Fun Week in Memphis and Chattanooga

We had a great week last week! Ethan is really getting into this potty thing (see picture below) - he even has ventured out of the house with big boy underwear on....which makes me really nervous! But to date, he has had NO accidents and he is doing extremely well! Thursday night we drove to Collierville to meet our friends the Maunds for dinner. Our favorite local burrito joint (BooYa's) closed in December and they finally reopened last week in Collierville....so we took off and headed over there so I could satisfy my craving. I seriously LOVE this place - we would go every Wednesday night before church and then would go at least one more time during the week. As you can imagine, I was heartbroken when they closed...just in a bad location. He makes 7 or 8 homemade salsas everyday for his salsa bar - the pineapple is my favorite! Jay, the owner, was surprised to see us and said that he's planning on reopening in Bartlett again later this year. For now, I have to settle for driving across town (it took us 50 minutes in traffic the other night) to satisfy my craving. At least we get to see Marion, Kathy, Adam and Madeleine!!!


Ethan loves to sit on the potty and read his magazine!!
Madeleine and Nina playing the piano - she has only been taking lessons for 2 months and already is such an incredible piano player (it's in her blood).
Mark and Adam playing his new XBox 360 under Ethan's supervision

Ethan playing on the playground in our neighborhood

Nina and Mommy having fun watching Ethan run around and play
Nina and Daddy enjoying the slides
Nina loves her sippy cup!!!


Then, this past Friday, I drove to Chattanooga with the kids for the weekend. My parents met us too. Nina and I stayed at my Nana and Papa's house with my Daddy and Ethan went across town to stay with Nona and Mema. He loves going to Chattanooga to see all the great grandparents, but he especially loves going to Mema's house - she lives in a hotel...well, it's an assisted living facility but it used to be a hotel. So Ethan sees it as a hotel and LOVES it! He did so well and loved popping popcorn and watching movies and sleeping on his pallet. Friday night at Nana and Papa's, Nona and Mema were about to leave and Ethan had to go to the bathroom...we were already outside in the driveway, so he asked Papa if he could pee pee in the grass just in case it didn't rain! He thought that was just the best! So, if Ethan "waters" your grass, my apologies in advance!!

Saturday morning we went to the circus. We had great seats - 6 rows up off the floor! Ethan and Nina both had a great time! I knew that from reading Chris and Heather's post on their trip to the circus, it was going to be expensive once we got inside and I was glad I was prepared - it's seriously ridiculous that after you pay a lot for tickets you have to pay an arm and a leg for concessions and souvenirs - I'll comment below with the pictures. We had the best time though. Mema and Nana loved seeing Ethan and Nina and how much fun they had. My cousin Ryan also joined us and he had fun too! (On a side note...my aunt Dodie, has cancer and isn't doing well, so please keep her in your prayers.)

Sunday morning we all went to Mema's church and Dan Winkler was the speaker - he's the father of Matthew Winkler, who was married to Mary Winkler - you should all know who they are. Anyways, he was incredible and we all enjoyed his message! The kids both did great the entire weekend, including the 5 hour drive. Speaking of that - Friday as I was driving up Monteagle mountain, which is said to be one of the most treacherous stretches of interstate in the country, I couldn't believe that my parents allowed me to go to college in Nashville and drive this road back and forth to Atlanta all the time. It is such a beautiful drive, but I couldn't help but remember how crazy fast I used to drive and how now I have to precious souls in the backseat - thankfully they were both asleep going over the mountain Friday and Sunday, so I actually got to enjoy the drive! We had a wonderful weekend together but missed having Mark with us (he had to work) and he missed a great chocolate pie made by Nana!!

Ryan showed Ethan where the keyboard was hiding so Ethan thought he needed to sing and dance - Papa thought that was hilarious
Papa playing on the floor of the porch with Nina - she was talking to this garden statue
Nana and Mema enjoying the swing with Ethan
Poppa and Nona on the circus floor with Ethan and Nina
While we were watching the pre-show, Poppa was purchasing this light for Ethan - $18 light, I might add.....it does have a 2 year guarantee though.....that's what Poppa is for!
Everyone ready in our seats before the show started - Ryan, Nana, Mema, Nona, Ethan, Poppa and Nina
Nina squealed in delight - then she took a nap and then woke up and squealed some more
During intermission, Ethan wanted to get a snow cone, so I took him up to see how much they were - $10! It was a nice elephant and a yummy snow cone, but $10?!?!?!?
Nina and Mema
Mom and I went shopping and took advantage of a great sale at Strasburg - this is the coat she bought for Ethan for this next year
Ethan showing Papa his light from the circus

Nana and Papa with Nina before church Sunday morning
Mema had this old songbook that she gave Ethan (it now goes with him everywhere) so he loved leading singing with it! He's now started to actually sing the songs correctly - Mark will sing through the songs he's leading at church so Ethan helps him practice. Anyways, this past weekend, not only did he lead singing for everyone, but he is now praying and preaching! It was the funniest thing to watch him walk around Mema's living room and preach and then all of a sudden he would stop and say a prayer and then keep going. Too funny!!
Ethan told me Sunday morning that everyone told him Good Morning, including the birds in the lobby - so he had to show Nina the birds


This was our only stop on the way back to Memphis (at Sonic during Happy Hour). Ethan got in the backseat to lead singing and I let Nina crawl around the truck
Ok Mommy, where is my cherry limeade????