woollypeaches

Happy Birthday Sister!

2012-01-28T10:19:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Sister! I thought this would be a "quick" post, but then I got sucked into looking at pictures from the last 3 years. Has it really been that long?? Sister has grown into such a beautiful, funny, sweet little girl. Our family is more than blessed that the Lord knew what we needed to complete us. We wouldn't be who we are without her. We love you Sister!

Day 3, I believe

Around 4 months...

7 months...

9 months...

Turning 1 at her pajama party :)

1st snow...

Spring pictures with Brother

Easter 2010

Summer 2010

Turning 2...so big!

Big girl bed...

Summer 2011...swim lessons :)

Enjoying playing with Brother...so glad they love to play together.

Fall pictures 2011

Catch Air / 2012

1st dance class, boo boo and all.

Thank you for the excitement, joy and laughter you have brought into our lives. I love hearing you sing and watching you dance around the house (although, I wouldn't mind you being a little more careful or having some "healthy" fear.) I can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for your life. Yay for turning 3!

** And a VERY Happy Birthday to our TWIN cousin, GO! I love these girls!

2009 -

2012 and growing...

Happy Cupcake Birthday!

2012-01-27T20:57:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that tomorrow Sister turns 3!! She has had a busy month, starting dance classes, her 1st trip to the ER, getting stitches, and going to the dentist. I am proud of what a big girl she is becoming. At the beginning of the month I booked her bday party for the little girls in her class and a local cupcake place. Like the rest of the month it didn't exactly go as planned and a week ago they called and told me they would have to cancel the party b/c they were closing. I was a little stressed out, but another bakery down the road from us helped us out and made they day SUPER special for our little girl. They were awesome. If anyone wants some YUMMY cupcakes or is planning a cupcake decorating party for your little one I HIGHLY recommend them. The Lemon Tree Bakery in Loganville, GA saved the day for us and made my little girl's day. You can't ask for anything more!

They lowered their baking table in the back for 7 little 3yr old girls to stand around....it was perfect.

The girls (and their moms) were able to decorate cupcakes and enjoy some snacks. The party was perfect for Sister...right up her alley.

AD, Sister, BD, and EV...sweet friends.

One more with Cousin GO squeezing in :)

The birthday girls and Cookie...Since the girls share a birthday it was perfect to celebrate Sister's today and we will go to GO's party on Sunday. Yay for good timing :)

Brother was the only boy at the party (besides Daddy), so he had a special job of helping with the presents and picking up after some of the little girls. He did great! ( I think he persuaded a few people into reading him a book he brought along too...thank you Cookie and Grandma!)

Sweet Sheep :) Love them!

These 3 girls hang out every Sunday morning and Wednesday night...

Me and my girl...who thought having a girl would be so much fun...pajama parties, cupcakes parties...pretty soon we will be having slumber parties! :)

Does she look like a 3 year old?!

Waiting to get started...

Almost all the little girls...

Ready to decorate!

The had lots of supplies handy for little hands...icing bags, sprinkles, etc. I loved the Teddy Grahams and Sour Patch kids, a nice touch for the little ones.

Each girl got to pick what flavor she wanted to decorate...strawberry, chocolate or vanilla. Sister of course picked strawberry :)

The Mom's took our position behind the girls to help with the decorating. It was a lot of fun :)

Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves and the little girls were proud of their creations!

We stuck candles in Sister's cupcake and sang Happy Birthday to her.

Hubby said to show him my cupcake and said cheese...thanks JD for saving me from an awkward "I am eating a cupcake" picture...ha!

I had told Brother he probably wouldn't decorate a cupcake, but that didn't stop him from eating a chocolate one...

GO enjoyed her chocolate cupcake too...I have no idea what is up with her hair right now, but it makes me laugh...ha

Next we headed to the front of the store and Sister was able to open her presents. Her little friends know her SO well. She loved everything she got and couldn't wait to get home and play with it. She is all about the doll, princess, cupcakes and clothing stage.

Isn't this shirt adorable?!! My Sister-in-law got it for Sister. I loved it!

She also got a new Belle baby doll (that she specifically asked her friend for when they asked...to be fair, they asked, but geesh we will have to work on being subtle with her later. :) She adored the doll though. I don't think she has let go of it yet.

She got a new Fancy Nancy book and stuffed puppy. New books to read are always on the top of our list and we don't have many Fancy Nancy books, so I am sure this one will be a nightly ritual for a few weeks.

Cousin CP! Oops! I forgot another little boy did get there, but he didn't decorate a cupcake either. Hopefully he got to taste one though :) I am sure he talked someone into sharing!

Finishing presents and getting ready to clean up.

Sister and her Belle doll...that face cannot be faked. She is one happy little girl.

Cousins! These 3 little girls are all the little girls in our family and will all be graduating the same year one day (2027, I believe...ha) I can't believe how different their sizes are...I can't wait to take this picture every year for a few more years. Love it!

Twin Cousins! Happy Birthday to Sister AND GO!

Another fun treat was the HUGE cupcake the bakery gave Sister as her present from them. A thoughtful and YUMMY gesture. She made us laugh when I opened it, she said OH MY GOSH.

Biggest cupcake EVER.

Can we eat it please?!

We grabbed dinner at Zaxbys (yay for fried pickles) and headed home to play with new toys & blog. Sister couldn't wait to try on some of her new clothes. Aunt Kiki made her an adorable firetruck pillowcase dress...it fits SO cute and the best part is, she made one for her doll too. Love it!

Grandma made her 2 new adorable skirts that she put on and off before I could take a picture and the new shirts from Aunt LP fit great. Another friend gave her a playdoh cupcake set I promised to open tomorrow. The kids spent the next 2 hours in the playroom playing princess with the castle, Cinderella and Belle. Gotta love it.

She kept asking me if I would live in the castle with her. I will live anywhere with you sweet girl, but let's hope it doesn't come to that : )

Having a girl is so much fun, the Lord knows me SO much better than I know myself. I am thankful everyday that He knows what is best for me, even when I am not so sure. Sister rocks, just sayin.

** For more pictures of the party check out my sister's blog...she got some great ones :)

birthdays, boo-boo, & a BIG girl

2012-01-16T22:51:00.000-05:00

Wow! I can't believe I dropped the ball on posting this year already. I think I can recap the last week or so in one post though....it was a CRAZY week though! Ha! First, Hubby had a birthday! It was MUCH less stressful than the surprise party I pulled off last year. We went to Stevi B's with the kids during the day, gave him his b-day presents (new stuff for the grill, coffee mug for work and some candy :), then the kids napped and Grandma and Grandpa came over to watch them while we went out to dinner and to a graduation party for a good friend of ours. It was a great, relaxing birthday.

We had a good weekend. Hubby had to work on Sunday, but he was home all day Monday with us. We had a VERY busy day planned. Sister had her first dentist appointment (she did AWESOME - no cavities, or tears :). We waited in line to sign Brother up for spring baseball, it was Hubby's first day of school and the plan was to take Sister to her first dance class at 5pm. That was where the plan was altered...around 1pm she was running to the kitchen to get a snack from Hubby and tripped. She split her forehead open on the corner of the kitchen wall. It was awful and I have NEVER been SO grateful that my EMT husband was home. He scooped her up, took care of her, and calmed her down in an instant (all while telling me to grab a towel, pack a bag and get Brother ready to head to the hospital.) We spent the rest of the day at Egleston and they were amazing!

** DISCLAIMER ON THE FOLLOWING PICTURES- If you don't like hospital stuff, you might want to skip them. I didn't add the yucky one of her head though, no one needs that one - ha! **

Car ride to the ER...she cried when it happened and then didn't cry again until we had to take the first band-aid off 24 hours later. She is a tough cookie.

Waiting in the injury waiting room with Mommy :) We were the only "injury" patient there, so we got our own waiting room with Cars 2 on, much to Brother's delight! She was playing with the blood pressure cuff they gave her (they sent her home with a whole bag of fun stuff :) She told them she wanted to play doctor with her dolls.

The doctors and nurses with so impressed with how tough she was...me too! They were a little worried they would need to sedate her since it was on her forehead (and really deep), but she did great. "Dora" on the Ipad was enough to keep her busy. I don't have enough good things to say about Egelston. It was totally worth the drive to go to a hospital that knows how to love on 2 year olds.

The next picture is actually from the night before we took the stitches out. It took her a few days to actually want to see them. There were 12 total...(5 in the layers underneath and 7 on top). Once she did finally look at them, she thought they were hilarious! ha!

She was supposed to have the stitches for 5-7 days. (Hubby actually ended up taking them out Sunday night.) She was a little scared at first, but did a great job after we got her attention re-focused. She definitely didn't let the stitches slow her down last week though. They said she did great at school, she didn't even miss a day. We also had a birthday party for one of Brother's good friends, AM. They invited Sister and Brother to a gymnastic party. The kids LOVED it! I was a little worried Sister would change her mind about dance class. ha!

And you could never tell from her bouncing around that she had stitches in her forehead. (Plus, to her it was another great opportunity to wear her leotard. Isn't it cute?!) Sorry for the glare, parents sat in the waiting "area", so the pictures are through the glass. Balance beam Sister...

Brother on the beam...

and rolling :)

ha! Sister's protecting her head roll.

The teacher "helping" her do a cartwheel. I actually asked them about camps this summer...I think Sister would LOVE that :)

Cupcake time!

CB and the birthday girl, AM

Silly Sister...

Sweet Brother, I am not sure what the look was about :)

Later that night we cleaned up and played wii for a while. The kids have "Just Dance Kids" and love it..

Boogie!

Woogie!

Woo!

Today, Hubby headed back to work, but the kids and I got to have a PJ and movie day. It was wonderful :) They each picked a movie and we hung out cuddled up under the blankets this morning. I surprised Sister after nap and told her it was finally time for her first dance class. She was SO excited!!

All dressed up in her pink tights, pink leotard, dance bag (with ballet shoes & tap shoes), and her hair in a "bun".

I LOVE this picture, they both look like such big kids, and he is such a boy letting her hug on him and acting like such a big brother. I love these kiddos and am SO blessed to be their mom.

Holiday Adventure Day 2 :)

2012-01-03T21:15:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is all about cleaning and organizing, but today was about fun :) We were not sure what was on the scheudule today, we just knew it had to be indoors...brrr. The kids museum was an idea, but we got kind of a late start, so plan B it was and it worked out GREAT. We headed to Chuck E Cheese at MOG. I am not sure when we were there last, but they have redone the games and play area, so there were SO many new things to do. It was perfect! Plus, I had a great coupon and we had the place pretty much to ourselves...you can't beat that.

The new hot chocolate ride...it spins in circles. Brother loved it :)

Sister was glad her friend wasn't gone, she loves this guy. ha!

Brother did great playing basketball...he wanted to see if I could beat him :)

Sister loves the Mouse!

New carousel, Brother looks thrilled, I know?!

The horse ride is one of his favorites too :)

Daddy and Sister playing Mario Kart. (She couldn't take her eyes off all the fun!)

Skee ball!

Daddy and Sister on the hot chocolate "ride"

This picture makes me laugh every time... it was spinning SO slowly.

Jockey Brother...

Picking out our "treasures"...I think we ended up with a slinky, flower ring and candy to share. Always fun! (And before you say it, I know, my hair looks crazy long! I am holding out getting it cut off until possibly the spring and to do locks for love. We will see if I make it!)

After the mouse-house we headed to the mall for a little while. I was proud of the kids who both tried something new for lunch (terayki chicken for Sister and I and Bourbon Street for Brother and Hubby) They both loved it and ate it all...yummy! We walked around a little bit, got a few great deals and then headed home. It was a fun, productive day! We got home after nap time, so we turned on a movie and spent the rest of the evening hanging out together. It was a great family day. I can't believe the holidays are over, but I know 2012 is going to be very exciting :)

New Year / New Adventures

2012-01-02T23:47:00.000-05:00

Hubby had to work a good bit over the holidays, so we decided for the next 2 days we would spend time doing some new fun stuff I had heard about. The winter weather finally showed up this morning and my plan for today was perfect! I had heard from a friend about a place in Suwanee called Catch Air. It was GREAT! The best way to describe it is a bounce place and indoor playground all rolled into one. It is for kids 12 and under and the whole floor is a soft mat. (So everyone has to wear socks the entire time :) I wouldn't be surprised if my kids asked to go back tomorrow.

We got there when they opened at 10am (which was good b/c when we left after a couple of hours it was PACKED!) *If you are local and thinking about going, be sure to like them on FB, b/c I got a code for 25% off this morning...totally worth it!

Brother headed straight for this "merry go round" thing as soon as he walked thru the gate. It was pretty cool. The kids hung on and it went in a circle. It was a little overwhelming at 1st b/c there was so much to look at, it took the kids a few minutes to get acclimated.

The indoor playground...anyone remember Discovery Zone?! That is what it reminded me of, complete with the ball pit that my kids played in FOREVER. (To be fair, I am not sure they have ever been in a ball pit before :)

The also had a bunch of kid sized workout equipment. I loved that they could really explore and play with everything. The huge bounce houses were a big hit too, but I am not sure I got pictures of that...ha!

Sister on a treadmill...

Brother on a bike... I need some of those to keep them active (OR wear them out :) at home.

Ball pit FUN

That was one happy little girl :)

Brother said his favorite thing of the day was this slide. (He took turns sliding down with everyone - including Mom & Dad). His pants were perfect b/c he flew down the slide!

Finding a new contraption (they were spinning each other around until they fell over...at least they were enjoying playing together :) They stuck together quite a bit today...love it!

They had a smaller area for kids 5 and under. Sister played over there for a little while, but realized pretty quickly she would rather hold her own with the bigger kids.

There she goes!

She had a harder time wrapping her legs around the "ball". They both loved it though...at least it was soft when they fell.

She liked me spinning her in a circle on this thing though...

Oops! Kid down.

I have no idea what this thing was, but we saw other kids sitting in it and spinning like a big top, so we tried it too. So funny.

My favorite part was about an hour after we got there (it was getting busy) and they called all the kids to the dance floor for a "dance party".

They turned off the lights, turned up the music and the kids went to town!

The floor kept changing colors...it was really neat. The whole time we were there they played kids songs / dance music on a large screen on the wall near the dance floor. It was definitely entertaining when the kids needed a break.

Back to the spinning thing...this picture cracks me up b/c I am totally watching my 2 kids fall. I am sure I helped them up like 2 seconds later, or laughed at them b/c I had just put them on...you know, either one :)

Last but not least...we promised the kids one slide on the slide with Mommy & Daddy before we headed out for the day. (Not to mention promising to come back soon :)

Whee!

Mommy's turn!

We packed up and headed out to one of our favorite lunch spots.

Can you guess where? ha! Yum! We love their under $4 menu. The kids ate it up and were pretty exhausted by the time we got home. The rest of the day consisted of naps, football and games with Daddy (while Mommy got to have a night out with the girls :)

Off to get some sleep and plan what kind of adventure / trouble we can get into tomorrow, cause that's how we roll. :)

Another beginning...

2012-01-01T21:33:00.001-05:00

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go

Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

Light unto the world
Light unto my life
I will live for you alone
You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone

In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there joy, unending joy
and I will follow

Where you go, I'LL GO
Where you stay, I'LL STAY
When you move, I'LL MOVE
I will follow you
Who you love, I'LL LOVE
How you serve I'LL SERVE
If this life I lose, I will follow YOU

I will FOLLOW you

New Year's is always an exciting time for me, I love beginnings. I love projects and starting something new. I love that anything is possible, and it is all up to us. A clean slate, a fresh new day or year, a time to look back and be motivated to do even more.

I don't have any new "resolutions" this year, b/c resolutions can be broken...more like a promise to have a new normal. A promise to give more of myself. To stop worrying about others perception of our life and their opinions and live life fully and exactly the way the Lord has prepared us. To follow when the Lord prompts without hesitation and listen when He is calling. I want to take a step closer everyday to being the wife, mother and Christian He has called me to be.

I know the Lord is working in our lives and I can't wait to see what He has in store in 2012. Please be in prayer for our family as we start new adventures (Hubby starts school 1/9/12) , begin to teach our children what it really means to serve (new opportunities, including our new monthly prayer focus day), and look for the Lord's prompting in 2012. We appreciate your love and support. I know that we are blessed beyond measure. God is good, all the time!

Happy Bday B10 & CW

2011-12-29T21:49:00.000-05:00

Today we got to spend another morning with the cousins :) My sister threw a birthday / get-together party for the boys so all of their friends could come and play and see CW before he heads back to his Dad's. It was B10's birthday and a beautiful day outside, so it worked out great. The kids were excited to do something different and loved hanging out with their cousins a little more before our routine kicked back in next week. I realized looking through my pictures I don't have one of the birthday boy or CW, unless you count at the table. They crack me up...it was hard to catch them at the end to get a hug :) I think they had a great morning hanging out with their friends.

Me and my kiddos playing on the see-saw :)

The other side of our see-saw (plus Sister, who just likes to be in pictures :) Cookie & cousin GO. Silly girls.

ha! They switched again...the see-saw was a big hit I guess.

The many faces of Brother...ha!

I like the eye brow raise in this one...

and a sweet one with Cookie.

A bunch of kiddos ready for something to eat (and I mean a BUNCH...I think there were like 18 of them :)

CFA, chips and cake...can't beat that!

It was a little chilly in the shade, but the sun warmed us up quickly. Doc was off work this week, so it was fun for the little ones to get to hang with him some too.

It was a great day! We had a lot of fun hanging out and the kids wore themselves out. We headed home around 1pm and went straight to bed for a nap. I knew the last few days had been long for them and they both slept until after 4pm. We had a relaxing evening. Played a little wii (Just Dance), watched a movie (Curious George) and had a picnic lunch. I am glad we have a few more days to get the house in order. The only other exciting thing I did today was use some Christmas money from family to renew our Children's Museum membership...yay!!! You all get to hear about more free museums all year. Gotta love it, that's how we roll. I can't wait to find new ones to visit and making plans to spend the day downtown at Imagine It! Love it!

Christmas time with Granddaddy and R/

2011-12-29T09:35:00.001-05:00

This year my Dad (Granddaddy :) and R/ came down to visit us a couple of days after Christmas. It was fun to have something to look forward too after the holidays too. We were excited b/c Uncle J and Great Granddaddy were coming from out of town too. With my Sister and her kids and my Brother coming too we were going to be a full house! The girls started the day by trying on some adorable Christmas hats R/ brought...they were princess Santa hats...right up our alley :)

R/ and the little girls...Sister and cousin, GO

Me and my girl :)

Us with R/

and all the older girls together. I thought they were all cute pictures! So fun!

Meanwhile, the little girls were happy to love on their Granddaddy.

Family picture time! There were 13 of us and I think we did a pretty good job getting everyone in. (Oops...Hubby did a good job getting everyone in :)

Present time! The plan was kids presents before dinner, dinner (bbq-yum), and adult presents after dinner (with kids playing upstairs and watching a movie:). The plan worked well I think. The kids had a good time and I love watching everyone open their presents.

Everyone got a good seat and chilled to watch the action!

Me :) I postioned myself behind my kiddos, so I could help open...etc.

Sister got a really cool bubble "necklace"... it holds the bubbles around your next, so they don't spill. It came with a bubble flute that you can blow bubbles with...so neat!

Brother got a very cool traveling activity. ( I was excited to get a few things for each of them like this, since we have been taking more car trips lately. It is perfect for riding in the car.) It is a Fire Rescue magnetic book...you can create "scenes" and move the men around. It was really cool!

More opening.... R/ has an order we go in. It keeps everything organized and exciting :)

Sister and GO each got a book set that were adorable!! One was the "Boogie Monster" (Sister) who likes to dance and one was the "Tickle Monster" (GO) who likes to tickle :) Sister's also came with a CD to boogie too. Sister of course heard the word MONSTER and wouldn't touch the book. We had to work her into it the next day (pictures to follow). GO took her roll as tickle monster very seriously though...she was a hoot!

Um...this is poop soap. Really. ha!

The older boys were not to sure about it...

Sister opening her Minnie Mouse...BIG FAN! She played with that toy the rest of the day :) Later I found her in the playroom introducing all her new dolls to each other (Minnie, new Snap & Style from Kiki and Dora from Nonnie...they all had to meet everyone. So sweet :)

Uncle A putting together Brother's remote control car that is the BOMB. It works SO good. He has played with it any chance we let him (it is a little loud indoors, but the upstairs room is perfect :)

Brother also got an "airport". Complete with plane, travel bus, etc...I actually haven't seen much of that toy b/c the older boys took it upstairs to put it together to play with while they watched a movie last night. I am going to go check it out! :)

See?! He was ready to go with the car...it is neat, it can drive on either side and flips while you are driving it.

The kids also opened presents from Uncle J, Great Granddaddy and Aunt Kiki (and us for the other kiddos :). Our kids were certainly blessed this season.

B10s new wii game ;) / CW got another Lego Brickmaster / & GO got an Olivia tea set.

Sister got "Just Dance Kids" which was a big hit with everyone later :)

My kiddos also got a new dual screen dvd player for car trips too :)

The girls both got new baby dolls from Great Granddaddy and they couldn't rip into them fast enough :)

Brother got some new tools for his tool bench :) (The little girls liked that gift too! To be far any toy within their reach was fair game :) Brother got a charger for his leapster too ( I said that was really a gift for us since we won't have to buy batteries anymore :)

He also got a new Star Wars game from Aunt Kiki.

and Sister got some pjs for her Rapunzel doll.

and of course, an adorable lollidots hat :)

More fun travel toys from Uncle J (with an Olivia book, Tinkerbell coloring book and Thomas DVD too!) Brother got a cool new game (that I can't wait to play at family game night) and a little money to pick something he would like :) He put it in his bank, so I am not sure he remembers it is there...to tell him, or not?! That is the question.

Uncle A took the opportunity to pass out some gifts from him since we had a little time and we are all big kids anyway :) Uncle J got a real Japanese slot machine that uses tokens. It had lights and pictures flashing everywhere.

Even the little kids were enthralled by it... too funny!

After our BBQ dinner (yum) went sent the boys upstairs to play with their new toys and the little girls into our bedroom to watch Dora, and it was the adults turn to open gifts. We all had a great time sitting around and spending time together.

By the end of the night we were all pretty tuckered out. The kids all put on their pjs and everyone headed home for the night. CW and Brother had a sleepover, since he was only in town for a few days, but they were even asleep pretty quickly once their heads hit the pillow. I am glad everyone went to sleep, we had another couple of busy days in store, b/c that's how we roll :) More to come...

Christmas #2 Continued

2011-12-28T23:39:00.003-05:00

The next morning we "talked" Sister into trying on her boogie shoes. She still wasn't very excited at first, but at least willing to give it a shot. I think they are ADORABLE! Silly Sister!!

We turned on the CD so we all could dance. CW even boogied with us to try and get her into it...maybe it was too early in the AM :)

It was a pretty relaxed day, at some point the boys ended up in the living room (teaching Granddaddy and Great Granddaddy how to play golf on the wii :)

Hubby hung out in the kitchen and put on the chili and baked potatoes for dinner - yum!

and the girls played with a lot of things in the playroom (dolls, games, etc - but no boggie shoes :)

Who know what started the next activity?! Probably just a Granddaddy hug :)

but this happened...

All the little kids had a horsey to ride...GO on CW, Sister was on B10 and Brother on Granddaddy...I think Sister had claimed his spot here : )

Then, the girls decided to put on a show...it you say the Christmas program at BBP it was a little like that, but louder :) Gotta love my girl. I feel like I am going to see her on stage on of these days!

It turned out to be a pretty day outside, so we all got out of the house a little bit and let the kids run around the backyard. (And I think the adults wanted to check out the chickens :)

Uncle A showed up to hang with us and help put together some more of our Christmas gifts b/c he is good like that.

Sister remembered she got bubbles for Christmas and was ALL over that ;)

R/ showed her how to use her "bubble flute"...it was really neat.

She caught on pretty well...I was just worried she was going to suck in...yuck.

CW took Sister for a spin in the truck :)

And she hung out on the swing set for a while...notice the new mulch? SO glad we finally got it in that area. It looks good. Good job Hubby :)

GO got a big bubble wand for Christmas and Granddaddy took turns holding the girls and making the big bubbles come out. (The boys just had fun chasing them and popping them! ) GO really got the hang of it, she was able to run with the wand open and make big bubbles just like Granddaddy!

We came in and had Hubby's yummy dinner, then the girls broke out the tool box to fix things around the house. They moved onto dressup pretty quickly...I am surprised I don't have Snow White and a cheerleader with the tools!

Sweet GO!

Silly Sister :)

The girls were learning from the best!

Hubby was working on something too :)

There is little cheerleader with "her" new Mulan doll.

We had a lot of fun hanging out with everyone. We let the kids play and the adult were able to sit around and talk and spend some time together. I am looking forward to doing it again soon. Our kids are definitely going to need a nap tomorrow though, b/c that's how we roll :) ha!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T22:23:00.000-05:00

The kids actually slept in a little this morning (7:45am), so we still had to move kind of quick this morning. I was VERY thankful we had done the majority of gifts the night before. We saved our stockings for in the AM and the kids couldn't wait to open them.

Brother got a cover for his leapster with 2 more games inside...so excited!

Sister got "Beauty and the Beast"

and Brother got "Cars 2"...he had to wait until this evening to watch it. He has been pretty patient waiting, but he was thrilled to see it in his stocking and realize he was finally going to get to watch it. :)

Sister's new lollidot hat...isn't it adorable?!

I got a green scarf and Just Dance 3... sorry to early for my eyes to be open I guess!

Hubby got candy, gum, a play-station game and Josh Hamilton's book. We ate a quick breakfast, cooked our meal to take to the church, got dressed and loaded up the car to head out about 9:30am. The rain slowed us down a little, but we got there in plenty of time.

We had a wonderful time of fellowship and serving the people in our community. I enjoyed getting to talk to the families in need, hear some of their stories and share presents with them. My favorite part was probably watching my kids serve too. Even just a smile or playing with another child, gave them the opportunity to do something that we don't always take the time out to do. I hope it is an opportunity that the Lord gives us more often. It was truly amazing to see that many people working together to serve others on Christmas morning.

After church we headed to Hubby's parent's house for presents and lunch. The kids were excited to see some more family and hang out for a while. I grabbed a couple of pictures around the tree while they were still "put together" ...ha!

Next we all got in the living room and began opening our presents for each other. I love giving gifts! It is so much fun to see what everyone gets :)

A new omelet pan for Nonnie and Papa....

Sister patiently waiting her turn....

A personalized 2012 calendar with our pictures for Grandma.

New clothes for her "dolly" for Sister.

I think this was the Licoln Logs for Brother...I actually can't wait to play with these tomorrow!

Cute pink outfit for Sister...

A happy Hubby :P

Puzzle and pony for Sister... (Brother has a puzzle like this too. I love them!)

Rescue Bots Fire station for Brother!! He specifically asked Nonnie for this and she delivered = One happy boy!

More clothes for "dolly"...these were pjs .

My bag FULL of goodies...literally, there was SO much fun stuff in there. Cookbook, coffee, pictures, notebook, candle, lotion, pot holders, etc!!

I felt like I opened forever. ha! It was great!

Cousin CP arrived! (With his people too :)

Brother ready to open his Rescue Bot.

Hubby happy to oblige.

He played like this for a good portion of the afternoon.

We switched places and the next set of family took their place in "present row" :)

Yay! from CP

We got Hubby's sister and new scarf set (like my green one, but striped - love it!)

Brother got Toy Story 3 for his leapster from Aunt LP and Uncle RP.

Family picture time! (I grabbed them all while they were close. I didn't want to forget to get one on Christmas :)

Next we ate a delicious lunch (seriously, it was YUMMO.) And the younger kids went off to nap, Brother placed himself in the dining room with some new toys, the ladies gravitated to the kitchen and the guys hung out in the living room. We had a good time catching up and spending some time together.

Brother's "town"...he was so proud of himself :)

After we left Grandma and Grandpa's we headed over to Cookie and Doc's house to deliver a few more gifts, get some treats and hang out for a little bit. The kids were excited our day wasn't over quite yet!

My "little" brother was there too, so we were able open gifts together. We had a nice time visiting with everyone.

The kids also had fun opening a few more gifts :)

Brother got another book to read ( I am excited about this one too) and some great new Ole Miss shirts.

Sister got some new leotards for dance class, but she immediately wanted to put them on and show off her stuff...she is such a hoot. Pretty impressive toe work , though right?!

We headed home to grab a quick bite to eat, pick up a few things and watch the promised Cars 2 movie. It was a great Christmas Day. I love that we were able to serve, spend time with friends and family and were truly blessed by those who love us. We have some more family coming in town this week, so I am looking forward to hanging onto Christmas for a few more days. Tomorrows plan though is to sleep, clean and rest cause that is how we roll. :)

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-24T21:21:00.003-05:00

Our 1st blessing of this Christmas season was that Hubby got to be home with us on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, since this is not always the case, we were very excited :) I love traditions and we usually have to do ones that work "on the go" too, but this was the 1st year Brother started anticipating what was next. Hubby was home this year, but we had opted to help serve at our church Christmas morning, so we still opted for doing most of our Christmas traditions the night before.

We always attend one of the Christmas Eve services at church. Brother was old enough to sit with us this year and Sister had a good friend to play with in the nursery, so it worked out great :) Before we left Hubby stayed behind for a few minutes and put all the gifts into place. (We had to be out of the house by 9:30am the next day, so mainly for timesake we thought it would be fun to do the gifts on Christmas Eve. Plus we were heading straight from church to Hubby's parents and then my family, so we wanted them to have a chance to play with them.) The service was at 3:30pm, so our plan was to surprise them with presents, cook a huge breakfast for dinner and hang out for the rest of the evening. It was perfect!

Our kids each get 3 presents, since that is how many Jesus got on his birthday. (And they each pick out for one each other.)

The kids were so surprised when we got home and Brother made us laugh b/c he decided, in his 5 year old mind, that Jesus must have left them for us. We don't really "do" Santa at our house. We talk about him and recognize him, but we try to teach our kids that Santa loves Jesus and he is helping kids who need him. We say that anyone can be a "Santa" when we help someone in need or give presents out of love to the people we care about. We did do our stockings in the morning, so I would assume if they think Santa left anything it would be that. ha! It gets a little confusing when people ask them about it, but they roll with it pretty well. I just remind them who the season is all about :)

Christmas Eve picture and silly picture :) I still had them open their pjs first and put them on before we could open anything else!

Sweet kiddos ;) (Notice the "Y" above their heads? It is our 2011 family ornament. I had a really tough time finding all of our initials this year, like I usually do, so I got the "Y" and 4 white snowflakes to go with. I love it!)

They were happy posing for pictures...yay Christmas spirit!

1st gift (besides the pjs) were the gifts they got for each other... Snow White costumer for Sister and Hal-E-Copter (Rescue Hero) for Brother. My mistake letting her open that 1st, she wanted to be Snow White the rest of the night... I have to persuade her to wait until after brinner.

**We don't have pictures of them opening the big presents. hmm... I think we were videotaping the entire time. Silly us! The rundown is as follows -

Brother (1) Leapster (2) Jake Justice (Rescue Hero) (3) Lego Table

Sister (1) Snap &Style Doll Closet (2) Baby Doll (3) Baby Doll furniture

After that they had a few presents to open from their cousins. A cute outfit for Sister and a new "big boy" toothbrush for Brother. Love it!

Hubby's turn!

Go Daddy Go!

Denim Chore Coat for work...yay! (He pretty much knew it was coming...it can be hard to surprise him with work stuff :)

Perfect fit.

Mommy's turn...Bath & Body Works is always good :)

Hubby also got me a new personalized door mat and cross. I LOVED them. It was a great idea. (That is Brother's lego table next to me...Hubby did a great job on that too :)

Sister's baby doll & furniture. This little set was perfect. It has a bed, bath tub, kitchen and baby seat. We are going to let Sister keep it in her room. She loves it!

My cross...isn't it beautiful?!

Hubby's next box...boxers and undershirts. (I was trying to throw him off a little, but he did really need them :)

We had the big surprise coming next. The KIDS and I had kept it a secret for almost a month! They did SO good. We found the grill he wanted at Lowe's in November and have been hiding it at a friend's house. They dropped it off yesterday and I made a hole for it in the garage. He had NO idea. I love surprises! It is SO fun! Picture is Brother explaining how we surprised him...ha!

Yay! We ended our night going to be a little early and looking forward to serving at church in the AM. It was a wonderful night. I am truly blessed by the family the Lord has given me.

Celebrating 10 years

2011-12-22T18:53:00.000-05:00

10 years ago today I was saying my vows, dancing, and eating dinner at Chateau Elan. My biggest Christmas worry was making it to the airport the next morning to get on our flight to the Bahamas. I was a pretty "relaxed" bride. I just wanted to enjoy the day and my friends and family who had come to celebrate with us. After 5years Hubby and I were ready for the next step, altough I can say at the time we could not even imagine the ups and downs and blessings the Lord had in store for us.

Today we celebrated by spending the day together. Just us, no kids (thanks Mom! :). We had big plans to go zip lining and the weather was NOT agreeing with us, so I went to google and started searching for something new and different for us to do....

See, I even had to wear my rain boots? It was yucky all day :(

We made a quick stop to eat breakfast and chill for a little bit at Atlanta Bread Company. Yummo. And it was only about 5 minutes from our destination! ( I was glad Hubby was on board with my idea :)

We ended up in an office complex in Suwanee that's website boasted some of the best rock climbing in the area. (and a great place for beginners!) It cracked me up when we 1st got there and signed in b/c I kept saying we were both beginners and Hubby was like, you do know I work with rope and heights everyday right?! Ha! I never even thought about him using that stuff at work :) I changed into some more comfy clothes (which I am SO glad I brought - it was really a work out!) and we got all strapped in. ** Please note that the guy helping us was almost as tall as me on his knees. ha! We had a lot of discussions about height today... and how I WAS climbing as high as Hubby if you deduct the height correctly :P

Yay for safety! It took me about 30 minutes on the wall to really feel like I wasn't going to fall if I slipped, but that the ropes / Hubby would "catch" me.

Look, we match :)

Okay, here I go. It was hard to get some pictures while we were climbing, since technically the other person should be holding the rope! But we made it work :)

I think I was nervous about this one. I kept telling Hubby it wasn't the height that bothered me, just feeling like I was slipping of the wall. After I did it once and realized I wasn't going to fall to the ground, it was a lot better.

Hubby was a pro...I think he just scooted up every wall we tried. The hardest part was when he was coming down. We realized pretty quick if I brought him down to fast, I would start to go up with him. ( The guy helping grabbed my harness a couple of times...it helped :) It was fun to do something where we were totally trusting each other to keep us stable.

This wall was a booger. I made my "goal" the large blue circle in the middle. You had to do up a different level to get to it, which was not the easiest task of the day. I actually went a bit further and was very proud of myself. (Even when the little girl, I would say around 8, scaled it with ease next to me :) I don't think it is a fair race until she does it at 32 too.

Getting over that lip was not easy... I blamed my short arms a lot today :)

On my way up!

Hubby at the top! (To be fair he could scale the wall in about 8 steps, it would take me 15 :)

But on the last wall of the day I made it to the top too! Yay me! My Hubby turned out to be a great encourager. It was a lot of fun to do something I had no idea I could do today :)

The facility was great. I really look forward to taking the kids one day. They had a couple of kids camps going on while we were there and the staff seemed really great with them. Brother already can't wait to be old enough to go :)

They had a cute wall in the back that kids could climb up and slide down the slide. In the beginning I was a little worried I was going to end up over there. ha!

The people there were great. They really helped us feel at ease climbing and were there to answer any questions we had. I am looking forward to going back with Hubby soon. It would be a perfect date night!

Check it out on the web if you are looking for something new to do... we highly recommend it!

After our "adventurous" morning, we headed to lunch at Longhorn- YUM! We spent the rest of the day finishing a few things on our Christmas list and dodging some of the crowds. We couldn't wait to get home and see our kiddos and hear about their day. Cookie had made sure to bring some fun things to do...honestly I don't even think they had time to miss us :)

We don't always celebrate our anniversary since it is so close to Christmas, but today was a lot of fun. I am glad we took the time out of a BUSY week to focus on each other. Love it!

And lastly...my 10 favorite things over the last 10 years:

(1) Our growth in the Lord (joining FBL in 2002 / being (re) baptized in 2009)

(2) Brother finally joining our family (2006)

(3) Sister completing our family(2009)

(4) Family Memories / Vacations (Disney World / Disneyland / Beach)

(5) New friends and old friends...we have been blessed beyond measure!

(6) Family who love us unconditionally

(7) Fire station holidays (gotta love them!)

(8) Finding careers that we both love and knowing that we are where the Lord wants us.

(9) Understanding that the Lord's timing is always best...we have SO many examples in our life.

(10) Trying new and fun activities with the people I love, because that is how we roll...

BBP Program, Happy Bday Jesus Party and Christmas FUN

2011-12-14T17:04:00.041-05:00

The Christmas holidays are among us! We had one (very) busy last week at school and some exciting projects at home. The kids and I pulled out a Christmas gift from my secret pal at work the other day. I had been saving it from a chilly, pj day and the were excited to do something new. I helped them get started, but we had a candy gingerbread village in no time!

Before:

Brother working diligently (and probably trying not to get messy if I could guess).

Sister working hard to put the candy on the house and NOT in her mouth. (She looks so big to me in this picture!)

Brother placing the finishing touches...

Ta da!

Mommy's house...

and Sister's house. (and a little hand probably reaching to steal some candy:)

Monkey see...

Monkey do.

Our gingerbread village...still in one piece.

Tuesday morning (and evening) the kids at BBP put on their Christmas program. They did GREAT! Grandpa and Grandma joined us for the morning performance and Cookie came to watch the kids that night. The kids were so cute! Sister and her friend MP cracked everyone up with their singing. They belted it out for everyone to hear. Love it!

Sister and her cousin, GO had matching dresses for the morning performance...so sweet. I am sure my sister has a picture of them together. They looked adorable.

Now time to play, find the kid - This one should be pretty easy...she has her mouth wide open!

Brother is a little harder to see. Hint- his shirt is green :)

Thursday was Happy Birthday Jesus Parties! The kids were excited that Hubby was able to come too. It is always a special time at the school. We were very blessed with treats and goodies to bring home over the break...I will be munching on goodies until the New Year - YUM!

Reindeer sandwiches...so cute! I loved this idea for their lunch.

I am glad I grabbed a quick picture with Sister, b/c every other picture she is shoving food in her mouth. Gotta love that girl.

We have a lot of fun activities planned over the holidays. I can't wait to get started...#1 on the list is sleeping in tomorrow :)

Christmas Time at "the Rock"

2011-12-12T23:55:00.000-05:00

Last night was our annual holiday trip to "the rock"...one of our favorite parks in our area. (Last year's visit was a great addition to our Thanksgiving vacation.) Since my MIL works there, she got us some awesome discounts! It makes the day even more enjoyable not worried about how much it is costing :) I think we literally paid $2.39 all night. THANK YOU GRANDMA!! The kids love going and they LOVE seeing Grandma at work :)

Our 1st stop was the Holly Jolly Cabaret show...Hubby and I really enjoyed it. (Especially her impression of the Snow Angel if you have ever seen it...ha!) Sister was mesmerized all night by the shows. She loves singing and dancing, so she sat still and pretty much didn't move in any of the shows. They did a great job! I think I will be able to take them to a musical soon :)

Next we hopped in line to see the Snow Angel. We went on a Sunday night, so the crowd was pretty slim...which was AMAZING! It really helped make our "schedule" run a little more smoothly. It is hard to fit everything in if there are mega-lines everywhere.

The kids enjoyed seeing her...and the costumes Grandma helped make, aren't they great :)

We grabbed dinner (fried chicken, fries and green beans) and the Granite Cafe (with free coupons :) and then booked it over to the other side of Crossroads to catch the Toy Show. Grandma was helping control the crowds for that one, so we got to see her too :) The kids thought that show was great and wanted to meet the superhero after-wards. Love it!

The parade was next, but since we had an earlier dinner, we had a quick potty break and went to grab a snack to eat during the parade. Funnel cakes and hot chocolate (another coupon) were a big hit! The kids had never had funnel cakes before, so they were excited :)

We parked ourselves near the end of the parade route and near the doors of the next show on our list (tip from Grandma to watch down there, so we could get good seats for the next show.) We enjoyed eating, listening to the music and enjoying the beautiful lights while we waited for the parade to get there. We were keeping our eyes peeled for Grandma...

Kisses for Brother...

Dancing with Sister...

She put on her own show for us...

Go Sister, go!

Silly Brother :)

The big tree! (I was about to get a picture with Hubby when the guy yelled at us to get on the side of the road b/c the parade was coming! )

We got to see the Snow Angel again in the parade (and her float blew snow in the air...so cool!)

Sister was in awe...I love this picture!

There is Grandma!!

and Santa of course...we were already in line for the show by this point (Hubby got the picture). The crowd was coming!

Luckily, our tip paid off and we ended up in the front row for Simply Christmas. It was my favorite show of the night...fun upbeat music, good dancing and a great tribute to the real meaning of Christmas. (Sister found the puppy hat and insisted on wearing it...so funny.)

My practice shot of the stage without the flash, my MIL told me to have my camera ready...

I think she told the cast her son was in the audience and the pulled him up on stage during "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus." ha!

The kids were so funny they didn't know what was going on...and I am pretty sure Sister just wanted to be on stage too.

Sister and one of the cast members after the show. She loved the way their hair bounced while they were dancing...she kept trying to make her pigtails do the same thing. :)

A quick picture with Grandma.

We missed the next train by about 5 minutes b/c we took a quick potty break, so we grabbed a quick treat (our $2.39 :) and waited for the next one. The kids didn't seem to mind, they had plenty lights, etc to keep them entertained.

My silly people...

The train was chilly...it was the 1st time I was cold all night, but we bundled up and cuddled together to enjoy the lights and story. I love the train at Christmas time b/c they stop and present a short story sharing the real meaning of Christmas called "The Gift", totally worth waiting to ride it.

Sister breakin' it down a little more...she is a mess.

Kisses...if I get a cold, we know why! It is hard to say no to a kiss though :)

Sister was finally a little over taking pictures (or her face was cold) ha! We made the train our last activity for the night and headed home pretty quickly after-wards.

We had a wonderful day and can't wait to do it again next year. We are so blessed by our family and the people who love us! I love that we can make the most out of our time together. We have a busy week ahead, so hopefully I will keep up to date on my postings. I love going places where they remember the real reason for the season!

JTB 2011

2011-12-10T16:51:00.014-05:00

Tonight we headed out to our churches Journey to Bethlehem presentation. It is an interactive walk thru that leads you to the birth of Christ. It is awesome, trust me. We met my Sister and one of her kiddos there. The kids had fun hanging with cousin B10.

We had to wait about 30 minutes while they played music and games on the stage. Hubby was technically "working" that night (they need an EMT on the grounds), but he hung out with us until they needed him.

I love this girl!

and this sweet boy :)

Cousins!

I didn't take many pictures of the actual walk thru...go next year, it is great, but I did grab a picture of the camel at the end. Cool, huh. He was a nice camel, named Clyde I believe.

Sister helped feed him some hay ;0

It was a great evening. It ran for 6 nights and our church had a record attendance of almost 4500 people. Crazy! I love how people are truly teaching their families about the real reason for the season. God is good!

5 years?!

2011-12-05T21:33:00.023-05:00

Happy 5th Birthday Brother!!

I am in awe of the little boy the Lord placed in our family. He is a tender-hearted, practical, loyal, little boy. I can't even begin to imagine what the Lord has in store for his life. He never forgets our devotion time at night, loves to talk about what he is learning in school and at church, and challenges me and holds me accountable to stay in the word and be the Mom I know he deserves. I love how much he loves his Sister and that he isn't too big yet to still love cuddling with us.

The last 5 years truly have flown by. It feels like a few short moments ago we were praying for kids and struggling with the inability, but 5 years later I feel more than blessed. We take our family life very seriously and our family days are always my favorite...even if it just means napping on the couch together or putting together Legos. I love that anything can be fun!

Brother's 5yr check-up went well (until he learned he was getting a flu shot, then we had LOTS of tears...this week is already wearing me out :). He is in the 50th percentile for his height and 75th percentile for his weight. (43lbs and 43inches tall...easy to remember!) All of his tests look great and besides the tears over the "pinch" we all left with happy news and faces :)

We are looking forward to the holidays this year. I love getting the opportunity to discuss the reason we believe what we do everyday. There is always something that brings it up! Teaching that giving is better than receiving has been our main motto this year. We have tried to take the opportunity to let the kids help with presents. At our house we teach that anyone can be a "santa" by giving presents to someone who is in need. We love this time together and I look forward to all the new memories we are going to make. I am sure the next 5 years are going to fly by just as fast! We love you Brother!

Happy "Lego" Birthday Brother!

2011-12-03T20:35:00.003-05:00

Party time!! Today we celebrated Brother's 5th birthday...I am not sure where the last 5 years went, I remember praying for him like it was yesterday. He asked for a Lego party and we decided to celebrate at the fire station (with the park next door). It worked out perfectly. We had beautiful weather, an amazing turn out, (it was the 1st year Brother made a list of who to invite...silly boy, he loves his friends at school :), and the kids really seemed to enjoy checking out the fire station (plus the bay was a great size to hold everyone).

I took a few pictures of the decorations before everyone got there. (It isn't too fancy, still a fire station, you know?! :)

I didn't even realize Sister jumped in this one until later...ha! The party was 10:30-12:30pm so we focused on snacks (veggies, fruit, puffercorn, pretzels and cake...perfect for little people :)

Drink table and where all the gifts went (Brother has HOURS of lego building ahead of him...just wait you will see :)

Brother and Sister colored some signs to hang at the station and the playground that said "Happy Birthday Brother" with a lego man.

Family pictures on the fire truck! (Hubby was actually working today, so we prayed he didn't get a call, but I told everyone at least on the positive side if he did, the kids would get to see lights and sirens. Thankfully he got to stay with us the whole time :)

Sister's coloring sheet and sign for the playground (she was a little distracted :)

Brother's friends started to get there and I didn't see him much for the next couple of hours...at least not in the sea of other children.

Sister and Cousin, GO. Sweet friends, Sister was SO happy she was there :)

I am pretty sure this was right after some more of his buddies got there....they ran to each other like they hadn't seen each other in forever. Love it! They ran around on the playground for about 15 minutes until pretty much everyone got there. And then we started a few games...

When I have that many kids under 6 or so, I like to have a plan :) I came up with a few games we could play with legos to help tie in the theme. I told all the kids 4 and older (or others if they wanted to play) to come to the field next to the playground and I split them into 3 teams.

The 1st game they had to run to a bucket filled with legos and a few pennies. They had to find the penny, pass it to me and then run tag the next player. It was a cute relay race and they did really well.

Next we used megablocks and spread 20 of each color out all over the field. Each team had to find all 20 of their blocks and build a tower 1st. They did wonderful!! I was really proud of how well they did...and Brother said it was one of his favorite parts. (He is definitely our kid... we love games!)

I loved watching them all use their "team building skills" ha! Preschoolers can work together!

These 3 boys did great! Brother was excited they won this game... I can see them working together for many years :)

Ha! I love this picture...

Sister found someone to push her in the swing...I am honestly not sure who. Probably Grandpa :)

After the games we headed to the bay / station for Hubby to show the kids his gear and do his "preschool" talk. They all seemed to really like it. They asked questions, sat still and enjoyed watching him put on all his gear. (We didn't time him this time!)

They try to teach the kids to not be scared of them in all their gear...it is a great lesson to learn, so if they see a firefighter in an emergency situation it won't freak them out (well freak them out any more hopefully).

We tried to get a picture of all the kids by the firetruck (the birthday boy is behind his Sister). They did great except they were facing the sun :)

Next the got to try on Hubby's gear, sit in the fire truck and color some pictures...they kind of rotated through at their own pace.

The line for the firetruck...

Brother is creeping in his good friend AM's picture...ha!

Coloring table...

Lastly, we all sat back down in the bay, sang Happy Birthday to Brother and ate some yummy snacks.

I wasn't sure if we would get a chance to open presents there, but since we still had some time he went for it!

Transformers mask...

Batman craft set and Legos! (Legos are a common theme...we are trying to build his "supply", so it was great!)

Thor hammer!

Legos...

and Legos :)

We played on the playground a little more before we headed out (and while we were cleaning). It was a beautiful day and I was glad we could take advantage of it. A big thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us and my Mom for being my extra pair of hands this morning while Hubby was at the station. (And my Sister who took some pictures and stuff for us. Love it!) While the were napping I emptied the car, made Brother's thank you list and put everything away...well except his pile. This is much bigger than his Christmas haul will be (which as a friend pointed out to me the other day is the right way to do it anyway...celebrate Brother on his b-day and Jesus on his :).

This is just the Lego stuff... (notice the towel on top...so cute!)

He knew we had to write thank you notes before he could play with anything, so he woke up from nap ready to color, cut, tape and write. I thought they turned out cute!

Sister and I helped him color a little, but he did good filling out the rest himself.

Afterwards, we had fun opening some of the presents and watching the football game. It was a great day and wore us all out. Another great example of taking all the fun to Hubby AT the fire station. Gotta love it, cause that's how we roll. Just a couple more days until I have a 5 year old! Wow!

Thanksgiving Continued :)

2011-11-24T21:55:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving part 2...we were still at the fire station, but we had some visitors stop by to hang out with us for a little while. The kids didn't know they were coming and were excited to show them around. It is always fun to see Nonnie, Papa, Grandma AND Grandpa :)

Family Picture :) *We had to wait until someone else was here to take it for us...ha!

Hubby and his grandparents...

Hubby & his Dad

and all the boys together, 4 generations. love it!

and all the girls :)

We had a great time visiting and catching up. Most of them (minus Grandma :(, she has to work) are coming over for dinner tomorrow night. We are really looking forward to it. Family time is fun!

Happy Thanksgiving from Station 9

2011-11-24T15:02:00.002-05:00

Food is in the oven- check, football on TV- check, kids napping- check (the highlight of their life today, actually :), & family memories being made. It just all happens to be at the fire station. A lot of people on FB have been listing each day what they are thankful for...I think I will just do mine in one post while the kids are napping and Hubby is "watching football" - whatever, he is napping too :)

(1) My Savior who loves me unconditionally, despite me failures, and teaches me more about true love every single day.

(2) My Hubby, who is completely and totally sold out to the Lord and our family. I am more than blessed by what the Lord has given me and the man that my husband has become.

(3) Brother is an honest, hardworking, practical little boy. He has so much of his Daddy & Mommy in him...and he got all the good stuff. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for his life.

(4) Sister is our ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Only God knew how much she would change our lives and the dynamic of our family. We wouldn't be who we are without her!

(5&6) I know, I am putting 2 together, but trust me if I listed them all it would be WAY longer. I am thankful for Christian friends. A few years ago we began praying for couples to be in our life that would change us, help us grow and hold us accountable. The Lord has blessed us beyond measure. We have small group friends, loyal, dedicated, life-long friends, and friends we consider family.

(7) Our family...life hasn't always been easy, but our families are people that no matter what will always be there. I am thankful that my kids have people like this in their lives who love them and only want the best for them.

(8) Our church...we have been members of our church for about 9 1/2 years. It is the only church we have gone to since leaving the church we both grew up at, and I still know without a shadow of doubt it is where we are supposed to be. The Holy Spirit is moving and I am honored that the Lord has included our family in His plans there.

(9) Although the fire department might not always work on my schedule, I am thankful for the job my husband has. He gets to do a job he loves and is surrounded by a brotherhood of men who strengthen each other and invest in each others lives.

(10) BBP wasn't even on my radar a few years ago, but not only did the Lord lead me there to work (with some AMAZING women), but he lead me to a place for my children to belong. Spiritually, mentally and physically this school has meet the needs of our family for many years and I will forever be grateful to the foundation that has been set for my children.

(11) I truly believe laughter really is one of the best medicines. I LOVE to laugh. It is the reason I prefer comedies to drama (unless there is a "drama" that makes me laugh- Castle / double plus :). The reason we love to watch AFV with the kids and the reason I love practical jokes. Laughing is just good for you, period.

(12) I think love is a good medicine too. It can be harder to take and even harder to hand out, but the Lord has really been working on me regarding this one this year. "Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul and mind." I have been challenged to LOVE the Lord with everything I have and then love others the same way. Not an easy task when you have been hurt, or don't agree...but that isn't what he asks of us...just love.

(13) Our home is a very special place to me. A few years ago I would have easily sold it to the highest bidder (when there were actually bidders :), but today I love it. I love the things that make it ours, I love the memories that have been made there, and I am grateful for the roof over our heads, heat in the winter, and AC in the summer.

(14) Today is a beautiful day! I am thankful for the amazing FALL weather. I love that we can play outdoors, go geocaching and spend time together enjoying something that the Lord created so beautifully for us.

(15) I am also thankful today for medicine...mainly ibuprofen b/c I pulled a muscle in my back (and it is a big help when Hubby has migraines :), but really any medicine and the doctors who are trained to use them.

(16) And I am also thankful that when medicine doesn't work, sometimes there are miracles that do. It changed our life, we are eternally grateful.

(17) The testimony the Lord has given us is powerful and I am thankful for the good times and the hard times b/c it made us the people that we are today.

(18) The Lord places convictions in our lives to make us stronger, to set an example and to grow our faith. I am thankful for the convictions He places in our life and on our family. And I am even more thankful for a husband who stands by our convictions and doesn't let public opinion sway them.

(19) I am thankful for the men and women who are serving our country. We have many military connections in our family. We are extremely proud of them and the stand they took. I pray that the families that are separated are able to reunite soon and make many more memories together.

(20) I am thankful for people who speak TRUTH in our life. People who don't care what is popular, or what is the "correct" thing to say, but speak Biblical truth and teach us how to apply it. We are blessed to have people like this in our life.

(21) I love my camera! I am grateful that I can capture memories & silly moments that we can look back on for years to come.

(ha- they crack me up!)

(22) I love the my kids love to nap (*disclaimer for Brother- he doesn't like going to sleep, but likes how he feels after a nap :) They both wake up such happy, excited children. And I love being productive during nap time!

(23) Yummy food!! I am thankful for good food that we get to enjoy and fun holidays that give us an excuse to fix it. (I can smell it in the kitchen...10 more minutes!)

(24) Last, but not least, I am thankful for every second of everyday that I get to spend with my people. I miss them when I am gone (although, I am thankful for girl's nights too :), but I can't wait to see them again. They light up my life and make me smile more everyday. I am still in awe of how perfectly the Lord can construct our family to fit together.

And that, my friends, is my thankful list...I am sure I could think of more, but maybe I will finish up the month on FB. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy time together with your family. As long as we are together, no matter where we are, we can make it a tradition...cause that's how we roll. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Tractors for Tots

2011-11-19T21:12:00.000-05:00

Today was one of those days when NOTHING was on the schedule. The weather was great and the we were looking forward to some fun family time. I love it when we can just hang out and not have to actually BE somewhere at a certain time, you know :) Some friends had sent me some information about a "Tractors for Tots" event they were having close to us and it sounded like the perfect way to start our morning (well, we started with Hubby's homemade biscuits- YUM, but you know what I mean :). The kids each picked out a new toy from the gift closet to donate and off we went...

It was a lot of fun. The kids really enjoyed seeing all the older tractors and of course the bouncy house was a hit too.

A little boy from Sister's lunch class was there and he asked (very sweetly) if she would come bounce with him...love it. (well, I love it now, maybe not in a few years ha!)

Hubby enjoyed playing with the new camera and getting some cool shots while the kids played...

They had a cute little area set up to take some tractor pictures. The kids loved the cute "kid size" tractor.

Yay for family time!

It was a great morning! I am so glad we decided to get up and go. The rest of the day was spent hanging out, running errands and enjoying our time together (Hubby even squeezed in some hunting during nap time...) It was a great kick off to our Thanksgiving week at home. I am looking forward to having fun with the family this week. It will be busy...church, choir rehearsal, friends over for dinner, Hubby's placement tests for college, Thanksgiving at the fire station, black Friday, more family over...etc, but that's okay, b/c that's how we roll.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-11-19T08:38:00.000-05:00

You guys know me, right?! First weekend in November is always the same...see here, here, here...and a little bit here. ha! We love our traditions. This year wasn't any different (except it took me forever to get the pictures posted!) I have no idea how it is the middle of November already, but we are ready around here! Where it the time going?!

We had our annual family cleaning / decorating / chilling together day. And it was fun and productive as always. ( I think that is why I love it so much, everyone helping :) We actually were SO productive I had a garage sale last weekend that was a great success....yay! I love getting things organized. Anyway...on to the fun pictures! First step is to always take all the fall decorations down...

Then we added some fun Christmas music into the mix. (Great CD I got from R/, love it!)

The kids were excited and ready to get the tree up!

Sister was ready to put it up herself.

Or maybe they just wanted to empty the box to play in it...silly children.

Brother found a silly hat!

My favorite part is pulling out things we haven't seen all year. We have Christmas books, ornaments, the nativity, etc that only come out this time of year, so we have so much fun sitting around enjoying everything.

Hubby does a great job on the tree every year. He is the only one tall enough to actually put it all together. The kids love putting the ornaments on (and Hubby does a great job "arranging" them :)

Sister thought this part was great...the downfall in this plan is, she thinks since SHE put them up, SHE can take them down...um, no. Leave the tree alone girly.

Brother was a big help too. I kept asking him to stand on his tippy toes and reach really high, otherwise pretty much all our ornaments hung out together at the front / bottom of the tree :)

Hubby made sure to get a few up top!

Silly hat Sister time...

Hubby used our new camera and got some great pictures of some of the ornaments.

Yay for a completed tree! Today I am going to work on wrapping some presents to put underneath...my closet is getting full :)

We finished up our outside decorations and the kids playroom too, but I will have to get pictures of those another day. Most importantly though, was the nativity. I love setting this out and we always have a great time talking to the kids about it. The reason for the season...may it always be front and center.

Candy, candy, candy...

2011-10-31T23:12:00.000-04:00

This weekend was packed with fun Halloween and fall acvities. Besides the "trunk or treat" event we went to on Saturday, we also had a neighborhood event Sunday afternoon and of course, trick or treating Monday night. Sister hasn't been feeling to great, but she definitely hung in there for all the fun.

The kids ready to eat some treats, meet some neighbors, roll around in a "parade" and have some fun.

We had a great time hanging out with our neighbors, even if the parade didn't end up being huge, the kids had fun...and that is all that matters :) Maybe the 2nd annual parade next year will catch on a little more.

Treats!

Afterwards we grilled out some hotdogs with our neighbors and the kids enjoyed playing with different toys. (Kids crack me up how someone else's toys can keep them busy for hours...ha!)

She couldn't stop to take a picture, she was on like her 3rd pickle....

Pumpkin carving time!! We were SO excited for Hubby to be home today and enjoy some Halloween fun with us. (Plus he is the best at roasting the pumpkin seeds, yum!) Brother was ready!

Cheese!

They were making silly "yucky" faces talking about the stuff inside the pumpkin.

Ewww!

Ha!

I was working on my pumpkin too...in my festive fall shirt (thank you BBP secret pal, it was perfect today!)

Pumpkin seeds = yummy snack :)

They got a little over the carving and decided to play in the wagon for a while.

I am not sure who got the better end of this deal?! ha!

Pumpkin posing time.

An "A" for Brother, Scary / Silly face (requested by Brother), a "K" for Sister...

and my favorite every year, our cross. Hubby did a good job on it this year. I love it when the candle is lite in it. I always get a lot of compliments.

My Bumblebee and Wild Kratt (Chris) ready to go get some candy!

Happy Halloween!

The job assignments this year worked out great...Hubby took the little treaters around in the wagon and I stayed home to pass out candy, watch the pumpkin seeds and work on a craft project for the kids.

Yay!

Sister did about 30-45 mins or so and was done. Hubby dropped her back off and she helped me pass out candy. I thought the guys dressed in scary costumes might scare her, but she ended up putting teeth in her mouth and growling at them every time she opened the door. Ha!

My craft project was to make the kids some rice bags / warmers to sleep with. I have been feeling a little guilty that we aren't turning the heat on much yet, but they love my heating bag, so I made them some. The rice is a little more comfortable and I made pillowcases to put over them, so I had something to wash. Don't look to closely, I am not a great seamstress, but I think they turned out pretty cute.

Brother's...

Sister's...

They were excited to have them in bed with them.

I might sneak in in the morning and warm them up before school too. Of course, that might make it harder to get out of bed :) I love the cold weather, so bundling up every morning is fun, it just makes us run a little slower. Halloween is over! So, for those of you who know me well, you know what that means! 1st weekend in November always = putting up our Christmas decorations :) love it! B/c that's how we roll!

Trunk or Treat!

2011-10-29T22:03:00.000-04:00

Tonight we headed to my Sister's church for their annual Trunk or Treat. The kids were thrilled to put their costumes on and get some yummy candy :) Plus they got to hang out with their cousins, which is always fun! Hubby had a golf date with a friend, so the kids and I headed across town to keep ourselves occupied. Sister insisted I dress up too... Chris Kratts (aka Brother), Minnie Mouse and a bumblebee...ready to roll!

I thought Brother's costume turned out pretty well. I had to make it b/c they don't have "creature power-suits" from Wild Kratts at the store, but I thought it looked pretty close :) He could even change out his "creature power" by changing the disk on the front of his shirt. B10 could tell who he was (& probably anyone else who actually watches the show, but it isn't quite as well known as some of the others.) I liked Sister's antennas too...pipe cleaners on a headband...she loved it, ha!

Before visiting all the cars and getting candy, we took the opportunity while it wasn't packed yet to grab some dinner...hotdogs, chips and capri suns - perfect!

Little Shepherd GO joined us for dinner too :)

Next we grabbed our trick or treat bags and made our way around the parking lot...if you haven't caught on, or never been to a "trunk or treat" before, people decorate their cars, sit by the trunks and pass out candy. It is a really cute and a great, safe, fun way for the kids to get candy! Sister loved this car b/c they had a Mickey Mouse :)

Above they are in line to get more candy... the kids had a lot of fun walking around together. Cheese!

After we finished walking around the cars we headed into the gym so the boys could slide down the big slide and the little girls could bounce (& go potty :)

They also had some cute games set up for the kids to play...pick a duck...

yay!

fishing for treats...

and a giant pumpkin. We had a lot of fun! I am really glad that we decided to go. It is going to be a busy weekend, but that's how we roll. Love it!

Showing off their loot!

Happy Birthday! Love, Sister

2011-10-26T21:44:00.000-04:00

BEST birthday gift ever from a 2 year old! Full potty chart = new Tangled baby doll, one happy little girl and a very happy Mommy :) Yay!

She is doing a great job, she has only had a couple of accidents in the last few weeks and both times she was trying to get to the potty I am so proud of her!

I love this picture, she was introducing her new doll to her BFF, Minnie. So sweet! I can already just imagine the fun things they are going to do!

I can't believe what a big girl she is! I love that girl!

15 years ago today...

2011-10-25T01:14:00.000-04:00

It isn't the anniversary we celebrate every year, or even the one we remember, but it is the one that changed everything. Our 1st date 15 years ago today put us on a path that has only made us stronger and closer to the Lord. Only He knew how far we would come.

(And that I would be quoting a Blake Shelton song for that matter :) Love you!

Cause God gave me you for the ups and downs

God gave me you for the days of doubt

And for when I think I lost my way

There are no words here left to say, it’s true

God gave me you

Road Trip (4) One last surprise!

2011-10-24T16:43:00.001-04:00

One last surprise... we knew the trip home would take awhile (especially with that annoying hour that has to be added back in) and at the rate we were going we were right on schedule to hit Birmingham AND Atlanta traffic, so what did we do?! We stopped at a Children's Museum in Tuscaloosa with, you guessed it, ACM reciprocal privileges...so we got in FREE. Are you sick of me talking about how great this membership is yet?! Another awesome adventure....LOVE IT! We will literally the ONLY family there when we 1st got there. Our expectations were not to high, b/c we had no idea what to expect, but honestly it was awesome. One of our favorites by far. I LOVED the way the museum was laid out and they really encouraged the kids to use their imagination and creativity to really get into learning and playing. I can't wait to take them back! And it totally worked out that we missed all the traffic. I am just assuming we spent 2 hours in a museum playing, so we didn't spend 2 hours sitting in traffic :)

Japanese Home...you took your shoes off at the door, sat down to eat dinner and checked out the kitchen, bathroom and living room. They told the kids to try to compare the house to their home and talk about all the differences. (That was the kind of stuff I loved about the museum, they really encouraged the kids to THINK about what they were seeing and get into the "role" )

Sister checking out the sushi....

Helping Heroes room...Sister the Nurse

and Brother the Policeman.

The "Critter" room...bugs, track rubbings, a beaver dam to play in, etc...

The "hospital"...this area was SO neat. It was very realistic without being "scary" the kids could put on scrubs, sign people in, sit in the waiting room, check x-rays, take care of babies in the nursery, and check on the resident patient (Curious George) in his hospital room. Sister was a very good nurse.

Making sure her patient has something to eat.

And during her hourly vital check...don't worry we did our rounds again before we left :)

The tug boat was another favorite... the engine really started when you turned moved the throttle. (They heard the noise and ran for the life vests...ha!)

This was on the next floor we went to check out...it was a "wind tunnel". You flipped a switch and tried to catch as many balls as possible and put them in the tube. The kids looked so funny, they thought it was hilarious!

The next area was one of my favorites...it was called "Grandma's Attic". I love stepping back in time and pretty much the whole rest of the floor was set up that way. They had the house, with clothes for everyone to dress up in, a general store, soda shop / pharmacy, school room, barber shop, and bank. The encouraged the kids to dress up and visit all the stores. They could fill out paperwork at the bank to get a loan, buy a postcard at the general store to mail later, or just get some ice cream at the soda shop. We had SO much fun.

Pioneer Brother

Hubby's "realistic" version in black and white...ha!

Mommy got into the fun too!

Hubby tried the sepia on the next few...don't they look great?!...ha! Sometimes I think it would be nice to live back then...then I remember I would miss the AC and I don't really like bugs, but it would be fun for a little while. :)

Pioneer Brother and Doc Hudson...ha!

Sister...not the kind of pioneer that milks the cows, she is just ready for a tea party.

She LOVED the tea party, she probably could have sat there for hours. I am contemplating getting her a tea set for Christmas...

Playing checkers in the general store...

Soda Jerk Brother

Loving our ice cream order : ) Brother did a good job!

Sister's turn!

School house time...they were both very eager to listen and raise their hands. We played hangman :) Brother was fascinated by the chalkboard....makes me feel old.

We let the kids each pick their favorite thing to do and then we headed out for the day. The each slept for a couple of hours and watched a movie before we rolled into the driveway at about 8pm. It was a long day, but totally worth it! School starts back tomorrow, time to get back into the swing of things, but it won't be long before we have our next adventure...cause that's how we roll!

Roap Trip (3) Revisited

2011-10-22T15:44:00.000-04:00

So today we continued our road trip with a quick ride back to Pearl b/c my Daddy was in town :) It wasn't in the original plan a few weeks ago, but I was thrilled when I found out he would be there for a few days. It was a good opportunity to get to hang out and not have to drive 9 hours to Ohio.

Sister was excited to see Granddaddy, but she was pretty thrilled to see Zipper again too...

I think he might have been thrilled to see her too, ha!

He even sat still for some kisses :)

Thrilled, right?! He posed for a few pictures too.

I can't even begin to explain to you how awesome I think this backyard is...so, I am not going to try. It will probably make me emotional. I love hearing stories about my Dad and Uncle playing back there as kids and I think it is beyond amazing that my kids play back there too. Love it!

Brother broke out the bow and arrow to show Granddaddy and Great Granddaddy his "skills". Then Great Granddaddy was awesome and very industrious and fixed the arrows that Brother had accidentally broken and tightened the string show his arrows would fly farther...very cool!

Meanwhile Sister played tag with Granddaddy... (she is the smear running away :)

I think he was trying to hide behind me...it didn't fool Sister!

Gotcha!

Uh oh...I think they got him.

Sneaking up on the kids...boo ya!

Enjoying our time together...

Not sure what this look is about, but that is my girl :)

Tag!

We only stayed for one night since we had to get back to ATL for school the next day, but it was a great visit. Our plan was to take our time getting home and squeeze in one more surprise, b/c that's how we roll!

We loved our time together! I can't believe October is almost over already!

Road Trip (2) / Cabin Fever

2011-10-21T23:54:00.131-04:00

The Lord gave us some AWESOME weather this week! It was a perfect weekend for camping...cool at night and warm during the day. The kids had a wonderful time. They were barely inside except to nap or eat. We shared a cabin with Hubby's parents. When we first got there we grabbed a couple of quick pictures...

The GUYS...

and the GIRLS :)

The kids immediately headed down to the lake to throw some rocks in...they might have added a whole new layer to the bottom while we were there :)

The wind made Sister's hair a little silly... but loveable!

Grandpa helping Brother find some rocks...

and teaching him to wind up and throw!

Brother is a little silly.. but loveable!

Cousins! The kids loved getting to hang out with their cousins RP and CP this weekend. Playing with cousins makes everything fun.

Our backyard...isn't it beautiful?! We loved it!

The deck was perfect, large enough for the kids to play on and a great space for the adults to hang out and enjoy the weather.

We are thinking about pulling the fishing boat next year, the lake was pleading with the kids to come and play :)

Cheese! Big Brother / Cousin pushing the girls on the swing.

I love this picture of Grandpa and CP. CP is the smallest cousin, but the kiddos loved playing with him. Sister and Brother are not use to having a little one around, they thought he was great!

Swinging with Grandma!

The geese...they were pretty loud and obnoxious. Sister and Brother were not a big fan, they stayed on the deck until they were safety out of distance.

Sweet girl...

We let the kids each pick a toy while we were on a Walmart run to play with outside and Brother got a very cool bow and arrow. He played with it NONstop. Hubby he taught him what to do and he loved it. It was the perfect toy to take camping :) (Sister got a small SnowWhite doll...it was really cute :)

Each night Hubby built the kids a campfire and they roasted marshmallows and made smores. It was one of their favorite things we did. (Well Sister ate graham crackers with a marshmallow...she would be upset if we tried to add chocolate :)

The marshmallows were a big hit!

Cuddling up with Nonnie on the swing...

Brother and I, love it!

My favorite family picture!

Sister and CP...

Sister and Uncle Jim chillin' on the swing :)

The next day we headed out for a "quick" tour of the area and so Hubby could show us some of the places he remembered visiting when he was a kid. Our 1st stop though was the Dizzy Dean rest stop that included some information and a pretty cool mural they had up. We watched the World Series every night while we were on our road trip, so it was a fun baseball addition to the trip!

We drove through Brooklyn and saw the high school that Nonnie and Papa went too...

and Hubby's Great Grandparents old house they he remembered visiting and hanging out at. Hubby's Dad was our tour guide and happily showed us all around :)

Our last stop on the "tour" was the cemetery where Hubby's Great Grandparents are buried. It was neat to see the church they went too and the area surrounding it. Sister found this beautiful angel and didn't want to leave it...

On our way back to the cabin Hubby's Mom called and said they had taken the cousins to a local park to play. So, we met Hubby's Sister, Mom and the kids there to join in on the fun!

No one can pass up getting pushed by Grandpa on a swing!

Whee!! RP loved the swings too!

Brother found a police car to drive!

Sister found a hole to stick her head through!

I can't believe how big she is! Potty trained and scaling the side of the playground, when did she get so big?!

At least Daddy still had to "help" her on the monkey bars.

After the park we headed to the Pizza Inn with Hubby's Sister and family. It was VERY yummy and the kids had a good time. We took naps and they woke up refreshed and ready to PLAY! The kids (especially RP) walked up and down that hill FOREVER collecting rocks and throwing them in the lake.

Sweet RP! She looked adorable in her cheer-leading outfit. We don't judge around here...SEC is good enough for me. For us, it is nice to cheer for someone (LSU) who is winning for a change sometimes...ha!

Collecting the rocks...

Mommy and Brother having a bow shooting contest.

I can't remember, he "might" have beat me :)

I told him to say "Yay!" and jump!

Then, we had to have a lesson on how to jump...get those feet up boy!

Hubby continued to take some action shots while AuntLP and I played some games with the kids...duck, duck, goose...

Mr. Fox...

and tag. I am pretty sure we sufficiently wore the kids out (and they wore us out too!)

Hanging with Papa watching the football game.

This picture of Sister cracks me up...she is such a mess!

Another night, another campfire. UncleRP was there too!

Love my boys!

I had some glow bracelets we got out for our last night. Sister put her's on her head and told us all she was a princess.

Swinging with Papa.

Brother and RP winding down and playing some games in the living room.

The next morning we packed up the car to head to our last visit of the trip. Grandpa was gracious enough to keep the kids entertained while we were packing.

It was a wonderful weekend and the best part is it wasn't over yet! We love our time with family and can't wait to see them again soon, cause you know...that's how we roll!

Road Trip! (1)

2011-10-20T22:29:00.002-04:00

So, this year for our (very) welcomed fall break we headed on a road trip to visit 12 relatives, 2 children's museums, and enjoy every moment of the beautiful fall weather. We started the trip by heading to my Grandfather's house in Mississippi. The kids love seeing their Great Granddaddy (and Zipper the Kitty too :)

He was very patient with Sister as she "played" with him and helped him balance some toys on his head.

The kids enjoyed playing with some play-doh Great Granddaddy got them while we fixed the anticipated dinner- hamburgers and fries (his fries are the best, really. If you haven't ever had them... I am sorry :(, but not sorry enough to give you my fries :)

Sister and Mommy having some "loving" time...actually, I think we were having a "talk" about the rules for the weekend, ha!

Great Granddaddy multi-tasking... it is amazing how he gets it all done! ( And it all always ends up on the table at the same time piping hot!)

We spent the night with Great Granddaddy and woke up the next morning to head to the Jackson Children's Museum. It is not even a year old yet, but we have visited twice. It is great! We get in free b/c of our reciprocal membership and it is a great place for the kids to run around and play. (You can see our previous visit here. )

It was pretty empty when we first got there. The kids were able to run around and check out all the exhibits. After about an hour and a half (and right before we were ready to head out) the school buses started showing up. I didn't even know that many kids would fit in the museum! There were kids everywhere!!

But we enjoyed our time together! Sister and I dancin' the boogie...

Brother and Great Granddaddy checking out the "healthy house".

Sister loading the dishes...

and Brother learning to fold the laundry. He got pretty good...I might need to get him a little table like this one, so he can help me out!

Jump!

Scrabble! (He just put a lot of letters on the floor...)

Princess Sister...

and her sweet Brother :)

Great Granddaddy helping Sister aim her water.

Brother talked this poor workers ear off FOREVER. He told he all about our plans for the weekend, I think she thought he was a hoot.

Pioneer Sister & Brother making some tea.

Lovin' the hat.

Great Granddaddy and Brother "making a boat" to sail.

Me and my girl, dancing and posing for a picture :)

This is totally what the sign says...

I think Brother is somewhere in the intestines at this point, yuck.

Taking a moment to work out...

Skunks and spiders...ewww.

After the museum we grabbed a quite bit to eat and headed home to pack up. The plan was to get on the road to our next destination during the kids nap time. It worked perfectly! They slept most of the way and we made it to the cabins by the early afternoon. We took some family pictures before we headed out, but no big goodbyes, we would get to see Great Granddaddy again before we left Mississippi! :)

The kids wanted a picture with Zipper. He was actually pretty cooperative!

On the road again, cause that is how we roll!! (By the way, we are LOVING our new camera! Can you tell a difference?! The pictures are SUCH a better quality, but I have a lot more to go through when I get home, ha!!)

Fall Break FUN!

2011-10-18T21:59:00.000-04:00

Before our road trip this week, we had a playdate with some good friends at a local bounce house. It was a perfect opportunity to let the kids get some energy out before we sat in the car for a while. They LOVED it. We will definitely have to go back soon .

Here are some of the sweet faces having an AWESOME time!

and a couple of not happy faces...ha! I told her I was taking it to show it to her later. Whew.

They loved the big slide!

The "three musketeers" had fun sliding down together...Brother and his two buddies HBjr and AM, love them!

It was a great morning and it wore the kids out so I could head home and finish packing = perfect! Now on to our road trip adventure! Mississippi here we come!

Pumpkin Pickin' at the Farm

2011-10-17T22:37:00.000-04:00

Our 4th anniversary...of what, you ask?? Burt's Pumpkin FARM! 4 years and it is always an adventure! Burt's is an October / Fall Break tradition for us and we LOVE it. This year was no exception, it was the perfect way to start our fall break! We told the kids we hope to be taking them even when they are older (Brother asked if we could bring his kids too...I am guessing that is up to Burt?! :)

** To look back at our other adventures (and to see how big the kids have gotten), check out these links... 2008, 2009, and 2010

The morning started a little crazy and Sister added to the excitement by getting car sick on the hour and a half drive. I (of course :) had tried to put us in somewhat "matching" outfits, so it was a PERFECT excuse to stop by the outlets on our way to the farm. (Gotta love the outlets!) Hubby was great and took the kids to the playground, while I ran to the store... I was lucky I even had something to change Sister into, she had been playing with her change of clothes that morning. I think we have learned she is like her Daddy and doesn't need to be eating or playing anything in the car. The kids had fun playing and Hubby got some cute pictures!

Sister enjoying the BEAUTIFUL day! It was a little warm for fall, but at least we were in Dawsonville for the day :)

Mommy and my bag of stuff...they had some great deals! (I tried to only get the ones I couldn't pass up. I got Sister 2 adorable swimsuits for $4 each. I already put them up for next season :)

Next we were on our way to the farm! The kids were thrilled and couldn't wait to get there. They definitely remember it from year to year. It was A LOT busier this year than normal, so I thought maybe the schools around there were on fall break too. Either that, or this place has really picked up on random Mondays!

The pictures are in no particular order, thank you blogger... but it is all pumpkin fun. Brother loves driving the tractor.

I am in LOVE with this picture of Brother and I on the hayride. It suits his personality perfectly and makes me laugh every time I see it...I might even get it framed. Love it!

I love this one of Hubby and Sister too, she wouldn't stop playing with the hay / leaves, so Hubby decided to tickle her :)

Jumping to the pumpkin patch...Brother loves the big pumpkins!

Back to the hayride (really blogger?! ). I have a picture like this from the last couple of times at the farm. The kids are watching for the "talking pumpkins" and "silly pumpkin people".

Talking pumpkin time! I love the message they always share with us, God loves us and God loves you!

Me and my girl...

Lovin' on some pumpkins.

Sister was big enough to drive the tractor this year too!

Our family picture! I know it isn't the best, but we are still learning with the new camera. We have learned the difficulty of having a fancy camera, no one knows how to use it and take a picture for you! This one was with the timer sitting on a pumpkin...ha!

After the pumpkin farm (and purchasing our pumpkins and apple butter :) we added a new layer to our yearly tradition. We visited Amicalola State Park. If you have never been there, they have a beautiful waterfall and lots of trails to hike. We were not really dressed for hiking (much to my husbands dismay...he would have carried both kids if I let him.) But we packed a picnic lunch and took in the view. It was beautiful and next year I think we will definitely pack a change of clothes and some hiking sticks (and load some geocaches) and enjoy the afternoon at the park.

For walked up the trail for a little while before we realized it might be a little steep for Sister :) She was having fun though!

Taking a quick break...

Hubby and the kiddos...heading back to grab our lunch! Sister was ready to EAT!

See!! She was like, WHAT IS UP?! It is TIME to eat people!

Gorgeous view...

Today was a perfect start to our fall break, Burt's Pumpkin Farm, Amicalola Falls, and we ended the night with a cookout with our neighbors. We had a great time and I can't wait to do it again! That IS how we roll!

Happy Fall!

2011-10-09T16:51:00.000-04:00

Can you guess which one is my favorite?! (To clarify...not the kid, the picture...ha!)

I hope you are all enjoying some beautiful weather, fall festivals, hayrides and pumpkins as much as we are. The best thing our school system ever did = FALL BREAK! I can't wait to have a week packed full of memories! One more week to go!

2011-10-08T15:42:00.000-04:00

Yep, they live at my house. Don't be jealous :) The kids named them, so say hello to Mickey and Minnie, hope they get their egg laying on soon.