FOR THE GIRLS

We decided this year to put together team "For the Girls" to walk in the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walk at UTC. We decided on the 1 mile fun run so the kiddos could come along too. We had a great turnout and had a wonderful time walking for an important cause, all near and dear to our hearts!

My crew anxiously awaiting the "race."
Sweet Bonnie had cupcakes made and ordered us pink breast cancer rings.



The Golden Girls...

The "For the Girls" boys...
My dad woke up with a fever and sore throat this morning and wasn't able to come. It wasn't the same without Papaw.







Carrie designed our team shirts and they looked great!

It was rather warm out there and boy did it feel a lot longer than a mile, but we all made it.
Cupcakes at the finish line!
I pray this event won't be needed much longer, but until then we'll keep walking... For the Girls!!!!

Do you hear a siren?

Ever burn okra?
To the point where the fire department is called?
Oops... Nana did.

We went to my parents for a family dinner with Andy and Kadi, and noticed as we pulled into the driveway the sound of a smoke detector and my dad running to turn the alarm off. We walked in to find a smoke filled foyer, and Nana frantically waving the dishtowel and running to open the back doors and windows. Sadly, they acted as though they've done this before. This was not Nana's first rodeo. The joke used to be, dinner's ready with the smoke alarm goes off.

The smoke began to clear and we thought everything was over and fine, until we heard sirens in the distance. Somehow in all the commotion, we managed to miss all 3 phone calls to our cell phones from ADT, which would have canceled the trip from the fire department. Apparently, they don't bother calling the house figuring if it's is actually on fire, you hopefully aren't still in it.

Papaw and Trace were playing in the basement when Jimmy ran down to tell him that there were indeed fire trucks parked outside the house with sirens and lights blaring. After a "Oh, *$#@!" from dad, he sheepishly and profusely apologized to the firemen who came barreling down the driveway with their gear in tow. One rookie looked terribly disappointed, as he slung his coat and hat back into the truck. This was hardly the "big one" he'd been waiting for.

Trace was completely entranced by the huge fire trucks blocking the traffic on Fairview Road (and I'm sure completely relieved that he had NOTHING to do with this one after his little stunt at VBS.) I have no doubt our family is now on the short list at the fire hall and I was thankful at that point that Trace was never actually identified as the culprit who pulled the fire alarm at church this summer.

The firemen were very gracious and seemed to chuckle as dad explained that there was no fire and that his wife just burned the okra. We now have learned that ADT does indeed respond to smoke alarms as well as burglar alarms. Good to know.

After they left, we proceeded with dinner as planned (minus the okra.)

Papaw fed Keatyn... and then had to bathe her.

Uncle Andy was determined to teach her to crawl, on the dining room table.


It was good wholesome family fun, with a little drama thrown in for good measure.

Papaw is expecting the bill from the fire department any day now.

And Nana has been forbidden to ever fry okra again.

When I count my blessings, I count you twice.

Just feeling very grateful for these little blessings today.

No particular reason. Just because.

Labor Day Staycation

Our motto for the Labor Day weekend... very little labor, lots of fun, family and friends.

We didn't go anywhere but had a mini staycation of our own. Andy and Kadi were out of town, so my parents went to stay at their house to take care of the granddogs, Miss Onyx, Lincoln and Otis.

Friday night, we went over to swim and eat hotdogs around the pool.

Ahhh... I could get used to this backyard pool life.

Until I had to actually clean the pool. I would definitely need a pool boy. Preferably a cute one :)

Lincoln is such a love...
Keatyn wasn't sure what to think of Otis... sometimes referred to as Ot-ass, in the most loving way of course. He is the complete opposite extreme of Lincoln and Onyx. Where they have perfected the term "chillaxin" in their old, geriatric age, Ot-ass is the young pup of the bunch. Never gets out of the pool, and will fetch balls until he literally falls over.
I know my boy is nude... again. At some point, I'm gonna have to stop posting these photos on the internet, but that little white butt is so darn cute. Like a typical 4-year-old, he got out of the pool claiming he was done swimming. So we stripped him down, threw his suit in the dryer and ate dinner. He then of course, decides he wants to jump back in with Nana. So rather than putting a wet bathing suit back on, he went commando. Sorry Uncle Andy and Aunt Kadi.
You can't tell from this angle, but Nana is soooo holding her nose.

The next day was UT's first game and someone got in the spirit!
We went over to Anne and Allen's to watch the game with some other friends and had the best time.
This is Lauren feeding Keatyn... she's a little mama in the making.
I thought it was so sweet that Eli asked to hold her. He was so gentle with her.
Her big brother on the other hand, tackles her head like a football hourly!

On Sunday, we went on a boat ride on Just Because III. My cousins Casey, Kevin, Drew, and Cole were in town, so they joined us with Aunt Gail and Royce. It was a wonderful day!



I know I'm a little partial, but aren't they the cutest things ever??? If you didn't know they were cousins, you'd think they were on a little first date!

Keatyn tried out a restaurant high chair for the first time. Her hands were into EVERYTHING. That girls gonna give me fits, I can tell already. ha!
"Whachu talking about Willis?"

It was a perfect weekend from start to finish and a great way to end the summer!!

Sisty and Granddaddy's birthday

So, August came and went and with it, half of my dear families' birthdays.

The other half we will celebrate in February.

Nearly everyone in the Mullendore lineage have birthdays that fall either in August or February. Seriously, between our big crew, nearly everyday of those 2 months are covered. Even my precious children were smart enough to follow the family tradition and make their appearances in early February.

We celebrated Jimmy's on August 8th (but my memory card ate the pictures... grrr) Then on the 19th we celebrated Sisty's and on the 27th we celebrated Granddaddy's. That's a lot of celebrating!
Some may question why Trace is blowing out their candles.

Can you say rotten? (The real world is gonna hit him like a ton of bricks. ha!)
Fortunately for him, his grandparents absolutely adore him and didn't mind at all.

The feeling is quite mutual.

August is the birth month of some of my most favorite people!!

Happy birthday Jim, Sylvia, and Jimmy. We love you all! May God bless you with many, many more!