Nashville Baby!

We had such an awesome week in Nashville! Me and the kids took a trip to see Aunt Krystal and Mrs. Kate (Clemson friend). It was everything we expected and then some.
Thank goodness Meemaw was willing to make the trip with us, she made it so much easier. One could drive and one could tend to the children. They were suprisingly GREAT travelers!! I must say, they made me VERY proud in the car! Meemaw was very patient and understanding throughout the entire trip! WE are all glad she was there.


When we got to Nville, we went to the zoo, the monkey treehouse, downtown, Mrs. Kate's house, had a picnic in Centenial Park and visited with Aunt Krystal. It was so awesome. The zoo was incredible. Much much better than Riverbank Zoo. We spent 4 1/2 hours there and Mrs. Kate met us there. We got to meet Banks and we LOVED him!! Veda kept kissing him, and McCrae was full of questions for Mrs. Kate. The neighborhoods that surround Nashville are absolutely GEORGOUS!!!

Kate's house was by far the most beautiful house I've seen in a long time! She and her husband Brent have done an awesome job of renovating an old house into something that most only dream of!! It was absolutely incredible. I need pics, because words do not do it justice! Her son Banks was so well behaved, he just smiled every day and was so happy all the time. It was awesome to get to sit and catch up with Kate although we missed her husband, I'm hoping Kevin and I can get our families together again very soon. You forget how much you have in common with and miss old friends!

I have pictures from Krystal's camera, but only a few, Kate needs to email me hers. She'd just gotten a new camera and it was the MAC DADDY of a camera. Took great pics, can't wait to get some back!

Aunt Krystal and Uncle Stu Baby have the cutest house. They're renting now, but it was nestled in the best neighborhood. Filled with hills (which Mac loved to ride on his scooter, especially on the way down the hill), mature landscaping, and from the outside some of the hugest houses I've ever laid eyes on. I mean Nashville is no joke! It is beautiful!

Here are a few pics of the trip!

Me, Meemaw, Veda, and McCrae with the downtown area in the background.

Me, Krystal, Kate, and Banks on Kate's back deck!

Me and my babies in front of a professional football field, I think the Titans? Is that right?

Me, Veda, and Banks on Kate's floor playing!!

If only...

If only I had a digital camera again! Someone in the Bahamas is enjoying it, and I am losing precious moments with my children. This week we had Emmy and Hayes all week spending the day with us while Mimi worked, then she took all 4 to VBS! What a week it has been! So much fun with so many popsicles! I'm fresh out. We fed the donkeys apples every day, saw a hog or two get shot, swang on a swing from the tree, which by the way, the second day on it, Hayes broke it. He is getting too big! ha ha ha... I'm kidding, it was on it's last leg anyway, I hope he didn't get hurt too bad.

They just kept each other entertained all day! And nap time... oh the precious nap time. I slept just like them for 3 hours each day! ha ha ha.... Yes, I am lazy!

Tomorrow, we leave for Nashville, TN to see aunt Krystal and Kate (college friend). I can not wait, and McCrae and Veda are really excited too. They are really really excited about Meemaw (kevin's mom) going with us. Kevin has to work, so it's just us and the two pip squeeks. It should be an awesome trip! I haven't seen Kate in FOREVER and I'm soooo excited to be meeting her new addition and seeing where she lives. Today we stocked up on drinks and snacks for the road. Of course, we shopped while the oil was being changed in the car, and when we got back it still wasn't ready, so we ate some of the snacks then, but for the most part we have lots of snacks!

I'll report on how our trip goes. Until next time...

Where in the world?

Where in the world did June go? I mean I thought I was doing a good job blogging, until I looked back. I missed Krystal and Stewart's wedding and Pawley's Island. Two very big highlights of our summer. I have no pics of the wedding, although it was gorgeous, and I just saw the photographer's pictures, and WOW, they are GREAT!! If I can get some to share, I will. Mac was the ring bearer, and he LOVED it! Veda just watched in amazement, as she knew so many of the people walking down the isle.

Pawley's Island, well that is a summer in itself. For 25 years my family has been going to the same beach, and many years the same houses for a week at a time during the summer. It is seriously a very comfortable spot for our family! It makes us take deep breaths and really enjoy each second of each day. Not to mention that our children are at a PERFECT age to enjoy it all too. We had some of our closest friends visit us during the week, and get a glimpse of a Villeponteaux vacation. No T.V. (or very little, this year while we were away, lots happened. Michael Jackson died, Sanford was silly and so on. You could imagine how hard it was to keep the T.V. off) Only cards, pictionary, and lots of reading and talking. Oh, and the most important thing... eating.

We ate and ate and ate. Our husbands were so mad at all of the groceries we bought that we felt guilty if everything and I mean EVERYTHING didn't get eaten! Thus, we all came home 5 lbs heavier than when we left, but it was SO worth it!!

We of course took family photos, which gets harder and harder each year. We keep adding family members (aka having children) and if you have children, you know how difficult it is to get two children to smile and look in the same direction at the same time. It's impossible!!
We rented a paddle board which is similar to a surf board, but larger and more stable. We stood on it and paddled around it was so cool on the creek side. It was such hard work on the ocean side. My legs were like Jello when I finished with that thing. Mac rode on it with me in the creek. He loved it and at one point he laid down while I stood and paddled, it was too cool.

Anyone ever wondering where to go for an awesome family vacation? Pawley's Island will have my vote from now until forever! A tradition in this family that I hope never ends!! Enjoy these pics. there are a lot... sorry, too many good ones to not share!

Ok, so he's now 31 as of Friday, and to me, gets better looking by the year!!

He doesn't read our own blog, so he won't know I wrote this or posted his picture! Ha ha ha.

Daddy and his two squirts. They were major water bugs. Veda DID NOT want any help and McCrae didn't need any. What on earth!

We all know I wasn't a cheerleader and would be perfectly happy with an

athletic little girl. It's looking like pink, barbies, and cheers already! YIKES!

Aunt Heather taught her that!

McCrae is getting a lesson on eating crabs from Granny.

McCrae and Hayes just hangin' round.

Emmy and Veda just hangin' round.

Mom and me.

Veda is hanging on by a thread. Literally!

What a profile!

What a face!

She would not take her swimmies off.

Our Family

Granny playing with the great grands.

What a handsome fellow!

Granddaddy and Emmy.

McCrae and Me on the paddle board.

McCrae loved hanging like a monkey.

Hayes doing a great job with the crabs. He loved them.

Brooke and Asher on the creek.

Me and my two babies. They are such a joy!

McCrae giving sugars!

Is it just me, or do they look alike here?

Mr. Hugh and Granny

Aunt Heather and Emmy

Momma and Veda

What a cutie!

Burried in the sand.

Momma and Veda