Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Garner's Gardening Service

Pax has a future in lawn care, I just know it...

Dirty Laundry

Lately, it seems I have this never ending pile of laundry. I wash it, I dry it, I put it in a pile to fold, and then I get distracted. Later in the week, I fold it and put it away. The only trouble is by the time I have it folded and put it away, I have a new pile of dirty laundry to wash, and the cycle begins again. I can't seem to catch up to it. Regardless, today after putting away laundry, I returned to the playroom to find this...

Fall Festival

We heart fall. The glorious weather, the beautiful colors, the fun of holidays... it's a great season. Pax's school hosted a community fall festival tonight which included train rides, inflatable games, a petting zoo, a firetruck with lights and firefighters, pony rides, face painting, tattoos, dinner, and a guaranteed good time. GiGi joined us as well as Aunt Jen, Uncle Jamey, Mason, and Miller. The boys enjoyed previewing their costumes: Fireman Pax, Mason the Bat, and Miller the Sweetest Pea in the Pod. A great time was had, and Pax topped off the night with a slumber party with GiGi and G-Daddy, our first night ever apart. Hooray for fall!


Always know where your fire extinguisher is and how to use it in case your pumpkins catch fire.

Some of the cutest boys I know

Our wonderful director of children's ministries encouraged Paxon to take a ride on the pony. He was glad to have her by his side!

Fall Fest Fun

Cousins + Pumpkins = Fun

Just a couple of boys hanging out on the farm

To celebrate the first sunny day in weeks, our family hit our local pumpkin farm with the Campbells. Fall break meant that we didn't have our normal evening commitments, so we enjoyed free Sunday fun. Due to the recent abundance of rain, we didn't pick pumpkins, but we played in a straw maze, rode tractors, went on a hayride, and saw some animals. It was an awesome afternoon. As an aside, Pax and Mason also had a little playtime in the tractor area with a certain famous Australian couple's young daughter. We opted to not photograph them for (hopefully) obvious reasons.

Pax in a game of tickle your cousin's hiney.

All three Campbell boys on the hayride

Who's excited about the straw maze?

Would anyone like some cheese?

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

Dear Chili Burrito Stranger,
I can't even remember what you look like right now, but I remember that you made my day. You did not know that my day started with a phone call to the pediatrician's office that left me 16 minutes to cook and eat breakfast, dress my child and myself, brush our teeth, pack a bag, feed the dogs and get out the door in order to make it to our appointment 4 minutes late. You were unaware that I had not showered today or even considered brushing my hair. You seemed not to notice that I was wearing jeans from the dirty laundry basket and the first long sleeved shirt I could grab from my closet. You seemed oblivious to the fact that my son's cough sounded like he'd been a smoker for 50 years. You only noticed how much you liked my hair and you told me that you'd been looking for a style just like mine. I realize that hair style is a personal preference and that, in fact, I may have looked as disheveled as I felt, but today, in that moment, you made me feel like a rock star and I really liked that. Thank you, Chili Burrito Stranger. I hope we meet again.
Mom of a sick toddler

Driver's Ed

I think I'm a decent driver. I mean, I don't think I deserve an award or anything, but I'm pretty good, above average even. I've never had an accident, though someone did hit my car in the Vanderbilt employee parking garage and didn't leave a note. The Honda still bears the scar. I do get an occasional speeding ticket (3 in 15 years, and one was highly debatable), but I haven't had one in a good while. I wear my seat belt religiously. I really like using my turn signal. I almost always come to complete stops at stop signs. I let people in in traffic. I'm not known for squealing tires. Still lately, whenever I put the car into drive, Pax pipes up in the backseat, "Be careful, Mommy!" What does he know that I don't?