Easter Egg Hunt I, 2009

Our friends, the Carvers (their blog found to the right on my list of friends' blogs...) hosted their first annual Carver Egg Hunt recently. The weather forecast for the Saturday afternoon they had planned the hunt was dangerous thunderstorms and possible tornadoes and the Carvers had no choice but to reschedule for the following day. As luck would have it (and just your average person's typical experience with the WeatherMan) at the precise time the original hunt was to start, I was driving with my sunglasses on and the temp in my car said 74. It could not have been more absolutely perfect for an outdoor event. The next day, however, caused the event to be renamed the First Annual Carver Eskimo Egg Hunt. It was windy, below 50 and gloomy...but the kids enjoyed themselves anyway! And Cooper was a close 2nd to the winner for the most eggs found!

Notice Little Sister's empty bucket. She just ran around chasing her friends and playing on the swings mostly!

One of the first eggs...he couldn't be bothered for a picture again!
There was a photographer there with live bunnies...the kids LOVED watching each photo session of their friends outside with the bunnies!

My new favorite picture of Baby Sam...I believe he was saying something like "Are you kidding me? I missed my afternoon nap for THIS? I can't walk, I can't talk, it's pretty darn cold outside and no one even let me so much as hold a stupid egg, much less eat any chocolate. Here's what I think of your egg hunt..." and then I snapped this picture.

Happy hunting...

Betty & Bobby Crocker

Last weekend found us using our previously mentioned rain boots quite often. Our beautiful spring weather disappeared for most of the weekend and was replaced by cold, wet, gloomy days. There was a nice break in the clouds on Saturday, but Sunday brought the rain and clouds back, just in time for an early Easter Egg hunt at the Carver's house (more pictures of that day to come!). During the rain and gloom of the weekend, we baked cookies and had great expectations of delivering them to in-town family (SORRY! That never happened). Then we continued a tradition from Christmas and decorated a "bunny cake house" just in time for spring! This didn't go quite as cleanly as our gingerbread house at Christmas, but just as fun!

Like any good baking session with little ones, this one got pretty messy!

Quite obviously, before the flour fight!
The finished project, it was too messy to go anywhere near the camera during the decorating!

Rain Boots

I decided that I needed to get the kids their first pair of rain boots last week. Kendall was with me when I went shopping and picked not the pink ones with flowers, not the crazy hot pink and green design, but the navy blue and white hearts! We chose a normal blue with no designs for Cooper and thankfully he loved them! Our kids are officially obsessed with the rain boots! I probably owe this to the Gossie and Gertie books, for any of you mommies and daddies out there that know those. Kendall wore hers the entire day after buying them, which included our swim lesson that afternoon. They played in them all evening and into the next day, where they actually got to walk around the neighborhood splashing in puddles! They were SO, SO happy!

Our DIVA in her shades, dress and rain boots...

Another Atlanta Trip

We should probably just buy stock in a hotel or purchase our own downtown condo, as much as we've been visiting Atlanta the past few years! This time it was for a dental conference and we brought our staff with us. There were several long seminars, but we learned a lot and had a great deal of fun along the way! We drove down with three of the girls and spent almost every meal with those three as well. I was quite surprised at how much fun we had with each other the entire time!

We stayed at the Westin...I still miss the Westin's Heavenly mattress. I missed my kids during the 3 day trip, but those were the best nights sleep I've gotten in quite some time! The dark windows you see on the hotel are from the damage at last year's Hinman Dental Conference... No, not a wild Dentists party, but a tornado hit downtown Atlanta, killing 2 or 3 people, stopping play at a basketball tournament and cancelling the conference. Glad we weren't there!

Chip rockin' out at the Hard Rock Cafe

We witnessed the group singing/dance of "YMCA" twice at the Hard Rock and just had to participate the second timeWe got to see the Atlanta Hawks play the Dallas Maverick's...and WIN, which we heard was not a common outcome! Terrell Owens was also there, for you that follow pro football. I saw him deny two small boys his autograph, which pretty much describes his personality in a nutshell!

4 of the 5 girls...If we had stayed one more day, Chip would have surely lost his mind surrounded by all those women!

A New House!

No, our address is not changing! But the kids have a brand new house to call "home." Thanks to Daddy and Grandad and about 40 hours of work, the kids have a wonderfully fun playset in the backyard. We have a lot of holes to fill in, thanks to the dogs, and a renewed appreciation for the Pooper Scooper, but so far, we've thoroughly enjoyed our new afternoon activity!

Day One

Cooper got sky box seats to the action...

Grandad showed his expertise at cutting down trees!

The finished product...


This is our meager attempt at reciprocating for the Barton's building a pool last year, that we used very often! These three, plus Baby Cade, are going to put these swings to great use!

Come and see the new pad anytime!

Sports Enthusiasts

Here at the Webb House, we don't discriminate against any sport. How we would love for our kids to participate in tennis, golf and soccer, we encourage them to try every sport, no matter how tough it might seem.

The equipment manager


A rest during a tough vollyball match with the neighborhood kids!

We're all about heart health...blowing bubbles gets your lungs working hard!

Cooper borrowed neighbor/friend Nathan's glove to give baseball a try.

It's not a Vols helmet, but a Titans one is second best!

The 6th man, patiently waiting his turn on the court.

Who says Nascar isn't a sport?

Wish us well, and most importantly, pray for our sweet sitter, Kendra this weekend. Chip and I, along with our entire staff, are headed to Atlanta Thursday thru Saturday for a dental conference. I know, I know...you are SO jealous. We're looking forward to an NBA game, though, and trying to manipulate the class schedule so that we can see Tennessee play in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday at 12:30. Also, please wish safe travels to Mimi & Grandad who are also headed to Altanta (though for something far more fun than a dental conference, I am sure) and Grammy, who's traveling to Daphne, AL to see Kara and her wild clan. Good luck to Kori in her cheer competition! Sounds like a busy weekend...Hope yours is perfect, wherever you are!

Moving On Up...

Last weekend we spent some time with the Webb clan to celebrate 3 belated birthdays. After dinner, we headed down the road to check out Mimi and Grandad's new house (or it will be new, when contruction is finished this summer). I'm having issues with my blog and am unable to move pictures for some reason. I apologize if the first picture is offensive to anyone, it was not my choice to put it first!!!

Cooper decided he just HAD to go potty. Kendall didn't understand what was happening and why Daddy and Cooper disappeared into the blue box!

After digging out the basement of the house, there appeared a gigantic mountain of red clay. This made Cooper VERY, VERY happy!

The view from the front room!

At dinner, Cooper did his best impression of the "moose" (deer) hanging on the wall at Cracker Barrel.

I feel like this was the first time in months I got to hold Baby Sam due to illness somewhere in our house!

Kendall's favorite part of the meal was licking the cornbread muffin like icing on a cupcake.

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Cooper's First Basketball Game

We've apparently taken a blogging hiatus...for no reason whatsoever. My apologies to you loyal blog readers!
Cooper attended the last regular season basketball game last Saturday in my place. With the exception of Baby Sam, it was a Webb-Men-Only outing. Which also means, I have zero stories and only a few pictures. Chip did good and took photos for me in my absence, but I probably would have had 3 times as many and about a dozen 30-second videos!! I'm not complaining, though. Cooper had a terrific time and if it weren't for that pesky 3 pointer in the last .3 seconds of the game made by Bama, it would have been a perfect afternoon for the boys!

This is officially my new favorite picture!!
It's safe to say, he enjoyed himself!

Surely the Presence...

This is one of my favorite hymns and it came to me tonight while putting the kids to bed.

Tonight I was reading Cat in the Hat out loud in the playroom and Cooper was flipping through The Big Book of Bible Stories for Children while listening to me read (so I thought). He interupts me to ask, "Mommy, is God here?" I said "yes. He is!" Cooper then asked where exactly God was and I told him "everywhere!" A few minutes of silence from Cooper and he says again, "I think he's in the closet!"

While putting Kendall to bed tonight, I read one story and then she started singing. We sang a few renditions of Twinkle, Twinkle and then moved on to If You're Happy and You Know It. When I got to the final verse (If you're happy etc...shout HOORAY! for those of you that don't remember!), I shouted "hooray!" and Kendall threw her hands in the air and gave a BIG "AMEN!" She did this each time throughout the verse. Adorable.

This all reminds me, a few days ago, while riding in the car during a heavy rain, Cooper asked if God still made the rain. I of course answered "yes." He thought for a few moments and said "I like God for making it rain AND when he makes it sunny outside, too!"

God truly has a knack for reminding me exactly how much I love my children sometimes! Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

So Long February!

I'm always glad to see February go. There is so much hope for March! I'm a Winter Blues kind of gal...I think that is why God led my family to the south. I would have never made it up north! I love spring showers, long-sleeve-but-warm weather, and the possibility of being able to play morning, noon or night outside (with the kids of course!). Plus, we get to wish sis-in-law/aunt Emily a HAPPY BIRTHDAY on the very first day of the month! Happy Spring (not quite today at a windchill of 9 degrees, but surely soon)!

We made a visit to the park across from Cooper's school last week with Miss Joy, BF (boyfriend) Drew and Sweet Caroline. We brought enough bread to feed every duck in Blount County. In June. We found one duck. Yes, one. And about half way through our feeding, he went into his house in the side of the creek and never came back out. So, Drew, Cooper and Kendall felt obligated to eat the bread themselves instead! No need to be wasteful, they say!

Cooper and Drew's school was having dental week last week and Dr. Chip sent toothbrushes and stickers (and business cards, we ain't dumb) home with all the kids. Being a good future-dentist, Cooper helps Drew get his Tooth Hat on straight.

No story here, just a cute picture I had to include of our day at the park. Not a good use of my new flash, but a cute smile nonetheless.

The last two pictures are evidence of a true East Tennessee February. We had probably an equal amount of sunny, warm days and cold, yucky, snowy days.

Note: sunshine and short-sleeves. February.

One of the several Snow Days we had here. Fun, yes! But I'd take the sunny days 100% of the time!