Happy Birthday Nana!

Happy Birthday Mom! The kids wanted to send you some birthday wishes. We love you so much and I hope you have a wonderful day!

4th of July Weekend

For the Fourth of July weekend we went to visit Heath's Sister and her family. We had a wonderful time picking blueberries at a local U-pick farm.

After our blueberry harvest the men went fishing and we took the kids to a sprayground to play in the water.

On the 4th we attended a great parade. It had something for everyone; firetrucks, cheerleaders, army trucks with very large guns, horses, candy and music.

Later that night we watched an amazing fireworks display. It was the perfect way to end the weekend. We truly are blessed to live in this wonderful country and to have the freedoms that we enjoy. Thanks to The Deputy and Melissa for a great, memorable weekend!

Happy 4th of July!

It's a little late, but I hope everyone had a great 4th of July - We did! Here are the flags we made last week for FHE

Happy Birthday Ellie!

Ellie turned 4 on Saturday and I still don't know where the years have gone. I can't believe how big she is. She's smart and clever and she loves being the wonderful big sister that she is.

Since Heath now has weekends off we all were so excited to be able to celebrate for the entire day. We started the day by going to Krispy Kreme and enjoyed a nutritious and delicious breakfast. The kids LOVED to watch the doughnuts drop from the conveyor into the oil. Ellie especially liked the shower of frosting that hit the doughnuts at the end. They both spent more time watching the doughnuts work their way through the mechanical maze then they did eating them. Who knew food could be so entertaining?

After breakfast we headed to the Nashville Zoo. Ellie had been waiting to go since we had moved and was so very excited. But for someone who so enthusiastic she was quite apprehensive about a lot of things. As we are walking through the entrance she's yelling, "I love the Zoo!" Then, the first exhibit we walk to is the White-Cheeked Gibbons, who "sing" very loudly. There are three of them going all at once and immediately Ellie wants out of there. It was the same story with the carousel. The moment she saw it she was dying to go on, but Heath really had to persuade her to even step foot on it. But of course once the music started and the fun began she was enjoying every second. What a funny little girl!

Ellie and Thomas both had so much fun and can't wait to go back, and in all honesty (from a mama who loves the Zoo) neither can I!

Later that day when everyone had eaten some lunch and taken a nap we went swimming at the lake. The sun was hot and the water was perfect. For dinner Ellie had requested Chinese, so we found a Chinese buffet close by and ate to our hearts content. And of course finished it all with a little birthday cake and ice cream at home.

Playin' in the Sun

Our apartment building has a little playground area and the kids just love it. It has been a good motivational tool for me too. We go out and play every morning before it gets hot (or should I say hotter).



Ellie loves to take her baby doll and stuffed animals to play. Each toy is then thrown down the slide, dropped off the top of the playground, used to play catch, and buried in the ground covering. And of course Ellie and Thomas think it is hilarious!

Thomas is a little daredevil! He is not scared of anything. He has already fallen off numerous times. He will then pout for a second, and is ready to go again.

Daniel just loves to be outside. He's always happy as long as he has some attention.
(And yes he is in the baby doll stroller)

New Fish

Before we moved Heath and I had discussed what we were going to do with our little dog Izzy. Our apartment did allow pets, but we were in a two bedroom, upstairs apartment with a small balcony and neither of us really thought that would be fair to the dog. She really wouldn't have any outside time and lets be honest, I probably wouldn't walk her everyday so she would be a little high strung.

Consiquently, we decided that we would have to find a new home for Izzy. Lila and her family were gracious enough to help us out and Izzy found her new home at the King residence. Again, thank you, thank you Lila. I am happy to know that Izzy will be loved and well taken care of.

Now came the tough part...telling Ellie. We all sat down and Heath explained that we weren't able to take Izzy with us to our new home and that she was going to live with Samuel, Gracie and Jeremiah. We agreed that in turn we would get some fish for our new apartment. And made a deal that when we bought our own house we could get another dog. Ellie, suprisingly took it VERY well. She just sat there saying, "OK, so when do I get my new puppy?"

Well, last weekend we headed down the pet shop and selected five new fish. And the kids have LOVED having them. Of course, Ellie has been naming them over and over with different names everyday. She constantly wants to feed them and asks if we can take them with us when ever we leave the apartment. Thomas is quite impressed with them as well. He will find anything to stand on, drag it over to the tank and stand there knocking on the glass saying, "Hi, hi, hi." He then sticks his hand into the water, splashing fish-water all over the counter. I'm not really sure if it's just the water he likes or if he really thinks that he can catch one; we did already have one casualty (which was promptly replaced) so who knows.

Ready or Not...

The last four weeks have been a whirlwind. And as Heath would attest, I have been on an emotional roller coaster.

It all began in March... Heath was asked to apply for a job at the corporate office of Tractor Supply Co. So he did just that. Well, then we waited, and waited and finally we just assumed nothing was going to materialize. So, we did what anyone would and just sort of forgot about it. Then Heath got an invitation to interview for the job at the end of April. Long story, short - He was offered the job as an Associate Buyer in Brentwood, Tennessee and he took it.

Looking back at the past months I can really understand why Heath might think I'm crazy or unstable. When he first applied for the job my initial reaction was, "Wow, how exciting!" "What a great opportunity!" "Wouldn't that be fun to live in a brand new place, with brand new people, and brand new adventures!" But, the moment (and I do mean the very instant) that he told me he was given an offer my thought pattern took a dramatic turn. "Wow, now what?" "Are you sure?" "You mean we have to move to a brand new place, with brand new people so I can still just stay at home with the kids?" Lets just say that weekend was a little scary for me and I spent a lot, I mean a LOT of time on my knees. But needless to say, Heath and I both felt very good about the opportunity and we knew that it was the right move for our family.

So, for the following three weeks we prepared for our move. Heath finished out working at his store. The kids and I began to pack, we made typical arrangements to go out of town, and on the 22 of May we packed up our car and drove to Tennessee. Heath began work on the 24th and it was my task to find us a home. Our goal was to do so in a week and then go back to Big Spring to complete the move. That first week came and went, then the long holiday weekend was upon us and still nowhere to live! I was a wreck! We were staying in a hotel room with three children all under the age of 4. I was trying to find us a safe, affordable, place to call home within a reasonable distance from Heath's office. This may have been easy for some, but for me it was a little stressful. I would get the kids ready get out the door and into the car then some one would need a diaper change or someone else was throwing up, meanwhile the baby is screaming and hungry while I'm looking for an apartment in a town that I don't know and have never been to in my life...yeah I was stressed!

The search continued into the following week after Memorial Day and it was then when I reached my breaking point. The news of my Grandfather's death brought everything inside of me tumbling down. My heart ached for my dad, my grandmother, my whole family, all those who had loved Marcellus Smith. I was heart broken that I was unable to attend his funeral to share the one last earthly memory of his life and to feel the comfort of our eternal family with those who still remain. But my quiet grieving was comforted by my loving husband and my caring family who kept me informed on everything.

Moving on...We finally found an apartment and yes, it's safe and in our budget, and within a reasonable distance from Heath's office. And yes, (as Heath continually assured me) it all worked out. Heath took off the next few days and we drove back to Big Spring to gather up our things and bring them to our new home. We were greeted with open arms and helping hands and could not have made the move without the help and support that we received from our family and friends. We pack up and cleaned up and said our sad good bye's and we were back on the road again.

We made the trip back to Tennessee in two days, driving to Little Rock the first day and the remainder the second day. What a flood of emotions I felt leaving the little town of Big Spring that morning. When we first moved to Big Spring I had said that I hoped we wouldn't stay and settle there, but I was very sad to move away. Driving that morning I felt sad to be leaving our family and friends behind ; sad to say good bye to my parents-in-law who loved me as their own. I was sad to say good bye to my sisters-in-law I had come to know so dearly, who shared their life and their family with me. They helped me in more ways than they'll ever know. I was sad to leave the place where I had brought home my two baby boys into this world. I felt awful taking Ellie away from the comforts of her life that she has come to depend on, her friends, and cousins and her Papa and Neenie and her dog. It was hard to say good bye to the kind and loving friends we had there.

But driving the second day was almost refreshing. As the miles past I couldn't help but feel excited and anxious for the new things that lay ahead. I again had that confirmation that I needed to know that this is where we need to be right now.

So here we are! Nashville, Tennessee. I never in a million years would have thought I would be living here, but here we are. It's beautiful and green. There are hills and trees everywhere you look. When we first arrived here Heath had asked Ellie what she thought of Tennessee and she said, "I can' t see anything, there's too many trees." It has also been very hot and humid. The people are friendly and there are lots of things to do. We live right around the corner from the lake and the water is great. Heath LOVES his job and we LOVE having him home every night and on the weekends.

So all in all things are great in the Harrison household. We are settling in nicely and it's beginning to feel like home.