Gymnastics

Our friends from church own a gymnastics place south of Nashville. They are currently building a new facility since they don't own the one they use now.  Today, we went down so all the guys could go see the new facility and pray for our friends and this new building. While the guys went and did that, they let the kids play at their old gym.  The kids had such a good time!  We have such generous, thoughtful friends.  We also have a new foster child living with us (supposed to be temporary) who is 11.  Due to privacy reasons, we cannot show her face.  She is doing well and the kids love her.  

Boat Show with Daddy

The Nashville Convention Center always has cool events, most appropriate for families, and kids are free!  Phil took the kids to see the boat show.  The kids love that kind of stuff. They love seeing all the sparkly new boats and are completely happy to crawl all over and explore knowing we are not there to buy.  It's an adventure for them.  Yay for free fun!  

Grace Community Church: 25th Anniversary

Today we celebrated our church's 25th anniversary.  Phil and I moved to Nashville in August of 2008 and Grace Community Church in Brentwood, TN, is the first church we visited.  We liked it so much, we stayed.  This past August was the ninth year we've been here and at Grace.  There are so many things we love about our church: the preaching, the music, the people, so many more!  We love Grace Community Church and thank God for his faithfulness to us and to this church.  Currently, Phil sings on the worship team pretty often, we work together to take care of babies on Sunday morning in the infant room (not work at all), and we both work with the youth on Wednesday nights (Phil with the 7th grade boys and I with the 8th grade girls). 

Art made by Joel Anderson (http://andersondesigngroup.com/) for our church's 20th Anniversary. 

Our pastor Scott Patty (Photo credit: Marshall Albritton) 

Phil recording with people from our church-making a CD to celebrate the 25th
 anniversary of our church (Photo credit: Mark Haden)

(Photo credit: Ben Wright)

Adventure Science Center with Nana

Today was the fifth snow day for my kids (the sixth day off counting MLK Jr. day on Monday).  Whew! Everyone is a little stir crazy and really wanting a routine again.  We braved the cold, ice, and snow on Wednesday and ventured out to the library.  Yesterday, Phil worked from home so I could work my one day a week that I actually drive somewhere to work.  Today, we picked up Nana and drove to the science center.  It was a little busier than normal for a weekday, but we all had a great time.  Nana hasn't been since her kids were little and it was called the Cumberland Museum and looked totally different. She also treated us all to the Planetarium show! It was so cool, although, we were all a little dizzy afterwards. We ended the morning with burgers and grilled cheese from Gabby's. If you are ever in Nashville and have never been, it's the place to go!  The food is so good!  What a great way to end a week of snow days!  Here's hoping for school on Monday and our normal routine!  

Snow:The Real Deal

We finally got snow! The kids were so happy to finally be able to play in the snow. It snowed for several hours today and we got a few inches. 

Playing in the "Snow"

This is what it looks like to play in the snow in Tennessee!  Ha!  The kids' school was cancelled yesterday in preparation for all of the snow we were going to get.  As is typical for Tennessee, we only got a little to the great disappointment of the kids. When they hear it's going to snow, they picture mounds and mounds of beautiful, white snow that they will sled in, build snowmen, and make snow angels. The reality is that they sled down the hill on grass and ice crystals, they make snow angels on the snow barely covering the sidewalks (no picture of that), and there is not a snowman to be found in this neighborhood (unless it is the plastic blowup kind). We made the best of it and the kids were happy.  I guess when you don't know any different, a little is a lot to them. Happy snow day, Nashville!  Also, as to John's pink outfit, when you have two older sisters, you wear what is available. 

Our kids with some neighbor kids. Our girls walk to the bus stop with these girls (Rechal (far left)-yes, said like "Rachel", but spelled differently because she is from Nepal, and Leia. The girls are cousins, but live together.). Rechal's brother, Raymond,  is the little guy on the far right. They come to our house a lot to play when it is nicer outside.

#oldersisters 

John was trying to roll down the hill. 😂 

This was yesterday. It was so cold, but they wanted to go out for just a few minutes. 

Anna with mommy. We were all toasty warm!

Adventure Science Center

John and I went to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville yesterday.  John loved it and we both had a great time.  We love having a membership there because it allows us to go to other science centers in other states that are reciprocal centers. John also got some birthday money that he used to buy an Ionosphere. 

This was a game where you had to relax the mind to get the ball in the center to move toward you.  This is John's relaxed face. Ha! The only time John's mind is relaxed is when he is sleeping.