We have had busy few weeks! It seems like time is starting to fly now. I can't 
believe it is already October! September was a great month, as we got to do so many things, and visit with so many family members. A few weekends ago, my mom and her husband came to visit us, and Jenny too! We had a great time. They arrived on Friday in time for dinner. We had a relaxing evening at home. On Saturday, we went on a day trip to the mountains. We went on two different trails, both flat and easy. No big hikes, thank goodness! We went 
out to dinner in Pigeon Forge on the way home. On Sunday we went to church, then in the late afternoon we went to downtown to show them our favorite spots- Fort Kid and World's Fair Park water fountains. The water was cold, but refreshing! Sunday night, Larry and I took Jenny out for ice cream, 
because she missed three days of school, and would no longer be eligible for perfect attendance (which is important to her) but we were so glad she came! On Monday, my mom and I took Alyssa to preschool (Alyssa was excited to show off her classroom!), then we went shopping for our supplies for the day- flowers, soil, and baking ingredients! The rest of the morning involved yard work, yes I put my parents to work on their vacation, but they volunteered! Barry cut 
down a dead tree in our front yard and mowed, while my mom worked vigorously in the garden, weeding and planting new mums. It turned out great! We are very thankful for some nice new landscaping! Once the yard was done, we turned our attention to baking. 
My mom and the girls made gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and a chocolate chip cake to celebrate Barry's 50th birthday! Both turned out delicious! That evening, Larry and I had a dinner on campus to attend, so it was nice to have babysitters already here! The happy grandparents took Jenny and the kids out to eat, then down to Volunteer Landing. They had a great evening. It was sad to see them leave Tuesday morning, but look forward to seeing them again during the holidays. 
Another September highlight was "Be A Princess Day" at Seymour 
Heights Christian Church. The children's event, just for girls of course, emphasized that they were princesses because their heavenly Father is the King of Kings. The girls were very excited for this event, as they counted down everyday during the week leading up to it. Saturday morning, Alyssa and Natalie dressed up and headed to church. At church, they got pedicures, manicures, hairstyles, 
made crowns, decorated cookies, got make-up, and dressed up in all the different princess dresses available. Natalie's hair looked amazing and added many years to her look.
We had a good month of home-schooling as Natalie is progressing fast on her reading and math skills. It's fun to watch things begin to click with her. We joined a local homeschool group that we do fieldtrips and other activities with. Today we went to a musical "Junie B. Jones" at the Knoxville Auditorium. It's fun to hang out with other homeschool families. 
Alyssa is doing well at preschool. Her teacher told me that she has been "coming out of her shell" lately and talking up a storm with her teachers and peers. She loves being the line leader and as her teacher put it "takes her job very seriously." Haha! 
Lauren is getting bigger each day. She is starting to talk now which is so cute. She says mama, dada, NaNa (for Natalie), uh-oh, hi, duck, quack, up, and other sounds that I have not distinguised as being words, though she probably has in her mind! Larry is enjoying his job and his Greek class. He is doing well in both. I am keeping busy as usual. I am leading a small group on Wednesday mornings that is doing well. It is called "Young Wives Club" as I'm mentoring new wives how to love and honor their husbands. We always have great discussions. Larry and I are also starting to get involved in a local church- Seymour Heights and have joined a small group. So I guess you can tell, we are quickly making ourselves at home here in Knoxville.
Please keep Natalie in your prayers as she is going to be going through much more testing related to her celiac disease. Oct 21st is the day of her colonoscopy and upper endoscopy. Pray for her comfort and for the doctors doing these procedures. We hope to have clear direction and diagnosis of what is going on inside her body when all these tests are complete.
I'm adding a few more facebook photo albums to my blog, so be sure to check those out.
We are looking forward to this weekend as we have more company coming into town. Larry's parents are flying in on Saturday, and his uncle and aunt will be driving up from Atlanta. We pray for safe travel for all of them!
