Baby Chase is here!

Here is one wall in Chase's nursery.  The murals on the walls are amazing!!

Sweet baby Chase...he's so adorable!

Sorry for the blurry picture but here is Mommy, Daddy, & Chase.  He is one lucky boy!

Kristen, Chase, & me before I left to come home.

Chase made an early arrival on Monday, June 15th.  He weighed 7 lbs 13 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.  He gave them several surprises on that day.  Kristen went to the doctor for a checkup and found out she was leaking amniotic fluid.  Then she went to the hospital after she grasped the fact he was coming now and found out he was breached.  She ended up having a c-section and everything worked out fine in the end.  I enjoyed spending a couple days with them and getting the chance to meet this precious little boy.  Kristen is like the sister I never had and we have been close for years (meeting in college).  I am so thankful I was able to go to Atlanta and visit with them during this special time!  Thank you Jarett & Kate for taking care of everything around here so I could meet Chase!  Welcome Chase!  We love you all!

Kate's 1st Vacation Bible School

Anna, Anna Kate, Kate, & Amelia posing together.  They were all in the same class and had such a great time together!

Kate posing in front of the "Boomerang Express" train.  Everyday, they got to ride the train.  They loved it and it was a highlight of VBS!

If you look in the middle of the picture, you see Kate (with the floral skirt on) in the air.  She was probably doing the turbo banana from the Fruits of the Spirit song.  This was a highlight for her.  She wanted to sing on stage the last 3 days of VBS.  She loved the songs and couldn't wait to get on stage!

On stage, singing some more!

Here is Kate riding the Boomerang Express with Jackson O., Amelia, Anna, Elizabeth, Faith and some other friends.  She had her face painted that day with a whole butterfly (all over her face).  What a great last day of VBS!  She learned so much and wants to go to church everyday now.  Thanks for everyone who worked so hard to make it fabulous!  Note to self though, next time, I will not have Kate in my own class.  I think she would have loved it even more if she wasn't with Mommy all the time.  he he!

Busy Birthday Party Day

Kitely & Kate after getting their hair and makeup done at the Groovy Pad.

Kate, Kitely, Loryn, & Maddie - these girls have all been friends since they were 16 months old!  They all went to the same daycare for a year or so.  Maddie and Kate started together when they were 6 months old.  Luckily, even though they go to 2 different schools now, they are still all friends.  They all go to each other's birthday parties every year!  This was Loryn's 4th birthday party!  What sweet girls and great memories!

Kate, Kitely, & Jim running through the park with their kites!

Kitely and Kate -- Happy Birthday Kitely!!!  We had a ton of fun!

Kitely & Kate throwing rocks into the lake.  The same day as Loryn's party, Kitely had her birthday party for dinner.  We went to Anchor Park for Kitely's.  Everyone had a great time.  They especially loved trying to break the pinata and flying the kites!  Happy Birthday Kitely!  Kate loves you very much!!

Visit to Raleigh....

We were waiting for everyone to come out from lunch so Kate decided to dance around and take a break on the bench.  I just thought these were so cute pictures.  This was from our trip to Raleigh for Craig & Heather's baby shower.  Sweet, cute little girl!

Aunt Heather & Uncle Craig's Baby Shower

We went to Raleigh this past weekend for Aunt Heather & Uncle Craig's baby shower.  Heather is having twin boys.  She is 30 weeks pregnant.  We left Knoxville on Friday, picked up Mimi & Poppy in Kingsport, and drove on to Raleigh.  

I'll post pictures later but I just had to share Kate's thought about the baby shower.  On the way to the shower Saturday, she told us that she was excited to see the boy's first bath at the baby shower that afternoon.  She thought a baby shower was to give them their first bath.  (Even though she knew they were still in Aunt Heather's tummy).  It was so sweet & cute!  I love the way she thinks!!!  

We had a great visit and enjoyed our long weekend in Raleigh.  We look forward to meeting Kate's cousins (but hopefully they will stay in a little while longer)!  They aren't sharing the names yet but Kate went ahead and named them.  She named them Jim & Paul.  Jim is one of her favorite "boy" friends at school and Paul lives across the street (and she loves Paul).  That's how she picked names for her cousins.  Very sweet.  Craig & Heather......you might want to tell Kate the names so she doesn't always call them Jim & Paul forever!  Thanks for a fun visit!

Dollywood with the Lawlor's

Evie, Kate, Andrew, & Phil riding the horses on the carousel.

Here we are riding the train -- Evie, Kate, Andrew, Janet, & Phil.  We got covered in soot!

Kate riding the Veggie Tales roller coaster for the first time.  She had a lot of fun!

Andrew, Evie & Kate riding the pigs together.

Mommy & Kate waiting to ride the elephants.

It was a really nice day at Dollywood.   It was so sweet of the Lawlor's to invite us to join them.  It was my first day not working so it was great to have a distraction.  Thank you Janet for inviting us to spend the day with you all at Dollywood.  We had a great time and Kate can't wait to go back with Evie & Andrew!

Kate's 4th birthday!

Here is Kate by the front door on her birthday.  We put her birthday banner up on the front door for the weekend.  She was very excited for everyone to know it was her big day!

Kitely & Kate at school on her birthday (and the Mother's Day tea).  She loves Kitely so much!!  They are such great friends and have so much fun together!

Kate got Wall-E for her birthday and was so excited!

Clay, Paul, & Kate at Chick-fil-a after their baseball game.  We went to watch the boys play baseball and then to Chick-fil-a with the Dowdy's to celebrate Kate's birthday.  This was her choice for what she wanted to do for her birthday.  It was lots of fun!!  For the moment, this is as close as Kate will be to having siblings and she loves every minute of it.  They are like family to us here in Knoxville.  Kate had a fun birthday.  It's hard to believe that it's been 4 years!!

Happy Mother's Day

Kitely & Kate made a picture together for "the Mommies".

After dinner Saturday night while we were still finishing up downstairs, Kate & Kitely went up to Kate's playroom.  They decided to make a picture for the Mommies to wish us a Happy Mother's Day.  It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen.  No one said anything to them about making a picture.  They decided on their own to make a picture together for Suzanne and I to share.  We cute the picture in half and had them write their names on both halves.  It still makes me speechless when I think about it.  These 2 little girls are so sweet and special!   I am so thankful to be Kate's Mommy!!!  And I'm enjoying the extra time with her at home now during the week.  We're looking forward to a great birthday week with her as she turns 4 on Thursday.  Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mom, Mother-in-law, Sister-in-law (who will have twins anytime), and all my wonderful friends!  What a great day!!

Kate's 4th birthday big present

Kate's expression when she first saw her new bike.

She was so proud of her new bike and she loved that it is pink!!!

A sweet picture...

Daddy helping Kate ride her bike.

Kate got her birthday present a little early.  We got her a Trek Float bike.  She loves the pink bike!  This bike is different because it doesn't have training wheels.  You take the pedals off while they learn to walk and balance  on it.  Then when they can balance and walk, you put the pedals on it.  They should be able to learn to ride it easier that way (from what they tell us at the bike shops).  We'll see how it works but she loves it!!  She has been waiting for at least 6 months to get her first bike!  She is thrilled!!  It was so wonderful to see that look of pure joy on her face when she saw it for the first time.  It was amazing!!  What a great feeling for us as her parents!  It's hard to believe our little girl will be 4 on Thursday!!  Happy Birthday Kate!  We love you!

Kristen's baby shower in Atlanta

Kristen & I at the shower in Atlanta.

The party favors....candy bars!

Brandon & Kate playing....Brandon is Kristen's nephew and Kate had a great time with him!

Kristen's neighbors came over on Saturday to play and then again on Sunday before we left.  Kate loved playing with the girls.  If you could have only heard the conversations they had on this porch swing....they were priceless!  

We went to Atlanta the last weekend in April for my best friend from college, Kristen's, baby shower.  I helped give her a shower with a couple other friends in Atlanta.  We had a great time visiting with Kristen & Greg and her family.  Saturday night, they had a house full.  We stayed with them along with her brother, Chad, his wife, Becky, and their 2 boys, Brandon & Tyler, her parents, and her grandparents.  It was a lot of fun to be with them all!   We don't get to see them often but enjoy all the times we get together.  Kristen and I are a lot alike and had some great times in college and afterwards.  I love her dearly and cannot wait to meet little Chase when he is born.  Thanks for a great weekend, Kristen & Greg!  We appreciate all your hospitality & had a great visit!