here tonight.  

Brody is in New York, in a field, and will probably see a really great firework show.  We are going to celebrate again when he gets back, because one of his favorite things to do is light things on fire, so he can’t miss out on that! 

Hope that you all have a safe and happy 4th of July!

This is Brody and I’ve hijacked Kristin’s blog to wish her a very Happy Birthday, and to also give you guys the chance to do the same.  She turns 28 today and is easily the most amazing, hardest working, beautiful person I know and there’s no real way I could type all that she means to me on here.  So for now I will just leave it open to you guys to wish her a happy birthday in the comments.  Happy Birthday Kristin.

Ready?  Go.