The Jewett's Baby Shower

Steve and I were so excited to throw a baby shower for our friends Ryan & Carly, who are expecting their first child in August. Since they travelled all the way from Philadelphia, we took the shower to Ryan's parents house in Johnson City. We have been to many a party in the Jewett home, but this was Samantha's first trip. Though a bit unorthodox, everyone had a great time. More than anything, it is always great to hang out with friends. We haven't seen Ryan & Carly since they moved to Philly, and it may be awhile before we see them again. We would love to have them back home in the South!

In case you are curious, Jewett was tagged with the nickname Koko (as in "Koko the monkey") several years back. Thus, monkeys were a recurring theme for the party. We played a diapering game to help Ryan hone is skills, with monkeys as the test subjects. We also played "Name that Monkey" to see how well we know famous monkeys, our very own Koko included. We can't wait to meet little Koko!!

Daddy and his mini-me.

Samantha hugging Monkey.

Ryan takes on Steve in the diapering challenge.

Samantha with friend Harper and her mommy Krystyna.

What could've been a great family photo.

The whole crew.

The happy parents-to-be.

Big Day in Gatlinburg

Samantha had a big week last week ... her first fish fry (she loved the fish!), her first visit to the Jewett house, a visit to Great-Grandma, and lots of time with Wawa and Papaw. Jerry Lee took the week off, so we took an excursion to Gatlinburg Tuesday. We visited with Great-Grandma and had a wonderful lunch at the Moutiain Lodge. Then Papaw and Wawa treated us to the Aquarium!! Samantha loves the aquarium, and I love watching Samantha go crazy for the fish. Jerry and Connie wanted to see it, too. What a great day! We were not disappointed by either the exhibits or Samantha's reactions. I'm excited that we get to go back when Big Guy and Grammy visit in a few weeks. I am seeing a pet fish in Samantha's future!

Talking to Papaw at the Mountain Lodge.

Visiting with Great-Grandma.

In front of the aquarium with Wawa and Papaw.

Checking out fish with Papaw.

Too much to see to look at the camera!

With my girl.

Checking out fish with Wawa.

Clinging onto Papaw in the tunnel of sharks.

Reflecting

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,

empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

hang out the washing and butter the bread,

sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't her eyes the most beautiful hue?

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait til tomorrow,

for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Song for a Fifth Child

Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Our Special Day With Caroline

Samantha and I had a wonderful day today. Bill had to come to Knoxville on business, so Caroline tagged along with him and spent the day with us. Samantha loves Caroline! Caroline did all of Samantha's favorite things - read to her, helped her color, blew bubbles, played on the slide - to name a few. I'm afraid she may be bored tomorrow when it's back to plain ol' mommy.
We loved having Caroline with us for the day, and hope she comes back soon. She is a busy young lady this summer ... art camp, Girl Scout camp, 2 beach trips, etc. I told her if she wants to come to the "Noland Babysitting Camp" when (and IF) she has more free time this summer, we would love to have her. And we wouldn't even charge an entry fee. What a deal!!

Falling on the sword for me and reading Where is Baby's Belly Button? to Samantha for what must be the millionth time.

A new experience ... dipping sauce for her Chick-fil-A nuggets. It was a bit messy, but Caroline cleaned her up.

She loves playing on her slide. Caroline witnessed the whole routine - climbing up the rocks on the back, and then sliding down feet first on her belly.

Picture by Caroline. Cute, cute!

Helping Samantha "color." Really we just try to keep her from eating the crayons!

Playing with bubbles in the shade. It was hot!

Showing Samantha how to use the bubble gun.

Standing up all by herself! And check out that hair blowing in the breeze!

Lane Kiffin's Football Clinic for Women

So, I had a interesting adventure today. I debated whether or not to post the pictures since everyone is really looking for Samantha. Sometimes, though, parenting adventures involve dropping the kids off at grandmas and heading out on your own. Such was my day. The pictures were simply too classic not to share. Last week, Katie alerted me to the upcoming Lane Kiffin Football Clinic for Women. We laughed about it for a bit and then thought "hmmmm ... that could be fun!" If nothing else, our entry fee entitled us to breakfast, lunch, a tshirt and a picture with the man who is sure to rescue our football program from shambles, Coach Lane Kiffin. Why not check it out? Though clinics are done at a few other schools, this was a first for Tennessee. What an amazing day we had!! We met all of the coaches and most of the assistants. Much to the chagrin of every warm-blooded male in Knoxville, we met Lane's wife Layla, who was incredibly sweet. We spent a good deal of time in the locker room, met a couple of the players, tried on equipment, heard pre-game speeches from the coaches, and ran out onto the field. I even managed to smack the "I will give my all for Tennessee today!" sign on the way out. Barely. I could go on and on about what a wonderful program it was, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. For the first time in a loooooong time, I am excited for football season. Save us, Lane! And GO VOLS!

Me and Katie in the indoor practice facility at the Neyland-Thompson sports complex.

With Coach O .... oy oy oy!

The tunnel that comes out of the Vols locker room.

With our new Offensive Coordinator Jim Chaney.

Lane's wife Layla, who is a Florida grad.

Eric Berry modelling some equipment.

Trying on some shoulder pads ... how do they wear that stuff?

With Montario Hardesty and Eric Berry.

With Monte Kffin.

Me and Katie on the 50 yard line.

With the man himself, Coach Lane Kiffin.

Pool Party, Part 1

We spent yesterday afternoon at Aunt Sharon's pool to help our friend Brent kick off his annual birthday celebration. Brent refuses to limit himself to one measly day. In fact, we are going back next Saturday for a continuation of the celebration. For anyone keeping score, his actual birthday is tomorrow.

Though this was Samantha's second time in the pool this year, it was the first time she really enjoyed it. The last time we went swimming it was a bit chilly, and I think the water was too cool for her. Not yesterday! I think Steve and I officially have a little water bug. She loved the kiddie pool and the big pool. She didn't even want to be in her float. She did so great, we took her under ... twice! She was shell shocked at first, but got excited once she realized everyone was clapping for her. We were really proud of her!

In the baby pool with friend Ella Kate.

A brief trip in the S.S. Sun Smart.

Standing on the third step, safely in Mommy's grasp.

"Swimming" with Daddy's help. Her natural inclination was to move her arms and kick her legs!

An action shot of her first dip underwater.

The aftermath.

More "swimming."

A sure sign of a great day at the pool - pruned feet.

What'll Ya Have?

For Samantha's first birthday, Uncle Bill and Aunt Elise got her tickets to her first Cubs game. And by her, I really mean Steve. :) The Cubs took on the Braves in Atlanta. Steve took a day off of work so we could head down early and make a big day of it for Samantha. She was a trooper!! She napped in the car, but was otherwise totally off schedule. It didn't seem to bother her a bit. We took so many great pictures, I've actually divided them up into 3 separate posts.

Since we got to Atlanta right around lunchtime, our first stop was the Varsity. If you haven't been there, it's an Atlanta institution. Once you make it up to the counter to order, they ask you "What'll you have?" and you better know! Since they are known for their Dogs, Samantha had her very first "Naked Dog" (ie, a plain hot dog) and some fries. She also enjoyed some of my yummy apple pie. We wanted to make sure our tummies were full for our next stop, the Georgia Aquarium.

Before I forget, let me say thank you to Bill, Elise, Will and Caroline for the tickets. Had you not gotten them for us, I'm not sure we would have tried to make the trip. It truly was a special day!

Samantha and her Naked Dog.

Enjoying some apple pie.

With Daddy at the counter.

She loved her Varsity hat!

Fish, please!

As part of our Atlanta excursion, we decided to take Samantha to the Georgia Aquarium. Since she loved the South Carolina Aquarium at only 5 months of age, we thought it was a safe bet for an afternoon of indoor entertainment. She did not disappoint! I'm glad she's not walking yet, or she would have been all over the place. She was perfectly happy if we just set her down in front of any of the tanks so she could see the fish, rays, whales, sharks and whatever else happened to be floating around. She didn't want to be held or strolled. She just wanted to make friends with the fishies. In face, we never could get her to take her eyes off of them long enough to look at the camera.

Checking out a sting ray.

Looking at the huge fish, not the camera.

Enjoying a close up view from Daddy's shoulders in the tunnel.

Once again, a picture of the back of her head.

Would've been good, but she was checking out the fish.

Wow! Her face! Love Steve's expert photography skills in capturing her reflection.

Trying to give the fishies a fish kiss. "Pip!"

Having a staring contest with a very playful sea otter.

Checking out Beluga Whales with Daddy.

One of my favorite pictures from the day. The size of the tanks didn't intimidate her. She could've stood there all day.

Practicing "Fins Up" with Daddy ... Buffett fans will appreciate this. Start 'em early!

A rare family photo.


Video of Samantha getting pretty fired up over some fish.