Wahrer Family

A week of Discovery

2011-08-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

The summer in the south is H-O-T! Not much you can do outside. And this year would have been impossible to live at the swimming pool like we have done in the past.....so we got Discovery Place Passes and we have really enjoyed them! They have two museums....the Discovery Place for Kids in Huntersville and the Discovery Place Science Museum uptown. We love them both! We enjoyed the museum with Abby and Luke and had a great time. We especially love the area where you can create things using recycled materiel. A lot of fun for the older kids! Enjoy the pics!

A day at the ZOO!

2011-08-17T09:24:00.001-07:00

Nathan's Easter Seal therapist asked our family if we wanted to go to the Zoo with her and her kids. She is allowed to take one family with her a year and she asked us. I was a little hesitant because of the heat! It was July after all! In Columbia!!! But, we decided to head out early and leave before it got too hot. We picked the perfect day! It was overcast and not too humid! And we got home before 1pm! Perfect! Nathan LOVED the zoo! We had a special pass that allowed us to do everything. The kids rode the train (you know that was a hit with Nathan) and Bailyn and Nathan got to ride a pony! I wasn't sure if Nathan would do it....but he did....and LOVED IT! Christopher was too tall....but to his disappointment. But, he and Bailyn rock climed and had a great time. They both were able to reach the top several times. The kids fed a Giraffe (which totally freaked Nathan out! The black tongue alone :)) and they were able to walk in with the kangaroos! All of the animals were out and we saw them all. Nathan's favorite animal was the giraffe and zebra. He also loved the monkeys! Bailyn did all of the photography that day and did a great job! We had a great time getting to know Gene and her kids better too! A wonderful trip to the zoo!

Christopher's trip to Charleston

2011-08-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

My parents planned a great trip with Christopher for his 13th birthday to Austin, Texas. They were going to spend a few days with Jamie, Greg, Savannah, Kylie and McKay at the William's lake house. Christopher was looking forward to it all summer. But, as the date got closer, the weather in Austin got worse. Austin is in a severe drought which has effected the lakes out there. So, my parents decided that they would reschedule the trip to Austin for a better time when they would be able to enjoy the lake. Christopher was disappointed....but my parents planned a trip to Charleston. They headed off on Thursday and got back on Sunday. They stayed at the Embassy Suites in downtown Charleston. It used to be the Citadel. Christopher loved that! Christopher has also always wanted to tour the Yorktown....and they were able to do that. They had a great time, ate at wonderful restaurants, and went to Kiawah Island as well. Christopher really enjoyed the one on one time with Grandma and Grandpa!

Beaufort Trip 2011

2011-08-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

Nick has to go to Beaufort, SC a lot for work. I love that over the summer, we can tag along with him. This time, my mom, Abby, and Luke, came with us. We were only gone 2 days, but we had a great time! We stayed in Bluffton, SC. It is about 20 minutes South of Beaufort and 20 minutes north of Hilton Head. Perfect place! The first night, we took the kids to Hilton Head Island. Right as we got there, Christopher found a baby shark that washed up. He picked it up and we got some great pics of it. Kinda scary considering all of the shark attacks we have had on the Carolina coast this summer. That baby shark had a mama shark somewhere! Nathan made the trip to the beach! He LOVED it! He loved the water and hated when it was time to go! Bailyn, Abby, Luke, and Christopher weren't as excited. Bailyn, Abby, and Luke had just gotten home from Myrtle Beach and Christopher had just gotten back from Charleston with my parents.....but we had a great trip. The weather was SOOOOOO hot that week. We were well into the triple digits. A little to miserable to enjoy downtown Beaufort. We did take the kids and walked around the water festival that they had that week. It was a lot of arts and crafts. The kids were totally bored, and extremely hot....so we ended the trip with some yummy ice cream and went back to the hotel. They went swimming for the rest of the day and we ended the trip with dinner at our favorite pizza place. It has become a tradition since our trip to Disney World. We stoped at Bluffton on the way down. Mom and dad had found the place on their trip to Hilton Head a few years ago. We all love it. I am so so glad that we were able to make the trip and make some fun memories with Grandma, Luke, and Abby!

Happy Birthday America

2011-07-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July is one of my all time favorite holidays! I love this beautiful country that we live in. Being in the military for 7 years and living in another country, really made us appreciate this beautiful country even more. We had low key holiday weekend. Grandma Brenda came up to help me with some projects and we had a great time. Nick made the kids a fun "human car wash" that the kids are still playing with. Nathan and his friend Kent had a blast playing in the car wash for hours yesterday. We have to do something in this HEAT! WE also spent Saturday at a church 4th of July celebration. We were able to see some friends that we don't get to see very often, Christopher was able to play a game of football, and we saw just a few AMAZING fireworks. That is, until Nathan started freaking out from the noise. He hates loud noises! He loved watching them from the car though! On Monday, my parents came over for a very yummy BBQ. We were rained out for a little bit....but that didn't stop Nick and Christopher from setting off fireworks a little later in the evening. We tried to show Nathan how fun they were....but the end of the night found me and Nathan and Braden watching fireworks on TV. Gotta love it! We missed Bailyn soooo much! She has been at the beach with Shaundel and Abby and Luke. It has not been the same here without her. Can't wait for her to get back home! Happy Birthday America!!! Oh, and Brandi....thank you so much for the Buzz costume. Nathan wears it EVERYDAY....he even wants to go out in this heat in the costume!!! Hilarious! OH, and the picture of Braden sleeping is our favorite because this is how he puts himself to sleep! Love him!

Here are a few of my favorite things.............

2011-06-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

I am the worst blogger at the moment.....but here are some pictures until I can get back to my blogging!!!

One month....and we are still alive! Barely!

2011-04-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

I have been a slacker.....I cannot believe Braden is a month old and I am just posting pics! Things are....well....going. We are all in baby mode and we are adjusting. Braden is a sweet little baby. He loves to eat! and he loves to Sleep....as long as he is being held. I am trying to figure out how to get things done around the house....while holding a newborn and occupying a 2 year old. A 2 year old that likes to hug his little brother a little too tight and give him lots of "love pats". Hard love pats. It is a balancing act....and most nights I feel like I didn't balance too well. But, everyday gets better. And as I was talking to a friend the other day we decided that everyday is the new normal. Whatever that may be. But, one thing is for sure. We are all loving this new addition to our family. Even on the hard days (every day right now) there is something about snuggling up with a baby. I am trying to savor this time. I know how quickly it goes.

Braden Kenneth Wahrer (pics are coming)

2011-04-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Our sweet newest little man, made his debut on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. He came in at a whopping 10 pounds 9 ounces and 21 3/4 inches long. The delivery was a scary one. I am only documenting this for my own record....so for those of you that have heard it all in details.....just scroll down for the pictures :) I was supposed to be induced on Friday, March 4. We were set to go with a wonderful babysitter....my dad! He was so excited to watch Nathan and Nathan was thrilled to have a day with papa. My sister Shaundel was going to come up and be in the delivery room with me, and Nick got the day off. Well, Thursday, March 3, I went for what I thought would be the last appointment with Dr. Bland and that is when he informed me that I was doing to well to induce labor. I was shocked. TICKED really. It was like going past my due date. I was so tired. The entire pregnance was a long one. I know that they all are....but this one wore me out. Could have been because I was getting older.....or because of the partial bed rest for the first 10 weeks.....or because of a very active 2 year old. But, on that day, I was done. I tried not to cry in his office....but I couldn't hold it in. He then told me that I would have to wait 6 more days!!! It seemed like an eternity. I kept telling him that I was scared that this baby was going to be HUGE like Bailyn. He assured me that he didn't that would be the case. I reminded him that 4 weeks before, he was already measuring 8 pounds. He assured me again that I was measuring just fine and that 6 days wouldn't make a difference. So, we pressed on. Wednesday came and I was so fearful of delivery. Being my 4th pregnancy, I was surprised to be anxious as I was. But, I felt fantastic when I saw our nurse for the day. It was Ashley, the same amazing nurse that helped deliver Nathan 2.5 years earlier. She is amazing. I got an epidural early on. Ashely recomended me doing that before the pain started. I had never had an epidural that worked....3 tries and 3 misses. But, we had an amazing dr. who gave me the epidural and it WORKED! It was great! I got some rest....but could not get rid of the pressure. They would check me and NO progress....but I had this pressure that would not go away. Well, at around 3......I thought it was time to push and Ashley told me again that his head wasn't down yet. His head was at a weird angle. She thought a csection would be the way to go. Dr. Bland came in and checked and said to wait just a little bit more and see how I progressed. The pressure at this point was pretty bad. But, we waited some more. We all had made guesses on what time we thought the baby would arrive. Ashley was right on with Nathan....and her guess this time was 12:45. My mom guessed 1:30 and I guessed 2:15. Nick had guessed 4pm. At this point I though we had all guessed wrong....but then 15 minutes later I had them check me again. 3 of us on the maternity wing had hit 10 cm at the same time. All Dr. Bland patients. He checked me first because it was my 4th and their first and second child. I was not a 10...but they had me start pushing. This is when it got scary. It just felt different. We had 5 nurses in their and they were all telling me to PUSH....don't stop.....PUSH harder. My other births were calmer and relaxed. But, they did not want me to stop pushing. I pushed as hard as I could and at one point, I was scared that I would need oxygen in a mask. 5 pushes later and Dr. Bland had to help get the baby out. He grabbed Braden pretty quick. Braden had come out sideways. He was black and blue. Totally bruised and they had a hard time getting him to take a breath. Dr. Bland had to work pretty quick. The umbilical cord was wrapped around Braden's neck as well. I can't remember a time where I was more scared. But, the moment Braden was laid on my chest, I knew that he was going to be okay. He was a beautiful baby boy. My miracle. The nurses had to whisk him away pretty quick to check him out. They thought that he broke his collarbone....but it turned out that it was nerve damage to his shoulder. He was so big, and he came so fast.....he got stuck. When Dr. Bland pulled him out, nerve damage was done. I know that it could have been so much worse. The outcome could have been grim. But, after an xray and a lot of visits from specialists that night (midnight), they were hopeful that it would resolve itself within 6 months. We do have to go back to check on a few more things this month. I so wish that we didn't....but again, I am thankful that it all turned out okay. He does still have some discomfort in his left arm....but he is able to raise it and move it around. No worries! Our first thought when we saw him was that he looked just like Bailyn. The kids were so excited when Grandma Brenda brought them up the hospital. Nathan did well with him (that night anyway :() We love his name. I have always loved the name Braden. I babysat a family who had a boy named Braden. They were my favorite family. Sis Neilson was one of my YW leaders and their entire family drove all the way from TN to Atlanta to be at our sealing. Braden is a wonderful young man....just home from his mission. Kenneth is for my grandpa. I was blest with the best grandpa ever. He was an amazing example to us. They served as temple workers for years. He served in the church faithfully all of his life. He was an amazing husband and father and grandpa. What a wonderful person to be named after! We are so thankful for our family of 6. We feel complete. And so blessed!

January in a nut shell!!

2011-01-31T08:24:00.000-08:00

I am going to post next on what we have been up to for the past few months....but just wanted to make sure to get in the January post. We have been up to a lot of fun crafting and projects around here. I am sad that this will be our last baby. Seems like when I am pregnant, I get so much more done around the house. We either have to move or have a baby to clean out closets and such. So, looks like we will have to move if we want to clean out closets again :) That being said, we are in nesting mode here at the house. I still have a lot more to do.....but atleast we are accomplishing something! We had another snow WEEK in January. Nick was able to be home for a day and we got a lot done! Nick and Christopher worked on Christopher's no rules Boy Scout Pinewood Derby Car. They had a great time being creative and making a great car. Christopher won best paint job. I made a fun wreath with some fun friends and the kids and I made some fun snowmen jars to brighten up the dark winter days. Seems like we blinked and January was over! One more month until we meet our newest little man. Cannot wait! February is going to be GREAT! And I am hoping it flies by too!!!

Christmas catch up

2011-01-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

This Christmas seems to have gone by so quickly! It was one of those Christmas seasons that went by so fast and I just wanted to push the pause button for a little bit! We are in the transition years with Christopher. He is getting so old. So grown up. I used to hear all of the time how quickly time goes....and there were days that I wished away.....and this season I realized how fast time goes. We did manage to fit our traditions in. We saw lots of our favorite Christmas lights, made our gingerbread houses, lots and lots of hot cocoa, baking, treats for neighbors and friends, games, advent calendar, tree lighting in Fort Mill, and even made new traditions. We even had a Christmas miracle, and it snowed the day after Christmas.....making Christmas a little bit slower and lasting a little bit longer. We had a wonderful time as a family and made some fun memories. We did have a lot of other yucky stuff at the beginning of December. Bailyn had strep throat and was home one day. The ONE day we had the UPS man bring one of HER gifts. Thank you Toys R Us for displaying the words of her Tangled Tower gift so boldly on the box!!!! Kind of a nightmare come true. It was the one thing she asked for and really wanted....and she didn't even have to snoop to find it. The doorbell rang while I was putting Nathan down for a nap, and even though we have stressed over and over the importance of NOT answering the door unless Nick and I are with them, she opened it up only to find her box sitting on the doorstep. HUGE bummer!!!! I cried the most though! And the worst part was making her wait for a few weeks! Having a toddler during Christmas was so much fun. Nathan loved everything about the season. The lights, the ornaments ( he really like the ornaments :( ), and he loved his new cozy coupe and and life size Buzz and Woody. I swear he thinks they are real :)! So much fun! Christopher wanted an Ipod touch. Overall, it was a great Christmas. Our last Christmas with just the 5 of us! Shaunie and kids came the week after Christmas and we celebrated her birthday and the kids rang in the new year together. I am already looking forward to next Christmas!

Halloween 2010

2011-01-31T07:42:00.000-08:00

So, I am playing some major catch up right now. Halloween!! Halloween was on Sunday this year. Major bummer! But, we did have Nick's birthday to celebrate, so that was a lot of fun. We had a mixed up dinner and the kids had a blast. I almost prefered it this way. We had the trick or treat experience at our ward trunk or treat. They got plenty of candy, and the kids didn't seem to miss not trick or treating on the actual day! Total win win! Just wanted to document the pics!

Day of Play

2011-01-31T07:31:00.000-08:00

Okay....so this is really bad....but I am going back clear back to October!! The kids didn't have school on the 12th of October, so we decided to take advantage of that and the wonderful weather we were having. We headed an hour north up to Dan Nichols Park. It is a fantastic place for a day trip! It has a petting zoo, aquarium, gold mining, golf, paddle boats, a train and more! We love it there. Grandma came with us too. We could not have asked for better weather that day. Warm and sunny! The kids favorite part was rock mining. They got some great treasures! We can't wait to go again!

Two.......ready or not......here we go............

2010-10-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am always late on my posts it seems....but Nathan turned 2 on September 30th. He is all about Toy Story these days so, a Toy Story Party it was! We are lucky to have my parents live so close.....we had them over for dinner(stuffed shells....Nathan's favorite). He was all excited about the balloons and banner that we hang for everyone's birthday! He was so excited whenever we said "Happy Birthday Nathan!!!" Jamie and family sent him a Woody doll with Wheezie, and a boot. He was so excited! And got even more excited as the night went on and got Buzz and the rest of the gang too. My parents got him the Buzz and some Woody jammies ( we are seriously considering the pj's for his Halloween costume!) and some Lightening McQueen Jammies too! He hates cake (really anything sweet....he is like his mama....salty!) so Nathan and I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for his birthday and put a candle in a cookie and we sang to him. I hated not making a cake....that is the most fun of any birthday celebration....but he loved his cookies...until he saw that we had fudgesicles!!! Happy Birthday Little Man!!!

Since this is my journal, I wanted to write some things about Nathan at 2. Nathan is a mover and a shaker. Very rarely will you see him stop for anything. He loves to run. In fact, I am beginning to see very clearly the importance of an outdoor fence. I seriously think he would stay outside ALL day long if I let him. The only problem is, I can't chase after him all day. I am now lobbying for a fence ASAP!! I have to run to keep up with him most days. He is so fast and so fearless.....scary! He loves balls.....and usually is found with one in his hands. He is starting to like dinosaurs and it is really cute to watch him play. Loves Toy Story and MILK.
We have some good days and we have some bad days around here. We are praying for help with his speech. He is still only saying 3 words a day....but we are hopeful that speech therapy will start to help. He is still only sleeping about 20 min a day for naps.....30 if I am really lucky. He is fiercely independent and hates strollers or carts. He thinks he should RUN everywhere......We are working on getting him to eat more.....unless is it pasta or fruit....he doesn't eat! But, I came across this quote and loved it:

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher

I can worry myself sick about tomorrow....but I am trying to enjoy HIM today!!! We love you Little Man!

Grandparent Breakfast

2010-09-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

On Friday, September 10, Bailyn's elementary school hosted a Grits and Grandparents Breakfast. She decided that she wanted her grandma and grandpa to come to our house for breakfast instead. So we made some biscuits, sausage, and gravy (ugh....my stomach is hurting as I type it). Grandma and Grandpa got here at 7am and we had celebrate plates and breakfast ready to go. I meant the world to Bailyn to have them here....and even the boys got to eat with us. It is a great tradition that we can look forward to every year!~ Thanks Grandma and Grandpa....you guys are the best!

Hello fall....it is really good to see you!

2010-09-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Last night the weather here was AMAZING! I was seriously ready to grab the Fall boxes and get busy decorating my house! That was until today.........90 degrees! Seriously people! I am so glad that we took advantage of the weather last night. For FHE we headed to our favorite place.....Anne Springs Greenway. We packed a picnic and we were off. The kids were distracted by all of the horses. Everytime we go, this white horse is always so friendly. The kids love it! I am surprised they haven't named her yet! The kids were less excited when they saw me with my camera....it is so hard to get a great picture! And my 12 and 8 year olds are the hardest!! UGH! What a great night......come on fall.....come back.....we miss YOU!

Wow.....a picture BEFORE church

2010-09-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

I had to post this one. It may never happen again. I happened to get a picture of the kids before church where we didn't have one of them mad at me or crying or running around trying to find the ONE lost shoe! This may never happen again! Enjoy the pics!

A day of Firsts

2010-09-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

So, we are well into our schedule of waking up before the sun and getting the kids off to school....but I am going to go back to the first day of school. I seriously think I am in denial. My baby started Middle school this year. I take him every morning. Each morning when I drop him off, I still shake my head in disbelief. Middle school...seriously??? He LOVES it....which helps a lot! He is on the MAVERICK team and I feel like we totally lucked out with some amazing teachers! Way to go Christopher! You are moving on up!
Bailyn started 3rd GRADE! WOW.....Christopher was going into 3rd grade when we moved here and I was just enrolling Bailyn into kindergarten. She loves her new teachers....Mrs. Ross for reading, social studies and Mrs. Pratt for Math and Science. She is so excited to start all of the extra curicular activties that come along with being in the 3rd grade, like choir and environmental club. Her first day was a little tramatic getting her out of the door. She threw a major temper tantrum.....yes at 8!!!! But, I took some pictures for documentation!!! After the first day, she has been up and running and loving it.....as long as I don't force my ideas on how she should do her hair. UGH....I am dreading high school! :)

How can it be??

2010-08-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

So, the day I knew was coming....came and went. I think I am still in denial. Infact, if Jamie didn't pester me, I may not be posting today! My boy.....the boy who made me a mom.......turned 12. It really did feel like it happened in a blink of an eye. Christopher was born when Nick was a Jr. in College. We were living on a dream and not much else. I was working and putting Nick through school, but when he was born, we both really felt like I should be home with him. So, Nick got a job, and worked full time. I seriously don't know how he did it. But, I was so thankful to be able to be with my baby! Christopher was born in Charleston. We were surrounded by some of the best friends we have ever had. My parents came up to visit all of the time and, still after all of these years, those were some of the best times of our lives. Christopher was born on August, 11, 1998. Our lives were forever changed. We both have grown up a lot. I have learned a lot being a mom....and since he is our first, we have learned a lot through him. Christopher has always been sensitive and very caring. He is a lot like his dad. He is going to make some girl very happy one day. He is fantastic with his younger brother! (his younger sister too....but they have their moments!~) Christopher is always happy. He is always eager to try something new and adventurous. He loves roller coasters, the ocean, being with friends, all sports, riding his bike and being outside. He isn't still for too long. He is a great friend. Very loyal. Trustworthy and honest. I am so thankful for him and for the day my life was forever changed for the better! Love you little Man! Happy 12th Birthday! You have so much ahead of you! Now it is the world of firesides, boy scout camp outs, Young Men activities, Deacon's quorum and passing the sacrament! It makes my heart hurt if I think about it all too much. Change. Not a fun thing for a mama.
We did have a great day celebrating Christopher. My mom and I took him shopping all morning for new clothes and shoes. My parents bought him a bike. The bike he has wanted for forever! Nick and I took him to a Hibachi steakhouse for dinner and he loved it! So much fun! Happy Birthday little man!

Down by the seashore, Where life is a little Easier

2010-07-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the beach! There is really nothing like it! Nick had to go to Charleston for work, so we all went with him. Abby and Luke were with us that week, so they came with us. We had a great time! I was a little nervous to take 5 kids to the beach...but we could not have had a better time. The weather was great, there was no one there, and the kids had the best time! The kids started out making sand castles and moats and Polly pocket pools, and then spent the majority of the time in the water. Christopher made some friends while we were there (surprise, surprise! The kids does not meet a stranger!) and they caught some fish with their buckets. Nathan wanted to walk up and down the coast. He was not a fan of the dry sand. He hated it....and he was only a fan of the water if someone was holding him. He really just preferred chasing after the birds and trying on every one's shoes. We went to Kiawah Island, and I think it was my favorite of all. It is days like today that make me miss Charleston! The first day in Charleston, we took the kids the fountains downtown. They loved it. Even Nathan! The kids had a blast getting sprayed and playing around. The next day we went to the beach and on our way back home, we stopped at the Angel Oak Tree. It was amazing! We couldn't believe that we had never been there in the 3 years that we lived there. The kids had a great time checking it out. What fun memories!

Brothers

2010-07-26T09:19:00.001-07:00

I am not sure what Nathan is going to do when Summer is officially over. He is going to miss his older brother and sister a lot! I think in Nathan's heart of hearts he thinks he is going on 12 too! He does EVERYTHING Christopher does and LOves anything Christopher has. I think I am going to miss the big kids too!

Father's Day

2010-06-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Father's Day this year was fantastic! It started off with a wonderful Sacrament Meeting and great talks on Fatherhood and examples. I guess for me, it was a wonderful to day to reflect on my blessings. I am so fortunate to live by my dad. He is a pillar of strength and an amazing example to me. I remember as a teenager coming home after a night out and no matter what, my dad was waiting up for me. Sometimes I even came home and he was awake, praying in his room. I often thought, and still believe today, that some of those prayers were for me. He leads us by example. When we decided to move and get out of the air force, the thing that kept coming to our minds was that our kids needed other influences for good. They needed more than just Nick and I to come to in time of need. I have seen this so many times since we have lived here with my dad. I am so thankful that my children get to see and know the wonderful man that I have the opportunity to call dad. They know him and love him. What a blessing that is! I have learned so much from my dad. To keep going when life is hard. To love with all that you have, to work hard for EVERYTHING you have in life. To value friendships. To serve the Lord. To be reliable. To laugh, and to have fun. To be kind to everyone. To give. To be there at all cost. Thanks Dad! I love you!
And the most wonderful thing is....my kids have an amazing dad. They have such a great relationship with him. He is teaching them to have a strong work ethic, to put family first, to love, love, love. To be a gentleman, to have sincere care for others. He is teaching Christopher and Nathan how to treat a wife and companion, and to Bailyn he is holding the bar high! He is an amazing man. I truly am blessed everyday with him in my life. He is the most selfless man I have ever known.It was a great day to celebrate these wonderful men! We made a yummy dinner and relaxed with my parents. We couldn't ask for a better day! Happy Father's Day to the best Men I know!

White dresses

2010-06-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the perfect day to take the fam to the Greenway and get pictures of Abby and Bailyn in their baptism dresses together. The weather was beautiful and we got some fun pictures. I still can't believe these two beautiful girls are already 8! they are the best of friends. No matter where we go, we always get asked if they are twins. I am so thankful that even though neither one of them has a sister, they have each other forever. They truly are the best of friends.

Carowinds

2010-06-08T07:51:00.001-07:00

Abby and Luke arrived Saturday! We have planned out a very busy week. On Saturday night, we headed to Carowinds! It was so much fun! Luke and Abby were so brave! Any ride they were tall enough to ride, they rode! We ended up running into the Blauer and Tucker family. So much fun! And lucky me, the minute Summer hit....both Christopher and Bailyn HATE having their picture taken. This explains the pictures I have from Saturday night. Yesterday, the weather was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. So, we planned an ALL day trip to Carowinds. We were exhausted and my feet were begging me to go home....but I just couldn't. I knew the weather wouldn't last! And the best part about it. No one was at Carowinds. We ran on every ride with the cool breeze in the air. Perfect! We debated on getting carowinds passes this year. I am so glad that we went ahead and did it. What a fun beginning to summer! (that being said, I am not taking all 5 today. I am fried and soooo tired! I am feeling old these days!! :))

Going Private

2010-06-03T13:15:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I don't know why it took me so long to do this....but we have decided to go private! So....if you would like me to add you to our list, please send me your e-mail address! Thanks guys! Sure love you all!

Oh, the places YOU will go...........

2010-06-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!! Love you!!

Christopher's teacher, Mrs. Young

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way
Oh, The Places You Will Go by Dr. Suess

This year has been a crazy one. I have been able to reflect on A LOT! This may be a cheesy post....but I have a lot of feelings today. My baby boy, the boy who made me a mother, graduated from Elementary School. He will be 12 in August. WHERE is that pause button?? Today I was thinking about the college years for Nick and I. We were pregnant with Christopher during Nick's junior year of college. It was a crazy time to be adding to our family, but regardless, we couldn't wait for this little man to bless our lives. He was our child that moved to every place the Air Force sent us. We did everything together. Then he started kindergarten and it feels like life has been moving fast ever since. And today, he graduated elementary school. I think the scariest part of that is Middle School starts in the fall. Then I am really going to want the pause button!! Yikes! I had a lot of time to think about his elementary school years. He started in England with a 45 minute bus trip one way in the DARK each day. After two years of school at Feltwell Elementary School, we left for Dayton, Ohio. He attended Parkwood Elementary School and loved it there for the one short year we were there. Then we moved to NC and he attended Elon Park. He had a Wonderful teadcher, Miss Brown, and loved the new school. Half way through his 3rd grade year, we moved to SC and he attended Springfield Elementary school. He made some great friends and loved his teacher. At the end of his 4th grade year, we learned that our children would attend a new school, Sugar Creek Elementary. So, he changed schools once again. His 5th grade class was the first to graduate from Sugar Creek Elemenatary School. Christopher attended 5 different elementary schools in 5 years. Never complained. He is a trooper! Christopher, we are so proud of you and the boy that you are! You are such a sweetheart. We love you so much! Congratulations!! Oh, the places you will go.............

Kickin' It!

2010-06-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Way to go Chargers!! Bailyn had a wonderful season of soccer. Last night was the last game! I wish I would have videotaped the first game and then compared it with a tape of the last game. What an improvement! It was so fun to see the kids actually getting the game and the rules! Most of the players on the team had never played before. They really came together and had great sportsmanship and team spirit. It is the most fun as a parent to see your kids LOVING a sport and having a blast. Bailyn informed us last night that she wants to play soccer twice a year now! She is fantastic on defense! That girl has no fear. Nick was the assistant coach and he really enjoyed it too. We lucked out with a wonderful head coach who was wonderful with the kids and fun for Nick to work with. Coach Dante is amazing! We could not have asked for a better experience for Bailyn! Last night they handed out the medals. It was one of Bailyn's goals for 2010 to get a trophy or medal in a sport this year. She was pretty excited to see that goal happen. Way to go Bailyn!

STOMP!! A 5th Grade Production!

2010-06-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

The 5th grade class put on a version of STOMP for their musical program this year. Each child was grouped with 4 or 5 kids and they were to come up with a stanza. They each created beats that went together. The outcome was great and a lot of fun! Grandma and Nathan came with me and we cheered Christopher and his classmates on. The music teacher at the elementary school is amazing. She loves the kids and teaches because she LOVES it! We have been so thankful for her. She has instilled a love of music in our kids! Bailyn and Christopher were members of the chimes group and they loved it. Mrs. Fuller makes everything more fun! Enjoy the pics of STOMP!

Bailyn's Baptism

2010-05-24T09:37:00.003-07:00

Bailyn was baptized on Saturday, May 22, 2010. It was such an amazing day. I hope that I can put into words the feelings that we had as Bailyn was baptized. She has been looking forward to this for a long time. And she has been really excited since January. She had her program set out since then. She really thought about who she wanted to help with her program that day. She asked people that have really impacted her life. People that meant a lot to her. Grandpa was going to be out of town for the next 5 weeks or so. His travel schedule has gotten crazy. We tried so many different dates and nothing seemed to be working and Bailyn didn't want to wait too long. So although it made us all really sad that my dad wasn'y going to be able to celebrate this day with Bailyn, we settled on the 22nd of May. It killed me because my dad has such an amazing relationship with Bailyn. He takes the time to know her and spend time with her. They have always been very close. But, he made sure before he left to take her to dinner and to celebrate with her. We didn't think Shaundel was going to make it, but in the end, she was able to. Such a blessing. Bailyn is really close to her Aunt Shaundel too. And Uncle Blake made it up here for the big day too. We are so thankful for them! Grandma and Papa W came too. We missed those that weren't able to come...but thankful that we have a blog to share pics of the day! These are for you J!
Bailyn looked like a little angel that day. So happy. Soooo happy! She was surrounded by friends as well and we are so thankful to everyone who came to support our family. When I was helping her get ready after her baptism, she said, "mom I am just so happy. This is a great feeling!" So sweet. What wonderful day for her!
We had so many friends that came and helped out. From bringing ice cream toppings, to serving ice cream, and even a wonderful friend who took all of the pictures for me! Our wonderful neighbor and friend even took Nathan on a walk around the church building for an entire hour in the heat so that we could enjoy the baptism without any distractions!! Thanks everyone! We love you all so much! We served up a yummy ice cream sundae buffett and had a great time with family and friends! We are so proud of you Bailyn for your decision to be baptized! We love you so much! Enjoy the pics!

Special FHE for Bailyn

2010-05-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful for good friends. And especially love friends that we have known almost my entire life. When my family was growing up in Greenville, SC, I babysat for 2 of the best families. And the Gustafson Family was one of them. I went to college, got married, moved to many places, had 2 kids and then moved back to South Carolina. When we moved here.....the GUSTAFSON family had just moved into the same ward we were going to be. And I still had Evan, Katie, and Ashley, and Clark pictured in my mind as 8,6, 3 and newborn, because that is how old they were when I last saw them ( I am sure I have the ages wrong!!!).....but things had changed a lot. Evan was on a mission, Katie was JR. in HS and Asley was a Freshman with Clark and Christopher just a few month apart. The one thing that didn't change was our friendship. I am so thankful for their family. So thankful for their friendship. Ashley and Bailyn have a pretty special relationship now. Kindred spirits. Bailyn looks at Ashley like an older sister. Well, with Bailyn's baptism coming up, Julie and family had the most special thing for Bailyn. It was something that was done years ago on Ashley's baptism. It is the 3 Bears of Baptism. The Gustafson's came over the Monday before Bailyn's baptism and did an entire FHE for Bailyn on the 3 Bears. What a wonderful experience for Bailyn. She felt so loved! And they even topped the night off with white cupcakes topped with 3 gummy bears. They are an amazing family and we are so thanful for them! Thank you Gustafson Family!! We love you all so much!

What?? I have an 8 year old??

2010-05-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know what my problem is. I think I must think that if I don't blog about it, then it really didn't happen! But, no matter how hard I try to forget how old my children are getting....it happens anyway! My sweet little Bailyn is now 8! Bailyn is a blessing in so many ways. Bailyn has a mission to fulfill here and she is constantly teaching me so many things. She can be headstrong and stubborn, but that isn't always a bad thing. She is the first to notice when someone isn't having the best of days. She uses her humor to deal with the curve balls that come her way. She is my silent server....someone that loves to leave notes on my pillow before bed and is always the first one to run in my arms in the morning. She is a ray of sunshine. She is hardly ever found without a paper and pen in hand. Loves to draw and write. She has many journals already filled up! She is obedient...and always knows the path she is going to take. She is studious and conscience of her school work. She is an avid reader. These are just a few reasons why I love her, and why I thank my Heavenly Father for her daily. I especially love how she has her own opinion of things and likes what she likes, no matter what anyone else says or thinks. Like I said, she teaches ME on a daily basis!
Her birthday was on a Thursday this year. It just so happened to be the day of their 2nd grade musical. It was a lot of fun to be with her on her special day. My mom and Nathan and I brought her lunch to school and some cupcakes to share with her friends. After school, we went and picked some yummy strawberries! It was the perfect weather and the perfect amount of yumminess! Strawberries are Bailyn's favorite food!That night Grandma came over for dinner (spaghetti....her fav) and homemade breadsticks. To make it even more special, Her American Girl doll, Julie, arrived today too. She saved all of her money and birthday money and bought her herself. Anytime Bailyn is home, Julie is in her hands most days.
Friday night we had a few of Bailyn's friends over to help celebrate. We did a stay late party and the girls came in their PJ's and we had pizza, snacks, watched the movie Matilda, decorated their own Spa Bag and did Mani's and pedis. The girls had a great time. I don't know how people do sleepovers.....this mama was exhausted!
Happy Happy 8th Birthday Bailyn! We love you much!

Pasta! Pasta! I love Pasta!

2010-05-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today was Bailyn's 2nd grade music performance. It was fantastic. So not the typical school choir performance. Mrs. Fuller, the music teacher at their elementary school, is amazing. She wrote all of the words to the songs from today. She made it totally fun and upbeat. The songs were all about food. Pasta, gummy bears, guacamole, and pizza. Hilarious. The kids each made a hat in art class with a picture of their favorite food. Bailyn picked a strawberry. It was a lot of fun to see the variety in the kids choices! My mom and Nick and I (oh, and Nathan....joy joy joy) all went and it was a lot of fun. Today is Bailyn's birthday too....which made it even more fun to be with her all day! (more on that in a later post!) Way to go Bailyn.....my almost 3rd grader!!

And Abby turns 8!!

2010-05-14T05:55:00.001-07:00

My sweet neice turned 8 on May 13, 2010. She was so excited to be baptized! I am so glad that we were able to make it to the baptism and to be a part of the special day with my wonderful sister and her family! Just wanted to post these pics for family that was unable to be there! I love you Abby! And next week is Bailyn's baptism. She can hardly wait. More on that to come!

Easter Recap

2010-04-14T16:15:00.001-07:00

Easter! Our Easter is full of fun traditions. I am sure that we do what most people do. Dye eggs. Eat Easter Dinner. A visit from the Easter Bunny. And lots of jelly beans. But, there is so much comfort in traditions. This year, I didn't even get pictures of the kids with their baskets. The secret was out this year. But, they were both good sports and hunted for eggs with little Nate. I loved that conference landed on Easter this year. It gave us time to reflect a little bit more as a family on the Atonement and the life of Jesus Christ. We had several opportunities to talk about the Easter Story and what it meant to each of us. I can't help but think of Elder Holland's talk "None were with Him" from last years conference. This talk lead to a great discussion with Christopher and Bailyn. I loved that we were able to hear from our great Prophet on Easter morning. I LOVED conference this year. I needed to hear every talk that was given. We set up our tent and listened to conference on the computer. It was relaxing and oh, so needed! My older brother Chris was in town, and my sister Shaundel came up for Easter too. It was so nice to be with family. We had Easter Dinner at our house and I had so much fun preparing it this year. My only complaint this year....was that it went too fast!

Why didn't we do this sooner???

2010-04-11T13:45:00.001-07:00

Friday was a BEAUTIFUL day! Nick took the day off to spend with the kids for the last day of spring break. We have wanted to take the kids to King's Mountain for some time, but Friday's weather was the perfect day to do it . We headed out in the morning and got there by 10am. Perfect! A little history about the park:

The battle of King's Mountain, fought during October 7, 1780, was an important American victory during the Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major partiot victory to occur after the British Invasion of Charleston, SC.

The King's Mountain National Park has a great program for kids. It is a Jr. Ranger program. The kids had to fill out a book of requirements that the ranger gave them at the front desk. Christopher had to accomplish 8 requirements and Bailyn had to accomplish 6. There is a movie that you can watch, but we opted out of the movie. Those that go to church with us and hear Nathan can understand why we did. But, we started with the museum. We learned a lot of things, and even had a hard time figuring out some of the answers to the book. Our favorite part of the day was the hike. Nathan walked the ENTIRE trail! We had a backpack and stroller, but he wouldn't have anything to do with either one. There were monuments and information along the way. Bailyn and Christopher really enjoyed getting their books passed off. We ended the trip with a demonstration on guns from the ranger, and then we turned in the books. The Ranger has to look through the book and sign you off, and then you are an official Jr. Ranger. Christopher and Bailyn received a certificate and a patch. The Ranger even gave Nathan a patch of his own. We are really loving this weather! I was asking Nick why we never did this before with this kids....and then we both chalked it up to the summer heat here. So, we are going to try to do it again next spring. The summer is all about the pool and air conditioning! Enjoy the pics!

It's that time of year again!

2010-04-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

There is nothing I don't like about this season. (we are lucky not to suffer from allergies) The weather has been great. Little rain, sunny skies, and lots of sunshine! We have taken advantage of the good weather and put in lots of visits to the park. We are also very excited that spring sports have started up too! Bailyn has been so excited to start soccer. Nick is her assistant coach this year, and I think they are having a lot of fun! By the time the games are over, we have all had lots of exercise. Nick and Bailyn on the field and Christopher and I running after Nathan! Oh, JOY! I get a lot of enjoyment from watching my kids play sports. We are already looking forward to Football in the fall for Christopher!

Happy Birthday Jamie....and Savannah and Kylie!

2010-03-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

So today is my sister's birthday. Yep, my baby sister! (she isn't even in her 30's) We haven't lived in the same state in over 13 years. But, not a day goes by that we don't TRY to talk to each other. I miss her lots and miss her kiddos too! Just wanted to give a birthday Shout out to her. J- hope you know that I love ya. I have learned a lot from you. Thanks for bringing lots of fun to our family and for being the one who makes sure we all feel loved and included! Hope you have a fantastic day Jamie! So thankful we are sisters! Thank you for being my friend and for loving me no matter what! Love you! Happy Birthday!
And then my sweet twin nieces were born the day after their mama. St. Patty's day! These girls have brought sooooo much laughter to our day! Seriously. Not a day goes by without a Kylie and Savannah story. My kids get so excited to hear all about their new antics! They are so cleaver and creative. They have taught us all so much. Most importantly, that miracles exist. They are living proof! I love you both so much! Happy Birthday Savannah and Kylie!

Motherhood

2010-03-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments.
There will be hard times and frustrating times.
But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of

joy and satisfaction." -M. Russel Ballard

I'm not sure if this should be a post or not, but this post, I am doing for me. Today, was a tough day. A really tough day. An end to a very long week. But, today I am thankful for answered prayers. Even small ones. We attended a beautiful baby blessing today. We started out our morning bickering with each other, and then getting angry with one another, and then drove to church in silence. You have a lot of time to think in silence. I wasn't in a good place. But, I think we were at the right place at the right time today (time....don't get me started on daylight savings!!!) It was a beautiful baby blessing. It was the reminder of how thankful I am for the three children that we have been blessed with. And then to top it all off, we had a wonderful talk on gratitude. I so needed that. I needed to be reminded that things can be falling apart, literally, but we can still be thankful for what isn't. And we have plenty that ISN'T. Does this experience take all of the pain and worry away. No. But, just for today, it makes it a little easier to cope with. So, I am posting some things I am thankful for most today.

The Year 2010

2010-01-12T10:46:00.001-08:00

We have been looking forward to the year 2010 for some time now.... This year is going to be a special one! In May this sweet girl will be turning 8!

And this sweet boy will be 12 in August!

It has been such a wonderful experience for our family to talk about all of the exciting things that will be happening this year. Bailyn is so excited about her baptism and already has the entire thing planned out! I know this is what everyone says...but it really does feel like it was just yesterday that we were praying for this sweet little girl to bless our family. It was a very hard pregnancy, and we weren't sure that all was going to be okay....but, we are thankful every day for Bailyn and the blessing that she is in our home.
And Nick and I aren't sure how it is possible to have an almost 12 year old in our home! How did that happen?? We both feel too young :)!! He will also be going into Middle school next year. A good friend of mine told me that when you are raising babies the days are long, but the years are fast....so TRUE!

Nathan.........he will be turning 2 this year! And going into nursery THIS MONTH! WOW! So many things to look forward to in 2010!

Day 3

2009-12-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

We woke up today and headed to Epcot for breakfast at Aurora's Castle. (Netherlands) Bailyn dressed up in a Belle Costume and Savannah was Cinderella and Kylie was Sleeping Beauty. We walked in and got to take a picture with Belle. Belle and Tinkerbell are Bailyn's favorite princesses so she was thrilled to have a picture with Belle! We had breakfast and while we ate, Snow White, Cinderella, and Ariel came for pictures and autographs. All 3 of the girls were sooooo excited. I was so happy to see Bailyn excited about the princess because before we left she announced that she was too old to get excited to see all of them....but it was a different story when she was there face to face with them! It was a lot of fun! I have to say, I loved Epcot! Christopher's favorite ride was Mission Space. They have 2 different levels of speed and he LOVED the fastest level. He never got sick and we were thrilled about that ! He had a great time. The kids enjoyed going around and working on their mask in every country. We had sunny skies and enjoyed our day at Epcot! To top it off, this was the night of the Very Merry Christmas Parade! We had soooo much fun. You have to get a different ticket for this event....and it was totally worth it. They had "snow" as we walked down Main Street and in every store, you could get hot chocolate and cookies. We saw every princess, and Disney character that ever was. What a parade! We were able to stay late and ride some rides too. What a memory!!!!
****I wish we had more pictures of the Parade......but I think we were all too excited to get any pictures! Bummer!

Day 2

2009-12-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

We met up with Jamie and Greg and their kids Savannah and Kylie at our hotel (We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge). We had checked in and had breakfast at the hotel. It was an African themed breakfast. We tried lots of different kinds of food. We then headed for Magic Kingdom! Bailyn loved the first glimpse of the Cinderella Castle! She was so excited! The first thing we did was ride Peter Pan.....it has always been my favorite ride! We were really lucky to beat the crowds and we hardly had to wait in line! I didn't think Christopher and Bailyn would want to get autographs of all of the characters, but they really enjoyed it! We ate lunch at the Lady and the Tramp restaurant and then played the rest of the day at the park. So much fun!!! The highlight of today was to watch the firework and lights show at the end of the night. They have the castle decked out in Christmas lights! The fairy godmother, Cinderella, and Mickey and Minnie Mouse start the show and it ends with the castle lighting up and the fireworks at the end! It really is amazing!!!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

2009-12-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a week at Disneyworld.....and it is true. Disneyworld is truly magical! We headed to Florida on Saturday, December 5th. We were all so excited!

Day ONE:
We drove 4 hours on the first day and stopped at Bluffton, South Carolina. (Hilton Head) We had a great time at the hotel and eating at a yummy pizza place that Grandma and Grandpa love. I wasn't sure if Christopher and Bailyn were going to sleep that night. It was just like Christmas morning for them! The next day, we headed for Orlando. The entire time we read books about Disneyworld and planned out our trip. We arrived in Orlando around 3pm. We stayed at a really fun hotel that had it's own beach and water fall pool, and rock climbing wall. The kids loved it! That night, we headed for Downtown Disney and Bailyn had an appointment for the Bippity Boppity Boutique. She had the time of her life. Grandma told her to get the extensions, of course none of us thought she would pick the pink hair! The lady told us that if she wanted to keep her hair like that for a week she could (eww!...Luckily she decided to take it out after day 2). She loved getting her nails done, and her hair. It was hilarious to watch her walk out of the "salon". She bounced her hair back and forth and walked around like a princess. Christopher had a lot of fun making a lightsaber at the store next door. He picked the colors and the design of the lightsaber. Our first night was a lot of fun....and we hadn't even made it to the parks yet!!!

Trick or Treat.......

2009-11-02T06:16:00.001-08:00

We had a lot of fun for Halloween! Christopher was a Doctor for one party and a pilot for trick or treating. (His dr. costume was ruined after only having it on for 15 minutes at a Halloween party.....) Bailyn was Hannah Montana and little Nate was a monkey! We headed down to Greenville for Halloween this year. We got to go trick or treating with Shaundel and her kids and our friends Scott and Kelly and their kids. We did get soaked with the rain that came in that night....but the kids ended up getting a lot of candy (ugh) and having a great time! Happy Halloween!

Sciene Fair

2009-10-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Christopher loves his science teacher this year, Mrs. Beuchlien. She is one of those teachers that brings the actual information to life. Christopher loved working on the science project this year. She split everyone up into teams and they worked on it together during science. (I personally LOVED this idea....one less project to do after all the homework is done). This morning they had the science fair. It was great because it started at 7:30 and Nick was able to go with us. Christopher did a great job!

A chill is in the Air

2009-10-09T10:03:00.001-07:00

Thanks Brandi!!!!! My kids loved making these!!!!!!!

We love FALL here at our house. The kids get really excited for Halloween. We have done a lot of fun crafts and projects to get ready for the holiday.

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that

2009-10-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

I was just transfering some pictures and found some really fun random photos of Nathan. I love this age. He is a very active boy, with a wonderful imagination! He will find just about anything to climb just about anything! And he has become a very independant eater. He will ONLY eat if HE put it in his mouth. He is also fabulous at throwing food, screaming, and cracking us all up! Enjoy some pics!

And to all my England Friends......yes, that is the same infamous horse. I don't think Bailyn will ever part from this horse. And yes, we still have the pink horse too!

Has it really been a year????

2009-09-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today my baby turns one! My pregnancy with Nathan seemed to take forever! The anticiaption killed me! It was a long 9 (no....10) months. We had waited so long for our little miracle to arrive. We never thought we would be blessed with another baby. I was about 7.5 months along when Dr. Bland finally looked at me and told me that I could now start believing that we would have this baby we had hoped for for so long! I never let myself believe it, in fear of getting hurt again. But, after 9 long months, our little man finally made his debut. We were thrilled beyond words to have Nathan bless our family. Christopher and Bailyn could not love him more. Now, looking back, it feels like I just had him 6 months ago! He can't really be one already!!! I have posted a ton of pictures. From birth to one! What a journey! Nick and I have been so blessed!! We are looking forward to this next year, we only hope it will SLOW down!!!

Making his debut at 8 pounds 6 ounces on September 20, 2008

Superman!!!

3 MONTHS ALREADY!!

Christmas

Nathan's World

2009-09-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Those that have been to our house in the last few weeks have seen how much Nate LOVES elmo! He doesn't watch the show.....it is during his "nap" time....but for some reason, everytime we are at Target he goes crazy over Elmo!! He can even say "melmo"....so for his little family birthday party we decided to go with an Elmo theme. My sister and her family and my brother came from Greenville today. It was great to see everyone. My sister helped me get the food ready and make some fun Elmo cupcakes. Nathan recognized that they were little Elmos....so we were thrilled and they were the easiest things ever to make! When it was time for him to dig into the cake, he wasn't so sure. I'm not sure if we didn't like the texture of the frosting or the taste of the cake. Gotta love the first birthday!! He loved the boxes and wrapping paper the most! But, he will love to play with the oh, so fun, dump truck and rocks from Aunt Jamie and Uncle Greg and family, the stacking cups and blocks from Uncle Blake and Courtney, the Elmo, Elmo bath toys, Elmo books, and lots of other fun stuff from Grandma and Grandpa, and the adorable ball shape sorter from Aunt Shaunie and Luke and Abby. And the ball popper from his family. Oh, little buddy, we can't believe you will be one on Wednesday!!!

Mr. Funny Faces

2009-09-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Our little Nathan is quite the guy! He is all about the silliest faces lately! And anytime I get a camera out....this is what I get.....

Occasionally, I will get one of these....but very RARE!

Never a dull moment with our little guy. We can hardly stand the fact that Nathan will be ONE in 10 short days! This year has gone by soooo fast!! (and I am not too happy about that.)

Cub Mobile Race

2009-09-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

At the end of August, our Cub Scout troop participated in a Cubmobile Race. We didn't have to make a car....just participate on race day. Christopher was really looking forward to it...so off we went. Christopher got to race one time down the hill, and then we had to head home......so he really wanted me to post the pictures of this event.

It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

2009-08-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Last year of elementary school....tell me it isn't so!!

2nd grade already????

First day of school today! I have to admit. I was ready for today to come. I was ready for a schedule!! I have missed my kids today though. We had a great summer. Saw lots of fun things. Had some great conversations, read some fun books, and discovered some new places. I did enjoy the lazy days of summer. Not HAVING to wake up early for the bus (I mean, I still had to wake up early with Nathan....but it is different feeding just one little guy.....and not being rushed!) This being said, I have been craving the "schedule" for a few weeks now. I was needing things to get back to normal. The kids were getting bored and fighting A LOT!! And we were all in a blah mood. Both kids really were excited to start school. They were excited to get their school supplies, teacher assignments, and take the tour of their BRAND new school. This was Bailyn's 3rd elementary school in 3 years and Christopher's 5th elementary school in 5 years. They have had a lot of change...but they have done better than I could have hoped for! Bailyn is in Mrs. Sims's class. LOVE her! She is fun and has wonderful ideas for the rest of the year. Christopher has Mrs. Young and is beyond happy with her. She is sweet and calm, and easy going. Everything he needs! We couldn't be happier. And we love the new school! Here is looking at an amazing new year!!!
**You may notice that I have more pics of Bailyn. Well, there is a reason for that! I now have a 5th grader!! He wasn't too excited about me taking his picture outside our house this morning with friends at the bus stop. And he was totally embarrased that I brought my camera into school with me! He whispered to me several times this morning....please put your camera away...please mom!! Bailyn on the other hand, was dictating to me what pictures she wanted me to take. I had about 25 of her. Hilarious!!

Happy Happy Birthday Christopher!!

2009-08-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

Wow. I officially have an 11 year old little boy! Where has the time gone? Christopher was born on August 11, 1998. Seems like yesterday, really. There is so much I love about Christopher. He is a huge help. He is sensitive and loving. He is always thinking....always. He LOVES research books. Loves to be outside. Loves football. Loves Lego's. Loves Nerf guns. He wants to be a marine biologist when he gets older. He is very head strong and determined. He is about to start the 5th grade! His last year of elementary school. I think he will be more ready than I will be!
This year he opted not to have a birthday party. He wanted to save up all of his birthday money and purchase a Nintendo DS. (We are mean parents....they have to save up and buy those things themselves) We headed down to Beaufort Sunday for a business trip for Nick. I can't say how much we LOVE it down there. On Monday, we had pizza, Christopher's favorite, and we headed downtown Beaufort....My mom came with us this time and it was blast showing her around. The kids loved it! Then we headed to the beach. WOW! It was great. The kids discovered about 10 baby shark teeth. Bailyn found about 100 sea shells. The beach was fantastic. I am so glad we were able to have some family time before school starts up again. On Tuesday, his actual birthday, we ran to the mall and got his DS. He saved up enough money to buy a DS and a game. He was so excited. Nick had to leave out of town to Florida, so we just had a yummy dinner with my mom on Tuesday night. The birthday boy picked his other favorite meal.....Salmon. It was a great day. Happy Birthday Christopher. You will always be our little man!

Myrtle Beach

2009-08-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Every year since we can remember, Nick's family gets together at Myrtle Beach. We have only been able to go one time. It was a week before we moved to England. So, all I remember is being really stressed out and nervous about a HUGE move. Bailyn was about 15 months old and Christopher was almost 5. We did have a great trip, but our kids really don't remember it. So, when it all worked out to go this year, we were really looking forward to it. We headed out July 11th (yeah, I am really behind on my blog) and the weather could not have been better. Blue skies with a slight breeze! Within 15 minutes of arriving we headed to the beach. My kids are little fish. They love water. I don't think Christopher ever got out of the water. He loved boarding and swimming. Bailyn loved playing in the sand or the water. Nathan was fantastic the entire trip. We couldn't believe how mellow he was. Of course, I think it helped that he wasn't put down all week.
This was the first time Nick's parents have had EVERY grandchild together for a picture in about 5 years. And since that time we have added a bunch of kids to that mix. They have 15 grandchildren and one on the way. So, it was a lot of fun. It was crazy trying to get every child looking at the camera.....or happy for that matter....and I can't wait to see the pics that my sister in law took. She takes amazing photos....all I have at the moment are the ones I took.
Things we will remember most about Myrtle Beach this year:Broadway at the beach with some of the grandkids
Surfing
Great times with cousins
Seeing our Utah family that we miss!
Christopher catching a fish
Making candy houses
The kids walking Dutch
And being with family

We are looking forward to next year too!

Sutherland Reunion (kind of!)

2009-07-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

We miss you Jamie!!! We need to learn photoshop!!!

July 2nd, my older brother and his wife Robin, and their 3 kids....Josh, Addyson, and Macie came for a visit. We don't get to see them very much, and it will probably be some time until we see them again because Robin is pregnant and due in October. (We can't wait to meet Miss Mckenzie!). We had such a great time with them. Christopher and Josh really hit it off. It was great for him to be with someone close to his own age. The highlight for Christopher was the day Uncle Chris took him and Josh to Carowinds. We are still talking about it. They arrived when the park opened and left after they rode every ride (water park too)!
We enjoyed a BBQ for the Fourth of July with everyone and fireworks at our house. Grandpa and Nick went to the local firework store (you wouldn't believe how crazy the firework stores are here unless you've seen them....I mean a firework store opened all YEAR!! Wha?)
Chris, Robin, Mom, Shaunie, and I all went uptown to see Phantom of the Opera. And Morton's for dinner beforehand! We really had a great time!
The first time Robin visited (10 years ago), she mentioned wanting to try fried green tomatoes. Well, we finally found a yummy place here in Charlotte to try them. They were fantastic! We were able to go kid less (except for Nathan) the last day Robin and Chris were here. I think the name of the restaurant was Old South Kitchen at the arboretum.
I really hate living so far from Chris and Jamie's families. I want their kids to know my kids, and I just hate that we don't get to see them grow up. We really had a great time....now if we could work it out to have Jamie and her whole family here....it would be perfect! Hopefully soon!

Before Phantom

Marbles!!!

2009-07-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

On July 1st, we headed to Raleigh. Nick had to go for work...so we went along with him. We researced and found a FANTASTIC museum....MARBLES. We had so much fun. They had a make believe section that had a mini hospital, mini theatre, kitchen, buses, and post office. Then they had a pirate section. A life size pirate ship was built with everything you could imagine. Then upstairs we were able to build with saws and hammers and nails and all sorts of stuff. They had face painting and sewing (handbags), life size air hockey, and all sorts of stuff. There was so much to do! We ran out of time! The best part was that it only cost 4$ a person.....and it was the best mueseum we have ever been to!

Charleston

2009-07-14T08:24:00.001-07:00

This summer we decided instead of buying Carowinds Season Passes, we would travel around the state and see different sites. Carowinds would have been hard with Nathan anyway....so this insured that we would spend some quality time as a family. Nick has to travel a lot with work, so we tagged along with him. Our first stop was to Charleston. We love Charleston. Having lived 3 years of our married life there, we have a special place in our hearts for Charleston. Some of our greatest friends and memories have been in Charleston. We were so excited to take Bailyn to the ocean. She had never really spent a lot of time at the beach. Living in England and Ohio, the opportunity never came. She loved it! We weren't too surprised since she is a little fish at the pool. She loved finding sea shells. We knew Christopher LOVED the beach. He spent his first 2 years of life living in Charleston. And Nathan loved the water. He even fell asleep on Nick in the water. Our next stop was to the Market downtown Charleston. The kids loved the market and really loved the Battery. They loved Battery Park and all of the cannons. It was the perfect weather and a perfect family vacation! The next day we swam in the hotel pool while Nick worked. When Nick finished up we drove down the coast to Fort Moultrie. Christopher loves learning about the Revolutionary and Civil War, so he really enjoyed the History. Our only complaint (other than the 3 hour drive) was that we wished we could have stayed longer.

First Week of Summer

2009-07-13T05:46:00.000-07:00

Wow....I am way behind on my posts! Today is the first day we have been home with no plans of leaving or having any company for at least a week. We are playing catch up today.
The first week of summer my sister Shaundel had to go to girl's camp for a week. So, we had Abby and Luke with us and we had a great time. We stayed really busy. We started our week out by going to the pool.

We tried to go to the pool everyday and we had a great time. I was really worried about Nathan this summer. I wasn't sure how happy he would be if we were at the pool all day. Luckily, he LOVES the water....which makes everyone happy! He also loves the park and the swings. You almost have to go to the park at 6am here in the south to enjoy it....but his first and only experience at the park was a great one.

One of our favorite things to do is to have the kids make there own personal pan pizza. They each decorate their own pizza.

We ended the week with a trip to the Greenway. My kids love it there. Too bad we won't be going again until the fall. It is way to hot right now to even enjoy it. Right as we were leaving, we were walking on the bridge to go home and Luke decided to throw his shoe over. Nick had to go in and catch it. The kids still laugh when they tell that story.

We also went to the free movie with the Haines family, got ice cream, took the girls to the mall for a girl's night, and enjoyed a Sonic Limeade or two. Yummy! I am so thankful that my kids are making memories with their cousins. We never lived close to family growing up, and we never really new our extended family. I am so thankful that my kids will know their cousins. I remember when the summer started and it feels like summer will go forever. Now that summer is almost OVER, I can't believe how fast it has gone. I do miss the schedule that the school year brings, but I have enjoyed the lazy day of summer too! (if only my kids didn't still wake up at 6am!! CHRISTOPHER!)

McKay Alan Williams is here!!!!!

2009-06-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my baby sister had her baby! It was a bouncing baby boy weighing in at 9 pounds 1 ounce 20 3/4 inches long. It was a crazy pregnancy with lots of ups and downs for my sister and her family. He truly is a miracle baby and I can't wait to see what he accomplishes in this life. The best news is.....I get to fly out to Houston the end of this month to meet the little man! I cannot wait!! Congratulations Williams family! He is ADORABLE!!!

Summer has offically arrived!

2009-05-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood pool opened last week. Everyday since, the kids have begged to go to the pool. But, this past week we had major thunderstorms every night. We had one of those Saturdays where we ran from one place to the next. It started out with Christopher's baseball game this morning. It was the first game of the tournament and they won! They did a great job and the weather was BEAUTIFUL! We left the game and went straight to his piano recitals at Tracy Schwartz's house. She is an amazing piano teacher. All the kids love her. She really went the extra mile today to make the kids feel important. They each played two songs and had yummy refreshments afterwards. We are so appreciative of her and the time she spends with Christopher. She is such an example of service to us! Love ya Tracy! And Christopher did a great job. He played on Top of Spaghetti, and Frere Jacques. Way to go Christopher!
On our way home, we noticed that hardly anyone was at the pool, so Nick took Bailyn and Christopher to the pool for a few hours while Nathan napped. I have been really worried about the summer. Last year, the kids and I LIVED at the pool. We were there EVERY day for a few hours. With Nathan, I have been afraid of how that will all play out but we had a great opportunity after dinner Christopher's friend called and wanted to go to the pool so we all decided to go and Nick took Nathan in the pool for about 10 minutes and he LOVED it. He splashed and splashed and looked all around and really enjoyed it.

Nick the Baker

2009-05-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

Our ward had a Bake off for all the menat our Ward Memorial Day BBQ. They were to make a cake from SCRATCH without help! Nick was totally game for it. He had been really sick the week before, so I wasn't sure if he was going to do it...but he ended up coming through. He made a double chocolate cake with chocolate frosting with strawberries. Half way through he discovered that we were out of powdered sugar...but he found a recipe on line on how to make your own. (We are dorks...we never knew that if you blended sugar and cornstarch in a blender for a few minutes...you would end up with powdered sugar). The cake looked BEAUTIFUL....but we both died when we tasted it. It was super salty! But....it was fun watching him bake a cake. What a sport! He was excited to call his mom and tell her all about it! We were surprised to see how many men made cakes. The two tables were full. Our neighbor won. He made a yummy carrot cake! It was a great ward social.

Happy 7th Bailyn

2009-05-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby girl turned 7 on May 20th. She has been a blessing to us since the day we found out we were expecting her. She is our miracle baby and we are thankful each day for the pure enjoyment she brings to us. We love her sense of humor and quick wit. Our Bailyn is a lot of fun! We love her nurturing side, and the way she looks out for everyone. We love her sensitivity and love of animals. I love her written stories. She is always writing or drawing and she really has a talent for that! Her "books" are hilarious and I find myself looking forward to the next one. She loves fashion! Loves Loves Loves coming up with her own fashion creations. (I am even getting better at letting her walk out the door dressed in one of her originals!! :) She loves to come up with funky hair styles too. Nothing is ever boring! I can't imagine life without this fantastic girl in our lives! We are so blessed! Happy Birthday Bailyn!

Rock Star Party

2009-05-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

I love birthdays! They have always been my favorite holiday! We don't do birthday party's for the kids every year. We always give them the option to go make a memory with the entire family (Carowinds, the beach, etc.), or have a friend birthday party. This year, Bailyn decided to have a friend party. She wanted to have a ROCK AND ROLL party. We had a lot of fun planning it. Almost all of the birthdays we plan come from the Family Fun Magazine. Love that magazine. I have subscribed for a LONG time, and still LOVE IT. We totally did everything they had listed in the magazine, and then found some game ideas on the internet. Bailyn helped me decorate her birthday cake this year. It was hard to give up some control....but she did an amazing job!! We made her invites together too. I love that we can do fun things together. She is at a fun age. Grandma Brenda came the night before from Greenville and she was a huge help! We had a great time getting everything ready. Grandma Bonnie did a lot of fun shopping before hand and found some really fun Rock Star supplies! She even came ready to ROCK out! She was a blast! The girls made their own guitar and microphone, and had the most fun playing freeze dance. Bailyn is already planning her birthday next year!

What I love most about Spring

2009-05-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

Those of you that have lived in the SOUTH during a summer, will agree with how HOT it gets here in the Summer! We tend to only venture out in the summer if we are headed anywhere with water....like the pool. And usually in the early morning or late afternoon. That is why we are loving every minute of SPRING that we have. Today was a gorgeous day.....No rain (which has been a daily occurrence this week) beautiful flowers, and more sunshine. We had every reason to go to the Greenway tonight for a walk. We were the only ones out on the trail tonight and the kids took full advantage. Running up and down the trail, splashing in the creek, and running on the wobbly bridge. We had a hard time convincing them to get OUT of the water! Nathan was grinning from ear to ear the entire walk. I just love those days, that everything falls into place. Spontaneous Fun!! That doesn't happen too much lately....but when it does.....it is FANTASTIC!

Slow Down Nathan...before I know it you will be 10!

2009-05-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Notice his 2 TEETH!!!

Nathan is now 7 months old. I spent a lot of the day just holding him, reading to him, and rocking him....just a little bit longer than I normally do. Things are going a bit too fast....and I am not liking it too much. He has pretty much figured out how to sit up unassisted, and is loving his baby food. Especially sweet potatoes and every veggie...except peas. He is flipping over both ways and can usually be found sleeping on his tummy at night when we go and check on him. And he cut his two bottom teeth this week. Today, the thought of all of these milestones really made me kinda sad. I think it might have something to do with my oh, so INDEPENDENT 10 year old. He is always wanting to be on the go. Out and about. We had to convince him that dinner consisted of all of us sitting at the table TOGETHER eating and talking. I asked him if he remembered when he used to come home from school and talk to me non stop about his day. The good and the bad, over and over again. And then he would always want to play a board game or two, or read something together. He told me tonight that he did remember those days....but just wasn't "in to that anymore". I had to turn my face away so he didn't see the tear trickle from my eye. I knew this day would come....but I wished them away. There were days that I just didn't want to play games, or read a Little Critter book one more time. I had plenty of people tell me not to wish it away. That the day would come when he wouldn't want to do those things anymore. I guess I just didn't believe them. Or maybe I thought it would be a long time until that day. But, 10 years later...here we are. My little man who used to be content at home all day with me, is now wanting to be with his friends, or outside riding his scooter or bike with his friends. And today, I am dying to read him a book, or listen to the non stop chatter of the day. I want time to STOP! (I think it even made Nick stop and think for a minute. He is out throwing a baseball with Christopher in the front yard as I am typing this. I can't see Christopher ever getting tired of playing ball with dad...but who knows.) We have to make the minutes count. So, when Nathan wanted to be held ALL day today....I did just that. I held him, rocked him, and loved him just a little bit longer. And I even dusted off that old Little Critter book. I know all too well that I will blink and he will be 10!

I love this picture...I don't have many pictures of Christopher as a young baby on my computer yet....this is the youngest. Time to scan!

A Fabulous Photographer!!

2009-05-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

Check out this site. She is a fantastic photographer!

Check out this Etsy Shop!!!

2009-04-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

Ok....I just had to tell you about a friend's Etsy Shop. She makes ADORABLE dresses and the quality is amazing. She helped me make a dress for Bailyn. Those of you that know Bailyn, know that she is very PICKY when it comes to her clothes. But, she picked this pattern out and LOVES how it twirls! Poor Bailyn. She has such a boring mama when it comes to clothes. I am so plain I have decided. But, Bailyn LOVES anything with color and different patterns. She loves all of Tammy's creative creations!! It was hard for her to pick just one..... But I wanted to thank Tammy for taking the time to teach me how to sew and to show off the adorable dress. Check out her Etsy shop:
www.KeepOnSmiling.etsy.com
Happy Spring!

I am so blessed

2009-04-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

I have been looking forward to spring for some time now. I love this time of year. It has been a cloudy, rainy, spring so far. I hope that the rest of the kids spring break will have sunnier skies! I am so thankful for the Easter Season and the time it allows us to slow down and to focus on what Life is really about. I am so thankful for my children. I think back to just 2 years ago and the thought of us having another baby seemed impossible. And now here we are with our precious 6 month old Nathan. I have been reminded in the past year over and over again that we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows us and our needs and knows just what we need and when we need it. He knew that I needed this sweet sweet boy this year. It has been amazing to see Bailyn and Christopher and the love they have for Nathan as well. They take such great care of him. I am so thankful for the lessons learned a long the way and so thankful for our blessings. Especially Christopher, Bailyn, and Nathan!

Birthday Party and Egg Dying!

2009-04-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

We had a surprise Birthday Celebration for Grandpa on Saturday. His actual birthday is April 25th....but our stakea is doing a day of service that day. So, we had all the kids write him a letter of all the reasons they love him and all the memories they have of him. They turned out really cute. We had a yummy BBQ and the kids were so excited to scream.. SURPRISE!! Afterwards, we dyed Easter Eggs. I have to admit....I LOVE THIS TRADITION! It is so much fun! We got camo eggs for the boys and pretty sparkling ones for the girls. They each had 10 eggs to decorate. Nathan was only interested with the end result!

Easter Eggstravaganza!

2009-04-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

We were pretty busy leading up to Easter Sunday. Last Thursday, Bailyn's 1st grade class went to Alice Springs Greenway for an Easter Egg Hunt. I was able to help out that day and had a great time with Bailyn. We all had a picnic lunch and then the Hunt started. Each child was to collect 18 eggs. They were beyond excited to start the hunt. After the hunt, we took a walk to the wiggly bridge at the Greenway. It was perfect weather and lots of fun!

After school, we headed for Grandma's house! For another Easter Egg Hunt!!! We were so excited. Abby and Luke were there too. Grandma hid the eggs all over her house and front and back yard. She hid them really well! Our favorite candy and some fun toys were hidden for the kids. (I kept telling my kids that there was no reason the Easter Bunny had to come!) Thank you Grandma!!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

2009-04-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

Christopher is playing baseball this spring. He is really enjoying it. We had a rough start at the beginning of the season with a broken finger and sprained RIGHT wrist...but all seems to be getting better. He is playing first base and loves it! Last night was the Royal's first game! They won 8-1!! He has a fantastic coach who is really teaching them about the game, and more importantly, how to be a team player and about sportsmanship! Go Royals! Aunt Shaunie and Abby and Luke and Grandma all came too! It was a great night!

Happy Birthday to me.........

2009-04-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

Lauri, this one is for you!! :) I completely forgot to post this one. I had a great birthday this year. My sweet mama took great care of Bailyn and Christopher while Nick and Nathan and I took off for 3 days to Myrtle Beach. We lucked out...because Nick had to be there for a conference for work...so we got to stay at the Marriott Resort! FANTASTIC! Right on the ocean, tons of things to do! The best part was that when we checked in, we were told that all the rooms with king size beds were taken...except the 15th floor, ocean side, room. The only hitch was that we would have to pay. But for ONLY $15 we upgraded and so loved it!!! Our view was amazing, and to have two views of the ocean was fabulous! Nathan wasn't too sure of the ocean. It was really windy while we were there...but took him out one day, for pictures of course! We had a great 3 days away.
Saturday was my actually birthday. The kids were so excited to give me the gift they had been working on. They made a "memory" box for me. It is adorable and loved how thoughtful it was! They put some of their favorite memories of us in there. So cute! They made my day!
Nick and I decided a long time ago not to get each other gifts for birthdays. We just decided we would rather go out and do something together and make a memory instead. (cheesy, I know....but we both prefer it!) This year though, Nick gave me the best gift ever. A week before my birthday he got in touch with some of my dearest friends and asked them to share a memory they had with me. Then he printed them all out, laminated them and gave them to me for my birthday! It was the most thoughtful gift ever! I cannot tell you how amazing it was to read them! I laughed, and cried, and laughed again! Some of the memories I had forgotten...and it was fun to remember them all over again. For those of you that helped Nick on this project....A HUGE THANK YOU! It meant the world to me!! I am so thankful for great friends. Being in the Air Force for 7 years, we have been so lucky to meet some amazing people. We have dear friends all over the world (Japan, England, and all over stateside!) I am so thankful our paths crossed! And Crystal and Karisa....thank you so much for the BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS! They made my day!! And thank you to my sweet, sweet, husband....for just loving me always!

A day out with cousins.......

2009-04-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

We headed down to Greenville this past weekend. We had a great time. Nathan and Becky and family were down from Tennessee too. We don't get to see them very often, and wish we could see them more. We had the best weather...which made it all the better. We took the kids up to Pleasant Ridge Park. It is a beautiful park with lots to do. Bailyn and Christopher couldn't wait to get in the water. We had a hard time getting them to leave! Thanks for a great time! We love you guys!

Hey Ya'll....Look who's 6 months!

2009-04-06T04:30:00.000-07:00

Nathan is already 6 months old! He now weighs 18 pounds 14 ounces and he is 28 3/4 inches long already. He is in the 75% for his weight and 110% for his height. He is wearing 12 month clothes. We can hardly keep his drawers filled with the right size. Feels like we are always switching clothes out for him. He started eating solids....LOVES sweet potatoes, squash, and green beans, and HATES carrots. We haven't started him on any fruit yet....but we will this week. He is sleeping about 10 hours at night and is still taking his 20 minute or less cat naps during the day. He is such a sweet little boy. He is very content and loves to be held. He loves when we read books. He gets super excited. I am afraid he will never start crawling...because he is always held!! He sucks his bottom lip just like Bailyn did/does. He still loves his swing (although it barely moves from side to side now!) and loves his excersaucer. We had to change car seats too. We could hardly carry him around in the car seat....so put him in the convertible one. I will miss the convenience of the portable seat when we go shopping. But, he is just getting too big! I don't think a day goes by that one of the kids don't say...."Mom, we are so lucky to have Nathan!" And I can't agree more!

Sweet Baby Boy

2009-03-12T12:45:00.001-07:00

Last night I was at a baby shower. A friend of mine had her ADORABLE 3 week old baby there...and that is when it hit me! Nathan is growing up fast...too fast! You forget how small they were (Nathan is only 5 months old and I forgot!) This moment goes by so fast! He is now 5 months old and so much fun! He is trying really hard to roll over, loves his excersaucer, loves books....especially 10 Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss, and squeels with delight when his daddy gets home. He is still only sleeping maybe 10 hours at night and a few 20 minute naps during the day...but he is usually a really happy baby. I just have to remember to REALLY enjoy this age.....because before I know it...he will be 10 years old!!!

From Snowsuits to Bathing Suits...in one WEEK

2009-03-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

I am so ready for spring! Spring and Fall are my two favorite holidays. I was thrilled to see that we were supposed to have warm weather here last week. And warm it was! 83 Degrees....BEAUTIFUL! Bailyn was ready to pack her warm clothes away and bring out all of her summer clothes. But, living in the south for a few years now....I have learned one thing. The minute you put the winter clothes away, it will only be a day or two before you have to pull them out again. So, I was not surprised to see that it will be cold and rainy this weekend. I am so glad we enjoyed the warm weather last week. The girls even did some sunbathing! We had a yummy BBQ and bought some flip flops! The kids even had a water balloon fight! Ahhh....I can't wait for spring!!

Winter Wonderland....in March??

2009-03-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

All weekend long, the forcast called for snow....like 3-6 inches of snow. I have to admit....we didn't give much thought to it. The last time the kids were out of school for snow....by the time we woke up, there was nothing left! At about 6pm last night, the snow started falling. It was beautiful. It reminded us of the snow in Ohio. I figured it would snow for about a half hour and be done! But, it was still snowing when we went to bed late last night. The school district called at 7pm and cancelled school for Monday. We thought we would be able to sleep in....boy were we wrong! The kids were up at 6 ready to go play in the snow!!!! And boy did they have snow to play in! We woke up to 6 inches of snow! Nick's office called and they have to report late today...so it was a lot of fun! Bailyn was out for about 2 hours and now says she is done for the day...but Christopher is still out with some friends! Bailyn and I are off to make hot cocoa!

Blue and Gold

2009-03-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

It has taken me a week to post about the Blue and Gold Banquet. Christopher worked really hard the past few months and recieved a lot of pins. He earned the showman, citizen, readyman, and geologist. He also won "Most scenic" cake. He had a lot of fun and was really proud of his cake. The Webelos have the best leaders. Mike and Vanessa Tedrow. They are amazing and we are so lucky to have them. They put together a skit that they videotaped and we watched it that night. The boys were hilarious to watch. They were cracking themselves up! Next month, two of the Webelos will be moving up.....and there will only be 2 of them. So, this was a great night for them to share together. I can't believe Christopher will be a "scout" in just 6 months! He was also awarded his trophy for First Place at the Pinewood Derby! Way to go Christopher!

Great Giveaway!

2009-02-25T04:46:00.000-08:00

Check out this adorable necklace on this blog
http://shealynnbenner.blogspot.com/
You'll be glad you did!

Blue and Gold Cake

2009-02-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

Tonight is the Cub Scout Blue and Gold. We were asked to assist our scout with a HOMEMADE cake. The only rules were that the cub scout had to do the work and everything had to be edible. At first I was kind of stressed out at the idea of this project. Nick was going to be gone last night.....and Nathan is in the "hold me all day" stage (which I normally love when I don't have anything I have to do). But, Christopher jumped right on it. He made the cake (boxed) all by himself. I didn't even have to crack the eggs! Then his imagination kicked in. He wanted to do a camp scene. He put together a grocery list and we were off. He started off icing the majority of the cake green for grass and then a small portion of it he iced blue for a lake. He used graham crackers to make 3 tents and then used tootsie rolls to make a fire with red hots as the hot coals. He decided to put lifesavers in the "lake" and them put little Einstein gummy heads for the people. He constructed a volleyball net out of tootsie rolls and won tons. He had a really great time. Bailyn and Nathan and I had a great time watching his imagination at work. We had a lot of fun "testing" the product too! Tonight is the blue and gold. I will post more about that tomorrow!

Sisters by heart

2009-02-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

Today Bailyn told me that she really did have a sister. I thought maybe she was telling me something I didn't want to hear right now :)....but when I asked her what she meant...she said...."I will always have Abby, my sister by heart". She told me that in her heart she thinks Abby is her sister. My sister and I were just talking about how amazing it is that our girls are one week apart to the day. They have been close ever since. They never get too upset with each other and can play together for hours without any problems. They love to dress alike and do everything alike. My mom always calls them her other set of twins. I am so thankful for their sweet friendship! I can hardly believe they are almost 7!

Brotherly Love

2009-02-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

I love to watch my kids play together and especially love it when they get along! I was so excited to capture the sweet relationship Christopher has with Nathan. He is always saying how he can 't believe Nathan is here and a member of our family. Christopher has been through so much with us. We have all waited so long for Nathan's arrival!

Quick update

2009-02-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is Valentine's Day already! I have been a slacker at posting on the blog...the weather here has been beautiful...and we have been enjoying the warmer weather! Today the kids are celebrating Valentine's Day at school. They were pretty excited. I was shocked when Christopher informed me that he was wearing the pink shirt Aunt Heather sent for him for V-day because it was "Abby's" favorite color. (I thought....what??? He is only 10!! Shouldn't girls still have cooties?) This year for Valentine's Day we decided to make some rainbow crayons. We saw the idea on good ole Family Fun magazine. We found all of our broken crayons (I didn't need to look any further than the church bag!) and broke them up and put the pieces in my mini muffin tin. Then we melted them for 15 minutes...making 24 little rainbow crayons. Then on each Valentine we either wrote:
Happy Valentine's Day for Crayon out loud!
or
You color my world!
The kids had a great time!

Nathan had his 4 month check up this past Wednesday. He is 17 pounds 12 ounces and is 27 inches tall. We also discovered that he had a DOUBLE EAR INFECTION! He is such a great baby.....he never gave us any sign that he wasn't feeling well. He also had to have shots that day. After an initial whimper...he smiled at the nurse after the shots! He really is a sweet sweet baby boy. I had to post some pics of how much he has changed. I will post some pics of the older kids today with their cute V-day boxes! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

A little bit of SC History

2009-01-31T15:01:00.000-08:00

So, Nick and I are one of the crazy people....who don't need much planning or convincing to go somewhere on a Saturday. Yesterday, we contemplated driving to Charleston. We lived there for 3 years and LOVE it there. But, then we decided we would want to spend more than just a few hours. So, we decided to go to Camden, SC. We lived in Sumter (just 25 miles from Camden) for 3 years too. And every time we traveled to my parents house we would pass the cute little town of Camden and always mention how much fun it would be to see the historical Revolutionary War sites there. But, we never did make it. Until today. We decided at 11 this afternoon to pack up the kids and drive the 60 miles to Camden. I called my dad to see if he wanted to go and he did! We were excited! So, we hurried and picked up Grandpa and off we went. The kids were not excited about the ride over (I think they are still recovering from last weekends trip to Tennessee) and they argued off and on....but once we got there...we had a great time. Camden is the oldest existing inland town in South Carolina. It is a really quaint little southern town. Bailyn was excited to see a bride there getting her pictures taken outside the Kershaw house. Christopher loved all the forts and the "bullet holes" in all the trees. (more like woodpecker holes :). Nathan slept most of the time and we had a great time with the kids. I am so thankful for my dad and all the memories he is making with my kids. He is a great Grandpa! Of course, the kids had a dollar or two and it was burning a hole in their pocket....so we had to stop by the gift shop....where Christopher got another wooden gun (I think he picks one out at EVERY gift shop!!!) and Bailyn picked out a stuffed raccoon. (yeah, we were surprised by that too...but she is soooo into animals! She cracks us up!) On our way home we had some lunch at Chili's. Yummy! The kids were ready to be back home....but it was great to get out of the house and learn some history!

4 months old already!

2009-01-30T06:50:00.001-08:00

Today Nate is 4 months old! We really can't remember life without him!
Nate loves to:
*suck on his bottom lip....just like Bailyn did!
*Laugh Laugh Laugh
*lay on the floor and watch the ceiling fan
*play with any squeaky toy!
*see his brother and sister after school. He has started to squeal with delight when they get home (and then minutes later cry because he gets over stimulated!)
*Loves when Grandpa clicks his tongue
*Loves to hear people sing!
*Drink his bottle while he holds your finger
*sleep....only at night! He isn't too into his naps...but I can't complain. He sleeps a good 12 hours at night sometimes.
*He doesn't like me to read him books...but he loves to look at the pictures!
*To suck his thumb!
At our last Dr. appointment (one of SEVERAL in January!) he weighed 17 pounds 1 ounce! He has almost grown out of his carrier!
Nathan is a great baby! He is so content and so happy. We are so blessed to have him in our family!

Trip to Tennessee

2009-01-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to Tennessee for Julia's baptism. We had a great weekend and just wish that we could have spent more time together! The baptism was beautiful and we were so thankful to be there with Julia on her special day.

Pinewood Derby!!!!!

2009-01-27T18:18:00.000-08:00

Well, tonight was Christopher's last pinewood derby as a cub scout. To be honest...it makes me kinda sad! No, I won't miss the actual pinewood derby night....but I will miss how excited Christopher gets creating his car. I will miss watching Nick and Christopher laugh and joke around while they are making the car. These cub scout years have really gone fast!
Christopher has made some great cars in the past. The first year they made a star fighter car. Lots of fun colors! And the next year he made a fun Humvee. This year he wanted to make a RED mustang! They did a great job and had a great time coming up with the design. And guess what....he won first place this year!! This was the first time he ever placed. He is on cloud nine! What a way to end his cub scout pinewood derby career! Way to go Christopher!!!!