Jonathan and Julie's Great Adventure

Happy Birthday! (January 11, 2008)

My day started with beautiful daisies, a precious card, and a 500G hard drive!! Jonny always treats me like a princess on my birthday........And that was just the beginning!!

Well, my 6th graders (now 7th graders) did it again----They threw me the sweetest surprise party!! This one didn't take me all over the city of Memphis like last year---but it still made me realize what a special bond this group and I will always have!! They made my day so special!!

My third graders celebrated two events in one party----They bought me a yummy cookie cake....and they celebrated their mathematical genius by eating the ice cream sundaes they earned by learning their multiplication tables! What a yummy afternoon!!

Jonny's parents, Jane and Gilbert, came in for my birthday! They took us out to dinner (Bonefish Grill!!) and spent the night with us! Such a treat!! I had a great birthday!!

Livin' in our house......January 2008

Well...here are some pictures of our house! We have lots more to do....but it will stay this way for a while. We just want to live in it and enjoy it before we do anymore!! Come see it in person sometime!! We have creative ways of sleeping as many as we need to!

Happy New Year 2008!!! (January 1st!)

Crazy us.......we practically missed ringing in the new year.....We were too busy posing for the picture!! (Only Jen and Al were paying attention!!)

The kiddos didn't know what to think.....They thought the adults were going nuts!

Ariana's first new year!!

Christmas In Kentucky (Decmeber 2007)

Well, here we are in Kentucky for Christmas---Round Two! This year was full of firsts.....

Our first Christmas with Ariana.....

The first time (in a LONG TIME....if ever) that we had Grandmother's dinner on Christmas Day!

Our first Christmas with PanKe and Baby Anna (and Ariana....again!).

(No firsts in this picture!!) TeeHee!

The first time Luke and Austin joined the "Boy Room!" (I think it was the first time!!)

The first time we had to fit 28 people in Grandmother's living room!! (and we were missing Laura and David!!)

The first time we learned how to digital scrapbook....Thanks to AL's vast knowledge of computers!

The first time Dad played online---looking at Judge Judy's website!!

And........the first time our mom Rocked Out to Guitar Hero! What a Christmas!!

Not to mention....it was the first time we passed around that Godzilla virus!! Glad we're all over that!!

Christmas in Mt. Juliet, TN (December 2007)

Well, we rocked out this Christmas---RockBand was a huge hit....as you can see here! We even got Jane in on the action!! I have to admit....I got a bit carried away when Metalica was on! "Enter Sandman" is now affectionately known as "Enter Ju Ju!"

Our scrapbook was a hit again---Thanks to Johnna for all the prodding to finish on time!

The girls had a night out at Olive Garden-----We had a ball discovering how we eat Andes Mints! Some of us suck, and some of us bite!! :) And old habits die hard!

We almost don't fit at this table anymore!! We had to take two pictures to fit us all in!!

It is crazy to believe this is Ben's first Christmas with us....it feels like he has been a part of this family forever!! Look at sweet Hannah laughing at her Aunt Ju Ju!!

Adam, Melanie, Grace Ann, and Baby are celebrating this year especially!! They are Tennesseans again!!

Ahhhhh, the newlyweds....who stayed at their own apartment! Can anyone blame them! We love you, Andrew and Ashley!!

This picture is just too cute not to add.......Will and Alex, you are adorable!!

Aunt Ju Ju and Uncle Jonny could not be more proud of this bunch!! What a bunch of cuties!!

Christmas Around the World! (December 2007)

Here we are---a bunch of adorable third graders ready to set off for a trip around the world! This is one of my favorite units of the year.

Eliot was ready for any weather.....and any picutre. He was dressed like this everyday! What a good sport!! Students can select a country of their choosing and present (with friends and family) the Christmas customs of that particular country. Here is a picture of our friends from Israel--we learned all about Hannukah! We even made a living mennorah!
Anna and her family took us to China. We celebrated Christmas and Chinese New Year.......with the sounds of firecrackers!! (We are jumping on bubble wrap!!)

Here is Tristan and his mom, Queen Stephanie, presenting Christmas in England!

What a treat to have Jonathan's family present Poland!!

Hunter and Eliot took us to Germany---the Mother Country of Christmas Traditions!!

Bon Jour!! Noel!! Christian and Megan took us on a trip around France we won't soon forget! We ate and ate and ate and ate and ate!

Here is sweet Olivia being St. Lucia from Scandanavia! Isn't she lovely!!?

On to Holland! Precious Ellen helped us learn all about Sinterklaas!

Who is this Russian Beauty?? Why, it is Abigail! This was a fun day--we threw porridge at her dad!! (Someone even said after this day, "I wish I lived in Russia!!!")