Friday, October 22, 2010































Ella is 3 months old already and I can't believe how quickly she is growing. You can see from the pictures that she is a very happy baby. She remains to be easy-going and loves to just do what we do. She smiles constantly and loves to be talked to (especially by her brother). Just recently she has taken up a few new habits- one is that she pulls her own hair when she's mad or when she's sleeping. It's a nervous habit of some kind, but I am hoping she doesn't pull it all out! She has also recently started to try to mimick the sounds we make- rolling our tongue causes her to try to do the same, usually resulting in a spitting type noise, but very cute nonetheless. She has no well-check up this month, so I have no updates on weight and height, but I know that she is definitely growing.
The pics are of her at the pumpkin patch and her first ride in the swing at the park. She still isn't super steady in it, but Scott was home for that weekend, so we thought we'd give it a try!
Ok, so what's with the "Who's Who?" pic you ask? Well, everyone of course has their opinions as to who she looks like more- Harbin, Catherine, or Lydia. So, I thought I would let you take a look and see if you can figure out which kid is which!! Even I often have a hard time determining which child it is in baby pictures. Usually clothes and surroundings are a clue to me, so I tried to cut those out, making it a bit harder for you! Feel free to post a comment with which kid you think is which- no prize, just the mere satisfaction in knowing (or not knowing) the Tinney kids. These are pics of all the kids at about 2.5-3 months old! GOOD LUCK!
The mom.












Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Pumpkin Pickin'





















This last weekend we were fortunate to get to travel to see Scott and stay with some Army friends. We met Crystal and Jeremiah a little over 3 years ago while Scott was training in Florida. Crystal was pregnant with their first child, Gracen, and Catherine was still pretty new. When Scott started training in Huntsville, he was pleasantly surprised to find out that Jeremiah was in charge of his training class. They graciously invited us to come and stay with them for the weekend so we could see Scott. I'm not sure they were aware of what they were getting themselves into, but we were thankful for their generosity (and courage- having all 6 of us in their probably quiet and peaceful house was quite an endeavor!).

Anyways, the weekend went smoothly and our kids loved getting to play with Gracen. On Saturday afternoon we went to a local pumpkin patch- Lyon Family Farm. The kids were able to see and pet all kinds of animals in the petting zoo- Catherine wasn't a huge fan of touching the animals, but Harbin and Lydia liked getting to pet the piglets and feed the horse. After playing in the "corn"box, bouncing in the bounce houses and sliding down the huge slides, we rode a hayride out into the pumpkin patch so we could pick the perfect pumpkin. It's amazing how big and round all the pumpkins were and Harbin, Catherine and Lydia managed to pick 2 really nice ones.
Sunday morning was "Friend Day" at their church and we had a wonderful time attending the service and then a lunch afterwards. Sadly, our visit ended there so the kids and I could drive back in time for evening church in Chattanooga.
Our weekend was wonderful and we were so glad to get to spend some time catching up with friends. Thanks so much to Crystal and Jeremiah for opening up your home- we hope to see you again, this time sooner than 3 years!
The mom.











Thursday, October 14, 2010

Trains, Trains, and More Trains
















Last week the Southeastern Railway Museum had a Homeschool Day. I dropped the middle 2 girls off at a friend's house and Harbin, Ella and I went to see the trains.

First we started out by riding the train. It didn't go very far and I think that kind of disappointed Harbin, but it was plenty enough motion to put Ella to sleep, which she did for the rest of the visit.

Next, we picked up the Scavenger Hunt paper and we started on our way. We got to learn about how the train was so important to the town of Duluth, GA and other surrounding Atlanta cities. Harbin was most impressed that people used to tell time by the sound of the train whistle!

We were able to go in and out of different types of train cars including a passenger car, a dining car, a sleeping car, a postal car, and even an old Army train with the kitchen and bunks (you can see him pretending to cook).

He got a short science lesson on steam engines and how they work and he found out that the noise they make is why we say trains go "chugga, chugga"- it's the moving of the pistons being pushed by the steam. He also got a piece of real coal to take home!

Enjoy the train pics.
The mom.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Bohanon Family Reunion


















Two weekends ago, we met Scott in Chattanooga for the weekend and were fortunate to get to go to the annual Bohanon Family Reunion. Each year, the family meets up at Cloudland Canyon (one of the most beautiful places in the fall) and we sit around talking, eating, and sometimes hiking. This year was pretty chilly as the weather is getting cooler, but we still had a great time. It's the first time in awhile that we've been able to have the entire Tinney Family together, so it was nice to get a family picture with EVERYONE in it!!! I was also able to get a few shots of the kids and pic of just me and Scott (yes, a real pic of ME just for those of you who always ask why I'm not in any pics).
More posts to come this week!
The mom.

Monday, October 4, 2010

3-2-1 Blastoff!






























A few weekends ago, the kids and I drove out to Huntsville to visit Scott during his training. We were able to take advantage of the military rate of "free" to the Space Museum which allowed us to visit in the morning- go back to the hotel and rest- and then visit again in the afternoon.

The day was kind of rainy, so we didn't get to spend much time on the outdoor exhibits, but the kids seemed to have a fun time seeing the indoor stuff. A lot of the "museum" part was a little over our kids heads, but they did get to learn a few new things about how astronauts live in space and they got to play in the kid-friendly play area. Probably their favorite activity was riding on the Mission to Mars simulator. I didn't get to ride because I had Ella, but they said it simulated riding in various vehicles- there was no age or height requirement, so Harbin, Catherine and Lydia went with Scott (the big spaceship looking picture is what they rode in).
Harbin also got to enjoy his first climbing experience on the rock climbing wall. Unfortunatey I forgot my camera, but I was able to get a few shots with Scott's phone (I will try to get those posted sometime). He did great climbing, but about 2/3rds of the way up the wall, he sort of looked down and decided he was done.
As always, enjoy the pics!
The mom.