Blog O' Bowmans

Hiking in the Smokies

2010-04-08T17:28:00.006-05:00

Our last full day on our trip was absolutely beautiful! A great day to get out and let the boys run around in the woods!

The Smokey Mountains have always been a favorite place for us to visit and this trip was no exception. We had a great time and got to do lots of things (and eat lots of good food!). We can't wait until next time!

Petting Zoo in the Smokies

2010-04-08T16:08:00.009-05:00

I'll just go ahead and admit it up front on this post...we took way too many pictures at the petting zoo! Jackson was hilarious with all the animals though. You'd have thought he was meeting some long lost relatives or something! The picture above is his first reaction to meeting a tame deer for the first time...wasn't scared a bit!

Another first...David feeding a camel. I'll have to say that the camels were just kind of gross...way too much slobber!

Checking out the zebra.

Daddy and boys with the miniature horses.

Jackson trying to climb over the fence to see the "zonkey"- you guessed it...combination of a zebra and a donkey. Very interesting.

Jackson was the funniest with the goats. There were probably 50 goats in the pen and he was intimidated bit...just strolled in like he owned the place and even gave one of them a kiss on the lips!

Love this picture! It looks like they're just talking a walk together. I'm sure Jackson's talking to him "So, what are those things on your head anyway?".

Giving another goat a hug.

Another funny one...when all the goats when running over to the fence thinking someone was about to feed them, Jackson ran over there with them like he was part of the herd or something!

Noah with his favorite goat- he affectionately decided to name him "Fred" and promised to come back to visit!

This was out first to time to go to the Petting Zoo, but definitely won't be the last. We all had lots of fun!

Bears and Snow

2010-04-08T15:50:00.005-05:00

During spring break, we took a little trip back up to the Smokies. One of the first things we did this time was to go feed some real bears! There's a really cool display set up almost like a zoo behind one of the gift shops where you can see the bears really well and drop some snacks down to them. The boys really enjoyed it.

Daddy and the boys!

Me and the boys with their spelunking (?sp) helmets on at the "rock quarry"!

After feeding the bears and a yummy lunch for ourselves at Alamo Steakhouse, we headed up in the mountains to check out the snow that remained. There was lots! In some places it was piled about a foot high. Noah had a ball getting out and running around in it.

As much as Noah loved it, Jackson wasn't so sure. It was a little packed down and slick in places. He was a little afraid of falling I think!

That's probably the most snow and ice we've ever seen up there...you can see all the huge iceicles hanging behind us. It was very pretty!

Bible Times

2010-03-21T16:49:00.004-05:00

Here's our "Little Boy David" all dressed up in his outfit put together by me and MawMaw! Noah was so proud of it...he wanted to look like the little boy David pictured in the Beginner's Bible. We got it as close as we could and he was pretty happy with it!
Jackson decided Noah actually needed a little spotlight for the occasion!

And of course, Jackson needed to stand up and say cheese just like Noah did. He's a little copycat for sure.

The kindergarteners spent all week working on Bible times things...a house, a well, pottery, scrolls, etc.

"Little Boy David" with "Queen Esther" a.k.a. Whitney Cook!

When they came to the lunchroom for the Bible times feast, they sang a few of their favorite Bible songs. Here's little boy David with some friends...Elijah, King David, and Methusalah!

After singing, we had a little feast in which we got to sample lots of food from Bible times...Noah discovered fish and almonds weren't so bad, and I was pleasantly surprised that lentils are quite good!

Making Bread at School

2010-03-11T13:42:00.003-06:00

This week is "Bible Times" week in kindergarten at ABS. They're learning about houses, clothing, food, etc. from Bible times. Today they got to make their very own unleavened bread! I volunteered to help out, so me and 5 little boys got to make bread together.
I didn't know what to expect from a project like this, but they really did very well and followed instructions. Our bread wouldn't win any awards for looks, but hopefully turned out tasting ok...they were supposed to eat some at lunch, so we'll find out how it was.
Tomorrow will wrap up Bible Times week...they all get to dress like a Bible character. MawMaw and I made the costume today, so we'll hopefully have some pictures of a little boy David to post tomorrow.

Bubble Bath Fun

2010-03-11T13:31:00.003-06:00

Noah decided to make his own bubble bath the other night by dumping out most of the bottle of soap when I wasn't looking. I wasn't real happy about that, but he did such a good job making his mohawk I couldn't fuss at him too much!
Jackson had fun in the bubbles, too...you can see the remnants of supper still on his face!

The Bowman Brothers!

Cowboy Jackson...Again!

2010-03-11T13:20:00.003-06:00

So Jackson found Noah's old cowboy boots the other day and decided it was time to be a cowboy again! They are still a little big on him, but he loved wearing them. He looked too cute!
He let out a good "Hee-Haw!" while riding his horse.

Then he decided it was time to take a picture of mommy taking his picture.

He had a little trouble climbing up to slide in them, but he made it!

Officially Caught Up!

2010-03-01T23:38:00.003-06:00

Can you believe that you're actually seeing a post from the Bowmans?! I'm sure everybody thought we had given up, but I think I've got us back on track. Below you'll find several posts to catch up on everything since the first of December. Yes, I know that the last post was from October, so the month of November is entirely missing. That would be my fault...we had issues getting pictures to download and in my attempt to fix the problem by taking both memory cards to get the pictures transferred to CDs, I apparently accidently threw one of the cards away in a purse. That wiped out what Halloween pictures we had and anything else that happened in November, so I was pretty sick about that. I think we have all the kinks worked out now and I'm going to do my best to keep a little more up to date. So have a little Christmas in March and enjoy catching up on all of pictures!

Noah's Broadway Show

2010-03-01T23:25:00.005-06:00

Last weekend, Noah got to be in his first show since starting kindergarten. The elementary at ABS did a Broadway musical show and his class got to sing a song from "The Sound of Music." They did a really great job! They looked so cute all dressed up! Above is a picture of Noah with one of his little friends Will.

Most of the gang- they wouldn't all fit in the shot at the same time!

Waiting for the show to start!

On stage.

Heading back to their seats after singing...we were so proud of all of them!

Charlie Brown Ice!

2010-03-01T22:45:00.008-06:00

Aunt Danna was able to score some tickets for us to take the boys to see the Charlie Brown Ice! exhibit in Nashville...we weren't able to go until right after the first of the year, but had a great time!

Before going in the freezing area where the sculptures were, we were given parkas to help stay warm. As you can see, Jackson's was just a little too big! We were glad to have them, though, because it was VERY cold!

Noah was just a little unhappy with being forced to wear a coat that didn't fit! Clothes fitting well is a big thing for him, so we kind of got started off on the wrong foot with this coat!

Once we got inside and saw what it was all about and how much we needed the coats, things got a little better!

We had to get pictures of Jackson with Linus...we've always thought he was kind of like Linus since he has a blanket that goes everywhere with us. It's affectionately called the "BaBa" and is Jackson's prized possession! Loved this one where he was turned around looking at Linus like "Hey- he's got a baba too!"

How sweet is that!

The giant ice slide! Noah thought it was pretty cool!

Jackson didn't seem to be able to slide very well- I guess he doesn't weigh enough. He needed a few pushes to make it down.

Noah in Snoopy's house.

The boys with the Coca-Cola bears.

After we finished seeing Charlie Brown, we headed over to Opry Mills for dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe... Jackson wasn't too sure what to think about all those jungle animals!

Daddy and Noah...what a fun day!

Christmas Morning

2010-03-01T22:04:00.011-06:00

As you can see when we made it to the living room on Christmas Morning, the boys had quite a loot and didn't really know where to go first!

It didn't take Jackson too long to find the chocolate in his stocking, though!

Noah with what has now become his most prized position- his Nintendo DSi- thanks, Santa! That's probably one of the best investments Santa has ever made!

Jackson got a new train set he's pretty fond of.

His favorite thing, though, is something called a Saxoflute- an instrument that can be rearranged and rebuilt into several diffierent things. The dog's ears may never be the same again, though...that thing is loud!

A special gift for Noah from Mommy and Daddy- his very own BB/Pellet gun! Now Daddy has a partner to go shooting with!

Checking out the train together.

One of their favorite things was a shaving kit they each got from Santa...now they can be like Daddy!

Jackson had to try his out, too. Can you tell that they've watched Daddy shave just a few times?

After getting all their gifts from Santa at home, we headed out to GG and Grandy's for lunch with the family. Jackson was still a little tired and glad for a little time to rock in GG's lap. I think she enjoyed it more than he did!

The whole gang, minus a few that wouldn't fit in the picture! We completely fill up GG and Grandy's living room now!

Everybody else that wouldn't fit in the other shot!

We had a really great Christmas...from our trip to all of our family get togethers there's nothing that we would've changed. The boys had a great time and lots of good memories were made!

Cookies for Santa

2010-03-01T21:51:00.005-06:00

During the day on Christmas Eve, the boys and I made some cookies to put out for Santa.

After we got home from Mom's, we frosted and sprinkled them.

Jackson, of course, had to taste the first one he decorated.

Noah did the same...we decided the cookies passed the taste test and were good enough for Santa!

It was pouring down raining and horribly windy that night, so we didn't get to make pictures of putting carrots out for the reindeer...David got to do that job while the boys watched from the front door!

Christmas Eve

2010-03-01T21:24:00.006-06:00

We always have Christmas Eve dinner at MawMaw's house to spend time together and open presents...this year was no exception!

Loved this picture of Rachel and Jackson...he loves his Rachel and Olivia!

Me, Mom, & Wendy

Can you tell that both of our boys were just a little tired from the trip? Neither of them even really felt like eating anything.

Noah and Olivia put on a little Christmas show for us...their own rendition of "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer".

All of the grandkids, minus the Houston gang.

Mom opening presents with a little comic relief from David and Wendy- not sure what Wendy was doing with the gloves!

Jackson opening presents with a little help from Rachel.

Noah with his new operation game from Wendy and Scott.

Smokies Part 3

2010-02-23T13:12:00.007-06:00

We couldn't resist having our picture made with the life size wax figure of Buddy the Elf! Love that movie.
The Meads with Buddy

One of our favorite spots in Gatlingburg- The Village. It looked so pretty decorated for Christmas.

We took a few last shots of the inside of our cabin before time to go.

Smokies Trip Part 2

2010-02-22T15:46:00.006-06:00

Part of the deal of going on our trip was no Christmas presents for the adults, but we took a night while we were all together for the kids to open presents.

Jackson did this completely spontaneously...he leaned down to look up the chimney and said "Where's Santa?". Too cute.

Noah had to join in the search for Santa, too.

Our two little men ready for presents!

Jackson didn't need any help figuring out what to do this year!

Hannah showing off her sweater and scarf we we gave her.

Hillary with her new scarf.

Papa seemed to enjoy the Christmas more than any other we've had...a few days of just being together made him happy.

Noah loved his new Star Wars helmet from Papa and Nana.

Clone Trooper Noah

And the little copycat Jackson had to give it a try too!

Trip to the Smokies

2010-02-22T11:29:00.008-06:00

The weekend before Christmas, we took a trip to the Smokies with Papa, Nana, Randy, Danna, Hillary and Hannah to celebrate the holidays a little differently this year. We really enjoyed it after we had to alter our plans a little...it snowed a good bit the first night and we couldn't make it to the cabin we were going to stay at. After a overnight stay at a hotel in Piegon Forge, we made it to our cabin the next morning.

It was hard to get a good view of the front of the cabin because it was kind of hidden in the trees, but if you look closely you'll see our beautiful cabin.

Unfortunately, Jackson got sick right after we got there, so he didn't get to go out to enjoy playing in all the snow with the big kids! He got the first ever trip to the doctor while on vacation our family has ever had to have. After getting some antibiotics for double ear infections, he started feeling better.

Noah and Hillary built a little snowman right outside the cabin.

The finished product- not sure exactly what they ended up using for the eyes, nose, and mouth...I think maybe peanut M&Ms were the buttons!

A little bit of a better view of the front of the cabin.

Hannah posing for some shots in the snow.

A snowball fight broke out between Hillary and Noah!

They had so much fun playing in the snow! I think this was the most snow Noah had ever had to play in.

Looks like he loved his snowball fight!

A very pretty view from the cabin...all the trees and mountain tops covered in snow were so beautiful!

Field Trip to Santa's Village

2010-02-22T10:53:00.003-06:00

Before Christmas break, Noah's kindergarten class took a field trip to Santa's Village. They got to practice making Christmas cookies, enjoy a story read by Mrs. Claus, and several other crafts and activities.

The whole gang with Mrs. Nave.

Noah saying hi to the real reindeer!

First Snow of the Year

2010-02-22T10:28:00.005-06:00

This has ended up being the first snow of many this year. Jackson loved going out to check it out, but didn't like it when his hands got really cold after playing in it for a while! He wouldn't keep his gloves on.

Noah found his little elf Allan riding on the reindeer outside! We figured the snow must have made him a little homesick for the North Pole. (Allan comes to stay with us every year...he shows up sometime after Thanksgiving and stays until he goes home on Christmas Eve with Santa. He reports back to the North Pole how things are going at our house, while ocassionally getting into a little trouble himself. He evidently snuck outside during the night when the snow started this time!)

Noah's snow angel! It didn't last too long before Bones and Jackson trampled through it!

Christmas Parade

2010-02-22T08:43:00.006-06:00

This is the beginning of what may be the only Christmas posts you'll see in March, but here it goes! I'm just a little behind on blogging...due to camera/computer/memory card issues, November pictures were completely lost and December and January pictures are just now making it into the computer to be posted. This is the start of a catch up blog o thon for me!

The first week of December, we bundled up to head out to the Athens Christmas Parade. This was Jackson's first parade, and Noah took his job teaching him all about it very seriously! They looked so cute sitting there together!
Jackson checking out the cotton candy.

Another favorite pic of mine...Noah kept his arm around Jackson almost the whole time.

The cutest thing of the night- Jackson didn't care too much for the loud sirens, so everytime something really loud was coming, Noah held his hands over Jackson's ears to block it out a little! What a good big brother!

Fall Festival

2009-10-26T15:03:00.006-05:00

Noah's school had their Fall Festival this weekend. You'd have thought we were going to Disney World again judging by how excited he was! He had lots of fun playing all the games. Our kindergarten booth had "Plinko" like the game from "The Price is Right". It seemed to be a big hit...there was always a line to play.
Looking for a "needle in a haystack" to win a prize.

His favorite thing of all...the big inflatable slide. I think we used most of our tickets here!!

It was pretty steep, so he shot down like a little rocket! As soon as it was over, he run around to do it again. Maybe we need one of these at home? Not sure where I'd be able to fit it in though!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T13:08:00.012-05:00

Last Friday, Noah's kindergarten class took a field trip to Tate Farm's Pumpkin Patch. David, Jackson, and I got to go along to join the fun, too.
Scarecrow Noah

Scarecrow Jackson

Jackson loved all the pumpkins! He learned to say Pumpkin Patch and there's no telling how many times we've heard him say it since!

Playing in the corn crib!

The perfect pumpkin! He insisted on getting a really big one this year.

Daddy and Jackson

Jackson's Birthday

2009-10-23T15:03:00.009-05:00

I'm running way late on putting pictures of from Jackson's birthday, but better late than never! His birthday was on a Monday, so the Sunday before, we had lunch to celebrate at our house after church with MawMaw, PawPaw, Aunt Wendy and family, and GG & Grandy. We had an Elmo cake which Jackson loved!
We actually had a hard time keeping him out of it! He wanted to dive right in as soon as he saw it.

Just thought this picture of Noah and Olivia was too cute!

Jackson loved it when we sang "Happy Birthday" to him...he even knew what to do when it was time to blow out the candles. He had a little help from Mommy, but he tried it on his own.

Finally getting to eat cake! His favorite!

Opening presents with big brother Noah to help. Noah did so good helping him with everything...I don't think he was any happier on his own birthday!

Two sweet little boys! They looked so cute sitting together checking out a couple of little toys that Jackson got. We're so thankful they love each other so much.!

Jackson had lots of fun (and we did too) at his birthday party. Can't believe he's already 2! We love you little buddy!

Tough Week at Work

2009-10-09T11:07:00.021-05:00

Whew!!!

It's been a tough week at work. First it was Miami Beach on Monday...

Then, got some work done Tuesday at a meeting at our helicopter base in Miami. Leaving the Tamiami airport I was able to see a some history of the Bay of Pigs with a displayed Cuban Air Force B26-C Invader.

Then the nerd in me had to swing by The National Hurricaine Center in Coral Gables just because it was close by.

Then it was a nice drive down past the Everglades into Key Largo and Islamorada...

I've been to a lot of hospitals and in a lot of ambulances over the years, but I've never seen either like this! A Turtle hospital and ambulance. I've seen it all now!

Longest bridge on the Overseas Highway. The Atlantic Ocean is on the left side and the Gulf of Mexico is on the right. This is the point where the two meet. Pretty cool!

It was a beautiful drive, but I was glad to finally get to Key West!

Duvall Street is packed with unique shops and eateries. It's kind of like South Beach though; a little too unusual for a hillbilly from Tennessee.

Went to Sunset Pier and watched the world famous Key West sunset Tuesday night. It was amazing; just like they say...

Then on Wednesday after some meetings and work with our base in Key West I got in a few final tourist sites before time to get to the airport and fly home. Saw all of the classics like Hemmingway's Home...

The end of US 1 (which I have been at the beginning of in Bar Harbor, Maine) and mile marker "O" for the United States roadway system.

The Key West Lighthouse was absolutely beautiful!

Flagler Beach wasn't too bad either...

Complete with the clearest water I've ever seen at a beach anywhere. This water was even clearer than in the Bahamas!

They claim to have the "best Key Lime Pie in the world." It was pretty good, but at $4.50 a slice I think I'll stick to the cheaper options. I liked my Kalauah Almond Fudge ice cream cone even better.

A nice older couple from Pennsylvania took my picture with the southernmost point buoy. Only 90 miles to Cuba! Back in 1990 I never thought wearing a snow white outfit and being a guy in nursing school would take me to places like this. A career in air medical has turned out to be better than I ever even dreamed it could be.

But, after three days away for business I was ready to be home. It was great to see Becky, Noah, Jackson and even Bones had come to the airport to pick me up. The Keys are a very nice place to visit, but I'll keep the Tennessee Valley instead.

2 Years Ago Today...

2009-10-05T15:27:00.002-05:00

this was our baby Jackson! We are celebrating Jackson's 2 year birthday today! Can't believe it's been two years since our little buddy came into our lives. I remember thinking before he was born that we almost couldn't imagine loving another child like we loved Noah. It didn't take us too long to figure it out! We love him so much and he makes our family complete. We couldn't ask for a cuter, sweeter, happier baby than we got. He's the perfect little brother for Noah and they have become best buddies since he came along. The last two years have flown by and I'm sure the ones to come will go by even faster, so we'll have to look back on baby pictures like these to remember what our baby Jackson was like.

Happy Birthday Jackson! We love you very much!!!!

Can I PLEASE Sleep With Noah????

2009-09-27T11:39:00.002-05:00

Jackson loves his big brother so much that bedtime is becoming a struggle for us. When I start to carry Jackson to his room, he cries and cries- not because he has to go to bed, but because he's leaving Noah. He cries Noah's name over and over. Every night when it's almost bedtime, they lay down on the couch together to watch a little TV. When this time is up is when the troubles begin. Not sure what to do about it...I've thought about letting them try to sleep together, but I'm a little hesitant to take Jackson out of the crib just yet. He's always slept so good in his bed that I'm afraid to change anything!

It's Rained So Much I Need a Life Jacket!

2009-09-27T11:30:00.004-05:00

Jackson apparently decided the rain was a definite threat the other day because he brought his life jacket in from the garage and insisted on putting it on! It has rained lots lately!
He ended up wearing it around the house for a couple of hours before the fun wore off! Thankfully, we can now see lots of sunshine forecasted for the week!

Reading Time

2009-09-27T11:24:00.002-05:00

As he frequently does, Noah made it into Jackson's room the other morning before we did. When we made it in there, we found Noah in Jackson's bed reading to him! It's hard to tell which one loves the other more...Noah loves taking care of Jackson, and Jackson pretty much thinks Noah hung the moon!

Cowboy Jackson Part 2

2009-09-27T11:20:00.003-05:00

This time Cowboy Jackson found his horse!

Noah's First Soccer Game

2009-09-12T14:18:00.007-05:00

He was thrilled with his new uniform, of course!
Noah got to make the first kick of the game!

Having fun!

Running hard- I think he was a little surprised at how hard he had to play at soccer!

After the game he was all smiles even though our team didn't come out on top. He had fun and that's all that counts I guess!

Can't believe how grown up he looks in this picture! Go Blue Sharks! Maybe we'll have better luck next Saturday!

Noah's All About Me Day

2009-09-12T13:50:00.007-05:00

This week was Noah's turn to have All About Me day! On Monday, I went and decorated the bulletin board with pictures of Noah and all his favorite things.
Friday was the official All About Me event, so David and I went to his classroom yesterday afternoon and Noah got to tell the class all about his pictures...so now they know all about Noah!

We read the class a couple of Noah's favorite Max & Ruby books.

We had a special snack- a big cookie decorated with a soccer ball since he's getting ready for his first big soccer game!

Noah helped hand out snacks to all his friends.

At the end, he gave me a great big hug and kiss, so I guess he was happy with how his day turned out! Sweet boy!

Grandparents' Day

2009-09-12T13:36:00.003-05:00

Noah's school had a special Grandparents' Day Celebration yesterday. MawMaw was able to go with Noah to his classroom where all the kids gave their grandparents a special gift that they made, then we all went to lunch with Noah in the school lunchroom. He was very proud to have his family there with him at school.
Happy Grandparents' Day to all the grandparents out there!

Cowboy Jackson

2009-09-12T13:23:00.004-05:00

I pulled out a cowboy costume that never was worn by Noah the other day to see if it would fit Jackson for this year- looks like a perfect fit! He loved it!
Looks like he's ready to pull out his guns here.

Daddy found a toy gun for him to play with...evidently every good cowboy needs a gun!

Soccer Practice

2009-09-02T14:04:00.006-05:00

Since school started, things have gotten a little busier for us! Noah wanted to give soccer a try this fall, so we signed him up and have begun practicing. The first big game is next weekend.

Ever the biggest fan of his brother, Jackson watches from the sidelines. He also tries to make a few escapes out onto the field at times, too!

Noah's doing very good at practice so far, and seems to really love it.

Check back in a week or so for pics from the first game! His team is called the Blue Sharks.

First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-10T19:31:00.010-05:00

Noah's day started with an earlier than usual wake up! When he realized Daddy was taking pictures of him waking up, he put his hand out like he was blocking the paparazzi or something!
Once he got moving, he was ready to go!

Walking in school with his little brother! I think Jackson would have stayed with him.

Family picture for Noah's Kindergarten scrapbook.

Getting his backpack settled with Mrs. Nave.

Getting to work- drawing a picture of his family was his first assignment.

Leaving chapel he was all smiles.

On the way home from school he seemed thrilled with his day...the exact quote was that "It was more fun than Disney World." Wow! If I would've known that we could have put last years trip money toward tuition instead!

The Splash Pad

2009-08-07T16:42:00.009-05:00

Atina and I took the kids to Florence to the Splash Pad today. They had so much fun! Noah and Samuel always have a good time playing together and today was no exception. We stopped at Dick's on the way for some soccer shoes for the two of them, then headed to the playground where they killed a little time waiting on the water to come on. Jackson wasn't so sure about it- he played on the edges and was afraid to go into the big water! Blakely took him in and mothered him a little bit! It was fun, but very hot, so after an hour or so, we changed into dry clothes and took them to lunch at McDonalds. It was a fun way to spend our last day of summer before school starts! Thanks Atina, Samuel, and Blakely!

Riding with PawPaw

2009-08-07T16:36:00.002-05:00

PawPaw hooked the wagon up behind the lawnmower last night and took the boys for a ride. Noah has always loved getting to do this. It was Jackson's first time, and I think he loved it just as much!

Summer Fun

2009-08-07T16:20:00.005-05:00

When we were outside Tuesday afternoon, Noah asked to play in the sprinklers. We had already been swimming, but he played in the water for a while again anyway. Jackson wasn't too sure about it, but Noah had a great time.

Jackson had more fun hanging out in the back of daddy's truck and watching Noah blow bubbles!

He tried to blow a few on his own and managed to make a pretty good one!

Later on, after supper and bath time, they wrestled for a while. I think Jackson won this round- he pinned Noah down by sitting on his head! They have so much fun together!

Kindergarten Meet and Greet

2009-08-07T15:10:00.007-05:00

Monday night, we had a Kingergarten Meet and Greet for Noah's class at ABS. We met at the park, let the kids play, and had snacks.
Can't believe our little boy is growing up and ready for school now!

Jackson had lots of fun at his big brother's party! I think he's going to like all the school related activities that we get to go to!

He liked the cupcakes best of all...Jackson never misses a chance for cake!

Heather Nave- Noah's teacher played a little game with all the kids to get them to tell a few things about themselves. I think they're going to have a great year- 13 boys and 5 girls! Noah's got lots of opportunities for new friends. He's very excited and can't wait for Monday to get here!

2009-07-26T20:59:00.007-05:00

Last Saturday night we took the kids to the Kiddie Carnival for a fun little night out. PawPaw was working that night, so he got to help Noah and Jackson get all settled in on the scrambler.
They had a ball! Couldn't get a good picture of Jackson smiling, but he kept looking over at Noah and just grinning at him.

Next came the roller coaster. Noah took his job of hanging onto Jackson seriously. He put his arm around him and held on so well that by the time it over, Jackson was practically sitting in Noah's lap.

Loved this picture of the back of their little heads with Noah hanging onto Jackson!

Daddy had to ride the carousel with Jackson to make sure he didn't take a nose dive off of his horse! Don't know what's up with the look on Noah's face here- he did actually enjoy the ride!

Noah looks a little happier in this one! After the carousel, we grabbed a couple of bags of cotton candy and headed home with a couple of tired little boys!

Noah's 6th Birthday!

2009-07-17T20:47:00.009-05:00

We had a party Thursday night for Noah's 6th birthday. We kept it much smaller this year than before- we had supper for all the grandparents and Aunt Wendy and family. I don't really think Noah missed having the bigger party that we've had in the past. After it was all over last night he said "This is the best birthday ever!"

Jackson enjoying his cake- he had been asking for cake all afternoon. He loves a reason to celebrate! Celebrations always mean more cake for Jackson's belly!

Noah practicing with his new basketball from MawMaw and PawPaw. He also got a soccer ball from Aunt Wendy and Uncle Scott. He's planning to play this fall, so he'll be able to get some good practice!

Noah sporting his new Pokemon pajamas with GG and Grandy! We were very glad that they were able to come and celebrate with us. Noah was also very happy that Papa and Nana got to come to his party and spend the night with him!

Check out the new remote control airplane Noah got from Nana and Papa! He hasn't gotten a chance to fly it yet, but I'm sure and his daddy will have a good time with that one!

Happy Birthday Noah! Hope 6 years old will be a good year for you!

Happy Birthday Noah...and meet the new member of the family!

2009-07-15T14:29:00.007-05:00

The biggest news of today is...Happy Birthday Noah!!! Noah is 6 years old today! It's hard to believe that it's been 6 years since our little boy entered our lives. He's grown up so fast and is getting ready to start kindergarden! He's such a good and sweet little boy, and such great big brother for Jackson. We love him to pieces and are so proud of him.

That's our big news for the day...Noah's big news is his birthday present- His new hamster! He's been asking for one for months now, so we decided to let him get one for his birthday. After VBS we headed over to Petco and let him pick one out. Noah is the now the very proud owner of a long haired Teddy Bear hamster!
Introducing the newest addition to the Bowman house- "Rhino" the hamster! He seems to like it here pretty well so far...As soon as we put him in his cage he explored just a little bit, then curled into a little ball and went to sleep. Welcome to the family Rhino! Noah loves you very much!

More of David's pictures from Jacksonville, Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, Florida

2009-07-11T09:46:00.086-05:00

KSC main entrance.

YES. I would go for a ride in a second!

The history of the studs of space travel. Very cool.

Launch tonight if the wx holds...

The VAB and the Shuttle Endavour on Pad 39A.

Cape Canaveral Maritime firefighting school.

Flowers at Wakulla.

Tiki showers.

100 tropical plants from 25 countries. Wow.

More pretty flowers.

Beautiful sunrise Tuesday morning.

Cocoa Beach pier and launch Pad 39A

in the background.

Wakulla Beach entrance at sunrise.

God showing out!

This one is my personal favorite.

I'm going to

have it matted and framed.

First glimpses of the sun Tuesday morning.

Sunrise while everyone else is still asleep...

We couldn't find Jeannie
or Astronaut Nelson anywhere...

Lot's of Hawaiian themes in Cocoa Beach.

C130's from the 920th Rescue Wing ramped

at Patrick AFB on Cocoa Beach. They provide SAR

operations for all Space Shuttle launches.

Our Disney Cruise ship, The Disney Wonder.

This time without us boarding. :(

Daytona Beach one day after the Coke Zero 400.

Historic St. Augustine, Florida with
lighthouse on Conch Island.

USCG Sector Jacksonville.

Oh to be in a USCG SA-365 N3 Dauphine

flying down the coast!

Naval Station Mayport commanded by
Capt. Aaron Bowman, USN.

My friend John's helicopter program, with

LifeFlight 1 at home helipad in Jacksonville.

Becky's annual birthday fireworks show. This

year from the St. Johns River in downtown

Jacksonville, Florida.

Family Pictures from the Beach

2009-07-10T23:14:00.007-05:00

The whole gang- a big friends reunion at the beach!

Goofy picture!

Our family!

The Walls- Kevin, Nesie, Madeline, and Sam

The Zenks- Bill, Sara, Carl, Jackson, and Laura

The kiddos! They had so much fun playing together on the beach and in the pool!

Carl, David, and Kevin

We had such a great time with great friends! Though we are now spread apart from Alabama, to Atlanta, to Maine, we consider the Walls and the Zenks some of our dearest friends. We've grown from a group of 6 that hung out together before marriage and before kids, to a big group of 13, kids and all! No matter how much distance and time passes between us, we seem to be able to pick up where we left off and have a great time. Thanks for a great vacation! Hope to do again very soon! We love you all!

More Beach Pics

2009-07-10T22:49:00.010-05:00

These guys look like a day in the sun and water wore them out! It did actually- everybody slept really good!
The world famous Ron-Jon Surf Shop was right next to where we were staying. It was a pretty cool place. It stays open 24 hours a day, so we did our shopping at about 11:30 one night.

Jackson flirting with Sara's mom! He's a little charmer wherever he goes.

We all took turns cooking dinner and on Kevin and Nesie's night, they cooked up a shrimp boil for us! It was great!!!

David can be more of an early bird on vacation than I can! Since I never wake up in time to see the beach sunrise, he took these great pictures so I can at least know what it looks like. Isn't it gorgeous?

Our little surfer- it might work a little better out in the waves though! He had fun taking his board out and laying down on it to ride the waves in.

Fun on the Beach!

2009-07-10T22:11:00.009-05:00

Jackson hasn't quite taken to loving the pool yet, but he sure did love playing around in the ocean.
David, being the good sport he is, let the kids bury him in the sand. They all had fun with it, even Jackson got in on the action!

The finished product!

After the Daddy burial, Noah and Jackson attempted to do the same to Noah- didn't work out so well, but they had fun trying.

Noah loves the ocean as always!

Happy as a lark when he's at the beach!

I think Jackson loves it just as much as Noah does!

Happy 4th and Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-07-10T21:56:00.004-05:00

On the 4th of July, we celebrated a little bit differently this year. We set out on a trip to the beach to meet up with friends that we haven't gotten to see in quite some time. On Saturday, we drove to Jacksonville, Florida to spend the night. Sunday morning we headed down the A1A to Cocoa Beach to spend a few days just hanging out and enjoying good company!

Thought this was too cute of Jackson! He thought the luggage carrier was a custom made ride for himself! He hopped on and rode it all the way downstairs as we were checking out of the hotel Sunday morning.

Jackson's First Haircut

2009-07-09T17:36:00.009-05:00

Noah and Jackson waiting to get their haircuts- Jackson was happy to be there!
Noah went first so Jackson could see what it was like- Mr. Carwile played with Jackson while he cut Noah's hair to get him used to it.

Jackson wanted to climb up next to Noah. That was part of our plan- he wants to do everything just like Noah does!

Before the cut- it was getting a little long and out of control in the back! Although it was pretty cute when it curled up!

Jackson climbed right up in the chair ready to go!

He was happy as a lark! Didn't give us any trouble at all.

After the cut! Looks a lot different doesn't he? Kind of mind him look more grown up all the sudden!

Brotherly Love!

2009-06-26T21:16:00.007-05:00

Jackson and Noah are enjoying being together so much since Noah's out of school. Jackson has turned into a little copy cat, everything Noah does, he has to do too.

This picture is a good example of that- Noah laid down on his belly, and Jackson immediately had to do the same thing!

Jackosn got new Elmo pajamas today, and he's quite proud of them. Keeps pointing to everybody on them and says "Elmo, Cookie, and Bert!"

I know I said this the last time I got behind on blogging, but I'm really going to try to keep up better! We've not had a lot going on, just playing outside and swimming a lot. We had a few pictures from Jackson's first trip to the pool this year, but accidently deleted them from the camera! We'll try to get more next time.

Final T-Ball Game

2009-06-15T17:04:00.005-05:00

Noah's team had their final T-ball game last weekend. They made it to the finals in the post-season playoffs. Even though Noah probably played better in that game than he has all season, they weren't able to pull it out and came in second. We were still very proud of him and his team. They had a great year!

Noah's fan club! I think he brought the most fans ever with him to the final game! You probably can't see everybody here, so I'll list them! Me, David, Jackson, Danna, Randy, Hillary, Hannah, Rachel, Olivia, MawMaw, PawPaw, Aunt Margie, and Uncle Barry! Yep, that's 13 people he had cheering just for him! You'd have thought he was in the world series! It was great having everybody come out and help us cheer him on.

Noah's second trophy of the season for being runner-up in the tournament! We couldn't have asked for a better first season. We're already excited about next year!

Happy Birthday David!

2009-06-03T20:28:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to you, David! I won't say just how old he is, but let's just say we won't be celebrating 30 something anymore after this year! Papa and Nana came over today to spend the night, so for dinner we grilled out, then had birthday cake!
Jackson of course enjoyed the cake. He found it in the kitchen a while before supper and kept walking around saying "cake cake cake". The little guy loves him some cake!

Pirates of the Bowman House

2009-06-02T15:11:00.004-05:00

Noah pulled out the pirate costumes the other day, put one on himself, one on Jackson, and said "Come on Jackson, let's play pirates!" Off they went to the pirate ship in the playroom to do just that. Jackson tried his best to figure out how to climb up on top just like Noah did, never quite succeeded though!

Ahoy Captian Jackson!

Fighting over the controls of the ship! They had lots of fun. Noah's been doing well here lately trying to play things that Jackson can actually try to do with him. I think when Jackson's a little bigger, they're really going to have a good time with each other!

Campin' in the Garage!

2009-06-02T14:55:00.004-05:00

Noah has been wanting to go camping and David's been wanting to take him for a while now, it just hasn't worked out for them to go. While I was at work the other night, they came up with the idea to camp in the garage since they couldn't camp outside. I think Noah was thrilled with it!
The tired little camper was evidently sooo tired, he fell asleep face first!

Morning Snugglers

2009-06-02T14:43:00.003-05:00

Every morning when the boys wake up, David and I always make a big deal over them and make sure everybody gets a good morning hug. Jackson and Noah have continued this tradition with each. They are always so happy to see other in the mornings and give each other big hugs.

Jackson also loves to bring Noah books to look at with him. Noah likes it to0- it gives him the chance to be the "teacher"! You can see, too that Bones is never far from the two of them! He always wants to be right up in the middle of whatever the boys are up to.

Noah's 1st Trophy

2009-05-30T23:35:00.004-05:00

Noah's team received their trophies today for being #1 in their division. He has been looking forward to getting a trophy all season and was so proud of it!

Go Rangers!!! We were so lucky so get on such a great team for Noah's first year of T-ball. He has great coaches and teammates. They have worked hard and done so well. We are in the playoffs now- we play Tuesday night, if we win that one, we'll play again Thursday night for the overall championship!!!
Checking out his trophy on the way to the car! As soon as we got home, he carried it to his room to its new home on his dresser.

Playin' in the Mud!

2009-05-30T23:19:00.005-05:00

Thursday morning I took the boys outside to play a little bit. Everything was still wet from all the rain we've had. What started out as some innocent digging in the mud turned into an all out mess!

Noah & Jackson dug in a big pile for the longest and proceeded to get mud all over themselves! I couldn't believed my OCD didn't kick in and make them stop. They had so much fun, though!

You can see here just now much they got on themselves! After they were good and muddy, they took turns going down the slide and got it good and muddy, too. I guess that's little boys are supposed to do, but it sure was a mess to clean up! Everybody including the dog got a bath when it was all over!

First Swim of the Summer

2009-05-30T23:12:00.002-05:00

Noah got to go swimming in some very cold water on Monday. Wendy and Scott have their pool up and running, so the cool water didn't hold Noah back from jumping right in. He swam for about 3 hours with Rachel and Liv. He quickly remembered everything he learned about swimming last year and turned into a fish again! We didn't take Jackson yet- I don't like getting in with it so cold! Maybe in a couple of more weeks we'll have Jackson first swim of the year pictures.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Charlie!

2009-05-24T21:21:00.004-05:00

Today is Mom and Charlie's 25th Wedding Anniversary. Wendy and I had a party for them this afternoon to celebrate it with family and friends.

Couldn't get a picture of everything, but we had several pictures of them out from the day they got married. They look just as good now as they did then!

Mom & Charlie with all their "buddies"! This groups plans their life around when their next meal will be, whose house they're going to next, and whose turn it is to play cards. They have lots of fun together and seem to stay on the go more than most people half their age.

To Mom & Charlie- Hope you two enjoyed your day and will have great memories of your 25th anniversary. Don't worry, when 50 years rolls around, we'll do another party even bigger and better than this one! Ha!!

Thank you both for everything you've done for our whole family over the years. When Charlie came into our lives 25 years ago, I was only 7 years old. Their wedding brought many changes for our two families, but we've all gained so much from joining two families into one. Charlie was there to fill the hole in my life that I really didn't even realize was there at the time. He has became the dad that I didn't have. He's seen me grow from a 7 year old little girl to a 30 something year old wife and mom. He was there for me for everything in between- taught me to drive a car, saw me graduate from high school and college, gave me away when I got married, and welcomed my two babies as his grandbabies. They love their PawPaw a lot and so do I. Thank you Mom & Charlie for everything and I do hope you have another 25 years!! (Maybe I'll even spring for the trip to Hawaii if you make that one! Do you think they let 101 year olds make overseas flights like that?)

Graduation Party

2009-05-24T21:04:00.005-05:00

We finished up celebrating graduation with cake and ice cream at our house afterward. Nana, Papa, MawMaw, PawPaw, Wendy, Scott, Rachel, & Liv came to share it with us. Noah loved his cake- we all did actually! It was very good!

Jackson really enjoyed his cake- he had tons of icing smeared all in his hair when he was done!

Last but not least, Noah got a few presents! Some clothes, a SpongeBob MP3 player, a new Webkinz, and a Wii!! We were thinking of giving him the Wii for his birthday, but decided it would make more sense to give it to him now to enjoy all summer since his birthday isn't till middle of July. He loves it. We're all going to enjoy that present I think!

Graduation Night

2009-05-23T10:45:00.013-05:00

Thursday night Noah graduated from Lindsey Lane Baptist Church's Preschool. He was so excited and is looking forward to moving on to Kindergarden.
The little graduate!

Noah with his teacher Mrs. Drea Thompson. He got to have Drea for two years and really loved having her for his teacher. He learned so much from her that he wouldn't let me teach him. Funny how kids will listen to other people better than their own parents sometimes! We're very thankful for the time he spent with Drea and will miss her very much!

The 4 year old graduating class! In case you can't tell which one he is, he's on the top row in about the middle. You can just see his eyes peeking over the little girl in front of him.

Getting a hug and his diploma from Mrs. Drea.

The fam!

Noah was very proud that Papa and Nana came to see him graduate.

Mommy and her little man that's growing up too fast! I shed a few tears during graduation. I'm afraid now that he's starting kindergarden that time will fly even quicker and I'll blink a few times and he'll be grown. There was a slide show at graduation with lots of pictures of the kids from the school year and they played the song "Let Them Be Little". That was probably when I cried the most. Sometimes we get so caught up in our busy lives and forget to let kids just be kids.

Don't know who looks prouder right now- Noah or Daddy!

MawMaw and PawPaw were there to see Noah graduate too.

Rachel, Olivia, and Noah. Noah loves going to see anything that they do at school, and equally loves it when he has an event that they come to for him.

Last Day of Preschool

2009-05-23T09:23:00.005-05:00

Noah's last day of preschool was Tuesday of this week. The teachers planned a balloon release for the kids- they each got a balloon, closed their eyes and made a wish before releasing their balloon.

They loved watching their balloons float so far away they couldn't see them anymore. Noah later told me what he wished for- a hamster named "Rhino". Do you think he's watched "Bolt" a few too many times? He's already been asking for a hamster, and I keep hoping it'll be a passing phase and he'll forget about it. Not so sure that's going to happen!

After the balloon release, the kids got to play on all the brand new playground equipment that was just put in this week. Jackson had a ball going up the ladder then down the slide. He loves going to Noah's school for any event they have. He just makes himself right at home.

Noah Gets the Game Ball!

2009-04-19T14:27:00.004-05:00

Noah's team won their game last night 20-10! It was a really good game and they played so well. We had two games earlier in the week that were a bit of a struggle for Noah. He's been sick some and just didn't play as well as he had been. He seemed to have bounced back last night and his hitting had improved a good bit. He also ran the bases better than he ever has. Couch Greg was so impressed with Noah's efforts to improve that he gave him the game ball! Noah was so excited. He has said before almost every game that he hoped he would get the game ball and he finally did!
Our proud little buddy with his very own game ball! Way to go, Noah!

Easter Lunch at MawMaw's

2009-04-16T11:07:00.013-05:00

Daddy and the boys hanging out on the swing waiting for lunch! Don't they look handsome?
Jackson LOVES to swing! He had so much fun swinging while PawPaw played with him.

The fam!

The kiddos with MawMaw and PawPaw. Can you believe how tall Rachel is? She's dwarfing the rest of us now!

The Bobo's

MawMaw and PawPaw- I thought this was a great picture of them!

The kids with GG and Grandy. They didn't get to stay for the Easter Egg hunt, but we were very glad they felt like getting out and coming to eat lunch with us.

Noah racing to find some eggs!

Jackson didn't find too many eggs. As soon as he would find one, he'd have to stop, open it up, and examine the candy inside! It made him go a little slower!

Daddy and Noah high-fiving over all the eggs Noah found!

He ended up with a full basket!

Jackson's wasn't quite as full, but he had fun finding them all the same.

Easter's never complete with a ride around the yard on the lawnmower with Pawpaw! I think this may have been Jackson's first ride.

Easter 2009

2009-04-16T10:32:00.007-05:00

Noah had lots of fun coloring Easter Eggs Saturday night!

After the boys were both safely asleep, their baskets were filled up by the Easter Bunny!

Noah was so excited Sunday morning to find a Max & Ruby book along with Max & Ruby stuffed toys and tons of his favorite candy.

Jackson had several surprises in his basket, too, but he was most anxious to break into the candy! He started trying to eat it through the wrapper!

Our little daredevil! You can just see the mischievous look in his eyes right here as he attempts to climb over the end of our bed! He turned 18 months old last week, by the way. He is so active and always into something, we're just waiting for the event that carries us to the doctor for stitches or xrays.

Noah's First T-Ball Game

2009-04-06T12:18:00.010-05:00

Noah looked so cute in his new uniform! He was very proud to finally have a uniform.
Noah was the first batter up for the Rangers- he got the very first hit of the ballgame!

Running to first base! He was safe. Once he got on base, he kept looking at us, grinning, and giving us a thumbs up.

Crossing the homeplate! All the batters after him scooted him around the bases, so Noah was able to score the first run of the game for the Rangers! The Rangers went on to win their first game with a score of 24-20. Noah was the runner that scored the winning run for them! We were so excited! I don't think David or me either one expected to get so into a T-ball game, but we had so much fun watching him play!

Don't know how well you can see this, but he after crossing homeplate, he walked by grinning at us, but you can't see his eyes in this picture because the helmet's so big!

Our little #3 Ranger, waiting his turn to bat again.

Noah's biggest fan for the day was his little brother! Jackson did really well at the game. He clapped everytime we did and stood at the fence hollering go-go-go!

Proud mommy with her little baseball player!

I don't know who was more excited in this picture- Daddy or Noah! They were both so happy with how the game went.

Family Hike

2009-04-04T21:21:00.010-05:00

Daddy and his boys at the entrance to his favorite place on earth!
We decided to do the Laurel Falls trail. David and I had done it several years ago before either of the boys came along. It's a good family friendly hike to do with beautiful falls at the end.

Jackson like to stop and play in the mud alot. He was cute- he would stop and squat down down and start jibber-jabbering at the side of the mountain. Wish we could know what he was talking about!

Future mountain climber? He sure liked trying!

Taking a little break on the way up. Both of the boys loved climbing around on the rocks.

Daddy and Noah at the beautiful Laurel Falls. They were especially pretty this time because of all the extra rain that had been going on.

On the way down Noah declared (much to David's delight I'm sure)- "I love the mountains!"

Jackson was one pooped little guy by the time we were done. He walked about the first half on the way up, then we put him in his stroller for the rest of it. On the way down, I got him out and carried him for a little while. He was so tired he kept laying his head over on my shoulder to rest.

One of David's favorite places in Gatlingburg we always stop at- "The Happy Hiker". They carry lots of camping/hiking supplies and it's always a fun place to stop just to look around a bit.

Downtown Gatlinburg

2009-04-04T20:48:00.007-05:00

The Bowman Boys!

Jackson on his "leash" walking the streets!

Mommy, Jackson, and Noah trying to push the huge granite ball in the opposite direction.

Noah watching taffy being made.

Giddee up! David and I had so much fun walking the boys through Gatlinburg and showing them all the things that we've seen and done there through the years. We look forward to many more trips with them so they'll make their own memories of this wonderful place!

Pancakes Please!

2009-03-28T22:29:00.004-05:00

What's a trip to the mountains without going to at least one pancake house? Our favorite is the Log Cabin Pancake House in Gatlinburg. This was Jackson's first trip there, so I guess he thought he needed to make up for lost time. This is his attempt to get an entire pancake in his mouth at one time. Notice that he has a piece of bacon in his hands that he tried to shove in around the pancake. Who knows how he thought he could actually chew all that up! He couldn't even move his mouth with all that in there!

Our Cabin

2009-03-28T22:10:00.006-05:00

We stayed in a little cabin at Hidden Mountain Resort in Pigeon Forge. Noah was so excited to have his own home in the mountains!

I guess he was attempting to look scarey here- not real sure. He may have been trying to act like a bear. He had his heart set on seeing one while we were there.

Both boys really loved the swing on the back porch. We really enjoyed our little home away from home!

Smoky Mountain Trip Day 1

2009-03-28T21:41:00.007-05:00

We made a little pitstop on our way up to the mountains at Mayfield Dairy Farms in Athens, Tennessee. Our first picture is with Maggie the Mayfield cow- she's a big one!
Noah and David with all the Mayfield stuff.

Before going on the tour through the plant to see how milk and ice cream are made, we had to put on these lovely hairnets. Jackson thought his "hat" was fun for the first little bit, but quickly got tired of it. Don't know what's up with the look on Noah's face!

Noah at the end of the tour saying hi to a smaller version of Maggie.

The Pictures Say It All...

2009-03-25T22:42:00.002-05:00

Could we say that Jackson's discovered a new way to wear a bra? Not sure he's got it on the right end, but he did manage to snag his arms through the straps!
He then proceded to try to throw it around his neck like a scarf. What can I say...if you leave something laying around in this house, expect it to become a toy/object of entertainment for at least a few minutes. You'll be happy to know that after about 5 minutes of trying on a bra, he was done and hasn't tried again since!

Spring Break

2009-03-25T22:24:00.003-05:00

Last week was spring break for Noah and Wendy's girls, so we got together a couple of days when it was so warm and pretty. MawMaw brought Rachel and Olivia down for a walk around the pond one day. Jackson loved being out. He walked around the whole trail and never missed a beat.
I think being around the water with the kids running around made Rachel a bit nervous! She kept telling Noah and Olivia to stay back and had a death grip on Jackson's hand. I never have to worry about anybody getting hurt when she's around!

All the kiddos (and Bones) with MawMaw- we never could get Jackson to smile. He was too busy trying to get down.

Breakfast at the Bowmans

2009-03-25T22:17:00.002-05:00

Jackson decided one day last week that he was too big to sit in his highchair for breakfast and wanted to sit at the little table in the living room like Noah. They looked so cute sitting there with their pancakes watching Playhouse Disney while they ate!
All done! He ate about 7 little silver dollar sized pancakes and licked the syrup from his fingers! I guess the new seating arrangment worked pretty well!

T Ball Practice

2009-03-07T18:21:00.010-06:00

Meet Noah's first T-Ball team- the Rangers! He's so excited to get to be on a real team! We had his first practice last night and second one today. He's having fun, and hopefully learning something. Since this is his first time to play, he's got a lot to learn!

This was one of his first attempts at sliding. It turned out to be more of a sitting down and scooting to the base!

Run like the wind Noah! They practiced running the bases several times.

Batting practice. Batting's not as new to him as the rest of the stuff is. He has a t-ball set at home that he's hit off of for a while.

Little brother Jackson really covered some ground walking all around the SportsPlex while Noah practiced.

Noah actually made it home! He got a hit and made it to second, then someone else batted him into home. Overall I think he's going to have a really good time playing ball. The challenge of figuring out the game will be good for him I'm sure. He knows a couple of the kids on his team from preschool, and told me today that he really likes "Coach Greg." He asked me before we went to practice today if he would get a trophy for playing ball! I guess if he ever wants to bail and not go to practice I can use the end of the season trophy as a bribe!

A Day at the Cow Barn!

2009-03-03T11:28:00.007-06:00

On Monday, David and Noah were lucky enough to get to go to the sale barn with Brian and Samuel English. Noah was totally excited to spend the day with Samuel, and David was totally excited about going to buy and sell cows!

How cute are they checking out the cows together?

I guess they're picking out their favorite cows here- not real sure! Seems like everybody had a really fun day, and David and Noah are looking forward to going back again sometime. I half expect for David to bring one home at some point. (Once we have a place to put one, that is! Don't think West Gate would approve of having livestock in the back yard!)

End of Blogothon

2009-03-02T14:34:00.002-06:00

Well, that's all for now- if you scroll down, you'll see that I finally posted a few things from last month. I'm going to try to do better this month and not get more than a couple of days behind. For now, my quiet time is over- I hear Jackson waking up from his nap, and the garage door just went up which means David just brought Noah home. Maybe I can come back to the computer at naptime tomorrow! Bye for now!

Growing Up!

2009-03-02T14:18:00.002-06:00

I'm feeling pretty old now- we registered Noah for kindergarten week before last. The only word I know to describe the whole process with was...weird. I can't believe my little boy is almost ready for "real school." I've done okay with preschool, and am really glad that he's been going. I think if he hadn't already been doing that, I would feel that the rug's being pulled out from under me all at one time. Anyway, enough of the sad, sappy stuff, and on to happier things--Noah is totally excited about it. We me with everyone in the auditorium to turn in paperwork, then went to his classroom where he got to meet his teacher. While his teacher gave out LOTS of info to the parents, he got to sit with his future classmates and draw a picture, and I could almost hear ou checkbook starting to scream! We walked away with a couple of lists full of things to purchase before time for school to start and one excited little boy!

Valentine's Day

2009-03-02T14:00:00.004-06:00

The night before Valentine's Day, David and I attented a marriage retreat/seminar at Joe Wheeler Resort with about 20 other couples from church. It was entitled "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage". It was really funny, but also very enlightening. We really enjoyed it, and both David and I feel like we walked away from it knowing things about our relationship that we had never figured out before! So for all you folks at church that didn't make it this time, make sure you plan for the next one! It was great. By the way, a big thank you out to Danny and Marian Cook for getting all of it together for us. They worked extra hard to make it a success. We really enjoyed it!

Playground Fun

2009-03-02T13:28:00.004-06:00

So...I'm going to attempt to catch up on some blogging! I was inspired by looking at Lacy's blog and seeing that it is possible to catch up! I have a few minutes peace/alone time today, so I'll give it a shot!

One Saturday in February, we went to Nashville for the day just to get out and do something fun. Toward the end of the day, the kids needed some time to run around and play, so we stopped by one of our favorite playgrounds that I used to take Noah to in Brentwood when we lived there. They had a really good time!

Do you think Jackson loved to swing just a little bit? He loved it so much he cried when he realized he had to leave as Daddy carried him to the car!

Noah had lots of fun pushing Jackson in the swing, too!

Noah always seems to enjoy trying to climb up the slide, rather than sliding down it! Both of the boys had a really good time playing outside for a while. We can't wait until it gets warm so we can do lots more of it.

Future Computer Genius?

2009-02-12T21:07:00.002-06:00

Jackson is obsessed with all things electronic. He loves phones, cell phones, computers, etc. Whenever he gets the chance, he sneaks off into David's office to try to get to the laptops. He just loves pressing all the buttons. He set himself up at Noah's computer (our old desktop that Noah plays games on) the other day and hammered away at the keyboard for a while. He thinks he's so big sitting there playing on the computer just like Noah.

WWF at the Bowmans

2009-02-12T20:57:00.002-06:00

So what are two little boys to do that are tired of being cooped up in the house? Wrestle, of course! Even the dog had to get in on the action. Since at least one member of the family has been sick at some point during the last few weeks, we haven't done much getting out. It has started to wear on all of us. The boys play good together sometimes, but often times it ends up with Noah getting frustrated at Jackson for destroying whatever he's trying to do! One thing they always enjoy is getting down in the floor and wrestling a little bit. Looks like Noah won this match!

Field Trip!

2009-02-06T15:35:00.003-06:00

So...I haven't completed fallen off the blogging wagon, I just haven't wanted to blog about two sick kids! Thankfully, this week everybody seems to be well and life is getting back to normal. Just in time, too, because Noah got to go on a field trip this week that he's been looking forward to for the last month. Yesterday his Pre-K class got to go to a "Max and Ruby" play at the Princess Theatre. Max and Ruby is one of his favorite tv shows and he was so excited about going. Everyday for the last month he's asked me when he would get to go, and the night before, he reminded to wake him up early so that he wouldn't be late for school and miss getting to go to the play. Needless to say, he loved it and already wants to go back. He did make a couple of funny observations- he said that "Max and Ruby just looked like normal people, but they had bunny ears on." He also noticed that "Max and Ruby didn't have the same voice that they have on tv." Guess he was expecting to see the "real" Max and Ruby!!

Bunco Night and End of Blog-o-Thon!

2009-01-18T11:03:00.003-06:00

If you scroll down far enough, you'll see that I just did lots of catch up blogging! I've had lots of things to post, just haven't had a chance to do it. I think I've finally gotten about everything finished. I put so much on here about the kids, I thought I'd wrap it up with something about me for a change!

Last Tuesday night Lacy had all the girls from church over to her house for Bunco. We ended up not ever playing Bunco- we just ate and sat around and talked. It was lots of fun to spend time with the girls and just relax a little. I was long overdue for a night out/away, so I really enjoyed it. Thanks Lacy for the good food and having us over, and thanks Lori for letting me steal your picture of the night since I forgot my camera! Thanks to all the girls for the fun and good conversations! Love you all!!

Doughnuts with Dad

2009-01-18T10:46:00.005-06:00

Friday morning was "Doughnuts with Dad" day at Noah's school. They were supposed to have had it before Christmas, but had to reschedule because school was cancelled for snow that never came! Anyway, they got to have breakfast together and do a little building project.
Noah and Daddy built Noah's very own ant house! It was also "Wear your favorite team colors day", so they got to dress in their Tennessee shirts!

Noah was very proud that he built something with a hammer and nails! Way to go Noah and Daddy!

Noah with some of his little buddies at school- they built "Noah's Ark" out of blocks and put the animals in it.

Jackson the Climber

2009-01-18T10:36:00.003-06:00

Jackson's new favorite thing to do- climbing on any and everything that he can. He tried to climb on our bed the other night, slipped, and hit his chin on the wooden bed frame. He got a pretty good bruise and scratch out of that one.
The other problem with climbing- figuring out how to get down once he's tired of just standing there!

We finally put up all the little chairs in the house so he couldn't climb on them. Didn't take him too long to find something else to scale- the train table. I give up. We're pretty sure a head injury and/or stitches are in his future pretty soon!

Star Wars Puppy

2009-01-18T10:29:00.003-06:00

This is Bones after his bath the other night. He looks kind of like Yoda when his hair's all wet with his ears sticking out. He's not a fan of the bathtub!!
The after pics- once he's been dried, brushed, and fluffed. Doesn't look so much like Yoda now!

Waiting for a Crumb to Fall

2009-01-18T10:20:00.003-06:00

Bones has figured out the place to be during meal time is at the foot of Jackson's highchair. There's usually always several bites of food thrown overboard and Bones makes sure he's there to catch it before I clean it up. It's kind of like having a built in vacuum cleaner! He is a little picky, though. He refuses to eat the grean beans and peas that fall to the ground. He usually holds out for a bite of chicken or a noodle or something.
Just had to add this picture in as proof that Noah is beginning to venture out a little with his eating. One of his new faves is chili. I convinced him to eat by getting him to dip some chips in it like it was salsa. What do you know, he actually liked it! We now have about 5 foods to pick from instead of 4 when it's time to eat!

Big Brother Storytime

2009-01-18T10:07:00.004-06:00

Jackson and I were sitting in the floor the other day reading his favorite book- "The Foot Book". Noah came along and decided he wanted to read to Jackson. (He knows most of the book from memory. It used to be his favorite book, too). It was so funny to see the look on Jackson's face when Noah started to read to him. He looked up at me like "Hey- he can read, too!" He was entranced with watching Noah read to him.

After a few minutes, it was really cute when Jackson decided to leave my lap and try to sit in Noah's lap to listen to the book.
Since Jackson's almost as big as Noah, they decided it would work better to sit beside each other instead. Of course Bones had to get in on the action, too.

Once Jackson had heard his book a few times and then spotted me with the camera, he decided to abandon storytime to pose for some shots instead!

Big Boy Cup

2009-01-18T09:58:00.006-06:00

Jackson's always trying to figure out a way to get our cups and steal a drink. I guess he figured out a way to drink out of a big person cup after all. He found plastic cup, dropped his sippy cup down into it, and magically had a "big boy" cup!

Family "Hike"

2009-01-09T11:13:00.005-06:00

On one of the less dreary/rainy days that we had last week, we went out for a little family walk. It was the first time Bones has gotten to do anything like that and he loved it. As you can see in the picture above, we had a little bit of a hard time keeping him on the trail!
Loved this picture with Noah, Daddy, and Bones together taking a break on the bench!

Jackson was as hard to keep on the trail as Bones was. Looks like he thought he was about to sneak away from us right here!

Noah and Daddy found a huge crawfish in the little creek. They played with him for a few minutes, then threw him back.

We had fun on our little "hike"! It was a great way to get out and spend some time together and get a little exercise in the process.

Daddy's Future Hunter!

2009-01-09T11:08:00.003-06:00

This is actually the picture I wanted to put with the Jackson 15month birthday post. It was taken that day he turned 15 months. He loves to play with his daddy's hats- puts them on, takes them off, and tries to put them on other people. Noah loves camo stuff, too, so hopefully one day, daddy will have two extra buddies to take hunting with him!

How Exciting!

2009-01-08T19:10:00.005-06:00

Thanks, Lori for passing on the fabulous blog award to me! I must say that I'm quite surprised since I've let my blogging slip a little over the last month or so. I'll make every effort to try to blog a little more so that I stay worthy of my award! Now for my 5 addictions that I must reveal in return for receiving this award. This was actually a little hard for me since I don't really consider myself addicted to anything- it took a little self examination!

1. FOOD. Yes, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I love to eat. All foods are good, but my favorites are sweets. Chocolate, cookies, candy, etc. Just ask the girls from the cake ball assembly night at April's- they saw me eating pure white chocolate that wouldn't melt right straight from the bowl. I just couldn't stand to see good chocolate go to waste! I then followed it up with several cake balls. Yes, sweets are good.

2. Reading. I don't get to read as much as I would like, but give me a good book and I can hardly put it down. I've been known to do nothing other than what absolutely had to be done so that I could finish a new book on the same day I got it. My nightly ritual before going to bed involves doing a Bible reading, a reading from a devotional, and something else from a magazine or book.

3. Organizing my kids toys. Sounds weird I know. The rest of my house can be in disarray, but I keep the toys in the playroom organized. All the trucks in one bucket, all the balls in one place, all the stuffed animals in the basket, etc. I may not know where my checks are, but I know where any given toy is at almost any time!

4. Trying to keep everybody happy. I guess this is more of a personality trait, but I always try to keep things running smooth for everybody. I go out of my way to avoid conflict and try to plan ahead so that things go smoothly. It would kill me to think that I ever hurt someone's feeling or made them unhappy in any way. I'm constantly trying to think of ways to make my husband and kids happy.

5. Bloggs and Facebook. Obviously I'm not keeping up with my own as much as I should, but I love checking everybody else's daily. If I ever miss a day, I feel like I'm out of touch with what's going on! Since most of the blogs I follow are friends who are moms at home with kids like me, it's fun to see what everybody else's day has been like.

There you have have it- 5 addictions that I've confessed to. Now it's time for me to pass this prestigious award on to 5 fellow bloggers:

1. Emily S.

2. Dawn G.

3. Jenny J.

4. Amanda N.

5. Ronna K.

Have fun with it, girls, and enjoy your award!

Happy 15 Months Jackson!

2009-01-07T15:38:00.002-06:00

Jackson was 15 months old on Monday! We're not making as big a deal about every month now that he's past a year, but I thought 15 months was a milemaker for him! We went to the doctor for his check up- He weighed 24lbs6oz and is 32 inches long. He's definitely growing like a little weed. Eating is still one of his favorite things to do. A new favorite food that he discovered yesterday: Cheetos. Healthy, I know! Oh well, we all deserve junk food from time to time. He's also walking all over the place now (has been for a while), climbing (and giving mommy and daddy a few gray hairs!), and trying to talk more and more. His favorite word is still "Da". He walks all over the house hollering "Da" until he finally finds his daddy. He also loves to try to answer the telephone. As soon as he hears it ring, he gets up and starts looking for the phone. He's growing up too fast! We love you, Jackson!

P.S. No picture with this post, and I still have more Christmas pics to post, but something's not working right with either my computer or Blogger. Hope to figure it out soon!

Christmas Morning

2008-12-29T21:44:00.013-06:00

Santa came to our house!!!

Check out what all he brought!

We let Noah sleep in our bed Christmas Eve to insure that he didn't get up too soon and ruin any surprises! Jackson woke up first, so we let him go wake Noah up. Once Noah was barely awake, it didn't take him long to remember what day it was. He jumped out of bed and ran to the living room.

Noah helped Jackson figure out what was under the tree.

Then Noah helped Bones go through his stocking- Bones had a pretty good first Christmas. He got a new bed, some toys, and a tag with his name on it.

One of Jackson's most prized possessions- a big bag of Animal Crackers in his stocking.

The next most prized possession- his very own "Blackberry" that looks a lot like Daddy's. Maybe he'll leave Daddy's alone now!

"I just don't know what to do with all this stuff!!!"

Noah played with his new Batcave all morning- one of only two things that he actually asked for this year.

Next Daddy and Noah played with his new Hotwheels truck and rug.

Even Bones agreed that it was a very good Christmas. Noah told me yesterday that he think this was the best Christmas ever. Hope everyone else had a great one, too!

Christmas Eve Pics

2008-12-29T20:14:00.019-06:00

In the past we have always gotten together with my side of the family at moms for Christmas Eve. With it falling on a Wednesday night this time, we had to do things a little different. We went to mom's before church for supper, went to church, then Mom, Charlie, Wendy, Scott, & the girls came back to our house after church for presents!

We started off by letting the boys put out their cookies for Santa by the tree (and eat a few, too!).

" What? You mean these cookies are for Santa?"

Noah got to open double the presents this year since he got to help with most of Jackson's! Jackson opened all of his first so he could go to bed since it was already way past his bedtime. Christmas or not, when Jackson needs to go to sleep, it's better for all involved to let him go to sleep!

Noah gave thank you hugs to MawMaw and PawPaw for all his presents.

Daddy and Noah checking out the new MP3 player (Noah's calling it his iPod- they both play music and he doesn't know the difference so far!)

After the rest of the family was gone, Noah went to bed pretty easily since he knew Santa couldn't come until he was sleeping! He was all smiles in anticipation of what he'd find on Christmas morning.

All is Ready for Christmas!

2008-12-24T14:54:00.006-06:00

Finally, as I write this at 3:00 on Christmas Eve afternoon, I think everything is ready! Last night Noah helped me make sugar cookies for Santa. After he settled in to fall asleep watching "Kung Fu Panda", I had a big wrapping marathon that last until about midnight!

Today, Noah helped me again and we frosted and sprinkled our cookies from last night. We set aside a special plate for Santa, made a tray for our family Christmas tonight, and (as you can see above) tasted a few to make sure they were good enough for Santa. Noah seemed to like the tasting part better than the baking and decorating!

After finishing up the cookies, I did the last and most dreaded chore of the day and gave Bones a bath. Noah had lots of fun helping me. After a good shampooing, rinsing, and blow drying, Bones is now looking extra spiffy for the holidays. If he tries to attack Santa coming down the chimney tonight at least he'll look good and smell good doing it!

We have a busy few days ahead, so I probably won't have Christmas pics up for a while. Tonight we're having Christmas with my family, tomorrow we go to my grandmothers. I work tomorrow night, then Friday morning we're off to my sister-in-law's in Tennessee for the Bowman Christmas. We hope everyone has the best Christmas ever!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2008-12-24T13:35:00.002-06:00

Last night as I was taking Jackson to bed, Noah came running after us. He told me to hold Jackson down to him because "I need to tell my little brother something!" As I held Jackson down to Noah's level, Noah put his hands on Jackson's face to hold his head still, then whispered in his ear "Tomorrow's Christmas Eve Jackson!" Jackson just grinned at him, and Noah ran off happily to continue what he was doing. It was so sweet! I think Noah's going to help Jackson figure out what Christmas is all about this year!

Family Photo with Santa

2008-12-22T15:14:00.008-06:00

We took the kids to see Santa today and somehow getting their picture made with Santa turned into a family photo with Santa. While we were waiting in line and watching Santa from a distance, Jackson was all smiles...
Noah was excited too. He even carried Allen the elf with him because we thought Allen might be getting a little homesick by now. (We found him in the freezer this morning eating a popsicle. I guess he's missing the really cold weather from the North Pole.)

When it was our turn, they looked so sweet! Noah took Jackson by the hand and led him right up to Santa.

The smiles from Jackson continued as they got closer.

This is about where the smiling stopped! Jackson loved Santa- right up until we sat him on his lap. At that point, Jackson looked up at Santa and burst into terrified tears!

At Santa's suggestion, we turned it into a family photo instead! Jackson wouldn't smile for the picture, but at least he wasn't screaming anymore!

Noah was very happy with his visit to Santa. He took his letter to Santa that he had written all by himself (with a little spelling help from Mom) and put it right into Santa's hands. Santa opened it up and read it. Noah was sooo proud! Santa also said hi to Allen the elf and told Noah that Allen has been sending him updates on who's been behaving at our house. He told Noah not to worry though, because he'll be stopping by our house on Wednesday night for sure!

Playing in the Diapers

2008-12-22T15:07:00.005-06:00

So what happens when Jackson decides to dump all the diapers from the basket all over the floor?
Bones decides to help drag them all over the house!

Oh well, when you're that cute I guess you're entitled to a few messes!

Eating the Unedible

2008-12-17T11:53:00.003-06:00

So the little boy that loves to eat decided to try to eat some of Noah's ornaments that he made at school. I think he discovered that glitter covered foam doesn't taste that great. By the way, earlier this week he walked up to me with a "Beggin' Strip" dog treat hanging out of his mouth. That was about enough to make me sick. I guess he thought it was bacon- one of his favorites. Yuck!!

Puppy Entertainment!

2008-12-17T11:45:00.002-06:00

I guess at this point you can tell that I've been VERY behind on my blogging! Finally have some time to catch up some this morning so everything's making it on here at the same time. One night last week, Noah decided Bones might need a little help going to sleep and thought some lullabies with guitar accompaniment might be just what he needed. Too cute!