Vacation Slideshow

I love that smile!

Happy Fall!

We took advantage of Jason's Fall Break and went to the Railroad Museum downtown. Jonathan loved watching the trains, especially Thomas. In a couple of the photos he's actually getting to operate the controls for the trains.

Decorating with Blackberry Jelly

Anyone who knows me very well can testify that I have difficulty keeping up with small electronic devices. Cell phones and digital cameras have a way of disappearing just when I want them. It seems that Jonathan shares this knack (or shall I say ineptitude) and regardless of how many boxes, bins, hooks and organizing tricks I use, we're constantly looking for a lost Thomas the Train or my cell phone. About a month ago, we couldn't find the battery charger for the digital camera. Then we found it, but "oh, no!" the digital camera was gone. I'm happy to announce the camera and the charger have once again found their way back to the same basket, so we're now able to snap a couple of photos and share a little of our life with you.

Most Saturday mornings Jason will make his way to Latham's for bacon and biscuits. Today was no exception. But today was extra-special since last Sunday Papaw drove down to see us. He delivered delicious homemade Blackberry Jelly and green beans. Hannah's favorite jelly is blackberry and I think her nephew agrees that the jelly tastes better when Papaw picks the berries!

We've been debating for several months how to decorate the wall above the living room couch. I'm really pleased with the final result. Jonathan declared that it was, "Cool!".

The past few weeks have been exciting. Early in September Jason and I drove with Jonathan to Pinson Mounds State Park. We packed a lunch and enjoyed the beautiful weather. We were also able to spend a weekend camping at Natchez Trace State Park with our friends Will, Valerie and their dog Lucky. We ate lots of good food and sat by the campfire late into the night. Then Saturday we hiked for 4 hours. (I'm making another mental note to never do that again with a 2 year old!!!)

Hopefully, I'll keep up with the camera and charger so you'll receive an update sooner rather than later!

It Runs In The Family

Basketball. I was born with one in my hands and have great memories of late nights watching my dad coach his teams in the old gym of Hernando High School where he himself played. I couldn't help but wonder how much Jonathan will enjoy the sport - hopefully he will have his Uncle Adam's and Grandfather "Coach's" talent!!

Look at the intensity in his eyes - with knees bent, J's already squared up to the basket and ready to drive down the lane...under complete control, of course.

Setting a textbook screen on the "post"

Sorry little man - you're a little small to be squaring up on the post!

(For those of you coaches out there...dad, adam, gary, etc...notice he has the ball in his fingertips, not in his palm! Fundamentals! Fundamentals!)

"No, No, No (Jonathan's favorite words lately, along with "sit") - you screen down while the 4 man comes off your screen and to the dead hole"

That's my boy. Directing traffic on the court!

Vacation! Vacation! Vacation!

A few weekends back, the family packed up the X-Terra for a long weekend in Alabama at Gulf Shores Plantation. It was Jonathan's first time to dig in the sand and play in the surf. He love the beach! Although weather forecasts suggested rain, wind, and more rain, we enjoyed delightful weather. On Saturday we drove to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. The rest of the days were filled with good books, sun bathing, pools, naps and drinking coffee.

Here's to Seven Years!

Happy Anniversary Jason and Mindy!

Wedding pics preview....

Courtesy of our cousin Myra, here are a few quick pics from the weekend since MJ didn't have any available last night....

Adam and Meredith Tipton!

(don't you just love it when you smile so many times your cheeks start to hurt?)

It takes a whole family to chase that kid down!

...and after the wedding, a little Hi-Lo-Jack. When will those old guys ever learn? The young of the family still run the table. We'll count you young this time Jimmy :) - thanks for helping me put a Uncle Ancel stompin' on dad and Tippy. All in honor of you little bro!

Congratulations Adam and Meredith Tipton!

Sorry, I don't have any cute photos from the wedding. I'll never figure out how to be a bridesmaid, daughter-in-law, wife of the minister/best man, mother of Jonathan and still remember to put a camera in the makeup bag. I'm sure our Crazy Aunt Ann will send some photos this way soon (hint, hint)!

It was so much fun to celebrate the beginning of Adam and Meredith's life together. The weekend was a whirlwind of dinners, lunches, brunches, hair, makeup, smiles, laughter, coffee, chocolate chip cookie dough, dresses and family. Can I even describe the joy of hanging out with Jason's cousins, aunts and uncles? Has anyone mentioned we should do that more often?

So here's to Adam and Meredith - Hope you all have a wonderful time on your honeymoon!

And here's to Charlie and Kay, proud parents of the groom - Wasn't the weekend wonderful? We hope you are able to rest and relax!

Look Who's Two!!! Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Our little buddy turned 2 on June 14th! We celebrated today with friends and family. It was a ball (literally)!!!








































We started the afternoon with some yummy food: chips and rotel, pinwheel wraps, fruit kabobs, veggies and Jonathan's favorite, Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets. The weather was perfect for dining on the deck. After Jonathan open gifts we played with the new John Deere E-Tractor in the front yard. The evening ended with delicious chocolate cake, ice cream, UNO and Thomas the Train. Jonathan loved being surrounded by his family. Thank you Valerie and Will for your expert command of the cameras! It was a blast to make this day special for Jonathan! What a blessing to have such wonderful family and friends.

Yummy Cake!

This weekend our friends Jenny and Steven came to visit. We celebrated Jonathan's birthday a little early with a yummy cake from Shirley's Bakery! THANK YOU JENNY AND STEVEN!

Sunday in the South....

Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

















This photo was taken from a hammock in our backyard this afternoon.

Jonathan's friend Hunter

Our cat Hunter has been a great addition to the Tipton family. He adopted us while we lived Louisville. It was the Fall of 2005 when he first started meowing at our back door. For a while we thought he belonged to our new neighbors Jason and Nancy Harris but after Tip gave him warm milk Hunter decided he belonged on our couch. Before we moved to Jackson Hunter was especially fond of Tristan who used to give him tuna and scrambled eggs..... rotten cat. Needless to say I've warned all our new neighbors that while Hunter is an excellent beggar he's not hungry.

Jonathan and Hunter have been excellent buddies. A few weeks ago I heard Hunter meowing pitifully, but I didn't hear anything out of Jonathan. After a quick search I found them "wrestling" in the floor. They were both laying down kicking each other. Crazy kids!

Ashleigh - Doesn't this make you miss Hunter???

Home Sweet Home

Pictures of the house are are finally here! I couldn't resist going outside this morning after it rained. Everything is so beautiful now that the azaleas are blooming and the hostas are peeking through.

The photo with the tulips was taken a few weeks ago. You can tell how much the trees have changed since then.

Ta-Da!

So let us know what you think about the new blog layout! Thank you so much Hilary of ScrapBlog Designs! We're really excited about the new look. You did a great job!

Also wanted to share another "Ta-Da" moment that the Tipton family shared today. This was in the form of a new recipe. I'm generally a fan of the break-n-bake cookies, but sometimes I like making a batch from scratch. If you have some free time then we all recommend the Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Holy Week

As the Tipton family prepares to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ we took the afternoon to paint a mountain that will serve as the backdrop for the stories we tell throughout the week. On Saturday I made a playdough mountain. You can check out the directions from Noel Piper at http://www.crosswalk.com/parenting/1317997/. Jonathan and Maddison had a fantastic time painting the mountain (and themselves)!

Pray for Nathan

We have some seminary friends in Louisville, the McLean Family. Please take a minute to visit their website and to pray for their son Nathan.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/nathanmclean

Homeowners!

The Tipton's are homeowners! We promise to post pictures as soon as we open the box that stashed the camera! We began working on the house at the end of December and moved in at the beginning of January. The major project we're working on right now is laying 17" tile in the kitchen. We can't wait to see the finished floor! More importantly, we can't wait to have our refrigerator, oven, stove top and dishwasher back in the kitchen. (Right now our appliances are enjoying an extended sleepover in the great room.) The last few weeks we've creatively cooked from the microwave, grill (yes it's been 12 degrees outside), and toaster oven. I think that at this point in the process I can agree with my college professor, Carrie Whaley, "The best thing I make is reservations."

In addition to visiting Lowe's and Do It Yourself websites, the last six weeks we've been recovering from a variety of common colds and flus that are rampant this time of year. Our illnesses have certainly caused a setback on the home improvement timeline. It's been the perfect opportunity to practice flexibility!