Alphabet Walk

Confession- I stole this idea.
An adoption friend of mine totally did this with her daughter a few weeks ago and I told her ahead of time I was stealing it. Moving on...

Sunday afternoon we went on an alphabet walk! All three kids got really into it (ok... so did I.). The weather was beeeeatiful and we walked ALL around our neighborhood looking for random things that made the letters of the alphabet. We didn't find all of them, but we did find a lot and the ones we found were really cool!

Here's just a sample:

The letter "B".
The was carved into a slab of concrete with a handprint next to someone's driveway a couple streets over. Brynn spotted it- she knows it's the first leter of her name :)


The letter "I"
Layla spotted these cracks in our road that made a perfect capital I!


The letter "V"
Cale found this on our basketball goal. He actually called it a W, but we decided it did make a nice V!


The letter "L"
This ditch was cut into a perfect L, but since I am limited to one working lens, I couldn't quite get a picture of the whole thing.


The letter "J"
Layla found a random piece of grass laying in the shape of a J!


The letter "H"
This one was mine...
I was getting a rock out of Brynn's shoe and looked up to see Layla and Cale's shadow's making this. Looked like an H to me! Plus, I thought it was sweet :)


The kids loved this! And it's something we could do regularly and always find different things to make the letters year round!! Thanks so much for the idea, Jess!

"This Girl"

Saturday, I danced in Skyla Spencer's "This Girl" instructional dance video =)
It was different than a regular music video, but a lot of fun! For the morning half, we filmed in the dance studio and it was basically us breaking down the steps of the dance she choreographed to go with her single "This Girl". Kind of like a workout video... we teach you the moves and you do them along with us at home until you learn the whole dance. Interesting, huh?!




The second half of the video, Skyla teaches the dance to a crowd of 80 at the Wildhorse, with us helping her lead as sort of her "key" dancers. But instead of basic black in an all-white studio, the late-night shoot is full of lights, energy and "country glitz". It was a TON of fun!

Me and Skyla :)

Jenny and I doing makeup checks before filming haha.

Goofing off- Kenny and I had the front row rocking that dance floor during the taping!

Johnny Appleseed

Layla was supposed to have Johnny Appleseed Day at school on Friday, but since she was out with the flu all week she had to miss it. It probably wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but the child was seriously bored being at home and by Friday, she was feeling significantly better, but wasn't well enough to go back to school, and needed to be entertained. Since I knew that she would be learning about Johnny Appleseed if she were at school, I decided to do a Johnny Appleseed project at home. She.was.thrilled.

First, we read the story of Johnny Appleseed. (I am a fantastic storyteller ;) I got lots of practice when I was younger, dressing up with Mammy and going around to all the VBS classes to tell stories using props and different voices. She taught me well! Anyway, Layla was sucked right in and before I knew it, she was spouting off facts about Ole' John Chapman in no time. At school, each parent was going to bring in different things made from apples for the kids to taste test and I had already bought the ingredients for mini-apple pies (but we had to call them tarts bc Layla won't eat pies lol) so we spent the next hour and a half or so in the kitchen letting Layla make the pies herself (she loves baking) and talking about where her apples may have come from, etc. It was fun fun fun.

I cut up the apples, but then L measured the cinnamon and sugar and did all the mixing.


I love this picture of her filling the pie crusts in her too-short dress! (She had been playing dress-up before starting the Johnny Appleseed project). She takes her baking very seriously and needs NO help thank you very much.


Cale and Brynn showing off the different kinds of apples we got to discuss :)


Being silly while we wait!


They're done! Layla was so proud of her finished product- she kept saying, "These are delicious. I'm amazing at making apple tarts." haha.


The twins didn't say much of anything- their mouths were stuffed full of pie!

Ice cream afternoon and a card for Daddy

A few weeks ago (one of the last warm, DRY summer Saturdays), the kids and I picked up some yummy ice cream cones and headed to the park. They were delightfully messy and the kids were adorably covered from head to toe in the most picturesque way =) They literally had it dripping from their elbows, running down their legs, and puddling in their laps.


One older couple walked by as they were enjoying their treats, and the gentlemen stopped and said, "Now that's how you're supposed to eat an ice cream cone!"

That same morning, a friend had told me that cardstore.com had a limited-time promotion allowing you to create a card and send it anywhere in the world for free (thanks, Laura!). After cleaning up the kids and letting them play at Kids Kingdom for a little while, I uploaded the ice cream pics and we sat down and made a card for their Daddy. They were a big help! Layla told me exactly what she wanted it to say and which pictures she wanted to use. Off it went! It came out great and went all the way to Kyrgyzstan (for free!).

It also took almost three weeks to get there. But I finally heard from Nathan on Friday that it did get there. And he LOVED it =)

Smitten.

Another delightful surprise from the sweetest man in Kyrgyzstan today. =)




I love you, Matjam West.

Sweet Smiles =)

I told Cale this morning that we would have to go back to the dentist today for more pics of his teeth.
They are already starting to turn and I think the extraction is going to occur sooner rather than later :(
I'm still pretty devastated over the idea of him being toothless for the next four years or so, but I guess it's time to accept it. Especially since learning the news, he's probably fallen three more times and hit his mouth and even busted his lip back open. This is going to happen.

Anyway, when I told him about this afternoon's appointment, I guess all he heard was "pictures" and "teeth" so he went and got my camera, handed it to me and started smiling the biggest, sweetest smiles you've ever seen. I figure I might as well get some shots of those beautiful white choppers while he's still got 'em! Brynn wanted a turn to, so I took a couple each of these adorable faces.

It's that time again...

Football time in Tennessee!
Our first Titans home game hit a little later for us this year so the suspense was nearly killing Layla. By the time yesterday rolled around, she was roaring and ready to go... but not at 5:30am when I woke her up. She couldn't understand why we had to get up "in the middle of the night" for a football game. Take that one up with Ge, Honey.

I doubt she could tell you who won the game, but she knows that her 2 hot dogs with cheese (but no ketchup), Titans M&Ms (maybe 4), cotton candy, pizza, Dippin Dots, a cookie, and cheesesticks were awesome. Keep in mind our game day lasts from 8am until after dinner usually and she NEVER gets to eat this way!!!

Suited up and ready to go!




Evan happily posing with his T-rac!

Layla's Locks of Love

Today was the big cut!! She's had her heart set on it for months. I'm actually really impressed with her for making up her mind to donate and sticking with it. She hasn't waivered at all. She was actually getting more and more excited as our appointment got closer; Nathan and I... not so much. We were both nearly sick over it! Lol. Silly, I know.

Poor little thing though... riding in the car yesterday we were talking about how short her hair would be and the picture she made to send in her donation envelope and she said, "How long will it take?".

"The haircut? Well... Natalie will put it in a ponytail and cut it off, and then she'll to trim it up some to make it even and..."

"No, ma'am- I mean, how long will it take me to make the wig?"

Sweet little girl was not only willing to give most her hair away if it made someone else happy, but she was willing to actually make the wig for them too!! Gah... pretty amazing for a 5-year-old if you ask me!

The "before" picture---SOOOO much hair!


chop, chop, chop


About 12 inches to donate (and 14 inches cut altogether)!! She was so excited :)


Rocking her new sassy do!


I think it looks adorable- even if it does make her look older! Her daddy is still pouting, but it will grow on him =)

Layla LOVES it. She keeps bouncing her head back and forth, playing with her hair and checking herself out in the mirror. More importantly, she couldn't wait to put it in the Mickey Mouse envelope she picked out and get it in the mail. She drew a picture of a flower and sunshine and wrote "I hope this hair makes you happy". She's already said she can't wait to "grow it back long" so she can donate again. Sweet, sweet girl.

The Pledge of Allegiance

What a fantastic morning!
Layla's school is celebrating the National Anthem today. All the students and teachers are dressed in red, white, & blue. They had a little program prepared this morning- some of the older students sang "God Bless the USA" and "America the Beautiful". They had state representatives come speak about the Francis Scott Key and what the colors of the flag represent, and... they pulled Layla to the front of the gym in front of the whole school and surprised her with this:



(I've watched it about 87 times now and my favorite part is still when he turns to smile at the camera at the very end =)

It was the coolest thing! Nathan made the video originally b/c Layla told him she was learning the Pledge of Allegiance and they say it every day before school, and he told her that he says the Pledge with his unit every night before shift too. So he made this thinking Ms.Venable could show it to Layla's class, but when I told her- she ran it by the principle and they agreed that it was perfect to show for today. We had a time pulling it off and we barely did. We were both SO flustered up until the very last minute, but it was sooo worth it! Afterward, Ms.Venable asked Layla what she thought and she said right into the mic in front of her whole school, "That was great and it is very, very special." PRECIOUS!! I think we were all crying...


With State Representatives Deborah Maggart and Diane Black:


They are also writing an article about it for the Star News.

7th Annual Pumpkin Run

The 7th Annual Pumpkin Run is coming up! This year, the date is Saturday, October 3rd and registration has already begun! I love love love the Pumpkin Run! It's not just a 5K, it's not just a charity event, for me and my family... it's a moment. It's a memory. It's a tear. It's a laugh. It's a hug.

For those of you who don't know, the Pumpkin Run is in honor of Parker and Sylvia Crunk. Parents of Dena Tidwell (and Mike Tidwell) and Paige Crunk. Grandparents of Amber Leftwich West, Brandon Parker Leftwich, and Casey Hunt Tidwell. Great Grandparents of Layla Paige West, Brynn West, Cale West, Evan Leftwich, and Catalina Leftwich. Brother to Mary Ann Hagan, John Crunk, Bruce Crunk, Sonny Crunk, Sister to Holly Baird King, Uncle and Aunt to lots!, and lovers of the city of White House :)

Every year, we come together to walk, run, ride, move thru the Pumpkin Run in their memory on behalf of the American Heart Association and remember not only what they gave to each of us, but what they gave to the whole community. In six years, it has never felt like a race. It's never felt like an event. It doesn't feel like a project or a chore. Even with 2 and 3 hundred people there, it still feels like a family! I can't wait to see how much our family has grown this year...

Come! October 3rd. White House City Park. Starts at 9am, get there early! Come be a part of our family, be a part of the Pumpkin Run- Bring YOUR family, your friends. It's a GREAT day!

To pre-register, go to www.active.com
The first 250 to register get t-shirts :)

Hope to see you there!

"Bailey"

"They're gonna put me in the movies... They're gonna make a big star out of me!"

I keep singing it. It's only partly true. So far :)
They did put me in the movies though! Well, a movie.

We shot last Wednesday and it was so.much.fun. The movie is called "Bailey" and it's due to release next year. It's starring Michael Clarke Duncan (Green Mile, Whole Nine Yards, Talladega Nights) and rumors of Luke Perry, but he wasn't on set the day we were. It has a great story and the cast and crew were SO SO much fun to work with!

I started out as a dancer in a country bar, in which Michael (we're on a first name basis now... just kidding :) comes to dance with us. After we shot that scene for a couple of hours, I got pulled to be an extra too. I mastered the art of walking past the bar, sitting at the bar, sitting a table near the bar, chatting between the tables and the bar, ordering drinks from the bar, walking from the bar to a table.... all in one scene! LOL.

It was a long day/night, but MCD, the director (Mario Van Peebles!- Damages, Law & Order, numerous soap operas... IMDB him, you know his face- the whole crew... they really were awesome, SO laid back and FUN! They fed us GREAT food (bonus!).

Should I say it again? I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!!!
I'm so so grateful for the opportunity to do it every once in a while :)

A couple of pics of the set: our dance floor and the bar



Michael Clarke Duncan... apparently he stayed after we wrapped and took pics with a bunch of people, but I made a beeline for the restroom and missed out.



Dancers! All the girls and Barry, as usual, lol :)

Ah... sunshine.

Something about it just makes Cale feel so.... free.



Apparently.

Can't say I've actually ever experienced riding a scooter stark naked in the sun myself, but he sure seemed to enjoy it. Must be refreshing.

Paper Doll Project

This was our first school project! I doubt our/my excitement for school projects lasts very long, but this was fun and it felt like this whole new chapter in my life to be working on school projects with my kids... I think I like it for now :)

I did, however, figure out real quick that me and "mini-me" working on something like this together is a challenge in and of itself! LOL. Actually, it was quite comical and I kept getting tickled hearing myself come out of her mouth. "Does that look like a shoe to you?!". Oh... and she actually SAID the words "Mommy, if you stick your tongue out you can work better." Any of you that know me, know why that's hilarious. Nathan needs to come home QUICK so he can stop her metamorphosis into me. This can't happen.

Anyway.... her project was to create a giant paper doll of herself doing something she was interested in. She was given the template for the paper doll and we had to dress her, give her hair, etc. and turn her into a soccer player, a ballerina, or whatever Layla liked. Of course, Layla likes both of those things, but since those were the examples given- we were going to have to come up with something else :) I threw out a few ideas, but L actually came up with an idea on her own that I thought was brilliant and easy to pull off... or I thought it was going to be easy to pull off. Either way, it was really fun to shop for everything we needed, and even more fun to spend the night together working on it between dinner and cookies. We cut and measured and glued and glittered. In the end, she was SO SO proud of the work she had done (and she did a LOT of work on her little doll!!).

So this is Layla the Paper Doll, as Dorothy from "The Wizard of the Vols" (as she still says it... habit now I think), her MIDDLE favorite movie ever, lol. I have no idea what her first favorite movie is, she just keeps saying this is her middle favorite movie.



I think it turned out pretty cute. She LOVED it and couldn't wait to take it in. It was a little harder than I thought it was going to be.... darn hair! And that dress was troublesome (you can't tell from the pic, but it's real gingham fabric, two separate pieces). But Layla worked her booty off trying to get it just the way she wanted and she was beyond pleased (Toto is her favorite part) :)

Upward Soccer

Layla's first soccer game was last Saturday! Coach Amanda did the sweetest thing and surprised us before the game by dedicating the game to Nathan, bringing bracelets for all the kids to wear during the game (well... they tried, but they didn't last long on their little wrists) and stickers for both teams to wear on their jerseys in his honor. It was just the most awesome gesture. Such a kind thing to do!!

Layla played pretty well, but really had a LOT of fun! Note that she is one of the tallest ones on the field! lol. She got to kick off a couple of times, which excited her, but I think she'll understand more what that really means next week. She fell down a few times, but would dust herself off and then look over and give us all the 'thumbs up' to make sure we knew she was good to go (and make sure we were all watching!). I love that she played with a big grin on her face the whole time :) She was pumped that it was a real game instead of practice, so she got to wear her jersey AND she already knew her bible verse for the week. She also got the gold star for Sportsmanship this week. :)






After the game, her coach surprised us AGAIN, and asked the players and parents from both teams to gather around. She had made a banner to show support for Nathan and his unit and wanted to take a picture of everyone with the banner and send it to him. How amazing is that?!? I was blown away. And so so so grateful that Nathan's parents were there for this game to be a part of all this!

This is the picture Nathan and the rest of the guys received that afternoon...


They LOVED it! They are going to try to print it out and hang it up for everyone to see.

Thanks again, Amanda, Chad, Jeff, EVERYONE for all your prayers, love, and support!! You guys are AWESOME!!!