Tripp's Christmas Program

We went to the Greenville County Museum of Art last weekend for Tripp to sing with his school. It was really fun, we picked up Bah Bah and had lunch at Fuddruckers (Tripp's choice) and went to the museum. They had a lot of activities, but we only got to do a few things. Here is a picture of Tripp as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" after the face painting station, and also a picture of Tripp with Colin and Bah Bah. Thank you for going with us!

Big Day at the Dentist!

We had a "milestone morning" at the dentist office today!
Colin went on his first trip to see "Dr. Mary" the dentist. He did great, no crying and only minimal squirming. She said his teeth were perfect!


Not to be outdone, Tripp also had a first, he went in the office all by himself, had his teeth cleaned and checked by Dr. Crockett, and didn't even look back to see if I was there!!! So sad to me that he's growing up. I was filling out Colin's paperwork and he just went on ahead without me. By the time I had gathered my things and Colin, he was already in the chair, so I just let him go it alone. They told me he did a great job.


OK, I'm a photo dork, I had my camera with me and took this picture of Colin lying in the chair before the exam...The flash was a little much for him, so he closed his eyes just as the camera went off.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday to you!

The New "Do"

Well, it has happened... Tripp has finally decided he doesn't have to have "flat hair" as he has called it. Here's a picture of the new, "Spiky Hair" I love it, but he looks so much older to me now...where is the time going?

Happy Thanksgiving 2008!

This time of year we all look around at the things we are most thankful for. Family, friends, and more importantly our creator who in all things we are blessed with his love. Tripp had a great time at his school Thanksgiving luncheon until I moved his chair, he toppled over and busted his lip! Here's a cute picture of Stephen and Tripp - before the incident! I could not have felt worse about it, and still feel like it was totally my fault. Anyway, that morning he got up, I gave him his jeans, and told him to get dressed. He immediately said that he couldn't wear jeans to school because he was a pilgrim in the program and pilgrims did not have jeans. He reminded me of the Sprockets from SNL back in the 80's (Does that tell my age?) in his black pants and black turtleneck, but he was the best dressed pilgrim there! He even did a bible verse in sign language - I didn't know he could do that, but boy was I proud!

We also had family Thanksgiving - Here are cute pictures of them at Bah Bah's house...

And at Nanny's on Saturday...

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Wow, we have a lot of birthdays in our family this time of year! Our nephew Andrew turned 6 November 11. He has grown up so fast, it seems like just a few months ago we met him for the first time! I am now kicking myself for not having brought my camera to his birthday party, I don't have a picture from the party of him, but please see the adorable Thanksgiving Day photo of him with Tripp with their Pilgrim hats on! Happy Birthday Andrew!

Happy Birthday Carleigh!

Well, as usual, I'm a little behind in posting! My neice Carleigh's 3rd Birthday Party was two weekends ago, but I wanted to post an up-to-date picture of her. Hope your day was very special! We had a great time at the Birthday Party!

Presidential Election 2008

I know, it's over, has been for a week. But as I am still suffering from a "Political Hangover". I keep thinking it will get better with time (maybe in 4 years), but for now I'm not so sure. I would just like to say I will be praying for President-Elect Obama, and ask that you join me. I feel like he, and all of us as American citizens, will need every prayer we can all offer in the years to come to face the challenges we have before us. Enough said.

Halloween

I am so far behind in posting new info, I'm sure many have stopped looking for updates! But here goes, the kids really had a great time this past week with Halloween. There were many celebrations, and I think I started to believe I actually gave birth to Batman because Tripp wore the costume for so long! Here are some of my favorite pictures of the "Dynamic Duo" in the Batmobile on Halloween afternoon....

Of course, I made a big bat to go on the hood of the Hummer, but left it at work!
Colin loved this mask...didn't want to take it off!

This is a picture from Tripp's school party earlier in the day.

Come on, you know you are singing...na na na na na na na na - BATMAN!

Fall Ball - Go Red Sox!

They look more like the "Green Monsters" but hey, the Boston Red Sox have green jersey's too! This is the little league team Stephen is coaching this fall. Here's a cute picture of my future all-star too! So far, it's been really fun. The kids are all so excited to be there, and Tripp is making a lot of friends. Stephen is very good at being a coach. He really has more patience than I give him credit for sometimes! Love you!!!!

The Real "Steve Smith"

Last week Stephen and his friend Chip went to a Carolina Panthers Fantasy Training Camp! They had a great time doing exercises, practicing plays and playing flag football. They also got to go to the locker room and the Bank of America Suite at the stadium for dinner. They got to meet a few players and staff of the Carolina Panthers too. It was a full fun day. Stephen jammed his finger playing football, and had to go to the doctor the next day to make sure it wasn't broken (it wasn't - thank goodness!). He also said he hasn't been that sore in a long time!!! Guess we really need to get off our couch!

One Last Trip

Well, fall is in the air so the summer is almost over. What a great time to go back to the beach! This weekend I took the boys, my mom and my grandmother to Rick and Kathy Walker's beach home at Murrell's Inlet - Thank you again for allowing us to stay in your beautiful home! We didn't do too much, just go down and spent some time together. We shopped a little and went to the beach at Myrtle Beach State Park one morning. We also drove through Pirateland Campground where my grandmother and grandfather used to spend two weeks every summer. It was a fun trip down memory lane, Tripp even got out of the car and fed the ducks/geese/seagulls! Here is a cute picture I snapped of the boys in the sand dunes.

One night we took them out to dinner and I was telling Tripp all the things he needed to do at the table, you know like don't be loud, eat with your fork, sit still, try the food...and all of a sudden with an exasperated look, he says, "But mama, I'm just a little boy!" Even still, he did a great job with his manners and we took them to Broadway at the Beach to ride the kiddie rides. Tripp loved the train (of course) and the airplanes - which surprised me, but hey, never a dull moment. Colin rode the train and the carousel. He loved the train, but was not happy about going around in circles on a horse. I had to hold him and try to get him to look at me the whole ride! All in all, it was a great trip!

Spending time with friends

Also this weekend we also had the opportunity to enjoy some time with our friends the Jones' and the Carrs. The boys had so much fun playing and capped the evening off with a little "super hero" action. Thank you Jennifer and Walden for inviting us to come over, we really enjoyed it. We will have you guys over to Simpsonvegas next time! Here are some cute pictures from the night - Eliza and Colin going for a "drive"

The three amigos....Tripp as Batman, Carter as Spiderman and Alexander as the Ninja turtle.

Happy Birthday Baylee!

This weekend we celebrated our oldest niece's 10th Birthday! Happy Birthday Baylee!!! It seems like only yesterday she was a little baby, but she has really grown up and we are so proud of her! Here a photo of the birthday girl, and the party was so much fun! We went to Nanny and Poppie's for a cookie cake, ice cream, and a lot of outdoor fun. The kids enjoyed taking rides on the zip line and Tripp and Colin spent most of their time riding around on their new Hummer. (Thanks to our friends the Carrs for selling us Alexander's....they are LOVIN' It!)

Fall Ball

Yes, we can not get enough!!!! Tripp started Fall T-Ball this week at Heritage Park, and Stephen took on the role as the coach! I'll have to take a few pictures when he gets his uniform, but we will be playing in this league until early November. Tripp loves it when people come to his games, so if you are interested, give me a call and I'll give you the schedule!

Atlanta Braves Game

Last weekend we loaded up, dropped Colin off in Anderson for the weekend, and took Tripp to his first MLB game in Atlanta...Go Braves! What a great weekend we had. We drove down on Saturday afternoon and stopped right outside of Atlanta at the Mall of Georgia and then in Gwinnett at the Mill Outlet Center.



Tripp had his first experience at Jillian's (just like Dave & Buster's). He enjoyed playing all of the fun Arcade Games, riding the waverunner game was a HUGE hit, and the Martian Race was another biggie. We had a little dinner, shopped for a while, and then he was ready to go to the hotel. We stopped at Bruster's for an ice cream cone then headed back for a good night's sleep. He really took it all in! He kept saying how much he loved "vacation".



The next morning we got up and headed into the city for the Braves Game - Thank you Doug for the directions, we could not believe how close we got to park to Turner Field!!! We got there early, and stayed all day. I do mean all day! The game started at 1:30, but it went 14 innings! We really did just about everything there is to do at the stadium. We watched batting practice from the outfield, looked over into the Bullpen for warm-ups, went to the Cartoon network kids play area, stood on the fence hoping to get an autograph (no such luck), ate lunch at the "Chop House" - can you say 3 hotdog lunches, $40! It was "Bark at the Park" day so we went up to the top of the stadium and saw everyone with their dogs. and to top it all off, it was Family day, so kids could run the bases after the game (which we stayed until the bitter end to do.) And the grand finale......A player threw him a Game Ball that Francoeur had hit!!!! Couldn't ask for anything more!



It was a long, tiring day, but in the end, Tripp's enjoyment made it all worthwhile. He told me that he had "fun all the way up to his head." I enjoyed watching his face as we came into the stadium. He went crazy when he saw how big it was! He held my hand and said, "I don't want to get lost here, Renee is not here to find me!" (For those who don't know, Renee works for the Greenville Drive and found him when he got separated from us once - we love her!) Anyway, I've rambled on enough. Enjoy the slide show of photos from the weekend!

Happy Labor Day (a little late!)

It seems like it has been so long since I have updated this blog! We are all recovering from a little stomach bug, and it seems we are not alone. Almost everyone I know has had it in their family as well. Tripp and Colin have really settled into their new classrooms at school, and have been enjoying the last bit of summer. Yesterday we spent the day with the Jones' and I don't think Tripp has ever had so much fun! He and Carter swam in the pool, took wild rides on the slip and slide (covered in Dawn dishwashing detergent - I'm not sure I'll ever see a slip and slide again without imagining the boys on Walden's back zooming down the hill covered in bubbles from the dish soap!) and played Fireman late into the afternoon. Thanks Jennifer and Walden for a great day!

Take me out to the Ballgame!

This afternoon we went to the Greenville Drive baseball game with our friends the Carrs and Jones'. I hope everyone had as much fun as we did! We also saw Connor, so there were a lot of friends for Tripp to enjoy. Here is a cute picture of the Three Amigos: Carter, Tripp and Alexander. Tripp was really trying to be a good big brother and help Colin on the slide. Poor Colin looks like Tripp is choking him....but they laughed at the bottom, so I guess all was not a loss. We also have met Jered Stanley's parents, they are so very nice and we told them how thankful we are to Jered for being so kind to Tripp. Tripp really looks up to him, and he has been an outstanding role model for him. I'm sad that the season is ending and Tripp will not be able to see him again. I hope he does well and gets to go up, but we are really going to miss him!

School Days, School Days

We have been entirely too busy lately! I've had no time to sit down and actually post something new. Tripp and Colin moved up into their new classes at school this week. (Hence these cute pictures of the first day of "school" for them, I think Colin would have rather gone swimming with that snorkel!) Tripp is now in 4K and I can hardly believe how much he has grown over the summer. I'm sure when the weather turns cooler, the child will have nothing to wear! He ended up getting Mrs. G-na again this year... YEAH!!!! (Those of you who don't know Mrs. G-na, she is a Goddess of Pre-K!!! She is fun, creative, loving and I could go on and on... She moved from 3K to 4K and we really wanted Tripp to stay in her class.) She has been such a blessing to him (and us) that I couldn't even imagine what it would have been like if he didn't get her. He would have been devastated, he loves her, big time!

Colin moved up to the toddler room and has the nicest teachers, I look forward to getting to know them just as well as Mrs. G-na, but he seems to really like going in the morning, he always wants to get down to play as soon as we arrive.

Well, I'll go for now, but check back next week for more interesting news from the Smiths, we are going to Camden this weekend for Elizabeth Pruett's 1st Birthday Party - See you soon, Christen!

Panthers Training Camp

Today is the day Stephen and Tripp have been waiting for - their annual trip to the Carolina Panthers Training Camp! They had the best time, Tripp got to see his "buddy" Jake Delhomme, he played a little football at the "Panthers Experience" for kids, and drank sweet tea from the Beacon (which apparently was a big deal to him, and I don't blame him, I love Beacon tea too!)

John Fox

Brad Hoover

Jake Delhomme

Carleigh

Saturday our neice Carleigh came to visit for a few hours. Tripp and Colin really enjoyed having her around. She is so much fun! She treats Colin like he is a doll and tries so hard to "help" and She really looks up to Tripp. They played with Moon Sand, wrote all over the driveway with sidewalk chalk, ate McDonald's Happy Meals and then played trains all afternoon.

Junior Paladin Club

Well, the weekend went by too fast (as always)! Tripp is finally over the chicken pox and we were very busy, but among the highlights was taking the boys bowling with the Jr. Paladin Club. We went with Jacquelyn and Andrew, and Bah Bah came along and was a lot of help with Colin, who finally fell asleep and missed the whole thing. I think Tripp had the best time with Andrew trying to knock a few pins down. He actually bowled more strikes that I did. Truthfully, that's not saying much. Those of you who have been bowling with me would not have called it my finest hour. Jacquelyn on the other hand must have been a pro in a former life, she hardly missed! Anyway, here's a couple of cute shots to commemorate the event. I'll check back in when there is more to mention!

Jered Stanley

We went to the Greenville Drive Baseball Game this past Sunday, our friends Walden and Carter were there as well as Nanny and Poppie. We all had fun, despite the hot weather. Tripp and Carter played pretend baseball in the stands, and I tried to keep Colin out of the sun. They also had a jersey auction to benefit the Greenville Children's Hospital. Stephen as you may all know LOVES a jersey auction! He purchased Tripp a jersey from his favorite player, #34 Jered Stanley. They got to go out on the field and get the game worn jersey. Jared took a lot of time with Tripp and was so nice to him! He took his jersey off and put it on Tripp - it was so big on him, he could barely walk in it! Tripp then took off and ran the bases all alone dragging the jersey with him. I can not even tell you how happy Tripp is to have this jersey. He wore it to school the next day, and talked about himself in third person all day like he was Jered Stanley. The best thing he said was, "Mom, Jered Stanley loves it when his mom gives him pop tarts for breakfast!" Tripp is now on the Greenville Drive Website (see http://www.greenvilledrive.com/ ) featured with Jered on the field after he got the Jersey.

Fourth of July at the Beach

Well, it seems that I have some catching up to do! Finally I'm able to sit down and tell you what we did on our vacation over the 4th of July. We met our friends the Pruett family - Christen and Martin and their two girls Samantha (age4) and Elizabeth (11 months) at Christen's parents home in Murrell's Inlet, SC. It was a beautiful place to stay and we sincerly thank Rick and Kathie Walker for opening their home to us. Tripp and Samantha had a GREAT week! They went swimming in the pool. We visited Broadway at the Beach, and they even got to ride the motorcycles at the Pavilion Nostalga Park. I've added a smaller slide show, so be sure to watch for great pictures!

Kiawah Island 2008

We vacationed with Stephen's family at Kiawah Island. Jacquelyn, Tom, Andrew, Hunter and Lib Ann were all there. Here are a few pictures of the boys having fun in the sun!