This is the Day!

InstaFriday: February 3

2012-02-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's Friday already! Here's a look at our week from my phone.

We went to lunch one day with Mimi at On the Border.

Parker loves his doggie.

A little treat from Chick Fil A. He really still needs to sit in a stroller, he's too busy looking around and has no fear of getting lost!

Baylor has loved playing outside when he finishes his homework this week. The weather has been so nice.

Bax likes to cuddle up under the counter to take a nap.

Swinging pals.

Coop got signed up for spring soccer and he can't wait!

Parker loves hopscotch!

It was crazy hair and sock day at school.

My favorite verse.

They loved riding bikes.

He wanted to drive to Chuckie Cheese.

Baylor was a little rusty on his bike at first. He got the hang of it after a few laps.

Embrace the Camera: February 2

2012-02-02T17:31:00.000-08:00

Today I am embracing the camera with my little boys on this beautiful Groundhog Day. Today Mr. Groundhog says six more weeks of winter,but so far our winter has been very mild. We had gymnastics this morning and then ran to Sams and Walmart to get a few things for the weekend. We ate a quick lunch at home and then got outside to play before nap.

It was bright and sunny and felt more like April than February. This little guy loves to be outside. He loves chalk and always hurries to get the bucket out of the garage.

Cooper loves playing outside too!

He loves for me to draw hopscotch on the driveway. He says together, apart each time he jumps. It is so cute!

Cooper was busy drawing a race track.

A boy and his dog.

Parker had fun playing on the swing set.

They love to swing.

Parker says more and higher Mama.

Mimi stopped by and brought them a pack of candy heart. They stopped for a little candy break.

Cooper had some exploring to do. Baxter decided to follow him.

Baxter was so tired from playing outside for two hours that he went right to his crate and laid down when we came in the house. He's going to be busy this spring and summer outside with the boys.

Paren'ts Breakfast

2012-02-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

Today was the Parent's Breakfast at Baylor's school. He was excited for us to go with him to school. It was Hawaiian day today!

Mrs. Smith and Baylor.

We had a great morning with our little man.

We saw Cody and Katie.

We stopped in the book fair too. Baylor picked two books and a shark poster for his room.

Super pals!

We saw Sydney and Whitney, today is Sydney's birthday!

Breakfast was tasty:).

Baylor and Mr. Kern.

Project 365: January

2012-01-31T15:42:00.000-08:00

I tried to do Project 365 last year where you document your year with one picture a day, but this year I am using an app on my phone and it is so easy! So far so good.

Goodbye January!

We are getting closer to spring.

Hat and Tie Day

2012-01-30T13:51:00.000-08:00

On Monday Baylor had hat and tie day at school. It is book fair week and they have special dress up days each day this week. I thought he looked so handsome before school.

His teacher had asked me to come in and do reading groups for her while she worked on math assessments. I spent all morning in his class and had a great time. I did all three reading groups and then helped with a pull out rit group and a small math group. It was fun to be back in the classroom for a morning. I had time to run to Subway to get lunch for him and Maddy.

It was fun to eat with them at school.

Baylor with Lily and Maddy.

After I left Baylor's school I headed to First Friends to pick up Baxter. He spent the weekend there while we were gone and the boys could not wait for him to get home. He had a bath and was groomed before I picked him up and he looked so cute. He was definitely happy to be home.

My Favorite Place

2012-01-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning we slept in, which was so nice! Then we headed for a drive. It was sunny and so nice to be driving with the windows down.

We drove to St. Armands to shop and walk around and it was packed. They were having a huge art fair there, I have never seen it so crowded. I loved seeing all the flowers.

We had fun together and enjoyed the day.

Love!

Then we drove to Siesta Key for a late lunch and ate at the Siesta Key Oyster Bar.

Tony loves to eat there and really wanted the fish tacos. It was a fun place to eat.

Then we went to my favorite place! The beach!!! I love my toes in the sand.

Just as wonderful as ever.

The water was cold but I tried it out.

It was a little windy but we still went for a walk.

We all love the beach.

Tony and Tanya.

My heart belongs at the beach:).

Pals.

I took this for Baylor because he wanted to see the pool. The water was super warm.

Then we hurried back to get ready for the Zac Brown Band. We had tickets to the VIP lounge and had great box seats for the show. We were right behind the pit area.

The concert was so good!

I love all of the songs and had so much fun singing and dancing along.

This was Tom's birthday present and he had a great time!

Such a fun night!

Tampa

2012-01-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

On Friday morning Pop picked me up at 5:00 am to head to the airport. I was excited to be heading to Tampa. Tom ended up traveling for work on Wednesday and Thursday and had to meet me in Tampa. Tony and Tanya were on my flight so I rode with them from the airport and then spent the day with them. We ate an early lunch at Brio and sat outside. It was so nice to be outside. I love seeing the green. We spent the day at the International Mall shopping.

While we were shopping we learned that Tom's flight was delayed so we had an afternoon appetizer break. Mine was so tasty.

Tom finally made it! We picked him up at the airport and then got ready for dinner.

We went to dinner at OysterCatchers right on the water. It was a great meal!

We were excited for the weekend.

InstaFriday January 27

2012-01-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

I am linking up for InstaFriday this week.

Here are some of my cell phone pics from the last two weeks.

I made margarita lime chicken for dinner one night and Coop was my little helper.

Yes, I may be a future Olympic figure skater.

Oh Harry is so handsome and such an amazing singer. I love listening to him.

While I was gone the boys took turns spending the night with Mimi and then Daddy let them sleep with him in our bed.

Chocolate goodness.

My cheesecake from Junior's. It was delicious.

Baylor helped Daddy make grilled cheese when I was gone. Daddy took all three boys and Baxter to get Valentine pictures taken, what a great sport.

I brought home the boys a fingerprint art kit from New York and they have loved it.

Coop at the doctor.

Baylor celebrated 100 days of school.

Last week Mimi brought the boys an Angry Bird cake. They were so excited.

Coop loves painting.

Bax likes to take a nap on the register.

Mimi and I went to the Home Show, I loved seeing flowers and outdoor goodness.

Box tops, enough said.

Big boy!

King of the Jungle.

Parker loves the gym.

My favorite lunch.

The little boys loved bowling in the entryway.

Embrace the Camera: January 26

2012-01-26T17:11:00.000-08:00

This week I am embracing the camera with Jamie and Andrea!

We had an amazing girl's weekend in NYC.

These are our phone pictures of our fun time together.

I am blessed to have these girls in my life!

They are so much fun and we have the best time together.

It was a great weekend!

Goodbye New York, maybe we can do it again!

Silly

2012-01-25T17:07:00.000-08:00

I never posted these pictures from tennis last week and thought they were too cute not to share. This is the group before tennis. Baylor is wearing his red New Pal shirt and Maddy has on her pink track suit.

This is how Baylor came home.

Flash dancer!

They thought it would be fun to switch clothes. How funny are they?

They have so much fun together and enjoy being with each other.

He's our silly boy!

Gym Day with Ethan

2012-01-24T17:27:00.000-08:00

This morning we had Mops and then we met Jen and Ethan at the gym for play time.

We had some make up classes so Miss Emma offered to let us come and have open gym today.

She let Ethan come too and the boys had a great time!

They were able to wear off lots of energy and try new things.

They all had so much fun.

Parker loves gymnastics and can't wait to get out of the car when we get there.

The hula hoops were a hit.

Parker loves the slide.

We were there for a little over an hour and the boys loved it.

They were not ready to leave when our time was up.

I think they could play there all day!

Cooper tried the big beam with Miss Emma's help.

Parker tried to big beam too.

They loved the bean bags.

Ethan and Parker had fun trying to pop the bean bags on the trampoline.

Monkey in action.

Parker likes rolling in the tunnel.

Miss Emma let them swing on the rings.

So brave!

He loved trying new things in the gym.

After playing we headed to Wendy's for lunch with Ethan, Gabrielle, and Jen. Cooper got to hold Gabrielle and he was so happy. He loves babies. He kept saying how cute she was on the way home.

Cooper's Special Day

2012-01-23T16:42:00.000-08:00

Cooper had a weight and height check at the doctor today. I picked him up from school and we went to lunch together at McAllister's Deli. He enjoyed the one on one time and so did I.

We had some time before his appointment so we went to Chuckie Cheese to play games. He had the best time.

There was no one there so we had so many choices.

He loved the snow mobile ride. It was blowing his hair.

He won lots of tickets!

It's nice to be able to put all of my focus on him and enjoy watching him have fun.

He has such a fun personality and says the funniest things.

We finished off our coins and then he picked some great prizes.

I love you Cooper!

Then it was off to the doctor. He weighed 40 pounds today and was 38 3/4 inches. He did gain weight and a little height so Dr. Greenfield was happy. We are going to try a new reflux medicine and hopefully he will continue to grow!

Goodbye New York!

2012-01-22T16:51:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we had an early afternoon flight so we were able to walk to breakfast and spend a little more time in the city before leaving.

We asked a man at our hotel if he had any good breakfast recommendations and he sent us down restaurant row to the Galaxy Diner.

It was fun to walk there and go down restaurant row, so many choices!

The menu was huge for breakfast and it all looked so good.

Look at the slab of cream cheese that came with your bagel, delicious!

We enjoyed our last morning together. It was so much fun to be able to enjoy our meals and talk and just have fun and relax! As mothers to 8 children combined we rarely get to enjoy this many meals in a row.

We wanted to walk to Times Square to get a few more pictures before we left. The first person we asked obviously was a little camera challenged!

NYC what a fun place to visit!

We did get a few good ones though.

And saw ourselves on the big screen.

This weekend was so much fun! I am so thankful to Tom for planning it and giving us so much time together. I never imagined that Tom would plan such a great trip.

These two sweet girls mean the world to me and I am so thankful for them! I don't know what I would do without them. They are like sisters to me!

Goodbye Sunshine State, For Now:)

2012-01-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

On Sunday morning we woke up early to spend some time outside before our flight left. We walked around checking out boats and enjoying seeing the water.

Over the weekend Tampa had a big pirate event and this ship sailed into the city.

We ate brunch at Jackson's and sat outside and looked at the water. The brunch was tasty and I loved the chocolate fountain.

We had a great weekend with Tony and Tanya.

A cruise ship pulled in to port, any vacancies?

Tampa is a great city to visit and has such a great outside space to walk and explore.

A little time to soak up the sun and wear sandals before heading home.

Goodbye Florida, until next time!!!

Snowy Day in NYC

2012-01-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

On Friday night we went to bed with the news that New York was expecting a snow storm with up to 6 inches of snow in the morning. However they ended up getting less than expected and we were bundled up to walk in the snowy conditions. We needed to get our energy for the day so we walked to Roxy's Deli for a tasty breakfast. The food was good and the portions were huge. It's a fun restaurant.

The desserts looked so good!

Then we bundled up and were ready for a fun day!

The snow was cleared as soon as it fell.

We did some shopping and had fun looking around the city.

There were lots of Giants signs since New York was in the play offs.

Then it was time for Mary Poppins!

The show was fantastic, so much fun! Mary flies through the audience and Bert dances on the ceiling, it's amazing! The children in the cast were wonderful!

Practically Perfect!

After the show we were hungry so we stopped and got a pretzel from a street vendor.

We were headed to the big Macy's store so we needed some energy.

On our walk we spotted a cupcake shop that sold mini cupcakes so we all stopped and had one. They were so good! Then we shopped. We had so much fun exploring the giant Macy's and we all found some good deals and cute items.

We had a later dinner that night at Ruby Foo's. It was so good!

The restaurant was such a fun place!

We shared a few entrees and it was all so good!

Then we headed to the Giant M&M store to get some treats for our kids. The store smelled wonderful and was so fun. Floors and floors of chocolate goodness, yes please!

We dropped our bags off at the hotel and headed across the street to Junior's Cheesecake for dessert. We had ordered it before and new it was delicious.

We were so glad we went. Jamie had red velvet, Andrea had carrot cheesecake, and I had strawberry cheesecake. It was all so good!

It was another fabulous day!

NYC

2012-01-20T18:19:00.001-08:00

For Christmas Tom planned a girl's weekend to NYC for me and my two best friends. I was so excited and could not wait for the weekend to get started. Tom thought of everything and was so sweet coordinating the whole trip! Our plane left at 7:00 am so I was up bright and early at 4:00 am.

We all rode together to the airport and were there with plenty of time. We all wore our matching NYC shirts and were ready to hit the big city. Our flight was direct and we got there early. Our bags were waiting for us and we were able to get a cab right away. We stayed right in Times Square at the Marriott Marquis. Our room looked right out into Times Square and we were able to see the big ball from New Year's Eve. Our room was ready and we were checked in and headed out for a fun filled day by 10:00 am.

This was the view from the plane. We were able to see the Statue of Liberty and other landmarks.

The view from our room. It was so neat to look out at the city.

Since we were all up early we were starving so we ate breakfast/lunch at Ellen's StarDust Diner. It is such a neat place and the wait staff are all aspiring Broadway singers who entertain you while you eat. It was a great way to start the weekend.

Then we were off to explore the city. It was sunny which helped it not feel as cold.

We loved walking around the city.

So fun and exciting!

We all wanted to ice skate in Rockefeller Plaza so that was our next stop. We were all a little nervous about our skating abilities since it had been awhile but no one fell and we all had a great time! We loved being there and it was definitely a highlight of our weekend.

After all the skating we worked up an appetite, a theme for our weekend, so we stopped in a candy shop that was adorable. We all had a chocolate caramel but decided that was enough since the candy was $88 a pound!

Then it was off to FAO, who says you have to grow up. We had so much fun. We loved looking at all the candy and all said how much our kids would love it there. We had fun dancing on the big piano and checking out the legos.

Then we walked to Central Park. There were lots of carriages lined up but we thought that would be more enjoyable on a warmer day. I had to get some almonds, yum!

We definitely were not pros at getting a cab. Here Jamie is standing in front of two sitting cabs and they were too busy talking to even acknowledge us, some drivers would find out where you wanted to go and then turn you down. We need practice hailing cabs. We took a cab back to Times Square and walked around before heading to our hotel to get ready for the night.

Devour New York was going on while we were there so we made reservations at one of Bobby Flay's restaurants, Mesa Grill. We had a three course meal and it was all so good. We had the best seat in the restaurant on the second floor where you could see the whole entire place. It was such a fun night and after dinner we were pros at getting a cab!

Next we headed to the St. James Theatre to see Harry Connick Jr. in On A Clear Day You Can See Forever. Oh Harry, we love you! It was a run show and Harry was fabulous!

Our final stop for the night was to Serendipity. We had planned to just get one frozen hot chocolate to share since we had seen it on T.V. before but we each had to order something so we had a caramel sundae, chicken nachos and the frozen hot chocolate at midnight. It was a weekend of eating! We had such a great first day and were busy all day long!

Embrace the Camera: Jan. 19

2012-01-19T10:47:00.001-08:00

Today was our first day back to gymnastics since Christmas break. The boys were excited to see Miss Emma and get back to work in the gym. They love it there and do a great job. It's fun and tiring to watch them!

I am linking up for Embrace the Camera!

Two Little Indians

2012-01-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

Today we took our Two Little Indians to the Eiteljorg Museum.
I know I always say it but we love it there!

We were the only people there and had the whole area to ourselves!

The little boys have so much fun there.

It's a great place to go and play on a cold day.

Mimi went with us and fun was had by all.

We also ate lunch there which may be my favorite part, the food is delicious!

Coop and Mimi spent time reading in the library.

Parker and I spent time playing music.

We all spent time on the stage coach. We were busy traveling to Texas, the North Pole, Santa Fe, and Florida. Cooper had us on big trips.

It was a great day!

The other best part of playing hard during the day is the great naps that happen when you all get home!

Little Helper

2012-01-17T18:15:00.001-08:00

Baylor is such a great little helper. I can't believe how much he has grown up over the past year. He loves to help and wants to please. Lately he is up early and we tell him he can't get out of his room until his Lego Star Wars clock says 7:00. I always lay his clothes out the night before so when he comes out of his room at 7:00 he is dressed and ready for the day. He combs his hair and brushes his teeth on his own. Lately he makes his own breakfast, gets Tom coffee and a tea for me, and makes his brothers breakfast. He had their drinks and plates out and ready on the bar for when they wake up. He has even been taking the dog out on his own in the morning and getting him his breakfast. He is always so proud and waits for us to make over him.

We are pretty lucky to have such an eager help.

Tonight I made a new recipe, chicken stroganoff, that turned out great. Baylor made us brownies for dessert when he got home from school. They were tasty!

The Adventures of TinTin

2012-01-16T14:10:00.001-08:00

The big boys were out of school today, hurray for a three day weekend!

We planned a special day!
The big boys had a date with Mimi and Mommy.

We went to lunch at Johnny Rockets. It was tasty!

Then it was off to the movie.

Today we saw The Adventures of Tin Tin. It was a really good movie and the boys really enjoyed it.

We made a stop in the Lego store before heading home.

Such a happy place for two little Lego fanatics!

Strike!

2012-01-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning we all went to first service and Mommy had to stay for second service too.

Daddy brought the boys home and got them ready to leave.
We went to lunch at Dragon Palace, yum, and then went bowling.

The boys were excited to go real bowling.

There was hardly anyone there which was great for us. Parker really did pretty good but we had to stay right by him or he would go pick up bowling balls.

I had my best game ever. I bowled three strikes in a row on the first three frames, Baylor was proud of me.

Anything is fun when we do it together.

Parker would roll his ball. He would say heavy each time but he wanted to carry it to the line by himself.

Go Daddy!

Look at that form.

Super Pals!

Heavy!

Cooper was proud of himself when he got any pins.

Baylor got a strike and a spare.

He said it was the best!

And I won, I think it's a first!

Puppies, Bball, Smoothies

2012-01-14T18:00:00.001-08:00

Saturday morning we had our first puppy class where we took Baxter and we all went. He was nervous in the car so he sat up front with me.
We were ready with our treats.

The boys were excited and the class is packed. There are lots of puppies.

Yes, we have to wear these treat "fanny" packs so that we can easily access a treat during training. I am definitely a beginner when it comes to dog training!

We learned lots of information this week and Baxter did great.

After class we went to the vet to get his next round of shots. He was one tired puppy!

Then it was off to week two of basketball. This is the only picture I got with my phone. We didn't win this week, but he had fun. Baylor got the Christlike start for helping his teammates and the other team when they would fall down. I was proud.

Since it was freezing we decided to stay home on Saturday night.

We ordered carryout from Italian Gardens and then Tom made us all smoothies with his new Ninja.

He got a Ninja for Christmas and we were excited to test it out. It works great!

The boys had fun!

I had a strawberry smoothie that was so tasty. I like to steal Tom's hat for puppy duty. It's nice and warm.

Parker had a banana orange smoothie, he was quite happy.

We did watch football while we made our smoothies!

Coop had an orange smoothie.

Baylor had strawberry too and he thought it was delicious!

InstaFriday: January 13

2012-01-13T13:45:00.001-08:00

I'm actually posting InstaFriday on Friday, hurray! The beginning of the week was beautiful and now it is super cold and snowy. It makes me want to hibernate!

1. We started puppy class, let's hope we have a star pupil.

2. Tennis lessons have started.

3. Upward season began and we are cheering on our favorite player, Go Baylor!

4. Parker loves to ride the horse at the grocery.

1. I made homemade vegetable soup this week and it was so delicious. My first attempt was a success. I don't know how I ever cut onions without goggles.

2. Cooper was my helper.

3. We played outside as much as we could.

4. Baxter loves the Kong treat frozen with peanut butter. He gets so excited.

1. Baylor is my assistant chef.

2. He made cornbread muffins to go with our dinner one day after school.

3. Parker started preschool, such a big boy brushing his teeth.

4. Baylor is busy taking AR quizzes and passing levels.

1. Daddy worked late this week for his sales convention, the boys were so happy when he was home! They wanted him to pass a level on the DS.

2. I love to snuggle with Cooper!

3. He wanted to do his homework, he was busy coloring.

4. I made pot roast this week, it was yummy!

1. Cup stacking before school.

2. A cold walk to the house from the bus.

Embrace the Camera: January 12

2012-01-12T17:01:00.001-08:00

Baylor has been really into cooking lately and wants to make us all treats everyday. He makes Tom coffee and me a tea every morning. Today when he got home from school and we finished homework we made cupcakes together. The little boys were still asleep so he got to do it all by himself.
He did a great job!

After they cooled it was time to ice them. He wanted to surprise Daddy when he got home.

Cooper was up from his nap, notice his bed head, so he helped ice them too.

They wanted to eat them right away but I made them wait until after dinner. We had pot roast which was perfect for a cold and snowy day.

After dinner the boys played checkers with Daddy.

I am linking up for Embrace the Camera.

Parker's First Day of Preschool

2012-01-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

Today was Parker's first day of preschool.
I didn't originally plan to send him this year to the Toddler class but he has been begging to go to school like his brothers. Whenever we drop them off he says, "me go school". Mrs. Steele talked me in to sending him to the Toddler class on Wednesdays.

He picked out his backpack. He's been so excited to use it.
He loves Buzz!

He wore it all morning.

He was so excited and had a great day. When I picked him up he told me ate a cupcake and painted a polar bear. He did good at music time and had fun with the kids.

January so Far has Been Lovely...

2012-01-10T13:20:00.001-08:00

This morning was our first Mops meeting for second semester and then the Little boys and I went to Target before coming home to play outside.
It was a great day to clean out the car. My little helper helped me sweep in the back.

The temperature today was 50 and it was sunny and so nice to be outside.

We have been loving January weather so far, oh I wish it would stay this way! It makes me wish spring would come quickly. The weather forecast for the next few days calls for colder temps so we wanted to enjoy the weather today.

Coop and Park love the swing set.

Parker loves to slide!

Coop had a peanut butter snack outside.

Puppy love!

He wanted to catch Coop when he came down the slide, it didn't work out too well.

It wasn't for lack of trying.

Love winter hats!

My shadow with Bax. I love being out in the sunshine.

Parker thought it was funny to throw his hat off the fort and then have me get it for him. We did this several times.

I love that playing outside always ends in great naps!

When Baylor got off the bus we worked on homework right away and then he worked on making us a special dessert for dinner.

Dinner at Miss Sarah's House

2012-01-09T16:10:00.001-08:00

Miss Sarah has recently moved to a new house and she invited our family to dinner at her house with her family. She has lots of brothers that my boys love! We are so blessed to have Miss Sarah in our lives! Baylor helped Miss Sarah make some of the pizzas, he had a blast.
Josh, Sarah's youngest brother, came with her one night over Christmas break to our house and the boys have not stopped talking about him since. They were so excited to see Josh.

Sarah's niece and nephew, Ian and Emma. They are so sweet and their Mom is so much fun.

They made a veggie pizza, chicken pesto, pepperoni, and more. They were all so good.

Parker loved doing the puzzles while he ate.

We went to the basement to play a few games too.

Ping Pong was a big hit.

Daddy played ping pong with Josh and got smoked.

Coop played air hockey with Miss Sarah.

Parker was busy playing with Emma.

Baylor loves Miss Sarah.

My boys with Sarah's three youngest brothers. They are all such sweet boys!

Baylor's First Basketball Game

2012-01-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

Today was Baylor's first Upward Basketball game of the season. This year his team is the Spartans and he is #2.
He had fun and played great defense. They keep score this year in his age group and his team won.

It was a great first game.

I love that they pray before the game and have a devotional at halftime.

After the game we stopped and picked up lunch and then came home to enjoy the beautiful day.

It was sunny and in the mid 50's. We are loving the weather so far this winter, can we continue to be so lucky?

After the game everyone was ready to work on their basketball skills.

Baxter enjoyed his time outside too. We are also working on electric fence training so I think he was ready to go in before the boys.

I love watching the boys with their Daddy.

Baylor was working on his shot.

Coop just has fun being outside.

They had a great day and were ready for a nap by the time we went in the house.

After basketball season, it's time for baseball and we can't wait!

Date Night with our Big Boys

2012-01-08T17:58:00.001-08:00

On Saturday night Tom and I had a date night with Baylor and Cooper.
We went to the Mozzi's Pizza Buffet for dinner. The boys enjoyed dinner and it was fun to spend time talking to them.

After dinner we went to go see We Bought a Zoo. It was such a sweet sweet movie! I cried during several parts. It is based on a true story and is so good!

The boys had a great time at the movie and loved getting a slushie too. It's fun to spend time with the boys and do special things together.

InstaFriday: Jan. 6

2012-01-06T17:17:00.003-08:00

Baylor and Maddy are taking tennis lessons this winter and Sunday was their first class. They have so much fun together.

Parker loves to wear Mimi's glasses. Since Cafe 52 closed we are on the hunt for a new place to eat each week. We ate at Carol's Corner Cafe on Sunday.

Parker found the movie candy!

A little DS action helps an hour basketball game fly by.

Baxter and Mommy waited for Baylor to get off the bus on Friday. He was so happy to see his puppy. We played outside while the littles napped and we got all the lights off the bushes for Daddy.

Batboy!

Parker had fun playing with the gloves at the doctor while we waited.

Baxter had a good week.

I've been craving garlic salad. We had it for dinner one night and then I had the leftover for lunch! YUMMY!

Parker's Two Year Well Child Visit

2012-01-06T17:17:00.001-08:00

Today was Parker's two year well visit. I still can't believe he's two.
He did a great job showing off at his appointment and was a trooper for his shots and blood draw to check for lead and iron. He also had to have his ear flushed and he kept saying all done, but let her finish it completely.

He is our tall boy and is 36 3/4 inches tall and is in the 97% in height.

He weighs 30.2 pounds and is in the 75% in weight.

His head is 48 1/2 cm and is in the 25%.

Dr. Greenfield said he looks great and we don't have to come back until he is three if he's not sick!

Thankful for a great check up!

Embrace the Camera: Jan 6

2012-01-05T10:45:00.001-08:00

Today I am linking up for Embrace the Camera.

I got Baylor the complete set of Magic Tree House books for Christmas. We are reading them in order and he loves them, I love them too. This was always one of my very favorite series as a teacher. I love the adventures that Jack and Annie take you on in each book. We are already on book#4 Pirates Past Noon. He's also excited because they are also all books he can take AR quizzes on at school and they are worth 1 point!

I love spending time reading with my boys.

NYC

2012-01-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Tom planned a girl's trip to NYC for me and my two best friends. They knew about it and kept it a secret. I was so shocked on Christmas morning. We are going in late January for a weekend. Last night we went out to dinner with our husbands to plan our trip. We ate dinner at The Three Wisemen. I loved the food.
Andrea got us these cute shirts to wear in New York. We are planning lots of shopping. We also want to go ice skating in Rockefellar Center and visit the World Trade Center.

Tom got us tickets to go see Mary Poppins. I am so excited!

We are staying right in Times Square.

Look out New York, here we come!

Snoopy

2012-01-03T18:49:00.001-08:00

On New Year's Eve we all went around the table and said our New Year's resolutions for the year. Baylor said he wanted to pass Snoopy 220. On his first day back at school he passed!
He ran off the bus to tell me and show me his new ribbon.

I told him since he completed his goal so quickly he needed to find a new one, he said he was done for the year. I thought it was so funny, it's three days in and he's done. He later said his next goal was to pass State's Club, so we'll get started.

Way to Go Baylor!!!

Chuckie Cheese with Gigi

2012-01-03T11:56:00.001-08:00

Andrea is off work this week so we met her and Miss Gigi for lunch and then to play at the new Chuckie Cheese.
These two cuties have so much fun together. They both have big personalities. We ate lunch at McAllisters. They mostly talked and only did a little eating.

Parker wanted to sit by Miss Andrea.

Then it was off to the new Chuckie Cheese that just opened the day after Christmas. It is so nice and has so many new games.

They had a great time!

Lots of smiles all around.

The Bob the Builder ride was Parker's favorite

Coop loved that there was basketball his size.

Parker loved riding with Chuckie Cheese.

Riding partners.

Parker loved the helicopter ride.

So much fun.

We loved spending the day with our friends!

Last day

2012-01-02T18:00:00.001-08:00

Today is Baylor's last day of Christmas break. I'm sad and so is he. As a kid I was always sad when any break was over and hated to see my time end. I think he's the same way. I love having him home and have enjoyed our lazy non rushed mornings. I love just being together. We went to Circle Centre mall today with Mimi and he had a root beer float with his lunch to celebrate a great break.
We saw Sweetie at the mall, the boys were happy to see her.

We enjoyed our last day!

A Look Back at 2011

2012-01-01T15:22:00.001-08:00

A Look Back at 2011. It was a great year for our family and it flew by so quickly!!!

January

Parker became a walker, we started a big remodel project, and spent time playing at home.
February
We celebrated Valentine's Day, Baylor passed KinderCore Words and we went with Daddy on a business trip to Orlando.

March

We went to Florida for Spring Break and drove to Florida for the first time.

April

We celebrated Easter, started to play outside, and moved back into our downstairs!

May

Baylor played baseball, Cooper graduated from preschool, and Baylor finished kindergarten.

June

We made lots of great memories at the beach!

July

We spent lots of time boating, had a lemonade stand, and a bike parade.

August

Baylor started first grade, we soaked up the sun on the boat, and played outside.

September

We went to Dale Hollow Lake for Labor Day, Baylor played fall baseball, and Cooper started preschool.

October

Baylor turned 7, Cooper turned 4, we had an ocean birthday party, visited Disney, and celebrated Halloween.

November

We had the Harvest for the Hungry dinner, celebrated Thanksgiving, and got ready for a busy holiday season.

December

We definitely made the most of the holiday season and were busy all month long! I think we only had two free nights all month. I loved making great memories with my family.

What a great year 2011 was, we were so blessed!

I'm sure 2012 will be great too!

I've decided against resolutions this year and decided this at the very end of the month. I am thinking my word for the year is going to be FAITH.

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T12:13:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!
This was our second year to spend New Year's Eve at the Indiana State Museum. It's such a fun event and perfect for our kids. We ate dinner with Mimi and Pop at TGI Friday's before and then walked to the museum. When we arrived we all got party hats and blowers. We were ready to countdown to the new year.

The blowers were a big hit!

Love the little tilt on his hat.

I love spending New Year's Eve with my family. We had such a great year and I'm sure 2012 will bring a whole new set of adventures for our family.

We had fun with Mimi and Pop.

There is so much to do at the party. All of the exhibits are open and they have crafts, face painting, games and much more.

It's a fun night!

Coop had fun with Pop.

We went on one last train ride. Parker was sad that Santa wasn't there, he kept saying "No Ho Ho"?

They have loved the train.

Then it's time for the big balloon drop at 8:00. It's a perfect time and makes it feel like you rung in the new year, but it's early!

There is a live band so there is lots of dancing and singing.

All of the balloons!

Happy New Year!!!

We all got a balloon.

Welcome 2012!

InstaFriday on last day of 2011

2011-12-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

Baylor was my big helper when it was time to take down Christmas decorations. He was wearing a tree skirt.
Parker has been busy feeding his babies.

Coop is determined to train Bax to jump in the tunnels. He had better luck with Parker listening.

Baylor had a play date at Grant's house and Andrea texted me this picture. They have fun together.

Buddies.

Daddy playing with Bax.

His favorite napping spot.

Baylor has been helping take Baxter out.

Coop wanted to try out the cage and wanted us to call him Scout.

Baylor loves his puppy.

Baylor got me these feet jammies for Christmas. They are Baylor University and they are toasty. He couldn't wait for me to try them on, such a good look!

Coop asleep on Christmas Eve.

He loves the baby Jesus ornament. I love hearing him say Jesus Joy.

Baylor at church on Christmas Eve.

They love playing trains.

Chipwrecked

2011-12-30T18:09:00.003-08:00

Today we met our friends at the movie to see Chipwrecked. The boys were excited to see this movie. We missed Drew, he was sick and couldn't go.
Cooper and Grant.

Baylor and Maddy.

Jack was happy when the movie was over. He thought parts were scary and it didn't hold his attention. He is so funny.

They all have fun together.

After the movie we went to Taco Bell for lunch. They were quite busy at lunch and were so funny to listen too.

I took this picture to document them sitting nicely together for a long stretch of time playing new DS games. They were helping each other and were being nice!

Baxter's First Weeks of Life

2011-12-30T18:09:00.001-08:00

Baxter was born on October 27. There were five pups in his litter. He is an Australian Labradoodle. He is on the right hand side, boy 3. We had talked to the breeder on the phone the night before he was born and she didn't think she would have puppies in time for Christmas. The next day I happened to look at her website again and saw there was a birth in progress. She ended up calling us that day to let us know she had a baby boy in her litter that was the color we wanted. We were excited and knew it was meant to be.
We adopted him from Noble Vestal in Noblesville and she did weekly photo shoots and an update each Sunday night. It was exciting to see his pictures, but so hard to keep the secret.
1 week old.

2 weeks old.

3 weeks old.

4 weeks old.

5 weeks old.

6 weeks old.

7 weeks old.

Baxter's dad is named Sir.

His mom is Rose.

All of the puppies went home for Christmas. They were all so cute.

It's fun to have these early pictures of Baxter!

Today at Home

2011-12-29T18:42:00.001-08:00

On Thursday we stayed home and worked on taking down Christmas decorations down. The boys were all big helpers. Baylor is a great worker and loves it when I give him jobs. I think he swept the floor ten times.
He's also on potty patrol.

This is his guilty face about picking up the dog.

Baxter loves his bed.

Baylor loves to cuddle with him.

I made pulled pork for dinner and then we played some new games after dinner.

The boys loved playing Piranha Panic.

It's a fun game.

We also played Crocodile Chomp.

You have to be fast. We got lots of new games which are great for the winter. It's always fun to play new games.

Happy Birthday Daddy

2011-12-27T14:13:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Daddy wanted to celebrate his birthday at home and his dinner choice was Hooters. Pop brought home carry out on his way home from work and it was so delicious!

Mimi snuggled with Baxter after dinner.

Daddy opened his presents and got his first dog card as a dog owner. He got some new Colts gear and gift cards.

Baylor really wanted Uncle Joe's help on his Mario game. He wanted to Joe help him pass a hard level. They were all cozy in the chair together.

Pop and Parker played together.

He modeled Daddy's new Colts hat and said "Go Colts".

Happy Birthday to you!

Here's to a great year for you! We love you Daddy!

Park loves his Rock n Roll Elmo. It's so cute to hear him sing "La La La La Elmo's World".

Baxter's First Vet Visit

2011-12-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday afternoon Daddy came home and we took Baxter to his first vet appointment. He was going to have a puppy check. We knew that we would be going to Dr. Canada as soon as we decided to get a dog.
Since Baxter hasn't had all of his vaccinations yet we had to hold him the whole time at the vet. He was nervous and was happy for us to hold him. I was actually pretty nervous too! I am not a big dog fan, size wise, and was a little scared of some of the dogs in the waiting room. It made me realize that I am not going to be taking him to the vet alone.

Baylor was excited that he got to go too. He was so funny in the waiting room when one of the dogs had an accident and the man just picked it up with his hands. We were all laughing, it was so gross!!!

Dr. Canada is so sweet and I have known him for years. Baxter weighed 8.5 pounds and has to go back in four weeks for the rest of his shots. He had a great check up and Dr. Canada thought he looked like a great puppy.

Bax was worn out and slept on Baylor's lap on the ride home.

On our way home we stopped at Mama and Papa's house to show them the dog. They thought he was pretty cute.

When we got home Daddy gave Baxter his first bath. He looked so tiny all wet.

He wasn't a huge fan but did great.

The Day After Christmas

2011-12-26T20:37:00.005-08:00

We were so happy that Daddy had the day after Christmas off from work. It gave us all day to stay at home and play with all of our new toys. Daddy made us a big breakfast and then Mimi and Pop came over to visit with us before they went shopping.
Baylor spent the day playing, he loves his new DS game.

The weather was nice outside so we spent time playing outside with new toys and our puppy. Yes we wore our jammies outside, it was that kind of day.

Baxter wasn't too sure of being outside so he sat in between my feet. I'm not sure he was a fan of the remote control cars either.

Park got some slide time.

The Mario and Yoshi remote control cars were fun on the driveway. Baylor loved his Air Hog plane from Uncle Joe.

So nice to be outside.

Daddy had fun too.

We all took long naps.

B tried his plane outside while we got dinner ready too. We had Mimi and Pop over for Mexican night. We had a great day.

Christmas Night

2011-12-26T20:37:00.001-08:00

When we left Mama and Papa's house Mammaw and Pappaw came over to meet Baxter and see the boys. They were leaving for Alabama in the morning again and we will not see them for three months.
The boys tried on their new vet costumes and checked out their cuddly dogs.

This vet probably is not board approved!

A handsome vet!

He was having fun.

Pappaw helped Parker open some of his toys.

Mammaw and Pappaw brought the boys a few treats too. We were happy to see them before they left.

Christmas at Mama and Papa's house

2011-12-26T19:00:00.001-08:00

After we left Mimi's house we all went to Mama and Papa's house for a late Christmas lunch and presents.
I had what the boys call "nice" clothes for them to wear but after getting the new Colts clothes at Mimi's house they begged to change. I was an easy sell.

David's family from Colorado came home this year so we had lots of little kids. Mia is almost two. Sarah and Drake. Drake likes to watch all of the big kids.

Our Christmas lunch is always my favorite, beef tenderloin and lots of delicious sides. Baylor loved it too! He always wants to sit by Sarah.

Coop and Eva.

I sat with the kids but wanted to take a picture of the group that was adults only.

Parker loves Mama's piano.

Andy and Drake.

While the adults passed out presents the kids played.

Coop had a hard time waiting for his turn to open presents, he just wanted to open them all.

It must be a boy thing because these two had their boxes unwrapped all the way before they even had one turn.

Baylor got more Legos and a Star Wars Guess Who game that he loved.

Sarah is so funny.

The boys made ornaments for everyone.

Aunt Von and Uncle Jeff.

Dave, Shanna, Eva, and Mia opening presents.

Mom helped Mama open her gifts.

Cooper bought presents for everyone in his Santa shop at preschool and he was so proud. He couldn't wait for Mama and Papa to open their gifts. He also got one for Sarah because he loves her so much, his words :).

Mama and Joe.

Sarah helped Baylor with his new Legos. He was hot and ended up wearing his white tshirt, it's a good look.

Daddy got to meet and hold Gabrielle for the first time. Parker loved seeing the baby.

Adorable!!!

Jen and Chris came later and we were so happy to see them. Ethan was busy opening his presents.

The three boy cousins with Papa.

Parker took a nap at Mama's and missed presents so he did them later. He was still tired, can you tell?

We all helped clean up and Parker helped Papa empty the dishwasher.

Newborn love.

We read that if you put your hand on your hip in a picture it makes you look 15 pounds lighter, we said instead we felt like cheerleaders again.

Christmas at Mimi's House

2011-12-25T20:38:00.003-08:00

After opening presents at our house we headed to Mimi and Pop's house for more Christmas fun!
Parker found his own broom and dustpan right away and was so excited. He was so happy!

We took Baxter with us and Mimi wanted to hold him. He slept on the couch between Mimi and Pop.

Parker also got a blue stroller, he was excited.

Star Wars volcano set looked so cool and he wanted to open it right away.

Coop got new spiderman jammies and wanted to put them on right away.

Pop and Baxter.

I helped Parker open his presents.

I got new clothes, a purse, a coat, and some cute things for the house.

We love having Uncle Joe at home.

Mimi had appetizers for us to eat since we were eating a late lunch at Mama and Papa's house. It was all tasty.

Baylor loved all of his gifts. He was so excited.

Coop the trash man.

Clean up in the hall.

He added Mickey and Minnie to his stroller.

He was worn out from his big morning.

Uncle Joe with his stocking items.

Tom got a Ninja food processor, clothes, and a 2 night stay at Great Wolf Lodge.

Rock n Roll Elmo, yeah!!!

We got Mimi a Kindle Fire. She was excited and happy Joe is still home to set it all up.

Baylor loves Uncle Joe.

Dinosaur Legos.

Cooper loved his Spiderman remote control car.

Uncle Joe got a new coat.

Mimi may end up liking dogs after all.

Baxter took another nap in his bed.

We had a great time at Mimi's house and we were all super spoiled! Thanks Mimi and Pop!

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T20:38:00.001-08:00

Christmas Morning there was so much excitement in the air!

I set my alarm for 6:45 and Baylor was us by 7:00. Daddy got up early to make sure the puppy was all ready and things were quiet when the boys came downstairs. We had Christmas music playing loudly so the boys couldn't hear the barks coming from the laundry room.
The boys were so excited when they came downstairs and saw that Santa had come!

Coop was so excited to see the Mario Remote Control car he asked Santa for and that he had Reese Cups in his stocking. Look at that smile!

The boys got a Labradoodle stuffed animal with a leash and collar and a vet kit crate. We told them that Santa must have know we couldn't get a dog yet. Baylor was happy with his cuddly, but just wait.

A pop gun like Bubby's.

Parker kept saying "Open Open" over and over.

Daddy gave him a driving lesson.

A leapster of his own.

Bubby went Christmas shopping with Mimi and got his brothers a Build a Bear, they were so excited and Baylor was so sweet. He couldn't wait for us to open our gifts from him.

He got Daddy a new pancake spatula.

Parker was happy with his new Mickey toys.

Some new Beyblades.

Baylor wanted me to have my own feet jammies because I am always cold. With Daddy's help he bought me Baylor University feet pajamas. They are nice a toasty, look for a picture of me modeling them later. He wanted me to wear them Christmas night at home.

He loved his present pile!

A shark air swimmer. Baylor's number one item on his last was a dog, but his realistic choices were an air swimmer, legos, and a DS game.

ELMO!

After opening Daddy told the boys we had one more surprise. They were excited but had no idea what was to come.

Tom carried in a big wrapped box and told them to tear off the top.

A Puppy!

Their reaction was so sweet. Baylor kept saying "Are you serious" and "Do we get to keep it or are we just borrowing it". Cooper said, "We've always wanted a real dog". They were so sweet.

Meeting Baxter Scout Hurst.

They were in shock.

He was saying " I can't believe I have a dog"!

He's so soft!

He fell asleep right on my lap.

In love already.

After a fun Christmas morning we all packed up and went to Mimi's house with Baxter for Christmas with Mimi, Pop, and Uncle Joe.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T20:17:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas

from our family
to you!

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Luke 2:14

Wishing you a wonderful holiday filled with peace, love and joy!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T18:04:00.001-08:00

On Christmas Eve we had breakfast at home and finished a few last minute things. We got all ready for the big day tomorrow. We went to church at 3:00 and had a wonderful service. Uncle Joe sang O Holy Night and it was great. I always love to hear that song on Christmas Eve.
After church we went to Mimi's house for dinner and Christmas Eve fun.

When we got to Mimi's house we found that Santa had dropped off one delivery for all of the kids, oh the excitement!

Baylor helped Pop make Christmas punch.

Mimi always makes everything special and the food was all great.

Our family on Christmas Eve. Baylor had us each open one present in the morning and he got Daddy this new tie. He couldn't wait for Tom to wear it so Daddy made sure to wear it to church.

Parker loves Mimi's Santa village.

He was looking for Santa with Pop.

Mama and Cooper.

Poor Cooper was tired by this point because we missed nap to go to church. He was worn out.

Park and Uncle Joe.

Drake enjoyed playing with Baylor. Baylor wanted to sit right by him.

A present from Santa.

Coop got a Tonka truck and he was so excited.

Drake got a shape sorter tool set and he was cute playing with it.

Papa and Baylor.

Sisters.

Mama looked so pretty.

Baylor and Mama.

Before we left they had to leave Santa some goodies at Mimi's house too.

They left a reindeer salad, chocolate chip cookies, milk and Diet Pepsi.

Then it was time to head home and get to bed. We saw on the Santa Tracker that he was leaving Spain, and before long he would be coming our way.

We sprinkled the reindeer food on the lawn.

They had fun doing this!

We left Santa cookies, two oranges, an apple, celery, milk, and Diet Pepsi. Who knew Santa loves DP.

Then it was off to bed...

The little boys fell asleep quickly, but

it took Baylor over 2 hours to finally fall asleep. He was too excited to go to sleep. He finally was out a little after 11:00 pm. It made for a long night, but we were so excited too!!!!

Baxter got to our house around 11:00 and we couldn't wait to spill our secret to the boys.

HolidayPalooza

2011-12-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

We continued our holiday fun today. We picked Mimi up early and headed to the State Museum to get there when it opened. We went to see Santa right away and there was a very short line.

When we walked in Santa said I know you boys. He went over their lists again and confirmed to Baylor that he can't put a puppy on his sleigh because they jump out and can get hurt. Baylor said he wanted Legos and a new DS game if the puppy doesn't work out:).

Santa talked to them for a long time and said he would see them on Christmas Eve while they were asleep. He is so sweet!
Next we went for one last train ride before Christmas. We also did a little coloring.

There may have been a little arguing over who was going to sit where and by who, but it all worked out. Brothers can be hard to handle at time, even when it's so close to Christmas.

We saw the windows and Nutcrackers and they all took one more ride in the sleigh.

Mimi had not been to see Jingle Rails this year so we walked over to the Eiteljorg after leaving the State Museum. We all loved looking at the train exhibit once again.

The train really is amazing. Parker kept saying All Aboard and Choo Choo. We ate lunch there and then played for a little bit down in the basement. It was crowded which is different than usual. We came home and all took a nap or a rest.

Tonight Baylor and I went to Yuletide for the last show with Mimi and Pop. It was great! There was so much energy and excitement tonight.

Christmas is in the Air, it is here! I can't wait for Christmas morning, it's going to be so much fun.

I have loved this holiday season and have enjoyed all of the activities with my boys and seeing Christmas through their eyes.

InstaFriday: December 23

2011-12-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

I'm linking up for InstaFriday on Christmas Eve Eve. It's been a busy and fun week!

1. I love this dip! It is great with peppers, a perfect snack.

2. Loved going to Christmas Carol with my family, what a great show!

3. Parker loves his train.

4. Cooper went with me to Sam's Club to get last minute items and it was packed. He was a good helper which was a bonus!

5. Loved reading by the tree with my Parker on his last night as a one year old.

6. I started and finished this book in one night. I loved it! I highly recommend it and am going to start a Christmas Jar.

7. He loves Hot Cocoa and then sings the Hot Hot Hot song from Polar Express.

8. Cuddling, I love Parker's jammies with them unzipped.

9. Happy Birthday Parker, you are now 2!!! He opened a Sesame Street basket we won him at the food pantry auction before breakfast and he wanted all of his friends to eat with him.

10. He had a great time at Chuckie Cheese.

11. He loves the rides and games.

12. He was worn out and fell asleep on the way home with his new Cabbage Patch. He was so excited.

13. He loves his new toys. It's toy overload with your birthday so close to Christmas, I'm sorry buddy.

14. Yuletide two nights in a row, FABULOUS!

15. He loves legos and was building at nap.

16. Daddy set up Parker's new train and now he has a big Geo Trax train set. He loves it!

When I lay down with Parker at night we sing. He has a list of songs he requests but this was the night before his birthday so we sang Happy Birthday over and over. We would switch between singing to Jesus and Parker. He was pretty cute singing and saying Happy Birthday.

P.S. Don't mind my singing:).

Yuletide Tradition

2011-12-22T12:34:00.001-08:00

Tonight is a great holiday tradition in our family.

Every year my Grandparents take our whole family to eat and then to see Yuletide Celebration. We have been for over 25 years together as a family and it is always one of my favorite holiday traditions.

We ate dinner at Buca before the show and had a great meal. I love going there with a big group because you can try so many different appetizers and entrees. It was all delicious!

It's always a fun night with family.

The rule is you get to go when you are 5 and in kindergarten. This was Baylor's second year to go with the whole family.

Tom and I enjoyed the night with our big boy. It's fun to give him our undivided attention.

He had a great time!

Baylor sat in between us and it was fun to watch him enjoy the show.

We got to see Willow the reindeer before the show.

We waited after the show to see Joe. We were all proud of him and enjoyed seeing him in the show.

It was a fun night with those I love!:)

Happy Birthday Parker!

2011-12-22T12:33:00.001-08:00

Parker you are 2!!!!
Today is your day, it's all about you!

This morning we all sang Happy Birthday to you and let you open a Sesame Street basket before breakfast. You ate with your new friends.

Then it was off to Chuckie Cheese for lunch.

There is one benefit to a late December birthday, Chuckie Cheese was not crowded at all!

We went with Mimi and Daddy and Pop met us for lunch.

We all love you!

You were singing here so your mouth is open in all of your pictures.

You were a present opening pro. You kept saying Elmo as you opened each present. Then you would want us to open the box right away. After you finished one you would say more right away. You have it down.

You got your own bouncy horse.

An Elmo guitar.

Happy Happy!

Chuckie came to wish you a happy birthday and you wanted to make sure he saw your guitar and microphone.

You were all smiles when we sang to you.

Make a wish!

I can't believe my baby is 2.

The cake was tasty.

We had time for more games and rides before we left. It was a great day celebrating you!

Parker at age 2 you are a ball of energy. You are busy busy and are always on the go. You love to go out and about and enjoy shopping, museums, and being around people. When we are at the grocery you talk to other people and I love when you say "great day" to people when I say Have a good day. You are very social and love to talk. You really only know one volume, LOUD. You sing, talk, play loudly most of the time. I love to hear you sing Jesus Joy, Jesus Loves Me, and Happy Birthday. You love to read books an like to sit on my lap. You are busy but love to be held and are still my cuddle bug. You still sleep with us, but we are going to work on that in the new year. You love to snuggle and be close. I love snuggling with you, I know the time is short! You are a big Mommy's boy and love to give hugs and kisses. It's cute to hear you say hug and kiss. You love Mickey, Dora, Elmo, Pooh and Curious George. You love to cook, play trains, cars, play with balls and build with blocks. You love baby dolls and stuffed animals and like to rock them and say shhh which is funny because you are loud. You are a great eater and like to eat all of the time. You are always in the pantry and can open the step stool and help yourself to about anything. You love milk and chocolate milk and say "chalk" for chocolate milk. You love apples, grapes, bananas, spaghetti, turkey, and chicken. You also love cookies, candy, and gum which you call "munk". You wake up asking for "Booper" and "Bubby". They are your best friends. You also love playing with Ethan, Eli, and Jack. You ask for them often. You love to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and can do the Hot Dog Dance. You love phones and know how to work my Iphone. When a phone rings you say Hello over and over again. You are talking up a storm and add new words daily. Your favorite word is "applesauce" and you say it lots. You are starting to string words together like "up the stairs", "me go", "me do it" , and more. You are very serious when you are telling me things and want to make sure we understand. You often repeat your self over and over for emphasis. You have started throwing fits when you don't get your way but we are working on that and we are also working on saying sorry. That's tough for you. You love to dance to music and have a cute little bounce. You hate to have a wet or dirty diaper and tell me when you need changed. I think you may be potty trained earlier than your brothers even ,but we shall see. Parker you bring us so much joy and we are so thankful for you. You were a surprise and what a great blessing you are! The Lord truly triple blessed our family by giving us three boys to love. We love you!!!
Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

Baylor's Busy Day

2011-12-21T18:07:00.002-08:00

Baylor had a jam packed day on Wednesday. He had stayed up late the night before and spent the night with Mimi. They got up early on Wednesday morning and drove to Conner Prairie to see the Gingerbread Houses. He had not been yet this year and really wanted to go. Mimi called me on the way there and said she forgot the camera and Baylor told her just use your phone, but her phone does not take pictures. He was so funny about it. He loved the houses and his favorite was the amusement park. They also played in the discovery area and did a few Christmas crafts. They ate lunch on the way back home and then Mimi dropped him off at his friend's house for a birthday party. He had a great time at Lily's house and was sweating when Mimi picked him up. She brought him back home for a rest before he went to the food pantry.

He loves to help at the food pantry with Mimi but school nights are hard but tonight worked out perfect. He was in charge of the Christmas hams and carried the heavy boxes so they could pass them out. He also passed out candy canes and candy to every person that came. They had 61 families and did not get home until almost 10:00.
He helped Miss Brenda and Sharmin.

Praying before they start for the clients that come to the food pantry. I think it is so good for him to go and work at the food pantry. He always likes to talk about what happened there afterwards and when he went to bed he wanted to pray for the people that went to the food pantry too.

Cooper's Preschool Christmas Party

2011-12-21T18:07:00.001-08:00

Baylor got out of school last week but Cooper had to go until today. Today was his Christmas party at school. I was in charge of the party and he was excited for all of the things we had planned. This kids made a wooden manger scene ornament and colored it with markers and then used glitter glue. They also made a foam tree and added stickers and more glitter glue.
They worked hard on their ornaments.

He loves school this year and always talks about his friends.

We played three different games and the kids rotated in groups. I wasn't sure about the nutcracker relay game with this group but Cooper wanted to use the real nutcracker.

I helped with this game and once again it was a favorite. They loved cracking the walnut.

They also played nutcracker ring toss and then had to throw Christmas beanie babies into the dancing elf hats. They all had fun.

For snack they had juice, tree ice cream, cookies, and orange slices. They were all happy with snack.

I thought this bulletin board was super cute.

Cooper and Mrs. Steele.

Cooper and Mrs. Moody.

The kids all got a little nutcracker and a nutcracker activity book. They all had fun at their Christmas party and did great!

Christmas with Shadday's

2011-12-20T19:26:00.001-08:00

Tonight we had Christmas with the Shadday side of the family at Mimi and Pop's house. After the museum today Baylor went home with Mimi and helped her get ready for the party. He also helped her bake the angel food cake and get the other desserts ready. He thought it was pretty special.
He was busy building too and couldn't wait to show Mommy and Daddy his tower.

We had Kopper Kettle for dinner which is one of Cooper's favorites and he ate great.

The man table.

After dinner we had presents and then played games.

Baylor made Grandpa an ornament and Cooper bought him a pair of thermal socks from Santa's secret shop.

The boys got some new Legos. They were so happy!

My cousin Leah and her boyfriend Andrew. We missed my cousin Anna, her husband Brandon and baby girl Ella. They moved to SC where he is an ER intern in the spring and were not home this year.

Nate is a Lego pro and he helped Baylor with his set. He got a dinosaur set that is really neat.

Matt helped Parker with his construction Duplo legos but he would knock them over as soon as he got it all built. That's how he likes to play.

The little boys went home with Daddy around 9:00 for bed. They were both really tired.

Baylor got to spend the night with Mimi and Pop and he was excited. We always end the night with a carol sing. It always makes me think of my Grandma and we always sing some of her favorite songs.

Joe got home at the end of the party and sang The Christmas Song for us. My Uncle Dave always plays the guitar when we sing. We always end the night with O Holy Night in German.

Jolly Days

2011-12-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

Baylor is out of school so we wanted to go to Jolly Days on our first free day. He was so excited to ride the slide. We got there right when it opened and it was already busy! We went on the slide four times in a row and Mimi would wait in line while the boys looked in exhibits and then we could get in line right before it was our turn. They all love the slide. It's fun to race!
We did a little ice fishing.

Caught some big ones!

Parker loved playing in the ice castle again.

Santa's reindeer needed some attention.

Baylor really wanted to wait in line to see Santa so I waited with him. The line was long but he didn't care. I'll wait as long as he wants too!

Parke and Baylor with Santa.

Cooper didn't want to see Santa which was probably a good thing because he may have been moved to the naughty list. It was not his best day ever, he was really whiny and crabby. I think all of the activities are catching up with him.

Santa was so sweet.

And of course he told Santa he wanted Elmo.

We ran into Uncle Mike and Ethan and Dave, Shanna, Eva, and Mia at the museum. Dave and his family are in town visiting from California for two weeks and it was great to see them.

Eva is five and is so cute.

Parker was so excited to see Ethan. They crawled under the ice castle together to check it all out. Parker kept trying to get Rudolph out of the case.

There was lots of holiday baking to do. This is always a favorite.

Dave and Mia.

Ethan and Parker worked together to fill the pans with food.

Parker had to walk very carefully so he didn't spill his brownies.

We ate lunch and then ended our day at the dinosaur exhibit. We had to get home to get ready for Christmas with the Shadday family.

Christmas Carol

2011-12-19T11:19:00.001-08:00

Tonight we had a special family night. Uncle Joe had a night off and we all had fun together. We went to dinner at P.F. Chang's downtown and then went to the IRT to see A Christmas Carol.
Joe and Kaitlyn.

I got to sit by Pop.

Mimi bought Coop a ticket this year because Baylor went for the first time when he was 4. I wasn't sure how he would do. We took an early and long nap but I was still fearful. He was a little wild at dinner with his chopsticks and so my hopes were not hight that he would actually make it through the entire show.

Baylor had a great dinner and loved the lettuce wraps. I think he ate four and two dumplings before his meal came. It was a delicious dinner!

We walked to the theatre and had some time to look around before the show started.

Such a fun night.

We took several pictures and this was the best by far.

Baylor was excited for the show to start.

Mimi got the boys a Happy Scrooge Nutcracker that they got to open before the show started.

Coop sat on Mimi's lap for almost the whole show and he did FANTASTIC! I was really nervous but he was engaged and enjoyed the whole show. He got a little antsy during the last ten minutes of the 90 minute show so he stood in the back with Daddy. He really had fun and wants to go again. In just a few years Parker will join us too.

After the show the boys got an ornament and they went on stage to fill it with snow from the play. They had a little snow fight too!

Crafts and Cookies

2011-12-19T11:15:00.001-08:00

Happy Christmas Week!
I can't believe Christmas is only 6 days away. Since Baylor is out of school all week I wanted to try to do as many fun Christmas activities as we could and make this week fun and special. This morning I invited my bible study group and their kids over to do crafts and make cookies.

We started the morning with breakfast. Cooper was so excited when he came downstairs this morning and saw the juice boxes and chocolate milk set up on the counter. He was saying PARTY and dancing.

Tom went to the Sweet Shoppe in Greenfield for me this morning and I made two breakfast casseroles. We also had fruit and a few other sweet treats.

The kids were all excited and had so much fun together.

There were 6 moms today and 16 kids ranging in age from 1 to 6th grade. We will be adding some new babies to our group over the upcoming year and I am so excited! We missed some of the girls in our group who had to work today or had other plans.

We only have two girls in the group but there are lots of handsome boys!

I mean is he cute or what!

They all really enjoy playing together.

We gave the kids a few minutes to play while we cleaned up breakfast and got ready for crafts. I had a reindeer bar set up and I called a few kids over at a time. The ingredients for the reindeer food consisted of...

Cocoa, Santa's favorite drink.

Fluffer Puffs, to fluff the reindeer coats.

Fortifier, to give energy.

Flying Powder, to help reach the desired altitude.

Gold Glitter, to make their coats sparkle and shine.

Frost bites, a sweet treat that gives energy.

The real ingredients were quik, marshmallows, oats, flour, glitter, and sugar.

I had little jars that the kids could fill and then sprinkle outside on Christmas Eve for Santa's reindeer.

This was by far his favorite part!

The loved using the little measuring spoons.

While I helped with reindeer food the kids decorated wooden ornaments and foam crafts.

There are some serious crafters in the group.

The glitter glue was a big hit once again.

Miss Elena colored too. She did great!

The kids all did a good job and had fun crafting together.

Lots of smiles.

Such a sweetie.

I'm glad he's on Christmas break.

Pals.

I had 30 jars ready and I think he filled 10. He loved this! It was his very favorite part of the morning.

We had a quick clean up session and then it was on to cookie decorating.

I had already baked the cookies and had them ready to decorate. I had red and green icing and lots of sprinkles for the kids to use.

All of the kids got to decorate several cookies that they could take home to share with their families.

Some used icing in moderation while others made icing towers.

The squeeze icing was a hit just like the glitter glue.

They could also use red and green M&Ms.

It was sugar central! He was a huge mess and kept saying more "ice" for icing. He was busy licking his knife.

It was a sweet morning with great friends!

InstaFriday Dec. 16 on Sunday:)

2011-12-18T18:10:00.000-08:00

1. The very first picture I saw of sweet Gabrielle.

2. She is just precious.

3. The boys went to Home Depot with Daddy. Daddy had on a hat so they all needed one.

4. This little tree was at Marsh. I'm always sad for the trees that are left behind. I love the book Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree and it always makes me think of little trees. If you haven't added it to your Christmas book collection, it's a must!

5. All the Nutcrackers ready to go for Baylor's class.

6. Coop's snack of choice hot cocoa with mini marshmallows.

7. I was so happy when I found these at Kroger. They make me think of my Grandma. When I was little they lived by Lenders and we would always get these there. I got enough to use for Cooper's preschool snack and for us. They are just like I remember.

8. New puppets for The Gingerbread Man play by Baylor.

9. He loves to build big towers and then knock them over and say UH OH!

10. Coop yells to me "Mom I have a little spill". Baxter is going to love our house!

11. Playdoh is hard work.

14. They played in the laundry baskets for a long time.

13. Hallelujiah empty laundry baskets.

14. I love the Indiana State Museum at night.

15. I was so glad when all 650 donuts were sorted and delivered to all of the classes for the school party on Friday. I was so thankful for my friends who helped me!

16. I love Christmas cards!

17. After the Hurst Christmas he was beat!

18. He was also worn out after the reindeer party. All of the partying is tiring.

19. A cozy night by the fire when everyone is asleep and the house is quiet.

20. Parker was rocking his new Elmo and saying SHHHH!

21. I got to visit Gabrielle today. I love holding newborns and snuggling with them.

22. Ethan was busy playing trains.

23. Cupcake gone bad.

24. Moments when they love each other.

25. I love to hear Baylor read this pillow. He is going to be so excited!!! I can't wait!

26. Andrea sent me Christmas Jars to my Kindle today. I can't wait to read it.

27. She also left this Jar on my porch. How sweet!

28. Reindeer food bar in progress.

I am linking up for InstaFriday On Sunday!

Waking the Reindeer

2011-12-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

After church we went to Mimi and Pop's house for our Wake the Reindeer party and to celebrate Pop's birthday.
So cute!

Mimi had the table all decorated, it all looked so cute.

We all had light up Rudolph headbands to wear.

Cooper couldn't wait to get his Rudolph nose.

HO HO HO.

The birthday boy.

Mommy and Daddy.

Uncle Joe and Baylor.

Mimi and Coop.

The boys got a stuffed reindeer keychain and a Rudolph ornament as a favor.

SQUEEZE!

Somehow the boys got a present on Pop's birthday too.

Playing togeether.

Baylor was excited to give Pop his birthday present.

Looking good Uncle Joe.

What a cutie.

Get ready to ring your bell. Pop reads the letter from Santa and give us the instructions before we ring our bell. We each have a different reindeer that we are responsible for. We help wake them up to prepare them for their big flight that is just one week away.

Parker was busy ringing.

After ringing inside we went outside for another round.

WAKE UP!

Happy Birthday!