Birthday Interview

What is your favorite color?  Pink and purple
What is your favorite drink?  Chocolate milk and juice
What is your favorite food?  Noodles (with butter & Parmesan cheese) 
What is your favorite movie?  The Little Mermaid & Tangled
What is your favorite thing to do?  Work puzzles
What is your favorite restaurant?  McDonalds
Where is your favorite place to go?  McDonalds
Who is your best friend?  Levi
What is your favorite song?  Jesus songs
What do you want to be when you grow up? I already bigger!
What is your favorite thing to play?  Princess Sophia puzzle
What is your favorite toy?  Princess Sophia puzzle
What do you like most about being home?  Poppy
What is your favorite thing to wear?  Princess dresses
What is your favorite fruit?  Blueberries
What is your favorite snack?  Goldfish
What is your favorite book?  Princess Barbie book
What is your favorite TV show?  Wild Kratts
What is your favorite animal?  hippo
What is your favorite thing to sleep with at night?  Her fox (thanks Samuel!)
What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Ride her bike and sit in the wagon

This year I have seen the biggest changes in my sweet girl, but I guess the year between 2 and 3 always is.  They really go from being our babies to being our "big" kids.  Naomi is definitely a blessing to our family.  She is smart, sassy, caring, sweet as can be, tough and strong, and she loves to laugh.  Naomi doesn't realize this, but she is my reminder that God hears me, knows my heart, and is faithful to His promises.  He gave her to our family at just the right time and circumstances around her birth remind me that God loves me.  He loves us.  So Happy Birthday to my daughter!  May the year to come bring us all closer to the Lord as we share lots of love and laughter.  

Happy Birthday Nomes! 
 

Summer

Ahh, summer.  Sounds wonderful doesn't it?  For me it has gone by in the blink of an eye which is probably why 3 months have gone by since my last post.  I feel completely horrible about it, which is kinda crazy since I'm sure I am probably the only one that even reads my own posts.  So for myself I will state for the record that we have been busy with life and blogging has been at the bottom of the list of things to do.  I'm still unpacking boxes from our move at Christmas (really I'm just looking at them, but they do need to be unpacked) and trying to juggle everyday life responsibilities in the midst of starting our first school year and potty training.  This has been my summer.  Completely normal and wonderful all at the same time, and over way too soon.  I'll post about our summer soon enough, but right now I've got things to attend to and a camping trip to prepare for this weekend. 

Birthday Interview

Levi, age 5

What is your favorite color?  Red
What is your favorite drink?  Chocolate milk
What is your favorite food?  Spaghetti (noodles with butter & Parmesan cheese) and Pizza
What is your favorite movie?  Kang Fu Panda 2
What is your favorite thing to do?  Go to the park and Disney World
What is your favorite restaurant?  Pizza Hut
Where is your favorite place to go?  Zoo
Who is your best friend?  Bay, Naomi, Javier & Maila
What is your favorite song?  The Lion Song (Roaring like a Lion by David Crowder)
What do you want to be when you grow up?  Nothing
What is your favorite thing to play?  Angry Birds
What is your favorite toy?  Spiderman rings
What do you like most about being home?  The deer
What is your favorite thing to wear?  Superhero shirts
What is your favorite fruit?  All fruit
What is your favorite snack?  Apples
What is your favorite book?  Curious George
What is your favorite TV show?  Wild Kratts
What is your favorite animal?  Tiger, Leopard, and Cheetah
What is your favorite thing to sleep with at night?  Doggie
What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Play with Dodger
What is your favorite holiday?  Christmas
Who is your favorite superhero?  Spiderman, Wolverine, Captain America, & Ironman

This kid is the best kid in the whole world!  He is creative, smart, and loving.  He loves superheros, Wild Kratts, and playing the Wii.  Most of all he loves Jesus, and that makes us so proud.  We love you Levi and are so proud of you!

5 Years

Five years ago yesterday I had been in labor for 7 hours with nearly 12 more to go before they laid this beautiful boy in my arms. You are the most creative, generous, and loving little boy I know. Your curiosity, cheetah powers, humor, love for all things superhero, big heart, contagious smile and laughter have filled our hearts and home the last five years. We love you and hope you have the most amazing day with more blessings to come this year. Happy Birthday Levi!!

Dear Mr. Restaurant Man (and any other business owner out there)

Let me set the stage for you.  You've stopped at one of your favorite fast food joint, or probably more accurately one of your kids favorites.  Let's face it.  Its not ideal, but its cheap and easy and that is all you care about after your grocery trip run took an hour longer than planned because you forgot that with 2 kids you'd have potty breaks, "I want candy" breakdowns, and have to stop to put back everything they took off the shelves through your trip.

This is my life.  Maybe not to this extent everyday or maybe I've just gotten used to it.  No matter what craziness will happen.  Eating out has become more frequent for us.  I don't think it has as much to do with having kids as it does that we are always busy and on the run.  Our lives have just gotten out of control busy and over committed, but that is another post for another day.

So, what is the real reason for this rant?  I'll tell you.  I want changing tables in the bathrooms.  Is it really too much to ask?  I have some how managed to wrangle up enough supermom power to bring two kids under the age of 5 into your establishment.  We have waited in line, placed our order, received our meal and made it to our seats all while keeping the kids in decent behavior.  We get everything nicely organized on the table when the smell hits you.  Thank you child still in diapers for that lovely right here at lunch/dinner time.  If you're a mom you know what I'm talking about.  So I load up both kids and head to the bathroom secretly praying that our food does not disappear while we are gone.  We walk into the bathroom to only find that there is no place to change the little one.

So what is a supermom like me to do?

I could go out to my car and deal with the situation there and pray that my meal stays secure on my table until we all make it back in.  Deal with it on the counter in the bathroom which is not clean for the little one or those coming in after us.  I could return to my seat and change the little one right there which I'm sure would thrill no one.  I could wait until after we eat, but that leaves the smell and diaper rash both which are unpleasant for me.

Do you see my predicament?  Do you feel my pain?  Is there anyone out there crying along with me "help please!"  If so, you are not alone.  So Mr. Restaurant Man (and other business owners) PLEASE install changing tables in your bathrooms.  It would make lives for moms like me just a little easier.  And while I'm at it go ahead and install in them in the men's bathroom as well.  Its not just moms who have this struggle.  We aren't asking for gold-platted, thickly padded, 400-thread count covered tables.  Just a sturdy table that does the job.  Is it really too much to ask for?

We Joined the Club

 It was just a matter of time before we made that fateful trip to the ER for the inevitable broken bone and that time has come.  Well, not exactly.  There was no ER visit, but there is a broken bone.  Last Sunday night Levi & Naomi were innocently playing at church while we were taking out turning doing the weekly cleaning.  There were having a great time running and chasing each other and then there were tears.  We weren't concerned and she gave us no reason to be.  We kissed her boo boo and she went right back to playing.  When we arrived home we noticed that her hand was a little swollen and she wasn't really wanting to use it to hold her fork to eat.  We checked her fingers, she laughed, so we figured it was just a little bruised from the fall and all would be better in the morning.

Monday comes and I literally think nothing of it.  She complained once or twice, but for most of the day she was her normal, crazy self.  We went to soccer practice and she was running all over the place, falling down, and acting completely normal.  We only got concerned because her hand was still pretty swollen (almost twice the size) so we made plans to go to the doctor the next day.

Tuesday comes and while Tuesday literally requires a post all its own lets just say after much frustration with my pediatrician's office we discover that she will need to be seen by a pediatric orthopedist because her x-rays show a possible stress fracture.  Wednesday we make the trek to Atlanta to see the orthopedist.  It takes no time for them to examine her before they rule that her right hand definitely has a break.  On the bright side she got to pick her cast color and of course she picked purple.  She has to wear it for three weeks and so far we're in one and a half weeks.  It has taken her no time to get used to it and I think she actually likes it.  Thursday night after her bath it actually came off!!!  I know right!  That is not supposed to happen.  I called the doctor and was told to watch it over the weekend and we'd make a decision come Monday.  Today they decided to have us come back in tomorrow for a new cast since her hand was moving more than they'd prefer.  Let's just hope she is this happy after she gets her new one tomorrow.

Because I'm Sure You've Been Wondering

AGG!  I went to go blog and realized I haven't blogged at all this year!!  I know I posted in February, but that was for Nomes' birthday and she really turned 2 at the end of the last year.  My personality really wants me to go back and post every awesome activity we've done so far with pictures of it all, but my lack of time says a short synopsis will have to do.  I know I could just skip everything in the last 4 months, but my personality won't let me do that either.  It seems like since moving back from NC that life has been in fast forward mode and just won't slow down.

So, here are a few things we've been up to since ringing in 2013.
 - Attended the annual Together for Life Walk to end abortion.
 - Stated back at BSF.
 - Started back at the Y.  We missed them and they missed us.
 - Aaron & I went back to NC to attend a wedding for some small group members.
 - I took the kids to the aquarium (maybe I will post a few pictures from here).  We had a great time.
 - My Moo Moo fell and broke both of her legs :(  We've been visiting with her quite a bit.
 - Aaron & I went to the Good Friday Celebration.  It was amazing.
 - We celebrated Easter with lots of good food and egg hunts.
 - The soccer season started in full force.
 - I went to see Mary Poppins at the Fox.
 - We've decided to continue with homeschool for next year and will be doing Classical Conversations.

As you can tell we are super busy with life, but its a beautiful life.

She's 2!

This special girl turned 2 recently.  I can't believe it.  It seriously feels like yesterday I was anticipating her arrival and then bringing her home and into our family, but it also feels like she has always been part of our family.  I'm not sure what we'd do without her presence in our family.  As you can tell she is as cute and sassy as ever.  She actually had a pretty crappy birthday as we spent the whole day in the car traveling back to Georgia from Texas.  She was in a great mood, but her Poppy was sick the whole ride so Levi & I did the best we could to make her day a little special, but there is only so much you can do for a 2 year old on a 17 hour car ride.  

To make up for it the following weekend we had her a party and celebrated her birthday right.  We always put balloons in their room the night before their birthday so we made sure to not skimp on that.  She was thrilled, and so was our dog and 4 year old.  Her party was later that afternoon complete with cake, presents, and lots of love.  Awesome Aunt Lou came the night before and helped with her cake, which I'm happy to report did not fall apart like it did last year!  Small victories!  Needless to say we made up for her spending her birthday in the car and she was spoiled!  She got a kitchen for her room, clothes, jewelry, puzzles, new cowboy boots, and her very first Barbie!  For the record she is loving every present she got and plays with them all pretty much on a daily basis.  I think it is safe to say that she is starting this second year of life off pretty good thanks to all the people in her life that love her so much.  

Happy Birthday Naomi!

 

She can't wait to open her presents.

Giving everyone kisses and thanking them for her gifts.

Because she had a birthday that meant a 2 year check up at the doctor.  We just went last week and she is growing like a weed.  Like her brother she in the 97% (36.5 inches) for her height, and she is a skinny little thing coming in at just the 30% (25.6 lbs.) for weight.  She is growing so much and everyday I feel like she is learning something new.  Here is a little bit of stuff she has been up to recently.

• She is my fashionista!  She loves clothes and on more than one occasion she has refused to put on what I have picked out and insisted on picking her own clothes out.  Usually she is pretty stylin' as you can see from the picture right above.
• She loves girly things like baby dolls, jewelry, make up, princesses, and shoes, but she also has a streak of tomboy in her has well.  She runs and climbs with the best, and she isn't afraid to get dirty.
• She adores her brother.  Yes.  ADORES!  She thinks he hung the moon and follows him around mimicking everything he does.  It is definitely "monkey see.  monkey do." around here. 
• She is quite obedient, but she has a stubborn streak that runs through her and it isn't a rarity to her the word "no!" come out of her mouth.
• She still sleeps in her crib, but don't worry she has figured out how to climb out and on more than one occasion has climbed in bed with me in the middle of the night.
• She is a great eater and loves pizza, crackers, spaghetti, chicken, bread, and juice.
• Her hair is getting long and I can put it in a pony tail and pigtails even though she hates for me to.
• She loves to watch movies, but rarely sits through and entire one.  I think 30 minutes may be the longest she's watched anything.  This girl likes to be moving.
• She still loves her nonnie (pacifier - we have no idea why she calls it a nonnie since we have always called it the paci).  We took it away from her, but we still allow her to have it at bedtime.  So far it has worked wonderfully, but I'm dreading the time we have to take it from her at night.
• She is interested in going to the potty, but we haven't done any extensive training with her.  We just let her go when she asks, but will probably train her in the next few weeks once we get a little more settled.
• She loves to read and sing, especially during family worship.
• She talks all the time!  She knows more words than I can count and is getting pretty good at understanding reasoning.
• We started our discipline more heavily with her in the past few months and I'm sorry to say she has already had her first (of many I'm sure) spankings.  
• She loves bath time and would probably stay in there all day if her brother didn't aggravate her so much in there.
• She is a bit whiny which we are trying to reign in.  I think it's a girl thing.
• She always wants her boo boos kissed, but as soon as she gets her kiss she is fine.
• She loves to brush her teeth and get her hair brushed after bath time.
• She loves Poppy, Gramps, & Granddaddy.  Mommy, Mema, & Grandmama, Bay, Lou, & Samuel are a close second.
• She loves to play outside, slide, swing, ride her big wheel, run, and rock in the rocking chair.
• She started sitting in church with us over the last few months and has done great transitioning into the service.
• She loves to go on rides in the car.

Christmas in February

Well we aren't celebrating Christmas in February, but I am just now getting around to posting about it.  I know pathetic.  It is amazing how much of our time is eaten up ever since we moved back.  Anyways, we had a wonderful Christmas.  We literally moved back just in time to enjoy all the festivities with our families.  We managed to bring our tree from NC home with us (that is why it looks so sad in the picture below) so it gave a little Christmas spirit to the house.  We had a traditional Christmas morning with breakfast, the Christmas story, and presents.  We got the kids both Radio Flyer Big Wheels as their big gift from us.  They have been a real hit and they are both learning the ride them down the hill beside the house.  We were extremely happy to be able to spend Christmas with our families and GA friends.  As soon as Christmas was over we packed up the car (which wasn't really hard since we hadn't really unpacked anything yet anyway) and headed to Texas to visit Aaron's grandparents and extended family.  Our trip was long overdue since this was the first time any of them had met Naomi (I was 8 months pregnant with her on our last visit).  Everyone fell in love with her of course and we just as happy to see Levi again.  It was so good seeing everyone and we are already looking forward to visiting again.  

Final weeks in NC

Our final weeks in NC were wonderful and thanks to internet that we literally got 2 hours ago I can finally share it with all of my 2 readers in the blogger world.  We moved back to GA on the 22nd so we packed as much as we could into our final weeks.  Here's a glimpse at what we were up to.  

Our neighboring city, Dillsboro, had a Christmas festival the first two weekends in December so we ventured out there to enjoy the festivities.  All of the stores in town were open and many had cookies and treats as well as a few freebies for the holidays.  Everything was decorated with lights and luminaries and we had a great time.  Because it was too dark and I don't have a fancy camera I was only able to get a few shots.  One of my favorites is this one of the kids looking at the manger scene.  

We have spent every opportunity in NC exploring our surroundings.   We went and saw these last two waterfalls before we left.  The picture above does not do any justice for the view.  If you look closely in the bottom picture you'll see Aaron and the kids behind the waterfall.  The kids thought it was so cool that you could walk behind it.

The children at church put on a play for us one Wednesday night.  They had practiced at the birthday party for Jesus, but because we had all been sick the week before we weren't able to the party with Levi so we had no idea that Levi was a wiseman.  So we were super excited when we saw him walk out all dressed up. Before they started the little boy who was supposed to be the sheep got tired of waiting for them to start and decided to quit before it got started so they quickly asked in Naomi would step in a sure enough she was up for it.  I could barely handle the cuteness of it all.  While on stage they insisted on being together and when someone would move Levi, Naomi would follow.  He was the protective big brother, holding her hand and constantly kissing her throughout the performance.  I loved every minute of it.

I know this one is a little grainy, but Aaron took it from his phone and it has to be my favorite of them all.

Our final weekend we went to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.  The kids were spending the weekend with my parents so it was the perfect time for us to go.  The highlight of the trip was that we were able to go during the Christmas season and the entire place was decorated for Christmas.  The house was beautiful as well as the grounds.  We walked and walked and walked some more around the property.  My feet were killing me when we left at the end of the day.  The property was amazing and beautiful and you could see for miles.  Aaron & I had a great time and it was the perfect way to end our stay in NC.

 

Last but not least the Sylva square.   It was beautifully decorated for the holidays and I tried capturing it with my point and click camera, but it doesn't it do it justice so just take my word for it.  I promise it was beautiful.

We are now back in GA.  Celebrated Christmas with our families, visited TX with Aaron's family, celebrated Naomi's birthday, and have been unpacking ever since.  There is still lots of update post to come and one day soon I'll be caught up.