A "Fairly" Good Weekend!

This weekend was the Hamilton Co. Fair, so being first timers to the event, we wanted to check it out. Logan entered an ice cream eating contest. He didn't win but he sure enjoyed trying! Then I did something that I am not a big advocate for, but thought what the heck. I put Meigan in the Little Miss Hamilton Co. beauty pageant. I swear I will never do it again, because they are so predictable! Cute little blue eyed blonde pig tails girl won. No, not Jennifer. Had to be between ages 3-5. Anyway, she liked her roses and got a shirt out of the deal.
Sunday, we went to a get together for families of children with craniofacial problems. The kids enjoyed riding the ponies, petting farm animals, and making crafts. Jennifer would've smuggled a bunny if she could've! She sat an hr. holding a baby bunny. Meigan wanted the pony. Logan liked the potbelly pig. I think our next place needs to be on a farm!

Happy Chinese Moon Festival!

Lovin' the Chinese Food!
You did say moon festival, right?





Saturday night we were invited to celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival with the Chinese Society of Chattanooga. I had met a very nice Chinese woman and her 2 kids at the Children's Museum over the summer and she gave us the invite this past week. This was very different for us as the last gatherings we had gone to were full of adoptive parents with Chinese children, where as here, we and 1 other couple had adopted from China. For the most part, everyone there was Chinese. Lots of good food and of course, mooncakes! The best part of the evening was Meigan dancing to Chinese Karaoke! There had been a young girl doing ballet for everyone and Meigan must've decided she could do it because once the singers started, she danced till it was time to go!

Sporting her new school shirt!

Are you done yet?

Happy 1 yr. Forever Family Day, Meigan!

Happy 6th Birthday, Jennifer!

Friday was Jennifer's 6th birthday and we made the trip to Ky. to celebrate with all her cousins. It was a perfect fall weather day!

Short clip of Jennifer cheering ( testing for the 100th time!)

Cheerleading and a Day trip!

Yesterday was Jennifer's 1st game for cheering. Afterwards, we drove about an hr. to Fall Creek Falls State Park. There is a gorge that is way the heck down there, so we followed the trail down, (next time don't wear flipfops or crocs!) It was a rocky path not so bad going down, but going back up was like climbing the Great Wall!
Scott had Meigan on his sholders for most of it, so yes, we about killed him off!
It really was beautiful, though and enjoyed an old days festival afterwards. Yummy food!

Labor Day Fun!

This weekend we headed to Gatlinburg to visit my parents and my aunt Jeannie and cousin, Kris. They are from Ohio.
On our way up, we stopped in Sweetwater to see a good friend of mine who I hadn't seen in ages. We grew up together in Naples and 2 years ago they moved to Tn. Her brother, Kevin and my brother were best friends. It was fun catching up on things and seeing her kids. We're only an hr. apart so hopefully we'll get together more often now.
The kids, Mom and I had fun at the wax museum and shopping downtown G'burg. Scott and Logan went tubing, Sunday and we took the girls swimming at the clubhouse. Wasn't easy Tues. getting everyone up and Adam for school. Myself included. Is it Friday, yet?

This and That

Logan now enjoys doing his homework on my computer.
The girls enjoying some V-Smiles time after school.

Well, so far things are going well at school. Jennifer started Kindergarten full time yesterday. The last 2 mornings she asks me after she's dressed if she's stylin'? I didn't care what I wore to school till probably middle school!
Logan is doing great in 4th grade. He's been bringing home 100's on his assignments, so we are very proud of his transition. Meigan continues to make progress in her class. She is immersed in language throughout the day and it's exciting to hear her say a new word, plain as day, just out of the blue.
I do enjoy the peace and quiet, but I pay dearly at 4:00 when the troops come home!
I'm hungry, what's for supper?, I need help with my homework, and then there's Meigan running around the house and screaming like a banshi! But bedtime rolls around pretty quick and all is quiet again, (for the most part).
Jennifer has cheerleading practice tonight. Meigan has become the official mascot.
She practices with the girls and it's too cute! Her attention runs short so often she's back and forth, but they are going to let her be with the girls when they cheer for the football games. I'll have to remember to take my camera to practice for some pics:)

If Ever You Are In Soddy-Daisy, Tn.....

I'll take you to the new dining room at our McDonalds! Might be a little stinky, though!

Just a lazy Sunday (or was it Saturday?)

The view across from where we were


Well which ever day it was, I took the kids down to the lake to swim. It was Logan, his friend, Gio and Jennifer. Scott and Meigan were taking an afternoon nap.
We only live a couple miles from this beautiful lake and the weather was just right for an afternoon dip.

First Day of School: Mon., Tues. and Wed

Logan and Meigan on his first day of 4th grade
Meigan and Logan on her first day of Pre-K (too cute!)Can you tell she's excited?!
Jennifer's first day of Kindergarten ( She's growing up way too fast!)


This week marked new beginnings for all three. Logan started 4th grade at a new school after 4 years at his school in Naples. I don't know who was more nervous, him or me! It's never easy being the new kid, but he came home telling me about some friends he made and one boy in his class rides the same bus. He seems to have adjusted just fine to riding a bus and to his new school.
Meigan started Pre-K on Tues. She goes to a different Elem. school since not all schools have the Pre-K for children like her. I absolutely love her teacher and asst. The student teacher ratio is 5:2 and she is the only little girl so she gets plenty of attention. Her speech is really coming along and I am so grateful for the program she is in. I thought going all day everyday would be hard on her, but she is doing fine, only putting up a fuss during rest time.
Jenn started kindergarten today. Seems like yesterday we were going to pre-school together where I worked. Where does the time go? She is quite becoming a little fashion diva, a.k.a. Little Paris, everything has to be just right for school. She wanted me to tell her teacher today to send homework. If only that would rub off on her brother! She also got to ride the bus home today. She thinks she's big stuff now.

Hanging Out at the Chattanooga Children's Museum

What'd we do today?

Today we visited Rock City which is atop Lookout Mt. It's about 1/2 hr. away. You start out driving up the mtn. still in Tn. and cross the Ga. state line before you reach the top. Rock City has walking paths that take you through huge rock formations and small caves. It's a nice cool walk and the views from the mtn. are beautiful.

Birthday pics and a special visit

We had a great time this weekend in Ky. celebrating Meigan's birthday. We had lots of cousins and family come to celebrate.
On Sunday we drove up to some friends of ours who live outside of Cincinnati on the Ky. side. We became good friends in our China travel group last year. They live on a dairy farm and the kids had a blast feeding calves and seeing all their cows and horses. Next summer Logan will spend some time up there helping on the farm. He's anxious to milk a cow even though it's all done by machines now.
Marci and Eddie's little one, Maddie, is so cute and like the energizer bunny, she goes and goes and goes! That's why it was nearly impossible to get any pics of the girls together!