Owings Family- Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Eli and Santa

This morning we went to see Santa at the mall. Eli was very excited as we stood in line waiting our turn to see him, but I knew we were in trouble as we approached Santa and his little legs LOCKED down around my waist! We may try again this season.... maybe.... Here's Eli's Santa picture and some pics of him and his friend Noah. Enjoy and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

SNOW!!

This weekend we had our first SNOW of 2009/2010! It had melted by lunchtime, but we were able to enjoy it during the morning! Jay taught Eli how to throw snowballs (yea) and Eli had fun mowing the snow off the sidewalk and grass. Overall, a blast!

U Shook Me All Nite Long!!!

Just for fun!

Boo at the Zoo!

Last week we braved the crowds at the Knoxville Zoo for "Boo at the Zoo"! It was insane! We rode up with Kellye and Cousin Cole, and then met up with Joe, Nikki, Sailor, and Brighton. There were kids and candy galore, but not many animals!!! We saw 1 penguin and the elephants. I guess I expected more animals and less belly dancers! (If you went, then you know what I mean!!!!) Eli was probably too little to appreciate everything, but it was fun to see him dressed up in his costume and taking everything in. :)

Updated Pics!

Eli and the "Fishes"

Since my last post, we've discovered one of Eli's favorite places to visit: the Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg! We've been twice and each time Eli rushes through it running from one tank to the next looking at the "fishes". Here are some pics from our first trip. As you can see, Eli is pointing out the "fishes" in every picture! Too cute!

It's a Girl!

Jay and I went for our ultrasound today and found out we are having a girl! YEA!

Eli 16 Months

Click here to view these pictures larger

Dollywood!

Kellye, Jay, and I decided to take the older boys (Eli and Cole) on an adventure to Dollywood!!! What a day! We started out at the Apple Barn for Breakfast (YUM) and then went on to Dollywood. The boys had a good time watching the eagles, the shows, running around the splash pad, and watching the other kids. But our boys are not yet dare devil riders! Eli was the child screaming on the duck ride and sweet Cole just patted his head!!! Overall, good day! We were ALL exhausted by the end, but we made some great memories!

Where did it go?

Here is one of Eli's favorite games! This video has been on my camera for about 8 weeks while we've moved and unpacked. It sure makes me miss my house to see it in the video!

Catching Up!

FIVE important things to catch you up on the Owings Family:

1. We sold our house and have moved into a rental house. We also bought a 6 acre lot (not on the lake) and plan on building as soon as we can finalize a house plan and contractor!

2. Eli got his 1st stitches! 3 stitches in his temple. They have healed very well, but it is not an experience I hope to repeat!

3. Eli got his first haircut! Bye, bye baby curls!

4. Babies everywhere! We have a new nephew: William Kyle Hinch! And we also want to welcome babies Brighton Cole Presley and Avery Cole Belitz!

5. We are PREGNANT! Baby Owings #2 is due March 1st. 1st trimester sickness and fatigue is not fun with a 1 year old! Helpful hints on dealing with the nausea would be greatly appreciated! The doctor recommends avoiding smells like diapers (HA) and cooking (HAHA).

Quack, Quacks!

Eli LOVES ducks! He loves feeding the ducks at Roane County Park and desperately wants to pet one! I just know that he is going to get his fingers pecked one day! He is really good at "quack" and calls any duck he sees (rubber and otherwise) a "quack, quack". Eli has also become quite a duck caller! Enjoy these videos and our laughter!

Fathers Day!

Here's some pics from Fathers Day (late, I know). Saturday we went out to the Davis's for dinner (Montgomery Ribs from Cincinnati) and a boat ride to see the eagles. Then on Sunday it was off to the Owings for some lunch and family time spent with Big Daddy Sam and Papaw!

YARD SALE MADNESS

So here's the scoop on the yard sale!

Items included:
Baby stuff, baby stuff, baby stuff!
Clothes!
Dining room table and chairs
Couch, cubes, and rug
King size Nautica bedding (gorgeous red, white, and blue quilted design) and matching bath linens
Too many things to list out, so come by and see for yourself! No pressure to buy, just come hang out and take a peek!

Dates:
Thursday evening 5pm - 8pm Friends and Family night! This is open for all friends and family to get a 1st look. Please stop by and check out everything if you get a chance and forgive me if I'm still running around like a mad woman!

Friday and Saturday mornings 7am - 11am

I want to say thank you to everyone who has offered to help watch Eli while we set up the yard sale and during the packing/moving process! I really appreciate it and WILL definitely be taking you up on the offers! It's amazing what I can get done while he is napping, so I can't imagine how great it will be to have 2 whole hours with Jay and I both packing!

BIG NEWS!

Sometimes God works in mysterious ways, wouldn't you agree? Well, 2 weeks ago we were approached by a friend interested in buying our house! We have been debating this very thing for about a year now, but the thought of "putting the house on the market" and trying to keep it presentable is overwhelming. Long story short, we are moving! This week we also closed on a 6 acre lot in Grande Vista Bay and hope to start building by the end of the summer! We've narrowed the rental choices down and will be making a decision this weekend. (If anyone else needs info on rentals, please call me because I have TONS of numbers!)

There will be a yard sale in our future (UGH) so stay tuned for dates/times. Goal: get rid of 1/2 of Eli's stuff, as well as furniture and miscellaneous we have accumulated over the past 7 years!!! We're going to do a private sale for friends and blog readers the Thursday before the sale. And to all my previous strong and gracious movers, don't worry because we are going to get "2 guys and a truck"! :)

As for an Eli update.... he is all over the place! He can run! He can jump! His favorite words are "ball" and "baby", as well as "woof" and "quack"! And he started swimming lessons last week and loves the water! I promise I'll post pics of these lessons soon!

Eli and Rody

Eli has his 1st pony! His name is "Rody" and Eli loves to bounce on him and pull his ears. The weight limit on Rody is 400 lbs, so I think we're good for a while! :) I even took my turn, but trying to balance that close to the ground is pretty difficult! HA!

Hey JOE!

Eli has started mimicking sounds and a few words like "baby" and "ball". One morning this week we worked on "Joe". So here's a video of Eli calling out to his Cousin Joe in Birmingham! Pretty soon these boys will be able to visit on the phone, even when they are hundreds (and sometimes continents) apart!

Momma"s Little Scholar

Our new favorite thing to do is to read out loud! It was not even a month ago that I couldn't get him to sit still long enough to finish a book, and now he's reading to himself all the time! (And yes, I know he is not actually reading, even though he is brilliant). He still doesn't sit for very long, but it is definitely entertaining!

The Little Gym!

Eli is almost finished with his second semester at The Little Gym. His classes work on improving his flexibility, strength, balance, problem solving skills, social skills, and musicality. We both love these classes! Here are some of Eli's favorite things:

Eli loves rolling the hotdog around! We also use these to work on skills such as forward rolls and backhand springs!

There are tons of soft mats and wedges for Eli to climb on.

We start each class with the bells and singing! Eli always breaks the ice with his facial expressions and constant movement!

Eli on the crawling course.

The balls are Eli's favorite part! All the kids love them and it is one BIG cry-fest when it's time to put them away! Thankfully this part is always followed by bubbles which are also a big hit!

Playing on the Air Mat! Eli loves to jump and bounce around!

Eli tried a new skill at this class: the BALANCE BEAM!! I was actually pretty impressed!

Of course, Eli is not always so graceful! Check out our dismount at the end of this video!

Mommy's Birthday Morning!

Here's a video of Eli on my Birthday being just silly! I LOVE it when he is like this, and he was such a good boy for my special day. Eli's new favorite toy is a box we used to keep the dogs' toys in. Of course the dogs' toys are spread throughout the house now, just like Eli's toys! Enjoy!

Mothers Day Blessings!

5 Things I LOVE about being a mom:

1. Unconditional love - except when changing a diaper! Are all little boys so squirmy?
2. Laughter - I think Eli's laughter can brighten even the rainiest and most dreary day!
3. Constant companion - Even though this is sometimes overwhelming, I love having my little man with me everywhere I go! I can even go out to eat with my little man in tow and get no strange looks because I'm eating by myself!
4. Pride - I am SO proud to be Eli's mommy! I know that pride is a sin, but there is nothing sinful about the joy of seeing my little man giving hugs and smiles or learn something new!
5. Peace - This Sunday we read about Hannah and her desire for a child. It was very personal to me because of our own struggle to conceive. I have such peace in knowing that God has blessed Jay and I with our perfect miracle! God' timing is always best and only He knows what awesome plans he has for us. Jeremiah 29:11

Rainy Day Disaster?

Rain, rain go away....
But as long as you're here...

What a RAINY, dreary weekend in East Tennessee! I thought we (meaning Jay, Eli, and I) were not going to survive this weekend cooped up in the house! Finally on Sunday, there was a temporary break in the clouds and Eli was able to spend some time on the backporch. I think he gets cabin fever as bad as anyone I know! Eli got some new rain boots from Ella Minnow Pea so we had to try them out. The rain did manage to fill his baby pool and all our bubbles stuck to the deck since it was wet!

Eli and his new buddy Bruce!

This past weekend was the annual St. Jude Golf Tournament in Rockwood. Unfortunately it RAINED all weekend long! The golfing was postponed to next weekend, but some of the festivities could not be rescheduled. Sooooooooo, guess who Eli got to meet this weekend.... his new buddy Bruce Pearl!

It's Great to be a Tennessee Vol!

This weekend, Jay and Kellye decided to take the boys to the UT Orange and White game. The weather was perfect... it was warm, but not too hot! So Eli had his first trip to Neyland Stadium in all the orange glory! He did end up in "backup pants" before they even got to the game and he fell asleep during the second quarter, but overall a successful trip. There were over 50,000 people show up to scout out the team (and Kiffin). Isn't all that orange beautiful?!

Eli and Jay

Cole and Eli at the tailgate party! I was told that Eli flirted with the prettiest girl there, but I think his buddy Thomas was giving him a little direction!
They were able to meet up with Kellye's sis-in-law and her family. Thank goodness for extra hands!

Eli was tuckered out from all the flirting and excitement!

And Cole was not too far behind him! Isn't he getting so BIG!