The Canoe Curse is Lifted

We have a bit of a curse that has plagued my family for many years.  On Memorial Day weekend, we traditionally get together for a canoe trip down the Duck River followed by a cookout.  We have never, yes I said NEVER, completed a canoe trip without someone flipping their boat.  Usually, you can count on Amanda to be the boat-flipper, however there has been a year that I have worn that hat as well.  This year, we all made it without any capsized canoes!  Hooray!  The curse is lifted!  Here are some photos to capture the fun...

Cameron, Kayden, Scout and Piper

Kimmie stayed with all the kiddos while the adults went canoeing.

Cameron hangs from the rafters of the barn.

My canoe partner and me 

(Michael was at the airport picking up the boys.)

Karen in her "cicada-proof" sunshade and Caleb

The Drivers

The Mersings

Suzy and Dorsey with his very nice small-mouth bass

Pawpaw... 

And, Keith rode the newest member of the 

CedarRock Fall Fest family to the cookout.

Sam met Gran and Poppy for lunch.

...and preferred airplane swinging to canoeing.

They made it all the way across to the island and back, hand in hand.

Getting all three boys to look at the camera and smile 

at the same time is IMPOSSIBLE.

The canoe crew plus and minus a few

Kayden and Piper splashing Kimmie.

Cicada Invasion

Resembling one of the plagues of Egypt during biblical times, middle Tennessee has its own version...and it's back!  The brood XIX cicada has returned for a season of love before the next generation lies in wait.  Now, if you've never seen a cicada before, it's pretty hard to discribe, kind of a cross between a really big fly and a grasshopper.  There are several different broods on different time-tables that live throughout the United States; our brood only comes out every 13 years.  Here's a few things I have learned about cicadas after now living with them:

First, they crawl our of the ground by the millions looking like this:

It will attach itself to just about anything, my storage shed, the tires of my car, the hand rail on my back steps.  Then, all in the same night, it sheds its exoskeleton like this: (leaving said exoskeleton behind to just look creepy)

...and becomes a winged insect like these.

They fly around EVERYWHERE for about the next six weeks looking for love, laying eggs in the tender bark of new tree branches and then die.  Exciting huh!  When the eggs hatch, the tiny new larvae drop to the ground and bury themselves...for 13 years.   They grow slowly and wait underground and count the years by the rise and fall of the sap levels in trees.  Their timing is their survival skill.  Because of their long period underground, they have no natural predator...because nothing knows or remembers what they are.

After living through a cicada season with children, I would beg to differ about that "no natural predator" thing.  Here are some photos of the boys and these new bugs, and unfortunatley, SEVERAL cicadas were harmed in the making of these photos.  On the bright side, there are millions more still out there singing unbelievably loudly in the trees as I type!

  

We thought it would be interesting to see what Sam would do with a cicada, 

so Kayden plopped one on his leg, and this is what happened... 

...it crawled up

...and up

 ...and up

 ...and onto his clothes

 ...and onto his belly

 ...until he finally looked at his momma with a "Now what?" face, 

and Kayden picked it back up.  

It's pretty crazy to think that the next time Sam has a cicada crawling on 

his shirt he will be finishing up the 7th grade!

Boys and their bugs...

Sam Snapshot: 7 months

Well, I blinked and Sam turned 7 months old.  Time flies when you are having fun, I guess.  Here's his 7-month old picture, and the outfit is courtesy of Weller.  She and West are convinced Sam is going to be a star football player because of his size.  So, she bought him his first pair of athletic shorts and football t-shirt.  (She also got him his first rocker t-shirt too, but we haven't worn it yet.)  Thanks Kayla!

Over the past month, Sam has added lots of new tricks to his party bag.  He can:

• Say Mama and Dada...to either of us.  Not specific yet, but still cute!
• Crawl backwards all over the place, and forward about 2 "steps"
• Reach, grab and hold his own bottle from start to finish
• Pull up onto his knees (time to lower the crib mattress)

Still no teeth yet, but lots of drool.  Expecting them anytime...

We also had our first tornado "safe place" experience this month.  I told Kayden he had 5 minutes to gather anything we would need to stay in our "safe place" for about 45 mintues.  I turned my head, and this is what he had done.  Pretty good huh.  We read books, and did a puppet show while we rode out the storm.  Kayden wanted to just stay in there...

It wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention just how much we love bath time!  With toys and bubbles and a talking duck tub, it's my (and Sam's) favorite part of the day.

Oh, and it's become the new "cool" thing to feed Sam.  Both Kayden and Cameron LOVE to help with this. Kayden feeds him food from a jar, and Cameron holds his bottle (and will lay on the floor and pitch a royal fit if you try to hold the bottle too.)

And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much Sam likes Sprout.  

This is him watching "STAR" on The Goodnight Show.  

My First Mother's Day

In church, our pastor said that God chooses our mothers.  He also chooses our children.  I smile to think that my mother and I were paired together not as an act of chance, but a perfect plan coming to fruition.  I love my mother, and credit her for some of my best qualities, and now, for the first time, I am celebrating Mother's Day not as a daughter, but a mother myself.  I am honored knowing that God has appointed me to be Sam's mom, and it is by far the most challenging and rewarding task He has ever given me.  Ultimately, Sam is God's boy, and I am reminded of that each time I speak the name, Samuel.  He is evidence that God hears us and knows the desire of our hearts.  God has given me a son, and I am committed to giving him over to God for all of his days.  

As pastor Allen says, "Parenting is the ultimate train and release program." (Proverbs 22:6)

To honor my first Mother's Day, Michael cut fresh flowers from the yard and set out a really sweet card for me to find.  However, while he was in the shower, I added the wrapped package to the display.  When he came back in and saw the new display, he looked confused, then smiled and said, "I see how this works now, I can't wait for Father's Day."  He didn't know it but he also bought me a Shark steam mop XL with 2-sided mopping surface and extra large water container!  He really understands me.  

Sam's footprint artwork from school was also displayed.  I love those sweet feet!

Friends and Family Make Me Smile

The most beautiful discovery true friends and close families make is

 that they can grow seperately without growing apart...


Such is the case with my friends and family.  I grew up in Alabama with deep roots in Mississippi, and now I find myself raising a family in Tennessee.  I am grateful for a family and friends who just pick up right where we left off, even if many months have gone by between visits.

In a jam-packed weekend of events, our first stop was at Nani's house and a quick visit with Kendall and Mary.  Here are the latest photos of Sam and Harper.  It was really nice to spend the morning with good friends, talk about the Royal Wedding that just took place that morning and love on some babies.  Kayden came with me, and when we left he said, "That was fun seeing Kendall and the mom." I thought so too, K-bug.

I can't help but want to just snuggle her, since I don't have girls, or snugglers for that matter.

Next, it was off to Sippi the State (as Kayden calls it) to celebrate J.L.'s graduation with her Master's degree.  Since we had three small children in tow and a late arrival at Nani's the night before, we didn't make it in time for the graduation ceremony.  However, we were just in time for the luncheon afterwards.  Those MSU dog bone cookies are the best!  Go bulldogs, and Go JJ!

Now it's on to Round 3:  Aaron and Becca's wedding that night at 6:00.  They had a beautiful and big wedding.  Aunt Donna looked LOVELY in her dress.  Sam made it through .5 seconds of the wedding ceremony before promptly being carried out by Daddy for yelling...

You know Flat Stanley?  Well, meet "Round Samuel."

 Since we were all dressed up, it seemed like a good time for a family photo.

My sister and one of her handsome sons, Kayden

The best man and the beautiful bride and groom...and Sam

 Oh, and another special moment from this weekend was this picture:

Over the past 5 years, Grandmom has handmade a quilt for each of her granddaughters.  We now each have our own priceless keepsake made with love by our amazing grandmother.  She finished the last one this weekend, and we all posed together for a photo to remember this special moment.  Pretty cool huh!