A day with Sis

Today the boys were in Little School from 9am until 2pm. I took full advantage of my freedom and spent the day with my little sis, Paige. She had the day off, so we went straight to the mall. We shopped a little for some of our family members. While we were going up the escalator, we saw a famous face going down the escalator. Some of you guys might not now who I am talking about b/c the famous person is on a soap opera called Days of Our Lives. It was Jennifer from Days. I remember reading that she was living in Franklin now. But it was weird seeing her in person.
Anyway, after the mall, Paige and I headed to get some lunch at a little restaurant in the Factory of Franklin. They have great Chicken Salad sandwiches and soup and many other goodies. We then headed to a little antique place off 2nd avenue in Franklin called Harmony Home. I have written about that store before. We love going there to get one of a kind gifts. Paige went with me to pick the boys up at school. They were very surprised and happy to see Auntie Paige there. The boys had a great time at school. They made lots of crafts. Will came out with half of his face painted red. When I asked the teacher what happened, she said that they had fun with the red markers at craft time. Will must have tried to paint his entire face red. It looked like he had the chicken pox. We took Paige back home and then headed back to the house. I hadn't been home since I left this morning, so I needed to clean up just a bit. After a few minutes of being home, the doorbell rand and there stood little miss Miranda our 3 year old neighbor, wanting Will and Jake to come play. We went out and let the boys play a while. Rebecca (Miranda's Mom) and I love to talk catch up since the last time we talked (which is usually only a couple of days!). She is great to talk to. She has really become a good friend. She is trying to get pregnant right now and is having a tough time. She is going through her 3rd round of Invitro. We pray that it takes this time b/c it will be the last time she can try.
It started raining about 30 minutes into our playtime outside, so we all scurried in out of the rain.
We ordered a pizza tonight for supper. I didn't feel like cooking. I couldn't have gotten away with that 50 years ago when my Grandma was a mama. But, I say, if Grandma were here today, she'd tell me to order a pizza every night of the week!
The boys were over-tired tonight so it took them a while to get to sleep. We kept hearing little footsteps jumping out of the bed and running around. Finally after enough threats from Mom and Dad, they wore themselves out and went to sleep.
Another day in the life in the books....write more later, Lord willing.
Steph

Today we attended a funeral for my great Aunt Nell in Russellville, KY. We left the house around 8:30 to meet Paige and Lance. We drove up there with them. Nell was the youngest of my grandmothers sisters. She was a wonderful lady that I will remember forever. She was so dainty and sweet. Most people can't even say they know who their great aunt was. But I can, and always will because she was my grandma's sister. I was very close to my grandma and grew up listening to grandma tell stories about her sisters, especially Nell b/c they were very close. The funeral was a sweet and simple funeral that really told the story about Nell. They played a great video of her and her life in pictures that was set to music. The funeral reminded me of my Grandma's funeral. Seeing all the familar faces that were there at Grandma's funeral. After the burial, we all walked over to where my Grandma and Grandpa were buried. Mom brought a Christmas wreath and put it at their grave. I really miss my Grandma so much. I wish that she could see me with my kids. I think about her every single day. As I am doing my daily things around the house, I often think...."How would Grandma do this? or How would Grandma handle this situation." It isn't fair that she isn't here to help me, but I know her spirit is around me everyday. I hear her voice sometimes telling me to play with my kids and not to worry about making sure the house is perfect. My Mom tells me that too. Both Grandma and Mom were clean freaks. I am somewhat a clean freak, but I actually like playing with the boys rather that cleaning house. Kinda weird I know...
After the funeral, we went to their church and had a lunch that was provided by the church. It was good to see all my distant relatives. My Mom pointed out a little old lady sitting at a table whom she said knew my Grandmother very well. She was one of my Grandma's best friends when they lived in Springfield. Of course that intrigued me, so I scurried over to meet this lady who was so close to Grandma. Her name was Ms. Price. She said that she and Grandma were best friends and they used to do so much together. Go play cards, make dinner, and just talk about things going on in the town. I asked her what she remembered about Grandma. She said she remembered Grandma being so beautiful. She said she always seemed to have things together and that she was fun to be around. Ms. Price remembered my Grandpa too. After chatting a while, it was good to have found that connection to my Grandma who I miss so much. I love talking to older people. They have such a history. This lady was 91. She looked so good for her age. Her mind was clear as a bell. She remembered so much about Grandma. I love hearing stories about Grandma.
The boys did great at the funeral b/c Matt and Lance kept them in the playroom during the service. When we went to the church for lunch, the boys barely ate b/c they were running around with their cousins. My 2nd cousin Andra has a little boy, Campbell who is 4 1/2 and a little girl who is about Jake's age. We don't get to see them much except for special occasions. So when they play together, they play hard. Needless to say, the boys conked out as soon as we got in the car.
After dinner, Matt turned off the TV and we listened to Christmas music until the boys went to bed. Matt and I love listening to Christmas music. It really calms us and gets us in the spirit of Christmas. Matt and I also have a little ritual we have been doing every night for about a year or so....we always have a glass of grape juice.(It has to be Welch's). Don't know why,,,,but we are addicted. After the boys go to bed....we come downstairs and pour each other a glass and drink it and un-wind after the busy day we've had. It's kinda funny, but it's our ritual.
Write more later....

Will on Pop Pop Spraggins' back while he does push-ups in the morning.
Jake's turn on Pop Pop back. Yes, Pop pop likes to show off!

Turkey Day at Pop Pop and Nana Spraggins' House!

I guess Aunt Amelia had a little too much Eltriptophan in the Turkey!

Will and cousin Owen playing in Pop Pop Hawkins' tool box!

This is the tree limb where the boys decided to hang about 10 ornaments!
Will and Jake decorating the Hawkins Christmas tree!

Well, it's been almost a week since my last visit. We have been a little busy with the Thanksgiving Holiday and everything. We had a great Thanksgiving and always have so much to be thankful for. We went to Tullahoma this year for Thanksgiving. We left on Wednesday and stayed until Friday morning and then went to Huntsville to visit with Matt's family and his cousin Keri. Keri lives in Arizona. She has never seen Jake so we wanted Jake to meet her and visit for a while. We just stayed a few hours and then headed back to Franklin. On Saturday, we got up early and cleaned up the house; getting ready for the Christmas decorations. Matt and I got up in the attic and brought down several green and red boxes full of Christmas decor!!!! We spent most of the morning decorating. We then made the excursion to Home Depot to find a Christmas tree. We found the perfect one and loaded it up on the car and put it up that night. I made some homemade vegetable soup for Paige and Lance to eat that night. Paige hasn't been feeling well, so I thought some soup might do the trick. I also made Lance some cornbread muffins. He loves cornbread!
We decorated the tree that night with Will and Jake. It was so cute watching them put all the ornaments on the tree. We explained to them what some of the ornaments were; like the one that Matt and I had when we first were married and the "Baby's first Christmas" one, etc... Will loves to hear stories about things. Jake could have cared less. He just wanted to hang them up. It was funny b/c they kept hanging all the ornaments on one branch. The branch started sagging and I said,"Boys, I think you need to spread the ornaments around, don't hang the ornaments all on one branch." I took pics and made a video. These are moments we will remember forever.
We went to church today and had a great speaker from Franklin Christian Church. Very lively man. He has so much passion for the Lord. I wish we all had that kind of passion. Does he know something that I don't? Probably so. I need to get in that Bible and read more. Can't wait for the next Beth Moore study. Should be in January.
The boys played outside most of the day today with Miranda. Madeline came over for a while and then Jennifer (Madeline's mom) had to get back to her baby. She just had a baby boy about 2 months ago. Sweet baby boy!
Me, Matt and the boys went to visit Paige and Lance tonight. The boys love going over there b/c they play with Maddox (the bulldog). We didn't stay very long and then we headed for Cracker Barrel. Jake can spot a Cracker Barrel a mile away! He says, "I love the butter and the biscuits." Me too.
I'll write more later.

Will and Jake waiting patiently for Mama's Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole to get done!
Will and Jake watch as the Casserole bakes and the rolls rise!

Today was another great day in the Hawkins House. You will find that we live a rather plain but blessed life. I thank God every night and day (when I think about it) for the wonderful life he has given me. We woke up this morning and I fixed the boys some good ol' pancakes. Will wanted some Cheerios too, so I made them for him too. Jake wanted a cereal bar with his. Everything like big bro. These boys are really growing. I can tell by the way they are eating. I can only imagine when they get teenagers. Oh my! I got the boys dressed and hair combed and we went to the YMCA so that I could exercise. This was the first time the boys have come here. They would go with me all the time to the Rec Center, but this was new for them. They did fine b/c they got to go into the Kid Center together no splitting them up. Mama insisted.
I burned the treadmill up! Or should I say, the treadmill just about burned my legs up! I love working out! It really rejuvenates me. I have much more energy and my mood is better throughout the day. I plan on doing some aerobics classes next time.
After the Y, we went to get my car inspected b/c our tags will expire at the end of the month. We arrived at the inspection place just when everyone else decided to go. We waited in line for about 20 min or so. The boys and I passed the time by singing all the Nursery rhymes songs we could think of. After passing the inspection, we headed to the Grocery store to get some basic necessities, bread, milk, etc. Will and Jake love going to the store with me b/c they get cookies from the bakery. Yes, even though it was lunch time! You only live once, right!!!
I made the boys some bologna sandwiches and then it was rest time. The boys were very tired from the busy weekend we had, so they went right to rest. So did Mama. I made Will's favorite meal tonight....Poppy Seed Chicken casserole! He ate 2 helpings. They love watching the meals cook in the oven. Just about every night, they come watch the food bake in the oven. They are so intrigued. Not much to write about, just that I cannot wait until the Christmas Holidays! I love shopping for everyone and seeing Will and Jakes' little faces light up when we talk about Santa Claus. The innocence they have. I can still remember that feeling of believing in Santa. I swore I saw Rudolph's nose blinking outside my window on Maple Hill Drive when I was about 6. It was so real. I guess I was dreaming. Obviously!
I can't wait to hear the stories and the imaginations my boys will have of Christmas. I pray that Matt and I can make their Christmases as special as ours were.
Write more later.....

Birthday Weekend

Will trying out the sleeping bag with Daddy!

Singing Happy Birthday to me!

Family Photo in front of the camp fire.

Dad play-fighting with the boys. By the time it was over, all the furniture in the living room was turned over. Mom almost blew it! But it was funny!

More camp-fire fun with Pop Pop!














I love it when my birthday rolls around. Not many people can say that, but I can. It's not because I am so excited to turn another year older (although that is a good thing and not a bad thing like we have been trained), but it's because I get to go home and have a relaxing weekend with my family and do absolutely nothing. This Friday, me and the boys headed to Tullahoma a little early. We left around 2:00 and Matt, Paige and Lance came later that evening just in time for some food Mom cooked. We didn't have a big meal. Mom just made a bunch of appitizer food and we snacked all night long! In fact, my tummy was rumbling all night b/c of all the food I ate! But it was my birthday, I figured I could do that.
Right when we got there, Dad grabbed the boys and immediately took them for a ride in the go-cart. They are in heaven when they come to Pop Pop and NaNa's. I mean, our house isn't by any means extravagant, but to Will and Jake, it is comparable to Disney World. There are tractors, a go-cart, hay-rides my dad fixes, trails to walk on all out in the woods, dogs, cats, toys and most of all....attention attenion attention.
Will and Jake have no problem going to sleep at Pop Pop and Nana's house b/c they are just plain worn out. We got up Saturday and Mom fixed eggs, bacon, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, etc. We usually have a big breakfast when we come home. Mom likes cooking normal, good-tasting, food b/c my Dad is so health-conscience that it is hard for Mom to cook anymore. It is good for her too that Dad eats like he does b/c I believe like Dad does and that is "you are what you eat." Some people might think that healthy living takes the fun out of life, well I think that you won't be having any fun in a few years when you've had a heart attack or stroke or diabetes is taking over your life. I think there is a balance, though, and Matt and I feel we have some sort of balance.
Anyways, off the health-food kick. Paige and I spent most of Saturday visiting with our high school best friends who both have had babies recently. We went to see our good friend Wendy first. She looks great and her baby is adorable! They seem to be doing really well adjusting to the whole parent-hood thing. She asked for some advice and of course I gave her my two-cents worth. We shared birthing stories and all that. It was good to see her and baby Parker.
We then went to my best friend Annie's house to see her and her new baby boy, Logan. Annie seems to be doing good too. Her baby looks exactly like her husband Josh. I couldn't believe it! Annie seems to be so relaxed and just a natural at being a Mom. She is going to be a wonderful Mom!
That night Mom fixed Chili and we had my uncle Ron come over. He and his wife Patricia live in California 9 months out of the year and they live on the lake in Winchester the rest of the time. My Aunt Patricia wasn't feeling well that night, so she stayed home. We opened presents, blew out candles, had birthday cake, the whole 9 yards. It was great. Will and Jake just loved helping me blow out all those candles!
Matt and Lance went and set up a tent in yard. I guess they thought they were going to sleep out there or something! It was freezing. Matt and the boys stayed out there and had fun playing in the tent, but when it was bed time, they all came running into the nice warm house.
I feel like I didn't see Matt all weekend b/c he was out next to the camp fire all the time with the guys! That's okay, I know he enjoys that and I want him to have a nice relaxing weekend too!
Us girls talked about Thanksgiving and what we were going to cook and what we needed to get at the grocery store! Typical girl talk.
All in all we had a wonderful weekend. The boys are fast asleep right now and it's not even 8:30. They were exausted! I love bringing the boys back to the home I grew up in. It is so special to me. I want them to have the same memories I had there. As I was putting them to sleep in my old bedroom, I just kept thinking of all the memories I had in this old room and now Im putting my two little boys to sleep in here! It is wild. The circle of life.
I hope to write more tomorrow.....

I don't plan to write much tonight because I am worn out. The boys were in Little School today so I went to clean Paige's house and then came back to my house and did a little cleaning as well. Trying to get caught up on laundry and the little things. The boys had a great day at school. Will said that he won at a bingo game they played. He was so proud! Jake's class did alot of painting. I could see from his little hands and clothes.
I went out with my good friends who happen to be my neighbors as well. They both have girls who are 3 yrs old. My boys play with them all the time. We, mothers, have become good friends over time. Now it was our turn to go out and have a little fun without chasing down kids. It was good to have a good adult conversation without interruptions. We went to a new, trendy, resturant in down-town Franklin called The Red Pony. The food was great and the atmosphere was different than I anticipated. We stayed there for about an hour or so and then headed across the street to Sandy's Downtown Grill for some coffee. I had a great time getting to know these girls who I see nearly everyday, but don't REALLY know. We learned alot about each other, we laughed, we almost cried, and we just let loose and had a great time.
Well, Im going to go see what Will is afraid of...He keeps saying "Im scared of the dark......"
Write more next time!

When I got up this morning it was pouring rain. I looked at the forcast and it predicted rain all day. This is going to call for some creativity on my part today. With 2 energetic, rowdy boys, I must come up with something fun to do indoors today. I thought it would be good to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast on a rainy day. This is something we rarely have. So with the help of Mr. Pillbury dough boy, I threw some cinnamon rolls in. The boys love them! They probably think I make these homemade and you know what, I am going to let them think that for now. I mean, why ruin that precious innocence now? That won't damage them for life, will it? One of these days they will figure it out.....
We colored lots of pictures today. WIll is getting really good at drawing squares. He does it all the time. He also can identify all his letters and is beginning to spell simple words like cat, dog, Dad, Mom, etc. Jake still likes to color on the walls, so I have to sit close by to monitor him. LOL. Jake loves to draw circles. He also likes to try and draw trianges. He says, "Look Mama, I draw a triangle.." I look at it and it looks like a cute scribble...I say, "Oh, Jake that is great!!!"
After lunch, I made a tent for them to play in. I had to get creative with this one, so I got their bedspread and just hung it betweeen their twin beds. THey absolutely loved it and played in there all afternoon.
My parents called yesterday to say they wanted to take us all out for my birthday (11/18) and Lance's Bd (11/10). So, tonight we all met at Macaroni Grill and had a GREAT time. I love being with my family. The boys love being with my parents. My Dad acts like a kid just like them! Sometimes I find myself correcting my Dad instead of the boys. We all had a great meal and great family time and got to talk about some real important family issues. Thank you God, for our family. What is life without family? Not much. Not much.
We are all planning a trip to Tullahoma this weekend to continue the birthday celbrations. Matt is going to be bringing his tent and my Dad loves to show off his bon-fire skills. So, needless to say, Will and Jake will be having plenty of hot dogs and marshmellows this weekend.
Lord willing, I will write tomorrow......(just for you Faith....Ha!!!)

The boys went to school today and they had a great day. I used this day to get some things marked off my list that I had to get done. It's amazing what you can get done without two little boys tagging along for the ride! Nobody to put in the corner, no refereeing, no making meals for 3 people. It is quite awesome and I am totally blessed to be able to stay at home with these beautiful boys and also to be able to send them to a Mother's Day Out program twice a week. It is great for them and for me. I feel like it has really benefited Jake, especially. He is quite shy when it comes to groups. The Mother's Day program at our church has allowed him to understand that it is okay for someone else to take care of him and that Mommy WILL be coming back to get him. On the way to school today, we were singing our regular "It's time to go to school, it's time to go to school, Hi HO the dairy oh, It's time to go to school." I say, "Who's gonna be at school today?" Will usually chimes in and names his whole class one by one. Jake, on the other hand, usually just sings along not really understanding the whole song thing. But today was different, he said "John will be there, John will be there, Hi Ho the dairy oh, John will be there." He then began naming 2-3 other little friends of his (Camille and Caleb). I thought to myself, that is so good that he remembers that! He is becoming quite a socialite. So, when we got to the classroom, Miss Karen greeted us as usual and Jake said, "There's John, there's Camille, and Caleb!" Oh, it was soooooo cute!
While the boys were in school, I went to the YMCA and joined me and Matt and the boys. We have been wanting to do this for a while, so now is the time. We used to be members for about 9 years and quit last year to pay off some debt. Now we are at a point where we can afford it and desperately need the excercise!
I also ran a few more errands and then went to pick the boys up at 2pm.
I fixed a great chicken casserole for dinner. It is called Chicken Cranberry Casserole. Matt loves it and it's a great casserole for the fall time.
The boys were very wound up last night for some reason. I guess it had something to do with Matt wresting with the boys right before bed. Ha!
I will write more later.....

After getting some of the mundane household chores out of the day, me and the boys headed outside. It wasn't too cold today, about 55-60 degrees mostly cloudy. We went walking on our trail in the back of our yard. For those who haven't been to our house, we have an awesome neighborhood because of all the common grounds. There are acres and acres of woods in our community. Our house backs up to the common area and so we have a mile or so of wooded trails in our back yard. Perfect for growing little boys. There is a creek right behind our house that our boys love to throw rocks into and play with their sticks. I took some pics of our adventure today. Nothing really exciting to write about today. Will helped me fix tacos tonight. He is a real helper most days. He is learning something new everyday!
Tonight I wanted to watch the Bachelor which comes on at 8 o'clock. So, I went to my favorite rocker in our bedroom and began to try and watch it. Will and Jake kept coming in and out and finally, Will, looking very tired, said, "Mama, can you rock me?" Awwww, I said, "Sure." So, as I was rocking him, I was telling him that one day he will meet a girl and one day get married. Of course he doesn't have a clue as to what I am talking about. But he said, "Does that mean one day I can be the daddy?" I said, "Yep, it sure does." He said, "Mama, will you still make me Poppy seed chicken and chocolate cupcakes?" I became sorta teary-eyed, and said, "Yep, I sure will, anytime." These days are gonna fly by I know it. I am very observant when it comes to being around my in-laws b/c they are more emotional than my family. I have seen Matt's dad become emotional serveral times at family gatherings over the past few years; mainly when he prays before meals. I know what he is thinking....He can't believe the years have flown by....he is so proud of his family and so thankful to God for his wonderful growing family. I've also seen my parents become much more emotional over the years since I have had kids. They are probably thinking the same things Matt's parents think...they can't believe time has gone by so fast and that they are proud of Paige and I. I hope me and Matt will be there, where our parents are someday, praying at a table with all our grandkids and children. Knowing that these are good kids and that we did a great job as parents with help from Above.

We all loaded in the car and headed for church this beautiful, but chilly, fall Sunday morning. Church was very crowded as usual. It was a great service. Phil Williams is our "fill in" preacher since we are looking for a full time pulpit minister. Phil is great. His talks are usually very historical in nature. It is always very interesting. Somehow He always ties it into today's world. The best part about church is the worship service. Ken Young is great. We weren't too sure of him at first. Just b/c he was new and we weren't sure what he was going to be bringing to our church as far as "worship leader." But he is a wonderful man and I truly believe he puts his heart and soul into his work. As Im leaving the building every Sunday, I look around at all the people driving here and there and wish they could have been apart of the great service and fellowship that I just did. I have been asking my neighbors to come. They don't go to church anywhere right now. I think they would love it there. Maybe one day they will come.
We ate some leftovers for lunch. They boys played outside for a good while. Miranda came over and they played swords with tree branches. Miranda hangs right in there with my wild boys! After I layed Jake down for his nap, I headed to the Grocery store. I love going to the grocery store to find my bargains. For example, I went to Walgreens and spent 35.00 and saved 28.00. The cashiers always look at me and ask how I manage to get so much savings. I tell them I just look for the sales and use my coupons only for that item. If it's a good deal, I stock up.
Anyway....the day was a typical Sunday at our home. Matt watched the Titans get beat. Not by much, though. We were pretty proud of them. They somewhat stood their ground against Steve McNair.
Before I came in here to write, I stopped by the boys room to tuck them into bed. Will was fast asleep, but Jake was up. I got into bed with him and snuggled oh so tight. He was sucking his thumb and I was brushing his soft hair back. He was talking to me about lots of things on his little mind like snakes and cows. And how Pop Pop was digging a ditch. (my dad is digging a ditch for a garage he is building) Jake remembered all these things. Then he said Nana is making eggs. That was so funny! I just laughed and said "You want some eggs?" He said "No, I want donuts." I stayed in there just talking to him. Jake and I rarely get moments to ourselves, so when I can get a minute or two in, I find it priceless. I told him that I loved him and that he was such a special little boy who has so much life ahead of him. I kissed his little fat cheeks and said "night, night." My boys are so precious.
Will write more later.....

Saturday mornings are usually always a treat here in the Hawkins Household. One reason is because Matt gets up early and fixes everyone homemade pancakes! They are absolutely out of this world. He says he does nothing different to them than the recipie calls. I guess they taste so good to me b/c he cooks them for me. The boys love them too! Today Will helped him out in the kitchen. Will is starting to really enjoy helping me and Matt cook in the kitchen. I have shown him how to unload the dishwasher utensils. So he puts all the forks, spoons, knives, etc. where they belong. Sometimes they are out of order, but it is alright with me. The more help I get, the happier I am. It teaches the boys a sense of responsibility and that they are apart of this house too. I can't wait till Jake gets of age! Man, I'll be sittin' pretty! LOL!
Matt says he is excited when they will be able to cut the grass. I'll bet!
After breakfast, we all got ready and headed to Paige and Lance's house for me to clean. I took the whole family b/c they wanted to get out of the house. Matt helped me clean, too! So, we got done fast. We headed home for lunch and then we all rested a while. We ordered pizza tonight. YUM YUM! They boys have been watching Fox and the Hound in between throwing the football with Matt. He's down there watching the Alabama football game. I hear the boys throwing that ball down there and it makes me nervous! Ha Ha!!
I folded and put up about 3 baskets of laundry. Will it EVER end!!!! I feel like that's all I do sometimes, wash, fold and put away laundry. Every now and then I will iron. Now that's a job. I remember my Grandma ironing and washing all our clothes. At the end of the day on Friday, she would look at Paige and I and say, "Now, look, every single bit of clothes you girls have is washed, dried, ironed and put away!" We would look at each other and say, "Thanks Grandma." Not having a clue of the hard work she had done. I hope that she knew how thankful we were of her before she died. I think she did.
Well, gotta go. Write more later, Lord willing!

Friday we got up, ate some breakfast and headed to the Dr. Office for the boys' flu shots. That was a lot of fun! Actually it wasn't that bad. Will began to cry as we were walking into the Dr. Office saying, "I don't wanna get a shot, I don't wanna get a shot!" This was not very encouraging to Jake. As Will was crying, I ran into a friend from home going into the elevator. His name is Greg Hollis. He has a twin brother named Jeff. He said, "Don't I know you?" I said "Oh, yes, from Tullahoma." We went to church together. He was a few years older than me, so I were never close friends. Will was so worried about the shot, so I didn't get to talk long with Greg. He looked as if he worked for a medical sales company. Maybe we will run into each other again soon.
The Dr. office didn't take long at all and so we headed to Mc. Donald's and then to the park. We had a picnic at the park. We decided to go the the Rec Center. It is usually not crowded and we can play soccer there. After we ate, I took Will to the BIG HUGE hill that goes down to the soccer fields. I showed him how to roll down it. I didn't think he would do it b/c it was so high, but just like a little boy, he rolled so much he got dizzy! Jake like running up and down the hill. He wasn't so impressed with the rolling thing! We had a blast playing soccer, rolling and playing on the playground. We ended up stayed there playing for a couple of hours.
We came home from the park exausted, so we all rested for a while.
Matt came home from work and we ordered in from Off the Grill. It was delicious! We didn't feel like cooking or going out anywhere so we enjoyed the meal double!
Well, I better go!

Thursday was a gorgeous day here in Franklin, TN. I took the boys to school and then I had a visit with the Chiropractor. My neck has been bothering me ever since I gave birth to Will. I had a long-drawn out labor with him. And then while I was pushing him out, I must have torn a muscle in my neck b/c the pain that I had on the right side of my neck was horrible for about 2-3 weeks. I finally had to go to the doctor and get some muscle relaxers. Those times were hard, but we got through. Now, my neck just bothers me and I saw how chiropractic care helped Matt with his back and so I went yesterday and my neck feels great today. I will continue seeing him every week for one month and then less frequently after that.
The boys had a great day at school. When we got home, around 2:15, they wanted to go play outside. It was a beautiful day, mid 70's and sunny. So, we headed outside with the bubbles. It didn't take long for our neighbors to come out to play, so Madeline (3yrs old) and Miranda (3years old) came over. We played outside until 4:15 or so. Then I remembered I had to get going b/c I had to meet one of my good friends, Jen Thorne, out for dinner and a movie. I got the boys in for a snack and then we met Matt at the resturant me and Jen were going to eat. Matt took the boys back to the house and had pizza. They watched Fox and the Hound and ate Pizza upstairs.
Jen and I ate quick and then headed off to see "Departed." It had a great cast. Matt Damon, Leodardo D'Caprio, Jack Nickolson, etc. It was a great movie. There was quite a bit of bad language, but the movie, in general was very good. Jen is a friend whom I met in college. We were in a few Marketing classes together. We never hung out in college, just good aquaintances. She and her husband, Trey, started going to Fourth Avenue and we have been close ever since. Not to mention that Trey and Matt work together at GHX. We all went to Denver together last December. We had a great time out on the dance floor at around mid-night!!!! She is so much fun to be around. We are so much alike. We like the same food(although believe it or not, she is a little bit more picky that I am! Hard to believe!), have alot of the same interests, and have children around the same age. She has a little girl, Averi, who is 3. Avery just started going to the Little School where Jake and Will go. Jen and I love to "get away" and get out all of our girl talk. Last night we didn't have much time to talk, so maybe the next "get away" we will just spend 3 hours talking.
Well, I better go. Tomorrow we are supposed to go get the boys' flu shots and then off to the park to play with Luke Westerman, maybe James Adcox and Carson Pearman! Busy day.....

Steph

Today was a typical Wednesday. We had a good breakfast! The boys had pancakes and strawberries and bannanas and I had my ol' standby...toasted bagel with Peanut butter (all natural of course) and a bannana! Like anyone really cares.
The boys helped me sort all their summer clothes and winter clothes. I took all the summer clothes of Jake's and put them up and away. All of Will's will be good for Jake next summer so I put them under the bed in a storage container. Will helped me push all these under the bed. "Let me help Mama, I have BIG muscles!" I said of course you do. He really does help me alot around the house when I need an extra hand. After tiding up the house and watching President Bush say that Rumsfield was out, we all went outside to blow bubbles. It was a great day. Mid 60's and sunny. They love to blow bubbles. They will blow them and go chase them into the neighbors yard until they bust or blow away! I let them play some more and then I went in and made lunch. We ate lunch late. We all had Turkey and Cheese sandwiches with pretzels and yogurt. Yum Yum.
Rest time couldn't have come sooner. The boys were tired and so was Mama.
I am so glad the election stuff is over. I was getting very tired of all these negative ads.
Matt came home to quite some chaos tonight. I was making Salmon cakes, salad and peas when Jake decided to fling his peas and ketchup all over the dining room! In the midst of spanking Jake and making him pick every pea up, my Salmon cakes started to burn! They didn't look very pretty, but they tasted great. Matt cleaned up everything as usual. Afterwards Matt played with the boys while I got to watch "Biggest Loser."
I talked to Paige tonight before she and Lance head to New York. They leave Friday. They will be back on Sunday. Paige has to go there for business so Lance took full adavantage and got him a ticket too! I don't blame him. I will go and take care of her house while she is gone. I usually go and clean it on Thursday. But, I will go Saturday instead. Maddox, their bull dog, is staying with my Mom and Dad in Tullahoma.
Well, I will talk later.

Tuesday, November 7

The boys were in school today. They had a great day! Jake made a turkey out of a coffee filter and Will made a scarecrow to put on the door at school. It was a rainy day so they didn't get to play outside, so they play in this big room at church. It looks like so much fun. I went and watched Jake play in the big room after I took Will to his class. Jake didn't know I was watching. He went straight for the little car that he can push with his feet. He sat there for long time before pushing it to go! He looked like he was having so much fun. His teacher says he is extremely shy. He doesn't say much at all. He just likes to observe. Just like his Dad! Matt loves to be in a crowd, but he is happiest just watching everyone else. On the other hand, Will's teacher says he is a talker and loves to play right there with his friends. Will is somewhat shy, it takes him a while to warm up. But once he feels comfortable, he is a socialite!
I stood in line to vote today. The line took about an hour. I also went grocery shopping. I am proud, I spent $100 and saved $45. My dollar goes far when I used coupons and buy things on sale. I use a website called The Grocery Game. It saves me big bucks every month.
Holland called me about 4 pm today and wanted to go out to dinner tonight. Of course I consented and we met at Garcia's at 7pm. But before I went out with Holland, I went ahead and gave the boys a bath. They love the bath! I wanted to get that done so Matt wouldn't have to when he got home. I made the family Tacos and black beans. I sat with them and had a few bites of the delicious tacos (I was a little hungry). Then off to Garcias to meet Holland. We talked for 2 hours there! She is such a good friend. I am so blessed to have her in my life. We talked about kids, politics, family and yes, the dreaded s.e.x. word!!!!!!! Ha! ha! What goes on at Garcia's stays at Garcia's!!!! I think it is so important to have a good friend to talk to in life about life! It's good for me to talk to other Mom's having the same struggles I have. It makes me feel normal when sometimes at the end of a long day, I feel quite inadequate. Thank God for friends.
We didn't leave Garcia's till around 9pm and when I got home, I was glued to the TV with Matt watching the Election Coverage. Then off to bed!

Today was a typical Monday at the Hawkins Household. Matt went to work. I managed the boys and house. The boys had their breakfast and then were washed up and dressed. They love to watch Disney Channel. Their favorite shows are Wonder Pets and Handy Manny. Today they showed a disney movie, so they watched that while I cleaned up the house. I usually use Mondays as my cleaning day b/c it is usually a wreck after the weekend. I just cleaned the master bath and kitchen and did about 4 loads of laundry. Wednesdays I usually clean the upstairs and do more laundry.
The boys and I played doctor today when I pretended to fall down and hurt my leg. Will immediately went to locate the band-aids. But he couldn't find them and so he brought back a book of stickers and began to stick them all over my leg. Jake kept saying, "It's okay Mama, it don't hurt." Will said, "You'll be feeling better next week." I said "Next week? Don't you have anything stronger, Doc?" He didn't seem to get it. Ha!!!!
After rest time which is from about 1pm-3pm, I made them go run around the back yard. I told them they needed to do the obstacle course 5 times. They ran around the yard, swang on the swing 3 times and climbed up the ladder and then do it all over again. They were tired!!! Will made me do it too! Of course I did. I just ran the yard, no swinging or ladder climbing for me. I was tired too! Ive got to get into shape!
I made Poppyseed Chicken casserole tonight. Will ate 3 helpings. Jake is not a big fan of Poppyseed Chicken, but we made him eat it. Matt was a sweetie and did all the dishes! His Mama sure did train him up right. Actually, when I go home with Matt, his Dad helps out alot. He does dishes, laundry, whatever is needed. Matt says he always saw his Dad helping out, and I guess it stuck with him. Thanks Keith and Sherry!
I love being a stay-at-home Mom. There are days, though, that wear me down. Not so much physically, but emotionally. The boys begin fighting or they become bored with me. I have learned much within these 4 years. I truly believe that if the task is easy, then it ain't right. I believe that hard work pays off and hopefully me and Matt's parenting and sacrifices will pay off. I look into the boys eyes and see so much hope and amazing promise for them. They do seem to be hard workers and very driven boys.
I heard something today that has stuck with me all day. It was a quote from a girl from Uganda speaking to a group of Holocaust survivers....She said, "I don't believe I can change the world, but I can change people. And if you do that, then you will change the world." It is so true. Hope this inspires someone.
I hope to be back to write tomorrow....
Steph

Super Sunday Farm Pics

Happy 2nd Birthday Noah! Myla made this cute "Horse Farm" cake!
Jake and Dad on the hayride!

Getting a quick Family Pose in!

This is me on Govenor, the horse

Here is Paige, posing proudly. She claims she was a horse in another life.
And, here is Big, Bad Jake. No fear!

Super Sunday

Today was a busy, fun filled afternoon. I am so glad it is time to wind down. The boys are in bed fast asleep.
Matt had to go into work today to help out a guy who was working on a project. Matt needed to draw some things up for him so it wasn't anything he could do over the phone or computer. I managed to get everyone up and out the door for church. I had a big talk with the boys on the way to church about being good little boys in church b/c Mommy was by-herself today. They both smiled and said, "Yes Mommy, we will be good." Oh, don't you know they forgot about that talk as soon as they hit the church doors. We sat next to the isle just in case we had to make a bee-line for the nursery. And sure enough, after playing peek a boo with little Alex in front of us, we took Jake straight to the nursery. Will sat out there with me until time for Children's offering and then Children's Church. It was a great worship service. I feel so blessed to be at this church. The singing is absolutely awesome. You can't help but get chill bumps. I wish my whole neighborhood (world for that matter) could experience the Spirit inside the building.
After church we met Matt at home and headed to Lance's (Paige's hubby) parents house in Portland, TN. Lance's sister, Amy, was a good friend of mine at Lipscomb and she has an adopted son named Noah. It was Noah's 2nd BD and we were invited to attend the "Farm Themed" BD. It was an absolutey gorgeous day. As soon as we arrived, Myla (Lance's Mom) greeted us at the door with open arms (like we were her own kids). She said the horses are ready to ride and we have a hayride to go on too! The boys' face lit up and we headed straight for the horses. Jake rode the big black horse named Govenor.
Will was a bit sceptical. I know what he was thinking..."BIG BODY LITTLE BRAIN, If I get on that horse, how do I know it won't take off into the blue yonder." So, Will watched as Noah, Jake, Paige and myself took turns riding. It was a blast. I haven't ridden a horse since college. Matt won't get on a horse. I tried to get him to ride, but he wouldn't budge. Maybe one day I will get him on one. They are so much fun. After the horse rides, we borded the hayride. We all got on and headed down to the fish pond where we fed the fishes. There were dozens of catfish guzzeling down all the fish food the boys were throwing in. The boys LOVED it! After we fed the fish, the boys decided to throw rocks in the pond. Imagine that! Boys loving to throw rocks!
After a loop around the beautiful farm, watching all the cows grazing and even seeing about 16 baby calves born a short time ago, we headed in for cake and ice cream. We played for a while and then Amy gave the boys their goodie bags (bubbles to blow) and we went outside and blew bubbles. We had such a great time. Lance has got an amazing family. They are so special. Myla is always going out of her way for someone. She seems to never think of herself, always others. What a wonderful gift. I hope she takes care of herself sometimes, too.
Anyway, we had a wonderful, but very busy day.
We had to stop at Cracker Barrell on the way home. Will was complaining that he was "STARVING". So he ate all his Mac and Cheese and Carrots and Jake, of course, ate all his Mac and Cheese and Pinto Beans.
They went right to bed when we got home after talking to Pop Pop & NaNa Spraggins. Jake prayed for Govenor and of course they were giggling hard when Jake kept saying, "PEEP PEEP." Don't ask me why that was so funny. Boys will be boys. I guess I need to get off the computer and talk to my hubby. Stay tuned for more.....Lord willing......
Here are some pics...

Shopping and Trail walking

Today was a great day for me because I got to spend the day shopping with my Mom. We started the day going to the "Holiday Open House" at the Harmony House. This is a GREAT antique store in Franklin off of 2nd avenue. It is in the heart of the antique district in Franklin. It was a great Holiday Open House. All kinds of beautiful things. Mom got a few things for the boys and for her home for Christmas. We then went to P.D.'s in Franklin. This is another GREAT shop in that same area. If you have never been, you need to go to this area of Franklin. I love living in Franklin. It has such a great history and has a wonderful small town atmosphere. We then headed to the Puffy Muffin in Brentwood. Mom has never been there. She absolutely LOVED it. We sat at the bar and watched over the entire place chowing down on the scrumptious chicken salad sandwiches and cranberry salad! We then made it over to Cool Springs Mall where over half of Williamson County and every other surrounding county was! It was crowded. But thankfully we only had a few stops and then we were outta there. Went to Wild Oat Market to get my dad his soy nuts, organic trail mix and his KIMCHI (fermented cabbage). Dad is a health-nut as you can guess. It seems to be working for him though. He just completed the "Race to Jack-n-back" a few weeks ago at his ripe old age of 59. It is a 75 mile bike ride benefiting multiple sclerosis. He is certainly an inspiration to me and Matt even if he eats fermented cabbage!
Matt had the boys all day. He had a great day with them. He took them to Lowe's and bought some wood. He then took them over to our neighbors house to help them fix the slats on their bed. Matt is such a great guy! Helping, helping, helping! Our neighbors names are Bonnie and Nancy. Bonnie is in her forties and lives with her Mom, Nancy. Bonnie and I used to work together at Centennial Medical Center and now she lives in the neighborhood. We trade help with each other. They babysit the boys for free in exchange for Matt's wonderful help. After helping Bonnie and Nancy with their bed, Matt took the boys for a walk in the trail behind our house. It was a beautiful day for a walk. The boys had no nap, though, so it should be an interesting night. They will for sure go to bed early tonight! I just looked over and Will was asleep on the couch while watching Winnie the Pooh. I just put him in the bed. He wanted me to tickle his back. Of course I did and he fell right back to sleep! Jake is not far behind, he looks drowsy over there! Well, that is our day in a nutshell. Keep coming back to see what tomorrow holds.

These are my beautiful boys. Will (the blonde) who is 4 years old. Jake (the brownie) is 2 1/2 years old. They are as different as night and day. Will is a definate leader. Always has been and always will be (probably!). Jake looks up to Will so much. I can't say he is a "follower" though. Jake has as much strong will as Will does. That makes for some great brotherly love FIGHTS! Will loves to be around people. He is a realy people-person. He loves meeting new people and will talk to just about anyone (except for the Chucky E. Cheese mouse). He is still sceptical about that thing. I don't blame him.
Jake is quite shy in a crowd. He has to "warm up" to you for a while. Even his own MiMi has to get that "Wait a minute, I need some time to warm up" look. After a while, when he realizes it's okay to branch-out from Mama's view, and he really shows his great personality. Jake takes after Matt and Will takes after me that is for sure.
Both my boys are a true Gift from God. I take nothing, not even one second of each day for granted. I am truly blessed to be able to stay at home with them. Matt and I knew that was apart of the plan we wanted for our family and God has given us this blessing. I love being at home with them. Some days are trying but for the most part, we have a fun-filled day!

Me and Mattie! We have been together for a total of 13 years! Can you believe it! We met in Dr. Parker's English class in the computer lab! I was sitting in front of him and I turned around to meet this big handsome guy. I asked him if his name was "Matt" b/c he "looked like a Matt." He said "Yea, that's my name!" And the rest is HISTORY. It was so funny. When we met in November 1993 and had our first date, our next semester (Jan. 1994), Matt and I had almost every class together. It was like God had said "I am going to put you in each other's world." And He did! We were literaly in-seperable ever since. He asked me out for my birthday on November 18, 1993. I had to turn him down the first time he asked b/c I had a Volleyball game that night and I couldn't miss it! But I was really wanting to go out with him, so we put the date off for the next night. We went to this awesome restaurant called "Texana." It has since closed down, but they had great food and atmosphere.

I knew in my heart that Matt was the perfect guy for me. He was strong yet sensitive. I LOVE that. I knew that he would always take care of me. I remember going home (Huntsville, AL) with him when we first started dating. He drove this old, 1973 black Cheverolet truck. (it was his Grandpa's) . We headed down I-65 on a very cold January day with NO HEATER in the truck. He went and found a nice (as nice as could be in a college dorm) old warm blanket for me to wrap up in. We scooted close to each other and started the 2 and a half hour journey. On the way, we stopped and got gas. I knew I was going to marry Matt when he got out of the truck, popped the hood and checked all the oil gauges and fluids before getting back on the highway. Just another sign that "this guy was gonna take care of me." And he has and he always will. I am so blessed to have met him and have him in my life! If my boys are just HALF the man Matt is, they will go far in life.

Well, I am excited about posting my blog. I have been inspired by a few friends who have started doing this and have decided to create my own. I have been wanting to write in a journal for a long time, but never got around to it. I think this is perfect for me. I will try my best to keep it updated for all to see my beautiful family and experience day to day living in the Hawkins Household!