Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Our Valentine's Day

Grammy picked out the most perfect Valentine's gift! The kids looove these adorable dogs!
 
 

We kept it simple ~ we had pizza for dinner and ate waaay too much chocolate! We also surprised Lauren and Jonathan with iTunes App cards ~ a new favorite! Joe also surprised me with a digital picture frame! I was so surprised and excited! We usually get each other chocolate! I thought it was so sweet ~ thank you honey!
 
 
I am so blessed ~ I love my sweet family so much!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

January ~ A Photo a Day

Have you ever tried to take at least one picture every day? It was much harder than I thought it would be ~ but I love the concept! Enjoy!
Jan. 1
We were not blessed with snow in December. Here's hoping for January!
 Jan. 2
Lauren made this pillowcase for Jonathan's birthday! She was so excited ~ she gave it to him early!
Jan. 7
Excited about decorating his Lightning McQueen cake!
 Jan. 8
Celebrating their birthdays together ~ precious, just precious!
Jan. 9
Andrew's 3rd Birthday! Lauren was sweet to apply his Cars 2 "tu-tus" (tattoos)! He loved them!
Jan. 15
Geared up for the "Bigfoot Hunt" with all the neighbors ~ "over the moon" excited!
 Jan. 16
Andrew is starting to enjoy painting ~ notice Lightning McQueen ~ always close! 
Jan. 17
Lauren had this waiting when Jonathan got out of the shower. Cute and funny! He loved it!
 Jan. 18
Lauren loves to stay after school for "training" on Wednesdays ~ they do zumba,
strength training, yoga, and more.
 Jan. 19
"Hat Day"
Jan. 20
"Crazy Hair Day" ~ oh, how we laughed and laughed ~ he told me he was rockin' crazy hair day, and indeed he was!!
 Jan. 21
Saturday morning basketball game ~ he loves it, and so do I!
Jan. 22
Jonathan's 9th Birthday! He loves to be silly ~ especially when I start to take his picture!
 Jan.23
Jonathan had a strained ankle ~ it bothered him really bad for about a week, but then he was on the mend.
 Jan. 24
No snow in sight! I can't remember my pansies ever looking like this in January! I recently read this is one of the warmest winters we have ever seen!
Jan. 25
Having fun on Emily's electric scooter ~ they love it!
Jan. 27
Lauren broke her finger during a game of kickball at school ~ so much for being rewarded for good behavior!
Jan. 28
Beth and I took Lauren and Taylor to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D! We loved it ~ it brought back sweet memories ~ it was their favorite princess movie when they were little!
Jan. 29
We had fun visiting with Papaw. We love him so much!
Jan. 30
Lauren enjoying one of her favorites ~ a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit ~ following an early morning doctor's visit to be fitted with a temporary splint. 
Jan. 31
Let the healing begin!

Monday, March 12, 2012

It's Broken!

If I had been asked which one of my children might be the first to break a bone, I wouldn't have picked Lauren! And I never would have thought it would happen during a game of kickball ~ although . . . she was happy to say that she caught the ball and the boy was out!!
~ an oblique (diagonal, I learned) fracture to her right hand's liittle finger ~
 We were referred to a hand specialist, as the break was very close to a growth plate. We were relieved and happy to find out that the bones were perfectly aligned, which meant no surgery!
 She was fitted for a custom made splint (removable for showers ~ woo hoo!). There were lots of colors to choose from, and I was so surprised that she chose hot pink! Ha!
 The hand therapist was so sweet!
 ~ choosing a color for the velcro straps ~
It's easier to wear a splint for six weeks when it's pretty colors!

She was such a trooper throughout the entire ordeal. She broke it right before school let out on Friday, so by the time the pediatrician saw us and ordered an x-ray, it was getting late in the evening. We had to go to the hospital for the x-ray, and our doctor called with the results on Saturday. He didn't put a splint on it until Monday (we kept it buddy-taped) and we saw the hand specialist on Tuesday.
 She was in a lot of pain Friday and Saturday ~ a sleepover on Friday night and seeing Beauty and the Beast in 3D on Saturday (we were in line for tickets when the doctor's office called and they closed in 45 minutes, thus our reason for waiting until Monday for the temporary splint!) kept her focus away from it!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Jonathan is 9!


January 22, 2012

I don't know if it's a boy thing or not, but Jonathan likes to keep his birthday celebrations simple (which I have to admit makes life easy for me!). He wanted to have a sleepover with several of his friends, but one of his best friends, Dylan, beat him to it!! Jonathan didn't mind at all ~ he got to have a sleepover with his best friends, and he was more than content with that! I promised him another sleepover, very soon!
I was excited when Jonathan asked to help decorate his cake ~ I never even thought to ask him ~ I never dreamed he would enjoy it so much!!
~ so focused on outlining the soccer ball ~
~ little brother getting in on the action ~ just hoping to eat some icing! ~
I think this picture is so sweet!
I taught him how to make the stars (just like my Aunt Annetta taught me), and he did an awesome job!
I think he would have decorated it entirely if it hadn't been so late!
Candles in our breakfast ~ a family tradition that we all love!
Simple, yet perfect! I love how the soccer ball turned out!
We invited everyone over for lunch after church to celebrate ~ we enjoyed pizza and salad. Our local restaurant, Apollo Flame, now has a gluten free crust on their menu, and Jonathan loves it!!
Opening presents is Jonathan's favorite part of the celebration (isn't it everyone's?!)!
He had lots of helpers!
Love the Angry Birds t-shirt from Grammy and Grandpa!
My mom and I always do this ~ we think it's hilarious! Brendan was super excited ~ Jonathan gave him one!
I simply love this picture of my precious Papaw! I love him with my whole heart!
A great grandfather is such a blessing!
This picture captures my sweet boy's fun-loving personality that we love so much!
These two are just  t-r-o-u-b-l-e ~ partners in mischief!
A big thank you to everyone for making Jonathan's birthday extra special! He really enjoyed the day!!

Dear Jonathan,
     I simply can't believe that you are nine years old! You are our sports enthusiast ~ you love to play everything ~ football, basketball, and soccer! You have never really been interested in playing baseball ~ it's just too slow for you ~ you want to be running all the time! You are so dedicated to giving it your all ~ every practice and every game. You were chosen for the All Star Football team and your coach told me it was because you were at every practice, you were always smiling, and you were always willing to do anything and everything they asked of you! Your daddy and I were so proud of you ~ those things are important to football, but they are even more important in the "game of life"!
     You are also very dedicated to doing well in school ~ this is your first year to get grades, and you have made A Honor Roll once and A/B Honor Roll twice. Your were also committed to working hard to secure your place in Mrs. Christian's AIG class! I love your confidence and your willingness to work hard! Your teachers absolutely love you ~ I think you might even be the teacher's pet! This is also your first year taking piano lessons, and Mrs. Hipp just raves about you all the time! I think you make it just as fun for her as she makes it for you! You love to play the piano any chance you get! And you are doing so well at it!! Pop Pop will be excited to hear you play!
      You absolutely love to be outside playing with your sister and your friends! You spend hours and hours in the "Witch's Forest" and you love playing Wizard School. You also love to shoot basketball and throw the football with all the boys in the neighborhood! You will also spend hours playing Wii games (Lego Star Wars!) with Jordyn on a cold or rainy day! Your friends are important to you ~ whether they are school, church, neighborhood, or long-time family friends!
      You also love your family! You are a great brother to Lauren and Andrew! You and Lauren have your moments, but they are few and far between ~ you really are best friends! And I love to watch you with not only Andrew, but Grayson as well! You love to play with them and they absolutely adore you! Andrew gets so excited when you get home from school! You love anything related to science (nonfiction books are some of your favorites, Legos of any kind (especially those tiny people), drawing/art, and you would give your right arm for a dog! xoxo 
     You also have a love for the Lord and for church. You are proud to be a Christian.You show concern when friends are not acting in a Christian manner, and you "tell on yourself" when you've made mistakes.You ask lots of questions about God, Jesus and Heaven ~ ones that are thought provoking and often hard (for me) to answer. You really try to live every day doing what is right ~ you are confident in knowing you want to be in Heaven one day. That makes my heart so happy ~ I pray that faith remains in you always!
     We are blessed that you are our son ~ you are so full of life! You are energetic, curious, kind, loving (I hope you always kiss and hug me the way you do now ~ especially before bed), and generous! You are (and always have been) strong-willed and want everything to be fair, but it's usually channeled in the right way! xoxo 
     We love you more than you will ever know sweet boy!!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

Happy Birthday Andrew and Grandpa!

January 8, 2012

We got to start out the new year celebrating Andrew and Grandpa's birthdays! Andrew turned three (which I am still in awe of) and Grandpa turned... well...he is probably in awe!

I love to make the kids' birthday cakes and this year I had a special helper! He loved licking the beater, and with three cakes (two birthday cakes plus a gluten free cake for big brother) and three batches of icing, he had plenty to enjoy!!  
He sat patiently waiting until it was time for me to use the blue icing. His favorite part of the Lightning McQueen cake was his eyes! I thought he was so cute, and I asked him to smile for me...
First pose...
Second pose... love those eyes!
That sweet, sweet smile - it melts my heart!! Absolutely too cute for words!!
Getting ready for the party - the cute birthday printable came from eighteen 25
A Lightning McQueen cake for the second year in a row! Lauren, Jonathan, and I chose that theme for him last year, but HE chose it this year! He is absolutely crazy about the Cars movies!! He talks the entire time he is watching one of those movies - telling you what is about to happen - and repeatedly saying, "Watch this!"
We wanted Grandpa to feel special too! He loves football as much as Andrew loves Lightning McQueen!
Andrew woke up from his nap shortly after everyone arrived for the party, and was ready for cake! I had made several appetizers for us to enjoy before cutting the cake, but he had a different plan - and we went with it!

He had seen his cake, but it was almost like he was overwhelmed with the idea that he finally got to eat it! And he was sooooo cute as we sang to him and Grandpa! He was sooooo shy - almost like he didn't want to be the center of attention!
This was my favorite moment of the day! I love that they share a birthday!
I love these two soooooo much!
High-fives to celebrate their special day - just a little late on the pic!
Andrew was all excited about getting to eat his cake, but when I cut it he got upset. So I had to put it back together (look closely and you can see it)!
He ate the icing/cake with his fingers until he had eaten one whole side of the cake! It was almost like it was the first cake he had ever eaten! We all enjoyed watching him!!
Grayson, Tammy, Cassie, and Taylor - waiting patiently for Andrew to share his cake!
Aunt Claudia knows how to make it fun!!
Sweet Grayson joining in on the fun!
Grandpa, Papaw, and Uncle Bob
Such a sweet big brother! I love how sweet and patient Grayson is being! Too cute!
Andrew was so excited about the presents! He kept asking me if they were all for him - and he reminded Jonathan that they were!
Excited about a fish tank!
It took quite a while for us to convince Andrew he should put the fish (a Beta) in the tank. He just wanted to carry it around. When he wanted to do something else he would ask one of us to hold it! Too funny!
He also loved his Tokyo Spinout track! Now he can race Lightning McQueen and Francesco. Jonathan and Brendan loved it as much as Andrew and Grayson!
We ended the evening with "The Duck Song". My boys think it is hilarious!
(notice Grammy holding the fish!)
Apparently it is funny whether you are three or eighty six! I love it when my Papaw laughs like this!
Happy Birthday Andrew and Grandpa! It was such a special day!!

Dear Andrew,
     You bring so much joy to our family! You love to give hugs and kisses, and you are such a cuddler during quiet times and as you are falling asleep. You love your "guys" as much as they love you, and one of my most favorite times of the day is when you tuck them into bed at night with a hug and a kiss! You are learning to say most of the words to the blessing and to our nighttime prayer, and nothing is sweeter than to hear you as you recite them. You are really starting to love music, and your favorite toys are those related to Lightning McQueen and the Cars movies. You will play for the longest time with your cars - talking and pretending that they are real. You also love books and puzzles along with Disney Junior cartoons-some of your favorites are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. You also love to go to the movies - I'm not sure if you like the movie or the snacks the best! Your vocabulary never ceases to amaze me, and you are SO expressive! Your beautiful blue eyes just dance when you get excited! And you have some of the silliest faces ever!! You are just a pure delight to everyone who knows you, and we feel blessed to be your mommy and daddy! We love you sweet boy!!