Today I took Cameron to our friends’, Greg and Libby’s daughter Alexis’ 3rd birthday party at Playworld Down Under here in Chattanooga. It’s basically a kids play area and has party rooms so the kids can have pizza, cake, and open presents. After we sang Happy Birthday and finished eating and watching Alexis open her presents the kids went and played. Cameron has so much fun playing with the older kids – he is just younger than several of them so on some of the equipment he had to have some help keeping up. Thankfully his 10 year old cousin, Kylee was there and helped him out alot. He really enjoyed running around and playing. The only bad part was that I had to wake him up from his nap to go and let’s just say that he was not a happy camper! He fussed and whined on the way there, but once he was there he perked up. He still wouldn’t eat any pizza or cake (very unlike Cameron) and I was worried that he might still be a little under the weather. However, once it was time to play – watch out – that child was all over the place. I could just sit and watch him enjoying himself for hours. We really enjoyed ourselves and can’t wait to get together again soon.

  Alexis blowing out the candle!             Opening presents!                            Baby Lyla in her Valentine’s best!

          Little He-Man                        Cameron with Kylee & Reghan                      Turning those gears!

  Cameron being a cheeser!                Showing off his muscles!                               Cute Conner!

Well, I thought I would share some of the Valentine’s decorations I have put up around the house. I think I am enjoying each holiday that passes by more and more as the kids are getting older. The joy and excitement in their eyes and seeing something new is worth it for me to put in the extra time and effort.

I figure if I buy a little bit at a time it won’t seem like so much and especially with hitting the sales after the holiday, like after Valentine’s Day I will have to check out some of the sales on merchandise left over to seem if there is anything I want to keep for next year. I’m so excited though – this is the first time I have really tried to make an effort for any holiday other than Christmas, so I will update the blog with all that we did on Valentine’s Day when the time comes.

You wouldn’t believe how sad it is to watch your normally active (which is putting it mildly) 2 &1/2 year old lay around for the last couple of days sick! Cameron is a wild and crazy kid – constantly talking and asking questions, wanting to play outside, and wanting Mommy and Daddy to play with him. Well, since Wednesday the poor little guy just wants to be held and cuddled (totally not things Cameron likes to do at this age)! He’s been tired and groggy and unable to hold down much of anything (which makes me wonder whether or not it was a good idea to let him eat Cool Ranch Doritos, Daddy?) Anyway, here’s a picture of the little man when I got home from work after lunch to take over for Kerry so that he could go to work for a little bit!

The green blanket pictured is Cameron’s favorite – if he is tired he pops his thumb in his mouth and goes to sleep – it’s like magic. I just hope he starts to feel better soon.

Well, I figured it was about time to figure out how to “blog” since I always complain about Kerry not doing it and I have never taken the time to learn how to. So, this evening after Kerry got home from work and picking up Conner from daycare, we sat together for a lesson in blogging. Here is a side note: do not ask my husband to teach you anything – he is too smart for his own good and does not have the patience to teach, especially someone like me that doesn’t have a degree in computer science like he does! Anyway, continuing on…I guess I will give a brief synopsis of our lives for those who have been following us or recently started.

Kerry and I met each other at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, Georgia in the Fall of 1999 and dated all throughout college. He graduated in 2003 and I did in 2004. He proposed to me in February of 2005 and we were married at The Little Church of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 1, 2005! We had alot of fun, however; we had to come back to our lives here in Chattanooga, TN. I work as a residential lighting consultant for The Lighting Gallery and Kerry works as a computer programmer for Williams Web. I gave birth to our first son, Cameron Ross, on August 17, 2006 and our second son, Conner Reid, on October 15, 2008. Our lives have been enriched beyond belief with the addition of our boys. Anyway, I will cut this post short and post some pictures. Hopefully, I will be able to keep up with this and keep everyone updated with our lives.

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So I recently did a 25 things list on Facebook.  Here it is.

1. When I was young I was climbing a tree and a limb snapped and I fell.  My cutoff jean shorts caught on the branch stub and I dangled upside down about 10 feet off the ground and was crying while my brother and a neighbor stood there laughing.  I will never forget that.

2. I often long for the camraderie I had during my dorm days at North Georgia and the military setting in general.

3. Every night I say I am going to bed early and get more sleep.  I never do.

4. I have 2 sons, Conner and Cameron, I love them dearly and would like to have more kids.  In fact, I want as many as time and money will allow.

5. Tennessee Vols are my passion and I sometimes wish I had chosen to go to college there.  However, I loved my time in Dahlonega and wouldn’t change it for the world.

6. I am a professional web developer.  But, I would love to have a job that allowed me more time outside, especially in the summer.

7. I have a very eclectic music taste.  You are just as likely to hear me listening to Hip Hop as Country.  Lately my guilty music pleasure has been Britany Spears.

8. Kristin and I were married in the Little Church of the West in Las Vegas.  We had a blast and actually saved money going there.

9. If I could choose a skill to instantly be an expert at it would be playing guitar.  I would love to be able to sit around a campfire with some friends picking guitar.  I have been practicing but will probably never have the time or ability to be as good as I would like to be.

10. I have been going to the gym a lot lately.  I logged 187 visits last year.  I am hoping to break 200 this year.  I’m still not in good shape though.  Maybe I should try harder.

11. I run about 5 active websites and own about 20 domains.  I do not have enough time to give any of them the time they require, so most of them are not very busy.

12. My biggest concern about moving out of the country would be that I wouldn’t get to enjoy SEC football in the fall.

13. I love to camp and can’t wait for the boys to get old enough that I can take off for the weekend with them to go camping.

14. The best peanuts in the world are served at the Chattanooga Lookouts ballgames.  Watching the games and having a hot dog, peanuts, and beer is one of my favorite springtime activities.

15. I am addicted to Carmex and wish they would bring back the old glass containers.  I may even send them an email.

16. One time in high school I was jumping off the cliff at high falls with a bunch of friends and we were challenged by some guys at from another high school to go jump off the bridge going over the Tennessee River at Stevenson, AL.  I did.  After climbing up on the bridge if I hadn’t jumped I would have probably fallen I was shaking so badly.

17. Though I do not consider myself a Star Wars geek, I have read about 10 of the books.  Lately, I have sworn off fiction for non-fiction and technical books.  One of my personal favorites is ‘The Innocent Man’ by John Grisham.  I do hope to get back to reading some fantasy books at some point.

18. Even after I had fulfilled my requirements for a Math minor, I took an upper level math course, Chaos Theory, for the sheer joy of learning it.

19. I do not download illegal songs or software anymore.  I decided that it would be hard to justify to my kids that I could steal music but they couldn’t steal a candy bar.

20. I may be a huge Tennessee fan, but I stormed the field at an Auburn game in 2001.  They were playing #1 ranked Florida and beat them on a last second field goal.  This was back when all UT fans hated Spurrier with a passion.  Surprisingly, I have been to 3 games at Jordan-Hare stadium and have seen them play 3 different teams (UF 2001, UGA 2004, UT 2008).  I have never been to an Auburn game where they lost.  Still don’t care for them though.

21. Twitter is my latest obsession.  I am by no means a celebrity gawker but think it is fascinating that I can receive text messages from celebrities.  So long as they are ‘real’ and not marketing ploys.  I suggest @THE_REAL_SHAQ and @mrskutcher (Demi Moore).

22. A few of my favorite shows (in order): How I Met Your Mother, Friday Night Lights, Lost, The Office, Scrubs, and Chuck.

23. I slept through most of my classes in high school.  I think my teachers actually preferred it.  I only slept through some of my classes in college.  But that was due to a lack of sleep more than apathy I think.

24. Most Thursdays I go to Glen Gene Deli.  I have been doing this for about 4 years now.  I have never had anything from there except the Chicken Teriyaki sandwich.

25. It took me about 4 days to make this list.  Things like this come to me at the oddest times.  Like when I am driving down the road, or sitting on the pot.  So I have to remember them and jot them down later.