Gentry's Farm - again!

Dear Kate,

On Saturday, we headed with the family and Uncle Jaybee, Aunt Steph, Ellie and Christopher to Gentry's Farm.  Yep, again!  But you didn't seem to mind at all!  We had impeccable timing and arrived just in time to get a front parking spot and not wait in line for pictures on the truck!  You kiddos look cuter than ever with all those pumpkins around you!  

 We rode the hayride (which you loved) and headed over to get a good measurement on you.  If you recall from last year, you were less than a month old when we went..

So we didn't measure you last year.  But this year Mommy was determined to get you measured and determination is what it took!!!!

 If you can't tell, you do not want to quit moving!  You loved going from animal cage to animal cage and just being free like the wind! Eventually you and Kipper found a barrel of wheat to chit chat around...

 And apparently you and Daddy did some dancing...

 And Mommy had to be the mean guy and take you away from the slide, 50 times.  You were just determined to go up the slide and unfortunately the little kids there just did not want to let you!  In their defense, you are supposed to go DOWN the slide.  But man alive you did NOT like that at all and pitched a lovely fit...

 Thankfully you straightened back up for pictures!

It's a great tradition we do (usually with the rest of the gang but our nap schedules aren't coordinating very well right now!) and tons of fun for the whole family!  We picked out some cute pumpkins and you even slept with yours at nap time.  Can't wait for you to be a part of more and more of these traditions!! Love you Sweet Kate! 

John Michael's Visit

Dear Kate,
John Michael came to visit for a couple of days and what a blast we all had!  They arrived Sunday evening, just in time to play with you before your sister came home from a birthday party.  Shortly after playing, you headed to bed, but the next morning was fun filled at Gentry's Farm!

John Michael was a big helper!

And you all three picked out the perfect size pumpkin!

And someone got a little upset when the bottle filled with wheat was taken away from them...

Mimi had so much fun watching you run around everywhere and finally was able to grab a picture with all the kiddos!

I'm not sure what you are telling Sister, but I'm thinking it's along the lines of "Please stop moving the wheat away from me!!!" because you ate some and she was being a good big sister and moving the wheat away from you :)

DON'T EAT THE WHEAT!!!

And you really enjoyed the hayride this year.  We had to hold on tight to you because you wanted to walk around the whole time!

By the time we finished at Gentry's, you were exhausted, seeing as we just passed on your nap.  We headed to Mellow Mushroom where I assumed you'd fall asleep on the car ride but you didn't and eventually fell asleep in the stroller.  It worked out perfectly because you slept through the entire lunch! We headed home and were able to play outside a bit and enjoy the beautiful weather.  Mimi and JM stayed another night and the next morning we sent Abby to school and let you play with JM and Mimi by yourself!  JM and you had lots of fun just playing in that play room, but sadly they did have to leave.  But don't worry, I think JM had so much fun that he for sure will be back to visit!!!  A fun, fall weekend with your cuz!  Loves you!

CFA and Disney On Ice

Dear Kate, 

You had two very exciting firsts this past week. On Monday, we met Miss Kristin and Anna and Jacob at Chick-fil-A.  Of course, you've been to CFA before, BUT, you have never gotten to play on the playground, which is the reason you go to CFA, other than the free ice cream with a kids meal, and the delicious spicy chicken sandwich, oh, and the fact that a lady will come out to your car with a golf umbrella to help you and your kids not get wet when it's POURING down raining on Monday - yeah, seriously.  Anyway, Mommy let you play and while I was a bit nervous, I thought you'd be fine.  What I didn't think about was you climbing all the way to the top because, I mean, you are just one year old!  But no, no, I have monkeys for children apparently, and you had no problem climbing all the way up and around and into the car that sits there...

Thank goodness for sisters because your sister made sure you were safe for the entire 20 minutes you decided to hang out up there and also helped you down when you decided you had had enough.  And thank goodness you are a second child because Mommy has become a bit more relaxed with round 2 :)

Another first for you was your first show, particularly your first Disney on Ice show.  Mommy, Daddy, Sister and you all went to see Mickey and Minnie and a whole bunch of other friends ice skate around to fun music.  You were thrilled for the first 15 minutes, and even sat in my lap, but after those 15 minutes, you were ready to roam, so you did (we were in a box, which is the only reason we were able to take you, and the only way we survived!).

  

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being "I cried the entire time" and 10 being "I sat in Mom's lap the whole time", I give you a 6, maybe a 6 and 1/2 :) You did great considering and I know you will want to go back, maybe you could even talk your sister into getting closer???? Love you sweet Kate! 

Go Vols!

Dear Kate,
I just had to post the pic of you and your cuz all decked out in your orange at your sisters soccer game last weekend - all ready to cheer on those Vols!

Unfortunately, it was not a pretty game, exciting, but not pretty, as we lost it late in the game.  Oh well, you two sure are cute.  And we're Vols for life, anyway :)
Love you little vol!

Gymnastics (and a beautiful day!)

Dear Kate,

Guess what you are now?  A gymnast!!! That's right.  You are now in the Mommy and Me gym class at Let It Shine and you LOVE it!  I'm not too surprised since you have already started taking after your sister with the climbing and love of jumping and flipping over, etc.  We start off in this one area of the gym where we rotate between 7-8 different ''exercises" which teach you all the basics of a gymnast, including hand stands and cart wheels, and your fave, the bars!  

After a few minutes, your coach does "Bubble Time" where there are millions and millions of bubbles everywhere.  You really loved this and Mommy is not real sure why I haven't broken the bubbles out this whole summer??!  But, now I know and it will make a great fall activity :)  Anyway, you loved the bubbles, no doubt... 

After bubble time, we stretch and do straddles and touch our toes (or some of us do, those of us who are 34 years younger than their mommy, but anyway), and then we head out to the big girl gym.  This part changes every week and this week it was on the green floor where you played with the ball and went up and down a slide and all kinds of other fun things...

After we did the floor, we headed over to the trampolines and the famous pit that your sister loves to jump in.  You liked the trampoline okay when you were by yourself, but you really liked it if Mommy was holding you and jumping really high!  You didn't care too much for the pit, but I bet with time you will love some pit.  Overall, I think you are going to love gymnastics.  Mommy had so much fun playing with just you and can't wait until next Thursday!  

After gymnastics (and a REALLY long nap from you!), we picked Sister up from school and what a beautiful day it was.  We decided we needed to enjoy every bit of it outside, so that we did!   

I'm pretty sure you guys are twins, or at least come from the same monkey gene!   

 We wrapped the outside adventure up with a bike ride and a little trampoline time at our house.   A beautiful day with my beautiful girls!!!  Love you gymnast!