Well hello there...

So it's been a while, this is the norm around here for me. As much as I try and think about blogging it just never seems to happen. I have many ideas in my head of what I can do with my blog but so far they are just ideas. Maybe one day they will come to fruition.

So here's what we have been up to the last few months.

October was a great month with great fall weather. We are so thankful to live in such a beautiful place with lots to do outside. We headed to TX for a visit at the beginning of October. Jacob had a week off of school for Fall Break. It was great to go home for a visit. Next time I think I will just sit on my mom's couch and tell everyone to come and visit me. It was a crazy busy week trying to see everyone. It was all worth it though and we had a great time. While we were there we went to the Ft. Worth Zoo. This was Riley's first trip to the zoo, we had a lot of fun.

Later in October we went hiking and went to a nature center in Asheville, NC. Definitely a neat place and somewhere we will be visiting again.

Then we celebrated Halloween and had a lot of fun. I made Jacob's costume, he was a mummy. I thought it would be a pretty simple costume and like usual for me, I waited to the day before Halloween to make it. I had purchased white muslin and dyed it with tea bags. I also bought a long sleeve t-shirt and sweat pants. After dying the fabric I ripped it into long strips and began gluing it to the t-shirt and sweat pants. It took a lot longer then I had anticipated but it looked great when I was all done and Jacob loved it so that is all that matters. Riley was a cute little lady bug, loved her costume!

Then came November where we enjoyed more beautiful weather. We spent our first Thanksgiving here in TN and really enjoyed ourselves. We had the missionaries over for dinner and had a super yummy meal made by yours truly! I have really enjoyed cooking and baking lately.

Well I am sure there are all kinds of things I forgot to mention for Oct/Nov but the following pictures will help. They are not in order but this is the way they downloaded so this is the way they will stay. Hopefully I can download some more and talk about December in my next post.

Our sweet little one is always finding something new to get her hands on, when she discovered door stops and the fun noise they make she was pretty fascinated.

Playing on her rocking horse.

When she first started crawling it took her a couple of days to figure out how to get over the bars on her jumper and play underneath it. She was so happy to be able to play under there.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love the faces that she makes when I give her new foods. I can only imagine what she is thinking.

She LOVES her daddy's phone!

Bath time, she is now out of the baby bath and into the regular bath and she loves crawling around in the tub and playing with all her toys.

Hiking was just too much for her.

What a cutie!

Hiking Buffalo Mountain

I love these cute little leg warmers!

My cute little lady bug.

My scary mummy.

Love that smile.

First time on a slide.

This is in Asheville, NC at the Wildlife Nature Center.

We headed out to Fenders Farm for some fun and a corn maze. Kevin and Jacob loved jumping on this giant balloon.

My happy girl!

Riley and Grandma Quinn.

My two favorite kiddos at the zoo.

Ft. Worth Zoo

Playing in her toy basket.

Hopefully I will be back sooner rather then later.

Get to know me ABC's

I stole this from a blog I read and I thought it looked like fun.

Get to know me ABC's.
Age: 32 but my birthday is in November, the 16th to be exact, plenty of time for you to do some shopping.
Bed size: California King
Chore you hate: Uhhhh...mopping the floor and laundry, it's a tie.
Dogs: Grew up with a cocker spaniel named Maggie. We have had two dogs since we have been married, Dakota and Daisy. Dakota was part keeshound and Daisy was a cocker spaniel.
Essential start of your day: Waking up to see Riley smiling at me, love love love it!
Favorite color: Yellow!
Gold or silver: Silver
Height: 5'8"
Instruments I play (or have played): I played the flute for a few weeks in 4th grade. I took piano lessons my senior year of high school. I wish I had put more effort into both.
Job title: Stay at home mom
Kids: 3, Jacob 10, Breanna who is in heaven, and Riely 5 months, I am one blessed lady!!!
Live: Johnson City, TN...who would have thougt I would ever live in Tennessee!
Mom's name: Nancee
Nickname: Oh man there are so many. Family nicknames for me: E, eely monster, Erin insky, munjifoot. College nicknames: noggie and steam roller
Overnight hospital stays: Yep, 3 babies=3hospital stays
Pet peeve: The crunching sound from an empty water bottle, ahhhh I can't stand it!!!
Quote from a movie: "Nobody puts baby in the corner."
Right or left handed: Right
Siblings: Too many to count. OK here goes: Vinny, Derrick, BJ, Serene, Kathleen, Toli, Natasha, Ala, and Olya.
Time you wake up: 7:15, that's the time I have to wake up to wake Jacob up to get ready for school.
Underwear: Yep, I wear them.
Vegetables you dislike: Hmmm, let's say cabbage because cabbage makes coleslaw and I hate coleslaw, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little thinking about it, YUCK!!!
What makes you run late: Kids, it is all their fault!
X-rays you've had done: Ankle, back, teeth, I am sure there is more but that is all I can think of for now.
Yummy food you make: I like to make lots of yummy food, one of my favorites is Blueberry yum yum. I got the recipe from my friend Sandee, it is delicious!!!
Zoo animal: I always like watching the lions but panda bears are the cutest.

Well there you have it, me from A to Z.

What's up with us?

This post was started several days ago maybe even a couple of weeks ago, I got busy and just now came back to it.


I LOVE the weather here! Can I just say it was only 78 degrees today when I walked to pick up Jacob from school. I really enjoy walking to pick him up it is so beautiful out and Riley loves to be outside, she just chills in her stroller.


Because it has been 3 weeks since my last post (now like 6 weeks or so) I am sure there is a lot to post about. My problem is I think to myself often: I should blog about that. Well I don't so that thought is lost somewhere in my forgetful brain. Maybe I should start jotting down when I have a thought like that again.

Well here is what is up with mi familia:
Riley- What can I say...we are all totally in love with her. I pretty much have a perfect baby! She only cries when she is hungry or tired, pretty easy! She is rolling over now both ways. The first time she did it I was on the phone with my mom and I got so excited that I screamed and scared her. Pretty much as soon as I put her down she rolls to her belly and begins scooting around the room, so cute! She loves to babble and smile. Her smiles just melt my heart. We fed her rice cereal for the first time a few weeks ago, not her favorite thing. We tried baby oatmeal and once again not her favorite. She is getting better with it, her face is priceless when she eats. It's a mix of what the heck are you doing to me and gross! Since starting this post she has now had bananas, peas, and today I made sweet potatoes. That's right...I am making her food. I bought the Baby Bullet and I love it. So easy and fast! She is loving the food I am making much better then the rice and oatmeal. When I am feeding her bananas if I don't go fast enough she gets frustrated. I still look at her all the time and I can't believe that we actually have her! We are truly blessed beyond belief. When you want something for so many years and you finally are blessed with that want it is the BEST feeling in the world. It is so funny Kevin and I still think it is weird when we say the "kids." We have 2 kiddos here on earth now and that is crazy! We wouldn't have it any other way! Riley LOVES her brother! Her face lights up every time she sees him and she is so fascinated by him. He is such a good big brother, he loves and cares about her so much. During Stake conference on Sunday she kept looking at him and giggling out loud. It was so funny, but it was kind of loud for church. We finally had to move her so she couldn't see him.

Jacob- My big boy is growing and maturing so much. He is loving his new school which makes me so happy. I just enrolled him in a self defense/conditioning class. He loves it and I love that he is working hard and getting a good work out. The first week or so of school was a little hard getting back in the routine of homework and having a schedule. He wasn't trying as hard as he could be but after a few talks and a little time all is well, or as well as it can be with a 10 year old. He enjoys being a big brother and helps so much with Riley. I am so blessed to be his mom!

Kevin- Kevin really likes his job and he is doing really well. I am so proud of him and all his hard work. He is so good at what he does and he enjoys it. He is currently the YM 1st counselor. The YM president and other counselor moved so right now it is just him. Hopefully they will be making some new callings soon. Kevin just turned 37, wow he is getting OLD!

I am doing well and loving life staying home with my sweet baby girl. I was just called as 1st counselor in the RS presidency which I am super excited about. On October 7th the kids and I are flying to TX for a visit. I can't wait! Jacob has a week off of school for fall break so I thought it would be a perfect time to go. Fall is my favorite time of year and here in TN the weather is perfect and the leaves are changing colors and falling, it is going to be so beautiful around here this fall.

I finished it! I better post it before I get distracted again!

Saturday's Are Back

During the summer Saturday's feel like any other day. To me they are not that special because we do the same thing on Saturday as we do Mon-Fri. Now that school is back in it is different. Saturday is a day off from all routines. I like a good routine but Saturdays are so great because you can do whatever, they are even better when Kevin has them off, that makes for a great family day. Today is kind of a boring Saturday, a little online shopping, trip to Wal-Mart and maybe Sam's Club. Oh, laundry how can I forget my awesome piles of clothes. I made blueberry muffins for Jacob and I this morning, Betty Crocker style.

What did I buy this morning while I was shopping online...I ordered Riley a new crib from Target. I was planning on using the same crib Jacob used, it is my brother's old crib. Well my brother is 21 now so that tells you how old it is. Recently they stopped selling any cribs with drop sides and that is what ours is. Ours is still in decent shape but from being moved over the years and in storage it is not as sturdy as I would like. I think I would feel better with a new one. I got a convertible one so it will grow with her, I like that, being able to use it for more then just 2 years.

Jacob had a great first day of school. He loves his teachers and he has some friends in his class. He is such a happy boy, I love it. I cried when he went to school on Thursday, I don't usually do that but for some reason I got emotional. It is definitely more quite when he is at school. This is the first year in a long time that I haven't gone with him to school because I worked at his school. I miss it, but I would rather be staying home with my sweet baby girl any day!!! I asked him if he wanted us to walk him to class or just drop him off, of course he said just to drop him off. He acts so grown up! Riley and I walk to pick him up in the afternoons, she loves rides outside in her stroller.

I am so excited for August to pass and September to come because that means fall is coming, my favorite season. I think it might be time to order some winter clothes for us. Coming from Texas I don't have real winter clothes. I can't wait for the fall/winter here. I am sure by Feb. I will be begging for spring!

Full Circle

A few times in the last couple of weeks I have had "full circle" moments. Last week when our family was visiting we went to the lake for a ward activity. The ward had rented a boat for the day for people to take rides around the lake. As I was sitting there enjoying the beauty of the lake I couldn't help but remember when I was a kid and we would spend time at the river on a boat. I thought to myself it seemed like such a short time ago I was a little girl doing the same thing I am now doing with my own family. Tonight we went school clothes shopping for Jacob. I looked at Kevin and I said that I remembered how fun going clothes shopping before school was and now I am at the mall with my own family doing the same thing for my son. It just seems like life is just passing by too quickly some times. I remember 5th grade so well. I remember my teacher, Ms. Pearce, I did not like her too much. We moved to Fairfax, Va. from San Antonio, Tx. at the beginning of my 5th grade year. I remember my friends, the boys I liked, the drama that comes with being a girl in 5th grade, I even remember what was cool then. In less then a week my cute little boy will start 5th grade. His last year of elementary school. He is growing up too fast for me. I only wish the best for him. I hope he has a good year and he remembers 5th grade as a great time in his life.

More Summer Fun!

Two weeks ago we headed to Abingdon, VA to a strawberry festival. Needless to say the strawberries that Kevin and Jacob picked were delicious! We had some super yummy strawberry shortcake and strawberry waffles. We will definitley be going back next year for some more picking.

This past week we had family come and visit. Kevin's brother Ken and his wife Carrie and their girls were here Wednesday to Sunday. We had so much fun!!! Jacob loves playing with his cousins. There was never a dull moment. We are so thankful that they are only a 5 hour drive away.

All the kiddos getting their feet wet at Warrior Path Park.

On Saturday our Ward had and activity at Watauga Lake. It was so much fun. We ate yummy food, took a boat ride around the lake, and played in the water.

The kids having fun in the sand and water.


This is how I found Kevin and Riley. They were both snoozing under the umbrella. Earlier in the day Riley had the cutest pink swimsuit on and I didn't get a picture. I will have to put her back in her swimsuit just to get a picture.

We are truly enjoying our summer but it is almost over! Jacob starts school next Thursday. I can't believe it is already time for school to start. We have a lot of shopping to do. I think it is time for Jacob to have a normal bed time again, he has been staying up late all summer. This is Jacob's last year in elementary school, how did I get so old? I remember fifth grade like it was yesterday. Here is to one more fun week of summer!

Laurel Falls

We have been spending a lot of time outside since moving to Tennessee. Even in the summer it is not too hot. There is so much beauty around here!

A couple of weeks ago we hiked to Laurel Falls. It was listed as a moderate hike so we felt we were up for the challenge. It was a 1.7 mile hike to the water fall. The first 1.2 miles was not too hard. The last .5 mile was so hard and even harder on the way back! It was straight down the side of the mountain on big boulders and rocks. After a little complaining we made it and it was well worth the hike. We didn't realize that you could swim so the next time we hike there we will for sure wear our swim suits.

We saw this lovely guy on the drive up. I am glad that we saw him while still in the car and not on the trail!

Beautiful scenery!

We finally made it!





We look forward to spending a lot more time hiking in the beautiful mountains.

Picture Overload

Here I am again. So now that I stay home I should have all kinds of time to blog...right??? Well that is the plan at least. Hey did you know that time goes by way too fast! My sweet Riley is almost 3 months old! My big boy Jacob is about to start 5th grade! I have found a few gray hairs (at least they are near my neck and nobody can see them). Time just keeps on going at a really fast rate! Well life here in TN is great. OK I said it, it really is great! I love it here. One word to describe it...BEAUTIFUL!!! We have been blessed to have family already come and visit and we look forward to more coming in a couple of weeks. So here are some catch up pictures, instead of doing super picture overload I am just going to do a few (like 30, he he he), some of them are not the best quality because they are from my iPhone.

Love this picture because it shows what poor Riley went through. She was not gaining weight the first two weeks of life. My mom and I were weighing her all the time to see if she was gaining anything. She didn't always cry this much but it definitely was not her favorite thing.

We were able to do Riley's blessing before we left TX. It was such a wonderful day. We have waited so long for Riley and we thank our Heavenly Father every day for the blessing of having her in our life!
Jacob at his field day. He was able to go to his new school for the last 2 weeks. He was able to make some friends and he loves his new school.
My two sweet babies!
Visiting cousins in Nashville. Jacob is so excited that he lives a lot closer to Kendyl, Kelcie, Kaitlyn, and Kensey. We can't wait for them to come and visit in two weeks!


In June my dad, Cheryl, and Derrick came to visit. We had a lot of fun. We went to the Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol Caverns, Ripley's World Aquarium, and the Dixie Stampede dinner show. We are so grateful that they could come and visit us in our new home.
Bristol Motor Speedway (my dad is a huge NASCAR fan)
Bristol Caverns:
Ripley's Aquarium:Dixie Stampede Dinner Show:
My brother Derrick and Riley. We had to get them both with their mohawks!Working with daddy!
Just some cute pics of my favorite girl.
Love this cute face!Father's Day:
Riley in her new toy, she is still too little for it but how cute is she?Probably one of the cutest pictures ever!!!
So there you go. A little catch up. That might have to be the new name of my blog...A Little Catch Up because that is what I seem to do.