Monroe's 2nd birthday

Jumping for joy!

Abbie and Morgan

Monroe's working in the yard while Morgan and Abbie play.

Mickey Mouse treats

Yay!  It's Monroe's birthday!

Paula with Tanner, Keri's youngest

Matt, Monroe, Morgan and Martha

3 of the cousins-where's Abbie?


On Saturday, February 20 (Monroe's bday), we drove to Kentucky early in the morning for his birthday party.  It turned out to be a really nice, almost spring-like day so everyone enjoyed being outside.  The kids had a great time playing together.  Keri's family came, along with Nana and Paw-paw, Uncle Phil, Matt R.'s Aunt Sara, and his Mom and Dad.  Another family that they are friends with also came later.

They had a Mickey Mouse party.  Abbie was sweet about pushing Morgan and Carter around on the tractor.  The kids played some on their new swingset too.  They had hot dogs and sandwiches for lunch.  Martha had made some really cute cookies and cupcakes for Monroe's party.  Monroe is very independent these days!!  Our family had a super-packed day so we stayed for a couple of hours and then drove back home for Sophie's Girl Scout cookie booth at Wal-mart and a violin recital.  We were exhausted that night from a full day!!  Happy Birthday to Monroe!  We love you!!

Daddy/Daughter Dance and a Surprise Party

Abbie and Sophie

Abbie and Sophie with their Daddy.

Abbie with her Valentine box

What's a game night without Twister?

Summer, Skyler, and Sierra

While Mimi was here for a visit, Matt and the girls went to the Daddy/daughter dance at their school.  It was supposed to have been the week before but they had to reschedule because of the snow.  It was Matt's last time to take both girls to the dance because Sophie will go to middle school next year.  They all had a lot of fun at the dance.  It was an Alice in Wonderland theme this year.  Abbie's hair was very wavy because Mimi had braided it for school.

Sophie is playing basketball this year and Mimi was able to go to one of her games.  At the beginning of February, we went to a surprise 30th birthday party for Paula's cousin, Keri.  It was at Aunt Patti and Uncle John's house and it was very nice!  There was a lot of family there and a few of her friends.  Matt Thompson did a great job planning it for her and they had BBQ that Matt's dad had made that was very tasty.  We always enjoy spending time with family!

Abbie had a great time decorating her Valentine's box for school.  We all had a nice Valentine's Day.  Matt gave me an assorted bouquet of flowers.  The girls exchanged Valentines with their friends at school and received candy and treats from several family members so it was a special day!!

Snow Day Fun/Sophie's School Program

Here's Abbie with a charm bracelet that we gave her for the birthday.

Abbie was so happy to receive a beanbag chair from us!

Abbie and her Daddy.

Fun times in the snow!

Girls ganging up against Dad!

Great shot!

Sophie and Abby Clark after their 5th grade program.

our family after the program

Abby Benjamin and Sophie

Abbie, Paula, Sophie, Matt and Mimi

Our crew with Nana and Paw-paw


I wanted to share a few more pictures from Abbie's birthday.  That week, the girls only had to attend school for two days, one of those being Abbie's birthday because we kept getting snow.  They were also already out of school on the Monday before Abbie's birthday for MLK day so that's when we celebrated her birthday with friends.  Right after Abbie's birthday, we got several inches of snow where a lot of activities were cancelled for the weekend, including their school Daddy/Daughter Dance.  The girls had some fun playing in the snow.  They loved having me make snow cream.  I was able to make about 3 different batches because we had several inches of snow and then, we got some more snow.  We probably got about 6-7 inches of snow maybe but in Nashville, it snowed about a foot.  In Richmond, VA, it snowed about 2 feet.  Teresa came to visit us a few days after their big snow.  She wasn't sure if she would be able to get out of her cul-de-sac because the snow hadn't been cleared but some friends helped her clear a path where she could get out.  She was able to fly to Nashville on Tuesday, January 26th and she stayed about a week.

Mimi, Nana, and Paw-paw were able to come to Sophie's music program, "American Voices", along with  Paula, Matt and Abbie. Sophie had a small speaking part and she did a great job!   

Abbie's 8th birthday

Here's Abbie opening a gift or two from our family.

Abbie can wear her new Crazy 8 shirt for her birthday party!

two sweet sisters

Sophie, Molly, Kaelyn, Katherine (in front), Abby C. (back) and Abbie at the Brentwood Skate Center

Time for frozen yogurt at Sweet Cece's after the girls skated!

Kaelyn and Molly

Katherine, Kaelyn, Abbie and Molly

Abbie got so excited when she was opening her gifts.  =)

A birthday celebration with Nana and Paw-paw.

Abbie had some trouble blowing out her candles!!

Abbie's birthday is on January 21st.  Since it was falling so close to Martin Luther King day, we planned a small celebration for Abbie and her friends on that day.  The kids were out of school.  I told Abbie that she could invite five friends and we went to the Brentwood Skate Center.  The only thing was it was very, very crowded there because I guess a lot of people had the same idea.  Also, two of Abbie's friends ended up being sick so they couldn't come.  Her friends, Clara and Sophie C., were supposed to come.  Our Sophie invited her friend Abby Clark to come.  The girls had a good time overall even though the skating rink was ridiculously crowded.  After the girls had skated for a while, we took them over to Sweet Cece's in Brentwood for some frozen yogurt.  Thankfully, we were almost the only ones there.  Nana was able to come with us as well for Abbie's little party.  Abbie was so excited about opening all of her gifts.  For Abbie's actual birthday, I made a funfetti cake.

We had Abbie's friends party on Monday, January 18.  It ended up that we got a lot of snow later in the week so the girls only went to school for two days that week.  We got about 6 inches or so of snow and it stayed around for a couple of days.  The girls enjoyed eating lots of snow cream, baking cookies, playing in the snow, and watching  kids bake on Food Network.  =)  Abbie went to school on her birthday but she had some of the other days off.  

Christmas Eve

Paw-paw and Nana with the girls.

Christmas Eve at Aunt Patti's-wow, it's warm out here!

Uncle Phil with the girls.

Carter and Sophie

Tanner has a visit with a cheery Santa-Uncle Mike!

Paula and Uncle Bobby

Morgan and Sophie

Sibling reunion-Mike, Bobby, Patti and Pat (Paula's dad)

Abbie with silly Skyler in the background.  They are birthday buddies.  =)

Our family in front of Aunt Patti and Uncle John's tree

Keri and Tanner


We had Christmas with the Waggoner clan on Christmas Eve at Aunt Patti and Uncle John's home this year.  It was really warm!  Everyone had a great time.  There was lots of good food, fellowship and we opened some gifts!  Our family did not have to travel far for the Christmas Eve celebration which was nice but when our family was ready to leave, one of our tires got stuck in the ditch.  Paula had to run back into the house to recruit some muscle men in the family to get us out.  =)  Sierra's favorite gift was the gnome that she received as a gag gift (just kidding).  Our family had no idea when we gave a gnome as a gag gift that Sierra is terrified of gnomes.  Whoops!  I'm so glad that the Waggoner clan has kept up the tradition of getting together every year on Christmas Eve.  It's great being able to spend with family.

Jamestown

Abbie loves to help make Smoothies

Abbie loved exploring the houses at Jamestown Settlement's Powhatan Indian Village

A bald eagle

Abbie at the helm of the Discovery

We attended a concert of 17th century music at the chapel at Jamestown.

On our visit to Virginia, we visited Jamestown Settlement one day.  The girls loved learning about how the Indians and settlers at Jamestown.  Abbie loved learning about 17th century food preparation. The girls also liked climbing on the reproductions of the ships the Susan Constant and the Discovery.  We also saw two bald eagles high up in a tree.  We had a great time.