Scales Party of Five

Friends with lake houses!!!

2010-09-29T17:22:00.001-05:00

It's great to have friends with vacation homes!! We love getting to be the guest! Early in the summer we went with our friends, the Clark's, to their cabin on the Spring River in Arkansas. It was one of the most perfect settings. A river you could almost walk across, a swift enough current to have a lot of fun, and some perfect rock islands in the middle to spend the day playing, fishing, swimming & kayaking!!

Shooting the rapids

Fun on Rock Island

Kayaking!

Gabe's catch! He caught 1 sunfish & 2 bass.

Ansley attempting to surf behind the Johnson's boat at Wilson lake.

Going in!

They LOVED jumping off the 2-STORY BOAT DOCK!!

Playing with lots of kids at the Waggoner's lake in Scottsboro.

Tubing!

JUMPING!

Amelia cautiously enjoys the water :)

Getting ready for Mr. Clint's wild ride!

Like I said, it's great to have friends with lake houses!! We hope we're invited back next summer ;)

Happy Birthday(s)!!

2010-09-28T11:15:00.004-05:00

Contrary to the fact that I did not post the children's birthday pictures, they did indeed grow a year older this year and we did indeed celebrate them!

Ansley kicks off our birthday year with her January 22 birth date. You never know what kind of weather Ansley will have on her big day. When she was born, we were snowed in for a week. On her first birthday it sleeted and we had icy roads. On her 2nd it was beautiful and sunny and in the 60s. At her 3rd it was an average day in the upper 40's to low 50's. 4 & 5 followed the same pattern. January 22, 2010 started like any other January day in Alabama. It may have been frigid, it may have been on the warmer side. I can't remember which it was, but I do remember that the opposite weather rolled in at about 5:30p.m. Just in time for her birthday party. As I headed to Kidventure, it was sunny but started a strange kind of rain. 10 minutes later when the first party guest arrived he enlightened me that a rather large rotating cloud was hovering above the building we were in!! YIKES! He was so right, and it was pretty amazing. By the time Christian arrived with the kids and fellow party goers trickled in, we had a full blown funnel cloud moving across the city. We were in a great location (seeing that it was headed away from us) to take some great pictures!

The party did indeed go on. As a matter of fact, some people were glad to be there because they had no power. In the end quite a bit of damage was done. Several injuries, but if I recall correctly, no fatalities.

It was a huge party with all of her Kindergarten class. I'm not sure where the pictures are...I'll have to do some searching.

School celebration :)
I cannot believe another year has gone by and we have hung on to those signature curls. Sweet girl, I must admit you are growing up! (insert sniff) You are still wildly independent, need your alone time, and you are so helpful around the house. You take precious care of your baby sister and tolerate your brother quite well. You truly are an original! We love you so much!!!

AMELIA JANE IS 3!!! LOOK OUT FOR TROUBLE!!!

March 31st, 2010

Amelia wanted a "Bubblegum" party this year, and boy did we deliver!!

Oh my. Is all I could say when this was inflated!

I found someone to make an incredible cake! I was not expecting it to be this great!

She gets a little overwhelmed every year when we sing "Happy Birthday".

Our staple birthday treat every year. The same lady did the cookies in the back as did the cake. They were incredible!

Another smashing success of a 3 year old party :)

I have always thought that children change more between 2 & 3 than any other age. Thankfully this is true for Amelia. I never had a child to experience terrible 2's...but Amelia Jane did! We complained that she was impossible, ornery, persistent, difficult, monstrous, and probably a whole other string of adjectives. But I must say that she has become the most loving, grateful, sweet, precious, adorable sweetheart I've ever known. She says "kank-you" for every meal, snack or nice gesture you give her. She wants to hug, kiss, stare into your eyes, and rub and pet you to death. (us & the cat!) Gabe & Ansley simply adore her and we all spoil her rotten. She's definitely got a way to your heart! Love you sweet Mil!

GABE 8!???!! NO WAY!!!

Now I officially feel old.

May 7th, 2010

Gabe celebrated by inviting 3 great friends over after school. Brandon, Aiden & Jack Henry. All very nice, polite, well behaved young boys. But when they were all together....let me tell you, "wound-up" was an understatement. They played football in the back yard. Yes, full tackle. They played a little Wii. Then we cooked out & headed to the ballpark for a Huntsville Stars game!

They had a great time. Not sure which they liked more...the game, or the concession stand!

Gabe you are still smart as a whip! Can't keep a book out of your hands. You have great friends who respect you. You are full of a thousand questions! You have learned to speak to adults and have a conversation with them. You adore your sisters and love hugs, kisses, and cuddles. For these things I am thankful!! We are so proud of you and think you are right on track for a very bright future. Keep up the good work big man. We love you so much!

Even Daddy got a cake this year. A Tres Leches cake. Oh. My. It was rich & yummy. It was my kinda birthday cake. The kids each made him a card. 37 & still a looker! I think we will keep him! At least for another 37 years. Happy Birthday to the best Daddy ever!
That's a quick wrap up on birthdays. Christian & I don't do a whole lot of celebrating for our own birthdays usually and I hope that changes one day when we are not smack worn out from parenting. Although, I must add that I will be posting about hanging out with some of our besties, the Hirst family on my birthday weekend. Good times!

Cruisin'

2010-09-28T09:48:00.001-05:00

Seeing that it is almost Fall Break {Santa Rosa Beach here we come!!}, I could only find it appropriate to share Spring Break !? Better late than never!!

Last March about 7 days before spring break, our good friends The Waggoners called and asked us if we wanted to join them on a 7-day Caribbean cruise!! It is very uncharacteristic of us to:
A. Be spontaneous
B. Take a luxurious Vacation
C. Spend Money
D. All of the Above!

But we did it and had such a great time! 7 days flew by. The kids were awesome travelers. We can't wait to do it again someday!

We left at 6pm on Friday after work and drove through the night to Miami! CRAZY! But we made it safely and it was worth it!!
Leaving Miami's South Beach...

Our Ship, The Norwegian Pearl:

There was so much to do without even leaving the ship. The kiddos loved swimming, sitting in the "kid hot-tubs"when it was chilly, visiting the "Kids Club", playing shuffleboard, basketball, rock climbing (!), seeing nightly shows, and not to mention unlimited cookies & ice cream!!!! --which was my personal favorite!!

Kids playing shuffleboard on deck

The giant slide!

Gabe on Rock Wall!!

Reading in our awesome ocean view lounge beds! And Clint & Leah snoozing...

In our cabin... {note that look Amelia is giving!}

Me & my sweetie...

Our Island excursions included Samana at Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola and unfortunately our last stop on Great Stirrup Cay was cancelled due to rough seas :(

At Samana, we found a friendly little guy who took us to our own private beach! For a brief moment as we traveled 45 minutes over a mountain by dirt road, we worried that we may never return to our cruise ship...leaving civilization with a complete stranger is probably not recommended.

but it would not have been a bad place to be deserted :)

St. Thomas...beautiful. Opted to tour this day instead of beaching it. We visited black beards castle instead. Hmmm...next time probably will take the beach option.

The kids all got "keys to the island" and loved Black Beard' castle!

Group shot :)

Locals...eek! Just swaggerin' around...

Tortola...
Beautiful.

You have to rinse the sand off somehow (!!)

Whale siting!!

One of the kid's favorite things was to come back in the room at night and see what kind of towel pet the housekeepers had left behind. They were so awesome!

I'll be the first to admit how reluctant I have ever been to go on a cruise, but I must say, it was one of our best week's ever!!

I'll leave you with some beautiful sunrises...

Starting over, and a few favorite things...

2010-07-09T14:42:00.000-05:00

Hey you! (& I'm talking to Christian, because he's the only one that still knows there is a Scales family blog!) I catch him with it pulled up, looking back on when I used to (try) and keep it updated. This attempt will also fall to the wayside, but today I'm in the mood...to blog ;)

ALOT has happened since our last entry...many holidays, everyone's birthday, vacations, and not to mention a NEW HOME!! I want to post about all of these things...not for any reason except to look back one day and remember them fondly. But I also want to post about some fun things too. Things that might be of interest to friends or random people who stumble upon this lame little blog.

Before I begin catching up on all that stuff...I wanted to share some fun stuff that I found today on my little shopping trip. I had to make a return to Bridge Street, which I NEVER seem to make it to because it seems across the world to me! Well, I can't go there without making a stop at Anthro right??

Afterall, my birthday is this weekend, and they send you 15% card for your birth month! I just had to buy something! ...right??

I am a confessed candle junkie.

My favorite all time candle is VOTIVO's Red Currant. Love it. I swear it can sell a house. That & lavender linen spray :)

Coming in second is The Volcano Candle ...in Capri Blue (which also comes in red!?)

Like Red Currant, it has a really nice sweet but clean smell.

But today (because it's my birthday weekend & I have 15% off), I ventured out and found 2 that have to be tried...

This Citron Basil smells sooo yummy for the summer & the kitchen. How cute is it in that can?

As for the Angel Food...It is to die for!! I want to eat it. I'm not crazy about this kind of candle usually, but I think it will smell great when the weather is cooler and plus, the little stone "crock" canister will be so cute to repurpose after the candle is gone!

I'm kinda liking the driftwood thing these days, and I found this driftwood candle holder/hurricane thing-y also at Anthro:

Funny how things come back around. My Granny & Papa had a big piece of driftwood that hung in their den for years...I wonder what happened to that, and was driftwood a big deal in the seventies? Everything I bring home these days makes Christian feel like he's in a time warp! Drum style lamp shades and all...

Well, I didn't stop there....Momma needed a new pair of shoes...

I went in search of some of those Merrell maryjanes...you know, with the mesh like covering? We are going to the Atlanta aquarium tomorrow, and I want to be comfortable, but I don't want to wear my running shoes with a sundress. Can you hear me? Needless to say, the Merrell's were not available in my size, plus looked a little grandma-ish.... My flip-flops are killin' me this summer. They are all I wear. While my Haviana's are comfy, my super-sized arches and callused soles are not forgiving. The lady at Dillards guaranteed THESE SHOES would make for a fine day at the aquarium:

I gotta tell you....it really does feel like you are walking around on an extra thick yoga mat!! Love 'em & loved the price...1/3 of the cost of the Merrells.

I guess that's enough for now...I'd hate to burn out on blogging ;\

tootles...

Who knew?

2009-11-28T11:02:00.003-06:00

Look what we did!

Who knew that when we moved to Alabama there would be so many wonderful places to spend the day hiking & exploring. A couple of years ago we discovered Cathedral Caverns, just 30 minutes away, an emormous cave reaching a mile down into the Earth complete with stalactites & stalagmites! Just right in our own neighborhood, Three Caves, Monte Sano Mountain with gorgeous views & hiking trails.
A couple of weeks ago (on our Veteran's Day holiday), we headed to the Bankhead National Forrest, about an hour and a half away, and discovered the Borden Creek Trail. What a great day! Get ready, here comes LOTS of pictures...

BIG trees....

with BIG leaves!

A rushing river...

Lots of cool stuff to climb on...

How cool are those massive roots??

Rocks, cliffs, and caves, Oh My!

There was a fine mist waterfall falling here, that the camera couldn't quite capture...

Photo ops....

Me and my peeps...

A personal fav...

To get those big grins, all I had to do was say, "Whatever you do, DON'T SMILE!!"

I should remember this for the annual Christmas card picture that makes me lose my religion!!

Last one, for posterity....when you gotta go, you gotta go...

What a FUN day! If you live in North Alabama, make a day trip. You won't regret it. There are several trail heads to choose (even camp primitively), this particular trail had the highest family rating. It was 2.7 miles in. You have to go through a very narrow cave to complete the trail...if you are claustrophobic, stop there. If you like a little adventure...go all the way!

Why I love kindergarten

2009-11-07T17:20:00.000-06:00

The boys are away today. They have gone to Oxford to watch the Rebels play some football. Which leaves me & the girls home to just hang out together. It is so incredibly quiet when Gabe is gone! That boy can do some serious talking. Anyway, the beast Amelia is napping, so it is VERY quiet and Ansley has the opportunity to play a little play-doh uninterrupted. I walked in the room & realized that she's just been hangin' out with her "bat-hat" on for hours. She made it in kindergarten & wears it like crazy. I think it's super cute. She is so loving kindergarten and I think it's all about the arts-n-crafts!

"Mom..stop takin' my picture!"

On to other things, I spent this morning at a John Rosemond conference. Love him. Read lots of his columns...never have bought a book, but so love his style of parenting. His recommendation was..."Pay less attention to your kids & stop micro-managing their every move." Discipline with love & leadership, and we are all been equipped, by God, to parent these children. Those were the ones on the top of my head. Lots of other good stuff too. Go see him, read his thoughts. It's always good to hear a level headed perspective!

Tate Farm, The Mecca....

2009-10-30T22:19:00.001-05:00

This post was going to be named, Tate Farm, Part I. You see, this place is the field trip mecca of North Alabama in the fall. Typically I go there about 3 times a season for 3 different field trips for 3 different kids...typically it's not monsoon season in Alabama. Monsoon season has resulted in the cancellation of many flag football games and Tate Farm Field Trips. It has rained, and rained, and rained. I dare not complain though. After many years of drought, I have a hard time wishing it away. (and I must admit, 3 times to Tate Farms is about 2 times too many for me!...don't tell my kids!)

A yearly favorite: The Corn Crib...

It was all I could do not to rip off my boots and hop in there too. Don't think I didn't do it last year! I was the ONLY mom who thought it would be fun apparently. I may have looked silly, but I was quite the hit among the kindergartners!
Let me tell you, THE CORN GETS E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E!!!! On the way home I cracked up when Amelia handed me a corn kernal & giggled & said, "Momma, dis corn was in my ear"... And when we got home & everyone went potty before bed & Ansley walked out of the bathroom wondering how corn got in the potty...... I guess you get my point.....

Bunny petting, always a big hit with our little ones. They're critter lovers.

We went at night this year with a group from church. It was super fun. We picked our pumpkins in the dark with the help of flashlights....not sure we made the best pumpkin choices, but it was fun. Ansley & Amelia always want to pick the tiniest pumpkins they can find. Cute.

Till next year Tate Farms!

It's beginning to look alot like....Fall!

2009-10-29T18:04:00.002-05:00

I'm into the white pumpkins this year.

I do love my spider votive holders...

Got the Spooky Tree last year at Pier One. It's my favorite!

Ansley made the little sweet gum spider at school. Love that too.

More white pumpkins...

Didn't do much outside. In years past I've had the fake web & spiders...a blue bird got hung in it last year and I had to manually remove him. With Scissors. I was horrified he was going to flog me! No more fake spider webs here. Just mums and pumpkins. Safe for all the flying creatures :)

HAPPY FALL!!!!

Family Photo Shoot

2009-10-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

It was a cold and blustery autumn day....

but Mrs. Erin still managed to get us to smile and pull off some great pictures!

My children despise having their picture made! Or should I say they despise posing for us. For Erin, it's a different story. She has a way of making having your picture made fun. We are thankful to have her for a friend and to know her sweet family. And to have the ease of picking up the phone and saying, "hey, we need a picture made!" She always pulls through for us! Thanks Erin!

The Boys...

2009-10-21T17:12:00.001-05:00

"A Man and His ~~Dog~~ ... Cat"

Don't ever let him tell you he doesn't like cats.

On The Farm, Part 2

2009-10-20T21:15:00.001-05:00

I know you can't see their faces and the quality is bad, but I just like this picture anyway. This picture reminds me of me and my friend Candy wading in creeks & ditches for hours looking for crawdads, tadpoles or any other kind of creature we could come across. This water was fresh and cold...straight out of the earth. Nice. Did I mention that in my previous "farm post" that I love the country? Especially this particular "Mountain Farm"? ....I do.

I think Janye must have been describing to Gabe what a geode looks like.

This was right after Amelia fell in the creek and her wet clothes had to be removed...I don't think she minded too much, do you?

Umm, yeah, I think she's posing... I don't know where she gets that??

Snack time on the...mower?

One more that I let slip by the other day. Bless her heart. Look at those udders. And that sweet baby calf. Perhaps just born that day? Precious.

Snack Time Babies...

2009-10-20T06:17:00.002-05:00

Amelia needs a baby sister people. She's not going to get one. At least not of the biological variety.

As I've mentioned before, when Ansley is away at school (sounds like she's at college...but I mean a mile away at half-day Kindergarten), Amelia takes full advantage of being able to play with sister's stuff...especially the babies. 4 blissful hours of rocking, feeding, changing. And on this special day...a little Noggin....It's like preschool on TV! (?)

I know, I know, it's now Nick Jr., but I refuse to call it that. If they put SpongeBob on there, we're deleting it from the channel list.

God's Country

2009-10-19T14:14:00.001-05:00

This my friends, is God's country. We had the priviledge of spending the day on some dear friend's farm just outside of town. Oh my. It was gorgeous and refreshing. My children had so much fun riding Rangers through pastures and between the cows, climbing rocks, wading in creek beds, hunting for geodes and buckeyes...the list goes on and ends with a fire and marshmallows. It is in their blood, you see. I spent alot of my childhood doing similiar things. Roaming countryside. I'm a country girl at heart and long to live on acreage in the middle of nowhere. (Within driving distance of a good school & a Target mind you!) You see, I am not inclined to be a homeschooler. My hats off to you homeschoolers, but it's not for me! And of course, we I chose the town we are in (over another) based on the presence of a Super Target. I know people, it's just one of those things. Roll your eyes if you must. My name is Mandy, and I'm a Target-aholic.

Getting back on track....

Is this creature gorgeous or what? Hundreds of these guys/gals wandering around not minding sharing a little space with the Humans.

Come on Mama's, we know how she feels don't we?

Sweet it is though...

"Moo cow, baby cow!!" is what Amelia always exclaims when we see a baby cow. We saw lots of brand new baby cows that day. I have lots more pictures to share. Till next time! Moooo!!!!

Sweet Dreams

2009-09-15T21:33:00.002-05:00

Night-Night everyone!!!!

If you're a cat lover, then you love this picture...If you're not...well then, I'm sorry! I understand that there are those who can't stand cats...their sneakiness, their shedding hair, their persnickety-ness. Maybe your nose is itching & eyes are watering just looking at it, but Boo Kitty is such a sweet cuddler to all of us. Luckily none of us have fallen victim to pesky cat allergens. He warms us up on the coldest of nights, and purrs me to sleep nightly. It should be a sound option on the noise machine for sure! May your night be filled with warm furry cuddles & soft purring! (If you have a cat, that is!)

Has Anybody Seen Amelia?

2009-09-10T07:52:00.002-05:00

"Hey, does anybody know where Amelia is?"

look closely....

Oh dear. I have created a little computer monster as well. (Don't worry, it's not the internet....just family photos).

She's a Barbie Girl, In a Barbie World

2009-09-09T13:45:00.008-05:00

Ansley's busy today...working on her thesis...

Dinner!

2009-09-09T10:25:00.009-05:00

The update is that they killed their limit and had a blast! While Gabe wasn't exactly ready to shoot the big gun, apparently he made a good "retriever" and shell collector.

Once they were cleaned, we rolled the dove breast up with a hunk of cream cheese, a jalapeno and bacon and threw them on the grill. "Birdie Bites" they shall be known as...(taken from Uncle Joey's version of "Bambi Bites").

Everyone agreed that the dove was delish...even the girls. But seriously, anything wrapped in bacon & cream cheese and grilled is delish, right?

He's a natural born hunter.

Open Season

2009-09-05T14:28:00.004-05:00

Guess what Gabe's doing today?

If you live in the South, then you know...today opens Dove Season!!

First Father/Son hunting trip...

(pardon the sandwich-fixin's in the background--it's lunch time)

Gabe is so pumped!

He practiced in the backyard alot this summer...

I'll let you know how it went!

Creativity

2009-08-24T21:03:00.005-05:00

Ansley is forever more creating some little something special that always manages to put a smile on our face. From time to time we capture it on camera.

This play-doh replica of "lambie" is one of my favorites!

I'm sure this has a name...but I don't know what to call it other than 'pretty'.

Here she took a live flower & glued it to the end of a stick and added leaves. Artisitic genius?

"Nature Collage" --gluing leaves to paper. Many times she has glued flower petals to sticks or different stems on paper. Love these!

And of course, a basic crayon drawing. All of these portray daddy (affectionately) with 4 little stubbles of hair....both kids do it. (I fear by the time Amelia starts these little works of art, da da my just be a round head!)

This was my valentines day surprise :)

I was wrong!

2009-08-24T20:53:00.005-05:00

Hey look! I do have pictures of Gabe on his birthday! Okay, the deal is, Christian downloads all of our pictures onto the pc for editing purposes (it's where his photoshop software is). Only edited pics get transferred to the Mac (the only computer I usually get on. Sooo, I had no idea how many pictures we have floating around from the last several months....I will have to catch up now. But for today, here is proof that we acknowledged Gabe's big day.

A birthday card in the mail from Grandmother!

Anybody out there?

2009-08-24T02:55:00.006-05:00

Umm...this blog has gotten a little shy (& shameful!) and I am tire of it looming over me silently screaming, "helllooo....are you coming back...ever????" The kids love to look at & read this little recap of our life, and of course they have it's short life memorized by now, so here's to a huge commitment. I hereby promise to blog everyday this week. There. Done. Said it. What I didn't say is that there would be some great material. Just logging in & saying "Hi" counts, right? I have had time to blog, it just seems that the thought of getting my fav pictures on & rehashing all the "good stuff" has seemed a bit overwhelming. Besides, I'm way too busy reading about other people's lives these days! Not to mention our little 'remodel' project from the summer! I'll get to that later. Anywho...it's 3 am & I'm an insomniac tonight, so HELLO BLOGLAND! SOMEBODY'S HERE!!!!

Why you ask am I up at 3am?? Because of this little stinker:

He has not been sleeping good for the first time in 7 years! I mean up twice a night most days for a couple of weeks! Geesh! What is the deal? Next internet venture tonight: Research Melatonin!

I also feel obliged to share a little Gabe, because in my absence of blogging he had a birthday. I generally post lots of great birthday photos, but in hindsight, we have NONE!??? How did I let that happen. For one, our celebration mainly consisted of a family dinner out to Logan's (his choice). Pretty simple. Of course he was showered with fun gifts, and I do recall a "this is the best birthday ever!" coming out of his mouth, but basically it was just a great day because Gabe was Gabe :) I love you even though you are the reason I am up at 3am! But look: You brought back the blog! Hooray!

Those Things You Do!

2009-04-01T09:31:00.007-05:00

So from time to time, she has this little obcession with glasses...

Honestly, she wore these for over an hour. Even ate her lunch with them on. She's a funny kid like that.

While the cats away, the mice will play.

Ansley will literally have a cow when she realizes Amelia has free reign in her room while she's at preschool.

I knew she was awfully quiet in the playroom while I was chatting leisurely with my neighbor...

Thank goodness for washable markers...you should have seen the legs of her pajamas!

This one...don't ask...????

Yes, she's standing in the kitchen sink. Again, don't ask...

"What? I didn't do that!?"

Just a little leisure time to read...(note upside down book)

"Oh! Hey Mommy!"

"Enough already...Haven't you ever seen anyone sit on a potty before??"

And this one I just like....

Our little lady had a bee-day....

2009-03-31T21:08:00.009-05:00

She's 2!

Sweet baby, just because your #3 doesn't mean your mama's not going to throw you a cutsie party. Well...okay, so I threw it together last minute & called the mommy of your fav-friend to see what they were doing on Sunday afternoon. But don't think it wasn't cutsie! Because your our little lady & you love bees (??...uh, well at least you love the Bee Movie), you had a Lady Bug/Bee Party!

Simple...

Gabe offering some last minute advice on not getting too close to the candle. (Seriously, it happened to Ansley on her 2nd....not pretty.)

Getting ready:

Focus now...

Completely embarrased by all the attention of the singing:

Careful coaching by big brother.

"ooh, Seppy, don't play in it"

"Oh Seppy, you so silly!" as Seth affectionately smears icing on her nose. I can see this in 25 years....with an all white cake!

Oh, and presents. Really the only thing you wanted. When asked what you wanted for your birthday, repeatedly you would say, "pesents". You're precious.

I love you sweet baby. You have more gusto for life than any other baby that has come through this house. Your wild belly laughs and constant attempts to crack me up are unmeasurable! You certainly make our home a more joyous place and I look forward to the fun you bring for years to come!

I love you ,

Mommy

Spring Break '09

2009-03-31T18:50:00.014-05:00

For the most part we had a "staycation", however thanks in part to our good friends the Ross', we ventured to Chattanooga for 2 days of good times. If you haven't hung out in downtown Chattanooga for a while, you don't know what your missing! It's the some of the best kid entertainment around. We spent most of day 1 at the Aquarium. The crowds were so tolerable & the kids loved it.

"The Posse"

Together, we have a pretty good slew of kiddos

We saw cool stuff at the aquarium....

I'm not sure what this is all about??

On day one, we perhaps took in a bit much.... Aquarium, playing at the hotel, playing at the playground, taking in an IMAX, a crazy dinner that took an eternity with 7 starving kids (2 of which were napless that day), 2 tired mama's, and one awesome grandmother (who was a huge help!), and back to the hotel for indoor swimming....phew! Ansley had her 1st spend the night guest...Hope got to stay in our room & they were the cutest all cuddled up & shrieking (yes, shrieking) with wild laughter.

Day #2
Creative Discovery Museum...one word...AWESOME!
Explorer Gabe excavating

Amelia could have stayed in this spot all day.

Gabe passing time, chopping clay. (humor me, I just like the picture)

Amelia works hard stamping clay & turning gears. (I know....this is thrilling stuff...)

Best Buddies!

Proof the Mama's were there:

Thanks Ross family for a great time!

"Piggies"

2009-03-01T13:58:00.003-06:00

Just because....I want to remember those sweet little toes, and feet, and baby legs. They make me smile. You make me smile Amelia :)

The "Faux Sleepover" of the year

2009-02-03T20:44:00.009-06:00

So here they are: Photos from Ansley's Pretend Sleepover Party!

As I always say, "Every good party starts with a cute invitation".

If you know me well, you know I'm a sucker for paper products!

I couldn't resist this pillowcase invitation with a pull out pillow. It was so frilly, it had Ansley written all over it.

The invitaion list was small...the 5 little girls in her preschool class. They were precious, let me tell you!!

My second favorite part of a party: THE FOOD!!

So big. 5 candles...sigh....

Relaxin' & watchin a Barbie movie.

I couldn't believe how mellow they all were! I guess you get that with a nighttime party with 5 year olds?? It was great. Even little Amelia joined in. She thought she was every bit as big!

Manicures (with nail decals I might add) was a hit. (It was Lydia's first time!!) Her mom graciously agreed to let her share this first experience with us! So sweet & innocent :)

Couldn't have done it without Cousin Lacy & Aunt Lisa. They were rockstars helping out!!

Precious Addy.

Showing off their new mani's.

Then the real party started!! "Princess dancing" to the Goodnight CD mixed for the party & played on Ansley's new CD player. (Her big gift).

I loved it, the girls were adorable, and it will be remembered! And another good part: they all got to go home & sleep in their own beds.

5 years ago....

2009-01-23T22:26:00.005-06:00

The sweetest little thing came along....Ansley Claire. You were born around 3:30 am, and as exhausted as I was, I couldn't fall asleep because I was so excited. I watched the clock til 6:30 when I thought I could start calling everyone & sharing the news. I don't know if I have been that giddy since!
Now 5 years later, I know lots about you that I could have never imagined on that day. First of all, your head of wild curly hair! It's so "Ansley" and envied by many. Your independence! Whoa! You can do anything you set your mind to, all by yourself! I can only imagine how well this will serve you in your future. Not to mention your creativity! Your ability to draw perfectly dimensioned pictures with great detail impresses me and your daddy daily. Your sweetness and beauty abound and I look forward to the years ahead to see what great things you become!
I can't wait to post pictures of your fabulously fun birthday party tonight! But right now I am headed to snuggle up in bed with you! Hugs & Sweet Kisses!!! Mommy

Hello 2009!

2009-01-01T15:57:00.030-06:00

So sorry 2008! I failed you with a lack of regular blog-posting. I'm ashamed & I admit it. I am not going to talk about it. (But I will place a little blame on a little thing called FACEBOOK!) However, I am about to plague this post with a whirlwind recap of some important (or maybe not so important, but memorable) moments of '08 that I will forever be mad at myself if I don't include on the ol' blog. I think I'll work my way backwards.

Christmas 2008

Reindeer pops was definitely a culinary adventure. They paled in comparison to that of Bakerella, but next time (and fewer kids involved) we'll see what happens. It was actually lots of fun having the Ross' over and watching the kids swoon over the thought of biting into Rudolph's little noggin!

Ansley said her lines proudly as "Angel of the Lord" in her Christmas program at Covenant. (Shhh....Gabe played a little hookey from school in order to be there too.)

Grandmother arrives in time for some favorite Christmas book reading. We sure enjoyed having her!

Enjoying waayyy too many sweets! Thanks to a special someone for these yummy treats!!

Amelia got to participate in decorating the tree for the first time this year.

Our annual Christmas Eve picture :) Say Cheese(y) !

Now get those dishes done so Santa can come!

The Reindeer food was spread thoroughly throughout the front yard. They were trying anything to coax Santa into our yard this year. Ansley even placed herself (willfully) on the naughty column of the naughty/nice list made out by Gabe.

Santa indeed delivered and all in all was a great holiday season for us all, especially having Christian off work so much in December. He's the resident apple cider/spiced tea guy & kept us warm & toasty!

Fall Stuff...

We had an exceptionally beautiful fall here in Huntsville this year so we found lots of photo ops while playing outside in all the leaves!

This was only the beginning....

Gabe must have taken a thousand jumps out of that swing!

It just wouldn't be right to not include Evan (Gabe's friend from school/around the corner neighbor/4th child of mine) and his mad jumping skills!

Do you get the picture??? Lots of leaves=Lots of fun!

Me & my honey...we don't get many of these made.

We even got our Christmas card done early this year!

Amelia got her first major boo-boo. Ouch!!

The kids & I headed to MS for Thanksgiving with Christian's family & left him behind with a grueling week of night call. Sorry Da-da! This sparked Amelia's ongoing obcession with cousin Carlysle. Even this morning, over a month later, she woke up saying, "Cah-lysle! Cah-lysle!?"

She looovves her some Carlysle. (and I do too!)

Ansley made her acting debut as a "poor little kitten who lost her mitten!" How fitting.

Halloween

(i'm tired of blogging...I'll insert later!)

St. Louis!

During fall break we headed out for St. Louis to spend time with the Flemings. The best part was getting to watch all our kids play together! Candy & I were 4 when we became fast friends which is just the age of Ansley & Harrison. I hope they always know each other :) ...and I can't wait to tell them crazy stuff about their momma when they're older :0 !

On our first day we went to the zoo. Phenomenal is all I have to say. I love this picture of Amelia with her zoo map. She kept us right on track.

It was great, until we saw this.......

Warning: Look away if you are an animal activist or have a weak stomach:

Yep, that's a python eating a goat. Yep, a goat. Blood & all.

At this point, I gotta little concerned about the momma to be....so we had a sit-down.

(sorry Candy, I had too)

This one was right before I got in trouble for letting my kids in the penguin exhibit.

Just kiddin', but I did get in trouble for letting them climb on the dangerous rocks. Geesh....what's a fun mom to do??

Proof that we went to the arch:

Because you couldn't see a foot in front of you out those windows, so the kids shall have no recollection of the experience without these photos.

yep...we were the only one's there pretty much.

SOCCER!

Ansley got to play her first season of soccer this year. She was pretty stinkin' cute!

And really stinkin' good! She could hustle with the best of em' and score several goals.

She even developed a little strut after she would score. (I was too busy laughing at her to snap a picture)

She was great until these big ol' boys were too fast & she couldn't kick the ball. Then she cried.
You gotta love 4 year olds and soccer.

Gabe had a great season too. It was a "whole different ballgame" so to speak, for him. He moved to the U8 league, which meant some big ol' boys and some serious soccer playin'.

He did pretty good holding his own and I must say I was proud of him.

At this point, I'm pretty sick of blogging, but I'm going to muttle through and post some great beach pictures. My captions may get a little slack....

The Beach

Beach fairies

That's all for now! 2009, I'll try not to let you down!

My little politician...

2008-11-03T18:51:00.002-06:00

For months, we have answered his questions, maybe offering more information than he really needed to know. He has counted almost every McCain sign in town, comparing them to how many Obama signs there were. I didn't worry until he began staying up late to watch the debates. Believe me, I have not encouraged this behavior! Please do not tell me we have a budding politician on our hands! Yikes!
So last week, his school had their mock election. When Gabe got home, I of course asked election results. (McCain 340ish?, Obama 107) I asked Gabe who his best friend (who shall remain nameless) voted for:
"Well, (smirking) he voted for McCain, only after I set him straight. He said he was gonna vote for Baracka Bama (that is how they say it), and I said 'Dude, he's awful!, He will take your five dollars!' So he voted for John McCain. As a matter of fact, I set some others straight too. Except **Jane**(identity protection inserted), and she's just a hard democrat. Her momma said she thinks Baracka Bama is just a good man. ..Mama, how much of our money will John McCain take?"
"Not near as much honey"...
John needs Gabe up in Ohio, Michigan, & Pennsylvania. He could "set some people straight"!

Next week, I guess we'll introduce him to the term 'socialism'......just kiddin'.

VOTE!!!!

Blurry eyes and sighs....

2008-08-06T21:55:00.005-05:00

I've been through this before, right?? Heh...so I thought....

...Today, I fed him to the wolves and set the 13 year stopwatch on the small amount of time we have left with our baby at home. I had no clue that my day would be filled with such strange emotional surges that have left me exasperated and exhausted tonight.

So drop off went fine. Mr. Confidence (believe it or not) marched right in, took care of "checking in" business and went right to work as if he were an old pro at this kindergarten stuff. ....Well actually he is an old pro at it, and that worked to both of our advantages. But my lip still hurts from biting it to hold back the tears.

After drop off, the PTA hosts a "boo-hoo breakfast" where they really play on your fragile emotions with cute little tissue packages with this tear-jerker note attached:

The First Day

We gave you a little wink and smile

As you entered school taday

For we know how hard it is to leave

And know your child must stay.

You've been with them for five years now

And have been a loving guide,

But now, alas, the time has come

To leave them at our side.

Just know that as you drive away

And tears down your cheeks may flow

We'll love them as we would our own

And help them learn and grow.

For as parents, we to know

How quickly the years do pass

And that one day soon it will be our turn

To take our children to class.

So please put your mind at ease

And cry those tears no more

For we will love them and take them in

When you leave them at our door

--anonymous

So what is my deal, am I overreacting to not want any "bad" influences to taint him?? They're out there right?? Lurking in elementary schools everywhere right?? Suddenly I feel like no where is good enough except home. But really, most everyone goes through this, so I can't be the only one that feels this way. ..right?

So while I'm still not sure on this whole big-school thing, I have to say that our little neighborhood school is quite sweet. It sits smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood and we can walk or bike there in no time. Some say it is a private education for the public price. We'll see about that, but mean time I'm going to put on my big-girl panties and deal with it I guess.

Daddy gets to take him tomorrow :)

Dad at Gabe at 6:40 am. Can you say excited to go to school?

Taking care of business with Mrs. Lewis

Good-bye hug from Ansley....who consequently drove me up the wall today with her non-stop talking! It either extreme excitement to have my undivided attention, or complete boredom without her big brother around to play with. (by the way, do you realize this will be Ansley this time next year? I'd rather not talk about that thank you.)

Me & my big boy

Look who's 16 months old!

2008-07-30T21:16:00.006-05:00

So hard to believe!

She's sassy, she's bossy, she's silly, she's a hoot actually!, she's always eating, she's running, she's trying to talk (a little), she's very kissable, she's Amelia Jane, and she's precious to us!

Cookin' up some aigs...

2008-07-28T18:41:00.003-05:00

These two can put down some scrambled eggs together. Or per Gabe's request, a nakey toad in a hole. (a.k.a. yolk-less) We're gonna have to come up with a better name for that around here.

...I know. He's gonna kill me for this one. He covets this blog and when he finds out I've exposed him in his undies, (with a slack-pack as it's called at the Scales') he may withdraw publication.

I'm off to buy more eggs....IN BULK!

Country comes to town!

2008-07-23T22:44:00.003-05:00

These images are a bit disturbing, even to me, but let me tell you....Santa might as well have visited this morning with all the excitement on Gabe's face!

If you are unaware, I should be living in the country somewhere on rolling acreage with various forms of wildlife & livestock to care for. Idyllically, my kids would be out feeding the animals & shooting strays with bb guns in the early hours. But none the less, we are living on +/- 1/3 acre lot in a neighborhood less than 1 mile from downtown in a metropolitan area. And yes it is home. So we do the best we can to bring a little country life to the city.

Last Christmas, Gabe got a live trap. We set it faithfully for a number of months without luck and had given up until recently. There have been spottings of wildlife in the neighborhood! Yes of course, a cute bunny or two, but we have smelled a skunk and heard of very nearby (like in front of our house) spottings of a raccoon and believe it or not, a red fox! We are very near the base of a mountain, so yes fox & coyotes may occasionally grace the city with a little "animal control" help.
The boys in the family have been determined to trap some form of wildlife this summer, and last night was the night! Around 8 a.m. this morning, Gabe let out this shriek of excitement: "MOM! I CAUGHT A POSSUM!!!!!!!!" Yes, he did indeed!

Freakishly creepy, I know.

Thought you might want to get a close-up of those chompers!

I do not at all like how he is looking at my boy's ankles! NOT AT ALL!

Sweet Gabe. I love that he loves this.

**This creature was set free and was in no way harmed during the trapping or releasing portion of this story.....unfortunately.**

Today's Lesson

2008-06-26T22:37:00.002-05:00

Sometimes life lessons just smack you in the face when you least expect them. I guess that's how they become lessons.

Last month, Gabe got a $20 bill for his birthday. This may be the largest "cash form" of money he has been handed. He was told to spend it, so he hung on to it and I promised him a trip to Wal-Mart or Target was in his future. Today was the day. We loaded up & headed to Wally World for a couple of things. Granted, I do love me some Wal-Mart, but I am a fan of Target' and it is about 3 miles and one less mountain closer. That said, we go to Wal-Mart about 3 times a year. I like to travel over the mountain to the "green Wal-Mart". Are you with me? There a blue Wal-Marts & green Wal-Marts in these parts, and the green ones are much nicer. Stained concrete flooring & even some wood floored areas. I think there are even crystal chandeliers! okay, maybe not, but trust me, it makes your Wal-Marting much more pleasurable:)! When we pulled in, Gabe said, "Is this the Wal-Mart we always come to?" I said, "yes", and he said..., "oh this is Great! They have Low Prices Everyday!". Ahh reading. I noticed the slogan under the big sign. I just giggled, and said, Yeah, it is great, huh?

I glanced back at his $20 folded into a neat little square, and my last thought was that I needed to put his money in my purse. We made a bee-line to the toy section. He quickly decided on a couple of cool Bionicle sets. We looked around a bit more, then headed for bananas and sunscreen. After all, it is 1:30 and I have a 14 month old knocking on nap time.

Fast forward to check-out:
"Gabe, do you have your money?"
"No!?"
"Did you loose it??!!"
"I think so!" (tearfully)
At this point I remove all items from the counter & place them in a large bin I was buying and told the cashier we had to go look for our lost $20 birthday money.

It was awful. I was angry. I was sad. I was sick for the little guy. I mean after all, I should have taken the cash. What was I thinking letting him be responsible for actual money in Wal-Mart??!!

After frantically searching up & down the aisles and behind every Bionicle box, I found an associate in the area & asked if anyone had found $20. I explained that it was birthday money. Of course, she said no, but I saw pain in her eyes for this little guy. She immediately went & called the service desk to no avail. I told Gabe (because admittedly, I was angry) that we would have to put back the toys due to our irresponsibility and have to wait until next year when he could get more birthday money. ......okay, I know, go ahead and call me horrible names and report me to the Department of Human Resources. I swear that associate (who was still taking this all in) burned a hole in me with her laser eyes. I could smell my own flesh burning! I took him by the hand and we marched out of the toy section headed for the bananas & sunscreen with empty hope of finding a twenty peeking out from somewhere.

(The scene is now a very tired toddler at 2:00, a little boy wanting to cry his eyes out, but too scared because he knows he messed up. And a mom who wanted to cry her eyes out in sorrow for her boy and be angry at the same time, but confused because she knows she too messed up.)

After exhausting our efforts, we made one last ditch effort to the back of the store where we were approached by the same lady who now thinks I am the anti-Christ, and two other Wal-Mart associates. The page was overhead, "WOULD THE LITTLE BOY WHO LOST HIS BIRTHDAY MONEY PLEASE RETURN TO TOYS". Someone had found the money she said with a huge relieved smile. (I think she thought she might be saving him from a beating later) My first thought was that she had pulled a twenty from her pocket just to make his day. But she put out her hand and there was that same twenty, folded in a square, so I knew it was his. Bless you Wal-Mart lady!

Okay, so you have passed your judgement, and in the end it all worked out. Now let me just say that if I had gone ahead and bought the toy, what message would that send? Hey, twenties grow on trees! No problem! I'll just throw another twenty your way! I was not going to do that! ......However, who's to say that the Bionicles may have mysteriously arrived in the mail sometime in the next few weeks from say Aunt Lisa or Aunt Andrea??? (I'm not all bad)

You can't help but smile at her

2008-06-08T22:06:00.004-05:00

Oh those babies! What is it that just makes you stare at them endlessly & bust into a wide-mouthed smile every few seconds? I can't take my eyes off of her. 1) because I can so clearly see both of us in her and that amazes me and 2) because she is a stinker and she just might be standing on a table somewhere! Anyway you look at it, she is the object of our affection (and camera).
This series of photos was taken by Christian (of course) one day while I was out of town. I love it. It shows her curiosity, playfulness & sweetness in one. I'm posting it here though, mainly because I am weary and it would take hours to filter through the many thousands of pictures her daddy takes of her in a month. (Although, I still think she runs a close second to those he takes of Ansley). He is quite smitten with this little one, and I've gotta say, she is CRAZY about her Dada. He gets kisses that I long to get from her and cuddles that take my breath away. Oh, I get my share of lovin', but there's something about that Dada.

Now at 14 months, she is running rather than walking, still eating like Miss Piggy, and desperately wanting to talk more. Her best tricks involve (upon request) showing you her belly button and tongue and telling you what a fish "says" by opening & closing her mouth. She knows just how to cock her head to the side with a big squint-eyed grin to be "cute" and get anything she wants. She has an array of made-up words and very few meaningful ones. Every now & then she will just bust out with a perfectly legitimate word in which the kids and I squeal with excitement and try desperately to get her to repeat it. Of course then she just looks at us as if we are crazy as if to say, "I don't know what you are talking about, I can't say that".
Regardless, she is always full of smiles and wild laughter, living a carefree life that anyone would long for. Little girl, one thing is for sure, you are surrounded by a love-struck Daddy, a gloating Mommy, an adoring brother, and a sister (for lack of a single word) that can't-wait-till-you-wake-up-so- she-can-play-with-you-she loves you so much!

Ansley: In Review

2008-06-07T21:14:00.004-05:00

Ansley made her stage debut a couple weeks age at her 1st (& perhaps last) ballet recital. I must say it was better than I had expected. The show was quite entertaining, and we actually only sat through an hour of other performances to see Ansley's 1 1/2 minutes of fame. As much as she didn't want to go to ballet class every Wednesday, she stuck with it and in the end I think she may have actually enjoyed the recital. There's not much sweeter than 3 & 4 year olds prancing around in pink leotards!

Can you believe I got all that curly hair "slicked back"?? It actually ended up being easier than I thought. The funny part is that Amelia looked at her as if she didn't know who she was. You realize that there is a beautiful little girl under all that hair!

just sweet...

Roses for her performance....

But really all Ansley would rather be doing is climbing a tree. She has gotten pretty good at that this spring. She has her favorite tree and scales it any chance she gets.

That or coloring. That is her other passion. Drawing & coloring. Luckily Dada has found the honey whole at work with lots of plain white scrap paper, perfect for drawing.

I must say that the hard-headed little girl that has given me fits over clothes, hair, and just plain being nice, has blossomed into a sweet, sweet little girl. Perhaps she was misunderstood for a while, but let me tell you, she is full of some sweet lovin' these days. I love you Ansley!

A shout out to GABE

2008-06-06T14:47:00.009-05:00

Yes, I know the ol' blog gets a little dull these days, and I know that "Toothless in Alabama" got way to much air time, so I am hereby proclaiming to post 3 blogs in the next 72 hours. I have slighted my children on this blog and left out many important events, so this will be a recap, if you will, of the last several weeks. Today, I will spotlight Gabe & his latest accomplishments. (he just loves to see himself on here!) Next blog will be Ansley, then Amelia, so as not to leave anyone out. Oh yeah, I'll try to throw in a bit or 2 about Christian & Boo Kitty...maybe.

Working backwards....

Only 1 more T-Ball game left! It's Gabe Ruth!? Okay, I'll lay off any humor...it's kinda stale today.

Batter Up!

It's Good!

Run, Gabe, Run! (& stick out your tongue...it helps you go faster!)

This is one of my favorites.... cute!

Slidin' home...

SAFE!

He's not only a jock, but brainy too ladies! Gabe got his 2nd trophy this year for Bible Memory Challenge from our church. He learned a ton of verses, not to mention ALL the books of the Bible! So proud of you big guy!

The last day of Kindergarten was fun for Gabe, but a little sad for Mama. Now he has to go to "big school" next year. YIKES!

The class with Mrs. Melissa & Ms. Lynda

On the slide with his buddies...

And shamefully, I didn't post any pics from the birthday, so here goes:

Birthday Breakfast...yummm...

Birthday at school...

Birthday at home...

A trip to Chuck E. Cheese with some favorite school pals topped his day! Happy 6 Big Guy!

(That oughta be enough Gabe to hold you for a while!)

Toothless in Alabama

2008-05-21T21:33:00.004-05:00

At last, that dangling little rascal is out!

It's been weeks now. Wiggling, watching, waiting. Which one would it be?? Three loose teeth in my baby boy's mouth at once, and the least expecting one....was pulled today by good ol' Dad. No, not with one of his grisly pliers, but gently with a corner of a brawny paper towel. Not too much blood shed and absolutely no tears. I mean, you would have thought we pulled a golden nugget out of his mouth by the look on his face.

We have entered a new phase of childhood. ...yes, the phase of big ol' front teeth way too big for that face, and the reality of the orthodontics in our future.

Actually, we've been awaiting the fate of these teeth for 3 years now, ever since he bit the pavement at playgroup a few years ago. That trauma sent us rushing out on our first visit to the dentist expecting the worst. We just knew that those darkened little teeth wouldn't make it much longer, but low & behold, three years later, out it would come just as mother nature intended.

Tooth Fairy, wherever you are, please find us tonight....and bring on the cold, hard, cash!

Bloggerama

2008-05-05T22:48:00.007-05:00

Whoa! Life has struck once again. And yet another month has past...blogless. So much to share and such little time to share it. From broken bones to beach trips and now an upcoming b-day, I mean I really mean to be a good blogger, but somehow, I just seem to prioritize this to the end of the list. Actually I am going to blame it on my promise in the previous blog, you know where I said I was going to post the next day on the 'many moods of Ansley'? NEVER make promises on the blog. That will come, but NOT tonight. I'm going to share some other recents.

I found this this morning as I was leaving. Gabe is letting all the world (or at least those traveling down our street) that we are in the final countdown stages until the BIG SIX!

Soooo...in case you didn't know, you can't say he didn't try & tell you.

REWINDING A BIT........

About 3 1/2 weeks ago, we decided to take an impromptu drive over to Kossuth to spend a day with cousins & grandparents. And the above picture is how it ended. ..Well not exactly. It actually ended in tears & lots of pain for the little guy. This picture was several days later. Apparently, it is not uncommon practice to eat complete junk, jump on furniture, go hog wild, and in this instance, sit on top of the kitchen table to watch TV???? Anyhow, it ended with Gabe on the hardwood floors with a broken collar bone. YIKES! One tough little guy though. Not too much complaining. At times it comes in handy to have a radiologist for a daddy.

But, we're all better now. Sling came off over the weekend, and other than that knot protruding from his flesh that used to be straight, the one that makes me cringe to look at or touch, he is completely back to normal. With a good story to tell. Well, a good story if he takes the advice from neighbor Mr. Jim and tells that he fell out of a tree or was injured in a sporting event of some kind.

Lovin' it!

2008-04-03T23:06:00.004-05:00

So this is Amelia's birthday present. "Naturally Playful Sand & Water Table" from Step2.

I highly recommend! Loved by all three kids...1, 4, & 5. I'll add the sand later...you know, after the excitement of "just water" has worn off.

This face pretty much sums it up: She thinks it's pretty great.

Man I love looking at those fat little feet!

She drinks water from the shovel.

...and from the pots.

Big sister is pretty fond of it as well. And as for the outfit? She likes dressing up in all sorts of concocted fashions. This is actually pretty tame. I feel a post coming entitled, "The Many Moods of Ansley" or maybe, "What Not to Wear". I'm not sure how she doesn't have on her bride veil, or tinkerbell wings. They go with almost every outfit. Yes, definitely in tomorrow's post, you will see!

Amelia's Big Day

2008-04-01T22:32:00.009-05:00

Happy Birthday Sweet Amelia!

Dear Amelia Jane,
Where has the year gone? It seems like last month I was holding your tiny little 6lb 10oz self in my arms. Amazed once again at how abundantly God has blessed us. You have been the sweetest joy over the last year. As a matter of fact, we have referred to you no less than a million times as, "she's just so sweet". It's true. Your calm disposition, smiling face, and loving cuddles have made you every mama's dream. If I'm going to be honest, a part of me sadly moves forward for fear that I will miss these sweet baby days. But I know from experience with Gabe & Ansley that it is just as wonderful, in a different way.
I love you,
Mommy

THE PARTY!

We partied with cousin Carlysle who turns one tomorrow April 2nd! How cool to have cousins just 2 days apart! Thankfully, we were able to travel to Mississippi and have a double celebration. Thanks Aunt Andrea for opening your lovely home for such a sweet occasion!

The prep was as much fun as the party. (maybe I should speak for myself! You see, when the party is not at your house, the stress count is waaay lower!) We baked these fun cookies on a stick and pretended to be Martha Stewart while decorating them. They turned out so cute!

And then Andrea came up with this fabulous arrangement:

Needless to say, the cookies were a hit. All the kids (and adults too) picked there own flower or butterfly cookie.

Coincidentally, we had picked out the same cake plates months ago. This double celebration was meant to be!

A little invitation for the baby book.

Awaiting the goods.... I mean, isn't this what they've waited all year for? Their 1st taste of cake!

Singing and Candles...

"this cake is pretty good, but what on earth are all you people looking at? ....do I have cake on my face?"

Playing afterwards, and showing off my "almost-walking" skills.

The partied-out Carlysle

All good things must come to an end.
Saying goodbye to cousins on Monday morning after a fun-filled weekend.

Hangin' with the Fleming's

2008-03-28T23:04:00.007-05:00

As I mentioned in the last post, Candy is my longest best friend. We met in kindergarten and even roomed together in college. We have been separated by many states ever since we graduated from college, but have stayed in touch through many hour long phone conversations over the years. Especially true since starting our families.
Nothing will bond you like being pregnant at the same time. And when your due dates are only days apart...oh my at the notes to compare!
This was the first time Candy has been able to visit our home and the kids had a blast! I am loving seeing them together and imagining them having some similiar adventures that we once had. ...well hopefully not...

Gabe & Harrison made fast-friends. Especially once they discovered their mutual adoration for POWER RANGERS!!!

We decided to spend their last day with us at the Botanical Gardens. It was cool, but beautiful.

Lots of life-like reptiles...

"Dinosaur Uproar" is the current exhibit, and man was it life-like!

You didn't wanna mess with this mama...

Or this one:

Candy a.k.a. The Big Bad Wolf

Goldilocks, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear (sorry Gabe)

My best Edith Ann...and that's the truth!

(does that put an age on me?)

There's just something so fun about sitting in a giant chair.

Ol' Candy even gave it a whirl!

Harrison & Gabe did a little excavating.

Dino-topiaries...Love it.

These little babies soaked it all in...especially the sun. (oops!) Who thinks about sunscreen in 50-degree-March weather??? I guess WE will next time.
(not to worry...just some pink cheeks that cleared up the next day)

All good days must come to an end. We hugged good-bye and are planning our trip to Missouri! PROMISE!

Family Self Portrait...photography buffs...LOOK AWAY!

2008-03-27T23:24:00.005-05:00

I have so much to share with you but seeing as I start this little endeavor at 11:30 at night, it will have to come in small doses. We had a glorious spring break last week filled with lots of local activity & house-guests! We had my oldest, best-est friend Candy & her two boys and then my sister & niece & nephew for a couple nights. The fun-filled week ended with Easter, and so because it's late & I'm growing weary, I will start with Easter & work my way backwards with pictures over the next couple posts.

Easter always gives us an excuse to pull together the old set-the-timer-self-family-picture... you never know what you're gonna get:

Surprised, disheveled family

Blurry off-center family

Well, that's us! The McArthur family joined us for a lovely dinner & egg hunting and I can't believe we didn't take a single photo! Well, it's been officially documented on the blog even if I don't have the pics to prove it.

**best part** it was quick and no children were harmed (or screamed at) during the making of this picture.

Shakin' the dew off

2008-03-16T21:24:00.004-05:00

Some mornings Amelia just isn't quite ready to get the day started, but so is the life with siblings in school. One morning I crept in with my camera & captured it. Around here we call it "shakin' off the dew"... I would also like to title this series, "A tribute to Aunt Andrea"

peacefully dreaming...

.....stirring...

too bright....

"mommy, is that you?, everything's blurry!"

s-t-r-e-t-c-h & refocus....

.....hmmm...I'm not sure what to put here...What was she thinking or wanting to say? Maybe it's good she can't talk yet.

I wish I had the next frame...All smiles and happy to be awake:) I picked her up instead of taking more pictures.

Okay, I didn't say these were going to be the best pictures, but you get the effect.

The price of candy these days

2008-03-14T22:18:00.004-05:00

A buck twenty five per kid. Not bad, I thought, considering I got to purchase all but 4 or 5 pieces of their coveted Easter bounty. In attempt to not ruin the fun of the egg hunt and the excitement of the flavorful loot, I found this to be highly effective.

Gabe & Ansley had egg hunts at school today, and there will be a couple more over the next week, so in order to curb the carbs around here, I offered them cold hard cash. After emptying each egg, we sorted it into piles of chocolate, gummies, and hard candy. They chose a few they couldn't live without and in turn I gave them a dollar each for the rest. Then I offered them a quarter if they were willing to hand over 3 more pieces. They were so thrilled to have "their own money". So into the trash it went.....okay, except for that miniature caramel twix that was screaming "SAVE ME" on the way to the can. I saved it....for about 17 seconds.

I feel certain this tactic will be used again in October and at any other time that candy pours in by the basket load. Don't get me wrong....I LOVE CANDY! (Mostly of the chocolate persuasion), but I get sick of it sitting around, finding it's pesky little wrappers lying around, and waiting for it to disappear. And will all that extra candy around a holiday cause any cavities?? Probably not, but if it does, $1.25 is a lot cheaper than a trip to the pediatric dentist!!!!

Check me for fever!

2008-03-11T20:28:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, what has gotten into me??? 3 blog posts in 36 hours! Crazy....Scary....Scandalous! End of times??? Who knows, but I'm enjoying it again...for now...

Have I mentioned Pioneer Woman? Thanks to Erin, I am addicted to yet another person's life & stories. Sad, but true. From her online-true-life-romance novel, to daily cattle wrangling, to fabulous recipes, and great photos, I am vicariously living through her life on the ranch.

Anyway, her most recent post was about Wranglers, yes the jeans, and it stirred up such emotion in me. No, not the emotion that comes from looking at all those "nice looking" cowboys in tight-fittin' jeans, but the one that takes me back to the 4th grade.

Please share with me if you wore Wranglers when you were a kid....

Okay, they are very cool on cowboys, or if you do things of the cowboy persuasion, but on a lanky, head-taller-than-her-peers, stringy haired 4th grader, they were only damaging to my tender self-esteem. I remember so clearly sitting in my desk chair, with my legs tucked under me, and my red sweater pulled tight over my bottom so noone could see that dreaded "W". I have never felt so un-cool in my life. Oh how I longed for some of those pink jeans with a roller skate on the back pocket! Or, those with a swan embroidered on the hip pocket. YES! Gloria Vanderbilt! Can you believe it?? 4th grade & I was so distraught with fashion woes. Sad. And the funny thing is that this was rural Mississippi, Not 90210!

I have been so disturbed to hear from other mothers how their 1st grader wants to wear only North Face jackets, and other such labels, and then I remember my Wrangler story and realize that maybe things haven't changed that much.

No matter how much I didn't want to wear the jeans, I did it anyway. I don't remember if I complained or not, I just wore the jeans with humiliation. I suppose my character was built in some way or another....And now I'm glad my character is already built & I can wear designer if I want too!! :)

Busy Day Ahead

2008-03-11T19:22:00.003-05:00

I've just realized tomorrows line-up and I'm exhausted already. So, if you read this today or tomorrow, send up a little prayer that I don't do any physical harm to the children. :)

8:30 Take Gabe to school as usual...

9:00 Home to restore some sort of order to the chaos going on with our upcoming "pit" remodel.
(I'll share more of that later.)
11:30 View a FSBO home in Jones Valley...I'm not optimistic, just curious.

12:30 Pick up Gabe

12:55 Ansley to Ballet

3:25 Swim Lessons

5:00 T-Ball practice

7:00 Church

Now somewhere in there, Amelia must nap twice, I must feed everyone at least 3 times, make some necessary phone calls, go to the Grocery Store, get eggs & snacks ready for preschool & Kindergarten parties on Thursday, etc....

Going now to tuck everyone in bed and see if I can't control some of this house chaos tonight!

I hope you have a peaceful Wednesday.

Randomness...

2008-03-10T09:39:00.006-05:00

1. I'm still alive! There may not even be any of you left checking this blog to even know this.

2. I will need a twelve-step program to get me un-addicted to http://www.valleymls.com/ ! What is the deal? You know it is bad when you have every piece of listed property in SE Huntsville memorized by location, lot size, & price. I can currently scan 250 listings in about 2 1/2 minutes because my eye is trained to recognize new listings only.

3. I'm scared to even go here, but I think old man winter may be gone. Even though we had snow on the ground less than 48 hours ago, I really think warm sunny days are near. I think the kids can feel it too. They are a little more giddy & excited about something...so I think it's the prospect of shorts, t-shirts, & twirly sundresses.

4. I have a longing desire to learn to paint. Not walls...ART! I would love to oil paint, but I am beginning to realize that I just might not be patient enough to wait for the drying, multi-steps, and stinky brush cleaning. So, I'm going to start with acrylics. At least to learn, so that I don't get frustrated. I've found a local person that does fun girl's night type parties. Saw her booth at the Spring Market this weekend. http://www.myspiritedart.com/ I'm excited about this!

5. Amelia turns 1 at the end of this month (unbelievable) and I planned her party 2 months ago. Complete with party favors, plates, napkins, and invitations. Problem: I've realized she has no friends. What kind of mother am I? Gabe & Ansley had their very own social click by age 1 and plenty of friends to invite. They were at playgroup twice a week. What am I to do??? Of course there are a few Sunday school friends, but I can't say that they would have a clue who Amelia is. Let's face it, babies in class for 45 minutes hardly have "social time". They are busy watching bubbles, eating cheerios & puffs, and patting bibles! And of course learning all about God & Jesus! So I'm putting it out there.....

AFB (adorable female baby) SEEKING OTHER AB IN NEED OF PLAY DATES. LOVES PEEK-A-BOO, PAT-A-CAKE, STROLLER RIDES, AND MOST FOODS. HAIR OPTIONAL. RESPOND SOON & SECURE YOUR INVITATION TO MY ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY PARTY....

Pathetic, huh?

Let's see if I can leave this post with a picture..........

I couldn't belive it when I walked outside & Christian had done this. Ansley was zipping all over the yard with Amelia's baby fat jiggling. Now I can't take her outside without her lunging for the Gator.

The Old Are Gold

2008-02-15T06:24:00.004-06:00

I'm going to keep this one basic, as noone wants me to commence wailing:

We went to North Carolina the other weekend.
Only there 24 hours.
Our friends welcomed us with waving arms and laughter, great food, and a comfy home to rest.
Our kids played like mad the entire time.
I laughed and cried.

I love that place and miss it like crazy.

It's amazing how these kids are like siblings. (In the good way) They never miss a beat, even if it has been several months since seeing each other. They truly love one another.

In Need of Nutritional Help!

2008-01-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

This past week and the week ahead do not bode well for my family, nutritionally speaking. I was on such a roll, planning meals & having warm food on the table at 5:30 every night. Until this past week. Due to no more breastfeeding, my appetite has hit rock bottom. I did not say I was not hungry, I just don't know what I want to eat. Nothing sounds good, therefor I do not want to cook anything.

I officially nursed Amelia for the last time on Tuesday. As sad as it was to officially breastfeed a baby for perhaps the last time, I am trying to stay positive. We had 10 good months and it is kind of nice to not be scarfing down 4,000+ calories a day and drinking 70-80 ounces of water. While I looovvve to eat, it was almost stressful.

Luckily this lull hit at the exact week that Christian makes his 1 meal for the year, GUMBO! I must admit he does it quite well. (Even if he is so hard-headed that when I entered the kitchen due to a smoky smell and turned down the heat because the roux was scorching, hepromptly reached up and put it back on high and suggested I leave the kitchen....Minutes later a stinky smoke filled the house and the smell lingered for 3 days!) Anyway....the gumbo lasted us most of the week. Eaten by Christian & Gabe mainly. Ansley can survive on crumbs if necessary and I am surviving on a steady diet of brownies & slim-fast.

Okay, don't start with me....I do not drink slimfast as a meal-replacement, rather as a supplement or chocolately snack if you will. About once a year I will pick up a 6 pack of the "rich chocolate royale" flavor at target. So, for the record, I am not on a diet! Plus, as I mentioned, I have officially polished off a pan of Triple Decadence Brownies single-handed! I didn't even tell the children I had made brownies...Until, Ansley smelled chocolate on my breath when I sat down beside her to read! (Can't sneak chocolate past that girl!)
Proof:

Yes, every last bite was decadent!

Chocolate seems to be hitting the spot! This madness must not continue! So I am soliciting any help...recipes, advice, etc.. Occasionally I will check Erin's friend Amy's blog and I love how she has "What's Cooking at the Shertzers This Week" section. Wow! How wonderful that she feeds her family so well! I have scoured magazines, recipe books, http://www.myrecipes.com/ and countless other sources. I am not in the mood to cook anything!

At least the baby does not suffer. I can keep her happy with lots of healthy variety. My latest quick & healthy feeds for her include individual snack size packs of frozen organic edamame. Just toss them in the diaper bag and they thaw in no time for an on-the-go snack! She loves these, even if I do see some of them whole the next day (you know where I'm talking about!) Also, I can slice open a ripe avocado and spoon it out to her, or better yet, just chop it up & put it on her tray. Yummy! Other favorites: baked sweet potatoes, green beans, cheese-filled raviolis (without sauce), bananas, and of course, Cheerios. For the record, she loved the gumbo too! There's not much she doesn't like. However, she is no longer crazy about the Gerber meat sticks. Probably for the best. They make sparks in the microwave. I was terribly concerned about this at first, wondering if my baby was ingesting trace metals, but thanks to Google, I learned that foods with high mineral content (i.e., green beans) and apparently meat sticks will spark! Go figure.

Okay, I just decided....Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes with Green Beans tonight. Not bad....

So whoever's reading, COMMENT! Let's hear what's cookin' at your house this week!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2008-01-24T13:30:00.000-06:00

I could write an entire book with this title. You just never know what there going to say (& to whom they will say it!) This has to be in writing somewhere for the record.

Over the Christmas holiday, we traveled to see Christian's family in Mississippi. We arrived at his Dad & Stepmom's (aka..Bobo & Bebe) house and began unloading gifts. As Gabe was carefully placing each present under the tree he was reading the names on the tags. The last present was brought in by mistake. It was for Christian's mom. (aka..Grandmother) This is how it unfolded:

Gabe, shaking his index finger in Bebe's direction, says, "Bebe, I don't know if you know this or not, but Grandmother is Bobo's real wife."

Bobo enters the room & hears of this statement. He corrects Gabe, "Bebe is my real wife".

"Is Grandmother your fake wife?"

"Grandmother is my ex-wife."

"Are you kiddin' me?!?"

She did it anyway!

2008-01-22T20:51:00.000-06:00

Ansley turned 4!

For months now we have teased Ansley that she was not allowed to be "four". That only 3 candles would be on her cake because 4 just sounded too big! She loved this attention that turning 4 was bringing on and would giggle and shout, "No, I want to be four!" to which we would say, "how old are you now?" and she would answer emphatically, "FFRREE!" That is why we want her to stay three..I mean ffrree. How cute is it to be "ffrree"? I know that with turning 4 she will probably learn to say "three" and also learn to say "yellow" instead of "lellow". We love "frree" and "lellow". I think Ansley too realizes that with growing up comes more responsibilities like not sucking her thumb anymore. (well at least not during the day) Tonight after prayers she said, "Mommy, I didn't want to turn 4. I want to stay 3 (ffrree)."

I said, "Oh, 4 will be great, probably even better than 3".

She said, "Mommy, when I am 6, will I still be pretty? And when I'm six will you still pretend I'm ffrree?"

Of course you know what I said next.

(I'm not sure why she is concerned with 6 over 5??? Maybe because Gabe is 5 and things have worked out fine for him. Being 6 is unchartered territory in this house, so who knows what is in store for 6 year olds!?)

The Party

Mmmm, "pupcakes" as Ansley likes to call them.

It seems that birthday celebrations last a week around here. You know, have the party on the weekend and then the actual birthday another day, not to mention a preschool celebration. (Which thankfully fell on the actual birth-day.) Today we celebrated at preschool with yummy cupcakes, at home with presents from family, and a special birthday dinner request...pizza at Bellacinos. A favorite partially because they also serve ice cream. A fun day in all.

Turning 4 at school is great because you get to wear
the special birthday hat.

So much fun to have Mommy, Daddy, & Amelia there too!

What a great class!

As for the Official party, we had an Art Party. Complete with painting your own canvas, decorating your own cupcakes, miscellaneous art, such as foam stickers, markers, crayons, dot paint, and any other creations on the art easels set up around the room. Each little girl took home an art smock with their name on it and a treat bag with a water color strip and painting pad. It seemed that everyone had a good time not to mention the moms that seemed to enjoy the chocolate fountain!

Official invitation

Painting canvases

Dipping chocolate!

Strawberries AND Marshmallows...mmmm

Ansley with her gifts from family.

Dear Ansley,

I love you Ansley Claire! I can't believe that 4 years ago today you came into this world at 3 a.m. and I was sooo excited to have a little girl that instead of resting I lay in my bed watching the clock until 6 a.m. I thought this was a reasonable time to call everyone and tell them the exciting news! You are the joy of my world! I guess it is okay to be 4, but let's not even start thinking about 5 yet!
I love you!
Mommy

Writer's Strike Over

2008-01-12T20:11:00.001-06:00

Well, maybe not for the networks, but it has become apparent to me that no one is missing my blogging enough to start paying me money to do it. So maybe if I return, so will the network writers. Now that the last Grey's Anatomy has aired, what am I going to do with myself?? I have purposefully not watched the last two new episodes in effort to drag it out and give everyone time to get their act together, so don't tell me what's going on! I'm just going to pretend that we are on a little break and the world will be right again soon.

So of course a lot has happened since I last blogged. Christmas was wonderful despite the croup that seems to invade our home every Christmas. Once again Ansley was stricken with that horrible barky cough that sneaks up in the middle of the night...yes, Christmas Eve. 3 AM to be exact. Santa had already visited, visions of sugar plums were dancing in my head, and then I was awakened by a horrible noise that could have been mistaken for reindeer grunting on the roof top, but no. It was Ansley. After 30 minutes of trying everything from hanging her head out the window (30 degrees outside..brrr...) and a steamy shower, I looked at Christian with tired eyes and said, "I bet the peds ER is dead and we could get in & out with a quick breathing treatment and a dose of steroids". I mean, it's Christmas day and it's going to be a long one...maybe this will get her through the day. So off I went at around 3:45. We were home by 5:30 and got a little nap in before it was time to get up and check out what Santa had left.

That little illness circled through the family for the next 2 weeks. And now for a whole week we have been illness free and back in school. (yes, I know I just jinxed us!) It is always nice to get back to normal and start a new year. A couple of my goals....to feed the family better (good so far)and of course exercise (so far so good). 2008 is going to be good..I can feel it!

A 2008 kid update so far...

Gabe is sooo 5 years old...excuse me...5 & 3/4! Constant power ranger moves, sound effects galore (some good, some bad), and forever talking. LOUD. He has really matured though and is growing "into his skin" a bit more. I see lots of confidence blooming and ENERGY LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN! Which I make a big deal about considering when he was 2 & 3 and most of his peers were running amok and wreaking havoc, Gabe was just happy to lay around and hold his "other-bear" or sit in my lap and cuddle. Even to the point that our then pediatrician ran a battery of tests on him to find out if there was an underlying cause. Well let me tell you he is normal now & making up for lost time!

He also had an "awesome report card" (to quote his teacher) with all S's. Except for shoe-tying which Gabe quickly placed blame on his slacker parents saying, "if y'all would just teach me to tie my shoes, I would have had all S's". Okay, guilty. I love Velcro. He does have a pair of Sunday shoes that lace and that too shall be a goal of 2008.

An unscripted example of Gabe "being 5".

Ansley continues to be our biggest source of entertainment. Wild with laughter (and sometimes seriously dramatic tears), singing, dancing, dressing up in all kinds of get-up, and letting one-liners fly out of her mouth. Like when her Daddy was telling her for the 2nd time to be sure and potty before bed and she looked up and said in the sweetest little questioning voice, "Are you my conscience?"

A big accomplishment...Lambie is now staying in the bed all day! A huge deal considering he was her left hand appendage for 3 1/2 years. But best of all, no thumb sucking during the day!!! Yay!!! Hopefully this will put an end to some of those nasty colds she tends to pick up. She is as strong-willed as ever with a definite opinion about everything...especially clothing! She needs to be a guest on the show "What Not To Wear". With a closet full of precious boutique clothing, her outfit of choice is usually a tattered, tired, hand-me-down, spaghetti strap floral dress that has certainly seen better days. If it peaks 60 outside, Ansley puts on that dress! Why haven't I tossed it out or packed it away?? I don't know!! Ever since Christmas she hardly leaves the house without her new "bride veil" on. I must admit it is pretty cute and draws her lots of attention. She gets asked a lot if she is getting married to which I have gotten her to reply a time or two, "just looking for eligible bachelors". There are many other fashion concoctions that we battle with daily. Shall this too pass? I'm having my doubts...

On a delightful note, her curls are in full bloom and getting tighter each year. Not a day goes by that she doesn't hear at least half a dozen compliments. And that is no exaggeration! She loves them too for now, but I'm certain that before we know it, she will be asking for a flat iron.

Amelia, oh sweet little baby Amelia. Just when I think I can't be any more smitten I find myself even more deeply obsessed! She may be the sweetest one yet with her need for snuggles and open mouth kisses on request. She has found the joy of standing and being able to reach new things, loves eating whatever the family is eating for dinner, and is still working on new babbles. I stare at her in amazement wishing I could freeze the moment and come back to it over & over in the future. I know these moments are so brief and will be lost in time. I hope this post helps me to remember the way her cheeks feel cool & squishy when I kiss them. The way her hair feels beneath my chin and smells like the pure essence of baby. The way her eyes smile. The precious way she bobs up and down to music, excitement, or just because we do it first and she copies just to make us happy.

I suppose that's enough for now. And since my blogger's strike has ended, I'll be back soon!

...These Are a Few of My Favorite Things....

2007-12-23T22:09:00.000-06:00

I have this picturesque version in my mind of what Christmas "should" look like. Don't we all? Of course it comes from those commercials where the kids bustle in from playing in the snow, all smiles, sit down to hot chocolate and the smell of fresh baked cookies. And of course, mom in her khakis and apron, and kids in their matching attire all smile and giggle as they look at the Christmas tree in a perfectly neat house with carols playing in the background...ugghh... Why do I try to re-create this scene at my house every year, only to end up exhausted and discouraged that my kids came in from playing, whining and tattling, spilling the hot chocolate that one of them burned their tongue on and the other complaining that they don't even like hot chocolate! The cookies do smell good (baking I can do!) but the house is a disaster and the baby is on my hip wanting to be fed and I keep forgetting to turn on those blasted carols!

However some of my attempts are not so feeble and are my favorite things.

My new "S" wreath.

I love it. I ordered it from Ballard Designs. And it was on sale! There. One of my most favorite new things this season. The best part is that it will be one of my favorites for years to come because it is artificial! (and you would never know it from looking...even closely!)

Lighted Grapevine Balls in the Jackson Vine...

Love these too! I wanted to be tastefully festive outdoors and the kids of course want lights. So here we have the perfect combination.

Christian snapped these for me because it was frigid outside. He didn't even notice that Amelia was at the door looking to see where Daddy went. (no she isn't walking yet...just pulling up to things)

My basket of Christmas cards.

I LOVE GETTING CHRISTMAS CARDS IN THE MAIL!!! There is never a more fun time of year to check the mail than December. When I here the mailman at the door, I drop everything and rush to see whose card arrived and what their kids are looking like this year and what other news they have to share...like new babies on the way (learned that about 2 old friends from their cards), new homes, and other family accomplishments! I used to place the pictures in a special "FRIENDS" album each year, however the past 2 years cards are neatly stacked and still awaiting to be placed. It will happen!...eventually...perhaps when the kids are in college.

The Advent Calendar.

This was Christian's when he was growing up and was graciously handed down to us a couple years ago by Grandmother. I love this and so do the kids. They take turns each day pinning a felt, sequined, ornament on the tree. Very nostalgic. Love it.

The Fontanini Nativity Set.

Also started by Grandmother a few years ago. Gabe & Ansley get excited for this particular holiday decor before the boxes even come down from the attic. G'mother adds a new piece every year, and this year each child got a wiseman on a camel. I have warm memories of Ansley toting around baby Jesus when she was 11 months old and just trying to make sure she didn't eat him. And Gabe loving "walky donkey" that he named the donkey that stands when he was 2. This will always be precious.

The Elf on A Shelf.

If you have not started this tradition for your family, you must next year. Sooo cute! This elf is magic and comes with a great storybook to explain it all. He sits in a new place daily and watches your every move and reports back to Santa each night. You will find him in a new spot every morning. Gabe & Ansley run through the house looking for him every morning. Today he was found hanging on a picture frame!

A present under the tree for me???

Who wouldn't love that?

These babies....

They definitely put the magic in Christmas. There is no explaining the love you have for your children and it adds a special ache to your heart to think of Mary and her precious baby boy and how much she loved him and the man she raised him to become and the gift he gave to us all...

Soooo, at the end of the day, exhausted from my efforts...some not so successful, I have to remind myself that it is not about any of these favorite things, but about our Savior and how he was born here just to save us. Happy Birthday Jesus!

I hope that everyone enjoys all that the holiday has to offer from Hot Chocolate & fun traditions to pretty ribbons and lights, and most of all the reason for the season!

The Shephard that was a donkey

2007-12-06T20:09:00.000-06:00

Oh, how I love school Christmas programs. So sweet, so fresh. You just never know what you're gonna get. For instance, last year we told Gabe, "Say your lines loud & sing out so that mommy & daddy can hear you!" Little did we know that this would be interpreted, shout as loud as I can in one tone. Needless to say it was a hoot and made for a very memorable Christmas program.

Okay admit it...of course every parents pride would swell a wee bit if your child were to come home & say,"I'm going to be Joseph in the play" (or Mary if it were your daughter). Of course, these are important roles in the Christmas story right? Also holding merit are the wise men, then shephards. And falling down the list are the oxen, sheep, then....the donkey.

Gabe came home & told me he was the donkey.

Of course I was proud of him & told him he would make a precious donkey & how lucky he was this year to not have to memorize any lines!

I tried not to say this in a reassuring voice, because I didn't want him to know the secret order of importance in the nativity!....apparently I failed.

This morning he woke up and decided to be grumpy when his feet hit the floor.

"I don't want to be in the play" he said with a whine.
He chalked it up to being nervous in front of "all those people".
Of course I reassured him as any parent would and we went on to school dressed in gray sweatpants...aka...donkey attire.

Approximately 1 hour later, Christian received the phone call at home to please come to school, with khaki pants!?

Apparently Gabe threw an all-out 3-year-old-style fit, protesting to NOT be the donkey...blaming it on the fact that the Donkey top...aka...hooded grey sweatshirt with ears, was 3 sizes too big. (true)

Much to his luck, one of the shephards was out due to an unfortunate bout of Strep-throat, leaving an opportunity open for Gabe to indeed move up the ladder of Nativity status. This pleased Gabe immensely and he dropped the stage fright talk like a hot potato. He was indeed a great shephard. (Even if he did once pretend his crook was a rifle, taking aim at some unfortunate grandparent in the audience).

Sometimes things do work out, if even to another's disadvantage.

.....I hope we do not get strep-throat.....!

Moving right along....

This year was Ansley's first Christmas program. She was an angel. Excuse me, the best Angel! and sang all her lines beautifully. Even her rendition of Joy to the World. This is the song that her teachers said to please practice. Apparently it's a toughie for 3 year olds. Well, if you know Ansley at all, when she thinks she's right...she's right! There isn't much changing her mind on what the words really are. So I made sure to zoom in on the video so we could read her lips at all her made up words. Oh she sang out alright. Just some of the words are random. Like, "let every part, repair the broom. In heaven & nature sing"...etc....

Or my favorite..."jack solanson". This is her interpretation for "deck the halls with".

I'll say it again...I LOVE YOU ANSLEY...thanks for keeping us entertained!

Can't wait till next year's Christmas program.

Oh, I have to add this! My friend Ginger just called to give me a brief synopsis of her child's preschool Christmas program tonight......Her little boy cried so hard not wanting to be in the play that he vomited on his angel costume just before it started and was sent out to sit with his parents instead! Mom was not happy....

I'm tellin' you, you've gotta love preschool Christmas programs!

Coffee Talk

2007-12-06T19:46:00.000-06:00

Well, there usually isn't coffee, but sometimes after-dinner conversation with a 3 & 5 year old can be pretty engaging. There's the normal stuff, like, how was school today?, who did you play with?, who's the nicest person in your class?, who's the cutest girl/boy?, and other little inquiries that usually stimulate some interesting thoughts or end up on a giggling tangent. Well, Tuesday nights conversation with Ansley definitely ended up in new territory. It went something like this....

"Mommy, I'm done breast-feeding lambie."

I give her a look that says...tell me more...

"I'm weaning..."

"How is lambie eating now?" I ask.

"He's taking a bottle. He likes it."

"Why did you stop nursing?" I ask.

get ready......

"When he was finished, he would bite my nipple!"

I did not see that one coming.

My response was simply..."good reason!"

I LOVE THREE YEAR OLDS! Especially you Ansley!!!!

How did this happen?

2007-11-30T13:45:00.000-06:00

How did this little bundle of baby become such a real, interactive person in such a short period of time?? I have not been diligent about keeping the blog updated with Amelia's milestones, but let me catch up today. This little sweetie is sooo on the go! October 23 she began crawling on all fours...and on a mission! (Which enabled her to be at my feet at all times, making her quite happy!) We've even had a couple of pull-ups...not quite ready for that one. With pull-ups come fall-downs. This I can wait on!

About 3 weeks ago I felt her 1st tooth (bottom right) poke through those sweet little pink gums. And then a week later, the other. Now that toothless grin sports two little white bumps peeking out. No major biting...yet, thankfully!

It is getting even better. Just when I was getting discouraged because the child had uttered not a consonant (and according to the books, we were lagging behing on the babbles), low & behold, Monday she began alot of ba buh buhs (which Gabe insists is Buba for "brother"). And my prize moment, Ma-ma! No sweeter sound to a mommy!

Even on the go, she still finds time to give me sweet baby lovin'. Like when I say..."gi-momma-kiss" she can plant me with a wide open mouth dripping with slobber and of course I think it is the sweetest thing ever! This along with her wild laughter has won me over.

Am I gloating a bit?? Are you thinking..blah, blah, blah with all this incessant baby banter??? If so, mission accomplished. After all, I am the mommy and who else is going to do this job of making her rotten to the core?

Oh so thankful!

2007-11-24T21:48:00.000-06:00

I love this time of year and especially the Thanksgiving holiday. Certainly, we have lots to be thankful for! Here are just a few of the simple things:

First of all, I am thankful for our health (despite the 3 week long post-disney-grunge virus that has spanned our family!)

I am thankful that this Thanksgiving, I hardly cooked a thing, except for Pumpkin Crisp! The ever-so easy & yummy, no-fail, crowd-pleaser. Check it out here.

I am thankful for great friends , especially long-distance ones, who take time for visits.
Thank you Trinh family for a wonderful visit last week!

I think Millie might have been taken against her will?!

Best buddies forever...

Isn't that great laughter?! Ansley adores Chloe.

More friend-thankfulness:

This is Harrison & Ansley together. He belongs to my oldest-best friend (time reference, not age!) and the two of them are only 5 days apart. Also, they are secretly betrothed! I can't remember what made Harrison sport his "pout-face", but I'm sure it was just more of the same 3-year-old drama that Ansley doses me with daily!

I am thankful for the leaves that fall and give my kiddos hours of fun.

love this action shot...

I am thankful for Ansley's beautiful curls.

I am thankful for Christian's newfound interest in photography. (& thankful for Erin's tips!)

I am thankful for babies. Love them, love them. Check out my newest baby love...The Cobb family brought a new baby into the neighborhood this week and I am so excited!

And this baby too...she will be so sharp-minded after eating all these ginkgo leaves!

She was shoving these leaves into her mouth faster than I could snap a photo...and chewing like they were candy!

Amelia is thankful for bath-time! When you start running the water she gets very impatient waiting to get in & play.

This is in no way an inclusive list, but just a little sampling of the good things life has to offer & be thankful for!

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

2007-11-13T20:41:00.000-06:00

That is all we here around the house since our return from Disney on Friday! 5 fabulous days of Disney World!! Our trip got off to a great start when we arrived at our Hotel- The Grand Floridian. As I stood in the lobby looking all haggard & tired from an 11 hour drive, toting a baby, with 2 little kids on each leg asking where is Daddy ?(parking the car), when are we going to our room?, where's Mickey?, and countless other questions, the hotel manager approached me and said he had a surprise for us. When Christian arrived, we were escorted to the center of this gorgeous, luxurious lobby and a band on a balcony began to play...to us! "Ladies & Gentlemen, please welcome our Family of the Day, The Scales family from Huntsville, Alabama!" The kids were handed huge bouquets of balloons, an official "Family of the Day" certificate and they made our picture. We were put on a golf cart with all our luggage and given a brief tour of the resort and taken to our wonderful room! Setting pretty high standards for our 1st visit to D-World!

That night we had dinner with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Drizella & Anastasia, and the kids loved it. They got really into the whole autograph/picture thing! By the end of the week we had collected 20-30 signatures in their books.

Amelia loved the rides as much as anybody!
She saw most of Disney from this primo-spot on mine or Christian's chest. And to be 7 months old, I think she rode everything that didn't have a height requirement.

The Pigtail Princess.
Nothing would do but for Ansley to wear pigtails everyday, and I couldn't have been more delighted, taming those wild curls out of her eyes!

Waiting on the ferry boat.
About 20 steps outside our hotel door, we could just hop on the boat and be at the Magic Kingdom entrance in 5 minutes. It was great, and a ride all it's own!

Well, Gabe didn't become ruler over all of England on this trip, but he said "it wiggled a little", so we are fairly certain that on our next trip to Magic Kingdom, he will definitely be bigger & stronger and able to pull it out.

Our last night....we managed to shut the park down most nights and the fireworks just got better & better. Seeing Tinkerbell fly down from the top of the castle was so magical! We are all in agreement that it is the Happiest Place on Earth!

Happy Halloween....(better late than never!)

2007-11-13T20:18:00.000-06:00

Halloween is one of my most-favoritist holidays! I love decorating, dressing up the kids, and most of all eating candy! The weather was perfect for trick-or-treating and needless to say G & A had a blast. Gabe was a very convincing (&original) Harry Potter, and Ansley, last minute, decided to be Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. Amelia was a baby chick just hatching from an egg... Precious! This was recycled from Ansley's 1st Halloween. I simply put her in the Bjorn and cut out "eggshell" from foam paper and also made a little eggshell hat. I just velcroed it onto the Bjorn with stick-on velcro. So simple and it got lots of compliments. Even with our normal high volume of trick-or-treaters, somehow we still have large volumes of chocolate lingering aroung the house. Always buy the good-stuff just in case that happens!

The best part (& Gabe's favorite) was the talking pumpkin across the street. This pumpkin carried on conversation with Gabe for 10 minutes at a time! (We made 3 trips over just to converse with The Talking Pumpkin. Hilarious what you can do with a speaker and a willing individual behind an open window & blinds. It made for an unforgettable halloween!

Family Beach Trip 2007

2007-11-02T23:21:00.000-05:00

Well here they finally are... a peak at our beach weekend a couple of weeks ago. I know I have lots of catching up to do and I promise to do better! We have been super busy around here and some days I long to blog, but just can't seem to get it done. No interesting commentary here, I'm just going to get straight to the pictures!

This moment is never one of the more enjoyable times at the beach...getting all the little ones (& some of the big ones too!) coralled for a family picture is no easy task. Mainly for my children who loathe having their picture taken! But now that Christian has learned how to "head swap" in photoshop, we were able to get most everyone looking in the general direction.

Sweet Amelia loved having her photo session! There are so many great shots, but I'll try not to bore you!

Amelia's 1st toe-dip in the surf

Ansley's best pose(s)

Christian's favorite

My favorite...soooo Ansley

This one Erin helped helped out with a little editing. I love how it brought the picture more to life with all the great color.

Thanks for not giving up on me blogging world! I will return... if not this week, maybe next!

Harvest Time!

2007-10-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

Corn, cotton, soybeans and most importantly PUMPKINS is what you will find being grown & harvested at Tate Farm, a field trip meca! Gabe's kindergarten class had a BIG time there on Friday, and Ansley, Amelia & I got to tag along. This must surely be the south's largest pumkin patch and is ran like a well oiled machine. 2 hours of scheduled activity from snacks, bunny petting, going on a Sunflower field tour, playing in giant cribs of corn, corn train ride, hayride to pumpkin patch, hay bale maze, and an awesome barnyard playground to name a few! I'll spare you any more details, the pictures speak for themselves:

"The Corn Train"

Amelia basking in CORN!

Ansley making corn angels?

Gabe being buried in corn...how fun!

Pick of the crop

After selecting & cutting our very own pumpkins.

Needless to say, Amelia was field-tripped out.
She slept with her head in my hand for a good 30 minutes!

Let's Play Catch-up...

2007-10-14T14:57:00.000-05:00

Fall Break officially ends today, which means back to school tomorrow...fooey! Back to getting dressed 1st thing in the morning (I love pajamas till lunch days), back to 8:00 bedtimes (we pulled a couple 10:00 nights just hangin' out because we could!), no impromptu morning playdates (like botanical gardens). We started off the week by decorating our porch for the season....a gentle mix between spooky & harvest-time. The kids loved putting every fake spider we have in the webs (& you'd be surprised just how many that is!)

In case you were wondering, Gabe will be Harry Potter for Halloween!

Aren't these cool giant lily pads?

This scarecrow at the Botanical Gardens won 1st prize on the Scarecrow Trail.

Gabe excavated a T-Rex at the Children's Garden

Just being Superheroes hangin' out in a tree.

Including Amelia Jane...

Last but not least...Grandmother is here!

True Southerner

2007-10-03T22:08:00.001-05:00

Every southern girl loves sweet tea, right? This picture was from Amelia's 1st "spend-the-night-with-grandparents" a couple of weeks ago. (sorry for the long absence)

You've gotta love it when grandparents sneak around and do things for your kids that they would never have done when you were a kid. Much less, do things that you would never do for your kids! This is what I caught them doing when I heard giggling in the kitchen. I walked in the room, and said, "What's going on?" and saw my sweet little untainted, nothing-but-breastmilk-ever baby having a taste of sweet tea!

If this were child #1, I might have freaked, but being #3 I have to admit it was kind of cute to see her little face experience this wonderful new flavor! I remember (before I had children) when they were watching my sister's kids and the kids were up at 11pm (ages 2 & 4 at the time) jumping on the bed with a baggie full of fruit-loops. (I think one of them even got a lollipop on request!)I knew then that these were not trust worthy people, but people with a motive...a motive to create rotten kids and return them as if it were some kind of vengeful repayment! ....Or maybe just incredibly loving grandparents wanting to give their grandbabies the joy of anything the parents might be depriving them of.
I remember walking in on Bebe & Bobo giving Gabe a glazed doughnut when he was 11 months old. So much for the first real junk on your first birthday! I guess that's what grandparents are for!

A Decade of Marital Bliss!

2007-09-20T22:33:00.000-05:00

Okay, the title might be a bit overboard, but today we celebrate our 10th year of marriage and I can't find much to complain about. Actually, I couldn't be happier when I look back over the last 10 years of marriage + 4 years of dating! Wow, it seems like just yesterday we had our 1st date! Check us out...how young! I was 19 and he was 20! Babies I tell you!! Who knew that night, that one day we would be here, all 5 of us just as happy as can be! Life is good!

For the record, yes, I asked him out on our 1st date. It was winter formal, and that cute boy that sat near me in nutrition class would be my date. But as I always say, "Anyone can ask someone on a 1st date, but for him to ask me on a 2nd date, meant something."

I also must include a few wedding day photos:

September 20th, 1997
The first day of the rest of our lives...

I love being married to you Christian. You are a wonderful husband and daddy. I look forward to many more "decade" anniversaries!

Life just happens

2007-09-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...I've been MIA for like, more than a week. I have no great excuses other than life just happens! Seems as if I've had the single-parent thing going on lately with the hubby's work schedule & travel plans, but I'm holding my own. Or at least I thought I was...
Tonight as I was directing the kiddos in their nightly routines, (bath, teeth, potty, etc...) out of the blue, Gabe suggested, "You should get one of those stress balls to carry around in your pocket, and that way when your stressed or worn out, you could just pull it out and squeeze on it". That simple! Wow, if a little stress ball squeezin' is all I need, that's easy. Poor little guy, I guess my short fuse is quite apparent to him! As a friend stated, "Gabe is a 30 year old in a 5 year old body". For instance, if I park on an incline, he always asks, "Did you put on the emergency break?", or "Mommy! You just crossed a double line!" I guess he is here to keep me in line. Meanwhile, I'm going to go look for that stress ball!

Go Orange Crush!

2007-09-09T22:09:00.000-05:00

Gabe had an awesome time playing soccer at his Saturday game! He really got in there and enjoyed himself...and scored 3 goals in the process! We were so proud of him and I think he was pretty proud of himself as well. Maybe I'm a bit prejudice, but I'll say he is the best on the team. (I'm sure some of the other parents may beg to differ!) The team needed a name, and Gabe piped up with "ORANGE CRUSH' when the coach asked for ideas...So Orange Crush it is. We got a few more action shots this week, but are still working on getting some of him actually scoring...but I've got confidence that there will be another chance! I'm loving Slide.com!

Look Mom, No Hands!

2007-09-09T21:32:00.000-05:00

This is our latest trick! Last week (Monday, for the record) Amelia decided she was just ready to sit up. Imagine my surprise when I just plopped her on the floor to see what would happen, and she stayed upright! It doesn't last terribly long yet, but we're working up to a full minute. She is proud of herself and I am proud to hopefully be getting rid of some of these baby "devices" that are forevermore cluttering our floor! ...now if we can just master rice cereal!

I FOUGHT THE PASSY AND THE...PASSY WON!

I know Grandmother is cringing at the site of this! I have never been a fan of the passy, and neither have any of our children....until now. After 5 months of protecting her from the "mouth-plug" (which is what it looks like) and waiting for her to find her thumb, Amelia decided she would like a little passification from time to time! I must admit it comes in pretty handy in church, on long car rides, and when she's just generally in a fussy mood. I guess it will be easier to take away..just ask Ansley who gets a dose of thumb medicine on occasion to help her curb the addiction. "THUM" has a combo of cayenne pepper, acetone, and some other nasty ingredients to deter the thumb-sucking. Who knows, I'm still holding out hope that I'll walk in her room some morning to get her out of bed, only to find her in a peaceful, far-away place, going to town on her thumb!

10 to 1...

2007-09-06T11:54:00.000-05:00

That was the score...10 to 1. 10 being the score of the gray team. (note the color of Gabe's jersey)..... Although a win was not achieved at our 1st soccer game Tuesday night, Gabe gave emphatic Victory arms any time the ball went beyond the boundary lines! Goal or no goal, he was just thrilled to be a part of the team! In the orange team's defense,our completely novice players consisted of two 3 year olds, two 4 year olds, and two of the smallest 5 year olds in the league, while the gray team had some big husky boys who obviously lied on their entry forms! They looked every bit of 6! The best part for Gabe is that we played against his new best friend from school. Gabe cheered more for him than his own team! I loved it! He had sooo much fun and it was obvious by all his hustling and excitement he showed while on the field. Here are the best shots I got. Dad said he is in charge of the camera next game.

Oh yes...drinking water on the sidelines is very cool! (and isn't he a cutie!)

James Taylor vs. Lynyrd Skynard

2007-09-03T21:27:00.000-05:00

Hmmm....We just returned from a fabulous weekend with friends in North Carolina and I can't decide which song is playing in my head...Sweet Home Alabama or Carolina In My Mind.

Of course, it always feels good to come home from a vacation, but leaving NC is always bittersweet. We have so much fun hanging out with friends and watching our kiddos play together again, but then you have to leave, which always provokes a tear or two.

We obviously have the most wonderful friends in the world! Our weekend started Friday where we were welcomed with open arms and lunch! Friday night we celebrated Steve's birthday at the pool where all the kids showed off their skills learned from their summer of fun. My how everyone has grown! It seems like just yesterday we were all teetering in the shallow end with floaties and now our babies are jumping off the diving board and swimming like fish!

Saturday we were invited to attend a princess birthday party for some dear friends from our old church...how sweet of them to include us! Give us an excuse to don click-clack shoes (aka high-heel-dress-up-shoes) and any combination of tutus & disney princess attire, and Ansley is there!
After an afternoon of visiting even more sweet friends, Barbara & I made it out (free of children!) for our customary trip to The Jewel Box where a small purchase of cool jewelry is mandatory! Even if you don't see anything to die for, you must purchase something!

Later, with babysitter secured, we headed over to the Hirsts for an evening of good food and laughter...a great combination. There is nothing like a good round of "The Name Game" to get everyone rolling and really bring out the best (and worst) of us!
Lastly, we went to our old church Sunday morning where we saw lots of our all-time favorite people.
Thanks Hirst & Trinh family for sacrificing even a little more of your hectic Sunday schedules to see us off with a great lunch (just like old times)...we miss you & love you all!

Weekend In Review...

2007-08-27T09:26:00.000-05:00

Wow! What a fun weekend we had! Aside from Christian pulling an extra all-night shift Friday night, Saturday morning started the trail of fun for Gabe & Ansley. First there was soccer practice (of course, Gabe was the best player on the field!) , then Gabe went to a birthday party for a new friend at school that was a fun water party..pool, sprinklers, water slides...he had a great time.

Saturday afternoon Gabe successfully mastered the road without training wheels!

Move over Lance!

With all the bike practice this week, we realized that Ansley's knees were knocking the handle bars of the tricycle, so of course this prompted a trip to Target for a new big-girl bike that just couldn't wait until Christmas...

I don't know if I've ever seen anything so girlie! It came complete with flower-reflectors, shiny handlebar streamers, backpack (to safely transport lambie), and most importantly the pink barbie water bottle! Ansley stops about every 10 feet to rehydrate. A girl's gotta stay cool in 100 degree heat!

Kudos to dad for all the bike chasing he did this weekend!

A trip to the neighborhood pool topped off a hot day....Gabe is now jumping off the big diving board and swimming to the ladder without anyone in the pool "just in case". I'll have to get a picture of this to post soon!

Christian & Gabe hit a little league baseball game on Sunday afternoon, followed by more bike riding, followed by church, followed by a Huntsville Stars game!

They even caught not one, but 2 foul balls!!! ...Check out all the people in the general admission section.... Thank goodness dad didn't have to get nasty with anyone to catch his kiddos a baseball!

I think it was nice having the stands to themselves. I forgot to even ask who won the game....my guess is, they didn't even care, because they got to eat pizza, m&m's & coke!

Their addition to the blog....we love you daddy!

This next photo lets you know how tired they were...Ansley didn't even make it to the bed...

Amelia update

2007-08-23T22:22:00.000-05:00

Today was a great day! Sweet Amelia Jane rolled over from back to front (we've long mastered the front to back roll). She was so proud of herself as was I! Naturally she would not perform for the video camera. So now I have about 10 minutes of footage of her lying on her back looking at me as if I'm crazy, while I in my best goofy-parent voice say "come-on...come-on...you can do it....show mommy how you roll..." while dangling toys & pacifiers to her left, just out of reach, in order to coax her into a roll. Kids will never miss an opportunity to make you look like an idiot.

We are lovin' the bumbo chair! (on loan from a friend) For all you mom's with baby's pre-sit up age (3-6 months), this is a fabulous find. While it is one more baby item to clutter the house, this one is sooo portable...As seen in above pictures, just take it outside and plop it on the patio table. She feels like such a big girl in it.

"Boo-Kitty"

2007-08-23T22:02:00.001-05:00

I just have to share this. This is my cat...1/2 cat, 1/2 human. This isn't just a fluke, this is boo-kitty's seated position of choice. The picture would be complete with a beer can & remote, don't you think?

Insexts in my house!

2007-08-23T21:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've said it before, this IS a clean, family site, but just think of it as a lesson in nature & not bug-porn. All I wanted to do is brush my teeth before going to bed...but this was staring me in the face on my bathroom mirror! I'm not sure which is more sad, the fact that I'm sharing this, or that I actually spent 10 minutes photographing it. I enjoy an opportunity to practice my photography and this shot on the mirror was just unavoidable.

"Ten on Tuesday"???

2007-08-21T21:04:00.000-05:00

1. Okay, I'm really not even sure what "Ten on Tuesday" means, but all you bloggers out there seem to do it, and I guess I'm somewhat of a crowd follower, so here it is! (yes, this is #1...I may have trouble coming up with 10..nothings??)

2. Today I had starbucks with a friend.

3. Today I had lunch at Thai Garden with a friend.

4. I am so blessed to have many wonderful friends!

5. On the other hand, my kids spent most of the afternoon separated in their rooms because they could not "be friends". I threatened to put them in daycare starting tomorrow....HELP!

6. I love the Dollar Tree...$24, 24 items! Actually, I hate "stuff", but I did purchase lots of shoe box sized bins to help organize my 3 year old. Miniature shoes for barbie, polly pocket parts, little girl "purse" junk, and the list goes on...these will all be the death of me!!!!!!!!!!!

7. Amelia napped with me today...a short nap, but it was pure bliss! Just when you think you couldn't possibly love them more, you fall even deeper in love! Babies are heaven on earth.

8. Tonight's dinner was a dinner by design creation...my new favorite place! I went yesterday and put together 6 scrumptious main dishes for my family. Now all I have to do is pull it out of the freezer, bake and throw together a salad or other side. No muss, no fuss!

9. I'm finally back to my pre-pregnancy weight!! :) Hooray!! (but not shape) :(

10. I'm pregnant again.

Gotcha KL!

(I had 10 minutes before you would get home from work and check my blog and couldn't think of a #10, Christian thought that would be funny....I guess not that funny.....)

How's that for "Ten on Tuesday"????

Amelia's blog debut

2007-08-18T21:52:00.002-05:00

It has been called to my attention that baby Amelia may be feeling a bit left out, so without further ado...

Last night we stayed out a bit later than usual with the kids, however after we were home and had the bigger kids tucked away for the night, Miss Amelia seized an opportunity for some undivided attention from mommy & dada. Being up later than she ever has been in her life, I plopped her on our bed and we showered her with kisses and cuddles for over an hour. It was pure bliss and we were rewarded with lots of grins, giggles, coos, and scrumptious baby lovin'! We are so smitten by this little bundle....I fear she may be rotten, rotten one day! After all our playing, she finally snuggled up with me just before conking out. The moment I was waiting for...

"It'll put hair on your chest!?"

2007-08-16T21:48:00.000-05:00

"It'll put hair on your chest"...that's what my dad would say when I was little to get me to eat something that seemed less than desirable, which wasn't uncommon in our house. My dad was, has been, and is known to provide a number of "wild game" on the dinner table. Do you want me to name a few? ...deer, quail, turkey, duck, rabbit, pheasant, ...it gets worse...possom, chitlin's (do you want to know what that is??) I'm certain the list goes on, but my memory has thankfully repressed some of my less fond childhood experiences.
Of course by now we all catch ourselves repeating those famous quips we heard from our parents. Well, this one was no exception. Last night we had a lovely meal of grilled venison, a nice tossed salad and cheese grits on the side. We are quite used to turned up noses at our table, and last night was no exception. Not to the deer meat, but the yummy cheese grits of all things! So out it rolled..."eat it Gabe, it'll put hair on your chest!" No sooner than those big brown eyes shot over to his Dad's general chest region did he scarf down those grits as if they were laced with pure sugar! And he asked for seconds! Well guess what? Today after school, I found him shirtless, with chin to chest looking down and stroking with one finger mid-chest. "Look mama...I am getting some chest hair!" Then he shouted for Daddy and turned to the get in direct light so that we too could marvel at his peach fuzz!
As I looked closer, he suggested I get my glasses! I ran with it! ...I wonder how much mileage I can get out of this one...brussel sprouts, liver??? Oh, and guess what he wanted for dinner tonight, and lots of it.....cheese grits!

A day of 1st's

2007-08-15T21:40:00.001-05:00

Well, today was the day. After all the photos and video hoopla, the entire family (dad was off today) loaded up to cart Gabe off to kindergarten. It went off with out a hitch..no tears, thankfully. My eyes watered once, but I think I just had something in my eye. My timid yet brave little boy mustered up some courage and made the best of his 1st day. My favorite part was not packing a lunch for the first time in a couple years! His 1/2 day kindergarten provides a warm cooked meal everyday. Today was...pizza & corn (& peaches). What is it with pizza & corn? A friend & I discussed this today. Do you remember that school cafeterias have always paired corn & pizza?? What is the deal with that? I mean, I don't see corn on the menu at Pizza Hut, or Papa Johns. Nonetheless, I think he liked it. (And I liked him not eating another PB&J for the 13oth day in a row.) My favorite part was when I asked him what they served for lunch & he said...."we had corn on the cob, but not on the cob...". I think he means whole kernal corn! I'm certain that not everyone thinks this is funny....but I'm the mommy & it's my job to think these things are cute.

Also today Ansley had her 1st ballet lesson, and if you've never seen about 6 little 3 year old girls in pink tights, leotard, chiffon ballet skirt & ballet shoes, then you've been missing out!

She had a blast twirling & tip-toeing! I am quite certain that these are not proper ballet terms, but I'm new to this whole ballet thing. Tomorrow she ventures of to her new preschool class. I think my babies are growing up! (sniff)

It's Finally Over....

2007-08-14T17:10:00.000-05:00

... Summer that is. The lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer. How I love the unscheduled, uneventful, wonderfully long days fo summer play. Is this picture the epitome of summer fun or what? (Man, I want a lake house!)

I can't believe it...tommorow is my baby's first day of KINDERGARTEN!!!!

Part of me is sooo excited for him and the other part of me wants to curl up in the fetal position and cry and remember when it was just the two of us cuddling all day.

I'll post tomorrow on how it goes!

The Inaugural Blog!

2007-08-14T16:22:00.000-05:00

Okay! Well here goes....my first blog entry ever. Why do I feel a twinge of stress? Does anyone really care what I am gonna write about? Do I actually have any free time to keep up with this? Maybe this is just the hobby I've been looking for? I have lots to learn about "blogging" and I'm going to learn along with my friend "Baba". If I were "blog-savvy", I would have her name linked to her new blog, which to date, is also empty. Bear with me, I am determined! (sort-of)....