Spring Break part 3 - Memphis

We spent the last 5 days in Memphis.  We spent a fun morning with friends from out of town (I forgot to take 1 picture) and another morning at the zoo.

We said hello to the gorillas first.

Then we fed the giraffe's. This is always a treat and something my kids really enjoy.

I think they are such beautiful creatures.

Look at that tongue.

We also spent some time with the elephants.

Maggie was content for part of the time in her stroller.  She mainly wanted to be running in the opposite direction that we wanted to go.

We were all thankful to have Gigi with us to help man the troops.

That Friday night we enjoyed a fine dinner of Chickfila. Whatever it took to get through the night without daddy.

Saturday we laid low because it was raining and were thrilled to see daddy when we woke up Sunday morning. Overall it was a great Spring Break!

Spring Break part 2 - Nashville

We woke up Monday morning and drove to Nashville to stay with the cousins for a couple days. We took it easy Monday afternoon and just played outside and around the house. We were thankful for beautiful weather.

David had planned on shaving his beard so he waited until Tuesday morning so all 6 kids could watch.  We were worried that Maggie wouldn't know who David was without the beard so he wanted her to see him do it.

The kids got a big kick out of him with just a mustache.
After he finished shaving the beard we packed up a picnic lunch and headed to Cheekwood for the morning.  We are members of the Memphis Botanic Gardens and they have a reciprocal program so we were able to get our family in for free.  Anne's family has a membership at Cheekwood so it worked out for a great morning.

These 2 are so funny together!  Quite the pair.  They are full of energy but truly adore each other.
The best part of Cheekwood was the exploring and pretending to be on an adventure.  The kids had tons of room to run and play and they loved it.  
These 2 are the sweetest cousins. They are so fun together. I love watching their little relationship grow.

We ended the morning with a picnic lunch together.  
After naps we met some friends from college at the playground.  It was so good to see them.  Both friends are girls I have been praying for for years so such a joy to see them and their beautiful babies.
Maggie and I met Aunt Christin for dinner. She was a trooper helping with Maggie and Maggie loved playing with her.

Wednesday morning I dropped David off at the Nashville airport to catch a flight to New Orleans for an Orthopaedic Conference and then came back to the cousins to pack my little clan up and head to Memphis. We were sad to say goodbye.

Such a great few days with some of our very favorite people!  Thanks cousins for welcoming us into your home.  We loved spending time with you!

Last part of Spring Break next.  Part 1 - Knoxville found here.

Dinner Out for the Fund

If you live in the Memphis area than please eat lunch and/or dinner at Chiwawa today!  Make sure you mention the Forrest Spence Fund and 15% of the proceeds will go back to the Fund.

Five for Friday

Five for Friday (except I did nine) all about the Forrest Spence Fund

1. Lunch/Dinner Out for the Fund this Monday, March 24th at Chiwawa!  Great food for a great cause!  Make sure you mention the FSF so we receive the credit.


2.  We give out Angel Dear lovies to new families admitted at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital because of Forrest's deep love for his 2 precious lovies.  Angel Dear is so gracious in donating these lovies to us.  This is the most recent box that arrived on my doorstep.

Look at all these lovies ready for someone to love them!

I wash all of them so when the parents receive them they are ready to be given directly to the child without the family having to wash them and make sure they are clean.

This little guy LOVES his Angel Dear lovie the Forrest Spence Fund gave him.


3.  We moved into an office on Wednesday...yes, that's right...a real office.  We are so pumped that we officially have an office!  I couldn't wait to put up my picture of my precious angel who inspired this and so much more.  Great things are going to happen in this place.

4.  A mommy sent this picture to me thanking me for the crib we purchased for them and giving me an update on their precious baby.  The baby is doing great health wise and obviously enjoying the crib!

5. Over 150 meal vouchers were given out to families at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital for the month of February. The meal vouchers help families pay for a warm meal from the Le Bonheur cafeteria. Sometimes our meal voucher provides the only complete meal they will eat all day. This is a quote from one of the staff members at Le Bonheur.  "Yes, the vouchers are such a blessing-just gave some to a family from out of state with a serious situation. They were so touched!" 


6.  Every month we serve a warm, free meal to families that are admitted at Le Bonheur Chidren's Hospital.  When we are serving at Le Bonheur we serve 200-225 people and when we serve at the FedExFamilyHouse we typically serve around 50.  This is a time for us to also love on them and find out if they have any other needs that the FSF may be able to meet.


7. We provide all the bags that are given out at the FedExFamilyHouse when a new family checks in to the House. We see our bags being used to transport families items back and forth from the house to the hospital all the time. We have provided close to 2000 bags to the FedExFamilyHouse.

8. This little guy needed a special vest to prevent him from pulling out his pic line and keep him from getting an infection. We ordered this special vest and had it shipped directly to his home.

9.  Every month we focus on a new Unit/Area of the hospital and show the staff in that Unit/Area our appreciation by giving them a goody bag. The bags are usually based on a theme (holidays, sunshine, winter, etc.) and filled with little goodies to brighten their day. Just a little way for the FSF to show our appreciation to the staff and how hard they work.
The Forrest Spence Fund is making a difference in the Midsouth.  If you are looking for a place to give and see your giving truly bless lives than consider giving to the Forrest Spence Fund.  Your donations really do make a difference in the lives of others.

Click here to donate.

Happy Friday friends!