A Window Into Our World. . .

Seeing the Big Guy and Going for a Ride…

2011-12-10T23:04:00.000-05:00

Today was a busy day!!

Brynn’s school holds a Santa Breakfast each year. The girls have a pancake breakfast, make crafts, and then the Big Guy himself arrives on the fire truck!! It is always fun {and you don’t have to wait in line at the mall all day to see Santa!}

That night we went with our friends {all 23 of us} to Fountain Inn to go on a carriage ride. There was so many of us, we had to split into 2 carriages – boys and girls of course :). The kids had fun looking for all the Grinches that were hide throughout the neighborhoods.

We had dinner and decided to head to a house that was not to far away that had been on the news several times. The house has over 200,000 lights and displays.

Two times in one day!!

A Trip to Bethlehem…

2011-12-09T23:56:00.000-05:00

I wanted to go to a live nativity this year but was having trouble finding one in our area. When a friend told me she found one, I quickly switched the activity we had planned to this one!!

Brynn was so funny when she read we were going on a trip to Bethlehem. She thought we were REALLY going to Bethlehem. She insisted we pack our bags, wanted to know how long we were staying there, how long it took to fly there, and if the way were going was the way to the airport!

We meet some friends there and we W A I T E D for E V E R to walk through the town of Bethlehem. It was fun going to the different shops, paying our taxes, and finding no room to sleep just like Mary and Joseph.

At the end, we were treated with hot cocoa and cookies.

I was disappointed to hear it was the last year the church would be doing it.

Oops…

2011-12-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

It appears I forgot to get a picture of the girls doing Day 8!!

Shame on me!!

The activity for today was making Christmas cards for the shut-ins at our church.

Brynn did most of the cards {she LOVES to craft especially making cards and books}.

A Trip to the Library…

2011-12-07T19:28:00.000-05:00

After Brynn got out of school today, we stopped at the library. The girls each picked out a Christmas book. Brynn recently got her very own library card so she is excited to use it when we go.

I told the girls we were also going to something special for someone we didn’t know while we were there. The plan was to pay late fees for 5 people. Due to new privacy policies we were not able to do this. Instead, we left a donation. The librarian said when someone came in to pay their late fee she would take it out of our donation.

When It’s Cold Outside…

2011-12-06T22:18:00.000-05:00

make a cup of homemade hot chocolate!!

That’s exactly what we did tonight. It was delicious but I’m not so sure that Addie should have had such a sweet treat right before bed!!

B&N

2011-12-06T17:05:00.000-05:00

off to Barnes and Noble to get a new Christmas book.

Brynn has really taken to reading! I am so glad she enjoys to read and I take any chance I can to encourage her.

Once we were home, Brynn read both books to Addie:)

Giving Back…

2011-12-05T16:56:00.000-05:00

Today we took the girls to Target. We told them they could pick out any toy they wanted and we would buy it. The only catch was that they could not keep it. They would have to give it away.

Brynn understood, Addie not so much. After a few more times of Brandon and I explaining she finally understood.

Brynn picked out a horse that she wanted to go with her American girl doll. Addie chose a Tiana Barbie from Princess and the Frog {I think it is the only princess Barbie she doesn’t have}.

We let the girls pay then we headed to a drop of for Toys for Tots.

Serving Breakfast…

2011-12-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

Our church serves breakfast at Miracle Hill Rescue Mission about once a month. A different Sunday school class usually sponsors each month. We decided to tag along with our friends’ class this month.

I have gone before but we have never gone as a family. {Probably because you have to be there EARLY and well lets face it our family are not morning people!}

The adults typically cook and the kids serve. It really is fun and a great teaching opportunity.

Brandon and Noah making eggs

Addie and Zoe passing out napkins – no job is too small ;)

I told you we aren’t morning people!!

Movie Night…

2011-12-03T21:55:00.000-05:00

Brynn was asked to sleep over at a friend’s house during the planning stages of my calendar so I knew she wouldn’t be here for Day 2. I wanted to pick something that wouldn’t matter if she missed.

Movie night it was!

What movie might you ask??

This is one of Brandon’s favorite movies. He and Addie managed to make it to the end. Me…not so much.

Day 1…

2011-12-03T21:17:00.000-05:00

Day 1 actually took place on Day 3 due to a family birthday on Day 1 {and the fact that I just finished crafting the countdown today!}

I decided to hang our countdown on the Christmas tree – since we have no mantel and are limited for space at our house.

I explained to the girls about the countdown and they were VERY excited. They wanted to read all the envelopes tonight! After they opened the first envelope they seemed to forget about the others.

It was only appropriate to start with a letter to Santa. This year has been a little hard in deciding what to get the girls for Christmas. Neither one really needs anything and haven’t asked for anything. Brynn’s one request was to go to Africa but I explained to her she was too young to go just yet…that is another story in itself.

They both sat at the table and Brynn read the letter to Addie. She was sure to explain to Addie exactly what to do and not to do.Brynn asked for new earrings and new art stuff. I let Addie fill hers out herself. She asked for a new puppy {a toy one}, a candy cane {not sure where that came from}, and a letter back from Santa.If you zoom in on this picture you can see Addie’s “words” she wrote herself.

Once they were done we stuck the letters in the envelope. Brynn thought our elf, Wendy, could take their letter to Santa tonight – just to make sure he gets it!

A New Tradition…

2011-12-03T09:32:00.000-05:00

We are attempting to do an Advent countdown!

I have wanted to do this for several years but I have a tendency to procrastinate {just a tiny bit} and well December sneaks up on me. This year I managed to get it done!! By done I mean – the activities are planned and on the calendar and I made a some what cute countdown {a few days late}.

Let’s see what fun stuff we can get in to and what life lessons my kiddos can learn:)

Making another Attempt…

2011-11-29T11:29:00.001-05:00

I have decided that I am going to give the ole blog a go again. I have missed recording all the little things that my girls do. I didn’t realize how much I forget until I went back through things I have blogged about. So here we go!!!

It's Been 5 Years....

2010-06-18T00:24:00.000-04:00

Of really great memories!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Can't wait to see what the next five years hold for our family!!

In Need of A Pedi....

2010-06-13T13:57:00.004-04:00

Addie will gladly give you one!

This is what I caught her doing last night...Notice how well she covers each toe! OH NO!! there are a few spots on the floor!! Better clean it up!! Mom might be upset!!It seems the Addie didn't like the color of our toilet! Pink is a much better shade!Even with all that, could you really get mad at this sweet little face :)Let me know when you would like for her to come over to give you your pedi!!!

A Little Chat...

2010-06-10T22:11:00.002-04:00

Tonight Addie and I were having a little chat about her birthday party (it"s not until August but I was trying to get an idea going).

She told me she wanted a "hincess" party with all pink.

Then I asked her who she wanted to come to her "hincess" party. She told me the boys!

Boys???

I told her boys can't come to a "hincess" party.
She then informed me...
"Umm Hmm....they are my favorite!!!"

OH MY!! Isn't this a little soon to be having boys on the mind!!!

2 seconds later...

Addie says "Boys Drool"

I asked her who told her that.....Ms. Joy!!!

I plan on thanking Ms.Joy the next time I see her :)

A Pedicure and Geography Lesson. . .

2010-06-02T12:05:00.001-04:00

I went for a pedicure this weekend and had to take both the girls with me. Crazy...I know!! A 2 year old and a 5 year old....so much for relaxation!!!

The place I went to had a smaller chair for kids so Brynn used her graduation money to get a pedicure. I was a few (5) chairs down from her and couldn't really hear the conversation she was having with the lady doing her pedicure.

A few hours after we left (I had to go to a wedding rehearsal)I was talking to her about the pedicure. She told me the lady was very nice and was asking her questions...how old are you, what's your name???

Then she told me she thought the lady talked a little funny so she asked the lady where she was from. I asked Brynn what the lady told her and she said very matter of fact "Doorknob!"

I was trying my best not to laugh and asked her "Doorknob?? Are you sure??"

She told me yes the lady said she was from Doorknob, but she was hard to understand.

After a couple of minutes Brandon and I finally came to the conclusion that she was from Vietnam. Brynn said " Yeah....that's what she said Vitknob!!"

So apparently there is a new country in the world called Vitknob!!

Ending of a Chapter...

2010-05-13T11:24:00.004-04:00

Today Brynn will graduate from preschool. It is hard to believe she is old enough to graduate from anything.

It seems just like yesterday that we walked in to Ms. Nicole's class to start our school career. She was so excited and her mommy...well...I was a little excited too!! She was going to learn new things and make new friends...and give mommy a little bit of a break!On that day I did not think about graduation. I did not think about how fast that day would come.

THE DAY IS HERE!!

Today (4 very short years later) we walk out of Ms. Leigh's class and being a new journey. She again is very excited and her mommy...well...I am not that excited. I have joked that I am not looking forward to it because we will have to get up so early but in fact I am sad that I my little girl is not so little anymore.

I know she is ready for "Big School". She has learned as much as could at preschool, made some great friends, experienced some fabulous teachers, and made awesome memories.

Thanks you Ms. Nicole, Ms. Jennie, and Ms. Leigh for making our preschool years great!!!

Now that I have cried through this post lets hope I making through the actual graduation!

While at the Dinner Table. . .

2009-10-12T21:47:00.003-04:00

Ok....
Ok....
I know I have totally neglected my poor little blog and I will be surprised if anyone still stops by to read, but I want to remember what Brynn said at the dinner table tonight.

We were just sitting there eating when Brynn announces she knows ALL her months of the year. I thought WOW Ms. Leigh is on the ball!! So I tell her "Ok B let's hear it."

She starts off in her all so confident voice....
Sanctuary
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December!

I said (trying not to laugh because it was too cute) "What did you say 1st?"

She quickly says SANCTUARY!! That is the way it starts!!

Happy Birthday To BB. . .

2009-09-17T07:30:00.007-04:00

or Brynn as she is sometimes called :)

It is so hard to believe that you are 5 years old. You never leave us with a dull moment. You are full of energy and a little drama!! We have know since an early age that you are not a morning person, you L-O-V-E your sleep!!! I guess you get it honest!! We also learned early about your love for animals, no matter how big or small or what type, you love them all. You are a daddy's girl through and through - none of that girly stuff for you. Well maybe a little lip gloss and nail polish here and there. You are a great big sister to Addie . We love your silly faces you are always making, dances you are always twirlling to, and songs you are always creating.

You are the best surprise we could have ever gotten!!!!

WE LOVE YOU AND HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Daddy, Mommy, and Addie

Happy Birthday to our Addie Grace. . .

2009-08-21T22:47:00.012-04:00

2 years ago today our family of 3 became a family of 4. We were all so excited to meet our newest member. I think everyone just wanted to know if you were a girl or a boy. We {Brandon and I} didn't really mind either way. Brynn knew all along that you were going to be "twinders" {2 year old talk for twins} because that is what Dora's mom had. My labor was quick {I only pushed 2 or 3 times} and at 1:32 pm we welcomed our new baby GIRL to this world!!!You have grown so quickly. It is hard to believe that you are 2 years old. We instantly fell in love with you and quickly found out how c.o.m.p.l.e.t.e.l.y different your are from your sister. We love your smiles you rarely share, your serious faces, your girlyness {I guess one of my girls has to be girly and that you are}, your love for shoes { it was 1 of your first words}, your little temper and attitude {that no one thinks you have because of...}, your sweet cuddling side, that you are the only morning person in our family, your adoration for your sister, your shyness, that you never--never stop making noise come out of your mouth {unless there is a man around-regardless if you know him or not}, that you are most certainly a mama's girl, and last but not least, your "grabby grabby" hands.

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY!!

WE LOVE YOU ADDISON GRACE!!!

It is SO true. . .

2009-07-19T21:20:00.001-04:00

I decided to take this little quiz after seeing it on my friend's blog and I have to admit it is SOOO me!!!

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun.
And you don't just love summer... you live for it.
So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

Had to share (before I forgot)...

2009-07-04T23:54:00.003-04:00

Tonight while I was giving Brynn a bath, she said something I thought was funny...

Mom, you know I am just a LITTLE girl...
but I AM about to be 5...
because I have LONG feet!!

I am not quite sure how these 3 things fit together but in her little mind they do!!

Guess What I Got...

2009-06-23T22:38:00.008-04:00

This is my gift from Brandon for our anniversay!!

I know what you are thinking...

"What man in his right mind would give this to a woman on their anniversary?"

Apparently my husband!

In his defense, I did ask for this (for Christmas). I got an "IOU" because he couldn't find it any where around Christmas.

I did tell him he still owed me a gift since technically this was supposed to be my Christmas present, but he didn't agree!!

What a Surprise. . .

2009-06-19T21:57:00.002-04:00

My husband came home from West Virginia a day early!!!

I was only home from dinner for about 10 minutes, when there was a knock at the door. I was thinking it was probably my brother-in-law. He is always stopping by for one reason or another.

So I opened the door to see Brandon standing there!!! I couldn't believe it.

I was very excited to see him but not near as excited as the girls!

Brynn was just saying how much she was missing her daddy and wished he was coming home today.

and HE DID!!!!

It's Been 4 Years. . .

2009-06-18T05:14:00.000-04:00

since we said "I do!"

Our relationship has come so far and grown so much in such a short time. I can’t imagine my life without Brandon in it. At times he can drive me crazy, but I know he will always be there for me to lean on. He is a greater dad than I could ever want for our girls.

I love you, Brandon!! Happy Anniversary!!

Even though we are apart this year for our anniversary, I tucked away a little gift in the suitcase (that he asked to open last night.) I know his is going to be excited…or at least he better be!!!

I got him tickets to 1 of his favorite bands…

METALLICA!!

I should be getting a phone call at any minute:)

Someone Is 25...

2009-05-12T08:00:00.005-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!!

WE LOVE YOU AND HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

BRYNN, ADDIE & SUMMER

Wordless Wednesday. . .

2009-04-08T08:05:00.003-04:00

I promise more Disney is to come. So keep the comments coming to be entered in the giveaway!!

For more Wordless Wednesday head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

A Trip of "Minnie" Firsts...

2009-04-06T10:04:00.005-04:00

*****BE SURE TO READ AND COMMENT LOTS!! A GIVEAWAY WILL HAPPEN AT THE END OF MY DISNEY POSTS*****

DAY 1

About a year ago, several of my friends were talking about doing a group trip to Disney. I thought this was a great idea and would be lots of fun, so I joined the bandwagon. Brandon wasn't so sure about the whole idea at first. I just started saving and began working on him to change his mind. A few months went by and Brandon had come to realize we WERE going.

Fast forward another 6 months...
We started talking about the possibility of flying. We got such a great deal on our trip, why not see how much it would be to fly. My GREAT friend, Summer, who planned EVERYTHING, started watching for a good deal on a flight. A month before we planned to leave, a really good deal came our way!!

I should mention I have NEVER, EVER flown. The fact that I was flying and both my children were flying in the same plane for the very 1st time was a HUGH deal to me. If you know anything about me, I always think the worst is going to happen and this was no exception. I kept thinking the plane would crash, Brandon and I would die and my kids would survive as orphans. I know C-R-A-Z-Y...but that is just how my brain works.

Fast forward another month...
Time to head to the magical place were all your dreams come true!!! The procrastinator I am waited to mere hours before we are to arrive at the airport to begin packing! I think 1 reason or the REAL reason was I was nervous about the whole flying thing. It had been raining most of the day and as we were driving to the airport it started to rain hard! My nerves were getting to me but I tried not to think about it.

2 hours passed, time to get on the plane. Brynn was very excited so she sat by the window. Addie fell asleep, so I held her. Brandon sat by the aisle. The Martin's were sitting in the 2 rows in front of us.

The plane started down the run way and we were off. We had lots of turbulence because we were flying through storms! The seatbelt sign never went off. A long, long hour and twenty minutes later, we landed in non-raining, no coat wearing Florida SAFE and sound!!!

We picked up our rental car...economy size...thank goodness for the Martin's car or we would have had luggage straped to the roof!!!and headed to the closest hotel to spend the night (6 hours) before driving to DISNEY!!!

Brynn's Interview. . .

2009-03-24T20:05:00.003-04:00

A few of my friends have done this, so I thought I would give it a try. I also thought it would be neat to do this again in a year or so to see how Brynn's answers change. Some of the answers are right on, while others are pretty funny.

What does your mom always say to you?
Brynn: I love you

What makes your mom happy?
Brynn: When she takes care of Addie

What makes your mom sad?
Brynn: When we say bad things

What makes your mom laugh?
Brynn: When I make a silly face

What was your mom like as a child?
Brynn: She liked to play in the grass

How old is your mom?
Brynn: 16

How tall is your mom?
Brynn: 15 tall

What is your moms favorite thing to do?
Brynn: go to the grocery store

What does your mom do when you are not around?
Brynn: cuts hair

If your mom became famous, what would it be for?
Brynn: cutting hair

What is your mom good at?
Brynn: cutting hair

What is your mom not very good at?
Brynn: playing guitars

What makes your mom proud of you?
Brynn: doing things you are supposed to do

What does your mom do for a job?
Brynn: cut hair

What is your moms favorite food?
Brynn: spaghetti

What makes you proud of your mom?
Brynn: when she says good things to me

If your mom were a cartoon character, what would she be?
Brynn: Uniqua-Backyardigans

What do you and your mom do together?
Brynn: We sing together

How are you and your mom the same?
Brynn: We have the same hair

How are you and your mom different?
Brynn: We don’t have the same clothes

How do you know your mom loves you?
Brynn: She takes care of me

What does your mom like most about your dad?
Brynn: Him kissing her

What is your mom's favorite place to go?
Brynn: Target

Prayer Request. . .

2009-03-11T09:32:00.002-04:00

Please have Brandon's family in your prayers. His brother just called to tell us his Grannie Ruby passed away. I am not sure what happened. She just turned 93 in January and was doing good. I know she is with the Lord but this is always a difficult time.

The "BIG" Snow of 09. . .

2009-03-05T07:55:00.000-05:00

We finally got a BIG SNOW! It was a lot better than the snow we had a month or so ago. It started Sunday afternoon and lasted into the night. I think I was more excited than the girls. We couldn't contain ourselves until the morning, so we went out about 8. The girls each made snow angels. Our very first. We usually don't have enough.Addie was NOT at all fond of the snow. She didn't want to touch it. It was too cold for her. I ended up holding her most of the time.I helped Brynn make our snowgirl. She was all decked out in a crown, pink sunglasses, and pink scarf. It was still snowing a good bit when we came in, so our snowgirl didn't look to hot in the morning! Her crown was completely covered and half her face! I was glad we made her in the back yard because our neighbors snowman but ours to shame. 1 was at least 6 feet tall and the other was every bit of 8! I just didn't have that much dedication.

Once we (Addie and I) had had our fun in the snow, we came in to make snow cream. I had never made this before. My grandma always made it. Thanks to the internet, I found a recipe. It turned out pretty good. Addie didn't care much for it...I know shocking! Brynn had 2 bowls.Monday morning we decided to head to Brandon's parent's to go sledding down the giant hill behind their house. It took us about 45 minutes to get there. The roads had not been scraped.

Looking out our back door

Turning off our road Intersection of Blackstock and 221Addie wasn't very sure about the sled.Mimi & AddieMaking the trek back up the hillBrynn had just fallen off the sled face 1st. She didn't mind much!Papa making a his 1 and only big jump of the day!Brandon attempted to snowboard down the hill and over the jump the guys made.Brent was a good sport all day. He made many, many trips up and down the hill with Brynn.Brynn, April, & Brent

Brynn finally got brave and started going down by herself. She had a blast. She was like a professional. She would get in, hold the rope tight, lean back, and speed off. Everytime she went over the jump she yelled "WOO HOO!"

We sledded for a good 3 hours. We headed back home. The roads were all scraped by this point. Brynn was very worn out. She was asleep within 5 minutes. Brandon carried her from the car and said she was all dead weight. This is her on the couch. She only slept 10 minutes and was ready to go out again!

Over all we had a great time in the snow, but now I am ready for the 70 degree weather that is coming this weekend! Only in the South does it snow 1 Sunday and the next you are wearing shorts!

Wordless Wednesday. . .

2009-03-04T07:18:00.000-05:00

Addie is a Big Girl. . .

2009-02-05T07:17:00.001-05:00

During my 3 hour cleaning extravaganza of the girl’s room after Christmas, I decided to also rearrange their bedroom in order to make more room. While doing this I thought, what better time than now to change the crib into a toddler bed. Brandon was totally against the whole idea. He thought she was too small. Well, once I get my mind set on something, I am going to do it. I took the rail off and it hasn’t gone back on!

Addie came in and saw her new bed. She LOVED it!! She was a little short, so we put a stool at the end to help her get in…this lasted only a few days…she was getting in and out of the bed like a pro. She has only fell out 2 or 3 times, but the pillows in the floor soften the fall.

All tucked inSound a sleepMade it through the night without falling out

Speaking of sleeping arrangements...

A few weeks ago, Brynn asked if Addie could sleep in the bed with her. After much debate, we said sure. We put the girls down, and waited to see what was going to happen. We could hear them talking and laughing at first. Addie banged her head against the wall a few times (which caused Brandon to want to go in and put Addie back in her own bed). I told him not to worry about. Alittle more laughing and then nothing...they had gone to sleep.

The next morning, on the way to school I asked Brynn if she wanted Addie to sleep with her every night. She quickly said "NO, she talks too much, and trys to play, and hits me. All I wanted to do is go to SLEEP!"

Fun she just wanted to go to sleep, when she begs and begs every night to please stay up just a tiny bit later she is not very sleep at all!

Snow. . .

2009-02-04T15:50:00.006-05:00

even mentioning the word in South Carolina means the grocery stores will be running out of bread and milk. I am not sure why people only get these 2 items, but they do.

A few weeks ago, we got some snow. Enough to close school - 1 inch!! Most people had less, so we were pretty lucky.

Waiting with anticipationBrynn couldn’t get out the door fast enough. She wanted to make a snowman and have a snowball fight. The problem was the snow was extremely powdery. Poor Addie didn’t have any snow gear. Her hand-me-down Keds have NO tread on the bottom, so she was slipping and sliding all over the place.
The trampoline seemed to have the most usable snow. The girls had the best time jumping and throwing the snow in the air.Addie and I stayed out long enough to get pictures. We are not much for the cold weather! Brynn and Brandon stayed out a little longer.

By noon, all the snow was gone….just the way I like it!!!

Tis' the Season. . .

2009-02-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

at least it was when I started this post! Nearly 2 months later I am going to finish. I am once again behind on my posting…oh well.

This year we started a new tradition on Thanksgiving night…Elf on the shelf. He came to our house while the girls were in the bath tub. Brynn named him Elfie (real original, at least it made sense. She normally comes up with off the wall names, but that is another story in itself.) He was very helpful in getting Brynn to behave. He left on Christmas Eve. Brynn did ask about him about a week later. She wished he was still her and wanted to know if we could have a girl elf next year. I explained that once we have an elf, the elf is ours forever and I didn’t think he would be changing to a girl next year.

We always get a real tree. This year was no exception. We headed to trusty Lowe’s as we do each year. We found the perfect tree in about 5 minutes. When we got come and pulled out the decorations, I found a disaster! An ornament that was made like a snow globe had broken at some point during the year. The liquid inside leaked all over the other ornaments causing them to mold and rust. It was awful. Brandon helped me salvage most of them, but I did lose some sentimental ones. I told one of my client’s (a man) this story and when his wife and children came for their appointment, they brought me a box of new ornaments. I thought this was a very generous thing to do. This year our treed lasted nearly 7 weeks, we hardly had any needles on the floor. Brandon insisted we take it down before February!

We went to the Spartanburg Christmas Parade with the Harrison’s, Martin’s, and Waddell’s. I was very proud of myself, I went without Brandon. It was freezing but the kids had a great time.Brynn had a Christmas party at her preschool. She had a great time. One of the mother’s made each child an adorable gingerbread ornament.The week of Christmas, we made our typical trips back and forth across the county. It was nice to see everyone.Addie’s favorite part was playing in ALL the wrapping paper and eating the goldfish!!
Christmas Eve night, Brandon read the girls the Christmas story from the Bible. We left the reindeer carrots and cookies and milk for Santa. Addie tried to steal the cookies. You can’t have ANY food out without her wanting some!

Our Christmas was great! The girls got WAY too many things. It took me 3 hours to clean and organize their room, but it was worth it.

Children's Market. . .

2009-01-26T16:49:00.004-05:00

It’s that time again!!!

CHILDREN’S MARKET SPRING & SUMMER CHILDREN’S CONSIGNMENT SALE
Formerly named Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church Early Learning Center Children’s Consignment Sale

We are thrilled to be having our sale again this year. We will have lots of clothing ranging in sizes from infant to size 16. We will have toys, furniture, equipment & lots more! New this sale, we are offering free coffee courtesy of Bella Latte and free doughnuts to our morning shoppers on March 19th.

Please mark your calendars with these important dates:
March 19th : 9 – 1 and 3 – 8
March 20th : 3 – 8
March 21st : 8 – 12 HALF OFF SALE
***Proceeds benefit the AMRBC Children’s Ministry & ELC.***
This year ALL money will be used towards the purchase of playground equipment.

All consignors receive 60% and entry into Consignor’s Only Night. Also, the 40% going towards the church is tax deductible!

If you are interested in consigning with the Children’s Market, please email us by clicking HERE . If you know someone that may be interested in consigning with the Children’s Market, please send them to my blog. We look forward to seeing all former consignors, as well as new.

A Good Nights Sleep. . .

2009-01-22T20:19:00.001-05:00

is what I am hoping for!!!

I am sure most of you could care less about this issue, but I am SOOOOO excited that I have to share. We FINALLY bit the bullet and purchased a new mattress.

The reason for my excitement is that I have never owned a "new" mattress. I have always had a "hand-me-down". We used Brandon's full size bed when we got married and about 3 years ago Brandon's parents offered us their KING size bed. It had quite a few years of sleep on it, but it was a K-I-N-G!!! I surely was not about to pass all that room up. It was great the 1st couple of years but over the last year not so much. Lets just say me and the couch have became well acquaint.

Hence the reason for the new addition to our bedroom. . .I 'll let you know how "well rested" I am tomorrow!

In other news....

The girls had a blast playing in the plastic wrap from the mattress and box springs.

Brynn's preschool is having Circus Week. Today she had to dress like a clown. This was tough. How exactly do you dress like a clown without owning a clown costume? We made it work with 2 different colored shoes, striped pants, Christmas shirt, unwashed hair, and a "hair tie" aka neck tie.I was very proud of myself , in that we went to Target after school today in our adventurous outfit. If you know me, you know this is out of the norm. I am 1 of those anal moms that wants my kids to look nice and have everything matching. Crazy, I know!! I am slowly starting to realize there are more important things to worry about. We did have several strange looks especially from the pharmacist. I quickly explained it was dress like a clown day.

Last news of the day...

Addie had shrimp for the very 1st time tonight. I am not sure if she liked it or not. It took her nearly 10 minutes to eat 1 popcorn shrimp. Brandon kept trying to get her to spit it out, but if you know my child...that was a big fat JOKE!!! She finally got it down. Maybe we'll try again once she has more than 6 teeth!

Tag You're It. . .

2009-01-14T11:00:00.005-05:00

All my blogging friends are doing this game of Photo Tag and it looked like fun!!

Here are the rules:

1. Go to your 4th picture folder
2. Use the 4th picture in the folder
3. Tell us about your picture!
4. Pass it on!

Here is the 4th in my 4th...

This is a picture of Brynn when she was 8 months old. We were at the Biltmore House. We had gone for several reasons. It was my 1st Mother's Day and we had to get an engagement picture. I remember her being so good while I sat her in numerous different flowers to take her picture.

Happy Birthday...

2009-01-14T00:01:00.011-05:00

Rhonda!!

What can I say about my dear friend Rhonda....

She is a great mother and wife...her patience I envy. She is very determined and hardworking...once she sets her mine to something she does it...cutting out DP cold turkey was a hard 1! Her organizational skills are unbelievable...even her junk drawer is clean. She has a great smile that is warming and inviting to everyone...this is 1 of the 1st things I remember about her. She would be there on the call of a dime if someone needed her...although we couldn't convince her to go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving:)but if you really needed her she would be there! If your kid is sick, Rhonda will be there to catch the throw-up...literally!

I hope you have a great birthday!!!

Thank you for your friendship...it is a blessing I treasure and hope it lates a lifetime!

Addie's Masterpiece. . .

2009-01-05T16:34:00.005-05:00

Today, I can be put in the category of "Mother That Let's Her Child Play With Things That They Clearly Should NOT".

I was trying to run all my errands while Brynn was in school this morning.

I started off good but was quickly knocked off course. The 1st stop was a dead end that lead me to my 2nd stop which should have been the 1st stop to begin with. It took way longer than it ever should have. My 3rd stop was the downfall. I tried to buy an item with the coupon that I thought I was supposed to be using but the item on the shelf was not the item the coupon was for, in turn I am holding up the only register open, my sister-in-law calls and then shows up, and the people can't figure out how to use the coupon.

I am sure you are wondering when I will get to the point and how the title of this post remotely relates to the story I have telling you...

Addie was beginning, no by this point she was already bored and going crazy. I am trying to keep my cool in all of the chaos and somehow make it to the car because it is now time to go pick Brynn up from school. I put Addie in the carseat. She has managed to get a pen from my purse during the whole ordeal. Instead of being a great, responsible mother that we all know I normally am, I let Addie keep the pen. My reasoning...it will keep her screaming to a minimal on the ride to the school, the school is a short drive, and there is no way she will be able to work the thing.

I know...you are all thinking "Are you crazy?" "Who gives a 16 month old a pen to hold?"

Yeah...I know...BIG BIG mistake!!!

The results when I arrived at the school...

She had it on both her hands too!! At least she managed to keep it off her clothes. I am not sure how but she did.

What could I say...NOTHING...I just laughed at the whole situation...after all it was my fault...

WHO GIVES A 16 MONTH OLD A PEN???

Such a Sweet Girl. . .

2008-12-13T16:10:00.006-05:00

Today on the way home, Brynn said the sweetest thing.

B: Mom, you know what I am thankful for?

M: No, what are you thankful for?

B: Moms!

M: Really, why are you thankful for moms?

B: Because they are helpful and do nice things for you. And you should be thankful when people do nice things for you.

It was the sweetest thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wanted to document this little conversation because I am sure in a few years she may forget that she should be thankful for her mom!

Upward Cheerleading. . .

2008-12-12T22:56:00.000-05:00

~~~~~I looking at my post list and realized I never made this post~~~~~

I thought I would let Brynn try an activity for the 1st time. She turned 4 this year. All her friends were doing something so I figured this must be the age when extra activities begin. So what better place to start than Upward Cheerleading!

I guess we should work on giving up our sippey cup before she turns 5!Team Photo2 Silly Little Girls

Brynn IS NOT a morning person and we really realized this about 1/2 way through the season. She just wanted to sit on her bucket until 1/2time and after that she was ready to cheer.

Before 1/2time:After 1/2time:

She had a wonderful season, but we have decided to hold off on basketball cheerleading. We will pick back up in the fall....maybe :)

Brynn with Coach SummerBrynn with Coach GGetting her award

Happy Birthday....

2008-12-10T08:29:00.003-05:00

to my blog!!!

1 year ago today I started this blog...

and I have to admit, I never really thought I would keep it up, but I DID!!!

It has been a great way to keep up with all the things that happen in our lives and to share those events with friends and family.

I have became friends with people that I otherwise would have never known and grown closer to those I do.

I enjoy hearing about everyone's experience and hope you enjoy mine!

Thanks for reading!!

Prayer Request. . .

2008-12-01T19:19:00.000-05:00

******************UPDATE**********************

Stacy and family are on their way back to SC. Noah's appendix is inflammed but the Drs. said they could come home. He is supposed to see the Dr here tomorrow. Stacy is going to try to make it home without stopping. The weather is not supposed to be good (snow). Please, please pray they have a safe trip home and NO more problems.

Can you please say a prayer for my friend, Stacy and her family. They went to New Year for Thanksgiving and have not had the best of luck. They were supposed to come home on Sunday but are still in New York. Their car wouldn’t start and had to wait to have it fixed today. On top of that, two of her children, Zoe and Noah, were sick. Noah is still sick. They are at the hospital now in New York. The Drs. think it may be his appendix but are still running test. Please pray for their family.

We've Been Elfed. . .

2008-11-28T22:07:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Carded. . .

2008-11-28T21:09:00.002-05:00

Tonight, Brandon, Addie, and I went to the mall to pick somethings up. Addie fell asleep right before we got there so she was sleeping in her stroller. Brandon was pushing Addie and we were talking as we entered the mall when the mall security guard stopped us.

She asked me if I was 18! 18, I sorta laughed and said NO I am 25. She then asked Brandon if he was 18! He told her he was 24. We then had to show her our IDs to prove it to her.

I know we both look young...but younger than 18? I just don't know about that. It was pretty funny!

As we were leaving, the same lady was stopping a group of teenagers of which I am SURE were under 18! At least I know the mall actually does enforce the curfew.

Happy Turkey Day. . .

2008-11-27T10:21:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I also hope that everyone has safe travels to where ever this day leads you.

We are headed to my in-laws for lunch. I have to actually make a dish this year...green beans. I know, it's not hard, but I wanted to bring something like this so that I couldn't mess it up. There will be close to 30 people there so that's alot of green beans.

After we leave there, we are going to visit my parents. My mom isn't cooking this year because of everything that has happened with my dad recently. I will probably take them a plate from the in-laws.

At some point I am going to try to take a nap but who knows if that will ever happen! I am going shopping tonight with some great friends. This is one of my favorite things to do each year! I absolutely LOVE it! Hopefully by tomorrow morning my Christmas shopping will be complete and I will have gotten the items I am going for!!

New Accessories. . .

2008-11-24T22:42:00.004-05:00

It is getting pretty cold outside over the past week, but the kids are still going out to play at school. I was at my favorite store the other day and decided I should get Brynn some gloves and a scarf.

She loves her new gloves and "scerf" as she calls it.

I have tried and tried to get her to say it correctly but she insists it is a scerf!

I Can't Believe It. . .

2008-11-24T19:23:00.006-05:00

Since I was up to all hours working on my blog because I couldn't go to sleep, I was awake when this event took place.

*This may not seem like a big deal to some but to us it is a tremendous accomplishment!*

I finally made myself go to bed around 3:30 am. I was just laying there when I heard Brynn coming through the house. My 1st thought was that she was coming to get in our bed. She doesn't do this often but when she does, we let her stay.

I was wrong. She never came in. I turned to look out our bedroom door to find the bathroom light on. She was going to the potty in the middle of the night!!!

I truly thought this day would NEVER come. She has been potty trained during the day since she was 2 and 1/2 but the night thing is a whole other story. Sometimes she would go weeks without wetting her pull-up. Other times, she would wake up wet for several days straight.

We did try 1 time, after she had gone 3 weeks being dry every night, to let her wear her underwear to bed...BIG MISTAKE!!! She wet the bed 3 nights in a row. That was the end of that. It was too much trouble changing sheets everyday.

You see, I thought this day would never come because she takes after Brandon....and me too....we both love our sleep and are very sound sleepers. I thought she would never be able to feel the sensation while she was asleep! But....SHE CAN!!!!

So maybe just maybe you can understand my excitement. I thought she would be wearing pull-ups until she was 10 (not really, but you know what I mean) but now I know that there is a light at the end of the potty training tunnel!!

In Honor of Stacy. . .

2008-11-24T19:08:00.000-05:00

and to stay up to date on my posting now that I am ALL caught up!!! I can hardly believe it.

Back to the matter at hand...

Thank you for my blogging award Stacy:)

"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

So now I am awarding this wonderful award to...

I could have added more because I love all the blogs I read but some were already used and I tried to follow the rules and pick only 8.

Funny Pictures. . .

2008-11-24T18:35:00.000-05:00

The other day the girls were playing with Brynn's tutu in a nontraditional way. The results was hilarious.

Addie kept walking around shaking her head from side to side. She reminded me of someone with a pink afro.

Brynn wanted hers down in her face so she could look like she was getting married. I honestly don't know where she comes up with all this wedding stuff.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving. . .

2008-11-24T18:10:00.000-05:00

Brynn came home from school the other day with a craft.

She had to tell something that she was thankful for.

* The picture is a little blurry *

I about peed my pants when I read this. Of all the things to be thankful for my daughter chooses Poptarts!

I think her class must have been making this the morning we were running late and she was finishing her breakfast walking into to her classroom. I am bad mom I know.

Fun at the Grahams. . .

2008-11-24T17:20:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, we went to visit our very good friends the Grahams. We haven't seen them in awhile so it was great to catch up.

Brynn was the most excited to be going to visit because they have animals (cat and dog). Brynn LOVES animals! She wanted to play with their cat so bad but it is a tiny bit antisocial or just terrified of a 4 year old that is constantly coming right for her. Lexy did let Brynn pet her a few times which seemed to satisfy her.

We went to a park that is near Patrick and Ali's house to let the girls play. They had so much fun. I wish we had a nice park like that 1 near us.

Brynn with elephant ears

Going down the slide with some help

Addie going down the slide like a big girl

Brynn having fun

We had a great time catching up with Ali and Patrick and hope to see them a little sooner from now on :)

Mircacle Round. . .

2008-11-24T16:01:00.000-05:00

or better known as a merry go round!

Brandon's mom has a new Christmas merry go round and Brynn loves it. She puts her happy meal Barbies in it to go for a ride. She loves the music that it plays. She stands there for what seems like hours watching it go round and round. The entire time she keeps telling everyone to come look at her new miracle round.

We have all tried and tired to tell her that it is called a MERRY GO round but she is very insistent that it is called a MIRACLE round. So from now until she decides to call it the correct word, we will all have to call it the miracle round.

Baby Ava. . .

2008-11-24T15:17:00.000-05:00

My friend that I have known since kindergarten, Tasha, had her 1st baby on November 4th. Her name is Ava Blythe. She is so cute. Ava weighed 6 lbs 13 ozs and was 20 1/2 ins. They are all doing great. I am so happy for Tasha and Ryan!!

A Funny. . .

2008-11-24T14:25:00.000-05:00

Setting- our house, a Disney commercial is on featuring none other than Cinderella's castle.

Brynn: (speaking as if she is about to burst out of her skin) Mom, did you call it in?

Me: (confused) Did I call what in?

Brynn: Did you call in my pump it up party for when I am this many (holds up her 5 fingers).

Me: No...I haven't done that yet. (If you remember, she just had her party 2 months ago...I guess she is a planner like me.)

Brynn: (even more excited than before) GREAT!!!! I don't want to have my party there. I want to have my party at.....DISNEY WORLD!!!!! and have all my friends come.

Me: Well...umm...we'll have to see about that.

Girl's Night. . .

2008-11-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

Brynn and I had a girl's night a few Fridays ago. We went to the movies. I have never taken her to the movies. It is something Brandon and her usually do together.

We went to see Madagascar 2. We loved the 1st 1 and by loved I mean we have seen it close to 1000 times...not kidding. It was 1 of the 1st movies Brynn ever watched all the way through. So I figured we should go see the 2nd.

She still had some money left from her birthday and I thought this was something she could use it for. We got our tickets and went to the concession stand. We both got our favorites...Brynn - sour watermelon gummies, me - nachos and cheese (I know disgusting, but I love it). I haven't been to the movies in a while and I guess I had forgotten how expensive it can be. This is when the MasterCard commercial starts running through my head...

Movie Tickets:$15.75

Refreshments:$9.50

Seeing that smile: Priceless

We picked out just the right sit and waited for the movie to start.

I thought it was a little long. Brynn wanted to leave when the movie had about 20 minutes left but we stayed. It had some parts that I thought were not very appropriate. I have to say we love Madagascar way more than Madagascar 2.

All in all we had fun spending time together by ourselves!!

Trunk or Treat. . .

2008-11-24T12:58:00.003-05:00

True Romance Between a Bat & a Poodle...Only on Halloween

On Halloween, we went to Trunk or Treat at our church. It is amazing our early people start getting in line for this event. It starts around 6 or 6:30 and people probably start the line about 45 minutes prior to that.

We got there about 30 minutes before it started but somehow did not leave until it was over. Propably my fault since I stopped at SM car and helped hand out candy. Brandon finished taking Brynn around to the rest of the cars and they came back to help too.

I was suprised and shocked at how many teenagers came around (NOT dressed up) to get candy. This didn't bother me as much as the adults that were coming around without ANY children.

Addie loved passing out candy to people.
She would scream if we didn't let her do it!

First North Fall Festival. . .

2008-11-24T12:38:00.000-05:00

Another local church had a fall festival at night. They have more rides than our church and some are alot bigger. We went with a group...large group mind you...of our friends. This is a picture of just the kids.

Funny how all the boys are on 1 side and the girls are on the other side!

It was fun. They have a lot more rides than our church. Addie went on her 1st ride by herself! Well, without a parent. She rode with Brynn and Zachary and LOVED it...so much that she screamed and cried when it was time to get off.

It was really cold, the lines were long(on the bigger rides), it was getting late (for some), and 1 family hadn't had dinner (my fault...still feel bad about that Stacy) so our numbers began to dwindled.

A few of us braved it out (in our cars) to see the firework show. It was a good show. Brynn and Addie both enjoyed it.

Boo In The Zoo. . .

2008-11-24T11:56:00.000-05:00

This is another 1 of our yearly traditions. This year we went with our friends the Waddell's. It was the same as last year. The line was long but moved fast. It is neat to see all the different costumes. Some are traditional, some are a popular character, but some are really creative. I saw this guy that was dressed up like a pirate and was carrying his son who was a parrot on his shoulder. We did go through the reptile house year and I remembered once we were in there why we skipped it. It is very loud and very crowded!

What are Daddy's for?Annual Photo

Some of our friends went to Riverbank Zoo for their Boo In The Zoo and had a great time. I think we are going to try that next year... to change it up a bit!

Field Trip. . .

2008-11-24T08:56:00.001-05:00

Brynn had her 1st field trip of the year to Niven's Apple Farm. This is where we went to pick a pumpkin. We have never picked apples there before so this was new to us.We started by going on a hayride. Let me just tell I don't think I have ever been that close to people (other than my family) before. I think we had 4 classes (which included teachers, children in the class, parents, and some siblings) all piled on to 1 trailer. We were on top of each other, but the kids didn't seem to mind.

At the end of the hayride, we were drop off to pick a bag of apples. I couldn't believe how many there were. Brynn loved it!! She filled her bag in no time and went to filling my hands and her hands.

Those little bags are busting at the sems!

They had a snack after that which did not go over well. You see not all classes had the same snack. The problem: Brynn's friend is in a different class and had a different snack. Not to worry...Ella Kate saved the day by sharing her snack!!!

Notice the red face and teary eyes! At least Ella is all smiles.

The girls went to play on the tires and see the animals last.

AMRBC Fall Festival. . .

2008-11-24T07:54:00.000-05:00

Our church has had it's annual fall festival. It is free to the community and is usually held the same weekend that our county fair is in town. We went to both last year but chose to only go to our fall festival this year. It's is less crowded, clean, and a lot safer!

We had a great time and the weather was beautiful. We stayed pretty much the entire time it went on.

Brynn riding the train with Ella and Mr. Micheal

Addie with Karson and Lizzie Grace

This was a pretty funny sight. If you look closely to the far left and right of the photo you will see 2 grown men racing up the gigantic inflatable obstacle course. I am sad to say that one is my husband, the other belongs to this poor soul.

Brynn and Ella on the swings.

And yes I assure you, my child DID wear shoes to this outdoor event, but it was too much of a hassle to put them on and off every time she got into one of those inflatables.

Addie always seems to fall asleep when we go places. She slept in her stroller under a table while we had lunch.

The 2 love birds

The main reason we stayed as long as we did was for 2 reasons: 1. My dear friend talked me into running the cotton candy machine for an hour with another friend. This was a sight to see! I kinda got the hang of it after a few trys, but it was pretty windy that day so I still had it all over me! Sorry no picture to share. 2. Brandon had to help with something towards the end.

Can't wait until next year...well...I maybe I can...Cotton candy is still fresh in my mind :)

Sleeping. . .

2008-11-24T06:39:00.000-05:00

I had to share this picture. I laughed so hard when I saw Addie sleeping with no clothes on and only 1 shoe.

She LOVES shoes! She must have only found 1 and put it on. She had been walking around our house for a while with that shoe before she finally feel asleep.

The Blogging Marathon Continues. . .

2008-11-24T06:29:00.001-05:00

I didn't get finished the other day but today is the day!!

Promise!!!

If there is a record for number of post in 1 day I think I am going to break it!! Hope you can keep up :)

The New Band. . .

2008-11-22T21:17:00.000-05:00

well sort of...

if you can have a band with 3 guitar players ONLY...

with 1 member playing only Backyardigan songs...

with 1 member making lots of noise (NOT music)...

and only 1 member that can actually play guitar...Maybe the 1 member who actually plays guitar can teach the other 2 members to play and they can call themselves a band ...

Until that happens, it will be interesting to hear the "music" coming from our house!

Pumpkin Pickin'. . .

2008-11-22T19:55:00.002-05:00

Each fall we go to our local apple farm to pick a pumpkin. We started this traditon before we were married. I love going to this farm because it is so cute. Plus I think it is good to help local people with their business.This year was fun because Addie got to pick her 1st pumpkin. Last year she was only a few months old. We walked through the pumpkin patch and each picked a pumpkin. Addie was so cute trying to carry her pumpkin. You can tell in the picture she is using all her might.
After we found the pumpkins, the girls played on the activites that are there. Brynn loves going through the tunnels. She taught Addie how to bounce on the tire rings.

Brynn is oinking

It was a great Sunday afternoon :)

Brynn's Many Talents. . .

2008-11-22T17:21:00.000-05:00

Brynn is becoming a Jack or shoud I say a Jill of all trades. I am not sure whose profession she is going to take up, mine or Brandon's, but she seems to enjoy both at the moment.

This is her as Hallie the hairdresser. I have no idea where she came up with that name, but when she is doing your hair you better call her Hallie!

Don't you think Brandon's hair looks so much better when it is flat ironed?

Hard at work in Papa's shop building a cabinet

All good workers punch a time clock, right.

Isn't there some kind of law against child labor? Not in this case. Everyone starts working at the ripe ol age of 4!

I have to say, I hope she decides to do something a little different when she grows up but I am sure between now and then she will change her mind about a million times!

Brynn's Birthday Extravaganza. . .

2008-11-22T15:43:00.003-05:00

This year Brynn's actual birthday was on a Wednesday. She woke up to a cupcake and happy birthday. It is only once a year that she gets a cupcake for breakfast! I took cupcakes to school for her class. I don't think she knew what to think having 2 cupcakes in less than 2 hours! After school, we went to lunch at the mall with some of her friends. I sort of had ulterior motives in asking them to lunch. Brynn really wanted her ears pierced as her gift from me and Brandon and after several discussions we decided to get it done. She didn't want to wait until the weekend when both ears could be done at the same time. She wanted it done 1 at a time. Strange, I know.

Brandon was working and wanted pictures and video hence the reason for my friends. I had no idea if she was going to scream, freak out, or what. I surely couldn't hold her down (if needed) and take pictures and video the whole event. So my dear friends came to lunch with their kids and stayed to watch the whole ordeal.

3 boys and 1 girl, who already has her ears pierced, watched eagerly to see what was going to happen. Brynn had assured them and me several times that she was NOT going to cry. We picked out a pair of earrings. The lady, who I am sure must have thought we were crazy having all of 8 people watching this little girl get her ears pierced, explained each step to Brynn. 1st she cleaned her ears. 2nd dotted her ears with a purple marker exactly where the earring was to go. 3rd she pierced the left ear. No screaming !! 4th the right ear. Again, no screaming...not even a tear... not even a single flinch. The child was remarkable. I couldn't believe it. She hopped right out of the chair, looked up at me and said " See Mom, I told you I wouldn't cry!" and walked proudly over to her friends to show off her new accessories.We had her party on Saturday at a horse farm in Cowpens. My friends brought Brynn to her party so that I could get some things done before the party. On the way to the party, Brynn realized that she was missing an earring!!! This was not good. My friend called to tell me and by the time they got to the party (10 minutes mind you) the hole was closed. At the time I had no idea when the earring came out. We calmed her down and assured her we would get it fixed after the party.

The farm was so nice. The kids had a great time. For the 1st hour everyone took turns riding 2 horses around a pasture. Each ride lasted several minutes and each kid rode more than once. They were captivated by the horses.

Brynn and Zachary Ella and KarsonBrycenAndrew and JakeMe and Addie Karson and TracySummerElla and RhondaMy Aunt Judy,who has never riden a horseBrynn and MimiLivi wanted no part of the horses. We tried and tried, but she wasn't having it.

After that, we went on the longest hay ride I have ever been on. It was really fun and the kids enjoyed it.

We had cake next.

Finally, we opened gifts. This would have to be my favorite birthday party so far.If you ever want a horse party let me know!

Back to the earring problem...

After the party, my friend called the ear piercing place to find out if we could come and have it redone and if it was going to cost. The place said we would have to wait 2...2 weeks before it could be done again and we would have to pay!!! I couldn't believe it.

That night during bath time, I asked Brynn if she knew how she lost her earring and she said "the seatbelt clipped it out". I asked her if she saw the earring and she said yes she had it in her hand and threw it on the floor. I asked her why did she do that and she said "I didn't want to get a whoopin' ". 1st I have to say I don't know where she got the word "whoopin' ". 2nd I think she though this because I told her she would be in BIG trouble if she pulled her earrings out. The next day, my friend looked in her car and low and behold the earring was still in her car. Amazing...I know!

We waited 10 days and I decided to call the place back and talk to the manager who informed me that you only have to wait 48 hours and I would not have to pay to have it redone. We went later that afternoon to have the left her repierced. Once again, Brynn was a little trooper. Not a single flinch!

**********UPDATE**********

About a month after the repiercing of the left ear, the right earring fell out. Luckily, this time it had been more than 2 days and I was there when it came out and put my earring in. I think the set of earrings must have been faulty. Now Brynn refuses to let me change the earrings so that they match. At the moment she is wearing 1 hoop and 1 diamond. We get asked all the time if I know she is wearing 2 different earrings.

Fripp Island. . .

2008-11-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

We also go on summer vacation with Brandon's family. Typically we go to the Myrtle Beach/Surfside area. This year we went to Fripp Island. It is close to Beaufort. Brandon's parents wanted to go there because that is where we went for Brynn's 1st beach trip and this was going to be Addie's 1st trip to the beach.

I love going to Fripp because there is absolutely nothing to do. Well, there are some things to do just not normal beach things because it is not commercialized. You just relax and enjoy each other. It actually feels like a vacation.

This year it wasn't just our family and my in-laws going. My mom-in-law's parents came and her niece and her son and her friend. We had a total of 13 people in 1 house. Luckily it was a 2 story house...plenty of room for everyone!

We left our house at 4:45 a.m. Both the girls were wide awake and I was praying they would go back to sleep. Addie eventually did (which was a blessing because she screamed the entire 4 and 1/2 hours home...not fun).

Bright Eyed and Bushy TailedBut not for long

When we got there Brynn went running straight for the beach. We (Brandon, me, the girls, Brent, and April) were out on the beach walking around and I turn around to find my child stripping her clothes off. 1st came the shorts...which was fine. At Fripp, especially this time of year(September) there is no one on the beach. 2nd went the shirt...still fine with it. She was only 3 and can get away with going around without a shirt on. Last came the UNDERWEAR!!! I about had a heart attack but quickly regained my senses and made her put her underwear back on and explained how we NEVER go out of the house NAKED!!!

During the day we played on the beach and looked for sand dollars and shells. This year we even found a few starfish.

Addie carried this shell around the entire time we were on the beach.Sand castle attempt

Each night we would go out on the golf cart and bicycles to look for deer.A neat thing about Fripp is the wild life. The deer will come right up to you and eat out of your hand. The 1st time I went here I didn't believe this was true until I saw it with my own eyes.

We found lots of blue crabs and hermit crabs each time the tide went out. 1 day Brent found a crab hiding under a large rock. He work for about 30 minutes to get it out. It was the biggest crab I have ever seen in my life.

I also saw this crane when Brent was fishing. I nearly walked into it before I realized it was standing there.

We went kayaking 1 afternoon. I could lie and say I had a great time but I won't do that. I obviously am not cut out for outdoor activities. We were gone for an hour. I had blisters on both my hands and 1 popped before we got back. We did see a few dolphins that swam right past us.

Dolphins are near the top left corner

Family shot: Back row:Brent Brandon Brandon's dad Brandon's grandpa Front row: April Brynn Me Addie Brandon's mom Brandon's grandma

We went shopping in downtown Beaufort 1 afternoon. They have a nice downtown area. The boardwalk is absolutely beautiful. I wish I could have spent a few hours with Brandon walking along it and enjoying the nice view!

We had a great time! I hope we go there again next year instead of Myrtle Beach. And, hopefully I got our Christmas card picture!!

Interested in a new Look. . .

2008-11-22T10:39:00.002-05:00

Check out this really cool contest. I found this blog from Stacy. I have been reading about this lady's story and her family and I must say I am addicted. So click on the contest link and check it out!

Riverbank Zoo. . .

2008-11-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

Each year we make a trip to Riverbank Zoo. We have gone every year since I was pregnant with Brynn. We typically go in May or June. This year we didn't make it until August.

Every year we always plan on getting to the zoo when it opens and it never happens. We usually make it there before lunch. Right when it is starting to get hot. For some unknown reason, this year we ACTUALLY made it to the zoo about 15 minutes after they opened. It was so nice to be there when the animals are 1st coming out. They are alot more active. Another bonus was we beat the heat!!!

We normally skip the area where the merry go round is but this year Brynn spotted it. We rode it twice and she wasn't very happy that we weren't riding it a 3rd time. Lesson Learned !!! When entering the zoo make a right causing the merry go round to be closer to the exit.

Addie and MeUs girls

Brynn went on the pony ride. This is one of her favorite parts. She also feed the lorikeets this year.A funny thing happened while we were feeding the birds. A man that was in there with his daughters started talking to us(me and Brandon's dad). He asked my dad-in-law how old our daughter was. I about had a stroke and I think Brandon's dad did too. He could hardly get his words out. He told the man that Brynn was his granddaughter and I was... I finished his sentence with DAUGHTER IN LAW!!!!!

Brynn wanted to feed the giraffes. We stopped to do that. This is another good part about getting to the zoo early, none of the animals have eaten that much so they are hungry!
Brynn didn't mind that the nasty giraffe tongue was all over her hand, me on the other hand was having a TH moment and quickly brought out the sanitizer! Addie was not a big fan of this hugh animal coming towards her. Hopefully next year she will be more open to the idea.

We made our annual photo op on the tiger.Each year the zoo moves their statues around so it is fun to try to find the new spot.

We skipped the reptile exhibit this year but made it to see the penguins. Some how we also forget about this exhibit. I know why now. You have to walk past the EXTREMELY STINKY FLAMINGOS!!! It was a neat show, you almost forget about the smell until you walk out and it hits you in the face again.

Brynn looking for the penguins

Poor Addie feel asleep about half way through the zoo. She was knocked out.It was a great day spent as a family. I can't wait until next year!!!

Blogging Marathon. . .

2008-11-22T08:32:00.001-05:00

If that is what it should be called.

I have somewhat fallen off the blogging bandwagon over the past few months. I have decided to catch up on all the events that have happened that I have not had a chance to blog about.

So pull up a chair and be prepared for a new post every couple of hours until I am caught up!!

Update. . .

2008-11-07T17:31:00.002-05:00

Sorry it has been so long since I posted on how my dad is doing.

My dad is home. He came home on Tuesday. The Dr. concluded that the stroke was a result of high blood pressure, his diabetes, and his smoking. He is fine physically…he is having no trouble walking or moving. He is on the other had having trouble with his speech. He can read fine. He can have a conversation with you; it just doesn’t always make sense. He knows what he wants to say, he just can’t always get the right words out. My mom is working with him at home. We are working on getting him in with a speech therapist. This will help him the most because the sessions will last longer and will help him deal with his frustration. It is going to take some time but the Drs. feel like he can make a full recovery.

Thank you to everyone that has prayed for our family over the last week.

Update on my Dad. . .

2008-10-30T19:29:00.001-04:00

The Dr. came in tonight with the results from the MRI. My dad has suffered a large stroke on the left side of his brain. The Dr. thinks it happened within the last two weeks.

Tomorrow, more tests will be done to determine how severe the damage is. (Hopefully, I get all of this info right...it all sounds foreign to me) My dad is having an ultrasound on his neck to check for bleeding and/or clots. He is also having a cath ran from his thigh to his brain to look for inflammation, bleeding, or clots. His heart is being monitored and will have an ecocardiogram.

The results from these tests will help determine what route we will have to go on in the recovery process.

Please continue to pray for my dad and especially my mom. I know how hard this has been on me but I can only imagine how difficult it must be for her. Thank you for all your prayers.

PRAYER REQUEST. . .

2008-10-30T08:26:00.004-04:00

Please keep my family in your prayers today. My dad was admitted to the hospital last night. I don't really know much right now other than the drs believe he has suffered several mini strokes which may have caused him to have early stages of dementia(sp?). The neurologist is supposed to meet with him this morning. We should know more after that. It has been a rough night for our family. So please prayer for us today.

Only from a 4 year old. . .

2008-10-20T18:29:00.007-04:00

This may only be funny to me but I thought I would share and I wanted to remember this.
Tonight on the way home from cheerleading this is the converstation Brynn and I had. . .

Brynn : I have to go potty really bad.

Me: Ok, we will be home in just a minute.

Brynn: I will hold it...

To herself: Think about unicorns...Think about unicorns.

2 seconds later...

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is being belted out at the top of her lungs.

Unconventional Toy. . .

2008-09-29T21:59:00.006-04:00

Tonight, Brandon was taking out the trash, which included all the empty boxes that were piling up. We had an empty diaper box...imagine that. Anyway this was the results:It started out with just Addie, but Brynn wanted a turn which turned into them both being in the box. Who would have thought an empty diaper box could be so much fun!

100th POST. . .

2008-09-22T17:03:00.002-04:00

This is officially my 100th post!!!! I cannot believe I have kept this blog up as long as I have. I guess it is truly addicting and a good way to keep up with all the things that happen in our lives that I would never remember! Thanks Rhonda for introducing me to the blogging world.

This is just a quick post to get through the 100th. I have lots of things I need to post (beach, Brynn starting dance and cheerleading, Brynn's party...). The list goes on and on.

So in honor of my 100th post, I was hoping that all the people who read, take a glance at, or stop by to "lurk" at my blog could leave me a comment. I don't care if I know you or not. Just say hey ;)

Gotta run... it's time for Brynn to go to cheerleading!!!

It's Brynn's Birthday. . .

2008-09-17T08:04:00.019-04:00

Today, Brynn is officially 4 years old. That is extremely hard for me to believe.

It is hard to imagine before you are a parent exactly how you could love another person as much as you love your child. You love them unconditionally, no matter how much they may drive you crazy.

My entire world changed 4 years ago. I was blessed with a beautiful 7 pound little girl. The connection was instant!
Brynn continues to amaze me with each passing day. I just believe how big she is already. She seems so grown up.

She brightens my day with her smile. She keeps me laughing with the funny things she says. She keeps me on my toes with all the drama that comes with little girls.

I can't (really I wish I could pause time) wait to see what the next year of life holds for her!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

MOM, DAD, & ADDIE

Kids Say the Funniest Things...

2008-09-07T16:44:00.003-04:00

I meant to post this last week, but I haven't had time.

Brynn started Awana a week ago this past Wednesday. This year she really has to learn the Bible verse and the notation. We worked really hard because she had to learn 2 for this past Wednesday. She got the 1st 1 down in no time. The 2nd 1 was a little more tricky. She got it down too with her own twist on it.

This is how she says it:
While we were sinners, Christ died for us. Romans came by 5:8.

What she was supposed to say:
While we were sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.

She says it that way every time.

First Day of School...

2008-09-01T16:46:00.003-04:00

Brynn had been waiting for school to start for weeks now. She was very excited to be going downstairs this year to the "big kid classes". I was a little sad. This means she is growing up :( Man time flies.

I thought back to this day last year and Addie was only a few days old!! This is the 2 of them this year. Brynn is heading off to her 3 year old preschool class and Addie is headed to Mimi's.
Brynn insisted that she take a lunch box to school this year because she is "all grown up". I tried to explain to her that she leaves school every day before lunch and that she will eat lunch once she gets home. She has no need for a lunch box. She tried to convince me that "ALL the kids downstairs take a lunch box." I gave in... We use it to carry a snack for the ride to Mimi's.

Brynn in one car...
Addie in the other...
Brynn going down the stairs to Big Kid World...

Brynn the same teacher she had last year...Ms. Jennie. She also has 2 friends in her class from last year...Jazmynn and Livi. She told me she loves her new class and all her new friends.

Brynn & Ms. Jennie

I hope this year is another greater year, but I also hope it is a slow year...only this year and next year and we start REAL school.

Happy Birthday. . .

2008-08-31T12:30:00.001-04:00

To my sister-in-law.

Today is her birthday and she is in Texas by herself. I hope she is having a great birthday. Also, we all miss her and wish we were spending the day with her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHERE!!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!

Prayer Request. . .

2008-08-28T19:52:00.002-04:00

Can everyone say a little (BIG) prayer tonight for my brother and his family? He is leaving for Iraq at 2:30 AM Friday . He will be in Iraq for a year. Please pray for safe travel there and his safety while in Iraq. Also, pray for his wife, who will be here with their daughter who is 7 months old. Hopefully, she will be coming to SC to live while he is away.

Addie's Birthday Weekend. . .

2008-08-27T09:47:00.013-04:00

As you all know Friday was Addie's "real" birthday. I took the day off to "spend time" with her. This didn't really happen... I was a tiny bit busy running all over the world getting things for her party on Saturday. Brandon couldn't really help me because, let's face it, someone had to work that day in order to pay for the great party we were having. I felt so bad for him though. He barely got to see her between working and going to a meeting for dinner.

My fabulous friends were gracious enough to help me with my never ending list of things to get done before Saturday. I was very calm and collective (remember this) because I had "plenty of time to get it all done". My friends knew better!! Tracy made ALL, yes I said ALL and by all I mean like 50!!, of the cupcakes. Rhonda came over and iced ALL the cupcakes! Which just so happened to turn into a small disaster, I will get to that in a minute.

We decided to go to dinner at Fugi's. Good food that is cheap...even better. We, 11 of us, ate for about $25. I think we picked the wrong night to go because all the teenagers were there. Addie had a great time! She was full of smiles all night!

All the Kiddos

After dinner, we went back to our house. The kids played and the moms talked. Some time passed and I decided for some unknown reason to look at the cupcakes I had already put into containers. * Remember the disaster I mentioned* Well. . . about 1/2 of the cupcakes had lost their icing!!! Apparently, this particular icing, Rich and Creamy by Betty Crocker, is not supposed to be stored in a covered container. What smart people we have working at Betty Crocker! Who makes icing that can't be stored?!?! Not to worry , my trusty friend, Rhonda, volunteered to come early to the party to redo the icing.

PARTY DAY!!!

Thinking that I am "Super Mom", I decided to go to a meeting that lasted all Saturday morning. Great idea....because I had "plenty of time" to get everything done. The party didn't start until 6! I was still calm and collective. I made a list during the meeting. Brandon was at home getting everything outside looking good. We had "plenty of time".

Get home and realize I still had a million things to do!!! Now I am starting to panic!!! It is 4:00 and noting is set up!! Really start to panic!! Rhonda comes to rescue me !!! Everything gets done before the guests arrive!!!

Brandon did a great job on the grill. Tammy did a great job on the rest of the food. Everyone LOVED her baked beans. I need to get her recipe for those. The cupcakes turned out great. The kids liked the cupcake bar. I had lots of toppings out for them to decorate their own cupcake.

Cupcake Maker- TracyZachary

Brynn

Addie on the other hand was not to sure about her giant cupcake. She kept shaking her head "No" and didn't care too much for her hands being dirty. Ella Kate, Brynn, and Karson helped Addie with eating it.

I made the cake myself!

Birthday Song

Ella & Karson

Brynn

End Results

After cake, we opened gifts. Addie had the most fun with the paper. Karson and Ella helped her with the opening. I think she got just the right amount (not too many toys)! After opening gifts, she was all tuckered out and fell asleep. She had had a long day, a great day, but a long one!

Thank you everyone who came and a BIG thank you to everyone who helped make Addie's 1st birthday a day we will always remember!!

Addie's 1st Birthday. . .

2008-08-22T08:44:00.009-04:00

One year ago today, our family grew by 1. Addison Grace was born at 1:34 PM weighing 6 pounds 14 ounces.
I had no idea how our lives would change over the next year. Adding a new member to our family proved challenging at times, juggling 2 children is ALOT different than 1! But, Addie was welcomed blessing.

I thought that since I had 2 girls they would be similar....don't know where I got that idea! They are completely different.

Addie is most definitely a Mommy's girl. If she had to pick between Brandon and me, it would always be me. She is a lover, always laying her head on you, hugging you. She needs lots, all of your attention, if she is not getting it...you guessed it...she is crying. She is a smiler. Addie almost always has a smile on her face (when she is getting her way)! She is a giver. She never hesitates to give you anything (unless it's a juice box that she has found). She is a girly girl. She loves the baby dolls. Addie absolutely adores her big sister.

Addie has grown so much in her 1st year of life. She crawled at 6 months, walked at 9 months. Her teeth finally came at 10 months. She has 5 now. She now weighs 21 pounds! She is saying a few things...mama, dada, bye bye.Addie has been a wonderful addition to our family. We love her SOO much and can not imagine our family without her!

Since I was Tagged. . .

2008-08-09T13:18:00.002-04:00

Directions: Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not. Answer the 30 questions at the end and tag 3 (or more) of your friends to play too!(This is for your entire life.)
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Gone to Canada
(x) Gone to Mexico
( ) Gone on a plane
( ) Jumped out of a plane
(x) Been on a Helicopter
(x) Gotten lost
( )Gone on the opposite side of the country
( ) Gone to Washington , DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried your self to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x)Paid for a meal with coins only?
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Gotten kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about-with the hubby on our honeymoon
(X) Blown bubbles
( x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone Skiing (water & snow) didn't like it at 1st (snow), but it is fun now that I know how!
( ) Gone skinny dipping outdoors
(x) Gone to the movies…
(x) Gone to a drive-in movie…does the movie at the park count?
1Any nickname? Summertime
2. Mother's name? Sandra
3. Favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
4. Tattoo? nope...too scared and too permanent
5. Body piercings? my ears
6. How much do you love your job? I love it for the most part!
7. Birthplace? Spartanburg, SC
8. Favorite vacation spot? beach anytime!!
9. Ever been to Africa ? no
10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? yes
11. Ever been on TV? not that I remember
12. Ever steal any traffic sign? road sign
13. Ever been in a car accident? yes
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door
15. Favorite salad dressing? tie between ranch and balsalmic vinegarette
16. Favorite pie? key lime
17. Favorite number? 8
18. Favorite movie? Sweet Home Alabama
19. Favorite holiday? Christmas
20. Favorite dessert? anything sweet just about
21. Favorite food? any kind of potatoes
22. Favorite day of the week? Sunday because Brandon and I are both home
23. What do you do to relax? sleep
24. Favorite toothpaste? Crest
25. Favorite smell? fresh cut grass
26. What month were you born in? July
27. Favorite Candle Scent? apple
28. How do you see yourself in 10 years? being a mom to an 11 and 14 year old...scary!!
29. What 3 people do you tag to do this meme? Rhonda , Summer , and Natalie
30. Who will be the first to respond? hopefully one of them!!

Sisters. . .

2008-08-06T07:56:00.000-04:00

I was going to have a Wordless Wednesday Post, but I just had to write something and that defeated the purpose of "wordless".

I was looking through the pictures of the girls and stated to think...

I never could have imagined that in a year (well, just 2 weeks shy of a year) Brynn and Addie would have already formed such a close bond. They truly share something unique that only sisters can share. I always wanted a sister so that I could have that bond with someone. I am happy that they are so close.

Brynn has already said several times..."Mom, when we get our big house Addie will still sleep with me." She looks after Addie all the time and is such a great helper with her. They do play well with each other (most of the time).

I can only pray that they will continue to grow closer as they grow older!!

Happy Birthday. . .

2008-08-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Natalie!!!

Hope you have a great birthday!!! You have become a very good friend to our family. I am so glad we have gotten to know each other better this past year!

Tarah's Wedding. . .

2008-08-03T22:11:00.000-04:00

My very dear friend, Tarah, was married to a great guy,Eric, yesterday. The wedding was beautiful. It was held at our church and the reception was held at the Chapman Cultural Center (absolutely gorgeous, by the way).

I have know Tarah for a very long time because her older sister and I have been friends for longer than I can count. I have to say, I felt like my little sister was getting married. Not that I have a little sister, but Tarah is as close as it gets. She made such a stunning bride!

I know that Tarah and Eric will have a happy life together! God has blessed them both!!

Birthday. . .

2008-08-03T21:53:00.001-04:00

Today is my Mama Ann's birthday. For those of you who don't know, my MA is my grandma.

She is more like my mom than my grandma. I love her very much!! I am also very grateful for all she has done and continues to do for our family. Thank you Mama Ann. I know I don't say it as often as I should, but THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for that you have sacrificed for me!!!

We celebrated by going to Logan's. YUM!!! The craziest thing happened before we left. . . the restaurant lost POWER!! We were just sitting there and the lights went out, thankfully they had a generator that came on immediately. We never did hear what caused the power outage.

Sunday School Social. . .

2008-08-01T22:26:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, we went to a cookout/pool party. I was very excited because this was the 1st social we have had with our old class. Back in the spring, our class split and became 2 classes. The class was actually that big believe it or not!

It was nice to see some people that we really don't get to see that often anymore. It was a great time. I think the men had the most fun. . . playing with the kids . . . or more appropriately said "acting like kids"!!! Joe R. made the BIGGEST splashes I have ever seen in my life!!!

I hope we do joint socials more often!!!

Brynn with Mr. Drew (I think he is her new boyfriend...don't tell Zachary!)

Jason doing a flip...
Joe's plunge. . . The SPLASH!!!
Addie. . .

This picture looks like Andrew is standing on Karson's back. He is actually on the diving board and Karson is trying to dive!
Elizabeth upside!!

Taking a dip to cool off. . .

Zac, Mr. Drew, & Brynn

Chicken Fight. . .
Ella Kate's favorite spot. . .Mr. Drew is a strong man. . .
Addie with her favorite toy of the day. You can't tell but she has lots of grass stuck to her hinney.

Farewell. . .

2008-07-30T23:02:00.005-04:00

Barney!!!

Today, our "dear" little pet gerbil has gone to find his family. He will be "missed" greatly!!

Brynn has said for sometime now that Barney needed to find his family and "have 10 babies". She has also said when Barney leaves we will get a puppy. . . THIS IS NOT HAPPENING ANYTIME SOON!!!

We are now pet free!!! Hopefully, we will stay this way for a while!!!

It's Official. . .

2008-07-28T08:26:00.000-04:00

My baby is becoming a big girl.

Last Sunday, we decided to switch Addie to the forward facing carseat.

She has HATED riding in the car, particularly the carseat, her entire life. I am not exaggerating 1 bit! She screams and cries pretty much every time we put her in it.

This is her now. . .

Do you notice the smile?

Yes, this is much much better than the screams and cries!! She was so happy to be able to see something other than the back of a seat!

The only bad thing about the new car seat is when she falls asleep!! No more just carrying her into the store still sleeping!!

Oh well, it is worth to be able to see her pretty smile!!

Fashion Statement. . .

2008-07-27T22:16:00.003-04:00

What does my child want to wear out on a day when the temperature is in the 90's . . .

No folks, your eyes are not deceiving you. Brynn is in fact wearing snow boots in the middle of the summer with her swimsuit cover up!

Normally, I would not let my child leave the house unless she had her coordinating outfit on with a matching bow.

Today. . . I did not want to fight that battle. It was just not worth it.

And for all you faithfully readers who are just dying to know. . . we did in fact go to more than 1 place dressed in this well fashioned outfit. Target, Ingles, and Firehouse.

You never know. . .these could become a fashion hit!

I have learned in my short parenting life that you(the parent) must choose the battles and this is definitely not 1 of them!

July 4th Celebration. . .

2008-07-26T23:31:00.000-04:00

*I Know This Post Is A Little Late But I Kept Forgetting to Post It*

We had a great July 4th. We were blessed to spend the day with our friends the Waddells.

Our patriotic toes courtesy Tracy Harrison

We met at the pool and the kids had fun swimming. Addie is becoming such a good little walker, but this has become an issue when we go to the pool. She wants to jump right in with the big kids, so I have to keep my eye on this little sneak. Unfortunately, a storm came up and we had to leave the pool a little sooner than expected.

A sweet moment

Sisters

Dancing while eating Cheetos

Addie in her float

We had dinner and then the guys went to get some fireworks.

This is the ice cream cake I made that gave me frost bite!! It turned out so pretty but my poor little fingers suffered the consequences!! Not to worry, I have regained felling them!!

The kids (Jake and Brynn) seemed to enjoy the sparklers! Addie was out before really getting to see any of them and Ella was not into all the noise!

Ella hiding from the fireworks

Jake watching the fireworks

Jake and Brynn with sparklers

Another Year Older. . .

2008-07-25T20:24:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was my 25th birthday and it was a great day!

I took the day off of work so I was able to sleep in, something I have not been able to do in awhile. Addie has gotten up earlier than usual (5-6 am) this week, so I was in need of some extra sleep.

My dad came over to watch the girls so that I could run some errands and also go to lunch with my dear friend Natalie. We went to Ice Cream & Coffee Beans. YUM YUM!! This is 1 of my favorite places to go for lunch. They have the best vegtable soup. I really enjoyed our grown up converstion without any interruptions. Thanks again Natalie for having lunch with me!

My parents took us all out to dinner to another 1 of my favorite restuarants. . . Copper River Grille! It is SOOOO GOOD! I think I could eat there everyday and not get sick of it.

Pictures from Dinner. . .

Addie having her favorite meal. . .

My Parents. . .

Thanks again Mom and Dad for a great dinner.

I would also like to say THANK YOU to everyone who wished me a happy birthday.

Oh. . . I almost forgot to mention my birthday cake. I don't know how I forgot about that (it's the best part!) The girls at the shop made me 1 of my favorite cakes . . . homemade pound cake. . .as my gift! It is very delicious. Thank you guys. I am blessed to work with such a great group of girls!

Well, that was my birthday. . .

It was fun while it lasted, too bad I had to get up this morning and head back to work!

The New Do. . .

2008-07-22T21:43:00.004-04:00

OKAY...

OKAY...

I hope you like the new look. . .

Sorry, couldn't get her to lok at me long enough for a front view.

Haircut. . .

2008-07-21T23:12:00.002-04:00

Tonight, I took dinner to some friends who just had a baby. While I was there I touched up their youngest son's hair.

During our dinner, I started looking at Addie's hair and decided her poor little hair was beginning to get the "mullet" look!! I asked Brandon if he also thought this and he said "WELL. . . " Which means YES.

So...

I figured since I already had my hair stuff at home, little Addie could have her very 1st haircut!

We sat her in her bumbo seat in the kitchen chair. I thought see was going to squirm right out of the seat until I put the cape around her. She just sat there playing with the cape and watching Brynn (who has taken a new interest in being the person in charge of operating the video camera).

Addie did such a great job. No tears! (I am fully certain she had no idea what was going on. )

She is now mullet free...

with a cute little bob...

well, almost! Those side still need to grow in a tiny bit.

And, being the great mom I am, I have no pictures to post. Sorry :( We video, so I forgot to take a before and after pictures.

What Do You Do When. . .

2008-07-21T16:17:00.003-04:00

You have a babysitter . . .

You go to lunch with your friends. Woo Hoo!!! We actually had a conversation without having to get up, numerous times, to take someone to the bathroom.
Women get a pedicure!!! It was very relaxing and nice to have some girl time. Plus, our toes got a muuuccchhh needed make-over....at least mine and Rhonda's :)
Men go to the movies to see Batman. They enjoyed it. Hey, they're men.
Women go to the mall and get a great idea for a surprise for our husbands.
Women make a quick trip to the Dollar Store for our gift.
The best surprise you can give your husband...

I know...

Who in their right minds toilet papers their own car? Apparently, we do!

Just for future reference, if you plan on going to the movies at Spartan 16, you car is being watched very closely. My partners in crime and I had only been vandalizing my car for a few minutes when....4....yes, 4 employees, 1 being the manager, came out to see what we were up to. We quickly assured them that it was my car and our husbands were inside watching the movie. They were nice enough to not call the police on us and 1 of the girls even took our picture when we had finished our masterpiece.

I had some pictures of our men coming out of the movies and finding their newly decorated ride, but they didn't turn out very good:(

We did good keeping a straight face with them when we saw them, but they knew it was us along!

It was a great day all in all spent with some really great friends! Love you guys!!

Like Father, Like Daughter. . .

2008-07-04T23:15:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, Brandon works for his dad who owns a cabinet shop. Brandon has grown up around this most of his life.

At an early age, Brandon and his brother would go down to the shop and "help" their Dad work. Brynn has been no exception. She loves to go down to the shop to help her Daddy and Papa work. They are nice and play along, letting her hammer the nails in a scrap piece of wood or paint (with water) on a scrap piece of wood.

On Wednesday when I went to pick the girls up from my in-laws, Brynn came running up the driveway. She had been working and wanted me to see what a good job she was doing.

Luckily, I had my camera and was able to snap a few pictures. . .
Isn't she doing a great job?

I guess this is where Brynn gets her hardworking skills from!!