Backpacking across Tennessee

We're really not going to backpack across Tennessee, but it looks like we're ready to do it! Our buddies, the Hancocks, lent us their backpack baby carrier and Corey tried it out for the first time this weekend. I didn't really get a good shot of the whole getup, but don't Corey and Piggle look cute?

Steamy Tennessee & live music

Today was so steamy and humid that Charlotte and I only ventured out for the bare minimum necessity - lunch at Blue Coast Burrito. Otherwise, we hunkered down in the air conditioning to wait for Corey to get home from work (yes he had to work on a Saturday).

Once it started to cool off, we and a bunch of other groupies went to see our favorite local artist (our neighbor, Alicia) perform at a coffee shop. It was Charlie Jo's first time listening to live music, and she was an ANGEL! She gazed at Alicia singing for several songs, and then zonked out for the last 20 minutes or so. Charlie wore her new black "Crawl the Line - Johnny Cash" onesie, which was a gift from Brad & Amanda. We stupidly only managed to get one cellphone photo of Charlie in the audience and got none of the terrific performance.

A few years ago, my mom got all of our old 8-millimeter home movies digitized and sent them to us on DVD. I popped them in to see how my sister and I compared to Charlie as babies. The movies are priceless. The best part is Erin and me learning to roller skate on concrete (and wearing short little dresses) while my mom, grandmother Meem and Aunt Janet watch. How we survived to adulthood without massive scars is a mystery to me. It's really sweet to watch my dad play with us because it reminds me so much of Corey with Charlotte. If Corey is half as much fun as a dad to Charlotte as my own father was to us, Charlotte will have a great childhood.

Here are some pictures of the weekend so far . . .

The battle rages on

The battle for cutest Evans grandbaby rages on between Charlotte and Lincoln the Corgi. Witness the latest salvo:

How is this even possible?

How could ONE BABY create this much laundry in just a little over one week? I mean, SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!

Just some funny photos

I took these photos of Miss Piggle and her Daddy on Monday night after Trivia. I love the long-sleeved onesie she's wearing, which was a gift from Auntie Ernie. It's just so much fun to take pictures of such a sweet subject.

Niki & Erin at 4 months

My mom scanned in this picture of Erin and me at four months old. Think we look like Charlie Jo? And no, I have no idea who is who in this photo.

Erin & Niki:

Charlie Jo:

Such a big girl

Charlie looks like such a big girl in her cute pink overalls (a gift from Sue & Greg Lowe). Yesterday, she started pushing up onto straight arms when I put her on her tummy (a precursor to learning to crawl), and she has been getting up on her knees a little (though not both of those things at the same time) during tummy time as well. Yikes! Time to get some of the breakables up off of the floor. We're slowly weaning her off of swaddling at night, which makes me sad because I love her all wrapped up like a burrito. Yes, I do like Mexican food.

I put her down to sleep a little after 10 pm last night, and she's just now starting to wake up in her crib. I'm watching her on the monitor, which is so much fun to do. It's like a reality show with a supercute star. Not much action though, usually. Anyway, she has slept nearly 11 hours, which is a record! Go Charlie Jo!!

Today, Charlie and I have to go get the Mazda's oil changed and tires rotated, PLUS shop for a new washing machine. Fun times ahead!

Center Hill Lake fun with Michiganders

Our buddies came down from Michigan for the weekend to meet Charlie Jo and to spend a day on the lake with us. We got together with other mutual friends from Michigan and headed out to Center Hill Lake. All eight adults, four kids and tons of stuff packed onto the pontoon and set sail on Center Hill Lake. Or puttered out with a motor. Whatever. We had a great time and spent most of the day marinating in the warm water.

For Charlie Jo, this was the outfit of choice. It was a steamy, steamy day.


It was Charlie's first time in Center Hill Lake. She liked to lick the inflatable baby seat.


I won't tell you how long it took me to squeeze that ring over my hips.


Charlie loved sleeping on the boat.


But she loved chewing on her toes even more.

Lunch at Monell's

Today, Alicia, Faith Carol, Charlotte and I headed to downtown Franklin for lunch at Monell's. They have great family-style-sit-at-a-long-table-with-strangers dining and very yummy southern food. The fried chicken was to die for. The best part is the restaurant is located in the old jail!


Pretty building, huh? The front part was the living quarters for the sheriff and his family.

The cashier took us for a tour of the upstairs. He is standing on the trap door that used to drop out beneath the criminals being hanged!



This is the dungeon. Looks like they forgot to let one of the prisoners out before they turned it into a restaurant.



There's still bars on the windows in the back.



After lunch, we walked across the street to a custom cookie cafe, where they will make cookies to order with your choice of mix-ins. You can even have a Bake Your Own Cookie birthday party. Fun! We didn't get any cookies, but Charlie had a good time being carried around by Faith Carol.



But then Faith Carol bored her to sleep.

Goofing around with a new program

I just made this using Smilebox.com software, which I read about in a magazine. It looks like a lot of fun!

Make a Smilebox free ecard

Another successful munch 'n' crunch

Our second meal went even better than the first, despite than my failure to remember to procure a bib before starting. Hey - I'm not an expert mom yet!

Charlotte and I joined family friend Rich last night for trivia. Despite being tied for first place coming into the final question, we lost because we failed to know that New Hampshire borders the Atlantic Ocean (for only a total of 13 miles!). Of course, Alicia knew the answer, but because she ditched us to have a birthday dinner with her husband (what kind of priorities are those?) she wasn't such a big help. Oh well. Happy birthday to both Alicia and my Grandma Jane yesterday!

Today we don't have any big plans, but I think I may try something new -- clothes shopping for myself with Charlotte in tow. Unfortunately, my slow & steady weight loss (yea breastfeeding!) has resulted in a serious lack of shorts that don't sag lower on my hips than a 13-year-old wannabe gangster's do. We are hosting some very special guests this weekend (our buddies Brad and Amanda, aka "Bramanda") and I gots to look good. We'll see how that goes.

Here's some shots of lil' sassy in her high chair for her second meal:

Videos of the messy first meal