Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a Happy Thanksgiving...

filled with lots of food and lots of noise from these 2...wouldn't have it any other way!

This was the 1st year that I have hosted Thanksgiving at my home.

I think it was a success...I always have a bit of anxiety hosting at my house because I'm always too worried about small, silly details...but, we all were able to come together, eat, and talk...that is what is most important!  Thanks to my Dad & Grandy for helping do the cooking! 

Watching Charlie Brown Thanksgiving w/ Chloe the night before Thanksgiving.  Might be our new tradition.

Thanksgiving Morning breakfast...yummy Pumpkin Muffins!

Papa & Carter's faces...priceless!

Sweetness.  I love how much they love each other.

Rotten. 

1-my first turkey / 2-the table decor...loved being able to use my china / 3-more table decor. thanks to my Mom for the pretty flowers that served as my center piece / 4-3 sweet kiddos enjoying their meal

Happy Holidays!

Now, let's get geared up for Christmas!

Lots to be thankful for...

Today I am Thankful.

Thankful for this past year that has made me grow in ways I didn't know I needed to...or want to.

Thankful for my two beautiful children that love me no matter what mistakes I make {which I make the everyday}.

Thankful for a husband that I know always has the best intentions and has loved me unconditionally even when I probably didn't deserve it. 

Thankful for parents that are there for me no matter what.

Thankful for in-laws that remain supportive through all circumstances.

Thankful for a sister-in-law that always knows what to say with perfect timing and elegance. Glad that she can share her wisdom with me in times of need.

Thankful for circumstances that make me get outside of my comfort zone {hindsight is 20/20}

Thankful for all the blessings that I have in my life--my health, my job, my home, my friends.

Thankful for a best friend that has been there for me through so much...blessed to watch our kids grow together.

Thankful that we have a Church that we enjoy attending as a family and through that a Community Group that has turned out to be a new family.

Did I mention that I'm thankful for my 2 babies...couldn't be more blessed with 2 perfect children.  We are lucky. 

Happy Thanksgiving from the Jenkins Family. 

We have TONS to be thankful for this year.

photo c/o Courtney Zenner Photography

Carter's 2 year check-up!

Finally, I was able to take my boy for his 2 year well check-up!

I've been looking forward to this appointment because I was so excited to find out how much he has grown over the last 6 months.

Thankfully, he's been so healthy that we haven't been to the Doctor much this year.

Well, as expected, I was told that he is ONE BIG BOY {no shock there}.

Weight: 34 lbs {96%}
Height: 37 1/2 inches {97%}

So, based on his current height, his projected height would be 6'2"!!!!  I'm potentially going to have some extremely tall children...who knows where that comes from! :)

Carter reading "The Little Engine That Could" at the Doctor's office yesterday.

We were there for quite a while because he was running a 103 temp. They did a strep and flu test...both came back negative {thankfully}!

Hoping that he just had a short 24 hour virus that will pass quickly!

Other than that, Dr. Roads said that he is happy, healthy {size of a 3 year old}, and extremely advanced with his speech for his age and for being a boy!  I was super proud!

For memory purposes, here are a few other things going on with Carter now that he's 2:

Favorite Book: Llama Llama Red Pajama {must be read every night}
Favorite Food: cheese and yogurt / fruit snacks
Favorite Songs to Sing: ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Favorite Show: Bubble Guppies
Wearing a size 6 diaper

Sleeping from 7pm-645am every night {thank goodness}

Favorite Sayings: "Don't like it" / "....right there" / "Carter did it" / "I pooped in my bed right here" :)

Favorite Friends at School {well, that he mentioned A LOT}: Paxton, Ellie, Aiden

Can count to 20 when he feels like it {thanks to Cindy and NayNay}

Loves to point out his name above his bed every morning and say "Carter"

Loves to touch the fan in his room before bed {strange habit I started with him about 6 months ago}

Loves to watch Barney & Jesus {Christian movie} at Cindy & NayNays house

Favorite Toys: anything that has wheels / Chloe's stroller / books, books, books / bubbles

Loves to play / hug / love on Riley

Still LOVES his big sister and wants to do EVERYTHING she does!

A few of Carter's many faces this morning outside of the Sitter's House: 

 ------------------

Blake and Casey accepting their NADA Academy Diplomas from Don in Sales Meeting on Monday!

Yummy Pumpkin Bread that Chloe made at school...it was really good!

Chloe's Thanksgiving attire for school today...I'm so thrilled that she is letting me curl her hair. It looks precious! 

Weekend Wrap-Up

 We had some nice low-key family time lately, for that I'm thankful!

Last Wednesday, Blake & I hosted our Community Group at our house.

We had a Thanksgiving Pot Luck...YUM!

Here are the festive plates & napkins I provided.  Had to get into the spirit!

I'm thoroughly enjoying the study we are doing right now that goes along with our Church's Series--

Hard Knock Life!

Here is Chloe being silly at bed time...she was quite giddy on this particular night!

Chloe's first 'real' school project was due today...it was a diorama.

She chose an Ocean Habitat...her Dolphin's name was Panama.

It turned out quite cute...this was in the middle of hot gluing 

{thanks to the glue gun, I believe I have 3rd degree burns on my finger!}.

Finished Product!!

Saturday, I did a bit of Christmas Shopping. 

I started out at the 1st Annual Handmade Holidays at the Marina {sadly, I didn't find too much there but I did pick up a precious frame for the kids bathroom courtesy of Shea & Courtney's booth}!! 

I then headed over to Mrs. Lucille's and picked up this amazing Christmas wreath!

I'm in LOVE with it!

My friend Haven had something she needed to do Saturday afternoon, so the kids and I got to hang out with sweet Robert.  He is so good...makes me miss the 1 year old stage! 

Chloe looked way too cute on Saturday so we had to snap a few pictures! 

Even though she fights me on wearing boots she knows she always looks cute in them! 

Sunday after Church, we took Chloe on a Date to Opry Mills.

We ate some yummy Mexican at Chuys....

and then headed to Build-A-Bear to use a Gift Card she was given for her Birthday!

It was so neat...I can't believe this is the first time we have been there...

Chloe enjoyed every second of it!

Here she is 'building' her Reindeer:

1. Picking out Clarice the Reindeer / 2. Filling her up w/ stuffing, her heart, and her music box / 3. Giving her a bath / 4. Getting her dressed!

Chloe & Clarice {Claire for short according to Chloe}

Finally, this weekend we got all our Christmas Decor out!

It's quite a job, but thankfully Chloe is such a big helper...putting up both trees went by so much faster than in years past!

I'm looking forward to the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday!

For now, I'm off to take my big, healthy boy for his 2 year check up!

I can't wait to see how much he's grown!

Life Lately

Well, I've been lucky enough to have several "girl's nights out"....

last Friday night, I headed to see Chonda Pierce at First Baptist Church.

She's a Christian Comedian...so FUNNY!

I went with my Community Group Girls, Brittnye, and Lauren...we ate at Blackhorse and then headed over to see Chonda.  Funny enough, Chonda is from this area so she talked for about 3 hours!  It was great, but I was exhausted by the time I got home!

KK stopped by and gave Carter his birthday present...she also dropped by these lovely nails!

Chloe was busting at the seams to put them on!  They actually fit her tiny fingers pretty good and stayed on fairly well...she asked if she could wear them to school...I told her "not yet" :)

The following Monday night, I headed to Atlanta with my girlfriend, Haven.

She was going to Market to purchase a few things for her shop-The Pink Bee.

I was more than happy to ride along!

Market was quite an experience...nothing like I have ever experienced before...

tons of people, really great prices, lots of options.

I definitely could not be a 'for-real' buyer!

{this was just one tiny bubble necklace section in one of the many, many stores--CHOICES}

We stayed at the W hotel in downtown Atlanta.

Swanky doesn't even do this place justice.

It was so incredibly hip...and I'm 29.  I can't even imagine what the older clientele think of this place!

It was quite an experience!

On the way home, we stopped at a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant called Nuevo Laredo!

It was probably the most delicious and most authentic Mexican I have EVER eaten {and I've eaten A LOT of Mexican food in my day} YUM! I will go there again--FOR SURE!

Here is a silly picture that a friend texted of Chloe from Halloween--

Silly girl!

Blake was actually out of town all last week for his final week of Dealer Academy in DC!

Praise Jesus that he's done!  I know he is far more relieved than me!

Casey & Blake graduated on Friday and flew home that evening.  We were so excited for Daddy to be home!  We celebrated with a quick run to Baskin Robbins!

Early Saturday morning, I headed to Hendersonville for a Girls Weekend with all my High School Buddies!  We have been planning to do this for months and I was so excited for a mini-vacation!

We ate Cracker Barrel {twice}, shopped, watched movies, painted our nails, and enjoyed lots of fun time together!  Thanks Brittnye for the fun weekend!

{Brittnye & I outside of Christmas Village in Nashville}

{Dinner w/ Friends at Longhorn}

{A yummy beverage once we were home!}

Finally, Chloe was off yesterday for Veteran's Day so she stayed home with my Mom!

They decided to go shopping...and she came home with a new Christmas Tree!

She was busting at the seams to put it out last night...so I obliged!

Here she is proudly showing off her 2 Christmas Trees!

Birdie also picked up this sweet sweater dress for her...

Chloe has been so weird about wearing boots this year...I truly think its because she knows I love them! 

But, she agreed that if I let her put out her Christmas Trees, she would wear the boots! 

She looked so precious! 

Halloween 2012

What a fun Halloween we had! 

The kids had an absolute blast...well, so did I!

Here is a run down of the days events.

First up, I love where I work...not because I'm part of a great family business but because of the fab girls I work with!  All 3 of us dressed up...as you can see: 

Casey as Peggy Bundy / Me as a BEE / Amanda as the Tooth Fairy.  

Fun stuff!

{Thanks to Sandy for making Casey this costume in her college days...I've gotten several wears out of it over the last few years}

I left work a tad early on Wednesday so that I could go and volunteer at Chloe's Halloween Party!

Thanks to Carin Haas for making the party a HUGE success!

The kids made kitty cupcakes, painted their pumpkins, ate snacks, and got to have a touch & feel center {YUCK}! 

Here are a few pictures from the Party!

1: Ms. Kemmers 1st Grade Class / 2: Painting her pumpkin {I manned this station} / 3: BONES! One of the Moms got really creative / 4: at the touch & feel station / 5: My Purple Popstar / 6: giving Ms. Kemmer her guesses from the touch & feel station

After we partied at school, we picked up Carter, got dressed up, and began making our rounds... 

We headed to Haven's house for our annual Halloween Trick-or-Treating Party!

This year was the best yet...so many kids and so many fun friends! 

I truly love this group of people--though we can't get together as often as we would like because life is busy, it's always so much fun for the kids to be together and to have adult time!  Thanks to Haven for treating us to a spooky-filled night!

 

{cousin love}

{my little Woody...the best picture I could get of him}

For my memory...Carter LOVED, I mean LOVED Trick-or-Treating this year.

He wanted to be just like the big kids...he happily headed to the door and said "Trick or Treat" & "Thank You!"  He is such a sweet blessing to our family!

Hope you and yours had a Happy Halloween too!

Photo-A-Day Challenge: 15th-31st

Follow me during the Challenge daily on Instagram...

@franjenkins

10.15 dinnertime

{dinnertime consisted of homework this night}

10.16 something you wrote / 10.17 fruit / 10.18 made you smile today / 10.19 letters

{Counting my blessings / bananas & donuts / waffles & donuts with Carter / love this "J" on our picture wall}

10.20 4 o'clock

{at River Mound Farms...he loves PUMPKINS & anything orange right now}

10.21 calm

{keep calm & color on...during the color run w/ Amanda}

10.22 in your town

{I rocked this run...one of the best times I've ever had}

10.23 the view from here

{Community Group at our house}

10.24 weather

{sad...I just had my car washed this day and...it rains! Perfect}

10.25 people

{these 2 have my heart}

10.26 listening to

{best Pandora station}

10.27 morning

{great run on this particular morning w/ my J&W co-workers}

10.28 looking back

{the Jenkins Family circa 2007...Chloe was 1 & super chunky}

10.29 moon

{sadly, I didn't do this day ;( }

10.30 clothes

{love this shirt that I borrowed from the Bestie}

10.31 whatever you please

{some cousin LOVE on Halloween Night}

I've been linking up since February...join the fun HERE!