A Snippet of the Sims

The Sims eat at Michie Tavern

2010-05-24T15:09:00.000-05:00

They clanged a toast to our trip!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

2010-05-24T00:05:00.001-05:00

I love my wife! Kyle

My "Catch Up" Post

2010-05-11T12:11:00.003-05:00

I love this time of year! My things to do from the school year is winding down...our school year with CC is over, we are finishing up with our school at home (finishing with our big trip to VA and PA), girl scouts is over, but also I am looking ahead to what the summer has in store...Synod and Bonclarken, birthdays, beach, pool, seeing the CO crew, catching up on craft projects I don't have time for the other times of the year!

Here is a basic "run-down" and "things to come" list from the Sims...
>S is now potty-training! yay! For so long, he just didn't care! But thanks to the help of the Easley crew, he is getting it!! (see previous post...ha!)

>Izz loves homeschooling and CC! She recieved the Memory Master Award from school last month, which means that she memorized all her facts this year and could recite any of it back to the 3 people that quizzed her! This, in my opinion, is quite an accomplishment! She has an incredible memory! Some of the things she had to memorize was 160 timeline happenings (starting with creation all the way to modern wars and space race), all the presidents, 24 weeks of science and history facts, latin noun declension endings, 24 geography places in Africa, Americas,and the Middle East, and Math terms and facts. WOW!

>P is learning to read, but that is slow coming too. He would rather solve math facts and problems, put together puzzles, or play with army stuff or legos!

>MyMy- "Ms Independent"! She has a sweet heart and a love for her brothers and sister, but has an opinion and is NOT scared to tell it! ha!

>K is finishing school!!! I want to scream from the rooftops! He started this 7 years and 3 kids ago!! So now, after Saturday's graduation from Erskine, he will be the Rev. Dr. Sims! Not that this will be a pay increase, or some great title, but he learned alot from his classes that he uses in his ministry. And the fact that he stuck with it and finished! I am so proud of him!

>my whiole family (Mom and Dad, Aunt Louise and Claudia, all 6 of us, lauren, and Bryan) was able to get together and spend a great Sunday! Bryan was on this side of the country for a wedding, so everybody came to see us here for church and then just sat around, laughed, talked, and ate! We also got to go see my sister's new house! Oh, (even though this won't make sence to anybody else, but my siblings) we got to experience the rescue squad and show alittle happy!!! HA!

>CC is over, but we signed up again for next year (they asked me to be a tutor again)! So I am already looking ahead to next year and what we will be presenting. I love teaching!

Hope everyone has a great start to their summer! Stay cool!

More "overheard" funnies...

2010-05-11T11:54:00.002-05:00

(disclaimer: sorry in advance for the "potty" humor, but this is just too funny not to get down in the archives)

This is what was overheard today as I walked in the bathroom and see MJ and S standing arm in arm looking down at the potty
S:mymy, see all my poopie? I did all that!
MJ (to the best of my translation said something to the effect of): that is really good!

I was rolling! He is so proud!

The Sick Ward

2010-02-06T22:11:00.002-05:00

Let me start this post by saying..I hate/detest/STRONGLY dislike being sick to my stomach!!! I would rather have most other things than throw up!
*Also I am sorry for the topic of this post, but it has been what we are dealing with for the past 4 days!

Walking around my house yesterday, the main image that came to mind was one of a sick ward! Cots, blankets, and sheets spread out and covering every bit of furniture like a medical tent thrown hurriedly up. The smell of Lysol floating in the air. Cups of sprite and 7up beside each person, and Saltine crackers and Chicken noodle soup waiting on the counters for our stomachs to stop churning. Which, as an aside, is probably why I dislike chicken soup and Sprite to this day, when I taste them I am immediately transported to a memory of being sick!

This nasty bug hit us quickly, wiping out 5 out of the 6 of us in 48 hours! Thankfully, it left just as quick as it came. Even though I was exhausted while I was trying to take care of MJ with only 3 hours of sleep and throwing up for the 5 hours before that, I am now glad that it did hit quick. I hate that dreaded feeling of waiting and wondering...will it hit?, who will it hit next? Am I in for it? It is like sitting there watching to see if their heads will start spinning! :/

But now my best friends (and I use the term "friend" loosely) have been my washing machine, Lysol, and CaviWipes! But the motivation has been good! Life goes on, sickness happens, but I would rather avoid it at all costs!

Things Overheard...

2010-02-06T22:06:00.004-05:00

"Mom, you are so cool!" (from P all because I got a hair clip out that was stuck in the hand vac he was using). yes, it takes so little to impress them at this age! :)

"This house so fun!" (S says as he leaves his bubble bath)

"I no sick anymore, I have bubble bath" (again by S. And as you can see he LOVES his bubble bath and evidently thinks it now has magical, healing powers too) ha!

Kyle came down and asked the 3 older kids, "Have you all eaten anything for lunch? Do you feel like eating?" while MJ and I were sleeping off our sickness. I started to stir because I was interested in how they were doing. To which they excitedly responded, "oh, yes! We found the pudding in the frig!" oh yuck, I thought rolling over!
Both of the last 2 comments came from our past weekend-see post above.

P.isms

2010-01-25T22:30:00.003-05:00

My eldest son has such a huge heart!! Now don't get me wrong, he can also be a huge booger, but I truly believe that comes wrapped up with his emotional side...he is empathic and caring, but he also has a temper...all part of the package. I have started calling them P.isms...

"Mom, I need my hug and kiss...I always sleep so much better with those!"
"Are you ok? Do you want to talk about it?"

Yes, he knows how to work me!!

Thoughts and Musings

2010-01-23T23:33:00.002-05:00

I love noticing the difference between boys and girls! Everything with my boys seems to turn into a gun or ball! It was never like that with Iz. Everything was a phone or a baby that needed her "tending to". It is funny that I already see that in My...that need to mother something! But at the same time, it is funny to watch her grow up with 2 older brothers. Twice in the past month, I have turned around to see her "shoot". The first time, I really couldn't have been sure of what I saw because she was holding a banana (it looked like it, but it also looked like she could have been talking into it). But today, there was no doubt! She came down the hall after the boys holding/pointing their cowboy gun!! I was laughing so hard and wishing for a camera! Gives new meaning to her nickname pistol! ha! Watch out world...here she comes! :)

More Shots From Christmas...

2009-12-30T21:52:00.003-05:00

I love this...Iz has the Best facial expressions (with S following closely behind)
P is really going to hate me later in life for these pictures...but I just had to! When I pulled out his Christmas PJs, they said 4T. I really should have gone by the size and not just what the tag said. BUT, after he had them on, he wouldn't take them off...trying to convince me they would be fine! It was hilarious! Looked like I left him in the dryer too long! :) More importantly though, he is showing off his new WWI gun!
MJ loving on her new baby...so sweet!

Christmas Traditions

2009-12-29T22:21:00.005-05:00

"Its the most wonderful time of the year"...
Even though Christmas can be one of the busiest/craziest times of the year, it is also the most special. Not only because I love to be with family, seeing the excitement in & thru my kids, picking out that special thing for those I love, but also because of the memories, traditions, and the reason for Christmas! I am one of those people that starts my shopping/making of gifts in the summer and the one who looks forward to Christmas music 24/7!
Some of the things that we did this year: Fire Department Christmas Party, Christmas caroling to some of our church members, Christmas baking (we made goodies for the guys at the fire department, cookie exchange, and the Sunday school teachers...so we made over 16 dozen cookies and chocolate covered treats...yum!), Christmas cards, parties at the church, shopping, decorating, wrapping, dinner parties with friends at the house. The garland is a new addition in our decorating this year (it was K and Iz's idea after visiting the White House last year). But I have to say that it is one of my favorites in the house! These are some of the kids from our church. After we went caroling, we came back to decorate the church's tree and have pizza.

For the past 2 years, K's mom has come up to bake and decorate with the kids! They made gingerbread cookies and peanut brittle.

I Love this one with flour on his nose! She was so patient with them, and they had so much fun (esp S with the sprinkles and sugar)!!
Instead of buying each of the kids an ornament this year, Mamama made these glitter balls with them to hang on our small tree in the kitchen! They were so cute! I need to get a picture of these on the tree before we take them down!

New Year...New Goals

2009-12-29T10:54:00.003-05:00

I LOVE the start of the new year-the opportunity to start over, try again, try something new, or just improve. At the end of every year, I take a look at not only what happened (the memories), but also what I want to change (the goals). I don't necessarily call them resolutions, but more goals. K and I are big believers that if aim at nothing in particular, you will hit it! So as I think about my goals, I wanted to write them here. So, in no particular order, here are a few things that I want to work toward in 2010...
-be more organized(everything needs a place, & I would like to be able to put my hands on things at a moments notice. Im getting better, but always room to improve!)
-read more books - I am coming up with a list. Any good suggestions?
-continue to sew more
-read the thru the Bible
-memorize more scripture
-go on a date once a month with K
-keep up with the house better (goes along with the first one too)

I am also thinking about how to keep up with these...being held accountable. Maybe I will write about my progress here. We'll see. Bring on 2010!

So how was your year and what are some of your goals?

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

2009-12-28T20:50:00.003-05:00

Today my little S turned 3! Wow! Sometimes I wonder how I got everything in, or even felt like it...thinking back 3 years ago...it was Christmas time (granted I only had 2 kids) but I wrapped, decorated, and had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners at my house all while being 38 weeks pregnant! I also remember telling myself, "just make it thru Christmas", I didn't want this baby born till a few days later. He needed his own special day, so I was happy it worked out that way! Plus, everyone kept saying, "oh poor thing thing, with a birthday so close to Christmas. He will never get to celebrate."
So I have always been conscience of keeping them separate. I know there are somethings he has to give up or accept (presents all at 1 time of the year,etc) having a birthday 3 days after Christmas, but I hope he also realizes how special he is, what he has gained, and how both sides of his family has really tried to keep them separate for him!
A big gain that I saw this year is that since it is the holidays and we were with family, he had most there with him to celebrate...two times!

Now as I think about your next year of life, wondering what it will hold, there is one thing I am hoping for...no more diapers! :)

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

So now I come to my Christmas Letter/post for the year end...
In an effort to combine what I already have in place (our blog) and promote/encourage me to write more consistently, I decided to put our Christmas letter here.
I always like to write our "year in review" letter, not only to let you know briefly what has been happening, but also it helps me remember and enjoy my life that seems to fly before my eyes!

Needless to say, life with 4 kids is never boring! There is always something going on (sometimes bordering on chaotic), but I love it! And now I am also teaching again, so it keeps getting better. My main problem is that there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done I need to, not to mention what I would like to do!
Kyle is staying busy at the church and getting to the fire department when he can. He is also almost finished with his D Min degree from Erskine (he will be finishing up with the project this Jan and then has to write his dissertation). He has enjoyed the learning and applying it to his sermons, both we will both be glad when it is finished! He has also started a blog of his own...the hungry preacher. He enjoys writing for fun, so it is about food and his experiences with it.
Iz is 10 now! She is having a great year in school and has made some good friends! She is learning alot (someone asked her recently if she wished she could go back to public school to which she answered...no, I really like home and CC better and am learning more!...that made me happy!) She is also enjoying basketball and is pretty good, which is great because she is already 5'3 at 10! Last year her team won the championship in their division!
P is 5 and very outgoing! He is in kindergarten and loves going on outings with our school group! He is starting to learn to read and does pretty good with his school work,but would rather be outside. He just learned to ride his bike and that's what he wakes up asking to do right now!
S will be 3 a week from today! He is definitely my shy child. He will talk when he has something to say, but is my thinker. He loves to be outside too, but his favorite place to be is Kyle's mom's farm!! He loves to ride the ranger and help feed the animals! The main thing he has been asking for for Christmas is a pair of boots to wear on the farm at Mamama's house!
MJ is 16 months today! She is getting to be such a cute age...learning to talk, imitate what you say or do, give kisses, and play games, like peek-a-boo. She is going to be another "people person"!

Well, that is the Sims' 2009 in a nutshell. I can't wait to see what 2010 has in store! We hope your year end comes to a nice close and you all have a very merry Christmas! We hope to hear from you soon (either by phone, email, or facebook)! Love to each of you!
Kel

Looking Back and thus Looking Ahead

2009-12-21T11:24:00.000-05:00

I spent most of November writing and listing things that I am thankful for. We are blessed with SO much and I was glad for the time that I spent thinking about these! It is so easy to get caught up in the business of life (stress, deadlines, irritations, etc) that you can miss the joys!! Some of which were...laughter of my children, different personalities that make them who they are, wonderful smells, colors that are around us, answers to prayers, sweet phone calls that were made when I needed them...and I could go on and on!

But now we are moving into the last time of the year, and definitely one of my favorite holidays...Christmas!! I love Christmas music, spending time with the kids, buying gifts for the ones we love, the decorations, cards, etc., but I am finding myself falling into that stressed, not-enjoying this kind of feeling. So as I have been pulling things out this week, I want to keep this feeling of thankfulness. Remembering the real reason for this season!

Fall Brings Yet Another Change...

2009-12-20T21:30:00.002-05:00

Both our girls celebrated pretty big birthdays during this time. MJ turned 1 and Iz hit double digits! Wow...they grow and change SO fast!

We made another big family decision last spring, and then watched it come into being this fall...We are now homeschooling! I have always thought about it and have done lots of research concerning it, but it just all fell into place this time- just seemed right! We also found an awesome group to work and learn with- Classical Conversations. We meet together 1 day a week for classes and then the other 4 days at home. They even offered me a job, so I am tutoring the 3rd and 4th graders. We are all loving it!! I love the classical approach to learning, and we have made some great friends (and a great support system for me)!

Moving on Into the Summer

2009-12-20T17:22:00.005-05:00

The summer started with its usual craziness for us...K takes his annual Banner of Truth trip with fellow ministers; Synod; Vacation Bible School; K, his mom, and Iz went on a multistate quick trip thru PA, MD, and VA; K preaches special services at another ARP church, and P turned 5! OH...and throw in our 13th anniversary in the middle of VBS! :)

So we were excited to see July get here where the only thing we had planned was to go to the beach with all my family (the CO crew was here in SC for 5 weeks...yay) and a beach trip for just the 6 of us! Here is a group shot of all the family at the beach (except Aunt Claudia who took the picture)

Here is the all 7 Counts grandkids.

I was also started something that I have been wanting to do more of...I finally put my new sewing machine to use. I sewed 2 dresses for the 2 younger girl cousins (My and Sweet C) and embellished Iz's shirt. Now even though the dresses weren't perfect, I was proud of myself of attempting it! :)

As I continue to think back on 2009...Family celebrations

2009-12-05T09:54:00.011-05:00

Since I have been slack on my blog (but those of you that know me, know how full my plate is), I thought I would spend the next few posts giving brief glimpses (snippets) into our past year...
As I start these new snippets of our family and life, it is very appropriate that I start with celebrations. Immediately some celebrations that come to mind are Christmas, birthdays, special events. and that we are surrounded by those that love and support us, those that have made an impact on our lives!! It is special that our 2009 started with 3 of these family events!

First, Mom and Dad were able to go to CO for Christmas, so we extended the holidays a little (till the 1st of Jan) so we could be together. Then the next week we came together again (along with the Sims) to celebrate the baptism of MJ. Her dress was made by Kyle's Mom, and it is the same dress that Iz wore 9 years before!

Here is both of our families (minus the CO crew)...

Also, Clint Davis (pastor at Chester ARP, but also a good friend) baptized MJ. We asked 4 different minister friends to baptize our babies, so Kyle can be a dad that day.

After the Baptism, we all stayed and celebrated S 2nd birthday! He loved "MoMo", So Aunt Shea made this great cake for him! Thanks to all our family for starting the year with us in these special ways!

September

2008-10-02T21:50:00.003-05:00

The month of September seems like a blur...

Not only am I getting used to having 4 kids and trying to catch some much needed sleep when I can (to see an example of my sleep deprived mind see the title of my last post...ha), but izz turned 9, P started 4 year old preschool, and S has started to talk more and more (he went around saying Momma all day today to get my attention...I love hearing him finally talk more, and hearing him say that makes me smile)!
Here are a few pictures that I have managed to get over the past 6 weeks (yes, MJ is 6 weeks old today! Time really does fly!)

She Here...and We Are Home!!

2008-08-23T16:49:00.004-05:00

Yeah!! She is finally here...litle miss MJ was born Thursday evening alittle before 9 pm! So far she has been a wonderful baby...very much like S in the fact that she is easy going (I hope she stays that way!) We got her home today and are getting settled in to becoming a family of 6. Here are a few pictures we took after coming in...

Thanks for all your well wishes, notes, and encouragement (and beautiful pink blankets)! :) We can't wait for everyone to meet her! Love you all!

Happy Birthday little man!

2008-06-21T09:09:00.004-05:00

I wanted to take a few minutes out of my busy weekend to post about my precious boy! He is growing up So fast...it seems like just yesterday he was taking his first steps while we were moving into this house, and now he was talking yesterday about how big he is and that he wants to be a daddy when he grows up (just like his daddy...I hope so Buddy!)

Here is a quick picture of what he found this morning (his birthday surprise as he calls it). Mamama helped him plant seeds for his "mini garden" on our side porch, which he loves and waters every day! So I thought it was neat that the "first fruits" came on his birthday!

Random Thoughts, Happenings, and Musings...

2008-05-14T08:15:00.005-05:00

We just got back a week ago from a grand (but long) car trip that took us through 7 states and 1740 miles! And did a mention that this was in 4 days? One of our friends (and the intern at the church) got married in Indiana Sat, May 3rd, so we decided to make a road trip out of it and see a few things on the way. It was also fun because Mamama and Aunt Martha got to come too! So the 7 of us piled in the 15 passenger van early Thurs morning, and off we went. We spent 2 days in the Amish country of Ohio...going shopping, to a cheese factory, and eating Amish food (but we're not talking about that)...and just having a good time spending time together!! Then off again Sat to Indianapolis, the wedding, and finally to Kent.- all in one day!! (That was alittle crazy!!) But you know it was a good trip when P woke up Mon morning asking where we could go today. The kids traveled beautifully and really enjoyed seeing the sights (and the tunnels)! :)

Now we only have 2 weeks left to go in school (that has flown by as usual!). And then hopefully have a little more laid back of a summer, esp because after bible school we have nothing planned! But I am sure it will still be busy.

Mainly because...we only have alittle over 12 weeks before the new one gets here!! Now that sounds crazy!! These months have flown by!!! She (yes, it is a girl. Sorry I haven't offically said that here) is doing great and moving just like she should! In fact, last night Izz & P felt and saw her move for the first time, which was neat for them!! P kept pushing on my stomach (like it was a balloon) saying, come on my baby girl, move for me! :) And yes, no official name yet, but we are working on it...hopefully closer every week. :)

Hope all is well with everyone! We would love to hear from you!!

Here are just a few pictures from the road trip...

Easter Pictures

2008-03-24T08:36:00.002-05:00

Every year Easter takes on a different look...some have been spent with extented family and one year good friends came from Hickory Grove to visit. And following suit- this year was no different. Unfortunately we didn't get to see family or friends, but this day was good too! We didn't do ANYTHING (which sounds boring, but it was quite the opposite)! We went to lunch with just the 5 of us, came home and spent the day together! We have been SO busy, things pulling us in different directions, that it was nice to spend a lazy day together- playing outside, reading books together, and just hanging out!

This is S and his buddy at church, the day before, at the easter egg hunt. They set a special egg hunt for these 2 in the nursery. They picked up a few eggs, but had a better time trying to pull them apart and then throw them! :)
I have pictures that I will try to post later of the other 2 at the hunt and doing different things this past weekend, but I wanted to get the family pics up now.

Happy Spring!!

2008-03-22T16:13:00.002-05:00

Easter

2008-03-21T01:21:00.002-05:00

Hello out there...(and yes, I am still alive)! I have had 2 people ask me lately if I am going to post again..sorry. With a limited amount of time that I have to be on the computer, I have gotten sucked into the world of facebook (something new for me to explore and I have gotten reconnected with some friends from college!)

We are doing great here. Finally over cold and stomach bug season (hopefully). And the wierd thing was that it was S who started this round...who knows where he picked it up- probably the store! The pregnancy is moving along fine (it seems to go faster with every one), and it hard to believe that it is halfway over! Our ultrasound is scheduled for next Friday..I can't wait! The funny thing is that my tastes change or something wierd happens to me every time (i.e after S, I now like spicer foods)! Well, last night I order and drank coffee- and enjoyed it! Most of you are probably thinking, so what; but my family understands! I am the ONLY one who didn't like it, in a huge coffee loving/drinking family- in fact when we moved here my mom bought us a coffee pot so that we would have one when they came to visit! They always told me, as I was growing up and would turn my nose up to it, that I would start liking it when I went go to college...but it never happened, until now. We were sitting in Dunkin Doughnuts when I smelled K's and thought I would take a sip. It really tasted good and I am thinking that I would like another one right now! Who knew? :)

We are heading out tomorrow (which I really should say today now...Aggh) to get spring/Easter pictures taken of the kiddos... hopefully I can get those up soon. Hope all is well with each of you. And hope you enjoy Easter and the start of Spring- I love to see everything changing and in bloom!

Update

2008-01-30T21:10:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!! Just wanted to give a quick hello to everyone 1-to let you know that I did survive Christmas, 1st Birthday, and the new year, and 2-to tell you that I am working on a limited Computer time and resources.
Right before Christmas my computer at the house decided that it just didn't "feel" like turning on (I guess I didn't inform it that it just wasn't an appropriate time to do that...not only was I planning on posting all these cute pictures from Christmas and S's birthday, but I didn't realize how dependant on a computer I had become until I didn't have one). So (until the guy comes to look at it-which should be next week) I have been either going to the church or K has been bringing his laptop home.

Things are going great! We FINALLY had a little snow. It was so pretty falling, but I wish it stayed alittle longer so the kids could have gotten to play in it. Izz is in a play/musical at school. She is very excited (she is the queen in a version of Cinderella). She has a few lines and a solo- I think I am more nervous than she is. (BTW- the play is the night of K's b-day for those of you who can make it). S is SO close to walking! He stood up in the middle of the floor without holding on today! He has tried to take a step, but leans forward too far so it is really rather comical!

Finally- our BIG news (for those of you who haven't heard) is that our family is about to grow again! YEAH! We are expecting baby #4 in August! I have been quite seasick, but HOPEFULLY I am about to come out of it! It is hard to believe that in just a few weeks we will (hopefully) be able to find out whether we will have a tie or izz will still be our only princess. We'll keep you informed!

Hope all is well with you and your family! And as soon as I get back online full-time, I will post a few pictures!

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-21T23:25:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I had great intentions of putting lots of pictures from this season here, but my computer had other plans...I am just hoping that I can get the rest of my pictures off of it!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas, and I can't wait to hear from each of you!

Christmas time...

2007-12-13T15:48:00.000-05:00

I LOVE christmas. It is probably my favorite time of the year! Here are a few shots of what we have been doing these last few weeks...

Picking out our Christmas tree... (I will try to put one of it decorated later)

The kids getting their ornaments this year.

Well, not every part of December has been that great. S got a cold that he couldn't shake, which turned into bronchiolitis and an ear infection. Here he is taking the breathing treatments...hopefully we are on the downside of all of this!

I got tagged!

2007-12-04T10:26:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by Shea at http://tapsalteerie.blog-city.com/ so here is the deal...
*link to the person who tagged you
*post the rules
*name 8 things others don't know about you
*link to 8 other blogga-mamas

1-I REALLY don't like these- tell something about yourself or pass along chain letters, BUT because I love you Shea-I am doing it for you! :) I think I don't like the tell about yourself because I don't like writing about myself, but let's see how this goes...
2-I love mayo! I will sometimes eat in right out of the jar (P also got this love from me)
3-I have always wanted to be a wife, mother, and teacher! When I was little, I used to line my stuffed animals up to "teach" them.
4-Even though I miss teaching right now, I LOVE being at home with my kids (even when I have days like I wrote about last). In fact (crazy as it sounds), I am thinking about baby #4!
5-I really like Disney movies- most, but NOT Dumbo. We watched it in 8th grade, and I cried like a baby...haven't liked it since!
6-I love to laugh!! That's why comedies are one of my favorite kind of movies. Also, for those of you who know my husband, that is one of the many things that attracted me to him!
7-I love to make lists! I make them almost daily-not that I always follow them or even keep them, but I think it makes me feel in control and somewhat organized.
8-I am a big supporter of our local library! Not only do we go there to get books, but I am constantly giving them my money from fines...OUCH! There is one lady there that always jokes with me about it. I keep trying to convince her that I am vying for the new wing of the library to be named for me! :) Maybe I should follow #7 better! :)

Now I don't know 8 other people that blog (well I read other blogs, but I don't know then well enough to "tag" them..don't want to seem like the stalker type) but here are 2... Erin at http://tindalsataglance.blogspot.com/ and Erika at http://erikacounts.blogspot.com/.

**Maybe #9 needs to be that I still have ALOT to learn about computers!! I tried to set a link to the 3 others blogs, BUT it would not show up, so I had to do it manually. (sorry there are no links to these 3, but the links are over on the right side of my blog)

How should I Label this Day???

2007-11-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

"If you don't laugh, you'll cry"
"Find the Humor in any situation"
"I have had more fun than one should be allowed"

Oh, the labels/fun phrases that people like to say just flood right in now...

I guess you could say that this day o fun (24 hours) started last night when E began throwing up! YUCK! AND, of course, she had laid down in the boys room right before she got sick. So I had to scramble to find other sleeping arrangements for the boys in between helping her.
The morning seemed to go off without a hitch, and the 4 of us had a good time together, resting and watching tv. Then, while I was feeding S (ie occupied, unable to get to the others... BTW, why are kids programmed that when mom is busy, that is their signal to either get into trouble or REALLY need you???) I heard P screaming for me. I sent Iz to check and her reaction... "you REALLY need to get in there!" But P came to me...naked from the waist down, streaked in poop! (sorry- I am going for the mental image now, so you can feel ALITTLE what my afternoon was like) :)
He then leads me back to the bathroom where I see poop- on the floor, all over the toilet, and all over my child - with P VERY quietly & pitifully saying "sawwy mommy, I not make it".
After I clean him up, I realize that I need to clean not only the bathroom, but also the hall, the den and the florida room (remember he came to me having poop on the bottom of his feet) AAGGGHHH! "ok, I can do this"

Well, while I am getting afew cleaning things together, I go into the kitchen...
and there is S, sitting on the floor, playing in something. As I get closer, I realize there is something shiny on his head too. All I can think of is to yell my middle child's name. He comes around the corner, with that sheepy smile on his face, "yes?".
me- "what did you do?"
P- "I helpin to clean?"
me- "what is on S? and why do you feel the need to clean him too" And he shows me the small bottle of Dawn!! AAGGHH!

So I calmly take both boys to the bathroom to scrub them down, and as I was stripping S down, he decides he needs to go to the bathroom...all over my legs!!! AAGGHH!

Here they are during the clean up...notice the shine/bubbles all over S's head!! HA!! And Poor P, he had a rough afternoon too!

OH- I just thought of another "cute" expression...
"What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger" HA!!

Happy Thanksgiving and Fall

2007-11-29T13:54:00.000-05:00

Here are a few shots from the last few weeks...

Dad and the boys in their Thanksgiving clothes.

Ps preschool had a Thanksgiving program and lunch.

After lunch, he was playing with a few of his friends so I thought I would walk over and get a few shots. (this is what my boy did when he saw the camara) :}

Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak no Evil
Since he wouldn't smile anyway and the girls were in a playful mood, I had a little fun with our 3 little monkeys!! :)

Happy Halloween

2007-11-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures from last night...

My Audrey Hepburn. I have some other pictures of her from far away, but I love this close-up!

My Cowboy and cow. P LOVED his cap guns at his sides!!

One of the games they played (they are trying to feed a doughnut to those sitting down) I liked it because it shows some of K's costume too.

October...so far

2007-10-18T13:51:00.000-05:00

October started with my birthday on the 2nd. The day went pretty good (except for worrying about my niece who ended up in the hospital for a better part of the day with a head injury! Sophie gave a quite a scare, but I am glad to say that she is all better) Between friends and family calling to wish me well and then the family took me out to eat-YUM, I had a good day! Oh, and then my friends at church surprised me (and Katey) with pizza and cake the next day at circle-Thanks guys!

Lorri made sure S was decked out for the festivities!

Then the church went to Bonclarken for the weekend. We had a great time hanging out and spending time together! We also got to see the gamecocks play one more time!

Have a great rest of the month! Can't wait to see some of your fall pictures and if your kids dress up, I would love to see those too!

Was it really that long ago??

2007-09-25T16:48:00.000-05:00

I promise that I am still here...
I noticed today that I haven't posted since August 24th!!! I really can't tell you exactally what happened to me (I would love to say something exciting like a big trip or cruise..even abducted by aliens would be a grand excuse) nope... just life. It's just harder to find time when S wants to climb all over me while I type.
Oh, and how sad is this... I went to the dentist today to get 2 teeth filled and I fell asleep in the chair!! Can you tell I don't sit down much!

OK, quick update... (and pictures)
Izz is in soccer and still doing great in school. She had her 8th birthday last week! WOW! She took a few of her friends to a pottery studio and painted different pieces.

P started pre-school this month and loves it! He is in class with one of his best friends, Lisey Lou (check out Erin's blog for more pictures of the 2 of them)

S has really come into his own in the last 2 weeks! He is interacting with us alot more and LOVES exploring in all the corners of our house! AAGGH!!

Here he is with his "play buddy" Lauren.

We got to see K's family last weekend and my whole family will get together this weekend!! We haven't all been together since last July!! I will post again soon!

In the Blink of an Eye...

2007-08-24T08:39:00.000-05:00

My kids are growing and changing SO fast...
Izz started 2nd grade this week. She was so excited, and now she is back to waking up before me and begging me to get her there early!! Oh, and for the last 2 days a boy from her class has been calling (it was just about playing on a computer site together, but still...) :) She is also ready for soccer to start in a few weeks!!

Here she is on her first day. It is so hard to believe that my baby will be 8 in less than a month!!

p is getting to be such a big boy!! He is now potty trained!! YEAH!! Well, he still has an accident every once in awhile, but I will take those!! He LOVES being a big brother and momma's helper!! He is also getting to be quite the storyteller and has a vivid imagination!!

Meanwhile, S has changed SO much these last 2 weeks! He is now sitting by himself (in fact, he is trying to sit himself up now too), he can roll and scoot anywhere (quite quickly)& yesterday he was up on his hands and knees rocking- so I guess we will be totally mobile soon, he can hold his sippy cup/bottle by himself now (which frees up my hands some!), and is eating almost every kind of baby food now!! Oh, and has his first tooth too!

I know you all are busy, but if you have time- I would love to see or hear what you have been up to too!

Middle School Retreat

2007-08-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

K was the morning speaker at the middle school retreat this summer at Bonclarken. He did such a good job!!
I am posting these pictures of the week though because of their humor value...
Near the end of the week, K and Sam challenged 2 of our friends (the MCs for the week) to a dance off. The middle schoolers LOVED it! And yes, I have the video to prove that Kyle did dance.

This last picture came right after we got home. Another friend told P, at the retreat, that he would look "stylish" with his hair spiked. I didn't realize he understood Patti until we got home. He said that he "fixed" his hair like Ms. Patti said. When I questioned how...he preceded to take me in the bathroom and show me the Lysol!! Evidently it makes great hair gel! ha!

Going, going...soon to be gone

2007-08-07T09:42:00.001-05:00

It is so hard to believe that summer is almost over. By this time next week, Izz will know who her teacher is and will be starting school in less than a week! WOW! I have a second grader!!
Izz and I were talking yesterday at Carowinds about what a fun (and busy) summer we have had. I thought it would be good (esp since I went so long without posting anything), if for the next few posts, to put up some of the shots from this summer.
So- here starts my trip down memory lane from the last 3-4 months...
(These are not in order of how/when they happened...just random events and snapshots)

The Wises are some of our dearest friends! And even though we live many hours away now, I like knowing that we get to see them at least once a year! This past May (while our husbands were at a Minister's Conference) we met a the zoo and then went to lunch.

Izz and F were such good buddies when they were younger, it is funny to see P & K.R. now!

Colorado

2007-08-03T14:25:00.000-05:00

My sister and I (and S) just got back from CO- visiting our brother and his family, which we haven't seen in alittle over a year! We had such a GREAT time (thank you Bry and E for your WONDERFUL hospitality)!! It was good to be able to catch up, laugh, see the sights- I just wish we had longer! Here are a few of the pictures, and hopefully we can get some more up later...

This is a picture at The Garden of the gods. It is incredible to see these "sheets" of rocks rising out of the ground!!

Here we are at Salida (that is the Arkansas river behind them). E- too bad I didn't get the famous "S" behind you! :)

Birthdays and Rainy Days

2007-06-30T15:54:00.000-05:00

We had a party for P last night, and yes it did rain. This was his first birthday party with friends- so he was SO excited! It was a firetruck party and 2 of our good friends are volunteers so they brought the truck for the kids to play on and with. Besides the thought of having 20 kids in my house, I really didn't want it to rain because the truck might not get to come. I shouldn't have worried because (as usual) I was taken care of and it all worked out fine! It didn't start storming (and I mean stormimg-lighting and thunder along with a little rain) until almost everyone arrived and was in the house, and then stopped when the truck got here!! In fact, the lawn got wetter with the deck gun than the rain!! :) AND- the rain started back as everyone was getting in the cars! How cool is that! But the most important thing was that P had a BALL!
Here are a few shots from last night...

After the party, Tom drove P around the block

Here he is with his COOL cake that everyone raved over! We ate the cupcakes at the party, and then we took the cake over to the fire department and he shared it with C shift!

Getting this many kids kids to be still for a picture was funny! Here are the older ones that weren't scared of the truck! ha!

If you have access to a fire truck, I highly recomend this for a kids party! It was cheap, and the kids had a good time!

And the race is on...

2007-06-08T12:50:00.001-05:00

I know, if you have been looking at my blog, that I haven't posted in awhile. Basic explanation- May/June is upon us! :) We are now back in town (at least we all are for the weekend) and are trying to catch up on things at the house. I will post pictures and recaps from the last 2 weeks soon- so be checking back- before we hit the road again for the next set of adventures!
Love yall!

Playing around

2007-05-23T14:20:00.000-05:00

While I was in the other room I heard this cutest giggle. When I looked in on S, he was on his play mat looking into the mirror- laughing and talking to himself. I tried to get it on video, but he stopped when he saw me- of course. But I did get this of him, please ignore my voice.

Pictures of our day

2007-05-23T11:09:00.001-05:00

They had such a good time playing with friends and the games. And after all those tickets won, Izz is sporting one of the "fabulous" prizes they won!

More pictures of our day

2007-05-23T11:03:00.000-05:00

This is how S spent alot of his time at "the rat" (as K calls it).

Today's Excursion

2007-05-22T16:18:00.000-05:00

My friend and I decided to take on Chuck E Cheese (by ourselves) with 6 kids today- granted 2 where in strollers, but still...

Now as I sit and think back over our day, I am exhausted!! But we did have fun. Here are a few shots from our afternoon...

Well i wanted to add pictures (and I will) but blogger is having a VERY difficult day... :(

more to come...

Happy Birthday Soph!

2007-05-21T05:53:00.000-05:00

Hope you have a great birthday!

We love you and are looking forward to seeing you this weekend!

My Budding Artist

2007-05-20T19:23:00.000-05:00

It is always a good idea when you don't hear from your 2 year old to go check on him...
He found his bath crayons and decided to help me decorate my toliet.
Don't you love it???
And yes, finding the humor first, Kyle took pictures of the crime scene and then talked to him about what we draw on and what we don't.
I think this one might end up in the MOMA one day!!

The Voice

2007-05-17T09:14:00.000-05:00

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself" Mark 12:30 &31

I have heard that little "voice", the nagging feeling, that we know as the Holy Spirit quite a bit lately- Whether it be my husband's link article, the speaker we had at the ladies lunch, my SIL's blog, and circle bible study. It seems I keep hearing the same 2 things-I need to be spending more time in the word, being intentional about it (learning, soaking, being renewed) and looking out for others (not caught up in what is going on around me, my struggles and problems). Every time I hear this voice I know I need to put forth the effort, but then the world comes rushing in. And even though most of the time it is good things that I am getting accomplished, God is pushed to the backburner. So I need all of you to "come along beside me" and to gently remind me and pray for me. Thank you!!
And to all of you who are reading this- What is God telling you? What is the "voice" asking of you?

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T16:51:00.000-05:00

I am so blessed! Besides having a great husband and 3 wonderful children, I was able to spend today with most of our families at one time! They were all great to either switch their work schedule around, put off vacation 1 day, and travel on Mother's Day to be with us and help us celebrate our son's special day! Thank you for that!! It meant alot to K and I for you all to be here. Besides the baptism, Izz and P also sang together in the service! It was SO sweet and I was so proud of them! Maybe I can figure a way to put a recording here so others can hear it too (hint, hint Erika- please let me know how you put it on your blog!). :)
I took many pictures of our little buddy, but I love this one!
I hope you all had a great Mother's day and was able to spend some time this weekend with family too!

Special times

2007-05-09T19:27:00.000-05:00

We are celebrating S's baptism this Sunday! I am so looking forward to this! Not only because of the importance of it, but also because we get to spend time with most of our family!
Even though it might get alittle crazy here with over 20 people expected to be either milling around the house (or at the church if it rains), I wouldn't trade it for the world. Thank you guys for coming to share it with us!
And to our friends (and CO crew) that can't make it, we will post pictures hopefully soon afterwards. We love yall!

BTW- here is a another pic of our "big boy" or as P calls him "my little buddy". (And then I asked P if he was my big buddy-his comment, "yes, I'm your HUUUGE buddy") :) Gotta love it!

Please ignore the cookie crumbs by his head. I didn't realize that P had them and was dropping more than he was eating, but the pics were good so I kept them.

Craziness!!

2007-05-09T19:10:00.000-05:00

I feel like one of those plate spinners...and they are about to crash!!
Between dealing with my on-line class-(but I turned in my final project tonight, so I will soon be recertified for 5 years!) and
room mother stuff (but we are in our last 7 days, so end of the year party will be next week!) and
church stuff (this will never really end but it always seems to come in spurts-meaning the meetings and activites. I am not talking about bible studies and worship- that is what sometimes sustains but it takes time to prepare!!) and
bill paying (and sometimes wondering where it will all come from) and
cleaning my house (but I am hoping that my family will be understanding with this one this weekend) :) and...

But sometimes it is good/helpful when I feel overwhelmed to sit down like this (jumbled as my thoughts are) and realize that all these things are good- worth my time. Realizing that, just like finishing my class last hour, when I take them one thing at a time, I can get them checked off and accomplished because they involve the most important things in my life- my faith, church, my family and friends, and my love of teaching.

My life is about to change...

2007-04-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

Remember when I told everyone what a GREAT baby I have; well, I STILL have a great baby, but now I have mobile baby! Gone are the days when I can lay him down and know he will stay put! Yes, my son is offically in motion!! Last night he rolled over for the first time, and all day he has been either rolling or pushing himself around with his legs to reach at something! Life with 2 boys moving (I am sure) in 2 different directions will be fun, fun! But never dull!

Our Newest Family Members

2007-04-12T11:42:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to introduce the newest members of our family!!
This is Xander who is close in age to P.

This is Beckett and Izz. Beckett turned 1 on Groundhog day.

It is so hard to believe that they have only been here for about a month because they fit right in!! They are the sweetest boys and have smiles that just melt you!! These pictures were taken the night we first met them. They both took right to Izz, and she thought that was wonderful! It took X alittle while to warm up to P, but you would never know that now.

I am including the link to Shea's blog so that everyone can see more pictures (I love the new ones Shea!) and also can read about their trip last month!

http://tapsalteerie.blog-city.com/

Easter

2007-04-08T22:30:00.000-05:00

We have been busy to say the least (but that is old news because it seems like that is my mantra lately). It is amazing that even though S is a wonderful baby, how much more time is eaten up during the day and how much more is added to my plate! Since I haven't posted in a while, I decided to start with today and will try to add a few more pictures from the past month later...
K's family came today for Easter. We had a great time visiting and eating! And the kids loved playing with their cousins (they even went to the fire department to play on the trucks)! I am including 2 pictures-one of the family and one of the kids (yes, we are missing S in the shot, but I could not get a good one of all 6- either because he was fussy or the others were in the shadows). I will post a close up of him soon, he is changing SO fast! Hope all had a wonderful Easter season!

This is for Uncle Charlie!

2007-02-23T21:18:00.000-05:00

I found this jersey today at the Goodwill Store in town (now why someone would give away such a cute shirt is beyond me), :) but I was happy to come across it and P was so excited that he wanted to put it right on!
I just hope it still fits next fall for the games! But we wanted to show it off for everyone one, esp. Uncle C. Hopefully he can get this number in his size and they can wear them together! How cute would that be!

Random Thoughts

2007-02-11T14:16:00.000-05:00

I have even more respect for single moms (and for my sister in law away from family) after this past week! K came down with the crud Sunday and tried to rest/knock it out on Monday and Tuesday. Well, after going back to work Wednesday it really jumped on him! He has been in the bed with fever, chills, aches, and bad congestion! Yuck!! So all this to say that I have been a single mom and nurse, and that is not too much fun (not to mention that I haven't been great in doing those first two things in my current "condition"- but hopefully this 3rd round of meds will knock mine out! I need a flowchart just to keep up with who gets what medicine and when!!) :)
I have also included some pictures I took today of my sweet boy- who slept last night from 11-5:30! Yeah!! Sleep is a good thing!

Date Night

2007-02-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

Last Friday night we had "date night". As part of Izz's Christmas, K got tickets for the two of them to the Columbia ballet. They were doing a production of "Where the Wild Things Are". They both said the costumes were incredible.
But it was a special time for all of us because while those 2 got to get dressed up and then spend time together at dinner and the ballet, the boys and I spent some time together here and at the house with our good friends from church (they have a girl 4 months older than P who is his one of his favorite people). We had a fun, quiet night with friends, but I wonder what P will want to do as he gets older for our outings...monster truck rallies come to mind... Can't you see me there? :)

Snow Day!

2007-02-04T15:42:00.000-05:00

We FINALLY had our first snow here (that stuck to the ground and stayed) in almost 3 years! I like living in this area because we will get a small amount of snow and then it is gone (sorry B&E, I know you are getting tired of it). But I love watching it fall and then getting out and playing in it with the kids (this was P's first snow and we had to drag him in!)
My poor boy- we were not ready to dress him for snow, as you can see! His coat was alittle too small, his boots will probably fit him again next year, and he had to wear one of sister's hats- but he did not care AT ALL!

I like this last picture because of what P was doing. The snow had piled at the bottom of the slide and he would come down and be halfway covered in snow - giggling the whole time! :)

Updates and pictures

2007-01-28T15:29:00.000-05:00

Izz is playing basketball for the first time with a church here in town, and she is really liking it! She is learning how to rebound and scored in her first game!

Doodle bug is 1 month today!!

Here is a picture of k and P at 2! :) Mamama found the outfit and brought it to me this weekend. P says that he now wants cowboy boots like his daddy!

I will try to get pictures soon of Izz and P at this age so you can see/tell me who you think he looks like.

What so many of you have been waiting for...

2007-01-11T14:14:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am alittle sleep deprived, but overall doing and recovering well! But instead of me, I know this little guy is who most of you are interested in (but spend any time with him and no one could blame you... he is a precious sweet boy!!) Here are a few pictures of our new doodle bug! A big Thank You to the Mitchells for this beautiful blanket!
Here is P and "his baby".

I don't know what I would do without my BIG helper- Izz!

Oh, SO much to catch up on...

2006-12-31T20:22:00.000-05:00

I could make lots of excuses about why I haven't updated in a month and a half (and some of them very legit and understandable), but those of you who know us know what has been going on! ENOUGH SAID!!

I will start with Christmas... I LOVE Christmas! The traditions, the meaning, the family time, the memories and laughter made, the excitement and joy watching it through the kids eyes...
but needless to say, it had to be alittle different this year (and I was not totally sure how that was going to affect it). K decided that we would also start a new family tradition by having the 25 days of Christmas, on which we would do something "Christmasy" on each day- starting on Dec. 1st when we put up and decorated our tree! Well, the 25 days weren't out of control crazy and it made sure that we got in everything that we wanted to do as a family spreading out the fun - baking cookies, going to the nursing home, Christmas parties and dinners, going on the Santa train, and all the decorating, etc. We also wrote down a few things we might add next year!

Next came families and our Christmas'... Since traveling was out of the question, we asked those who could to come here and share it with us. K's family had to work Christmas weekend, but they made a special effort to come the Friday before. Instead of the usual steak, potatoes, and salad; we had a steak salad (which was great). We also (well, I say we, but it was mostly my brother-in law J who was up doing most of the work) put together a new bed for the boys in their room (S will of course have to grow into it, but izz is loving it too!!)! This is the kind of bed that I have always wanted to have for my boys, and thanks to their grandmother they can! It is bunk beds with a dresser in it, but it also has little hide-a-ways and cubbies- COOL!! P kept taking people upstairs to "his bed"- "Wook, Wook at MY bed!" :) Unfourtunately they couldn't stay long, but at least it was for alittle while!
Then my parents came Christmas Eve night, and my aunt Christmas day. With the rest of the family spread from Georgia to the Springs in the Blizzard, Christmas day was a little different - filled mostly with relaxing and eating thru the day. K even got to cook his Christmas goose for everyone! My main excitement/gift was the fact that doodle bug didn't come till after the holidays!! :)

NOW... the news that I know you all have been waiting to read about (and I made you read all about my Christmas things first...hehehe). The day after Christmas the kids went home with my parents to give K and myself alittle time and rest to get a few things done! THANK YOU!! Then Thursday morning I woke up at 4:30 in the morning (can you blame me for not being able to sleep?) to finish getting ready and making sure I had everything. By the time we got to the hospital, finished LOTS of paperwork, started my IV, and the doctor got there to get things going it was after 9. I was alittle disappointed to hear that NOTHING was really going on (or had been to get me dialated at all), so I didn't know how long this one would take since the last time it took 8 hours!! K got me up and we started walking the short hallway, back and forth over and over, for almost an hour! Did you remember that I said I had only had 3-4 hours sleep?!? But then the doctor came back and I had progressed more than she thought I would!! Who knew K was right? :) She broke my water (it was now 11) and things really started! The family started coming in and the time really seemed to fly by! By 3:30ish I knew that it was time, and everyone started getting ready. Oh, the doctor also looked at K and wanted to know if he wanted to help deliver- how cool is that! So he got ready too with his scrubs! Then, what seemed in a way like longer than 20 minutes, but at the same time felt like it flew by with all the excitement- our newest member was here!! Weighing in at only 8-1, but looking like quite the chunk, was 'pencer. Everyone's immediate reaction was how much he looked like so many people!! I could see both my other children in him!! He is such a good baby too! Amazing how it already seems like he has always been part of the family- I hope the the transition keeps being just as easy!

Hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve and a Happy 2007! If you would like to see pictures (and we have lots) just let us know and we can forward them on! Love to you all!

Boy How Time Flies!!

2006-11-13T15:40:00.000-05:00

I have always heard that the older you get, the faster time seems to fly... and boy have I felt it lately!! Can you believe that in 6 weeks from today it will be CHRISTMAS and then the New Year (not to forget that we will have a baby between the two! WOW!) It seems like just yesterday we were telling people that number 3 was on his way, and in 45 days or less he will be here!! YIKES!
Don't get me wrong, I am very excited & can't wait to see and hold him, but there is so much I would like to get done before he gets here, etc. I also THOUGHT of including a belly shot in this post, but just couldn't convince myself to do it! I am alittle freaky about that, and really can't find one that looks halfway decent. But I will keep taking them (esp for the CO crew who keep asking), and maybe I will come up with a good one so you can see what we look like now (with 6 weeks to go!!! ) :)
Love to you all!

My little animals...

2006-11-05T16:47:00.000-05:00

Our Fall Festival at church had a Noah's Ark theme, so Izz wanted to be animals. She also told me that for the last 2 years her and P costumes went together(Cinderella and the pumpkin, and Dorothy and the Lion), so this is what she came up with...

My little cuties!!! I am just happy that p sat still enough for me to do that much! :)

Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T12:43:00.000-05:00

Here is the pumpkin that the kids and K carved yesterday! We are also going to the Fall Festival tonight at church, so hopefully I will post some of those pictures soon! Hope you all have a good night, and are able to see today thru the eyes of a child!

Some more pictures at the Corn Maze

2006-10-16T07:13:00.001-05:00

We took a hayride to get to the place, which ended up being more of a fast tractor ride there!

The "cow train" was a 4 wheeler that pulled cow carts behind it! This was by far the kids favorite thing there!

P & his best buddy, Lisey playing on the chickens & in the pumpkin patch while the others went in the maze.

Fall and the Corn Maze!!

2006-10-16T07:13:00.000-05:00

It's fall! I know that I have written it before, but I am going to say it again - I love the fall!
We went on a trip with our college/young people group from church (which I am going to add that we had 35 people go!!! WOW! The group is usually around 20 strong, but one guy has been going around town inviting people to our outings and to church! And then 3 of those 15 came the next day to service! Isn't God great and encouraging!). Sorry for that side note, but that rabbit trail was worth taking and mentioning! We went up above Monroe to a Corn Maze. The maze was ok, the older kids and adults went thru it, but said that you didn't even have to answer the questions correctly to figure out which way to turn because the grass had grown up on the wrong paths. HA! But we had a good time together and the weather was great (cool and crisp)!

WOW, What a weekend!!

2006-09-18T07:38:00.000-05:00

We started the weekend Friday night with a birthday celebration (luau) for Izz with a few of her friends (pictures are below). We had a great time between hula hooping, playing games, and jumping in a blow up thingy (don't you love my technical words). Then on Saturday, we had a soccer game and then headed to Cola for a USC football game (P's first!!). We really didn't know what to expect or how he would act there, but it was wonderful!! In fact, he didn't move or get down for 2 HOURS!! By the time we left, he could get some of the cheers (first down, Game-Cocks, defense) and could spot Cocky almost anywhere ("Oh, My Cocky, my Cocky"). I wish I could have gotten them on video but it didn't work!! Even 3 days later, he is still talking about football!! I love it!!

Birthday Girl-

2006-09-18T07:23:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from the party...

Labor Day Weekend

2006-09-05T09:18:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was great! It seems like we have been running so much lately- between K having meetings, appointments, visiting the sick, and the normal sermon stuff; Izz having school, friends, and soccer; and p and I just doing doing the normal day to day things- life has been alittle chaotic to say the least!But this weekend, we tried not to do much of anything, except spend time with each other and visit family!!It was great and something we really needed!
Here is the fam relaxing and watching tv together friday night after dinner.

And here the kids were watching Saturday morning cartoons. I remember doing this as a young child!

It's Football Season Again!!

2006-09-01T07:43:00.000-05:00

I just love the Fall- the cooler weather, the beautiful leaves, the apples, and of course-football!!

We had our Sunday School Class and their families over to watch the first game last night-18 people all in our downstairs because it was raining. But we had a blast- the kids running in and out to cheer when they heard us, all the food, the fact that we not only won the first game but shut out State, and just spending time with friends! Here is a picture I took right before of the kids (Nana-the pants almost fit!) :)

So far the Gamecocks are off to a good start, 1-0! Let the games begin!! Go Cocks!

Just enjoying being outside...

2006-08-28T18:31:00.000-05:00

After it has been so warm today, it was nice tonight-well, not the wonderful cool fall days that we love, but bearable. While the kids were playing beside me, I was experimenting with my new camara phone. I finally learned how to take the pictures and then send them to my e-mail, which just thrills my soul! Now maybe I won't miss those cute snapshots and memories just because I forgot my camara!! Isn't technology great!

Izz and her teeth

2006-08-24T07:18:00.000-05:00

Let me start off with alittle background...after our last dentist appt, he wanted us to go see an orthodonist for a consult about Izz's crossbite (which I wasn't all that surprised since I got some of my braces early too). So that is where we went yesterday. We learned some interesting things about teeth, the way they grow and their order, and different ways to fix them- specifically they were thinking about putting an appliance in the roof of her mouth to stretch her palate, allowing the top teeth to sit in front of the bottom. After talking to us, taking x-rays and pictures, and then the ortho examining her; he decided not to put anything in her mouth at this time since the crossbite was really just over the 2 teeth on the left side. He will check it in a year because he is hoping that as her mouth grows it will correct itself. Thank goodness!! Not only for the $700 that we will save, but for her having to endure that and braces later on. Now, below is one of the pictures that they took of her teeth. Personally, I think it looks kind of neat because of all we learned, but K and Izz just think it is funny! And everytime P sees it, he says, "Oh, sissy's teeth"! :) Funny!

My new craze!!

2006-08-22T16:56:00.000-05:00

k has always told me that he wants me to pursue hobbies/interests and that he would encourage me in it. Well, I think he is regreting those words. (especially since it is involving money every time) :) I have found E-bay! Now, to stop the sarcastic remarks from the peanut gallery, I always knew it was there. I have even bid on things thru other people, but I now know how easy it is and have found a few really good deals.

While I was searching and looking last week, I made a decision on the boys' room (doesn't that have a neat sound to it). :) Since P absolutely loves anything on wheels, I thought it would be cute to put these all thru the room (and still use the bedding from his stuff with the trains too). Here is a picture of a clock I found for $8 with shipping.

I thought it was just precious! So this is what I have been up to in the past week. No, we are no closer to a name for Buster (I just can't get used to calling him Bubba). But at least I will have cute room to put him in! :)

And the Tie Breaker is...

2006-08-16T20:54:00.000-05:00

Yes, we have all been waiting for the big announcement....
Is it a boy or girl?????
Well...
It's a....

And everyone should have known that it was going to be a boy as soon as Kelly started saying girl! :)
Oh well, can't be right on everything! (ha,ha!)

One tired little boy

2006-08-15T15:43:00.000-05:00

I love this picture! And I have been meaning to get it up for the past 2 days. We went swimming Saturday and this is what happened to Little Buddy afterwards. He was even too tired to move his arm...

Nana's Birthday

2006-08-13T14:15:00.000-05:00

Friday night we traveled to Aunt Lauren's house to celebrate Nana's birthday. We had a great time with family, which always goes by too quickly, and I loved seeing Aunt Lauren's house and all the touches she has put into it! We are so sorry the CO crew couldn't join us, but ya'll were in our thoughts and talk (Big G- I would love for you to see Cocky come out of the 'moke too!!)

First Day of School

2006-08-08T09:37:00.000-05:00

Izz was so excited about today!! Between getting new clothes, (thank you again Mamama!!) making new friends, buying school supplies, and meeting her teacher she was about to burst this morning!! She even woke us up this morning 20 minutes before our alarm went off because she wanted to go ahead and get ready! Hopefully this year will be as good as last if not better! I can't believe how fast my little girl is growing up!!

The Baby Update

2006-08-06T15:06:00.000-05:00

Well, this week the pregnancy will be halfway through!! WOW! It seems to be flying by. It has been a pretty good, uneventful pregnancy so far (which in our case is a good thing). The kids are starting to get excited (well, Izz is. Buddy justs pats my belly and says baby- which is sweet when he does it to me, but is HILLARIOUS when he does it to Kyle). I have never been much of a person to get shots of my belly, but someone was asking that doesn't get to see me much, so here it is... Sorry it is alittle blurry, Izz is learning how to hold my camara. Now everyone has a week and a half to make their predictions before (hopefully) we find out and place it here. I would love to hear what you think!!

Lake Party

2006-07-29T21:16:00.000-05:00

This Saturday our Sunday School class spent the day at Lake Wateree. We had a ball spending time with friends and family and just relaxing! What a fun day!!
This is how Kyle got to relax! Finally getting to enjoy and use his boat, floating around the lake with his feet
hanging out!

Both Izz and little Buddy got to ride the jetski, the speed boat, and drive the pontoon, but I just put a few of the pictures here. But you would have thought that my kids were raised on boats and a lake the way they took to it! Papa, you would be proud!

The Crew

2006-07-26T11:13:00.000-05:00

I can honestly say that life is never dull around my house! Here is a picture of the kids I keep so my family (that hasn't met them) can see what they look like.
Like right now we are listening to Sesame Street Dance songs (ever heard Elmo sing the Macarena?) and they are having a musical parade down the hall for me! Ha! And the funny story for the day...while I was changing the smaller girl's smelly pull-up today, she looked at me and said, "Holy Moly"! That summed it up pretty well! :)

The bike!!!

2006-07-25T20:19:00.000-05:00

Izz got her "big girl bike"! Mamama got her an early birthday present so she could learn to ride during the summer. And as you can see has picked up on it quicker than I remember doing it! This is her favorite thing to do outside now, and has only fallen once since getting it (but boy was it a great show of road rash though!). Watch out Tour de France (and Uncle B) here she comes! :)

The Birthday Boy!

2006-07-03T08:23:00.000-05:00

Little Buddy turned 2! Wow! We got to celebrate both at the beach with family and at at our house with a few friends! We had Bob the Builder everywhere!

A little Perspective can do wonders!

2006-06-30T20:02:00.000-05:00

I have been alittle frustrated with my 2 year old. Nothing bad, just normal(drive mama crazy) 2 year old stuff. My family went out for dinner tonight and as I was sitting there there was a family with a boy in a wheelchair. His mama was so sweet and good to him, talking to him the whole time and he would respond by grunting or hollering (but you could tell he was happy and talking to his mama!!) :) As I was eavesdropping on their moment, Pete leaned over to me, grabbing my arm, said love you momma! WOW, what a much needed smack! Here I have been frustated on what he has been doing instead of thankful that he can do it!! In a nice way God reminded me of my special children and that it is my job to train and guide them with those abilities! So God, thank you for my children - for their curiosity, for their special desire to "fix" things, and for their desire and abilities to want to do it themselves!!

The Beach

2006-06-30T12:33:00.000-05:00

Just a month ago, we found out that we were going back to the beach this year!! YEAH! 12 people (and Maggie) in a 3 bedroom condo sounds bad, right? WRONG! It was so much fun to have the whole family together! I hope to get some pictures up of the kids playing and swimming, but for now- here is one of all the cousins. I just wish I had gotten one of pumkin-head gumming it! HA!

Lauren's Wedding

2006-06-30T12:02:00.000-05:00

Our crazy month of June started with my sister's wedding. It was beautiful with details that matched Lauren and Charlie perfectly! Here we are going into the reception...
(Thanks to Erika and her mom for the picture of Daddy and Lauren!!)

Here We Go...(again)

2006-06-30T11:49:00.000-05:00

As I was reading both some of my family members posts and an online journal yesterday, I became inspired to start this up again; so...

My goal is to include both pictures and a journal to keep friends and family updated. Hey-I can try right?!

Here is a snippet into our life...