The Stews have been quite busy lately.

Last weekend, we went to Knoxville to visit the grandparents and for me to have a visit with a family who are adopting.

About a year ago, I started working part time for an agency that completes a homestudy for families who are wanting to adopt. This is one of those things that God has
completely took be surprise. I was set on one path, but as usual, He has another plan! Needless to say, I am loving working with families who are
adopting. If you have any questions about adoption, please feel free to ask me. I would love to answer your questions!

So, while we were in, we had a blast. The reason I chose this weekend, was so my sweet man could go watch some VOL basketball. He LOVES UT basketball.
They were playing on Thursday night and Saturday afternoon, so we took the kids out of school and headed to Kville.
Jason was able to go to both games and I actually went with him on Saturday. It was so fun! It had been awhile since I had been to a game, so I was pumped.
They introduced the new football coach while we were there, Coach Derrek Dooley. His kids are just darling!
We won both games which made it even better!

Friday night we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters.

The kids had fun. They were funny, but it is sooo cheesy.  My favorite part, without a doubt was the mascot Big G.

It was really cute!

We also went to see Grandad at work. He is a bailiff for one of the judges and wanted us to come by! Bradley had a blast. He got to experiment with the xray machine and made many friends in the process!

Last night, I was able to take the girls to see 101 Dalmatians, The Musical.  Mom, Kim and I got season tickets to the Broadway series at TPAC.    They decided not to go for various reasons, so I took the girls. I will be honest, I was not looking forward to it.  It was raining, it started at their bedtime, I had to drive downtown and I was tired.  But, we persevered and they really enjoyed it.  Beauty and the Beast is coming in June and we are planning on taking all the girls!

Here are the 2 pictures we took before we left.  As you can see, I am taking my time in decorating the hallway!  I also have very few pictures of me with my offspring.  Ohh, the trials of motherhood…

fun times with my girls…

So there is a snapshot of what we have been up to…

I am planning a family night this week.  Anyone want to join me??

Dear Mr. UPS man,

I know that you are probably a very nice man. You have brought packages to us for over a year with promptness and a quick knock on my door.  You have been pleasant and quick with a wave.

Having said that, please STOP leaving me notes that say “bad dog” and not leaving my packages.

People I give you exhibit A:

My “bad dog” is named Knox.

Knox has experienced a little bit of freedom for the last 6 months due to his invisible fence line being cut while we were adding an addition to our home.  I am sure, Mr. UPS man, that you have seen all the work going on at our home.  It has been fairly obvious. We are planning to re-install his invisible fence, but with the finishing of our addition, the holidays, three kids, soccer games, and busy schedules, we have not gotten around to it yet.

Much to our surprise, Knox, has stayed close to home.  Now don’t get me wrong, he has gone “exploring” a few times, but has returned home and been content to lay in the sun.

Recently, Knox discovered he likes the front porch.

He has also become very FRIENDLY to those who drive up to our home, especially, those who are strangers to him.

He may bark at you.

He may lick you to death.

He may put a paw up for you to shake.

He will sniff you to see if you have any food on you.

I fear, Mr UPS man, that you have mistaken Knox’s protection of HIS home, his overt FRIENDLINESS and his large size, as signs that he will do you harm.   Unless you are another dog, who comes in our yard, ESPECIALLY when my children are about, you should be safe.  Now, if you try to approach my children, be forwarned, he will bark at you…..but isn’t that what a GOOD dog does?

Mr. UPS man, I would also like to point out, that Knox is 9 years old.  He is slow to get up and when it is cold, his joints get a little crickity.  I have no doubt that you can out run him since he is a senior citizen in the dog world.

Now don’t get me wrong, Mr. UPS man, Knox was a beast back in the day.  His puppy years were quite atrocious and there were times I called my husband crying letting him know that I hated our 3 month old yellow lab and that he was a “bad” dog.  Our trainer, who trains police dogs for the Metropolitan  Nashville Police Department, described Knox as “stubborn, strong-willed and not the sharpest crayon in the box.”  Our behavior challenged dog gave us many moments of stress, anger, and confusion of what to do.  He was not an easy dog nor one that we could allow others to be around.

He jumped.

He licked you to death.

He hit you with his tail like the force of a bat.

He snarled.

He jumped.

He would never be still.

He tore up all kinds of things.

He jumped.

But, then, he began to mellow around year 7.  He began to sit more.  He would lay around and let our kids pull his ears, step on him and even put necklaces on him.

He became the dog I  had always wanted.

So, Mr UPS man, excuse my mommy claws for coming out, but you are messing with my first “child.”

He is not “bad.”

He is loving.

He is old.

He is protective of his family.

He is ours…..so back off.

Sincerely,

Mrs. “Bad Dog” owner

P.S.  Happy 9th Birthday Knox

I have so many pictures to post, but Jason has most of them downloaded on his computer.  Isn’t that how is always happens!

So, I am going to post a few of the ones I do have.

We had a total blast.  We arrived on Saturday and headed straight to Magic Kingdom.  We spent the rest of the day there!  When we got to the hotel, we found that Bradley was broke out in some major hives.  He got his first dose of Benedryl.

Sunday we went to Hollywood Studio.  This was a good day. We were still figuring everything out and walked around aimlessly a lot.  I took Bradley to the First Aid station and almost to the walk in clinic but it was a 2 hour wait not including the shuttle waits and rides.  He was dazed most of this day, due to multiple doses of Benedryl.  I still have no IDEA what caused him to break out, but the rest of the week, he was broke out in itchy welps.  Poor guy.  He did have fun, though.  We loved the Toy Story Mania ride, Rock N Roll Rollercoaster (the adults, the kids we scarred for life on this one!), Star Wars ride, Playhouse Disney Show, Monsters Inc, Laugh In and the Army Men from Toy Story.  They were walking around and were really funny! We ate at the Prime Time Cafe and it was really fun and the food was good!  FANTASMIC! was amazing.  Bradley cried quite a bit, but he persevered, triumphed, suffered through it and enjoyed the end.

Monday we went to Epcot.  This was a great, long day.  We went to the Land exhibit first and got fast passes to Soarin’, which we LOVED.  LOVED.  We also toured the greenhouse. We also went to the Sea exhibit and  rode the Nemo ride and look at the Aquarium.  We ate at Coral Reef that night and it was all right. The food was good, but the atmosphere was not that big of a deal.  Some of our favorites were Test Track, Mission Space, Spaceship Earth and the character meet and greet.  When we finally made it to the Nations, we only had about an hour before our dinner reservation, and the girls were going to do the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure.  The dads totally ran with this while Ashley and I had Ryan and Bradley.  We barely made our reservation and didn’t see anything but Norway in the Nations.  When we finally finished dinner, the IllumiNations fireworks had started so we watched them and hustled to the bus stop.  This day was fun, but there is so much to do.  It seemed like we waited a lot to do our fast passes, but it was still a great day!

Tuesday we went to Animal Kingdom. More to come later….

Wednesday we were back at Magic Kingdom. More to come later……

Here is at least one picture from our trip!

Wow, we had a great week at Disney World.  The kids did great, the weather was good, although, record breaking in heat and we got to take time away from our current past time…the addition.  But, my, oh, my, it was exhausting!

I have so much to share, both from Disney and some updates on the house.  I am starting to see the light at the end….but it is still faint!

Hopefully, while getting back in the swing of things, I can find time to post about our trip!

Also, our break was extended due to a 7th grader at our school passing away.  Please pray for the Cartwright family, our school, administration and the students.  It is never easy to deal with the death of a child.

Blessings!

I heart fall, but then again, you don’t hear of many people who do not.  Growing up in East Tennessee, I got to experience all the beauty of fall.  Leaves changing, cooler temps, college football, it was my favorite time of the year.  Fall also seems to bring a faster pace, but more intention to slowing down.  Our calendars are full, but we are trying to take time to focus on the important, not the urgent.  Urgent being the addition, important, being our family.

So, this week, Jason and I are taking time with the fam.  The kids are out of school for Fall Break and we are going to break as a family.  Trust me, we all need it.  Our kids have shown us in their words, their actions and their behavior, that they love being with their family and when that is disrupted, they let us know.

There is no such thing as QUALITY time with kids, it is all about QUANTITY time!

Here’s to a week of QUANTITY!!

Let me just say that building, renovation, or adding on to your home, IS NOT FOR SISSIES.

It is hard, exhausting, stressful, all consuming, expensive, and at times, just plain ugly.  It takes a lot of ugly to make something beautiful…..construction wise.

I don’t like a lot of clutter and mess, but I can deal with it when there is an end goal.  Jason and I both are at the point of just being plain ol’ tired and ready for this to be done.  He has worked his tail off, is known on a first name basis by most employees at Lowe’s, has made hundreds of phone calls, spent all of his spare time working in the addition and has managed the budget.   I am so thankful for him and his commitment to our family.  Many would have caved before now!  Although it is hard for me to admit, which has issues in and of itself, there are parts of our home and yard, that look AWFUL.  There is no getting around it, it just looks a mess.  For me, it is not so much as I am concerned what people think about it, although there is a touch of middle school girl, lingering in my mind, as much as it just leaves me feeling unsettled and not able to rest.  We are at the point where there is ALWAYS something to be done which leaves for little down time.  I have not watched tv in months, it feels like, and evenings spent just hanging out have been few and far between. But, we knew that this would be part of it, to get our home the way we want it.  And this his just

phase 1…..

Living in the mess, has been such a great reminder of how Christ takes the ugly, the chaotic, the muddy and REDEEMS.   I can testify that he takes the ugly, the broken and works at it, exposing the mess and begins the process of making it new again.  , but in the end, what was once ugly, shines precious and refined, purified because of the choice to walk His path because…

He alone makes beauty from ashes.

even though the path is rocky and uneven…

it is muddy and slow….

it is full of twists and turns,

some places are harder to navigate and walk through…

but in the end, the result is worth every ounce of effort it took to become more like Christ…

There is healing, there is hope and there is BEAUTY…to display for His splendor!

So through the journey, I am reminded that even in the imperfect…. there is beauty.  It is a beauty that comes from watching a man love, lead and care for his family, by SHOWING what it means to work hard.  It is the wonder of family surrounding us and showing us their affection through sweat and blood and time spent to make our house a home.  It is our friends, who have been understanding and have placed no expectations on us during this season of life.   It is in the men who have entered our home, who have used their craft, and have been respectful, patient, helpful, full of knowledge and willing to go the extra mile with us.  We are reminded that we are blessed…..

Isaiah 61 (and Jesus’ first words in his ministry…)

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners, ^[a]

² to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

A few weeks ago, mom, sister and I took Bradley, Lauren and Morgan to the Farmer’s Market and to the fountains by the capital building in Nashville.  So fun, I must say.  Not that I needed anything at the Farmer’s Market thanks to our little ol garden that just keeps on producing veggies.  We are in tomato overload right now.  My mom has frozen quite a bit for us to use and I am stoked about that!

The fun part was taking the kids to run in the fountains… seriously cute pics!

Ready to bolt….. can we say he got his daddy’s skin?

Even Morgan had fun in the fountains…although she probably wouldn’t tell her friends that!

Bradley and Lauren ran from one end of the fountains to the other….OVER AND OVER AND OVER…

Taking a breather….

I love this one because these two are rarely still

Mom and sister Kim.. Trying to stay cool!

This was a fun day we had also celebrating Kim’s birthday.  Next time, I will have to take the girls, too! I know they would love it!

12 is such a wierd number. Not flashy, but yet it marks the beginnings of big things.

Today, marks 12 years married for Jason and I!  I think every anniversary is signifcant, whether it is the first, the tenth, the fiftieth or the twelfth.  Each year marks one more year where commitment and covenant won out over the lies the world tries to feed us.  And that makes each anniversary something worth celebrating, honoring and taking time to look back and dream forward.

Jason and I celebrated our anniversary on Friday in a very low key way. We are up to our ears in addition planning and are also going to Disney in October, so a weekend away just was not in the cards for us.  My parents took the kids for the night and we headed out to have dinner and do a little tax free weekend clothes shopping.  Since we have been exercising and watching what we eat, we have both lost some poundage and are clothes were showing us that they had noticed.  We decided to forgo the fancy, smancy meal and buy some stuff.  We scored some deals and I must say, my man got A LOT more than I did, but he shops big about 4 times a year, while I shop weekly!

As I look back, I am so thankful for this amazing man.  I don’t remember meeting him.  I don’t remember spending time getting to know him.  All my memories of him, from the time we were 11 are of ones where we shared a connection.  Back then, it was a deep friendship that just was.  We didn’t have to work at it and we shot straight with each other, had fun and were simply always there with each other.  He was a great guy…. but he is an even better man.

Our friendship went through highs and lows, ups and downs, boyfriends and girlfriends, distance and closeness, yelling and silence.  It weathered, it strenghtened, it took root until it came time for love to be awakened.  (i am rocking the poetic sentences!)  I never doubted that if I gave him just a piece of my heart, opened the door at the right time, I would marry him.

And that is just what I did.  We dated 7 months, got engaged and were married 8 months later.

Now, 12 years later, I can honestly say that I could not have written a better love story for myself.  I wouldn’t change a thing.  I am a blessed woman and I am forever changed by that boy I met at some point, 24 years ago.

I still heart my dress…

good grief we were young…

Our first dance…. could our pictures look any more dated?

On a side note, our reception rocked.  We had a blast with all our friends….and family!

Happy Anniversary, J!

A few weeks back, Emery had her first dance recital.  She has been taking ballet and jazz this past year and has LOVED it.  She is constantly dancing around the house and asking her daddy to dance with her.  She can also provide her own music, which is quite entertaining, I must say!  If you knew me growing up, gracefulness is not a term that could be used to describe me.  I loved all things sports, so to have a kid interested in the artsy stuff, is out of my element.  But, it isn’t about me, it is about Emery, so we started dance to see how this interest progresses.  So far, I think we will be continuing in dance.

I talked to a lot of people before choosing a dance studio.  Many families from our school go to this studio, so I felt comfortable with the choice.  The owner is also Emery’s dance teacher.  I think her picture could be under the word ballerina in the dictionary.  She doesn’t walk, she floats across the room!  She was pregnant most of the year and I kid you not, she was doing splits while 7 months pregnant.  Pretty sure I thought my babies could fall out any day when I was seven months pregnant!

Emery was dancing 2 dances and the recital had a Beatles theme.  I must admit we almost did not do the recital.  I am not a fan of paying a fortune for two costumes she will wear once and paying for dance lessons for her to learn 2 dances, as oppossed to technique and actual moves.  But, Jason and I decided that if she is truly interested in dance, we have to give her the opportunity to be on stage and see if she likes it.  Which, um, she did!

Emery did great.  She knew her dances and smiled, huge, the whole time.  She was loving it.  Having her hair and makeup done all up didn’t hurt either!  I also must give a huge thanks to my mom, who took Emery to the dress rehearsal because J and I were in Atlanta.  It lasted forever, or so she told me.  She is a trooper!

The recital went well. We sat through about 30 dances and this was the first of three shows. They are broken down into ages so we were with the younger ages and they were cute.  I thought a couple of the solo dances, which were older girls, were a little to0 flashy.  I mean seriously, a 10 year old dancing to “You give me fever.”  After talking with other families, afterward, we were in agreement, that it was over the top.  That was really disappointing.

Doesn’t our camera do a great job with no flash, in the dark?

Emery after the show in her ballet costume.

Nana, Poppy and LuLu came for the show.

She insisted on being “lifted.”  I told you she is dance crazed.

Trying to get a family picture. We left Bradley with friends and were so thankful we did!

During VBS last week, she also was on the praise team and helped in the big worship time.  She loved it and did great for a 6 year old.  I look forward to seeing how this dance thing plays out!