GRINER = 6

2011-03-01T21:57:00.004-05:00

The last few weeks have been fun ones! We have been busy with everyday life things and also travelling to Atlanta for Kaori's 3rd birthday party and travelling to North Augusta for a visit. Although we have been busy, I always feel blessed, thankful and happy with each memory made with my family.
Below are some of our most recent snap shots. I couldn't resist sneaking a couple of pics of Addi and Landon sleeping. They look so sweet and so ready for Disney World (which we plan to visit for the first time later this year). Then, there are some pictures of Addi's actual "birth" day that we celebrated at home. She had an ice-cream sundae with 5 candles and she thought it was so funny! She is our precious sunshine girl! Next, I posted some pictures of our fun, fun time at Kaori's 3rd birthday party. It was a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party and all the kids had a blast! Aunt Samantha did a fabulous job organizing and planning all sorts of fun games and prizes for the kids. Great memories!
Lastly, I posted a few pics of our family Valentine Celebration....we are still eating all the candy we got this past Valentine's Day....WOW!
Now we are into the month of March and if things continue as they are.....it could be a very interesting month!

Addi Turns 5!!!

2011-02-07T21:06:00.009-05:00

My baby is 5 years old...well, not officially until this Thursday, but we celebrated her 5th birthday this past Saturday. We had a great time with friends and family playing at a gymnastics gym and then eating yummy pink cupcakes. Addi had such a wonderful time seeing her cousins, dance class friends, church friends and even some friends from her old pre-school. We were thankful for everyone who was able to make it to the party to celebrate with us. Addi got some pretty clothes and some fun toys which she has been enjoying everyday since. It is hard for me to believe that she is already 5 years old! She is such a complete and total joy always making all of us laugh with her unique sayings, comments and personality traits! One thing is for sure....she is ALL GIRL! We love our Addi! It is fun to look back and see how she has grown from year to year! We look forward to many years to come with our little princess :)

It's Official!!

2011-01-31T21:20:00.002-05:00

I officially registered for my first ever marathon!!! I am getting excited and also a little nervous! I am so happy that my sweet husband will be there to see me do it and also possilbly my mom and doug and kids. My sister Sam and brother-in-law Dave are doing the half marathon and I will love having family to do the race with. Then, my sweet friend Becky is doing her first marathon too, with me. It will be a very exciting weekend and one that I know will be here before I know it. We did our long 12 mile run this Sunday, and although it was tough I was able to run 4 miles this morning. Now, my legs are pretty tired so I plan on letting them rest at least one day and then do some good stretching before my next run. Even though, I am feeling good about my runs, I have not been feeling so good about my clothes. For whatever reason, which I can only assume is ice-cream at night making it's way into a bowl, onto a spoon and into my mouth,... my pants have been tight around the middle. Maybe, running makes you build bigger muscle around your middle....yeah that's it! I wish!! Anyway, other than that negative side note.....I have been feeling pretty good about keeping up with my training. So, the marathon journey continues......

Coming soon.......pictures of Landon's first school project and Addi's 5th Birthday Party which is coming up this weekend! She is literally counting the days!! She really is!!! :)

Monster Jam 2011

2011-01-24T21:17:00.009-05:00

Saturday night was Monster Jam night for the entire Griner family. Landon and Addi were so excited when they finally realized that the monster trucks were real and it was a real monster truck show. They were also a little overwhelmed as it was very big and crowded, but they had a great time! We all had a good time and made a great memory. We all agreed it was so special to watch Landon truly enjoy one of his great loves......monster trucks!!!

The first picture you see is the one I took when he first saw the monster trucks down on the arena floor. He had a reserved, super happy and slightly overwhelmed reaction. Then, the pics go on from everything to Addi's thumb's up (or should I say sideways), the trucks themselves, racing lawnmowers (who knew?), ATV's, all of the Griner kiddos, the view from our seats, stickers, Addi gettin' bored, headphones, happiness and snowcones! What more could you want?

A Fun Saturday for Me.....

2011-01-22T12:29:00.003-05:00

My day started with the first running race I have done since last May 2010. I did, however, have the opportunity to do the Avon Walk in October and that was awesome!!! I kept up with running the end of last year and then the new year brought on training for the Atlanta run, so when my good friend e-mailed me and said, "We're supposed to do 9 miles anyway this weekend, and there is a 10 mile run race Saturday morning, what's 1 more mile?", I said let's go for it. So we did! She picked me up at 6:15 in the 20 degree weather and we headed out for a 10 mile running adventure through Knoxville. Suprisingly, I felt pretty good the entire time. There were way more hills than I am used to, but I am proud to say I kept running the whole time and finished in 1hr.41min. averaging right at a 10 min mile. It was a fun way to get in my long run this weekend, feel a good sense of accomplishment, be inspired by other runnners and get a T-shirt. Great way to start my weekend!

But, the real fun will start tonight when we surprise the kids by taking them to their first Monster Jam! Landon is such a truck freak that it is sure to be a great family adventure and memory! I am so excited and will have pictures to come! So......on to MONSTER JAM!!!

Sad to Say....and Some "Me" Thoughts.....

2011-01-16T19:10:00.005-05:00

So, Addi got her 3rd, yes 3rd black eye in 4 years. She is ok, but Mike says she need to wear a helmet! I took pictures of it, because what's a mom to do?, and then I accidently ERASED them off the computer after I had already erased them off the camera. To say I felt sick is an understatement. It makes me sad to have erased any pictures of the kids accidently, especially pictures I had hoped to keep. Oh well, I literally have to talk to myself about not letting it get to me too much. Stinks....

Oh well......I was thinking of blogging about my training for either a half or whole marathon (haven't completely decided which one I am going to do). I know my runs are probably not too interesting to other people, but running is kind of my "thing" or hobby right now and I like to talk about it. So forgive me, if I start rambeling on about it. I was talking to my husband last night and was telling him that I have learned I really like to have a challenge or something I am working on in my life. Throughout my life it has been different things such as....my education, playing a particular role in a play, having a side business and now running races. I really LOVE having a feeling of accomplishment and achievement and I get to have that feeling after tackling and conquering a run. I LOVE that feeling!!!

I am planning on doing either a half or whole marathon on 3/20/2011 in Atlanta. My sister and brother-in-law are doing it too, and I also love that! I like when other people run with me or we are training for the same thing b/c then I have someone to talk to about it. I have plenty of time to train for the 1/2 and have done one before so know I could do it. I, of course, would want to set a new PR but feel pretty good about it. Then, I got the idea of why not just doing the whole schabang (did I spell that right?) and get it done!! Running a marathon is on my bucket list for sure! I have only 11 weeks to train (two of them I have already done so 9 left) so that makes my increase in mileage pretty drastic each week. The shortest marathon training schedule I could find was 12-16 weeks so I just tweaked it to fit 11 weeks. Not sure if that is the best idea, but I really am not shooting for any particular time for my first marathon just want to finish it!!! I know I run the risk for injury with "too much too fast" in running, but so far (knock on wood) I have yet to ever have an injury.

So, my plan is to go by the marathon training plan and "just see how it goes" and then make a decision. This week my long run was 8 miles and I must say it wasn't as bad as I thought. It took me 1 hr and 23 min so I averaged a little over a 10 min mile and I think that was b/c I had to walk through the snow patches so it slowed me down. But, I did NOT want to fall!!

I am feeling ok tonight so far (knees are a little sore on the stairs)...am sure I will be a little sore tomorrow. Tomorrow is my "off" day but will try to do some stretching. I am wondering about the compression leg sleeves and if anyone who may look at this blog has tried them and what they think? Have heard some pretty good things about them helping with post exercise soreness.

Eight miles done today and a great feeling of "I DID IT!"

If there are any other women, specifically mothers, who are runners too, I highly reccommend the book Run Like a Mother. It is full of practical advice for the novice runner up to the experienced runner and it is very down to earth and funny too! One of my favorites and after reading it made me realize that I can call myself a "runner", something I was always hesitant to do b/c I don't look like the women on the cover of Runner's World. I can now proudly say that I am a runner :)

Also, these other two runner sayings really apply to me right now and I can totally relate to them. I am blessed to have a great group of fellow running girlfriends! You know we like to run together when we ran last week in the snow and 21 degree temperatures. It was tough but we were able to pull out 4.5 miles. Love those girls! It definitely helps get my boodie out of bed when I know they are going to be waiting on me at 5:30 am! And then, of course, who doesn't love cake??? Or at least the icing!!!! :)

Our Biggest Snow Yet! 2011

2011-01-10T13:55:00.006-05:00

Our first big snow of 2011 and it is sooo pretty!!! The kids were out of school today, and I won't be surprised if they are out again tomorrow either, and I must say I LOVE snow days as much as them. It seems as though it is the only time in life when life just stops for a while. We are able to stay home from school, Mike can usually work a shorter day and if it's a day I don't work then it's perfect. That day is today. We have all been home with no school, dance, work or any other place we HAVE to be and it is great!

After sleeping in we all woke up to a nice big and hot breakfast by Chef Mike, and then not too long after that, began the bundling up process. It takes a while to get everyone bundled up at the same time so that no one is left being all bundled up waiting and soon burning up while the others get ready. Finally, we all made it outside and headed over to the "hill" behind our neighbor's house. We do not have a sled so Mike rigged up our old plastic pool. When we got to the hill, there were lots of neighbors and kids and they were nice enough to share their sleds and they had fun with the pool too. It was so much fun!!! All of us had a blast, but we knew it was time to come in when Landon and Addi could barely walk themselves back up the sledding hill to go down again. So, we bid farewell, took our pool, and headed home for a warm lunch of left over pizza.

Now, we'll just hang out and enjoy being nice and warm all together (missing our Johnny Boy, of course) for the rest of the day, all the while, realizing how blessed we are!

Some of our snow fun......

A New Year's Eve Christmas and Snowball Fun!

2011-01-08T21:25:00.005-05:00

This past Wednesday we had some unexpected snow that was truly beautiful!! The snowflakes were HUGE! Honestly, I can't remember a time that I have ever seen them so big. We finally made it outdoors when Daddy got home and even though it was already dark, the snowmen went up and Landon and Addi had their first snowball fight. They LOVED both! It was a fun night!!

New Year's Eve weekend was Christmas with my family at the river house in TN. Everyone was there for the entire weekend and it was truly a special time. I am so thankful for each time we have together as a family and for the memories we make.
A look at our fun Koppe Christmas at the River House.....it was such a wonderful weekend in so many ways. I am so blessed!!!!

Trisha Yearwood - Real Live Woman

2011-01-07T18:54:00.000-05:00

I thought I would post this song because as of late I have really enjoyed listening to the lyrics. In a world where I often feel surrounded by so many things that I constantly compare myself to, this song and video is such a positive reminder to relish being a "real, live" woman! Cudos to all you other "real, live" women out there!

A Griner Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T13:39:00.005-05:00

Well, another Christmas Day has come and gone, but we are blessed because our Christmas holiday extends through this week and even into this weekend. We had a wonderful Christmas at our home. Santa was very good to each of our children and the kids were all very excited! We did not have anywhere we HAD to be.....so we had a nice lazy day playing with new toys, eating lots of yummy food, and watching new movies! I am so very thankful for the time my family got to spend together....just us :) Then, the next day we began a wonderful family visit with Mike's stepmom Betty and his sister Ann and her fiance Larry. They stayed until this morning and we had such a nice visit catching up and hanging out. I am so thankful that they were able to make such a long trip out to see us. The kids were excited too! Finally, this weekend we have one more Christmas celebration with my side of the family at the River House. I am really looking forward to all being together for some Christmas magic and new memories! I am very thankful for so many things! Here are some pictures from our Christmas so far.......

The First Snow of 2010!

2010-12-13T21:57:00.005-05:00

Today was our first snow of 2010! The kids were out of school and I think I was as excited as they were! They couldn't wait to go out and play this morning, despite the bitter cold temperatures. We didn't have very much snow but it was enough to ride tricycles in, make snow angels and throw at each other, so the kids were pleased. When we came in all of our faces were pink and it felt so good to warm up by the fire...note Addi holding her feet up to the stove :) It has been a great, cozy day and......we just found out the kids are out tomorrow too!!!

This picture was taken by Addi----she was loving her turn with the camera!

Decorating Fun!!!

2010-12-13T21:49:00.003-05:00

Decorating for Christmas is a day I absolutely LOVE! This year we did it a little earlier than usual because I wanted John to be home while we did it. Can I say again how much I LOVE my home and the way it feels at Christmas time, by far, my favorite time of year!

Our tree "mostly" decorated. I love it because it if filled with "family and kid" ornaments :)

Addi was very excited! She and I were both home from school and work so she helped me all day to get ready for the rest of the crew to get home.

John, Addi and Landon being silly!

Mike relaxing with Andi on the couch. The couch is Mike's ususal position after he helps me bring in all the boxes. He loves to sit and watch all the fun!

Let's Catch Up......

2010-12-06T21:20:00.007-05:00

So, here are a few pictures to play back the last oh.....9 months or so...of Griner life! Here goes.....

April Brought All Kinds of Fun....Landon's Graduation, Landon's Birthday, Addi's Dance Recital, John's Church Graduation Banquet, and Easter!
Then, May brought John's Graduation from High School which was really big for our family.
The year continued with all kinds of fun things like dressing up, fun family day trips,Exit 352 reunions, 1st days of school, September birthdays, Billboards, Anniversary trips, Halloween, Mountain trip, Big BooBoos and special time with a class bear.
It has been a great year and we are now enjoying my favorite time of year!! So, hopefully I will get some December pictures up before next September!!! :)

So without further introduction....."some" of our last 9 months......

WOW,,,,It"s Been 10 Months Since My Last Post.....

2010-12-01T22:00:00.002-05:00

It has been way tooo long since my last post. To say life is busy is an understatement! I am going to try and do better though in the upcoming months with the goings on in the Griner family. I hope to have some pictures soon coming!! Not even sure if anyone even looks at blogs anymore, but I do enjoy journaling about the Griner family happenings :) And, I enjoy looking at other people's blogs.....so here's hoping for more consistency!

Addison Turns 4 Years Old.....

2010-02-08T15:36:00.014-05:00

We had Addi's 4th birthday party this past Sunday and it was so much fun!!Below I have a host of pictures from the big celebration. Addi wanted a Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure party so that is what we did. All the cousins were dressed in their fairy attire, except for Landon of course, who had on a new Mater Cars shirt for the occasion. We started the party with a treasure hunt and finished with presents and yummy cake! The last picture is Addi's first make-up attempt from some make-up she got as a gift. Too funny!

We love our Addi so, so much! She is the perfect completion to our family. I can't imagine our family without her. She is really growing up and developing such individual interests. She is still the most cuddly and loving child and I am so thankful for those extra cuddles. Especially since she is our last "baby"! This Wed. is her official birthday so really I get to enjoy 2 more days of my 3 year old girl. Don't tell her that though! She had a party, so now she is 4!!

Happy Birthday to our Sweet Girl!!
Addison Grace 4 Years Old and through the Years all the way to her first birthday party!

Some fun party pictures of our Tinkerbell Party and the Lost Treasure!!

January 2010 Snow and Other Random Moments...

2010-01-30T19:52:00.006-05:00

This weekend we have had the most snow since we have lived here. It has really been so pretty! Below are some pictures of fun in the snow complete with some sledding. Also, a few other random pictures like Landon's most recent self portrait, Addi proving yet again she can sleep anywhere, Andi's newest "snow day" hairstyle and Addi having fun playing under our table. Too funny the places they choose to play :) Enjoy!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy.....

2010-01-24T19:29:00.009-05:00

So, I am finally putting up a new post. Yay!

December was a really busy month, but filled with fun things. We had a wonderful Griner christmas with the exception of Landon being sick with a double ear infection. He was a trooper though and once we finally got the right antibiotic, he got better really quickly.

New Year's brought a visit to Atlanta to celebrate Christmas and for mom's wedding. It was a very busy but good visit. Mom's wedding was fun and she was a beautiful bride. I did not get many pictures that day as it was so busy, but it was a good day.

January has been equally as busy as December since we have been working hard to get some needed home improvements finished.

All the kids are doing well and I am very thankful for that!!

I posted lots of pictures that I won't individually caption but they range from Landon and Addi's school parties and program, Andi's school dance, proof that Addi can sleep "anywhere" anytime, Griner Christmas, Atlanta Christmas and wedding, Addi on her way to dance class, and some Polar Express 3-D fun....

Before we know it Febuary will be here filled with birthdays, a weekend trip to Lipscomb with John, Winterfest and the list goes on......

Until then.....Enjoy!!

November is Outta Here and December is Here....

2009-12-11T14:04:00.005-05:00

November was a really fun month even though I don't have lots of pictures of all our activities. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Atlanta getting to see lots of family. That is always such a blessing! I posted some pictures of our Griner adventures over the month of November and into December. What a busy time of year!!! Hopefully, I'll get at least one more post in before Christmas. All the kids have Christmas programs coming up next week, so there will be lots of picture opportunities!!

Landon and Addi having some fun on behalf of Andi's legs!!!

Here are a few pics of Andi and Addi in their "wedding attire" for my mom's upcoming wedding on Jan. 2nd. It is an exciting time in our family for lots of reasons and getting new beautiful dresses is right up there for the girls in the family!

Last weekend, we had a wonderfully fun Saturday when we went to Mary Paul's 3rd birthday. She and Ellie Jane are soooo sweet and we had such a great time! She had her party at the Jump Zone and we all had an awesome time of jumping, sliding and sqeezing between inflatables! Mary Paul is growing up and had such sweet mannners during her enitre party! WE LOVE YOU MP!

Landon and Addi were getting in some special daddy time as well as piling up all their animals to go to sleep. Landon and Addi really do play so nicely together and I am very thankful for that!!

This is a quick picture of our new wood floors. I had posted pics of Mike working on them but don't think I ever posted a finished product. We love them!!

One day John dressed Addi up in some of his clothes while she was down hanging out in his room. Addi thought it was so funny and says this picture is one of her favorite ones!!!

Over Thanksgving, in addition to all the other fun things we did together, we also had a Wedding Lingerie Shower for my mom. Randi hosted the shower at her home and mom's longtime friend Sandra and the three of us organized it. It was very nice and we had a fun time. Mom got lots of beautiful things and we all decided every bride should get to have a shower every 10 years! :) This was Andi's first lingerie shower and it got a little silly towards the end!

We have many exciting events coming up this holiday season and know there will be lots more pics on the way!

Fall Into October......

2009-11-01T15:16:00.022-05:00

October has been filled with many fun, fall activities!!! This is one big post with pictures from some of our favorite Griner events!

Here is a picture of Landon on a school morning in his robe. I was thinking "Rocky" all the way!!!

LANDON'S PUMPKIN PATCH FIELD TRIP

I was so happy to go with Landon on his class field trip to a pumpkin patch earlier this month. I love being able to spend time with him while at school! The weather was wonderful and we had a great time!

MIKE'S BIRTHDAY!!

October 14th was Mike's birthday!!! We had a family celebration at home complete with Addi serenading her daddy with her rendition of "Happy Birthday"!! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful daddy in our family!!

GRINER PUMPKIN PATCH TRIP

Our family took a trip to the pumpkin patch too this October. We had a beautiful day and had a great time!! We did everything from hayride to pick a pumpkin, jumping inflatable, barrel train, feeding the animals and pumpkin slingshot. It was so much fun and I treasure doing things all together as a family because it gets harder and harder to do as the kids get older!

A TINKERBELL BALLERINA

Addi was so excited to be able to wear her costume to dance class last week. She is taking ballet once a week and it is so funny!! Her class is very sweet and Addi is quite entertaining!! What a cutie Tinkerbell!!

TRUNK-OR-TREATING

This year our church did Trunk or Treat for the first time and it was a lot of fun!!! All the little ones were precious and Landon and Addi loved showing off their costumes!! As you can see in these pictures they were very excited!! I loved showing them off :) Our cute Tinkerbell and Dash from the Incredibles!!! In case you didn't notice, Landon has been working out!!

HALLOWEEN CLASS PARTIES!!!

Class parties at school this year were as crazy and fun as always!!! All the kids were precious and Landon and Addi had a great time. I am the room mother for Addi's class this year so it was a busy day of helping with the costume parade and then her class party! While also trying to run across the hall to catch some of Landon's party. We were all pretty worn out afterwards!!

HALLOWEEN FOOTBALL GAME 2009

Each year the marching band dresses up and perfoms in costume for the Halloween game. It is always so entertaining and funny and this year was no exception!! John was one of the knights from Monty Python's Spamalot and Andi was "punk rock"! They had a lot of fun dressing up and looked really good!! It was also John's last time performing in a regular season game, so it was a little emotional too. There is a chance they may go to a play-off game but not certain the band will go. I can not believe his years in marching band on drumline are over. Highschool years have flown by!!!

HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-TREATING!!Halloween

Trick or Treating was a success and we were so thankful it was not raining!!! It had rained all day so everything was wet, but we also got the pleasure of a rainbow while getting lots of yummy candy. It was really neat. Aunt Samantha, Uncle Dave and Kaori came over for dinner beforehand and then we all costumed up and went out for trick or treating fun!! I loved seeing all the kids excitement and am thankful I was able to share it with family.

And September Fun Continues.....

2009-10-09T13:53:00.009-04:00

So September celebrations continued with a small family birthday party at our house for Aunt Samantha! It was so nice that she and Kaori were able to come over, especially since Dave is working in Atlanta now so there was no one at her house on her birthday except for her and Kaori. We love having them visit and are going to miss them being so close when they join Dave in Atlanta.

Then, we had a BIG family celebration for all September birthdays at the river house. The weather was beautiful and we had so much fun being together. Uncle Bryan brought his paddle board and Landon and Addi both could not wait to venture out on the lake with him. I must admit it was a little nerve racking, especially since Addi had never done it before, but Uncle Bryan is more than experienced!! Thank you to him for always showing attention to his nieces and nephews :)

Next, was a birthday celebration at our house for me. It was very nice and as usual the little kids get soooo excited about any kind of party! That always makes it more fun!! I got a new purse, pair of shoes and a movie. But most of all I loved having everyone there with me.

Addi has started taking ballet lessons one morning a week for the first time this fall. She absolutely LOVES it and it is really the highlight of my Mondays. She loves being a ballerina and I think is doing well for her first time. Meaning that she listens to the teacher, stays in her line, waits her turn and is following directions. Her plies are pretty good too! :) Actually, more funny than good at this point.....:) I am loving her taking dance too!! So fun!

I actually took a picture of our most recent monthly calendar that stays on the refrigerator. There are two additions to the calendar that are not pictured. Sometimes I feel like I am going a little crazy with trying to keep up with college apps, govenor school apps, when tuitions are due, my work schedule, Mike's call schedule, teaching two classes at church, etc.... and the list goes on. I know everyone's life is crazy, but when I looked at the picture of our calendar it made me realize.....no wonder I feel like I am losing my mind sometimes. It made me feel better anyway....sort of justification for the chaos. A good chaos though :)

My last pictures for this month are some I got of Andi performing with the colorguard this year. Andi is really blossoming and growing up this school year. She is so beautiful ( I know I may be a little biased), and is creating such a unique style for herself. She is also enjoying school and continues to challenge herself. She is such a special young woman and we are so blessed to have her!!!

So, until Fall pictures..... and I am really enjoying the cooler weather!!! Fall is here!!

JOHN and ANDI Are Another Year Older!!!!

2009-09-07T18:02:00.011-04:00

We had quite the "birthday" weekend!! Friday night we celebrated Andi's 16th birthday with a party at our house! Andi had several of her friends over for dinner, ping pong, movie and yummy pizza, sushi, and cookie cake (what a combo!)! She had a really good time and although she is not officially 16 yet, not until the 15th, we had a great time pretending.

Then, Saturday night we went out to dinner at Wasabi's Japanese Steakhouse to celebrate John's birthday. It was just our family and John's girlfriend Katie who went. It was Landon and Addi's first time to a hibachi grill restaurant and they were hilarious. Although, they were not too crazy about the food, Addi did a great job eating her peanut butter sandwich with her new chopsticks! :) We came home from dinner and celebrated John's 18th birthday. Maybe you can tell from John's cake what he got for his birthday.....compliments of Mike's artistry skills. It was a fun night!!

Also, football season has officially begun and we are looking forward to all the fun that this time of the year brings!

August 2009 Happenings!!!

2009-08-28T15:12:00.007-04:00

August was a fun month with band camp for the big kids as well as their first days of school. John having his first day of school as a senior and also recieving his first college acceptance letter all in the same month! John was accepted to Middle Tennessee State University in the Honors program yesterday. We are very proud of him. He is not certain where he will go yet, but it is nice to get the first letter. He continues to play on the drumline and has his first game tonight.

Andi began her sophmore year this month and is one of only 2 sophmores taking AP History this year. We are very proud of her for challenging herself academically. She continues to enjoy the colorguard and they have their first game tonight, if it doesn't rain out.

We also began some major remodeling of our house this month. Mike is putting in new wood floors on the middle floor and then we will get new carpet installed everywhere else. For now the 2nd floor is 2/3 of the way finished and Mike has done a beautiful job.

All the Griner kids got haircuts with Landon, Andi and Addi's being the most different. I also got my haircut and was able to donate my hair. It felt very nice to do that.

The Koppe Women had our 4th annual girl's weekend in Atlanta this month too. It was a fun weekend complete with the traditional Great American Cookie Company Cookie. This year we got a double doozie cookie and the store told us it weighed in at 24 lbs!!! Sinful!! But, oh soooo good! I am proud to say that we did NOT finish it :) Also, this weekend was really special because my mother became engaged!!! I am very excited for her and Doug and am looking forward to the many fun and new times we have ahead. Her engagement ring is beautiful and the wedding plans are already taking shape. Congratulations to Mom and Doug!!

Then, Landon and Addi had their first days at preschool!! They look so much older to me than even last year and were very excited about going back to school!! They did not hesitate at all and were not even ready to leave when school was over! I am so proud of them both!!

As always, September is one of our busiest months with 3 birthdays just in our immediate family and our anniversary, and weekly football games. John is having a big birthday this year with turning 18, and Andi is too with her Sweet Sixteen!!September here we come!!!

One day we had a Skittle mess when Addi pulled an entire bag of open Skittles onto the floor!! It was quite the mess and Addi was very surprised!!

Landon and Addi set up this makeshift "office" one day and it was so cute!! They played for at least an hour!

Some new Griner "dos"!

Here begins the new floors!! First Mike and the kids took out the fireplace hearth because it was breaking and sinking into the second floor. We were officially a construction zone.

Mike laying the first pieces of our new floors.

Landon and Addi always curious and eager to help. Mike would let them help for a little bit and then it was time for me to distract them with something else "fun", so Mike could get in a groove :)

New floors!!

The 24 lb Double Doozie Cookie Cake!! Man, those are the best cookies ever!!!!

First day of Preschool 2009! I did have to tell Addi to take off her "multiple accessories" before going into school! So funny!

What a pretty girl!

Landon really looks older to me this year! He was really looking forward to going back to school.

Landon and Addi showing off one of their "truck-Lego masterpieces"!

BEACH FUN 2009

2009-07-31T14:41:00.012-04:00

And we're off.....

What can I say? We had a WONDERFUL vacation!! We went to Seaside / Seacrest Beach in Florida. Ryan and Bryan go every year and were looking forward to showing off their stomping ground. I can see why they love to go there and must admit I am sold. We loved it! We had a house right on the beach and it was wonderful to wake up each morning and walk right out onto the deck in front of the ocean. The week was complete with daily morning walks on the beach, plenty of fun in the sun building sand castles, playing with the kids in the water, lots of diving time for Mike, John, and Andi, Bryan teaching me to paddle board (lots of fun), evening bike rides to the playground and sometimes to my new favorite sweet shop called the Sugar Shak, a couple's night out provided by G-Mama and John and Andi, game playing, and most especially time together with family. I so enjoyed watching all the cousins interact. They are all so funny and have unique personalities!

We loved having G-Mama there with us and she spoiled us with a yummy Low Country Boil Party! It was a wonderful week and I am already looking forward to our next family beach trip!!!

Now, it is back to reality. John and Andi start school on 8/10 but are already at band camp everyday from 8-4. Landon and Addi start on 9/1, so they have a little longer vacation. I know everyone's lives will get much busier as Fall begins and school starts back.

Fall football and John's senior year here we come!!!!

Also, wanted to brag about John, he got a 4 on his AP English exam which means he already has college credit for English!! Gooooo John!

Enjoy some pics from the beach!!

July Begins....

2009-07-08T14:12:00.022-04:00

Our July 2009 began with John and Andi returning home from their first mission trip to South Dakota. They had a great time and were very tired. Then, the next day Grandma Griner came for a visit.

We enjoyed Grandma Griner being here so much. We had some lazy times of just hanging out and visiting, got in some shopping, went to dinner and a movie and she even helped so much with watching the kids one day while Mike and I both had to work. She is such a fun person to have around and we had a great visit. We miss her already!

Then, on July 3rd, John and Andi left for a second mission trip to Missouri. They come home tomorrow. I am sure they will be worn out after two big trips nearly back to back. Their trip is going well.

July 4th began with the Kingston 4th of July parade and car show. Then, later that afternoon we went over to Sam and Dave's house to hang out and cook out. We had such a great afternoon decorating cupcakes, making yummy desserts, watching concert DVDs, playing in the sprinkler and on the swing and just enjoying being together. It was a really nice 4th of July! Also, Addi's cute 4th of July dress and Landon's shirt were both compliments of their great-aunt Trina. She was so sweet to surprise us with a package in the mail filled with festive 4th clothes. Thanks Aunt Trina!!

Then, Sunday afternoon we took Landon and Addi to Chuck E Cheese for the first time. They were a little overwhelmed at first from the utter "chaos" of that place, but soon warmed up to it. It was a fun experience and although I think they had fun, I don't think they'll be begging me to go back and that is ok with me :)

I tried to caption some of my pictures but Blogger was laying out my pictures very strangely, so it wouldn't work. It is putting my pictures side by side and captions everywhere...weird...don't know what's going on.

This weekend we are off to the beach and I am so excited!! I am sure there will lots of pics, so until then...

I just thought this picture was funny, because this is how much my Addi LOVES her sleep. I have been trying to cut down on nap times since next year in preschool she won't take them, but when she misses a nap she can get so tired that she can sleep anywhere. One minute I was holding her the next, she was out!

2009-06-21T11:56:00.005-04:00

I wanted to dedicate a special post to my daddy Paul Koppe. It has been almost 4 years since daddy went to heaven and I can honestly say I am so happy for him to already be in "paradise". I know he is way better off than being here, even if being here means being with us. Saying that and even having peace with that, however, does not make me miss him any less. I miss him all the time and some days, like this one, are harder.

Even though he is gone, he is still a part of my life everyday. There are so many little things that happen that bring back a memory of him or make me think how much I would love for him to be here to share in a particular moment. Such as; seeing how much Landon loves cars and trucks and how he loves to learn how they work, seeing John and Andi's love of music and even musical taste, and knowing how loving and cuddly Addi would be with him. When I think of those things it makes me so sad.

But I try to focus on the awesomeness of where he is, the wonderful life he lead while here on earth and what I can learn from it, the fun memories I have of him and can share with my children, and the wonderful family I still have here with me as a result of his love with my wonderful mother. When I think of those things, it makes me so thankful to God. Then, when I really focus my heart and mind on the fact that as Christians we will all be together again one day and this time for ETERNITY, there is NO greater peace.

Thanks be to God for giving us that peace to live by that He knew we would need to get through this life that is sometimes so difficult. I love my life here on earth, but I must admit, the older I become the more I look forward to the time when all my loved ones are together in Paradise. Selfishly, I wish we could just all go at one time though, so we wouldn't have to bear the sadness of missing the ones who go before us.

In saying all this, I give tribute to my Dad's life here on earth with a thankful heart of being a part of it. He was a hard working, family loving and Christ following man who loved his life. I know he had no regrets in life and went to Heaven with a peaceful heart. I love my daddy and miss him so much! I also want to pay tribute to my family here on earth, especially mom, as we have all loved each other and encouraged each other through some pretty sad times full of change and difficult decisions. We rock! Here are some fun pictures of daddy as I think of who he was, and I know still is in Heaven, with a BIG smile!

Can't wait to see you Daddy!

Out With May and In With June...

2009-06-15T20:35:00.016-04:00

So, the month of May comes to a close with our End of the School Year Celebration. We celebrated first by extreme ice cream sundays and cards for each of the kids. Inside the cards were little coupons good for fun times with good 'ole mom and dad. We took John and Andi this past weekend for some yummy sushi and Japanese food topped off with more ice cream. G-Mama was here this weekend and was so nice to babysit Landon and Addi for us. We plan on taking Landon and Addison to Chuckee Cheese next week. They have never been before, so it should be an experience.

We had another Griner first this past weekend. All 6 of the Griners, along with G-Mama, saw a movie together for the first time. Addison and Landon went to see a movie with G-Mama in the past, but this is the first time all 6 of us have seen a movie together as a family. It was really fun for all of us to see Landon and Addi at a movie for the first time. We went to see UP and LOVED it! I highly reccomend it! So, it was a fun, fun weekend!! Mike and I even got a date night on Friday! Wow!

Then, June began at our house with our first sprinkler fun. I was at work, and Dad orchestrated this crazy time. Hence, the "no bathingsuit" look and lots of mud! But they had a blast!!

Then, that afternoon when I got home from work Addi was asleep on the couch. On my way home that evening, Mike told me he and Addi were looking at a book on the couch when all the sudden Addi just fell over dead asleep. I have been trying to wean her off her nap since she won't be taking one next year at school, but I guess she was pretty exhausted. I felt kind of bad, she was so tired! I have decided to let her nap every other day. That girl LOVES her sleep!

Then, you'll see a picture of John and Landon chilling out on the floor before our Father's Day Celebration this past Sunday. John and Andi leave for a mission trip to South Dakota on Friday and will not be here this Sunday so we had our Father's Day celebration this past Sunday. The kids were so excited and we had lots of yummy food and fun presents. We were also blessed to have G-Mama here with us.

Also, you might notice Andi has a new "hair-do"!! She looks much older and very stylish. She is so pretty and growing up!!

The last picture is of Addi and her newest toy that she picked out at the Toy store. G-Mama took Landon and Addi to pick out a new toy to celebrate the end of a great school year. Landon picked out a race track (shocker) and Addi picked out a baby doll. This one talks and moves, pretty crazy! She is such a cute mommy!

The GRINER End of the School Year Celebration 2009!!!

SUMMER First Sprinkler Fun 2009

Addi completely ZONKED out on the couch!!

John and Landon Spending Some Valuable Brotherly Time Together!

Father's Day 2009

Addi Showing Off Her Newest Baby Doll. She LOVES to be a little mommy! So Sweet!

Here Comes May....

2009-05-17T14:35:00.012-04:00

Well, May has been a great month so far for the Griners! Preschool is officially over for this school year and it was a great year for Landon and Addison. Being that it was there first year EVER away from yours truly during the day I think they did great! They learned so much academically and socially and I am so pleased Mike and I chose the preschool that we did. The teachers and staff are so loving and caring for all the children and put in many man hours outside of regular preschool hours for the benefit of the kids. We are blessed to have such a great preschool for Landon and Addi to attend.

Landon had an exciting graduation program from the 4's class to Pre-Kindergarten. It was so precious and he did very well. We are so proud of him and his unique personality. It will be so interesting to see how he continues to mature next year and see if his obesession with cars and trucks even subsides a little bit.... He is looking forward to summer and a "school break".

Addi finished up the year with a bang too! She has made her first real friend. A little girl named Anna who was actually not even in her class they just always played together on the playground. Addi talks about Anna a lot and we are going to her birthday party next weekend.

John got a 32 on his ACT and we are all so ecxited for him. He meets all the criteria for some pretty big scholarships, so we'll be praying about that. He would love to go to Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, but we will have to wait and see.

Andi has been busy getting ready to audition for Drum Major tomorrow. She is pretty nervous but is having a good attitude about it. If she does not get it this year (she'll only be a sophmore next year), then she will definately try out again.

I had a wonderful Mother's Day, full of attention and lots of chocolate! Who could ask for more!!

Summer here we come.....

LANDON KOPPE GRINER 2009 Graduation into Pre-Kindergarten

Addison exercising with mom. Addi loves to copy me and I love for her to!!
Working on some leg lifts!!

A big deal for Landon last week was that he is not afraid to hold a bug. They were studying catapillars in school and saw other little kids holding them. Now Landon and Addi are brave enough to hold them too. Unusual for a little boy, but Landon has never really liked bugs. He LOVES catapillars now though!

Mother's Day 2009

The kids got me flowers, a candle, new lip gloss and a heart charm. They also cooked my favorite Italian meal and bought my favorite Empire State Chocolate Cake from Fresh Market. I even took a 3 hour nap! It was a great day!!
This was the picture Landon and Addi printed out and put on my card. So cute!

Last week, Mike let Landon and Addi eat some roasted peanuts. They loved getting the peanuts out of the shell. Only a dad would let them crush all those peanuts and make that kind of mess inside!! What a fun daddy!!

Griner Happenings for the Second Half of April 2009!!

2009-05-04T10:25:00.020-04:00

The last several weeks have been filled with everything from college visits, 1 week late Easter picture attempts, Landon's 5th birthday at home and preschool, and John's Junior prom. There was also Addi's Spring Program and other fun events throughout the weeks. Andi tried out for the colorguard/flagline again and made it!! We are so proud of her. John and Andi had their highschool band banquet this past Saturday night and Spring Band Concert Performance Sunday afternoon. Both events were very nice and they did great! I did not caption every picture as we have a lot, and I barely have time to blog it seems much less caption everything.

Tonight is Landon's preschool graduation into Pre-Kindergarten and then tomorrow night John and Andi perform with the band in dowtown Knoxville's Tenessee Theater. It will be a big deal and should be very nice.

I can't believe the school year is almost over!! Many more events before it officially ends though, and will try to keep up with them!!

My attempt at some Easter Pictures for 2009. On Easter Sunday was when Landon was so sick with pneumonia, so needless to say we did not go to church. The kids did not get to wear their Easter clothes so we wore them one week late. I tried to get some pics, but as you can see they were a little rough. It was raining outside, so the indoor lighting was not the best. Plus Landon, who still was not 100%, was not into picture taking. Oh well, take it for what it is, a memory!

A couple of pics of Addi's preschool performance. I videoed mostly. The program was so precious and she was hilarious. To give you an idea, she was dancing so hard she fell right off the risers. She was ok though and got right back up, with a teacher's help, and rocked on! Then Landon had a birthday party in class to celebrate turing 5! What a big boy!!

John's Junior Prom 2009. John looked very handsome in his tux for this year's prom. He went with a girl from church named Katie. They had a great time and we are so proud of him. I can NOT believe he will be a senior in 3 weeks!!

Landon turns 5!!! We had a great Race Car 5th Birthday party for Landon. All of our family and some friends were able to come. It has become a tradition now to have a pinata, so the kids got lots of candy! Landon loved all his gifts and is enjoying his new bicycle. If only it would quit raining!! Landon is one of a kind and so precious. We are so thankful for who he is and the honor of having him for a son!!

Easter Egg Hunt and Candids New Post #2 ( See below for cruise post #1)

2009-04-06T13:43:00.010-04:00

Yesterday the weather was beautiful for our annual church Easter Egg Hunt!! Landon and Addison were totally into it!! It was a lot of fun and a very busy day. We went to our church for Sunday school and then left and met Aunt Samantha, Uncle Dave and Kaori at their church for service and a special baby dedication for Kaori. We really enjoyed worshiping with them! Then, we had enough time to grab some lunch and make it to the egg hunt. Soon after that it was off to church again. Needless to say, Addi had no nap and she was completely worn out as you will see in the pictures. It was a very nice day though!

These first pictures are what happens when mom is away from home, which I am a lot more lately since I am working more. I thought these pictures were so funny of Addison! You can tell Andi was enjoying dressing up her baby sister. So silly!

Addi's close up of her dress up. The blanket on top is her "green blanket" the one she always has to have!! Not quite sure what she was supposed to be; a mermaid, pea in a pod, snake, fish, etc....

What do you think? Fish, mermaid? Whatever it is , it looks funny!

Andi and Addi together! Andi dressing up her baby sister!

Addi nice and cozy with her legs all rolled up!! Funny pictures!

Addi enjoying Fun Dip for the first time!! Her mouth was blue for the rest of the day....even after her bath!!

Easter Egg Hunt

Addi hanging out with Dad before the hunt began.

Addi was so excited about hunting eggs!!

Landon was excited, but a little more mellow. His allergies have been giving him a hard time lately. It may be time to see about some allergy meds for him.

Addi, on the other hand, was literally running circles around John!!

The Easter Egg Hunting group!!

And Landon is off to find some eggs!!!

Addi finding some of her own eggs. She was funny though, because if the egg had any dirt on it she did not want it. She would just leave it on the ground, crazy girl!

Addi getting some help from Daddy!

Addi loved running around!! Also, she wanted to wear THIS dress to the egg hunt. We had on a different outfit first, but she is developing a strong "fashion" opinion already!

Landon finding an egg.

Addi gathering some more "clean" eggs!

Landon was having a good time, despite his allergies!

Landon and Addi together showing eachother their finds!

Addi making sure there is no dirt on this yellow egg.

Landon showing me all his eggs and trying to shield his eyes from the sun!

Landon running to show Addi and Andi his finds!

Addi showing me her Easter basket full of eggs!

After the hunt, Landon and Addi sat down to go through their eggs. Here, Landon discovers an empty egg. He was very disturbed by this find!

Going through their eggs and candy!

Trying to get a picture of Landon and Addi together after the egg hunt!

Our sweet and exhausted Addison after a busy, busy day!! She was worn out, because usually she will wake up when we get her out of the van. Not this time!

Spring Break Cruise 2009

2009-04-06T13:04:00.011-04:00

And Off We Gooooooo......

John and Andi's Spring Break was the last week in March and they had a very special week with their G-Mama!! Mom has always said that she wanted to do something really special with each of the grandkids when they get older, but still not too busy. She and I both agreed this would be a great time to do something really special with John and Andi. Next year John will be a senior and he only becomes busier each year. So, G-Mama decided now was the time and took John and Andi on a cruise through the Bahamas for their Spring Break. She let John and Andi help in all the planning and ideas and before you knew it they had a cruise booked. We took care of passports and then they were set.

John and Andi were both so excited about their first cruise!! They had an awesome time and had many adventures including, but not limited to: trying all kinds of new foods for the first time (not just plain old chicken fingers and fries for these kids) tried escargot, shark, and squid to name a few; driving motorcycles in traffic on the left side of the road in the bahamas; snorkeling; swimming with dolphins; riding on an airboat in the Everglades; singing Karaoke in a crusie ship lounge; being so far out to sea that you could not see any land; flying in the dark and through a thunderstorm; and many others!!

It was a very special time and one John and Andi will always remember with their G-Mama!! Andi actually kept a journal the entire time and I know we will all enjoy looking back through that over the coming years! Mike and I were so thankful they could experience all these things with G-Mama and so thankful for their relationship together!

I did not caption every photo because there were so many, but enjoy "some" of their adventures!!

Ellie Jane Arrives!!

2009-03-13T14:17:00.005-04:00

This past Monday morning Samantha and I started out from Kingston, TN getting up around 4:30am and then hit the road as soon as we could to meet our new neice!! We are so thankful that Ellie Jane was born so strong and healthy! She is a beautiful baby and her family was so excited! Ryan and Bryan are both doing great and Mary Paul is getting to know her baby sister! We had a wonderful, although fast, visit and can't wait to see them all again!!

All the family in the waiting room awaiting the arrival of Ellie Jane!

Our first time to meet Ellie Jane was through the nursery glass!! A proud father was with her the entire time! We were so excited to see her light colored hair and purple feet and hands :) Landon kept asking why she was naked! :)

ELLIE JANE March 9, 2009 8lbs 12oz and 20 inches long

After lunch and once Ryan was able to go to a regular room we were able to go and see her and Ellie Jane up close and personal. It is amazing how many people and cameras you can fit into one hospital room! Landon and Addi just found their own little corner to play in!

The proud new father!!

I thought these next few pictures were so funny! This is the first time that Bryan had held both Mary Paul and Ellie Jane at the same time. I love Mary Paul's facial expressions as she is trying to decide what she thinks and how to act around her new little baby sister. Soooooo precious!!!

A proud Aunt Samantha with her new niece!!

Ellie Jane always looked like she wanted to suck her thumb. Her hands were always up around her face and mouth as you can see in the next picture with Aunt Samantha!! Maybe she'll be a thumb sucker like Landon and Addi? So cute!

Trying to get a full body shot while she was laying on her mama's bed. She also did not like it when she came out of her blanket. She liked being swaddled! Can't wait to see her again!!

Valentine's Day 2009

2009-03-04T16:23:00.006-05:00

The month of Febuary was a complete whirlwind! After my last birthday post, every weekend was filled with an activity.

Two weekends of work and one weekend of Winterfest with 14,000 other people, predominately teenagers, in Gatlinburg, TN. I did not get any pictures of Winterfest this year but had a lot of fun. My mom came with me as a fellow chaperone and we had a great time being together. We even got snow on Sunday and that was really pretty.

Hence, I have fallen behind in my "blogging", which I do not like to do. I miss seeing what is going on in other's lives and I don't like losing time documenting our lives since I make it into a book using Blurb.com (which I highly recommend!). I am working on our 2008 book now and am excited about it. It is so fun to see all our past memories and I know we will enjoy looking at it for years to come!

So, even though it is a little late here is Valentine's Day at the Griners 2009, which actually had to be done on the 15th because I had to work on the 14th, and by the time I got home it was time to have dinner with friends and then it was bedtime. So our Valentine's Day this year was actually on the 15th before church.

Then, Mike and the kids went to church and Samantha and I drove to Nashville to spend sometime with our sister-mom-to-be. It was a really nice day! We took her out to lunch and had fun visiting and shopping all afternoon!! Sam and I drove back that evening, so it was a busy day. It was a wonderful day though, and had been a long time that just the 3 of us (minus any little ones) had done anything together.

This Monday morning Samantha and I will be driving back to Nashville, but this time with all the kids as we welcome little Ellie Jane!! We are excited!

So, on to Valentine's Day...

Landon and Addi opening up their Valentine Bags from preschool!! Man, some of the parents go all out for Valentine's Day with the candy and treats! Landon and Addi had all kinds of stuff. I remember only giving Valentine's cards, not toys too. Oh well, times change and this mom is learning!

Addi taking one last picture in front of her Cinderella princess room. After her party we left the decorations up for a while because she loved her "castle" room!

*Valentine's Day Morning at the Griners on Feb. 15th, 2009*
It was a Sunday morning so everyone, except for John of course, is dressed for church. Addi's dress was given to her by G-Mama for her birthday. Her preschool teacher thinks she looks like a "little sprinkle" and I tend to agree! So cute!

This was a double doozie Valentine Cookie Mike got for me from the Great American Cookie Company! They make THE best cookies in the world, as far as I am concerned, and I enjoyed every bite. And yes, I did eat almost the entire thing by myself, although not at one sitting! I did try and share some of it though, since that is what I am trying to teach my kids :)

Addi giving me a big smile and some static electricity too!!