The Pattersons of Germantown

Where do I even begin? So many times over the last couple of months I have sat in this same spot on the couch, feeling the guilt over having not updated our blog. There have been vacations, birthdays, and life-altering decisions and yet the more that happened, the more overwhelmed I felt by the task.....and so here we are.....three months from my last post. Well, never a better time than now, I suppose!

It is Christmas Eve and I am sitting by a warm fire, looking out a wall of windows into my beautiful backyard.....a view that I am still struck by the novelty of and yet I also feel like I've known it forever. But I am getting ahead of myself, so let me back up.

In mid-September, Adam and I took the kids to the beach for what turned out to be one of our greatest vacations yet. The weather was perfect, the summer crowds were long gone, and the kids finally fell in love with the beach, allowing us to stay there for hours at a time each day....bliss! We went to the seafood market, watched the fish come in at the pier, rode the golf cart to get ice cream at night, and even got a date night and a tennis match in, thanks to my mom! We are so thankful to Adam's Aunt Judy for once again allowing us to stay in her family's beautiful home that we have grown to love and look forward to seeing.

Gray celebrated his fourth birthday with a super hero themed party at a bounce house in Southaven a few weeks later. He had a great time jumping around with his friends and soaking up all the attention. He got his first big-boy bike, which has quickly retired to the garage after he rode it down a hill and flew over the handlebars:(

Four sounds so big, and looks even bigger! Adam and I continue to be so amazed by how smart he is and how quickly he is learning things. He is so sensitive, loving, silly, and handsome. Can you tell how much I adore him? I'm pretty sure he can too....

Halloween was such a thrill this year because it was the first one where both Hayes and Gray "got it". Hayes wore her bumblebee costume every day for a month leading up to Halloween and our little Optimus Prime pushed through a fever virus so he could trick or treat with his Northwood pals, Sutton and Annie.

We had big plans to head down to Gulfport for Thanksgiving this year but we had a little change in our plans (ehr, our lives, I mean). While we were certain we made a good decision not to move to Orlando last fall, we weren't so certain that we wanted to stay where we were either. We love Memphis and couldn't stomach the thought of leaving the family and friends we've acquired over the last 10 years, but we couldn't ignore our desire for more living space, a room for my parents to stay in when they visited, and a neighborhood and home we could live in comfortably forever if we chose. To make a long story short, we found a home that we felt gave us all of these things, so we stuck a sign in our yard and sold our home on Northwood in less than a week, without a realtor. Things fell into place so quickly and easily on both ends that we knew it must have been meant to be. So, here we are, three weeks into our new home and knee deep into renovations already. But we love it and are so excited about making this house our home over the next couple of decades (and it may well take that long!). Merry Christmas from Kimbrough Woods!

Love,
The Pattersons

Over the river and through the woods...

As a 9-year resident of Tennessee, I'm ashamed to say that I had never, until recently, been west of West Memphis, Arkansas or east of Nashville. While I still haven't made it to the Smokies, our trip to Heber Springs, Arkansas for Labor Day introduced me (and the kids) to the what I think is some of the most beautiful part I've seen of the South....lush mountains, rolling rivers, and farmland that seemed to go on for days. The 3-hour drive there was picturesque, even amid the shrill screeches from two stir-crazy toddlers. We pulled up to our cabin and it was everything it had promised to be...rustic (yet nice), cozy (but plenty of room for us and Adam's parents), and the perfect place to unwind complete with a front porch lined with rocking chairs. We spent the weekend sightseeing around the "Little Red River", hanging out with our great family friends, The Coles, and making unforgettable memories with our sweet family. It was definitely a tradition I hope we'll continue.

In other news, both my niece, Greer, and I recently celebrated birthdays (just 1 day apart), reminding me how blessed I am to be part of the Patterson clan and living so nearby. Greer's vintage circus-themed birthday party was a big hit with the kiddos and I so enjoyed seeing all of them play together.

We're in sunny Florida right now for our annual trip to the beach so stay tuned for a post with pics of that coming soon!

The Pattersons

Back to school!

School is back in session and the kids are both loving their new teachers, classrooms and friends. They are still at First Baptist, which has been such a blessing over the last year, and Gray began 3k (or "old 3's as they call it) while Hayes began 2k. Gray is really taking his new responsibility as one of the oldest in the class seriously, resulting in MUCH-improved behavior and consistently good reports from his teachers. They too have learned that behavior charts and positive reinforcement are truly the way to go with him...that boy LOVES an "atta boy!". I'm not sure whether it's the recent haircut or a true growthspurt, but I feel like I am watching him grow into a "big boy" right in front of my eyes. While he is crazy as all get out, mischevious in every way, tempermental, neurotic/obsessive compulsive, and a TERRIBLE eater, he is also so many wonderful things that Adam and I cherish.....he is dangerously smart, wildly creative, wickedly funny, inquisitive, and so, so loving. I fall more and more in love with every age and stage he enters and am so excited for all that the future holds.

The minute Hayes turned two, I'm convinced that she decided to run through the checklist of "terrible twos" behavior and make sure she demonstrated each of them with all her might. She is throwing tantrums, biting (or attempting to bite) when she gets mad, asking "why" every opportunity she gets, getting picky about clothes and food, and showing signs of separation anxiety for the first time. But I melt when I watch her "mother" her baby dolls, mimic Gray's every move and sound, and fill with giddy excitement when we go somewhere fun or she sees someone she loves. She is already way too big for her britches, begging to put Mommy's make-up on in the morning, insisting that her "bopper" get changed the minute she tinkles, and literally outgrowing her crib. She has already christened the operating room table, getting her first (and hopefully last) set of stitches in her head last week after slipping in her socks, resulting in a dent in her forehead. She is learning to do so much on her own like getting into her car seat and chair by herself, putting her shoes on her own feet, and following simple commands. She knows most of her colors, can count to 5, and is speaking in 2 or 3 word sentences. Where has my baby gone? Sigh....

My "Adoorables" etsy shop has started to take off, with 18 orders during my first month as well as three requests to wholesale at retail boutiques. I am still having a lot of fun designing new items, fulfilling people's requests, and learning the ins and outs of a small business. The new blog, Facebook page, and etsy shop is a lot to juggle but I feel blessed to take on this new challenge. Check me out at the links below:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/eop1015?ref=si_shop
http://adoorablesdoorhangers.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adoorables-Door-Hangers/164464123620942


That's all for now so until next time...
The Pattersons

Goody goody gumdrops, Hazey just turned two!

The last month has been filled with LOTS of new experiences for both me AND the kids. Gray took swimming lessons for the first time at my friend Shelley's house, along with her son, Carter, and a few of our other friends, and did so great! He is now wearing us out, jumping into the pool and swimming to the ladder every opportunity he gets. He had the teachers in stitches, proclaiming himself a "teenager" when he finally got brave enough to put his head under the water for the first time. Me, Adam, Hayes and P were all there to watch him "graduate" from swim school and couldn't have been prouder of our little fish!

Adam and I celebrated our 9th anniversary by taking a redneck honeymoon to Tunica, Mississippi. We bought an auction package at Harrah's Casino through the Staxtacular event, and decided that we didn't care where we were, as long as we were together. Adam took a half day one Thursday and played golf at the Links at Cottonwoods with a friend while I laid by the pool with a gossip mag and a fruity drink. That night we had a lovely dinner at a quaint little restaurant in downtown Tunica and were surprised with a nice bottle of wine from Lauren and Andrew when we arrived. We wrapped up our trip with massages at the spa and a ridiculously indulgent lunch at Paula Deen's buffet, before gambling a little and heading home to my sweet in-laws who kept the kids for us.

Hayes celebrated her 2nd birthday with lots of sweet friends and family at our house the last week in June with a "sweet shoppe" themed party. We had a candy buffet, cookie lollipops, and ohocolate covered oreo suckers as favors, all in Hayes' honor. It was such a fun party to plan and so fun to see her face as it all came together. We are so lucky to have so many friends and family to help us celebrate such a special occasion.

We headed down to the coast for the 4th of July holiday and spent 6 days there with my family. It was our first trip down in over a year and we were excited to catch up with old friends and see new things. We started the trip with a trip to the beach to play in the sand and enjoy a snowcone (or a snowball as my mom insists that it be called). But before long, the kids were half naked, splashing in the gulf, and I was severely regretting the fact that we had left the towels and a change of clothes at home. We visited the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center and had a great time playing in all of the fun activity centers. What a great children's museum! I had lunch with my oldest friend, Lauren, went shopping at the outlet mall, and actually started reading a book for the first time in a while. We also celebrated Hayes' REAL birthday, had some FABULOUS food, and hung out with my dear friend, Moe, and her kids. We spent the 4th at the Yacht Club with the whole fam, watching fireworks, playing in the sand and water, and running into old friends. P put the kids to bed for us so we could catch our friend, Brooks, play at a local spot and we agreed, it was just like old times as we sat facing the beach, watching the fireworks, with the music playing in the distance. Good times, great trip!

After lots of encouragement from sweet friends, I finally decided to launch an Etsy shop to sell my canvas and burlap door hangers. My friend, Sarah Ella, is a veteran in the Etsy arena, and is coaching me through the process as I navigate a new blog, Facebook page, and Etsy shop, all dedicated to this fun, new venture, Adoorables Door Hangers. Check me out at the following links:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adoorables-Door-Hangers/164464123620942

http://www.etsy.com/shop/eop1015?ref=si_shop

http://adoorablesdoorhangers.blogspot.com/

That's it for now (whew!). Until next time....
The Pattersons

Summertime and the livin is easy...

I blinked and 6 weeks went by, but I'll try to recap what I can remember. We kicked off summertime with a weekend by the pool for Memorial Day and it was so much fun seeing the kids take to the water like, well, fish! Both kids are loving their puddle jumpers and since it lets us have about 2 seconds to breathe, we love them too! Gray starts swimming lessons at my friend Shelly's house tomorrow so we are eager to see how he does.

I had a great Mothers Day, sleeping late, church with the fam, lunch with the Patterson clan, and catching a movie with my big sis.

Adam and the kids gave me a gift certificate to a sporting goods store so I can buy a new tennis racquet and I am excited and terrified to pick the sport back up after 15 years. I've finally graduated from the ball machine to humans and actually subbed in a league last week and survived to tell the tale. It was both an invigorating and humbling experience, but I can't wait to get back out there and find my swing again. It's gonna be a long, but fun, road and I am so thankful to my sweet hubby for giving me the encouragement to go for it. He even went and hit with me one night a few weeks ago and I have to say, it was one of the best date nights we've had in a while. I might be seeing mixed doubles in our future!

P and Pop gave the kids an outdoor play set as an early, combined birthday gift and they have been using it like crazy. We've had several play dates back there and a couple of picnics in the tree house and if it's anything like the one my Dad built for me and my sister, I know the kids are going to make LOTS of fun memories on it.

We went to our first Levitt Shell concert and are kicking ourselves for not taking advantage of this Memphis treasure sooner. The kids had a blast dancing with their cousin Greer, eating ice cream from the Yolo truck, and blowing bubbles in the summer night air. And yes, Gray is SOAKED with sweat from all the fun. Poor child!

Last week, I had the privilege of hosting a jewelery party for my good friend, Katie. Several of my sweet friends and family members came to support Katie in her new endeavor and it was so much fun to get together and visit over wine and jewelry. I'm not sure if it was the cake balls or what, but the party was a great success and I am so proud of my sweet friend and her new little business!

I've had lots of requests for the cake balls recipe, so here it is!
Cake balls
- 1 package of boxed cake mix (can use yellow, white, German chocolate, or whatever suits your fancy!)
- 1 container canned icing (any flavor will do)
- 1 package of almond bark (alternatively you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips)
- sprinkles or other decorative details

1. Bake the cake according to package directions
2. Once it is mostly cooled, crumble in a big bow
3. Add the icing and mix well; for cakier balls, add 1/2-3/4 of the icing container. For gooier cake balls, add the whole canister.
4. Freeze cake mixture for at LEAST 1 hour
5. Scoop into balls and then pierce with a tooth pick, skewer, or lollipop stick
6. Dip into melted chocolate, almond bark, etc and place on wax paper to cool
7. While still wet, add sprinkles
8. Let cool and then enjoy! (makes approximately 48)

To commemorate the end of the school year, Gray's First Baptist class had a performance, followed by a school-wide carnival with a petting zoo, bouncy house, and train rides to boot. In true Gray fashion, he sang his heart out and was a complete ham and we were oh so proud parents. In case you are wondering, he asked the face painter to make him look like a bull. What a mess that one is!

This past weekend was the FedEx St. Jude golf tournament and like we have for the past 9 years, Adam and I spent it at the Cole's house, which is prime location.... the 17th hole. Good food, good friends, good times! But, boy have things changed in the last decade or so....particularly with the addition of kids. What an experience!

That's it for now, but stay tuned for more summer fun next time!
Love,
The Pattersons

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

Aside from our recent trip to Mexico (a.k.a. Paradise), the Patterson family has stayed pretty busy. The big event I had been planning for the last 6 months, Staxtacular, went off without a hitch in March, raising some $100,000 to benefit the students of the Stax Music Academy. I don't know what my next project will be, but I'm staying plenty busy playing catchup in the meantime and am so thankful for all of the opportunities I have been blessed with.

We FINALLY completed the kitchen renovation and are enjoying the heck out of it. While Adam's favorite part is definitely the new range, which lights up like a UFO, the sink is my new best friend. Washing pots in our old "mini sinks" were like bathing a rhino in a clawfoot tub, so I am LOVING all the new space!

Hayes recovered well from her tubes and adenoids surgery and just when we thought our frequent trips to the ENT were over, Gray started a chain of ear infections which will now require another set of tubes and you guessed it, an adenoidectomy! He also came down with his first case of the flu this past weekend and since it was Easter, he missed out on a lot of fun activities we had planned. To make up for it, we had our own little Easter egg hunt in the backyard, made Easter cookies, died eggs and ended up having a nice little Easter after all. Adam took Hayes over to Uncle Andrew's house for the family lunch while Gray and I watched movies and then when they returned, Hayes was out for the count and I headed over to Aunt Mal's for her open house Easter celebration. I can't remember the last time I went to something like that and didn't spend the whole time chasing kids around, making bribes, finding time-out spaces, and making sure the pets weren't tormented. In other words, it was lovely! The Easter Bunny also took Gray's pacifiers in exchange for some fun new toys and after one uneventful night, we are still waiting on the inevitable trauma and hoping we are wrong.

The kids are growing up too, too fast. Hayes already needs another haircut, chipped her first tooth falling down the stairs in Mexico, and continues to cheer when she sees meat. The child loves sausage, lamb, steak, and tenderloin. After all, she is Adam's daughter! She is saying so many new words, learning manners (she loves to dab the corners of her mouth with her napkin), and is such a copy cat of everything Gray says and does.

Gray got another big boy haircut, is completely obsessed with all things super hero (Spiderman, Batman, Captain America, and more!), and insists on being in his pajamas or his birthday suit the minute he is not in public. He counts everything, repeats everything, notices everything, and is such a funny, quirky boy. But, what a mess that one is!

I've been doing a few canvases lately, so here they are. I am so honored that people continue to ask me to do these to commemorate their special occasions....baby showers, big boy rooms, birthdays, and more!

Until next time,
The Pattersons