The Akards . . .that just happened.

Asher's First Birthday!

2010-10-26T22:27:00.004-04:00

The smell was just too much!

My little birthday man!

Love those baby blues!

Lunch with Daddy!

I'm so stinkin' cute. No, seriously...

I have a poopie!

I'm walking!!!

My first birthday party! Perry-theme!

Asher is one!! I can't believe it, but my baby is one! Crazy. It has been a great year. Love this little man! He is so happy (that's what Asher means)! However, he does not like to sleep. He started taking his first steps a week or so before his first birthday! Now, you can't keep up with him! We had a fun day at the zoo, lunch with Daddy and had a family party for him. So much fun. Happy 1st birthday, Asher! We love you!

Alex's Fun

2010-03-17T20:47:00.003-04:00

Alex's preschool Valentine's Day party was cut short b/c of snow. So, they saved the ice cream for the next week! Alex is really loving his class! He loves his friends and his teacher! Grace got to participate too and Alex had no problem sharing his fun with her! I'm a blessed mom!

Pep Moms Retreat 2010

2010-03-17T20:34:00.002-04:00

2 of my sweet boys!

Monica and Tiffany w/me!

I heart my family!

I love retreats! They are a time to get away and just relax! Well, not so much for me this year! Tiffany and I were in charge of all the planning! The River Lodge at Hidden Mountain played host to the big weekend and what a blast we had! My friend Jana Spicka was our speaker and our ladies really had a life-changing weekend! Pep Moms has a no-nursing baby rule for retreat, so I got my own cabin and had Keith come up and keep Asher. Grace and Alex joined us Saturday night, so they got to have a good time too! I'll post pics of our afternoon adventure later (go carts and mini golf)! The weather was amazing and God took care of all the details for us! I love Pep Moms!

Alex's Swim Lessons

2010-03-17T20:27:00.002-04:00

Super Belly Flop!

We signed Alex up for his first set of private swimming lessons this year! Kendall was his teacher and she did an excellent job teaching Alex to swim in 4 lessons! After trying on 5 or 6 different pairs of goggles, we finally found a pair that worked. He looked so stinkin' cute! He had no issues with putting his face in the water, so he was good to go! Alex totally melted me when he kept looking over at me! He wanted to make sure that I was watching!!! I love that boy!! Alex, we are so proud of you!

Aunt Aya's Condo

2010-03-17T19:55:00.002-04:00

Wonders never cease or is it patience pays off?? Aya finally got the condo that she's been waiting for and she finally ordered that furniture she's been wanting! We are very excited for her! The kids love to visit b/c she has a ton of little people toys! Congrats Aya!

Princess Grace

2010-02-12T00:32:00.003-05:00

Just a couple of cute pics of my Gracie! She loves to dance and to play with her American Girl doll. She's growing up so fast!

Date Night with the Kids!

2010-02-12T00:26:00.002-05:00

Lots of volume and body!

Nap before dinner with Mommy!

Last Friday, Grace had a hot date with Daddy! Our church hosted a Father-Daughter dance! It was the sweetest thing and Grace and Daddy had a blast! Mommy took Alex out to dinner and to Toys R Us! We had such a good time too!!! Asher kept it cool with Gram and Pop.

WBHOF

2010-02-12T00:19:00.002-05:00

Listening to Coach Summitt

Gotta love those statues!

Last Thursday was National Women in Sports Day, so the kids and I took a field trip to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame! We had the place to ourselves! After a short film describing the history of the game, we took the tour of the hall. The kids thought it was cool, but all they wanted to do was play in the rec area! Good times!

Grace and Ash Man

2010-02-01T16:29:00.002-05:00

Grace hearts Asher big time! She is such a little momma! Here's a few pics of the two! How sweet!

Family Christmas Part One

2010-01-07T00:22:00.005-05:00

Christmas morning @ Gram's and Pop's

No sleeping for Asher...present time!

Gram and Gracie....

Alex's two favs: dinos and match box cars!

Gram made the bedding for Grace's American

Girl doll's bed! How sweet and creative!

Aunt Jen and Asher...

These guys think they are hilarious!

Testing out my new portrait lens (my big gift)!!

Christmas Dinner! Prime rib to thank our

free babysitters!!! You all ROCK and save

us lots of money!

Keith with Nana and Aya!

We have our Christmas traditions around here. We start out the morning with the kids opening up our gifts. We then head over to Grandma and Paw Paws to open more presents. After the gifts are opened, we enjoy Pop's famous crepes and I enjoy a big mug of hot coffee! Then it's back home to rest. This year, we cooked the prime rib for Christmas dinner. This is a new tradition started last year. We use the Paula Dean no-fail recipe and it is so yummy. The meat cooks all day practically and it is so yummy! We invited our babysitters to say thanks for all the time spent with our kids...for free! We are very blessed to have family in town. Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-07T00:07:00.004-05:00

Aunt Jenny and the Ash Man

Asher loves Pop!

Yes, they wore this to church!

Santa came!!!!! Christmas morning!

Asher slept right through everything.

One of the kiddos favorite toys!

Grace got her first American Girl doll!

She named her Kit.

Alex loves his Bumblebee!

I think he likes this present too!

Keith with his ipod nano!

I can't believe that Christmas has already come and gone. There is so much excitement and build up and then bam! it's over. I love shopping for my family and friends. I get so excited when they open their gifts! This year though, I racked up! Keith surprised me with the Julia Child cookbooks. Yes, we saw that movie and NO I'm not going to blog my way through the cookbook in a year. I will do a few posts of my adventures in cooking, that will be fun! Well, the Akards had a great Christmas and we enjoyed celebrating our Lord's birthday too!

Lunch with Daddy!

2010-01-06T23:58:00.003-05:00

On Christmas Eve Eve, we met Daddy for lunch downtown. We ate at Soccer Taco and then visited with Keith's co-workers! Always fun to visit Daddy at work!

Grace's Christmas Party

2009-12-20T22:51:00.004-05:00

There's no better way to head into Christmas break than a party! I made Christmas cupcakes for Grace's class and she was so proud to pass them out! She told me that she got lots of compliments on the cupcakes. That made my day!! Alex was able to participate in the fun and Asher came along too! After the party, my boys were so tired! I was in the middle of them and when I got up to take the pic, Asher woke up! It's still cute though!

Alex's Christmas Show

2009-12-20T22:43:00.004-05:00

He looks so cute!

Posin' with Santa!

Santa Baby!

Asher with Nana!

We tried to get a good pic, Gram...

After watching big sis do a Christmas show 2 years in row, it was now Bubby's turn! He was one of the 3 Kings! Alex was so stinkin cute up there! He would wave to us and just look our way! It was so cute! Grace was my photographer because I was nursing and Daddy was filming! I had so much fun watching my boy up there!! We got to visit with Santa after the big show!

Christmas Jammies...

2009-12-20T21:47:00.006-05:00

Matching Jammies...thanks Grandma!

He's just SOOO kissable!

Love this one....

My sweet boys!

Now, the next few pics are taken by Grace and Alex!

I think I have a couple of future photogs!

My little Ash-Man!

I love the matching Christmas jammies, so I totally had to take some pictures. About 1/2 way into the fun, both Grace and Alex wanted to take the pictures. They looked so cute with the big camera and heavy flash! They even were instructing each other how to pose, it was so funny! I wish I had my video camera rolling---another day!

Tataru's Fun!

2009-12-20T21:40:00.002-05:00

My Ash-Man!!

Grace attended her first Kindergarten classmate's birthday party this month! Alex got to tag along too and I recruited Aunt Aya for help!! She chased the kids, held Asher, and even took pictures for me! Yay Aya! It was fun! Check out the amazing cake River had, impressive!

Let It Snow!

2009-12-20T21:30:00.002-05:00

We had our first snowfall a couple of weeks ago! We usually don't get snow this early, so it was a treat for the kids. Grandma and Paw Paw came over to play with the kids in the snow! I got them dressed and later fixed the hot chocolate! Grace and Alex built a cute snowman and it sported hot pink flip flops!

Ice Cream Party

2009-12-04T15:56:00.004-05:00

Grace and long time friend, Isaac!

Brother and sister....

Grace's kindergarten class earned an ice cream party this afteroon!! Each class is competing in a fund raising competition and Grace's class reached their first goal! Congrats Amazing Ants! I was able to help out and take a few pictures! Alex joined in on the fun too--the perks of being a little brother!

Happy Thanksgiving 09

2009-12-01T22:38:00.004-05:00

Indian costumes....how cute!

Paideia Thanksgiving Feast

My friend Tiffany made my costume!

It's Turkey Time in Tennessee!

Aunt Aya making gravy!

Big Daddy and his bride-to-be Miss Ann!

The spread....so yummy!

Spencer and Hanna--my nephew and niece

Kathy and Luke...so cute!

Nana held Asher while I ate!! THANK YOU!

Me and my baby boy!
We have so much to be thankful for, don't we! Family is right up there on the top our list! Thanksgiving is a time for us to gather around the table and enjoy good company and good food. Plus, my husband gets to eat leftovers for 2+ weeks. I think it goes bad after a couple of days...a week tops! This year we celebrated the holiday with a family dinner at Mom and Dad's....the Akards and the Eichholz gang. Grace's school also held a Thanksgiving Feast and program. We had to dress up like pilgrims or indians. It was fun! Most importantly, I'm thankful that we live in a country that allows us to serve our God! We have the freedom to worship in public and to read our Bibles. Thank you, Jesus!

Fall Photo Shoot 09-Tracie Ancelet, Photographer

2009-11-21T00:11:00.004-05:00

Introducing the Ash Man!

Our first "new" family portrait!

We have 3 kids, wow!

Grace worked the camera!

Alex worked it too...

We hired photographer, friend, and fellow life-grouper, Tracie Ancelet to shoot our family portrait! Yes, I was thinking Christmas card and updated pics for our big frames around the house! Tracie did a great job and we got some great pics out of the shoot! The kids did great and Asher was quite the young model himself! Can't wait to blow these babies up! All these images were taken by Tracie!

Grandparent's Day at Paideia

2009-11-12T23:20:00.002-05:00

Grace and Big Daddy

Grace and Nana

Grandma and Paw Paw

Paideia Academy hosts a Grandparent's Day each year! It's a time for the kids to celebrate and honor their Grandparents! Each grade did a little presentation and then they got to show off their classrooms! It was a fun event for everyone!

Dad Turns 60!!

2009-11-12T23:13:00.003-05:00

Paw Paw (aka Pop) turned 60 this month! He still works out a ton and frequents the Fresh Market. We celebrated by Mom fixing a delicious dinner and the kids opening up Pop's presents for him. Notice the kids are in costume. Got to love Grandmas! Happy 60th Birthday Dad! You are looking great for your age!!! haha

Halloween Fun...

2009-11-12T23:00:00.003-05:00

A visit to Daddy's work....

A trip to Ritas!

Trick-or-treating in Farragut with friends...

Finding Nemo!!!

There he is! Nemo found his Daddy!

Halloween was interesting this year. On Friday, I took the kids to visit Daddy at work! Then I got this adventuresome bug in me and attempted to take all 3 kids to the trick-or-treating event out in Farragut. Not the best idea! God was looking out for me though because on my way out to Watt Road, I discovered that my dear friend Kimberly was taking her 2 boys out for some fun! I asked if she would meet us at the event! When we got there, I ran into my friend Nicole and her family! I have the best friends in the world, b/c Kimberly and Nicole helped me so much!! Asher was screamming and I was freaking out b/c the mosquitoes were absolutely everywhere! We survived the element and then packed up the van to head to dinner. Just my luck, a wreck on the interstate and we got to listen to Asher scream his head off for 20 minutes straight and not a thing I could do about it! Whew, long day but thankful for my friends! It rained on Halloween night, so Keith and my mom just took the kids around her neighborhood. Dad helped with Asher and then we watched the Vols kick some booty that night!

Halloween Eve, Eve

2009-11-12T22:50:00.002-05:00

Hannah Montana

Tony Stewart

KDW Dance Class

Alex and his dance BFF, Harrison!

Way too much sugar being passed out!

Every Halloween, Grace's dance class has a little party! This year the moms brought some yummy treats! One of Grace's class helpers even made an owl out of a moon pie. I'm copying that one for next year! Good times!

Alex's Pajama Day

2009-11-12T22:43:00.002-05:00

Instead of dressing up in Halloween costumes, Alex's preschool hosted a pajama day! Bub wore his new Batman pjs and slippers to school. Pretty neat, he just crawled right out of bed and was ready for school! The teachers made pancakes for breakfast and the kids just enjoyed a relaxing, fun day of school!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-27T22:06:00.002-04:00

Asher Kaden Akard at 3 weeks!

He was not happy with the photo shoot!

Matching skeleton shirts....too cute!

Grace is the baby whisperer....

After a little snack....much better Mommy!

Carson-Newman '99 Team Reunion

2009-10-27T21:47:00.004-04:00

A few days earlier, Grace lost her first tooth!!!!

Taking in the game....

Mommy and Asher watched from inside!

Our half time entertainment...hilarious!

Team introductions.....

Alex is practicing his TD run....ball will come later.

On Saturday, we bundled our three kids up and headed out to Carson Newman for the 1999 National Runner-Up team reunion! Keith got to visit with his buddies and reminisce about old glory days! I was actually at that National Championship game (had not met Keith yet), so I knew a little about the heartbreaking 4 overtime loss. Keith enjoyed catching up with old friends and introducing our newest addition to everyone! It was Asher's first CN game. Go Eagles!

Asher Newborn Pics

2009-10-15T13:31:00.002-04:00

We survived our first week at home! It's been nice having Keith off work to help out. The kids are also a big help! Big sister Grace, loves to hold baby Asher! She's so sweet! Alex likes to hold him too, but Grace is all about her baby brother. She even sings songs to him!

The other night, I got out my camera and took a few close up shots of Asher. He is already growing so fast, pretty soon he'll be in his 12m clothes. haha. Hope you like the pics!

Asher Kaden Akard

2009-10-10T20:46:00.009-04:00

Jen got my "birthing," braids ready....

Aya hand made this blanket and cap for Asher!

I'm ready to push, thank goodness for an epidural!

Yes, I took this picture!

Our baby boy!

So Sweet!

We match! Grace was all about it!

Big Brother, Alex!

Grandma and Paw Paw (aka, Pop)

Aunt Aya holds the big boy!

Surprise, I have the video camera.....

Big Daddy with another Grandson!

Love these pictures!

Whipped already.

It's still hard to believe, but we now have three kids! We welcomed the newest addition into our family on October 7, 2009 at 3:52 p.m. We are completely humbled and honored to be parents to such a beautiful, healthy boy!

After reaching 39 weeks, we decided to induce. I had been struggling with health issues and it was time to get him out. We quickly scheduled an induction date and I showed up at the hospital at 6 a.m. on the 7th and we got things started! My doctor broke my water and they started the pitocin around 8 a.m. Then the waiting began! I got my epidural around 11 and after that, it was smooth sailing! I just hung out and talked to my family and just felt very mild contractions (on my left side only). After 3-ish, I was chatting with my parents and sister and I felt something, like a head. I told them...go get Keith (he was with the kids in the waiting room). Sure enough, it was time to push. However, Keith told our nurse....she will NOT push until we see Dr. Yang! Thankfully, they respected our wise wishes! Believe it or not, I pushed 2 1/2 times (round it up to 3) and he slipped right out! The nurse immediately put him on my belly and I got to hold my baby for the first time! He cried out and boy, he looked so cute! Praise the Lord! He is such a great baby and loves to nurse! Big Sister and Big Brother are so excited to have him home! They are so good with him. We are trying to get sleep when we can, but just enjoying time off right now! Praise the Lord for a healthy baby!

Fall Fun

2009-10-04T20:30:00.003-04:00

Last week we went to a fun birthday party for Miss Caroline. She just turned 3 and she's about as tall as Alex! The theme was Strawberry Shortcake and what a cool photo op we had with the giant, wooden strawberry! How cool! Later that week, Grandma brought the paints over and the kids decorated their pumpkins.

It's a Coming...

2009-10-04T20:18:00.003-04:00

No, not the baby yet, but the addition is coming along quite nicely! We've got paint on the walls, the closet has flooring and Keith just put up our crown molding today (need to take more pics). I am so excited! Looks like we won't be in before baby, but it's all good. Once Asher is here, I might be able to help a little more. The masons started last week, but were stalled due to rain. We have to wait on our bathroom windows for the masons to finish. The windows arrive on Friday!

Fire Truck Day!

2009-09-23T11:08:00.002-04:00

Alex isn't scared at all!

Stop, Drop and Roll!

I could not get Alex to smile...

finally, a smile!

Alex's class...

the ladies love him.....especially Mommy!

Good things come to those who wait. The Karns Fire Department finally made it's appearance at Alex's preschool. Bubby was pumped to see the fire truck! Before I got there, Alex told the story to the firefighters how Daddy had to call, "991." Don't know that story, see an earlier blog post about the gas line incident. The teachers got so tickled that he said 991. Thanks to the Karns Fire Department for volunteering their time! The kids loved it!

Opa! Greekfest 2009

2009-09-20T19:29:00.005-04:00

The kids LOVE to ride the school bus!

My cheese ball!

Grace and her new friend.

It was Greekfest time again. I've been going to this local festival since high school! Love the food and the kids really enjoy the atmosphere too! After eating the delicious Greek food, we let the kids dance. Grace wore her jingle, jangle skirt (yes, that is what she calls it) that her Aunt Aya bought her a few years ago. She had so much fun dancing around. She met a friend and had a blast twirling all over that wet dance floor! Alex was hilarious. He has the funniest facial expressions and even stopped and gave the crowd a booty shake! Awesome! We'll be back next year, OPA!

Master Suite Updates

2009-09-20T19:18:00.003-04:00

The kids love to draw pictures on the dry wall.

Keith and Kevin--our construction studs!

Check out the cool ceiling, all Keith's idea!

Dry wall ready for our subs!

The bathroom!

The "water closet."

I am so proud of my husband. He has been working so hard on our master suite. We are desparately trying to have it ready before baby. We are 37 weeks tomorrow! Can we do it? Quoting Bob the Builder, "Yes we can!" Keith finished the sheet rock and we are hiring a sub to finish the dry wall! Good idea on that one! We had our first coat on Friday and our dry wall guys will be back this week to finish! We should be ready to paint by Friday! How exciting! The kids enjoy hanging out in the addition with Daddy! They are learning how to build things..that counts as homeschool, right?

80's Party!

2009-09-12T15:48:00.003-04:00

Blue eye shadow, big hair, rolled up jeans...our Pep Moms group had a totally rad 80's party on Thursday! It was so much fun! We raided our closets and brought out the 80's attire! I went to Claire's and bought some accessories. So funny that the 80's look (jewelry wise) is back in style now. It was so funny to see what kind of outfits everyone came up with! We also brought old pics of ourselves from that decade. What were we thinking hair wise? Big bangs and wings ruled back then. You couldn't use enough Rave or Aqua Net hairspray! Hilarious!

Addition Update

2009-09-02T10:00:00.002-04:00

We have an entrance via the house now to the addition!! Keith cut the hole last night and Alex knocked down the wall! Of course, I missed my boy knocking down the wall, but Daddy said it was pretty fun! We are waiting for our 2 inspections today and praying that we will pass the first time!!! Once we get the go ahead, Keith can start hanging insulation and dry wall!!!! That much closer to moving into our master suite before baby!!!

Asher's Baby Shower

2009-09-02T09:37:00.003-04:00

Cake by Emile!! She's a professional!

Oh so yummy!

Sweet, shabby chic decor by Tracie

Big sister Grace attended the shower!

Jenny made the punch--yum!

My Lifegroup girls hosted a baby shower for Asher (and me too)! I was so excited to have a baby shower for him! Since this is baby #3, we decided to have a diapers and wipes theme! My hostesses did an AMAZING job with the decorations, food and theme! It was so much fun! Thanks for all my friends that stopped by! I'm set for awhile with the necessities!

Neyland Stadium

2009-08-22T23:15:00.003-04:00

Keith and I had a hot date tonight at Neyland Stadium!!! We had so much fun! Some friends of mine won a tour and dinner at the infamous home of the Vols! We were so excited to see all the new stadium upgrades! After eating a yummy meal of pizza and onion rings (among other tasty things), we took a tour of the letterman's club, the skyboxes and the club level seating. Oh yeah, and we got to play on the field! We also toured the media room, which is pretty impressive and a big improvement from the small space they had when I was in the t.v. business! Thanks to Amanda and Darcie for inviting us!!!! It was AWESOME! GO VOLS!

Welcome to Football Season!

2009-08-22T23:04:00.003-04:00

Check out Alex's t-shirt!

Notice that Grace is in B/W too!

Coach Bryant!

Week Zero has come and gone. It's officially football time in Tennessee. Well, at least high school football. Keith officiates both Varsity and Junior Varsity games here and around Knoxville! It just happened that his first game of the season was at South-Doyle. That's where his best buddy coaches. I figured, I'd take the kids to the game. Alex sported his "Respect the Ref," shirt and Grace wanted to wear Daddy's colors too. She had to add a touch of pink with her hat and shoes though! The kids enjoyed cheering and eating a ton of snacks! They were done by half time. It had been a long week for the kiddos---first week of school! Grace and Alex had a blast hanging out with the Bryants and cheering on both the Cherokees and their Daddy!

A few more pics...

2009-08-20T22:17:00.002-04:00

Congrats to the new mom!!!

Asher is kicking his new bud!

We want to say Welcome Baby Caleb!!! Beth and Jeremy had baby number 3 this week and he is so cute!! Love the head full of dark hair! Beth and I have been pregnant every time together! Usually it is me ahead of her, but she beat me to the punch this time! I think it's cool that we both are having boys this time around! They'll be buds!

The next two pics are of the rugrats! We did a quick photo shoot for my maternity pics at Penneys. We got some cute ones! Love Grace's boots...she is such a fashionista!

Alex's First Day of Preschool!

2009-08-20T22:09:00.002-04:00

Do I have to get up?

Finally a smile!

Walkin' into school!

Alex's cubby!

It's hard to believe that Alex is starting preschool this year!! He has been anticipating this day for two years now! He loved dropping Grace off the last couple of years and always wanted to stay and play! Now's his chance! Alex has Mrs. Deena for a teacher and she is a perfect fit for him! I know he's going to love preschool and hanging out with his new friends!!! Alex, we are so proud of you, big boy!

Celebration!

2009-08-20T22:06:00.001-04:00

After the first day of school, we headed to Chuck E. Cheese! It just happened to be Isaac's actual birthday!! Good times!

First Day of Kindergarten!

2009-08-20T21:53:00.003-04:00

Love the uniform!

Walkin' into school!

Grace's spot!

Alex wants to stay!

Getting started right away! No tears Mommies.

I wasn't the only one with a camera!

I can't believe it! My baby, my first-born started Kindergarten this week! We were so excited for Grace! She is attending Paideia Academy. Grace goes to school on M/W/F and I home school her on T/TRs. It is a nice blend for us! I really enjoy being involved in her education. However, Paideia is a very challenging school! I think I will be getting a new education! Grace loves her class and classmates! Her teacher is Mrs. Satterfield and I think she is perfect for Grace. It also helps that Grace's best bud since birth, Isaac is in her class! Grace, it is my prayer for you that God blesses your school year! You are so smart and I want you to soak everything up!!!! Way to go Grace!

Beach 09

2009-07-29T22:22:00.004-04:00

We took our annual beach trip to Destin this year during peak season. We usually go in August or September, but since I'm pregnant...we decided that an earlier trip would work best! Aunt Jenny joined the trip this year, it was nice to have her back on the big family trip. Grace made a ton of friends at the pool, swam like a fish, attempted diving and had plenty of Grandma time. Alex got over his fear of the deep end, swam like a fish in his "life saver," vest, and had plenty of Pop time! It was a fun trip for Keith and me because the kids were pretty self sufficient. However, they stayed in Gram and Pop's room and woke up at 6:30 every morning. We had a great time hanging out at the pool, going out to eat and enjoying a fresh fish fry. Keith and Paw Paw went deep sea fishing and caught a bunch of fish! Paw Paw cooked it up for us that night-so yummy!

Alex and the Diving Board

2009-07-29T22:09:00.002-04:00

At the beginning of the summer, Alex didn't even want to swim. He was fine in waist deep water, but any deeper and it was a no go. Daddy broke that pretty quickly at the beach. Now this boy thinks he's a fish! A couple of weeks ago, he jumped off the diving board for the first time. He was so proud of himself! He cheerfully expressed to me that he wanted Daddy to see him and he wanted me to take his picture! So, I had to bring my camera along and capture his first season of diving! Way to go Alex!

Bowling on Aya's B-Day

2009-07-29T22:01:00.002-04:00

Happy b-day Aya!

Daddy teaching Grace...

The bowling, gutter ball dance!

We celebrated Aunt Aya's birthday with dinner and a night of bowling! This was the first bowling experience for the kids! They loved it. Grace was a bit of a perfectionist and ended up pouting b/c she didn't bowl a strike. She recovered quickly and had so much fun! Mommy had the hot hand for some strange reason that night. Alex had a blast too. He did try and run down the lane one time, scary but he was fine! Good times had by all.

Photo Booth Pictures

2009-07-20T00:12:00.003-04:00

Hey friends! I know I haven't been blogging lately! I've been slammed with editing deadlines, so when I'm on my computer, I'm usually working! I'll catch you all up soon! We shot a HUGE wedding this weekend. Saturday alone, we shot for over 13 hours. This wedding showcased the best of the best vendors, great for video!!! I was so excited to hear that they were going to have an old-fashioned photo booth at their reception! Of course, Keith and I had to take a few pics!!! Great souvie!! Enjoy the hilarious pics!

Cheer Camp 09

2009-07-10T19:40:00.003-04:00

Grace tried out the pom poms for the first time this summer! She attended Cedar Springs Cheer Camp all week long, and LOVED it! I have fond childhood memories of cheer camp, and thought Grace might like to cheer. Each girl got a cute t-shirt, but Grace would only wear her HSM cheerleading outfit. So, it was a little big, but she sure looked cute! On Friday, the girls had a little performance for us. It was so precious! Grace had us cracking up with her, "Ready, okay!" After the big dance, the kids celebrated with ice cream! Go unicorns!

Splash Pad 09

2009-06-24T21:39:00.004-04:00

Sweet Caroline!

The Akards and the Mizes

Grace and Kate

Serious competitors!

The water was a little cold, but the kids had a blast at the Splash Pad today! It was our first time out there this summer. It was a Pep Moms playdate, so the kids had lots of friends to play with this morning. We even ran into the Mize family! I had to post that sweet picture of Caroline. She is so stinkin' cute (I know her Mommy agrees)! What a fun day!

Making Progress

2009-06-15T22:53:00.002-04:00

Bubby likes the new bath tub!

Bubby is sitting where the potty will be!

Framing of the bathroom, laundry room and closet!

Uncle Kevin loves to work on the roof!

The addition is coming along! We are so blessed to have such great friends and family! Uncle Kevin has put in so many hours on this project. There are just some things that Keith can't do alone, and that's where our friends and family come in!! Thank you everyone!!! Big Daddy deserves a shout out too!!!

Home Addition

2009-06-15T22:29:00.004-04:00

Welcome to our home addition! We are adding on a master suite and workshop to our house! Since we have baby number 3 on the way, we decided to start the project now! After months of planning and research, Keith broke ground on my birthday, April 25th. Keith will also build a beautiful deck and make our basement into a walk out! I think I'm most excited about pulling up that nasty 1970's carpet downstairs! Okay, so maybe the giant bathroom or walk in closet are my favs, but seriously I'm pumped about the new basement floor to come!!! Here's what we have so far!

Brick removed from back of house

No, not a casket, it's an old septic tank! Who knew?

Before footers and....after!

Notice deck missing.

Footers poured.....

You might be wondering what that hole is in the orange pipe. That would be the gas line. Yes, we should have signed up for the show Renovation Reality, b/c we would have made a good episode! Let me set the stage for you, I was at a spa night at Monica's. I got a call from Keith. He told me not to be alarmed, but we had at our house the fire department, police and KUB. What? As I pulled up to our street, I saw the spectacle! Every neighbor was out and it looked like a circus. Here's how it happened. Remember the pic of that old septic tank, well Keith was digging (YES, the gas lines were marked) and struck the gas line that was right next to the tank. The emergency crews told him he should buy a lottery ticket b/c the chances of that happening were slim to none. After a quick call to 911, the gas line was eventually fixed and the neighbors had something to talk about the next day! What an adventure. Hopefully that will be our only drama for this big reno project!

Recital Time

2009-05-21T22:45:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year again, RECITAL TIME!! Grace has two numbers this year...tap is to the Purple People Eater and ballet is to, well you guessed it, Going to the Chapel! Love the costumes, too cute! I thought it was funny that Grace gets to be a bride, b/c I'm a wedding videographer. How fitting! All the girls look so sweet and I just love our group of moms. This is Grace's last year (she's just not that into it-to say the least), so I'm enjoying every minute of it! I'd close with "break a leg Grace," but she broke her arm two days before the recital last year, so we won't go there!

Grace's Preschool Graduation

2009-05-21T22:33:00.003-04:00

Thanks Grandma for the Graduation Party!

Grace and her Nana

Grace and Aunt Aya

The slideshow was too much for Bub!

Still a Daddy's girl...can you tell?

Grace and her teacher, Lee Ann!!

I can't believe that my baby is graduating from preschool. Is she really starting the big K next fall, say it isn't so! Grace had a blast at Beaver Ridge United Methodist! She loved her teacher, Lee Ann this year. What a great fit! Grace's preschool graduation was cute. The kids sang a few songs and then they got their certificates! Afterwards, we headed back to the house for some cake and punch! Congrats Grace!!

Day Out with Thomas

2009-05-05T00:05:00.006-04:00

For Alex's birthday, we bought tickets to ride Thomas the Tank Engine! This was our second trip, and the kids loved it! After a quick stop at the train table station, we bought Alex a souvie t-shirt and were ready to board the train! We got to ride in the first coach right behind Thomas! It was so cool! This kids had a blast at their Day Out with Thomas!

Mommy's Birthday

2009-05-04T23:58:00.002-04:00

Paw Paw fixed me his famous crepes!

Over at the Rogers house!

April is a busy month for us! Alex's birthday, our anniversary, my birthday. Crazy! I love it when my b-day falls on a weekend. I started the morning out with presents from Keith and kids, then off to G'ma and Paw Paw's for breakfast! Paw Paw makes the BEST crepes! It is such a special treat! After a trip to the mall and a nap, we headed over to the Rogers house! The Floyds and McLemores joined the fun. We've all been friends for years. It's nice to celebrate with old friends. I'm blessed to have such good ones!! You all rock! Oh, and I have a pretty great family too!

Pep Moms Egg Hunt

2009-05-04T23:52:00.003-04:00

Our first Pep Moms egg hunt got rained out! So, Monday was the make-up day! The kids were pros by this time! Grace gets so focused, it's awesome! Alex is more interested in what is inside the egg, he doesn't care how many he gets. I had to get a few pics of the kids with the statues! Keith is famous for his "statue," pics. Like Daddy, like kiddos!

More Easter Celebrations

2009-05-04T23:45:00.003-04:00

Egg hunt at Grandma and Paw Paw's

Now over to Nana's....

After church, we made a stop over at Grandma and Paw Paw's for some Easter fun!! Then we headed over to Nana's. Aya and Nana wanted to see the kids in their Easter outfits! Good times!

Easter Sunday

2009-05-04T23:38:00.003-04:00

Easter baskets at home!

Easter lunch at church!

Easter is filled with candy and egg hunts for us. However, we make sure that the kiddos know the real meaning of Easter. We celebrate this holiday because Jesus, our Lord and Savior, died on the cross for us! It still blows my mind, that God gave us His son. We did not deserve that ultimate sacrifice!! Thank you, Jesus for saving us!

Egg Hunt at "Daddy Mack's"

2009-05-04T23:18:00.005-04:00

It's the Easter Bunny!

On the search for eggs!

Lookin' out for the horse poop!

For the past couple of years, Daddy Mack's Egg Hunt has been a must for our Easter festivities! This event is held on a beautiful horse farm and everyone brings a food dish to share! It is such a fun event! The kids love petting the horses and searching for the eggs! There's also that blow up slide, and Grace got a little banged up this year. She landed face first into another kid. Yep, later that week, it looked like we punched her in the face!! She's all healed up now!!

Egg Hunting Time

2009-04-11T14:16:00.004-04:00

She's off and running, what a competitor!

Found one!

It's the season of the Easter egg hunts! The first of many was at Grace's preschool! There was a story time, Bible lesson, egg hunt, and a mini photo shoot! What a way to bring in the spring season! Grace had no problem snagging her 12 eggs in like 3.2 minutes! She even had to put one back! What a beautiful day to celebrate the weekend of Easter!

More Birthday Fun

2009-04-11T14:04:00.006-04:00

Alex and Paw Paw

His first digital camera!

Grace got a little present too!

Alex said, "I want fire, Grandma!"

Family party at Chuck E. Cheese

Alex likes to "act," sometimes!

Cousin Luke was dancing up a storm!

Luke and Aya pose for the camera!

After lunch with Daddy, we headed over to Grandma and Paw Paw's house for a little party! Later that evening, it was Chuck E. Cheese with the extended family! We had to push back Alex's birthday party til the end of the month. He just got his cast off Monday and wanted his leg to heal before the big Bounce House party! Hope you had fun, Bubby!

Happy Birthday Alex!

2009-04-11T13:48:00.004-04:00

Just wakin' up!!!

I love to kiss those bips!!

Alex holding Daddy's hand! Awww...

Our silly monkey!

Lunch at Long's Drugstore!

Birthdays are a big deal in my family! I love them! It's a chance to celebrate each member of the family and make them feel oh so special! Tuesday, April 7th was Alex's 3rd birthday. However, he won't admit that he is 3. Alex has such a personality. He is so funny, loves to tell jokes, but at the same time is a lover boy! He loves to snuggle and give kisses and is so laid back! He loves his big sister and is excited about being a big brother in the fall!!! Alex, we LOVE you!!!

Easter Animals

2009-04-11T13:26:00.003-04:00

For dinner that night, M&M Catering, YUM!

Grace was lovin' the chickens!

Aya joined the fun!

Alex liked the bunny rabbits the best!

The kids had a chance to hold some animals thanks to folks of 4-H! Bunny rabbits, baby chicks, and a lamb, it was pretty fun!

The Big Reveal!

2009-04-02T14:41:00.004-04:00

Grace loved the rain, can you tell?

Matt (producer) and Brian (show host) w/us.

Here ya go! Here's the final product! Looks great, doesn't it? Keith is all set up to do his wood working stuff!!! The camera guys hung around for a few hours getting their "beautification," shots. Crazy! The Garage Mahal show starts airing on DIY this May. Our show probably won't be on until August or September. We'll keep you posted!!

Day 2 Garage Mahal

2009-04-02T14:35:00.002-04:00

After Day 2

Alex wants to be just like Dad!

Here's Brian shooting a promo for L@5@4.

Here are some more pictures from day 2 and 3. This is Alex and his best bud, Joe. Joe was great, not only did he do a ton of work on our garage, but he took time out to play with the kids! Alex hit it off with him, they are buds now!

The Shoot

2009-03-30T19:38:00.002-04:00

The cameras are rolling practically non-stop. They catch everything. Even me trying out the nail gun for the first time and the saw. I did it though!!! Keith is in his element. He is doing great!!! We are so excited to see the final product!!!!!!

Garage Mahal

2009-03-30T19:33:00.002-04:00

We are going to be featured on DIY's Garage Mahal. It's a new renovation show about pimpin' out your garage! Since Keith loves to wood work, we are setting him up to have the perfect space to create really cool pieces! We had our work cut out for us though, our garage was pretty full. We started the shoot on Sunday and we will wrap up tomorrow. It has been so much fun, but we are so tired!!!!

Vote for Tammy!

2009-03-14T19:37:00.004-04:00

Hey friends! If you get a chance, please vote for me for best wedding videographer in Knoxville! It just takes a minute to register your vote (you can only vote once) and I would so appreciate your time!! It would be really neat to win this title! Here's the link...

http://wtnz.cityvoter.com/contests/best-of-the-wtnzfox43-com-hot-list/4208/weddings/videographer

THANKS!

The Broken Leg!

2009-03-14T19:30:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday (3/8/09), Alex broke his leg on the trampoline. We thought it was just hyper extended, but wanted to get it checked out anyway. Good thing we did! We spent a long 5 1/2 hours at Children's Hospital and limped away with the news of a broken tibia. He has a hair line fracture right under his knee. Poor little guy! He got his cast on the next day and is just now starting to stand up on the leg. It's been a long week for us. Grace also came down with strep throat. Need I mention that I am 9 1/2 weeks pregnant too. God has His hand on us and He is providing for our needs, like sleep last night! Thank you, Jesus!

Gabrielle Reece

2009-03-14T19:22:00.002-04:00

Gracie and I got to meet former pro beach volleyball player, Gabrielle Reece today! I was so excited! Gabrielle was my favorite player back in the day!!! She was in town for the Women's Today Expo. I wanted Grace to meet her b/c she is supposed to be Gabrielle's height! Gabby said that Grace's shoes were "spicey." Grace was like, "no they are not, they are sparkley!" I'm so glad it worked out to meet her and get a picture! Sweet!

Pump It Up!

2009-03-07T23:28:00.003-05:00

Smoothie Break

Daddy is so COOL!!!!!

Hands in the air, hands in the air!

Future model??

A: "Mom, quit looking at my bum!"

It was a Pump it Up birthday party for Grace's dance friend, Addy! The kids love these bounce houses! What a workout, for the kids and Daddy! I just took pictures! By the end, all were exhausted and sweaty! Everyone had a great time!

Got lips?

2009-03-06T16:26:00.003-05:00

All the better to kiss you with? Do you remember those wax-like gum lips that we used to get as kids? I do. The gum tasted yucky, but it was a fun to make people laugh! Grandma picked up a couple of pairs of big, red lips for the kids. I had to take a picture! Grace already started chewing on em! Lovely!

Webb State Champs!

2009-03-06T16:15:00.004-05:00

Cheesecake from the Factory! The best!

Where's the Mom and Dad?

State Champs 09! Congrats!

Keith had his hands full while I worked!

I think it's now 5 years in a row, that I made the trip to Nashville to cover the Webb Lady Spartans in the state tournament. They won a couple of years ago, lost by 2 last year and this year, they snatched up the title with ease, well almost. We made a family trip out of it, since the game was at night. We headed to Nashville early, checked into a hotel and let the kids swim!!! They loved the pool! The game, was another story. It was a little late for the kids and they were pretty tired! Keith did a great job with them. Alex kept crying b/c he wanted Mommy. Webb started off very slow and did not play it's normal hoops in the first half. The second half was a different story. They played as a team and took the lead and didn't look back! Webb's coach, Shelley Collier, is a good friend of mine! I'm so happy for her and the team! They really worked hard this year and figured out the true definition of TEAM!

Paideia Banquet

2009-02-21T21:47:00.002-05:00

Friday night, Keith and I went to the Paideia Academy banquet! It was a very nice event! Backing up a bit, Alex skipped his nap that afternoon. Yep, he was in his bed for 45 minutes just hanging out. While I was getting ready (with Grace's help), Alex fell asleep watching t.v. How cute. As far as the banquet goes, it was fun to see friends and eat a yummy prime rib dinner! We are excited for Grace to be attending Paideia in the fall and can't wait to see what God has in store for our family via Paideia!

Pep Moms Retreat

2009-02-18T22:44:00.003-05:00

A few weekends ago, we had our annual Pep Moms retreat at the River Lodge/Hidden Mountain Resort! We had such a blast! This is our group picture that we took on Sunday morning. There are a bunch of moms missing, because they snuck out early. Yes, we were missing our families! I love this group of women! Marla DeLong shared with us on Friday and Saturday, and I really learned to let go of my worries and crazy imagination! God is in control of everything and I want to honor Him with my thoughts! It is my goal to truly take every thought captive! Praise God for taking that burden from me. It's been a long time coming!

Let's play outside!

2009-02-15T15:07:00.003-05:00

Knoxville has some crazy weather. Blame it on the mountains or the valley. I was a sportscaster, not a weather girl! One day it is snowing, a couple of days later, it's 60-something. Crazy, I know. What a blessing to get outside and let the kids play. Grace and Alex took to the "jump-oline," as Alex calls it. It was a hair-raising experience.

Valentine's Party

2009-02-15T15:02:00.002-05:00

Since I love taking pictures, I showed up at Grace's preschool Valentine's Day party! Grace really enjoyed me being there! She showed off everything in the class room. I got the VIP tour! It was really cute and I felt special! They had ice cream and other goodies! Happy Valentine's Day!

Aunt Jenny's 30th Birthday!

2009-02-15T14:46:00.004-05:00

We emailed this to Jen on her b-day EVE!

A birthday Starbucks!

Apparently, Starbucks is like home.

We met Aunt Jenny at Starbucks late afternoon on her birthday! She had plans that night with friends, but we had to meet up with her. Afterall, it was the big 3-0 birthday!!! We celebrated with cake, lemon cookies and coffee. A couple of days later, we had standing rib roast to celebrate Jen's and Mom's birthdays! Can you believe it, I forgot my camera. Jenny will tell you I did that on purpose because of my now-infamous strawberry "avalanche," cake. It sort of messed up. However, it tasted great! Happy 30th birthday, Jenny!

Snow!

2009-02-15T14:39:00.002-05:00

It has been a snowy winter for Knoxville. We haven't had much snow over the years, so it has been a nice surprise. The kids loved playing in the snow. Of course, it takes us longer to get ready, then actual play time, but oh well! Alex was not lovin' his mittens. He kept trying to take them off. Good times had by all!

Gingerbread House

2009-02-15T14:28:00.002-05:00

I know, it's been a long time since I posted! But, I'm going to get caught up today! Here's a few pics of the gingerbread house that Keith and the kids put together! We want to thank John and Sandy Bryant for giving it to us! You all are awesome! The kids loved putting this together!

Build-A-Bear and Aunt Jenny's

2009-01-19T21:16:00.006-05:00

My little man talking to Daddy.

What to wear....

Giving T-Rex a bath.

Put the heart in, lots of love!

Nice heels, Grace!

Grace loves makeup, can you tell?

Here's a few pics from a recent visit to Aunt Jenny's house. Grace loved all her makeup! Jen even let Grace do a make-over. Brave! Jen has a box of our Grandma's old costume jewelry. We loved that stuff when we were little! It was neat to see Grace enjoying the necklaces and bracelets! Alex got to go on a hot date with Grandma to Build-A-Bear. They had a T-Rex and Alex is all about the T-Rex. Alex even recorded his own voice, it's in the T-Rex's arm. Too cute!

Next, Alex was off to Silver Spoons for lunch. He loves bread and butter, just like his momma!

Daddy's Birthday

2009-01-19T21:07:00.003-05:00

Chap stick and fingers, enough said.

Daddy's yummy breakfast! Sweet!

Sleeping Beauty?

Happy Birthday Jesus cake...long story

We wrapped up the Seay family vacation with a birthday dinner for Keith. I started the morning off with a tasty, home made breakfast. Keith (and the kids) opened his presents and then we just relaxed. Everyone came over that night to help celebrate Keith's birthday! Good times!

Libby Lu Time

2009-01-19T20:46:00.003-05:00

Showin' off makeovers at Starbucks!

Princess Hanna

Princess Sarabeth

Princess Grace

Queen Kathy and Prince Luke

Since Libby Lu was closing it's doors, we had to take Grace for another make-over! This time she got to go with her girl cousins! What fun the girls had! They got their make-up, nails and hair done! Each of the girls picked out a pooch or pet. After a quick dance show, we carried the fun over to Starbucks for some hot chocolate and coffee! Fabulous!

Akard/Seay/Austin Family Christmas

2009-01-19T20:30:00.004-05:00

I bought all the girls fuzzy socks!

Photo-time, Christopher is attacking his Mom.

Yes, it's an inside joke! Awesome!

Keith got Kevin an old 8-track, yes...another joke.

Who needs presents, Bub has bubble wrap!

Cousins, cousins....

3-generations of Akard men folk.

Our Akard side of the family usually has Christmas when the Seays make the journey from snowy Michigan. It is a great time of food, fellowship and more food. There are lots of kids now and they love to play together.