Christmas 2011

2011 Christmas was pretty special. We had an early Christmas in Franklin with the Huskins because Adam was supposed to be out of town. However, he ended up being with us on Christmas and we were together in Knoxville as well! What a nice surprise.

Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer

Santa left Sophie a letter explaining why he came to her house early

Santa's Letter to Sophie

My dearest Sophia-

Thank you so much for the milk and wonderful cookies, your mom is a great baker! Did you help her with those? They tasted soooo good after a long flight. The reindeer loved their carrot and the popcorn was great too! Thank you for remembering them. I know your daddy has to be away for Christmas this year, so I brought you your presents a little bit early so he can be with you on your “Christmas morning”. I know that you have been a very good girl this year, so I have some extra special gifts the elves made just for you. I hope you like them. Be a good girl this year! Merry Christmas Sophia!

Love,

Santa Claus

(Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen, and of course Rudolph too)

Franklin Christmas Morning

Sure they got toys...but Nana's Ipad is much more fun

Sophie got her first set of golf clubs from Nana and Pap-pap Hart

Dollywood...AGAIN

YES...OKAY...FINE...I made everyone go to Dollywood with me AGAIN. What can I say? This girl LOVES an amusement park...it, well, amuses me. The first time I went Adam was not with us (he was still training in Seattle), the second time it was just Adam and I for my birthday (so we could ride the roller coasters), this time it was Adam, me, Sophie, and my mom. Sophie had so much fun. She wasn't quite as adventurous with the rides as she was the first time we went, but she still rode the egg beaters which is all that mattered to me (it's one of my favorites). The first time we went she was still on Topamax and not only did it impair her cognitively, I have a feeling it made her have no fear. She is off her Topamax now, so some of the fear is back...but so are the ABCs, storytelling, signing songs, etc...so it was a good trade off! 

She would have ridden these 50 times...she LOVED driving!

The egg beaters...a Hart favorite

Bumper cars

My cuties...I love this picture!

Family Funnel Cake

July 4th at the Lake!!!

Sophie and I spent another wonderful July 4th weekend at my parents house on the lake. Sophie LOVED the boat and wanted to ride on it all day long. She definitely gets that from me. My family has had a boat for as long as I can remember. Some of my absolute favorite memories are riding on that boat. In the good old days it was always a crapshoot as to whether the boat would start or not (we didn't take it out very often), but these days it starts...it's just a matter of how dramatic re-docking it is. Anyway we had a blast. Adam wasn't able to go with us this year because he was in Seattle training to fly the big planes! Go daddy go!

Arrington Vineyards

While my parents were visiting, we went to Arrington Vineyards for dinner and music...and of course, dancing. We had a blast! Earlier in the day we all went shopping and my mom let Sophie put on this red tutu in a store.I almost had it off of her when my mom decided she had to have it and bought it for her. It made Sophie's day. She refused to take it off, and has had it on daily since she got it!

She was wearing a very cute little dress and sandals, but had to add her purple headband (notice where she wears it) and her red tutu!!!  LOVE it.

Josie has her soccer ball...Sophie has her tutu...that's about right!

The girls were fascinated by this couple dancing together...hmmm they probably have never seen that before!

Dancing with daddy!

Dancing with Nana

High fives for Pap-Pap

This looks like a girl fight...but really it's a hug gone wrong...

Try again...that's better...

Jack Daniels

While my parents were here we went to Lynchburg and took a tour of the Jack Daniels Distillery after a great lunch at Miss Mary Bobo's. Adam and I have never been on this tour and it was great! Our tour guide was hilarious and we had a great time! My dad is a Squire of the distillery (I think that means he owns one square inch of the property) and I found him a great birthday present!

We ordered one of these for my Dad for his birthday...he sent me a picture of his, but I can't find it at the moment.

Mom, Adam, Katie, Dad with Jack Daniels on the Rocks

Christmas Dinner

This year I was actually off for Christmas. However, I still had to work the 23rd, the 26th, and the 28th which made traveling impossible. Thankfully both my parents and Adam's parents decided to come to us! It was so much fun having everyone at our house. Adam fried a turkey! It was so cold he had the chiminea fire going to stay warm. Everytime someone opened the door from the garage to the house it sucked the smoke into the garage and set off all the smoke detectors in the house. Good times. No worries though, dinner was great and since I've decided to live my life ONLY for the good stories, it was worth it!

Frying the turkey

Dinner is SERVED!

Thanksgiving 2010

While I was slaving away at work on the holiday, Adam and Sophie joined my parents and Wendy, Jason, and Josie for a glorious Thanksgiving feast...but I'm not bitter. I attempted to eat the "free holiday meal" at work. For those of you who know me well, I hate cafeteria food. I have been known to ask for my money back at the Golden Corral. I despise buckets of food that is unidentified and looks to be full of "fillers". About all I can say about the free meal is...at least it was free. Here are some pictures of all the fun I missed!

Josie explaining how to properly use a hammock

Sophie swinging...this is significant, she used to HATE swings!

The boys frying turkey

Dr. Reinbold performing turkey surgery

Christmas Eve 2009

My parents were able to spend Christmas with us in Nashville this year. They braved our contemporary Christmas Eve service (usually they attend a very conservative Catholic Mass). The girls loved the service and danced the entire time. Then we came home and made homemade pizzas! 

Nana, Josie, Wendy, and Pap-Pap

Nana, Josie, Wendy, and Jason

Sophie and Josie

Katie, Zoe, Sophie, and Adam