Photo Shoot Favorites!

I was very honored when Megan asked me if I would take pictures of her beautiful family a few weeks ago! We set up a time and place to meet this past weekend! I love taking pictures - I could do it all day long! I will admit, however, that on my way out to meet the Hutchings family I was a little anxious that they would go to all the trouble and not end up with what they were hoping for! Well, I haven't burned the pictures to a disk yet to give to them (About 200 will make the final cut) but here is a little preview! I thought we ended up with some really great shots, but with a family as lovely as this one (inside and out!) it would be impossible not to have great photos!

School is out for summer!

I thought it would never get here, but FINALLY, it is officially summer! :-) I have been such a bad blogger lately and I am really going to try to be more consistent over the summer! Hopefully I can get into a bloggy routine - I am hoping for 2 or 3 posts a week and a lot more time to read and catch up with all my favorite blogging beauties! I have already done SO MUCH since school got out Friday including, but not limited to, an all girls day with Lily, 2 birthday celebrations, Memorial day fun in downtown C-town, quality time with the family, and a photo shoot of one of my favorite families! :-) As I have just vowed to try to post 2 to 3 times a week I will save these events for upcoming posts (stay tuned), but I will not save everything! One very exciting thing happened the last week of school (other than school coming to an end)! We welcomed the newest addition to the Stiner Family!!!

Miss Kenslee Alane Stiner

Named after my brother (Kenneth Alan Stiner)

(Hee, hee! She was a hungry girl making all kinds
of fussin' and I snapped this picture -
she looks like she is smiling!!!)

Welcome to the world, baby girl! You are just as beautiful as can be! You look exactly like your big sister did when she was a baby and you weighed in at 7lb 1oz just like her too! You are about an inch shorter than she was and your baby pictures look very much like your daddy's! :-) You have the dark Stiner hair and we think you'll probably have the Stiner's dark brown eyes, but we'll have to wait and see because right now they are still new-born blue/gray. :-) We think you are the most beautiful thing and we can't wait to hear your sweet voice and know your precious personality! You are already loved by so many!

Jazz Fest

It seems I am running about a week behind on my blog! :-) LAST weekend was Jazz Fest on the square and it was a wonderful time! Maybe I should tell you about the whole weekend! Friday was uneventful for the most part. Saturday, however, we cranked up the fun! Mom came up early and we went shopping with Lily! We all three got shoes and some clothes. After an hour or two we met Chris for lunch and he took Lily back home and Mom and I continued to shop! This is our Mother's day weekend tradition and it was SO. MUCH. FUN! We definitely had the shopping mojo going on! :-) After she hit the road, I picked up Lily and Chris and we met Megan, Web, Vance, and Jack at Jazz Fest for some outside fun! With music, food, blow-ups, and fun around ever turn for FREE in perfect spring weather... well, we couldn't have asked for more!

I failed to bring my camera so I borrowed this shot from the Internet! This is one side of our adorable square all decked out mid-Jazz Fest. The rest of my pictures are taken on my phone and are fuzzy at best!

Here are the Daddy's taking it all in! :-)

And of course, there was dancing!

Who wouldn't dance to "The Chattanooga Choo-Choo?"

Lily and Vance holding hands! They are big buddies!

And... you can't have outside fest-fun without

some good fest-food! Like Snow Cones!!!! :-)

Sunday was spent lounging, cooking, and then heading out to Milton to celebrate Mother's day with Chris' family (and some Birthday's too)! Rob and Chris were "in charge" of dinner. After a little delegating, when everything was served up we had burgers, grilled chicken, potato salad, deviled eggs, broccoli salad, and baked beans! It was YUMMY! Then Chris' mom had FOUR cakes (one for each honoree)! It was so fun!

(The picture above is kind of random, but cute as can be! Lily has taken a liking to having her hair hot-rolled! It looks ADORABLE when you take it down! :-)

Speaking of Lily - she is sick with a fever and stayed home today!

Please pray she feels better soon!

The Oil Change

I never really like getting my oil changed. It takes time out of my day and I, for whatever reason, always feel a little awkward talking to the mechanics. So as I rolled up to get my oil changed last week I was already less than thrilled and it only went down hill from there! Apparently I entered some ditsy warp that made me momentarily "that girl" that you think can't possibly be that much of a ditz!



I pull up to the garage and a guy jogs out to the car and I roll down the window. "Afternoon, ma'am, how can we help you today?" I reply, "Just an oil change, thank you." He asks if I am a repeat customer. "Why, yes I am. I haven't been in with this car before though." He asks for my mileage. A moment's pause as I look at the digital display on my dash that I am still not entirely familiar with and the buttons on my steering wheel that I never use... I stab a button which doesn't display my mileage, but instead turns on the radio. I quickly (as if I could stop it before he notices that brilliant move) stab the button on the stereo to turn it off and commence to pushing the "mode" button on the steering wheel as it switches displays going through everything from average miles per gallon to current miles per hour - 0. Mr. Mechanic reaches over me, stabs a button on the dash and says, "There it is." No doubt thinking, "are you kidding me?"



Next part, roll into the garage trying NOT to be the chick that circulates though email who drives her car sideways into "the pit." Ah, park. A safe place to be while they change the oil. I go to a quick 10 minute oil change place and you are asked to remain in the car. Problem: it's unseasonably warm... like 85 and no breeze. I am a tad uncomfortable so I roll down my windows. I begin to mentally prepare for the "quiz" that comes at the end of my oil change. You know, when they ask you to turn on your head lights, use your blinkers, honk your horn so that they can see that everything works? (I am sure they charge me for this too, oh well.)



They guys working change my oil, punch in my Venn number and inform me that I have been there before with this car (oops... another mistake that makes me feel silly and I wonder why I didn't remember that, but I can't dwell on the thought because I have to get ready for the "quiz!")



And then it happens. Time for my quiz and I am ready! They close the hood and tell me to start the car! Then my instructions start coming.... "Turn on your headlights." I freeze. My headlights are automatic. Crap. I push a bar. Nothing. "Okay, ma'am, your headlights." I twist the bar. "Um, Ma'am, turn on your headlights for me, please." I push a button. VICTORY! "Okay ma'am, brights are working, how 'bout just your headlights" I pray, twist, and voi-la! Houston, we have headlights! "Thanks, now your left blinker" My brain says, "Easy one!" and then I flip on my headligh.... nope... my wind shield wipers! "Okay, wind shield wipers work, now your blinker please." Crap. I quickly recover and blink both blinkers quickly and turn them off. Thank you ma'am. I am SO ready for the end of my quiz... the last thing is always to honk the horn. My hand is on the wheel in anticipation when I hear, "Okay, now tap your breaks." And, of course, being ready for what I have anticipated I give my horn two brief, but very proud, honks. OH. MY. GOODNESS. I have no idea what is wrong with me... I don't even know if my brain realized what I had done until Mr. Mechanic said, "Okay, horn works, now tap those breaks." I was barely able to move my feet or anything at this point. Somehow a managed to tap the break, put her in drive, pay quickly with my eyes down and get the hell out of there.



As I pulled away I laughed. Out loud. I have no idea why I suddenly had blond-brain (no offense to you light haired gals out there), but I did. And it is still funny to me. And I have no doubt that every guy in that place talked for the rest of the day and probably half the night about the dumb chick that came in and how in the world is she legally driving a car.



So there is my "embarrassing" story, out there for you. I hope it made you laugh a little... I sure have laughed at it myself. a. lot.

About a week in pictures...

I have been so incredibly busy with my wonderful life that I haven't had time to post! In a time saving effort for my (posting) and you (reading) I thought I'd recap with a few pictures and captions!

Wednesday and Thursday after work were spent primarily at the Hooper household! We are on a Wii kick! Every day is another challenge and lots a smack talk (which is REALLY funny coming from a 5 year old) - she is ALL ABOUT IT! We hear a lot of, "your goin' down!" and "Holla" LOL! Too. Much. Fun.

Thursday was an unexpected treat! Chris took me and Lily to Fuji! It's a favorite, but pricey so we don't go too often! Lily LOVED the chef's knife-twirling, egg-cracking, fire-lighting, spark-slinging skills! We enjoyed ourselves so much! Then I grabbed an ice cream treat and we enjoyed it on the patio!

Then came the rain.... and it rained and rained more than I have ever seen it rain! More than ever before on the TN record books. And it flooded, and flooded... more than I have ever seen it flood and more that ever before on the TN record books! Luckily my area was spared, but Chris and I spend the ENTIRE weekend snuggled up watching movies and ordering pizza!

...and then out came the sun and 80 degree weather for Monday and Tuesday... and 2 days off work to allow the area to soak in and dry out a little.

Then back to work and little Cinco De Mayo (sp?) night out with Chris, and lots of...

Cheer leading for the new school which started this week. Whew! Boy has that tied up a lot of time

!

Now, off to meet Chris and Little bit at Chilis!! :-) ...and a weekend including more Wii challenges (starting tonight) and the Jazz Fest and shopping with my mom and Mother's day!!! Have a nice night y'all, and enjoy your weekend!

Fun Filled Weekend!

This was my "favorite" weekend... if I had to classify all the weekends of the past few weeks or months this would rank as a fav! Friday evening we had a benefit dance at school for Patrick, Amanda, and Beckett that was a smashing success! Afterward we went out for a quick dinner and then, upon Lily's request, played LOTS of Wii! In fact, the weekend was full of Wii show downs! Saturday was bad weather, so other than a little working at school and lunch out, we were in for the day! We hunkered down with a movie and napping and Wii playing fun! It was the most relaxing day!



We also found time for the project you see above! My sister, Sarah, sends Lily post cards from all her travels! We decided to get a map and keep track of all the places we get post cards from! :-) This is a great way to learn about the US and where things are in our wonderful country! We have had a lot of conversations lately about "What country/state/city we live in." Lily used to say, "What world are we in?" when we passed through a town or city! She learns so quickly!


Speaking of Sarah... she made Lily and I matching approns (below) which we cooked in this weekend to get ready for our long awaited picnic! :-) Here you see Lily with the fruit kabobs she made! She picked the recipe out of her very own cookbook! We took them to the picnic and they were a big hit!


Here we are modeling our apporons... litterally! lol! Her daddy was behind the camera making us work it! :-) Sarah we LOVE the approns! Chris, you are a phenomenal photographer, but with subjects like these... I mean, what could you expect but great pictures! ;-)



By far, my favorite part of the weekend was the picnic! We started planning it a couple of weeks ago and it couldn't have worked out bettter! We met the Hutchings, Fletchers, Dillmans, Dodds, Kinneys, and Finnells at the park for a classic kite-flying, bike-riding, walk-taking, play-ground-playing, side-walk-chalk-drawing, bubble-blowing, hamburger-eating good time!

Lily and her sidewalk chalk! She is the artist!

Megan and her boys!

So Sweet!

All the kidletts had such a WONDERFUL time playing!!!

And the men had fun being men!

Here are the girlie girls eating!

Lily, Anna, and Abby!

Baby Jack with Aunt La

Lily and Chris playing on the slides!

Lily playing tag with Robin and Melody!

Scott and his two girls, Robin and Melody!

What a climber!

Lily did AMAZING on the climbing wall!

FUN. FUn. Fun. fun.

We MUST do this again! SOON!

(In fact, as Anna and Abby left, Anna informed us that she and

Lily had already planned a "play date!" - precious!)

Habitat Golf Scramble

This weekend has been great fun! In spite of my allergies (with the pollen this heavy, I think EVERYONE has allergies right now) I enjoyed a weekend of outside events! Friday was a baseball game with my favorite coach... and we won! Then we came home and watched Sherlock Holmes... unfortunately I slept through half of it. I tend to fall asleep during movies if is later at night... Chris gives me a hard time about it every time it happens, lol! Saturday was the big day, though. It was all day at the golf course - our favorite thing to do! All the "Pickwick guys" got together to play in Habitat's first ever golf scramble!

They were split into two groups - one with Web, BJ, Steve (aka - Big Sexy), and Chris....

...and the other with Clay, Derek, Charles, and Brad!

Lauren - posing here to test our photo spot - worked with me on hole #9 where we sat all day with our cooler of cold beverages and talked with, watched, and photographed each foursome! We had the best time and it was such a beautiful day!

Here are our guys on number 9! They played well and came in FIRST place in the top flight! Also in the top flight and coming in second was the other group of Pickwick guys! We were so proud!!!

I was most proud of Moo for pulling off this wonderful event! I was SO well planned, well organized, and SO. MUCH. FUN! I don't know numbers, but I know if you ask anyone there they would agree it was a smashing success and should become an annual event! :-)

And, of course, a shot of me and my favorite golfer! I think it's time for me to dust of the clubs and get back at it myself! :-) There is nothing better than spending the day of the golf course with my favorite person... it's good for my soul!

Now it's Sunday and the weekend is winding down. My soul is full of peace. Went to church this morning, planning to take an afternoon nap this afternoon, and then we are headed to Milton to spend some QT with Chris' family! Life. Is. Good.