Attempt at the Perfect Christmas Card

With our October beach trip, I promised after our trip this past June to go to the beach with absolutely no expectations. I swore I would take my camera to the beach every time we went and hope to capture an amazing picture simply by happenstance. Well, as they say, promises are made to be broken. We were only there for four days and we insisted on travelling light to the ocean each day. That did not include my gigantic camera bag. Because I just knew that I would bring my camera with me everywhere we went, I did not bring my small camera either. Like, outside of our house. In Tennessee. So, half my time at the ocean was spent pouting about not having any means to take pictures besides my stupid cell phone. The other rule I broke was that we set aside one evening to take pictures and one evening only. With that comes a massive amount of expectations (see previous promise to myself). And, to top it all off, I forgot my remote so I had to get up 55 times to take a picture. Long story short, we got exactly 4 pictures that would even remotely be in consideration for a Christmas card of any kind...

I think this would make the perfect card for the phase of life we're in these days, don't you?! A litle sweet, a little "shut your mouth, Brother, it's my show now."
Now, this I like for many reasons. Mostly, it required no bribery since they were walking away from me and I couldn't have cared less what expression they had on their faces. I would bet you somewhere upwards of a million dollars that one of them was trying to get away while the other had the death grip on the other "because Mommy said so."

This one definitely has potential except for 2 problems: Cooper's 80's style skater-boy hair and the fact that Kendall's hair is still wet and has that "hasn't been washed in 5 days" look to it.
My favorite picture, possibly of ALL time. And you wonder why people ask me if they're twins??? I believe Chip had just said "OK guys, act like you just got a brand new pack of Mighty Beans!" Naturally, Chip thought they would smile excitedly, but this is what we got instead. Write that down for their Christmas lists, I guess!

The Wild Webbs have had some wildy awful sickness lately and I apologize once again (for those that want it) for not blogging. Seems we like to eat and sleep when we're finally feeling well around here and not much else. I hope all is well with every single one of you. More to come, I promise...Kind-of.

Good Old Fashioned Teaser

I don't even know where to begin. I wish I had a really witty beginning to this particular blog, but all I can seem to muster up is "I'm sorry." Most of you will probably laugh at that, as if you are interested enough in my blog to need an apology! But there are family and friends out there that read the blog just to keep up with our wild life (or...at least they tell me they do!).

For many reasons, I'm going to start my return to blogging off with a teaser...some pictures of the past month, or nearly, since I've last blogged. As typical with the fall here in East Tennessee, it's been a roller coaster ride of fun (mostly)...more Vol losses, a beach trip, beautiful autumn colors making their way through the trees, a huge soccer win, lots of birthday parties and our annual pumpkin painting day.

One of my favorite parts of this week so far has been learning to put my name on my pictures. I like the effect of tricking people into thinking the photos are better than they really are, just because they have a name on them!

"Go Vols! Beat the BAD Team!"

I miss Coach Fulmer, but I'm a huge fan of Coach Dooley. He seems no-nonsense, intelligent, both tough on players and 'there for them' as well. I take a very girl-ish, motherly approach to picking my favorite coaches. They have to make me believe they care about these kids (I mean, they're superstars, but they are very young, immature superstars) and understand where they are coming from, just what exactly is riding on their college career and mostly -- how far away their mama's are. My favorite trait of Dooley's so far though? He's really funny when talking to the media. I think that says a lot about a person... how you can let one-liners just roll off your tongue without hesitation.

We took the kids to the Vols game last weekend. We were well equipped with Ipods, Nintendo DS's, snacks and money --for more interesting snacks. We figured that since this was Kendall's first UT game (besides the Orange and White "game" last year), that we would last approximately 2 quarters and absolutely no more. Funny, after a minor meltdown by both children in the first quarter, a $14 trip to the concession stand and all was well. Kendall spent about 5 minutes total playing the Ipod and spent the rest of the time cheering, calling the opposing team "the baaaaaad team" and keeping a close eye on the 2 Smokey dogs on the jumbotron. Alas, 4 quarters is enough for most adults, so when UT managed to lose their lead and the game headed to overtime, we could do nothing else but laugh. The kids held strong. Cooper was bored with the DS and started cheering DEFENSE (regardless of who was actually playing defense, but whatever) and the Vols finally pulled out the win in the second overtime.

Showing off their tickets to the game!

Those fireworks are LOUD!

Chip and I had to take turns sitting with Kendall. She wouldn't sit still, she wanted to cheer sitting on your lap, cheer standing on the seats in front of us, jump up and down, dance to the band and search for Smokey. Needless to say, we didn't need our cardio or arm workouts by the time the game was over.

He has no clue how poorly the Vols were playing! Who cares when you're this cute??!

For those not keeping up or for those that find this win UN-impressive, did I mention that we were playing the University of Alabama??? Yup, the VOLS pulled off a victory over the U of A! "The ones ranked #1 in the nation", you ask??? Oh, no. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to mislead you. We were playing the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Someone cast a spell on me and wake me up for Dooley's second season, pretty please!!! Because I don't ever want to be called a "fairweather fan"... ... GO VOLS!

The Raccoon Romp

We experienced yet another "first" this past Friday. The annual fundraiser at Cooper's school is the Raccoon Romp, where each child is allowed to get pledges for how many laps they will walk around a 1/4-mile stretch behind the school. I volunteered to help while Cooper wasn't walking and took in quite a few observations. It was truly amazing to see the Opening Ceremonies where all the kids grades k-3 were lined up to cheer on the 4th graders while they walked (well, mostly ran) their last Romp. It was so fun to see the kindergarteners with their brand new enthusiasm, reaching out their hand to get high fives from the 4th graders. I could barely hold my camera (barely, but I fought through) for laughing so hard at the giggles and squeals when someone touched their hand. No doubt the 4th graders felt like rock stars.

It was also interesting to see the difference between the family and friends present for the kindergarteners versus all the other grades. You could barely walk for all the folks cheering on the kindergarteners while the romped. They were walking with the kids, running with the kids, and cheering from every crack and crevice of the school sidewalk. After they were finished and the first graders came out, it looked like an old western movie where everyone went running to hide when the bad guys came running up on horseback. Clearly, the excitement dies, but all the kids truly seemed to have an amazing day.

If I had reprised my role as Rocky the Raccoon (as I did for the Raccoon Romp Pep Rally thanks to some persistent texting from my "friend" Charity), I would have definitely passed out, probably multiple times. Thanks to whoever the kind, crazy soul was that took over for me.

My last observation is that I think the school needs to get their playground professionally graded, leveled and put down the softest, smoothest sod available (with all the money they raised at the Romp). That way, the First Aid table could have a little peace and quiet. 500+ students running full speed ahead on the concrete road makes for a *few* scraped knees and tears. Alls well that ends well, though.

Cooper and his buddies from class, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the upperclassman!

Those outstretched hands I was telling you about!

Look at that form! I've been telling Chip I think maybe Cooper might be better suited for cross-country running. Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong here!!

Kendall went to bed the night before with a wee bit of a fever. This meant she got strolled around the Romp while everyone else got sweaty, tired and bloody, in some cases. The girl has crazy manipulation skills, for sure.

Look who popped out of the stroller and was seemingly fine once she saw Rocky?!!!

Cooper is very proud of his school mascot.

We are taking pledges for the 2011 Raccoon Romp now if you feel so inclined.

Game Day

Every Saturday before now the Webb family is clad in orange and white from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep (unless you're Cooper, who has been known to sleep in his UT jersey on game nights). Not much was different this Saturday, except that Cooper had to change his clothes after lunch into a blue shirt and shorts and get suited up for the first big soccer game of the season. I've gotta get that kid some Volunteer orange Underoos or something so he can still be partially-clad in orange during the games!

The Blue Eagles fell to an impressive Green Tiger team, 1-2. This was the most fun I've had in some time. These 5 and 6 year old boys basically run after the ball, in one large school of green and blue little soccer players, until someone finally kicks it out so that they can all start running in a different direction. The score was low, but I believe there were absolutely no less than 340 shots on goal in those 40 minutes.
We had a minor knee bruise at the end of the day, but besides that, Cooper seemed to have an amazing time. He came close to scoring for his friends on the green team, but it all ended well.

The obligatory handshake. Always a favorite shot of mine for some reason. I love these tiny little "good sports"!

Some friends from the Green Tigers, Ty and Graham. You could cut the tension with a... well, probably with a grain of salt. There was no tension to be found. These boys were just happy to be soaking up the sunshine and running their little hearts out.

GO EAGLES!

A Beary Memorable Weekend

Labor Day weekend found me in the Great Smoky Mountains twice. I spent a total of over 14 hours there in one weekend. Safe to say, I was in heaven! Saturday morning a few of my new photography buddies got together to walk through Cades Cove to catch the sunrise. The Cove is closed to cars until 10AM two days a week until Labor Day, so we joined over 700 bikers and about 3 other walkers and enjoyed a rather chilly morning in the most beautiful place on earth! One of the more disappointing aspects of the trip was, surprisingly, not the hour that we met, but the amazingly dense fog. Rather than see the sunrise, we eventually saw it peaking through the tree limbs and above the still-present fog, as bright as a hot and humid August day in the desert, around 9AM. I've never in my life gone through Cades Cove and not seen a deer. At times we've stopped counting at fifty. This particular beautifully perfect, cool Saturday morning, we walked over 9 miles and saw a whopping 5 turkey, 1 giant spider, a million and 3 horses, and I think maybe 3 birds (but they were squirrely and I think there may have been only 2). Speaking of squirrels, I didn't even see any of those.

Our biker friends.

This is my favorite shot. No Photoshop on this one.

I don't know why I find this picture so interesting and worth posting. But. I do.

I had so much fun soaking up the beauty and peacefulness that is the mountains that Chip and I packed the back of the truck on Monday as if we were leaving for the beach for a month. We had a picnic basket, cooler, towels, water shoes, water toys of every kind, picnic blankets and a soccer ball and football. It was the making of a perfect day for sure.

Darn it! I forgot my candy to bribe them with!

You just gotta love my little tree huggers!

We found rock steps. Kendall tested my patience and heart health as she enjoyed running, skipping and hopping up and down these for the better part of a half hour. So, we drove the entire loop. We exited and entered again to play in some water we had seen along one of the 2-way roads just as you enter Cades Cove. As we were approaching the water, a car passes and the drive says "there's a bear right there." Of course I got excited. I was ready to get out of the car after parking and take pictures of a mama bear drinking water with her cubs 50 yards away. Nope. We drove all of two more feet, looked out the window to our left and there he was. This is not zoomed. Chip could have literally scratched behind the little guy's ears had he been so brave.

He meandered down the gravel road while we parked our car. The four of us followed and stopped at a safe distance where I became very thankful I just purchased a new zoom lens. Chip took the kids back to the water after they became bored of staring at a black blob their parents were insisting was a bear. I then continued to take pictures froma closer yet still safe distance. 135 pictures later I finally walked away and these are just a few I came away with.

We are unbelievably blessed to live near the Great Smoky Mountains and I can't say it enough how blessed I feel to have a family that appreciates our time there as much as I do.

It's That Time of Year

There's a day each September when you can smell it. When you are walking from your car one night or maybe walking outside first thing in the morning. You can smell cooler weather, golden leaves and haystacks. You can smell things like apples and squash and pumpkins even though you live in the middle of the city and nowhere near the Farmer's Market. Regardless of the temperature, just because September is an autumn month, it makes you believe that with that slightly cooler weather comes all your favorite things about fall. Which means you also smell things like halloween costumes, fall festivals and Thanksgiving dinners. Some people around these parts might say that along with the first of September, comes the smell of one thing and one thing only: Football. When we say "fall" we see, hear and smell "Tennessee Football" and very little else.

Football in Tennessee is like oversized sunglasses and rollar blades in California. Football in Tennessee is like maple syrup and homemade applesauce in Vermont. Football in Tennessee is like gigantic beads and beignets in New Orleans, cowboys and wild horses in Montana, the Red Sox and baked beans in Boston. Long story short, football is just what we DO in Tennessee in September. It's what we think of at the first mention of "September." That first real month of fall is where we have more faith than any other time of the year, where we believe we have every chance in the world. There IS no other sport in Tennessee in the month of September. Period.

Unless. Of course. You are the parents of a 5 year old that signed up with Parks and Rec to play soccer. Then, your child's soccer schedule will require your formally unphased commitment to Tennessee Football waiver amazingly so and with lightening speed. I mean, there are parents out there that would probably literally shed tears over the schedule we've been handed. We watched the Vols' impressive 50-0 win over UT-Martin. That may have possibly been the last full home game we see in person this year thanks to this soccer schedule. BUT, we aren't complaining.

Folks, it's SOCCER TIME IN TENNESSEE!!!!!!

Cooper had a little run-in (literally) with a classmate on the playground this day. So, he was having lip issues (and by issues, I mean a sore on the inside of his lip the size of a piece of bubblegum)
Someone is in heaven. And it ain't the kid.

I see potential!

An impressive attack of the goal!

As with the first day of Kindergarten and all the incredible moments before that, our lives continue to change in every possible way. Every time we think we've settled into a routine, into what we think is our new normal, it changes again. Life is full of surprises and this simple, short soccer schedule was a possibly much-needed reminder that there is so, so much more to life than football.

So, it's with great pride that I say GO EAGLES!