Matthew 7:25

Summer 2011

2011-07-24T17:56:00.013-04:00

Maggie and Nana went to the Bluegrass Fair. Nana reported that Maggie was giddy the entire time. She loved the rides and wanted to ride them all over and over. Nana said she was perfectly behaved, and that they had a wonderful time together. Maggie of course wanted to go back the next morning.

While they girls were at the fair, Pap took the boys to the dirt race track! Again, loved it! I'm not sure who had more fun, Maggie or the boys! All three kids had a wonderful, memorable time with their Nana and Pap. What did we do? Enjoyed the quiet and had a nice dinner out at Saul Good.

We've made the decision to move the boys to the brand new Wellington Elementary. Although I'm sad for them to be out of my district, we're very excited for the opportunities Wellington will offer them. The boys are delighted with the move as they will be attending the same school as their cousins Caleb and Anna!

We've spent a lot of time at the ballpark this summer. Maggie has been a little trouper cheering the boys on in the hot, hot sun. This day she was so happy to see her best friend from Ms. Judy's, Cara. Cara's brother was also playing in the Bluegrass State Games.

We've been so busy this summer we haven't been able to spend much time with friends. Last week we had a fun outing to Orange Leaf with Sara, Ellie, and Olivia.

While we were getting the boys' hair cut last week, I decided to go ahead and get Maggie's trimmed and evened up a bit. It was her first hair cut. She loved every minute!

We hosted a fun Life Group night at our house. We were sad not to have the Coy's, but glad to see one another. The kids had a blast with shaving cream and a slip and slide. We enjoyed the adult time, but had a little clean up...

All Star tee ball was a big time commitment, but both boys improved significantly. Matthew is a very consistent hitter. He has a great swing, and runs very fast. He loves to slide, and he makes it look so easy! Austin has become a good fielder. He has started to be able to catch the ball and make good, hard throws. Austin loves to play baseball. He wants to throw outside with Jason everyday. He loves to practice and have games. Matthew has become an excellent player, but still prefers soccer. I think he needs the constant movement of soccer.

Vacation with the Keith's on Edisto Island.

Fort Sumter

We spent Memorial Day Weekend at Great Wolf Lodge. The kids absolutely love that place.

Happy Father's Day to the BEST Daddy!

2011-06-19T08:25:00.008-04:00

1. What’s your favorite thing about dad?
Austin- He lets me go to the beach in 7 days.
Matthew- He's sweet and kind.

Maggie- I love him.

Briana- He sings and dances to Disney songs in the kitchen.
2. Why do you love dad?
Austin- Because he's my dad.
Matthew- He's so, so, so nice.

Maggie- Because he just burped. No just joking. Because he brings you gas.
3. What’s your favorite thing to do with dad?
Austin- Go to McDonalds.
Matthew- Play ball
Maggie- I want to love on him. And he's a person.
4. Why does daddy love mommy?
Austin- Because he's your husband.
Matthew- Because you guys are married.

Maggie- Because you guys married each other. That's disgusting.
5. What does daddy cook the best?
Austin- Pancakes.
Matthew- Daddy doesn't cook that much. Umm.... pizza.
Maggie- Mac and cheese.

Briana- He picked up Chili's.
6. God could have given you any daddy in the world. Why did he give you yours?
Austin- It's because you two got married and then I came born.
Matthew- Because that was the right one that I loved.

Maggie-Because he's God and he gave me a mommy and a daddy.

Briana- He picked me. I needed a new family.
7. What does dad love most about you?
Austin- Because he's my daddy.

Matthew-Because I can love him.
Maggie-Because he's nice.
8. If you could make a wish for dad, what would it be?

Matthew- I wish for him to be a cop.

Maggie- Candy.

Briana- He lives a long, full life.

Happy Father's dad to a wonderful dad and husband!

We love you!

Austin, Matthew, Maggie, Briana, and Mommy

Last year's answers

Summer!!

2011-06-09T08:09:00.003-04:00

First Graders- Can you believe the boys finished their first year of school? I no longer have two kindergartners, I have first graders! They both had great K experiences. I'm thankful for their teachers and school principal. I've been told who they each have next year and I'm thrilled! I think it's a perfect fit for both.
Adoption is almost here after two and a half years of waiting! We meet with the new adoption worker today, and we've already chosen an attorney. It should move fairly quickly from this point. Matthew is our son. The adoption just makes it legal. He feels this way too. The other day at the pharmacy drive thru Jason needed to refer to Matthew as our foster son to the pharmacist. Matthew waited a moment and said, "Foster son. Am I not adopted? Do I have to move somewhere else to be adopted?" Broke. My. Heart. What goes through that little mind....

God sure blessed our family when he gave us Ms. Judy! I can't even begin to describe her. She's a treasure. Maggie absolutely loves her and I can't think of anything I want more when she's away from home.
New Job?? I hope so! After successfully piloting a 1:1 iPad classroom, our district is going forward with a 1:1 high school! Yes, EVERY student will be given an iPad next year! I'm very excited about this. If I'm in the classroom or in a resource teacher position, I look forward to the next generation learning that will be going on in Woodford County! I applied for a Technology Resource Teacher position. I'll keep you posted...
Tee Ball- The boys are having a great time and improving their skills, however, the Mets aren't exactly having a winning season. Actually, we haven't won one game. The boys sure would like to pull one out. Our next game is Saturday at 12:45. Maybe this will be the one??
Austin's 6th Birthday was a success! He and his friends had a blast on the inflatable slide, racing, and breaking a piñata. My parents, Jason, and I were flat exhausted after the fun was over.
We took the kids to Great Wolf Lodge over Memorial Day, went camping last weekend, and are heading to the beach soon! Happy Summer!

GO METS!!!

2011-05-07T12:12:00.002-04:00

Spain

2011-04-06T17:52:00.002-04:00

We've had a wonderful time here in Spain. I can't believe tomorrow is our last day. The trip has gone so well, and the kids have had a blast. We've enjoyed hanging out with the kids this year, eating the tapas, and drinking cafe con leche. I've enjoyed this year the most. I have Jessica and Jason! Also, I know this year's students better than any other year, and have really had a fun time with them. This year I've carried a little flip camera with me everywhere, so I have tons of video action! We even experienced a bull fight... not my favorite, but I wanted the cultural experience.

Tomorrow is our last day. We plan to sightsee a little more, shop, and relax. It's a free day. We leave early Friday morning here (6 hours ahead) and arrive in Lexington around 7 pm Friday evening.

Love, Love my kids!!! Miss you!

Leaving for Madrid!!

2011-03-31T17:38:00.005-04:00

We've had a day of traveling from Lexington to Charlotte and then to Philadelphia. We're boarding in about ten minutes to Madrid! Thanks for all your prayers!

Keith Family Updates

2011-03-26T07:57:00.004-04:00

My camera cord-No pics because I can't find my camera to computer cord. :(
Please begin praying for our upcoming travels and our separation from each other- Jason and I will be traveling together, Maggie will be with nana and pap, and the boys will be with Granny and Grandad. I am looking forward to my alone time with Jason, but nine days away from my babies is difficult.
1:1 iPads- I have been incredibly busy at home and school with a pilot program. I was chosen with two other teachers to pilot a 1:1 iPad classroom for the third trimester. I have 30 iPads synced to a MacBook. It has involved a tremendous amount of work learning how to navigate the iPad, making my curriculum work with the iPads, and learning how to manage my classroom with them. I have loved the opportunity and enjoy the challenge. Several activities have been wonderful and several haven't worked out as well. The district is considering buying iPads for every student next year which means I have had many classroom visits from the superintendent, school board members, and many others. Helps keep me on my toes. :)
T-ball has begun!! GO METS! I love this time of year!
We had a wonderful family get away to Louisville last weekend. We didn't have school Friday and Jason was working in Louisville, so the kids and I went there after school Thursday. We didn't do much other than swim and relax in the hot tub.
Kindergarten update- The boys are doing well and are enjoying school. Matthew is having trouble retaining his learning. Mom helped us find a WONDERFUL tutor. She comes to the house once a week and works with him for an hour. She's a young, certified special education teacher.
Jason enjoys his job. He is still figuring out what exactly he's supposed to be doing! He does so much around the house and with the kids. We are lucky to have him! I love being with him.
My Miss Maggie is learning so much from Ms. Judy. We are so blessed to have her in our lives. The other day Maggie cut her omelet and said, "Look mommy. Four quarters!" One day she picked up a dollar bill and said, "George Washington." She knows her days of the week, alphabet, numbers to 20, and more. She recognizes most letters and knows their sounds. Maggie's favorite things to do right now are play in the kitchen sink and ride her bike.

A Few More Christmas Pics...

2011-02-07T10:00:00.002-05:00

Maggie was an angel in a precious little Christmas play put on by Ms. Judy, Maggie and her friends, and several Ms. Judy graduates. It was adorable! I don't know how Ms. Judy was able to pull off such a wonderful program with six toddlers! She is a blessing to our lives.
I posted about our yearly bake-a-thon, but never posted any pictures of my gifts. I was able to completely fill nine nice size containers, and still have two platters to take to parties! Thanks again Jackie!

We girls weren't the only ones to make cookies. The kids had fun cutting out and decorating their own cookies. Of course I was disgusted watching them lick, double dip, sneeze, and cough all over their confections. No, I didn't eat one and didn't pass any along as presents!

2011-01-30T12:13:00.003-05:00

Jason had a rather rough start to the new year! He was hit pretty hard with a slow moving kidney stone on Christmas Eve, and it didn't pass until Jan. 4! He was in a tremendous amount of pain. We made two trips to the ER and one to the urologist. Then, back to work he went on the Blue Grass Parkway when he hit a patch of black ice and had a terrible car wreck. Even after flipping the Envoy, he walked away sore and scratched up. Thank you God for protecting him. He is back to normal now. He was able to get a 2008 Camry with low miles. He is happy with his new job. My favorite thing is listening to him play football with the boys after work. I love you Jason!

Cara, Lennie, and Emily.... I love you!

We celebrated the new year with our life group. It was a fun night! Well, it would have been better with my sweetie.

We're ready for Santa!

This is the tree we hunted for and cut down with Uncle Jesse. It's such a great memory for the kids.

My kids absolutely love their cousins. We feel so blessed to have cousins so close in age and so close in proximity. I think their mom is pretty cool too ;)

On Sunday evenings Amy loads up all five kids and takes them to Immanuel Baptist for Sunday night church. It's two hours of bible study and play. The kids love it! Each week we have a little homework to do. We read a story, answer a few questions, and memorize a verse. There are two wonderful things about this 1- kids receive more bible teaching 2- Jason and I have 2 1/2 hours to ourselves each week! Most often we use it for cleaning and getting ready for the week, but it's better to do it alone than with kids messing up everything as we clean.

Ho Ho Ho!!!

2010-12-22T16:02:00.005-05:00

Today I took the kids to visit the big man in red! We had such a wonderful experience. If you haven't visited with Santa yet, try Lexington Green. You can make an appointment and walk straight in to Santa's lap! As soon as we checked in, they put us next in line. When it was our turn Maggie took off and jumped right on his lap. The kids joked around with Santa about being on the naughty list, told him what they want, and even tugged on his beard to see if he's the real one.

A Tradition in the Baking!

2010-11-26T20:49:00.004-05:00

Jackie, Amy, Aprile, and I have spent quality time together the past 12 hours in the Keith Kitchen! Today was our annual cookie and candy bake-a-thon. On the list this year we had:

chocolate peanut butter pretzel bites
chai tea eggnog cookies
cinnamon bun cookies
magic cookie bars
chunky chocolate jam bars
shortbread
gingerbread men
sugar cookies
pecan pie bars
chocolate cherry cookies
death by caramel bars
brownie buttons
chocolate peppermint cookies
walnut fig streusel bars
triple layer peanut butter brownie bars
chocolate chip turtle bars
ginger spice snaps
chocolate pistachio bow ties
chocolate caramel thumbprints
marbled chocolate bark
toffee
fudge- chocolate cranberry
peanut butter fudge
peppermint bark
peanut butter balls
cream candy
divinity
peanut butter roll

Can you believe we do all that in one day??? We've worked so hard today, but we haven't finished our list just yet. Tomorrow we will be decorating the sugar cookies, making the divinity, peanut butter roll, shortbread, and peanut butter balls. We are so close!

This is just one cookie/ candy location!

Giving Thanks

2010-11-25T20:02:00.005-05:00

I'm thankful for many things this holiday season. Among the most important is the love of my God, my caring, playful, and giving husband, my dear three children, and supportive family. I was blessed with wonderful in laws and sisters to love. My caring brother is very important to our family and encouraging of all we do. I couldn't make it without the love and support of my parents. Members of our adoptive son's birth family have been beside us the past two years and have helped make his transition to our family complete. We have friends to hang out and do life with that are so fun to be around. My job wouldn't be the same without my friend and co-worker Jessica. We have jobs that we enjoy and feel financially secure in this struggling economy. I am thankful for my house, but more importantly the home we've made it.

We're thankful for cousins!

My First Turkey!

2010-11-25T08:14:00.003-05:00

I roasted my first Turkey!! A very well documented experience….

First, I made a turkey brine (with some help from Williams Sonoma) I put my 20 lb turkey in an oven bag and poured the brine in.

I set my alarm for 2am and turned it over to soak all sides. At 5:30 I woke up to wash it off and begin the roast. That's when the mess occurred.......

As I lifted the turkey out of the pan, the bag burst and 2 gallons of nasty turkey juice and brine splashed everywhere. My clothes were drenched and the counter, floor, etc was covered! Luckily it was early, so I had plenty of time to clean it all up.

My turkey and ham sitting snug in the oven.

After 5 1/2 hours of roasting

I even learned how to carve!

The end result was moist and delicious!

I hosted Baker Thanksgiving this year. We traditionally celebrate the Sunday before. Everyone was able to come except for one key person.... my granny. She is in the hospital now and will be having surgery tomorrow. Please keep her in your prayers.

Making My Christmas Wreath

2010-11-25T07:45:00.004-05:00

Jason and I love to have our house decorated for Christmas. We enjoy the lights every night. We have a 9 foot tree in our family room, a 7 foot in the basement, a 6 foot in our bedroom, a little one in the kids’ bathroom, and a 3 or 4 foot in each kid’s room. It takes so long to put it all up, we like to do it early so we can enjoy it as long as possible. We usually spend the entire Thanksgiving weekend in London, so we traditionally put it all up the weekend before.

After going to South Elkhorn Craft fair this fall, mom and I decided we were going to make new Christmas Wreaths for our front doors using decorative mesh. Mine is a little big, but I love seeing it every time I arrive home.

Here are some photos of my wreath in progress:

October Fun

2010-11-01T20:12:00.008-04:00

Seems as if I'm down to one post a month. Terrible! I promise to be better in November. It has taken me three months to figure out how to balance life with two kindergartners, a new leadership position at school, KTIP resource teacher, and new school year. I am happy to say that I now feel back to normal!

Looking back on September and October (wherever they went), I have one thought.... I love my family. Although I had a lot of anxiety getting used to a very busy schedule, outside of the work day we had a blast enjoying fall together. Since I am so far behind with the blog, I will be short on words, but follow up with lots of photos!

Huntertown Elementary's Annual PTO Walk-a-thonI've had a great time getting involved in the boys' school. Although I'm a full time working mom, I feel I've been able to be involved. I've formed relationships with the boys' teachers, and have even been able to teach a Spanish lesson in their K classrooms!

Fall Break at the Beach!!!
I don't know what made this beach trip so easy, but it was just what I needed! The kids were excellent. Jason and I decided to take this trip on a Wednesday night. We booked a room Thursday, and left on Friday. Maybe that's what made it so laid back. It was a wonderful time with the kids, my husband, and my parents (who were at the same beach with friends). Jason wasn't able to take the whole week off, so he flew back early, early Wednesday morning. I tried not to think about him not being there or driving back without him, but the kids were great the remainder of the trip and everything was fine. They love the beach so much.

The boys had a fun time hitting tennis balls off the tee in the sand.

The ocean view from the porch was picture perfect. Here we are enjoying supper our last night at the beach (without daddy)

Upward Soccer

Matthew learned a lot about soccer and had a very fun time playing it with his cousin Anna!

Pumpkin Carving!
The boys were ready to carve a pumpkin October 1. We held them off a little, but they couldn't wait! They created a friendly pumpkin.

Camping at the Horse Park

We created wonderful family memories this year at the KY Horse Park Campground Halloween Fest. It was the weekend before Halloween. There were endless activities, free food, and campsite decorations. There was a hayride, costume contest, and the best Trick or Treating around! The kids were worn out!

My heroes.... an army man and spiderman along with a little scary witch.

We spent Halloween weekend in London with Jason's parents. The kids enjoyed playing around the house, walking around Jesse's farm, making Halloween cookies with Granny, and Trick or Treating again.

September Updates

2010-09-16T21:07:00.003-04:00

MATTHEW loves to read his books. We are really concerned with his focus and attention in school, so tonight as I read to him I tried to ask several questions after every couple of sentences. At first he didn't know the answers and tried to rely only on the pictures, but then he started to listen better and be able to answer the questions. We have already met with his teacher, and she emails a behavior update often. She told us she is concerned he will miss learning because of his lack of focus and attention. These things are no surprise to us, however, we don't want his learning to be affected. Up until now, his lack of focus and attention, spontaneous behaviors, inattention to consequence or danger, has been a behavior issue. Now, it's affecting his learning. Please pray we find the interventions best for him at this time, and that he is able to show his teacher how smart he really is.
Austin is starting to talk to me about school! For a month now, the boys came home and "good" is all I got. Austin loves to help me in the kitchen with dinner. One day last week as he helped me stir the soup, he said, "Mom, I'm going to tell you the names of all my friends at school." I was so excited! He told me all the kids who speak Spanish and about the girl in a wheelchair. He said he loves to help push her. He has told me more and more each day. The Kindergartners are already placed in reading groups. Currently, Austin is in the top group (I can't believe it). I hope he does well and tries hard to keep up. He enjoys leaving his classroom to visit another. He loves his teacher, Ms. Lawson, so much!
Daddy says Maggie is beautiful and that we're going to be in trouble when she's older. She is so lovey right now giving kisses and hugs to mommy, daddy, and bubbies. She is too funny with them. She watches them and does everything they do (good and bad). They are equally sweet to her. She now sleeps in a big girl bed. It is special to me, because it was my bed when I was little. Last night after I left her room, she got out of bed with her blankie and doll, and crawled under her bed. When Jason and I went to sleep, I asked him to go check on her. He couldn't find her. We looked all over. Then, under the bed!
Jason and I are trying to keep up! We love being together with nothing to do. These days that time doesn't come often enough. Between after school meetings, dance, soccer, tee-ball, etc, we barely find time for family, each other, and friends, much less chores! Tonight we started volunteering with Southland's backpack program. We finally found something to do as a family!! The boys were perfect! They we such big helpers. We will be doing this every other Thursday evening. Thanks mom and dad for watching Maggie. We are really enjoying time with our Life Group. This time of deep friendship, love, and accountability is absolutely necessary and priceless for me. The girls and I are doing Beth Moore's Esther bible study right now. It is great. If you want to deepen your knowledge of biblical history and apply it to today, you must study God's word with Beth. However, I have to say that you need her with you! The videos are incredible.
It's almost here....... My FAVORITE time of year!!! I love fall!

Maggie in (and under) her big girl bed!

I also want to ask for prayers for the Covington family. One of my most cared for students from Tates Creek was shot and killed last night. I haven't known him the last few years, but in high school he was outgoing, fun, athletic, and he cared a lot for me. I spent my first three years of teaching with him. He was even my student aide his senior year. He always knew if I attended one of his games, and he talked with me about girl troubles. I remember him fondly and pray for his family as they mourn the too early loss of their son Daniel.

Time to Play!

2010-08-29T21:52:00.002-04:00

This fall Matthew is playing soccer and Austin is playing teeball. Jason and I asked them which sport they wanted to play. Each chose a different sport. At the time, we thought they only needed to play one sport at a time. Hindsight 20/20, not sure why we made them choose as we all go to the games! Instead of keeping them occupied while the other one is playing, it would be better if they both played. Oh well!

This weekend Matthew had his first soccer game on Saturday morning and Austin his first on Sunday. Matthew picked up the game pretty quickly. He scored three goals! We were all sitting behind the goal, so he had a great applause from the crowd after each goal. He just stood there and smiled. Austin got back in the swing of things too. Fall ball is going to be wonderful for him. He's getting lots of infield practice. In today's game he played short and first. He enjoys first the most because that's where all the action is! He had a nice, hard hit too. Ahh... the ball field. Nice to be back!

This picture isn't close up enough, but that is Matthew kicking the ball in the goal. Score!

Austin ran from 2nd to home without even looking at the 3rd base coach. He has his eyes on home!

First Days of School

2010-08-25T20:04:00.004-04:00

The days are long. The days are packed. The days are exhausting. Our five year olds love kindergarten, but after a day of sitting and listening (with some play time too I’m sure), when they get home, they are ready to go. They wrestle, run, and scream. After my first block plan, I’m on the go until the boys arrive in my classroom at 3:05. School lets out at 3:10. I don’t get a break during the day to get anything done, and then two five year old boys show up. I try to control (not getting much school stuff accomplished) until we go get Maggie and then pick up Jason (we’ve all been car pooling). We go straight to soccer, tee-ball, or dance. We eat, we clean, bathe, read and put to bed. Then, go to the grocery, do laundry, or do dishes. From 5:30am until 11:30pm we’re on the go. Neither one of us really feel like we get any time to ourselves (let alone with each other). Life is just hard right now. We’re okay. We’re doing things the kids enjoy. We’re slowly getting things done around the house. But, I just wish we had some time to slow down and relax a little. I’m afraid life is passing by and we’re just rushing through it trying to make it until we crash in bed at night.
Maggie likes going to Ms. Judy’s house. She is learning a lot, and having fun with her friends. She just started ballet and loves it! She wants to go everyday. I think she looks precious in her leotard, and the teacher said she was happy and did everything!
Matthew enjoys school, especially the playground and the bus. However, we have already started to get notes from the teacher in regards to his listening, attention, and following directions. He has already lost part of recess twice this week (and it’s Wednesday). I hope to have a meeting soon and start some interventions. We have always noted his attention span and processing. I’d like to try several things before we look into testing/ medication. He enjoys soccer and is good at it. His first game is Saturday.
Austin is doing great. He too loves the playground and school bus. He tells me a little more about his day than Matthew. Hopefully I’ll get a few more details when Maggie goes to kindergarten! He received a recognition slip last week for being considerate of others. He was SO proud of it! He enjoys all the art projects he gets to do in school. He has started fall tee-ball and loves every moment. His first game is Sunday. It should be wonderful practice for him because he is one of the few experienced players on his team.

First Day of Kindergarten!

After the First Day of Kindergarten!

Carter Caves last weekend with Daddy, Pap, Uncle Jason, and Thomas

My Little Ballerina!

Showing her Butterfly stamp after Class

Good bye summer, hello KINDERGARTEN!

2010-08-09T21:27:00.004-04:00

This summer has flown by faster than I would have liked, but the kids and I have had some very fun times. I am sad to see it go.

The past three weeks have been very full. There have been so many things I've wanted to post, but I just haven't had the time. As I sit here after my first day back, I'm exhausted, need to clean, do laundry, plan lessons, and go to bed. However, here I sit blogging! Few words, mostly pictures.

On July 17 (after my Pa-Paw's beautiful funeral service), my college girlfriends came over for the night. Even though we don't see each other often, when we get together it's like no time has passed. I love them dearly and treasure the memories of our time together.

This past weekend we took the kids to Cincinnati and stayed in the downtown Hyatt. They were very well behaved and enjoyed all the activities we did with them. They especially enjoyed walking through the skywalks downtown. On Friday afternoon we explored the Newport Aquarium. On Saturday, we visited the zoo. We had a very nice dinner at a restaurant downtown Cincinnati on Saturday. Jason and I were a little hesitant to take them to a nice restaurant, but after walking the skywalk, visiting the zoo, and swimming in the hotel pool they barely could keep their heads up at dinner! Jason and I enjoyed a VERY peaceful dinner even with three kids!

Yes, there is a humongous snake on my lap!

Newport Aquarium

Tonight we had an ice cream social at Huntertown!! The boys were very excited to meet their teachers. Matthew was very outgoing. He walked around his room with a huge smile looking at all the fun things. Austin was a little shy. He tends to act silly when in a new situation meeting someone. He was probably pretty typical, but a little embarrassing. Matthew's teacher seems VERY nice, caring, and together. Austin's teacher seems very fun, positive, and patient. I can't wait to see how the boys learn and grow over the next few weeks!

Matthew's teacher Mrs. Harvey

Austin's teacher Ms. Lawson (on right) and assistant Ms. Mitchell

Amy and I Got Crafty!

2010-07-24T20:31:00.005-04:00

Amy and I have been talking about trying to make pillowcase dresses for the girls. She surprised me this weekend by buying and bringing the material to London (we thought it might be best to have Jackie there to help guide us)! Jackie told us what to do, and then we did it to the best of our non-sewing ability. We didn't start with a pillowcase, so it was a little more difficult than it had to be. But, the material is cuter than any pillowcase I've seen! I am NOT a gifted seamstress. I need practice. If you ever see Maggie in her dress, don't look close! It took us approximately 3 1/2 hours to make them, however, I can honestly say that we made them! I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed!

The Final Product! I still need to cut some of the ribbon off.

My Pa-Paw is walking with Jesus

2010-07-14T15:12:00.004-04:00

I have prayed and prayed for this day. It has come, and it came exactly the way I prayed. My Pa-Paw went peacefully in his sleep early this afternoon. He wasn't in pain. He is no longer in pain. He no longer has difficulty breathing. He no longer has to walk with a walker. Through tears I am rejoicing. He is in a far better place than I am. He is home. There is no doubt where my Pa-Paw is today. He was a Godly man. One of unquestionable integrity. A faithful husband. A loving father and grandfather.

I know this is what my Pa-Paw would say:

"But don't cry for me 'cause I'm finally free

To run with the angels on streets made of gold to listen to stories of saints new and old to worship our Maker that's where I'll be when you finally find me..."

from Wish You Were Here by Mark Harris

MEGA Southland Youth Reunion

2010-07-10T23:11:00.002-04:00

We had a nice time tonight at my youth group reunion. It was a Brewster years reunion, so anyone who grew up under him in the youth was able to come. It was wonderful to see old friends, hear tributes to Brewster, worship God together again, and laugh at old memories.

My Best Youth Buddies Casey and Amanda

Ok... this was a little crazy, and I didn't expect it at all, but we toilet papered a huge tree as a reminder of all the papering we did in school. Brewster used to say that if you used color toilet paper it was a friendly TP (they don't sell it any more). One memory I have is walking up on Brewster and some other youth at Winn-Dixie buying TP. Turns out they had planned my house for that night. Ha! They couldn't do it because I caught them and, therefore, would have known it was them! Another memory is Christmas in July. Some friends and I popped popcorn all day. That night we put it all over Brewster's lawn, with wrapped boxes, red and green crape paper on the trees, a snowman, and music on the porch. It was all in love!

My big brother Jason's friends

More of his friends

Robyn is one of my close friends from college, not youth. Small world.... she married someone I've known for years.

I can't put my love for Brewster into words. He holds many of my fondest memories of growing up. God used Brewster to greatly influence my life.

As Brewster would say, "Later, Love ya, bye!"

End of Vacation

2010-07-07T10:07:00.003-04:00

We had a fun filled vacation this year. We ended our trip by playing in the ocean Thursday and Friday. Jackie bought two rafts for riding waves. We thought they were red and navy, but they were actually confederate flags. Oh well, they rode the same. The kids (and us adults) had a blast riding the waves. Matthew was a fearless champ! He got beat up many times by the mean waves, but he fought back over and over.

Saturday we headed to Jason's Aunt Wanda's house in Augusta. Aunt Wanda treats her guests with care! We swam, ate, and relaxed with family. The kids played like they were best buds even though they don't really know one another. We had great food including South Carolina BBQ! Yum!

A few of the kids

Maggie putting in some gum

She loves it! Unfortunately we had to cut some out of her hair this trip.

Matthew playing with Patrick (Jason's cousin's son, born 10 minutes after Austin)

Austin playing with Lydia (J's cousin's daughter- they have FIVE kids)

Sunday morning we headed to Gatlinburg. Yes, a long, fun filled vacation! We had a nice hotel with a pool and lazy river right off the Parkway in Gatlinburg. We watched the July 4th fireworks right from the pool. On Monday we rode the tram to Ober Gatlinburg. The kids really enjoyed the ride. Once there, they played in the kiddie land.

On the tram

Beach Family Photos

2010-07-02T10:35:00.005-04:00

Here are a few photos Aunt Aprile took of us this morning at the beach.

Matthew Learned How to...............

2010-07-02T07:25:00.003-04:00

....ride his bike without training wheels!

He was a natural! Jason took his wheels off, ran with him a couple of times, and then Matthew took off by himself! He said he was "like 10 years old" because he has a big bike without training wheels.

Jekyll Island Adventures

2010-06-30T21:30:00.004-04:00

Instead of going to the beach this morning, we headed to a beach critter educational exhibit at the pavilion. The kids learned about sea turtles, sand dollars, Georgia whelk shells, horseshoe crabs, and more. I was proud of Austin for being brave and holding/touching the animals. I was proud of Matthew for being very interested in the exhibit and asking many questions.

After the exhibit we headed over to Georgia's Sea Turtle Center. There the kids learned all about the life of a sea turtle including nesting, hatchlings, and dangers sea turtles face. The GSTC is also a rescue hospital for injured sea turtles. The kids were able to see many turtles being rehabilitated at the center. They wanted to know why each turtle was there and if it is okay. (Their hair is wet because we got caught in a downpour!)

The kids enjoyed running around and playing in Jekyll's community park tonight after eating a nice dinner at a seafood restaurant called Blackbeards. There is just something wonderful about eating a nice meal while overlooking the ocean.

This is how three boys pose for a photo

We only have two days left at the beach :( Time goes too fast on vacation. Tomorrow we plan to beach it in the morning, take the kids to the water park in the afternoon, and cook dinner at home. Friday we will beach it one last time, start packing, go to a pizza place for dinner, and play a game of putt-putt golf. Jason's cousin and his family are in from California visiting Jason's aunt who lives in Augusta. Saturday morning we are heading to Augusta to spend some time with his family. We get to see his aunt a few times a year, but we haven't seen the cousin from California in several years. We look forward to visiting with his Aunt Wanda on our way home.

Beach Babes

2010-06-28T17:15:00.004-04:00

Maggie's morning treasure.

She and Caleb woke up early, so Jason and I took them on a bike ride/ shelling adventure.
Beaching it today

Jason and the boys tried to beat the waves

As a biology teacher, Granny tells the kids all about the treasures they find along their walks. She is very knowledgeable and not afraid to pick things up!

Our Sunday evening stroll along the beach.

Cute......

and CRAZY!

This morning (Monday) before everyone woke up, Jason, Caleb, Maggie, and I went for a bike ride down to Driftwood Beach. It is the best place for finding shells. Here is a picture of my best find! There wasn't a creature living inside, so it's coming home with me!

Jekyll Island

2010-06-27T13:32:00.006-04:00

We have had an excellent trip so far! We got a late start on Wednesday evening after buying a VAN!!!! It was a perfect way to start a trip to the beach! The kids love riding in it. It made the long trip to the beach much easier than I was expecting! The kids were perfect, and I felt like we were here in no time.

This is a picture of the Historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel. We came down a couple of days early to spend time staying in the hotel. We were given a perfect room with a large closed in porch perfect for enjoying some alone time after the kids went to bed! We spent most of our time splashing in the pool, walking the grounds, and eating great food. The kids were very well behaved and happy to be at the beach. There are huge trees all over the island. In the historic district the trees have Spanish moss hanging down. They create a wonderful shaded canopy as you walk around. The kids enjoyed playing on the large branches that hang all the way down to the ground.

Saturday afternoon we headed over to the beach house to spend the rest of the week with Jason's family.

The kids (Jason and I too) love riding our bikes around Jekyll's miles of paths. As we rode a path in front of the ocean today it made me a little sentimental (imagine that) thinking about the memories the kids are making here this week with their cousins, grandparents, aunts, and Jason and I playing in the ocean, walking the beach, and riding bikes.

Happy Father's Day to the Best Daddy!

2010-06-19T08:55:00.004-04:00

1. What’s your favorite thing about dad?
Austin- That he gets my food ready. When we go to restaurants he orders for me. And he takes me to school.
Matthew- Because he lets me watch TV and read a book.
2. Why do you love dad?
A- Because he lets us clean up with him
M- He lets me play with toys when it’s late
3. What’s your favorite thing to do with dad?
A- Go on special nights with dad, which I haven’t done in a long time because you don’t let me go with him.
M- To play upstairs with him
Maggie- Go swimming
4. Why does daddy love mommy?
A- He loves you because when you take a shower you shave your arm pits.
M- Because you sleep with him
5. What does daddy cook the best?
A- Pancakes because he flips them and they go back in the pan. Toaster strudels
M- Pancakes
Maggie- Hot dogs
6. God could have given you any daddy in the world. Why did he give you yours?
A- Because he’s the best daddy in the world.
M- Because he made him special
7. What does dad love most about you?
M- Cause I be nice
Maggie- No, Mommy love me. Mommy love me. Daddy love me.
8. If you could make a wish for dad, what would it be?
M- That he would be Spiderman dada.

These questions were answered individually with no prompting, editing, etc. (as you could probably tell)!

Happy Father's Day to the best dad and partner. We love you tremendously.

What time is it???? SUMMERTIME!

2010-06-17T21:33:00.005-04:00

This week we are saying goodbye to our friends The Colemans. With both Nathan and Emily having jobs in eastern KY, they have made the practical decision to move to Paintsville, KY. The boys were in preschool with Alex, and Danny Crum went to high school with Nathan, so we had the opportunity to get to know them the last few years. Alex also played on the boys t-ball team, so we've spent a lot of time with them lately. Last night, we had a very fun dinner with them at Bar Louis with the Crums, and then us girls did a little shopping in Joseph Beth's. We were able to do this without kids because Kim came over to watch the kids. It was great! A wonderful night! A much needed night! THANK YOU KIMMIE! Needless to say, the kids were SO excited that Kimmie was coming over. They love seeing her.

Kimmie with Matthew

In case you don't know, Kim is Matthew's biological grandmother. Obviously much too young to be a grandmother, she is a Kimmie! Perfect because we didn't have one of those! My favorite part is how she treats the kids, all equal. Mine love her the same.

Tonight we had the boys T-ball picnic. It was so fun! Hudson's (2nd base) parents volunteered to host our picnic. They rented a blow up water slide! My boys were in it till the end! They had a blast! MJ just played a little in the pool.
Austin and Matthew are at the top about sliding down

Tim and Shannon Seltsam (JT's parents)

I have really enjoyed getting to know the other parents. Shannon is team mom, and very fun at the games. Tonight she passed team mom off to me (that is if her daughter doesn't play). It is a HUGE job! So, maybe her daughter should play! I really like coach Steve and will gladly take on that job. Tonight I realized that Maggie will start playing the year Austin moves up, so I could be a Mets mom for six years!

Coach Steve giving an end of the year talk

It is unbelievable how the boys have improved this season. The best part is, they love it! Matthew went from hitting the ball and not running to being the lead hitter. Austin has become a dependable hitter. He can also throw the ball hard. Growing up on the ball field, I was very happy to be back at the park this spring/summer. It's not over yet, they play tomorrow at 5. If they win, they play again at 7:30! One more loss and we're out. I'm taking the video camera tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get a good video to post. Go Mets!

June!!!

2010-06-15T09:29:00.002-04:00

My fabulous sister-in-law Amy is taking the boys to Vacation Bible School at her church, Immanuel Baptist, this week! It's from 9-12!!!! They are happy, I am happy! Today was crazy hat day, so I threw together hats this morning. Austin's hat has a pool theme and Matthew wanted to be the Cat in the Hat. Of course they wanted their faces painted to match their hats. I doubt they will stay on very long, and then they'll look silly with their faces painted!

Austin's hat has a pair of trunks, goggles, water gun, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a swim arm band in the back. It's crazy!

Maggie wanted one too!

Austin and daddy trying to stay shaded at Sunday's HOT, HOT game.

Sweet big brother helping sister

Highlights

2010-06-12T15:55:00.002-04:00

Thursday before swimming lessons the kids and I visited Jason at work for lunch. After eating we took the boys for a surprise visit to their future school, Huntertown. They were very excited! Of course the playground and gym were their favorite spots! We talked with the current principal, unfortunately she is retiring this year. I love her, and really wish she were still going to be there. We are praying for the perfect fit! The boys peeped in the kindergarten rooms too. Worst part... I cried. Seriously, what is going to happen in August?

Playing Daddy

Friday I worked all day getting us packed and ready for the campground! After dad got off work, we headed to Fort Boonesborough with mom and dad's new pop up! We had a nice dinner, several walks, and a fire for marshmallows. The best part was waking up dry even though it was storming outside. The worst part... it was storming! The boys enjoyed riding their bikes and scooters.

Go Mets! Saturday the boys won their first tournament game! Austin and Matthew both had good hits, ran the bases well, and scored runs! We play again tomorrow at 11:30.

Swim Lessons

2010-06-09T19:40:00.003-04:00

Matthew and Austin have been taking swim lessons this week at a private home in Versailles. Maggie and I sit under a huge shade tree in the front yard while the boys swim for 25 minutes. Then, they call for us and we get to go see the show. Yesterday we saw Matthew swim under water through a hoop. He had his hands closed tightly just as she told him. Today he dove under water to get a dart and then swam to the other side. He is doing very well! He has no fear of the water. I am glad he is quickly learning how to swim.

Matthew diving to get the dart at the bottom

Matthew and Ethan (another boy in the class) swimming from one side to the other
Matthew practicing his free style stroke

Austin is still struggling with the pool. He doesn't want to put his face under/ in the water. Mon and Tues he blew bubbles in the water with his mouth. Today he did it with his nose. Babysteps. He is definitely getting more comfortable with the water and his instructor.

The boys get to go down the slide after they show us what they learned.

While the Crums packed and moved :( I kept Olivia and Ellie for a little bit tonight. Ellie fixed Maggie's hair. Maggie was very proud of it!

We started potty training MJ yesterday. We've had two very successful days. She only has had two small accidents where she started to go, stopped, and then finished in the potty. She also went #2 in the potty! Apparently she'll do anything for candy!

Starting the Summer with Friends

2010-06-07T13:47:00.002-04:00

Summer has already started out great! I enjoyed dinner out and WCHS graduation on Friday with my co-workers Jessica and Joyce. Saturday morning Sara and I went garage sale shopping. Not only did we have great luck, but we also had lots of talk time. Jason and I took the kids to the pool Saturday afternoon. Then, we enjoyed a nice long patio meal with Danny and Sara (without kids) at Malone's Saturday night. Sunday after church we celebrated my cousin's graduation and my uncle's 50th birthday at mom and dad's. Sunday at 4:00 we had one last cookout with the Coleman's before they move to Paintsville. Then, we hung out with our life group Sunday night. Whew! It was a fun filled weekend.

Today officially started my summer break off from work! The kids and I went to the library this morning. The boys got a library card and signed the back of it so nicely! Then, they scanned the books to check them out. Each checked out 5 books from the Kindergarten list. We joined the summer reading program. Matthew's favorite book that we've already read.... How the Grinch Stole Christmas! We finally deleted it from our DVD in late March because the boys still wanted to watch it daily! We have our first swim lesson today at 3:30 and the last season t-ball game at 5:30. Tomorrow..... we lounge poolside!

Memorial Day Weekend... Extended!

2010-06-02T20:54:00.002-04:00

On Saturday the boys won their 6th t-ball game! It was another great (and close) game! One of the coaches has a great website he updates after each game. This is what he said about Matthew this week, "...Back to the top of the order & Matthew “The Cat” showed why he’s the lead off man, finding a way to get on base while driving in, what would later prove to be, the game winning RBI..." We attended church on Saturday night, and then closed out Saturday with a nice LG gathering at our house.

On Sunday we headed to Great Wolf Lodge to celebrate Austin's 5th birthday. Mom, dad, Amy, Caleb, and Anna went with us. We had a very fun time! We booked an extra special room for Austin's b-day. The kids had their own little cabin room with bunk beds. They were very excited! My favorite part of the trip was leaving the room at 9 to go back to the waterpark with dad and Jason to hit the bigger water rides for an hour before closing. Thanks mom!

The kid cabin had three twin beds. Matthew wanted the single bed because the TV was closer to it. On the other side there were bunk beds. Austin took the top, and Maggie slept on the bottom bunk.

Fun at Our Neighborhood Pool!

Jason and I decided to join the neighborhood pool this summer, and we are two for two! We joined yesterday (Tuesday) and we've already been twice! Both yesterday and today we went to the pool after school! We love it already! As you can tell in the picture, it has a nice baby pool area and a large pool behind it. Today I met two women as the kids played with their children in the pool. They were super nice! One woman has four children and is in the process of adopting a fifth from China (one other is adopted from China too). Another lady has two kids; one is adopted from Ethiopia. Obviously we had an instant bond! I look forward to spending the summer at the pool! The boys start swim lessons on Monday, so hopefully they'll feel more confident soon.

Growing up too fast!

2010-05-26T22:14:00.008-04:00

Tot's Landing Graduation

As you can imagine, I'm a little (lot) emotional about the boys starting kindergarten this fall. I may have cried through the entire ceremony :) Anyway, it was very nice. Matthew received the citizen award and Austin the Circle Time award. They sang and did all the motions for the songs. So sweet. My favorite song brought many tears. I'll type the lyrics below. They sang it to Start Spreading the News with cute motions.

Start spreading the news, we're leaving today

we want to be part of the kindergarten grade

we've worked so hard, our teachers are so proud

Open up the doors, Big School, Big School!

Austin, Ellie, and Matthew
My baby boy turned 5 today! I can't believe it. Time is moving so fast. We love every moment with him, every inch of him, and (most of the time) every word he says. He is sweet, kind, and funny. I want to cherish everyday with him. Austin, Mommy and Daddy love you totally and completely, forever and always.

Another Win for the Mets!

2010-05-22T22:16:00.003-04:00

We had our 4th win tonight! The boys have improved so much, and are having a blast! They are starting to hit better and run the bases more aggressively. I am enjoying watching, cheering, and meeting the other moms. One of the assistant coaches has a webpage he updates after the games. There is an adorable picture of Matthew running to first base with determination in his eyes... and his tongue out! It is linked below as well as the coaches page.

Picture of Matthew

PressBox Productions

I am counting down the days until summer break and Jason is counting down the days to vacation. We are ready! It has been a great school year, but a tough one too. We are spending a week with Jason's family on Jekyll Island in June. Jason is so in need of a vacation, we are starting it early with a few nights in Savannah and extending it with a weekend in Gatlinburg for fireworks! Maggie says, "Go beach?" everyday.
The kids are doing really well right now. The boys play day and night together. For the most part they refer to one another as their best friend. Matthew is being extra loving to me lately. He tells me daily, "You're the best mommy" as he hugs my arm and kisses my cheek. The boys have two more weeks at Tot's Landing. Tuesday night they have preschool graduation. I am ready for the school year to be over, but it is hard to think about what will come this fall. Austin is as funny as ever. He says the cutest things. Maggie is developing a little personality of her own! She loves to write, play with water at the kitchen sink, and carry a baby doll.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T13:29:00.008-04:00

I love being a mother. God has blessed me with three amazing little kids who bring so much to my life. I never would have imagined, nor can I put into words what their smiles, laughter, tears, hugs, and kisses would do to my heart or bring to my life. From the moment Austin was put on my chest I knew motherhood was the greatest gift I had been given. I try to daily thank God for another day with each child. My heart aches for those parents who have lost children, and for those children who have lost a parent. I can't even imagine. I love every inch of them. I can't get enough. Each one different as night and day, and special in countless ways. God has a plan for Austin, Matthew, and Maggie, and I am so thankful to be called their mother.

Happy Mother's Day to my mother, the best mom a daughter could have. Thank you for your love, support, guidance, and friendship. I have the best example of a mother. I want to be like you in so many ways.

Happy Mother's Day!

Austin in my arms for the 1st time

Holding Maggie in recovery

Matthew and Austin Feb. 2006

My life was blessed with Matthew when he was 3 years old. He can from my heart, not my belly.

The Ball Park

2010-05-08T16:13:00.004-04:00

Austin on short and Matthew on the mound

Mom and I in our new Mets shirts (Thanks Mom!)

We have spent a lot of time this Spring at the Shillito baseball fields, and I have had so much fun! The weather has been great, and time with family even better. I just wanted to share a few photos from today's game. Matthew's 1st cousin once removed (whatever...he calls her Brit-Brit) cheered the boys on today with her mom and brother. They have been to most of the games. She is the one in the picture with Maggie at the top of this post. I have enjoyed getting to know the other moms on the team, and the boys are having fun with their teammates. The boys are starting to understand the game a little better, and everyone is improving! Today the boys both scored at least two runs!

64 Years!

2010-05-02T17:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday my Ma-Maw and Pa-Paw celebrated their 64th anniversary! We spent a rainy afternoon at mom and dad's, but it was nice to spend time inside with family. We feel very fortunate to have Pa-Paw with us still, and cherish their love for one another. 64 years, what a blessing to us all.
My cousins Stephanie and Dana

Austin has learned to tie his shoe! He was practicing with his daddy's.

Thanks for the pictures mom (I took these off her Facebook) :)

Sunny Day on the Farm

2010-05-02T16:51:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday sure was pretty! I'm glad we were on the farm then, and not today! The rain is coming down! The kids enjoyed a weekend with their cousins, and a nice walk with Grandad and Uncle Jesse on the farm. We went to London on Saturday to celebrate Aunt Aprile's 27th birthday!

Most Improved Player!

2010-04-19T20:28:00.004-04:00

Check out the determination! Matthew's eyes are on the ball!

We had a great second game. The boys have already improved, and the season has just begun! First game Matthew hit the ball, but didn't run. This game he not only hit the ball, but was also one of the fastest runners! He had plenty of practice too because he hit 2 or 3 foul balls first... and ran each time! I was so proud of him! He also fielded a ball in the outfield and threw it in as fast as he could. At the end of the game the coach gave a pep talk about how well they did. He talked about Matthew saying if he could go from not running last week to being the fastest, he expected great improvement out of the rest of them too. It sounded better than that, but the gist was Matthew did a fantastic job!

Austin is the lead hitter, so he gets to hit twice. He made it to first both times and all the way around! He scored two runs! He also replaced a boy for one inning on second base. In that inning he was hit one ball and was able to stop it!
The boys had great fan support this game. Mom, dad, Maggie, Nana, Pap, Uncle Jason, Cassie, Thomas, my Uncle Harley, Kimmie, Laurie, James, and Brittany!

Go Austin and Matthew! Go Mets! Our next game is Wednesday.

Spring Favorites!

2010-04-12T21:15:00.009-04:00

We had a fantastic weekend. Very busy of course, but full of fun and sun! We started Saturday morning watching Caleb and Anna. When Amy returned we decided to take all five kids to Keeneland. All in all, they had fun. However, hindsight is 20/20. We should have never taken five kids to Keeneland on such a beautiful day (and it was Stakes? day). Keeneland was too crowed for us to have the kids. The boys worked their way up front; which was great. They enjoyed picking out their favorite horse either by number, name, or color. They yelled each race as the horses ran by. Of course they didn't really like 25 minutes of down time and then a 2 minute race.

After getting home after 4 from Keeneland, we headed to Life Group at 5. This was one of my favorite LG nights. It was so pretty outside, and the kids had a blast together. The boys left talking about how much they like life group. The kids are a great age to play together, and we adults love talking too. LG was at Lennie and Brad's house this time. Her backyard goes down a huge hill (perfect for rolling) to a creek (perfect for duck feeding). Logan brought his duck caller, so the ducks were the best entertainment for the kids. After eating and playing we went to Dogwood Park to finish the night.

Madelyn is such a great little momma. After rolling down the hill, Maggie couldn't get up. Madelyn helped her up the hill, got a comb out of her purse, and combed all the grass out of her hair. It was too cute!

All eleven of the LG kids..... we started LG with 5!

Lennie and Ava

Sunday we celebrated Mom's Birthday. The biggest surprise of all was Pa-Paw coming to the party!!! None of us expected him to be there. He hasn't been out of the house in months! It was a wonderful surprise. The family enjoyed eating together, playing t-ball, and corn hole.

Tonight the boys had their first t-ball game. Bless their hearts...... they just don't know what to do! Austin was the lead hitter. I don't know why he was chosen... he didn't know what to do. After hitting the ball (success #1), he ran to 1st (success #2). However, the strong hitter behind him, lapped him because he wasn't running fast enough. So, the boy behind him was tagged out. For some reason, Austin was not. He ended up making the first score of the game! When it was Matthew's turn to hit, he got up there, got ready, and hit the ball well! But..... never ran to 1st! He stood there and watched the entire play! With coach and everyone yelling, he didn't move. We worked on this yesterday at practice, but he just didn't get it. They got crushed (14-3 maybe??). Oh well, we have plenty of games. And, as Jason reminds me..... it's T-ball!

Sister watching bubba Austin bat

Go METS!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-07T08:01:00.006-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter this year. The weather was gorgeous and the kids had a great time. We met my brother, Cassie, Thomas, and my parents at church for the 10:00 service. Then, we tried to take some family photos at mom and dad's before changing. Dad's side of the family gets together every Easter at my Uncle Vernon's farm. We ate, hunted eggs, played cornhole, practiced throwing and catching, and shot bb guns. We stayed there all afternoon. It was nice being outdoors with family.

On this computer I can't change the position of the pictures, so the day will be backwards- starting with the egg hunt.

Pap and Maggie

The kids filled their baskets to the top!

Uncle Jason with the boys

Maggie finding an egg

My baby boy looks huge in this picture!

After church we took a few family photos at Mom and Dad's

Can you all just sit still and smile for the camera?

Mom, Dad, Jason, Cassie, Thomas, and us

The crew dressed up in their Easter Sunday best!

Austin showing Maggie the pretty flowers

Still Here

2010-04-01T22:47:00.002-04:00

The day is winding down quickly and so is the week. I have been a little more stressed today. I think it is a combination of things but primarily it comes down to thinking about work too much. It's not that I usually have a problem with this but the speed with which I am stepping into a new role and the amount of decisions/projects to complete in a short time frame is daunting. Still no real reason to be stressed. Just missing Becky even though I doubt she could tell that from our short conversation tonight. There were a few things going on here at the same time and I was distracted and a little curt.

The Kids had a great time today. I think my father may have more energy than me. He took the kids out for breakfast and let them play at McD's all morning then took them to the park then took them back out for lunch. It was a great relief to me knowing that he was watching them. Tomorrow back to school. Matthew never ran a fever here and has been full speed all day long. Whatever it was went away.

Speaking of my father, One of his best friends Joe lost his wife yesterday to illness. In fact Beverly if you are reading this you may want to tell Glen. I know he is good friends with Joe Swafford.

Becky returns late tomorrow night. In fact it may be after midnight. I was hoping for my sister Aprile to be able to come over while I picked up Becky but it didn't work out with the funeral and visitation beginning early on Saturday in London. So I am not sure what to do with the kids. I didn't really want to take them to the airport with me but I may not have a choice. I know what Becky wants is all three kids waiting for her but I think it would be better if they slept. Being as the airport is only about 10 minutes away.

I have really enjoyed the time with the kids this week, especially with Maggie. She and I don't get as much time to bond with mom around. So it has been really neat to have her all to myself for a whole week. I think she will be a baby to us for a long long time. The boys took another shower tonight. It couldn't be easier. They have gotten so big and can take care of themselves in many ways. Debbie, Clyde, Amy and Becky travel safely we miss you and need you back. Becky we have plans Saturday at noon at Aunt Chris'.

Returning soon

2010-04-01T13:29:00.000-04:00

This is my last post before returning home. We have had a wonderful day here in exciting Madrid. As it is Semana Santa (Holy Week, week before Easter) the streets are packed. Madrid’s energy is different from Barcelona and Toledo’s. It is much more Spanish. We spent the day walking the streets, sitting in Retiro Park, shopping, and dining. I can’t believe the week is over, but I anxiously await seeing my family. We are getting ready to go to dinner. Then, we’ll probably come back and pack, and then go back out for a couple of tapas. We won’t stay out late as we have a 3:30 am wake up call. I will be traveling for 24 hours. Please pray for safety and sleep. I wasn’t able to sleep on the plane well on the way over.

Daddy, Austin, Matthew, and Maggie, Mommy can’t wait to see you! I’m going to give you hugs and lots of kisses. I’ll probably wake you up at midnight too! I love you!!

Smooth sailing....

2010-03-31T21:29:00.002-04:00

Silly me I thought, today is humpday, should be smooth sailing. Maggie sounded better and the kids only needed to make it through two more days. It is a common mistake I make. I accepted a job at work yesterday and began to shadow the person who is leaving first thing this morning. The job has a lot of new things to do and I only have two weeks to learn everything I can about it before it is up to me to perform it myself. About 3:45 Tots Landing called me to say that Matthew had a fever and was laying down. It was a low grade fever but of course they need me to check it out before he returns to Tots. I was wrapped up in something and couldn't really leave so being the sometimes selfish parent that I am I didn't leave work until about 5:00. Any other time it would have been easier to leave but not today.

The worst part is that the boys had to miss T-Ball practice this afternoon. I didn't really have anyone to call (not to mention phone numbers) who would be able to watch a sick child. Of course, anyone with children of their own weren't on my list. I didn't want anyone else to be at risk of getting sick. I did try to catch Emily and Nathan to see if they would mind taking Austin with them to T-Ball but I didn't see them at home and I don't have their number. Another thing that Becky is good at. Staying in touch with people and knowing their phone numbers. Thankfully I have made arrangements for the kids tomorrow. I am grateful for my fathers help. Two more days. We are waiting patiently. For your peace Becky the kids are bathed books are read and all are sound asleep. After being kicked all last night by your first born I am looking forward to sleep myself.

From Barcelona to Madrid and Toledo

2010-03-31T12:17:00.005-04:00

Our experience in Barcelona was phenomenal. We took in all the Spanish culture possible by being outdoors, in shops, tapas bars, etc. Barcelona is lively, architecturally stunning, and delicious! We ate our way around from tapas bar to tapas bar. In a tapas bar you find a plethora of tasty Spanish appetizers. You pick out 2-3 things you want to try, split it, and move to the next tapas bar.

Tapas Bar in Barcelona

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia

Yesterday we arrived in Madrid via the AVE (high speed train). We quickly freshened up and took a bus tour of Madrid followed by a tour of the Prado Museum. After the Prado we had dinner and a walking tour of the city. Then, we went back out for tapas! It was a very long day, but enjoyable to say the least! Seeing Velazquez’s and Goya’s masterpieces was very meaningful as the guide described them in detail. I am looking forward to tonight’s meal at Botín as well as a free day tomorrow.

Across from our hotel in Madrid is the monument to Miguel De Cervantes, author of Don Quijote.

Madrid's Plaza Mayor

Today we are enjoying a beautiful day in Toledo and Madrid. After breakfast we boarded the bus and made our journey to the magnificent old city of Toledo. We began with a breathtaking panoramic view of the city, and then a walking tour of the cobblestone streets of the town taking in all the Mudéjar architecture (mix of Arabic and Christian styles). After the Romans, the Visigoths (Christians) settled in Toledo. In 711 the Arabs came and made Toledo their home. For over 400 years Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived harmoniously together. It remained this way until King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled the Arabs and Jews from Spain. Toledo has remained the religious capital, but after Madrid was named the capital of Spain in the 16th century Toledo has been left untouched. It is one of the most well preserved medieval cities. We were unable to take pictures of the beautiful things we saw inside today. Among them were El Greco’s masterpiece, the Cathedral of Toledo, and a synagogue built by Arabs.

Panoramic View of Toledo

Cathedral of Toledo

beginning to feel behind

2010-03-30T22:39:00.003-04:00

As the week progresses I can see the kids missing mommy more. Austin had an especially rough time getting going this morning which is unusual for him. Still we got up got breakfast and got out of the house on time. Maggie was again so easy at her new school. I think she really likes it there. I know the teachers like her. I have had so many comments from the teachers about how easy and sweet she is. Even a complement on how smart she is (no shock to me). Of course they didn't have to dress her this morning. There is something about the dressing process for Maggie that is harder than it should be. For your information momma and Jessica I did brush her hair but she refused to actually sit up while I did it. So the end result was not much better than it would have been had I left it alone. Work was good today but I had a curve ball thrown at me towards the end of the day. I had a big decision to make and I found myself wishing so badly to be able to talk to Becky. I was even willing to spend the $1.50 a minute it takes to talk with her. Unfortunately I couldn't reach her phone. It is hard being out of touch. I was so happy when she called tonight. I needed to hear her voice and ask her opinion. I am missing momma tonight as much as the kids.

We had our meal in the basement tonight and enjoyed the evening. Later on Matthew and Austin settled in to watch 101 dalmations while Maggie and I watched Hannah Montana. I don't think that Maggie knows who Hannah Montana is but everytime she came on the screen Maggie told me she was her. To clarify Maggie thinks that she is Hannah Montana. I am not sure if I should be proud of that or scared. Bedtime was easy and another day has gone by. I am continually amazed and bothered by how fast life moves. I want to make each second count and remember the kids just as they are but I blink and another day is gone. I can't help but feel like God inteded our lives to be slower and enjoyed more.

Tomorrow becky goes to Toledo sister city to Toledo Ohio. It was probably my favorite place last year (we spent two nights there). Tomorrow I go to Versailles not to be mistaken with Versailles France. I will be passing a castle on the way to work though. The boys have T-Ball practice after school and then maybe we will go somewhere to celebrate/eat afterwards. I am hoping that Maggie will let me keep an eye on the boys and her at the same time. Only three more days. Our love to you Becky. And of course we miss mommy.

Vamos a Madrid

2010-03-30T01:59:00.002-04:00

We are waiting for our bus right now, so I may need to make this post quick. Today we are traveling to Madrid on a high speed train. It gets up to 200 mph. We are traveling 400 miles in 3 hours. It is a very early morning and I am hoping to sleep on the train. When we get there we have a tour of Madrid and the Prado Museum. I didn't post pictures yesterday because of time, but I will as soon as I can.

What a blogger my husband has become! He caught on quickly. I appreciate all his work. I talked with him twice last night. Once when the kids were awake and once when they were asleep. I had to call back and talk with him because the first time I couldn't talk with the kids because of the tears. Just hearing their little voices made me cry. I'm sure they were confused. Mommy wasn't able to say much. I'll call back in a couple of days. They are so precious. I miss their kisses.

Bus is here.... got to go.

Really I have been left behind....

2010-03-29T20:23:00.002-04:00

Okay I am realizing that I am truly left behind today. My sister is off to Gatlinburg, my in-laws are in Florida, becky is gone and most of my coworkers are apparently off this week.

Maggie seems better today after a night in her room with the humidifier. She also did great today. When we got there this morning I got the boys set up with breakfast and then took Maggie down to her room. She was a little clingy but not a tear. She had a couple of little friends there and she let me go easily. It's sort of bitter sweet for a parent because you want to be the one that they can't do without but I think it shows a lot about how well adjusted and trusting she can be.

It made me think back to getting matthew full time which was almost exactly a year ago. He moved in full time the day after we got back from Spain last year. He has come really far since that time. In that time he has moved from Daddy Jason and Momma Becky to momma and dadda. In fact just tonight at bedtime he leaned in to kiss my cheek and whispered dadda I miss momma. When I think about the year that we have had I am grateful for many things. I think most of all is the acceptance we have received from our parents and family. I have thought about this for a long time but am only saying it now. There are so many people that are impacted by the choice to bring a new child into the home. None of them got a vote but each was expected to live with our decisions. My parents and Becky's accepted Matthew with open arms. That is truly impressive and has been inspiring to me. It seemed like things didn't miss a beat, it was just like he was supposed to be there on the floor wrestling with grandad all this time. I don't know how they really felt but our parents have been a huge part of the success we had over the past year. Matthew would generally rather be at Nana & Paps or Granny & Grandads then at home playing with his toys. That is how it should be. I am seeing that being a parent is a life long job and becky and I are very lucky to have had involved parents who even now are modeling. I am also grateful for Kimmie who makes us feel as if we are part of the family. I know Austin and Maggie would agree. She has been a welcome and needed addition to our family.

It has been frustrating having three at times but also amazing. It was also very hard for me to accept that there were only three instead of four but I trust that God knew what was best. He has helped me through a very difficult time. There has been a lot of guilt and pain from the loss of Matthew's sister. All I can say is that I can't imagine the pain from the loss of a child because just this experience has been very tough for me. Still, God was there as always and becky was a rock. There was also dissapointment with my parenting. I wanted to love matthew as mine from day one but it has taken time. I am only now truly learning to love him for who he is. That is something I have found many struggle with when they adopt but often don't discuss. It has been so helpful to remember what we were taught in foster classes, "fake it until you make it". There couldn't be better advice. It takes time to feel like a child is fully your own but they don't have to know about it. I am impressed by Matthew's sweet nature and ability to deal with life as it is presented. I choose to believe he will have a charmed life he certainly deserves it.

Well I'll stop talking about this now because I bet there is a good chance becky and debbie are already crying. You may be the only two who will read this anyway. Austin just woke up to go poop (you can't make this stuff up) so I'd better hurry because he just announced to me he is done. I'll say today went well and I am thankful that God has time even for the small things in my life. Starbucks for breakfast and pizza for dinner. I did stop at the grocery store tonight so maybe we will be a little healthier tomorrow. No promises though. We miss you mommy and love you.

Buenos Dias de Barcelona

2010-03-29T03:01:00.004-04:00

It is Monday morning here (9am here, 3am KY). We are getting ready to eat breakfast. Today we got to sleep in a little, so we are getting ready now. First, I have to respond to the previous post....... oh my, mommy thought she wasn't too homesick... until she read the last post! I have been doing so well. Just noting all the small kids playing around and knowing mine would enjoy some of the same things and talking about them as much as I can. As I read the email I noticed that Jason didn't sound negative or too stressed. I am so thankful for that. Although I'm sure it will be a different story by the end of the week! I wish they could be here and see it all. I am so glad he showed them the video on Barcelona and then my pictures on the blog.

Today we have a walking tour of Barcelona and free time. Yesterday was a bus/walking tour and free time. We saw La Sagrada Familia. I don't even know how to describe it in words.... breathtaking. Today we will walk the Gothic Quarters. The food is far beyond my expectations. Our food this year has been amazing.

I feel like I have thrown a bunch or random thoughts together, but I don't have time to edit and make it better! I need to dry my hair! Have a wonderful week everyone!

Mom and dad, Are you okay? How's Florida? Love you!

Austin, Matthew, and Maggie,

Mommy misses you all so much. I am glad you had a great weekend playing outside at Granny and Grandad's house and spent time with Caleb and Anna. Mommy knows you are having fun with daddy. Have a good day at school. Listen to your teachers and play nicely with your friends. Maggie, mommy is praying all day for your transition this week to Tots. Also, mommy prays you recover quickly from any illness you have or are getting. I love you. Hugs and kisses from mommy.

Jason, thank you. I love you. I miss you. I hate to say too much because I know you're wishing you were here. Barcelona is beautiful. I hope to return with you some day. Wish you were here. Love,

Becky

The left behind blogs....

2010-03-28T21:46:00.003-04:00

The kids and I are doing fine in Becky's absence. I promised her I would blog to let her know how we were while she was gone. We all made it through the weekend eating only one fast food meal. Granted I was at my parents house for the weekend. Still I think that counts as a hot meal even if I didn't cook it. We had a good time and managed to ride scooters and play a little baseball Saturday. Today we went out to my uncle Jessie's and my grandmothers house. I was glad to see her. Mom mentioned this weekend that my granny is not eating and is trying to refuse her medicine. Still she perked up when she saw Maggie (her namesake). I don't know that she remembers us but she always has an interest in little ones. That may be why she spent so many decades teaching.

Today when we got home I checked the blog and saw the pictures becky posted. It was neat to show the kids these things on TV from a Rick Steve's Europe special on Barcelona we taped earlier. Then I showed them the pictures on the blog. Especially the one in the park that had becky standing exactly where Rick Steve had been standing in the special. The boys weren't quite sure that TV is all that big a deal and they think Spain is somewhere impossibly far away. Maggie didn't really care what the picture was about, only that Mommy was in it. Two year olds have a way of cutting through to the important things. Tonight my sister came over with her two children to play. I think the kids had a full day. Becky, I did give the children baths tonight and they were in bed by 8:30. Matthew and Austin actually took a shower. I found them hanging from the towel rack inside the shower attempting to swing like monkeys.

I do have two concerns this week at the moment and both involve Maggie. First, I think she may be getting sick. I have a humidifier running in her room and she is covered up well but she sounded pretty bad during her nap on the car ride back today. Second, she is going to be with the boys this week at daycare because hers is closed during spring break. I am prayerful that the transition is smooth and above all happy for her.

Well I am rambling. But to any doubters we are doing well, missing mommy and wishing her the most fun possible on her trip. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we love and miss mommy. There is something missing in her absence that can't be ignored. Austin is counting down the days on his calendar as if christmas was on the way. Anybody bored tomorrow night feel free to join us for dinner. We will be having an old family classic, Pizza Hut (or an equivalent). No veggies this week unless it is accidentally included on a cheeseburger or pizza.

BARCELONA

2010-03-28T16:22:00.007-04:00

We are having an awesome time! I don't have much time now, so I'm going to just post some pictures of Barcelona!

The View from our Hotel Room of La Plaza de Cataluña

Gaudí's home in Park Güell. He designed it as well as lived there as he designed the park.

La Sagrada Familia

T-Ball

2010-03-26T10:12:00.004-04:00

We have now had two t-ball practices. The boys are really enjoying being outside at the ball park and learning from their coaches. Other than having a typical 4-5 year old attention span, they are doing well. Most importantly, they love it. Austin can throw the ball well and really tries to learn and hustle. Matthew has a good glove. He is doing well catching grounders.

Austin is catching a grounder in the back of the picture between the boys in the red and gray.

Austin practicing throwing

Matthew catching a grounder at second

METS team huddle. Austin counted down the 1,2,3 METS for the team!

SPRING updates!

2010-03-20T14:06:00.002-04:00

It is officially SPRING! Isn't it beautiful??? Of course instead of enjoying the outdoors, I am trying to do a little spring cleaning. I am on my way downstairs to wash the baseboards in the kitchen. Am I stalling with this blog post? Yes.

Anyway, here are a few updates from the week.

We have our first official t-ball practice tomorrow. I can't wait to see how that goes. We tried throwing the ball back and forth the other day. No luck. They thought it was funny to be able to hit one another in the stomach with the ball. Throw. Hit. Laugh. Throw. Hit. Laugh. Never did a ball actually go in a glove.
Jason has been sick since Wednesday. I don't really know what he had, but he hadn't left the couch until today, and he still isn't feeling great.
In an effort to give him some peace, Amy, Caleb, Anna, Matthew, Austin, Maggie, and I went to Great Wolf Lodge yesterday!!!! As always, it was a blast. We got back early today so Caleb could go to his best friend's b-day party.
On our way home today we quickly stopped at the Kenwood mall to visit the Lego store and Pottery Barn Kids. Last month we redid Matthew's room and this month we are redoing Austin's. He chose the Star Wars Darth Vader quilt. He was very excited to get it on his bed. It looks nice.
I am doing laundry today and I hope to start packing tomorrow for Spain.
Mom and dad kept the kids overnight on Thursday. Since Jason was sick, it was nice to have the break. We had a low key night and watched the game as we laid on the couches.
Anybody want to buy some candy bars? Each player has to sell two boxes. In our case, we have to times it by two. Four cases of 30 bars. They are big ones, so each bar costs $2. Yep, we owe $240.00. I'm sure they'll tell us not to go door to door, but I think we are going to. Oh yes, family and friends, we'll be to your door too!

Enjoy the weather!

Sunny Sunday on the Farm

2010-03-11T21:35:00.004-05:00

Last weekend was beautiful, and we got to enjoy it at Uncle Jesse and Great Granny's farm! After a great lunch on Sunday, we took a 2 hour walk around the farm. The boys enjoyed finding things in the creek and throwing rocks in it. It was a beautiful day, and the kids were so excited to be able to run and play.

Hot stuff!

A Few updates...

T-Ball starts Saturday! The boys are on the Mets. Go Mets!!!!
I applied to University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) Instructional leadership-Principalship graduate program last weekend. I hope to start my first class in May (I have one to transfer in from EKU). I received my first graduate degree from Georgetown and I planned to get my second (principalship) from EKU, but with three young kids, traveling isn't possible. I look forward to an online program. I have heard great things about their program.
Monday night Jason and I got to have a fantastic dinner together at Carinos with a gift certificate Kim had given us for Valentines Day!
Maggie can count to ten. She likes to take off her shoes and count her ten toes. Too cute!
The boys are registered for Kindergarten at Huntertown in Versailles. I am still filling out and gathering paperwork though. Cried.
Sara and I got to have a girls night last night! We went to Saul Good. Great food and even better conversation. I miss her!
This weekend is already packed! Saturday morning we have a social worker coming for a home visit at 8:00, t-ball meeting at 10:00, lunch at Chuck E. Cheese, and life group at our house at 5:30! I'm glad my parents have volunteered to watch the kids Friday, we'll need to rest and prepare!
Austin is really good at mazes. He has a book of mazes and he goes through them at a pace of about 6 seconds per maze! It is so neat to watch him work. He really can visualize the path before trying it.
I leave for Spain in two weeks. I am very excited, but am having a hard time thinking about leaving the kids. Maggie has to go to Tot's Landing for the week. I think it's a great daycare, and I trust that she will enjoy it. My problem is thinking that the one week she doesn't have to go to school, I am sending her to another daycare. Sad.
Matthew is doing great. We are bonding more and more everyday. He is very sweet. Today he said, "Mommy you're like candy. I could just eat you up!"

Matthew's Birthday Party!

2010-03-05T21:17:00.006-05:00

Matthew's birthday was laid back for us, and full of fun for him. Isn't that the best combination? We had his party last Saturday at Kid's Place. We arrived as it opened at 10:00. We brought balloons tied to goodie bags full of Kid's Place tokens, his presents, and that's it! The kids enjoyed playing the games, winning tickets, and picking out their own goodies to fill their bag. As Matthew's friends arrived they quickly joined the rest somewhere up in the gigantic jungle gym. After playing for an hour, we ate fantastic cupcakes made by Jason's mom. Matthew wanted a Spiderman themed party and strawberry cupcakes. Jackie made them perfectly to match his wishes with a surprise cream cheese frosting in the center. Let me tell you... a delicious surprise! After cupcakes he opened presents. He received some wonderful things! Monogrammed duffel bag for t-ball, great pirate themed items for his new room, spiderman toys, ball glove and cleats for t-ball, and more! After presents, the kids quickly ran back to the play area for more. It was just what he wanted.

My camera died, so I don't have many pictures.

For Matthew's birthday we bought him a new bed and redid his room in a pirate theme. For his birthday we got a pirate quilt from Pottery Barn, sheets, decorative pillows, PBK's rug, lampshade, curtains/ rod, MATTHEW board, painted Captain Jack Sparrow canvas, and two picture frames. Thank you to all who gave him these wonderful gifts! He loves his new room! Saturday night he didn't want to go to sleep under the covers because he didn't want to mess up his bed! He has made it all most every morning since. I'll post pictures of his room soon.

Friday was Jason's dad's birthday, so Saturday night we had a party for him. Lots of great family birthday fun!

So I don't forget...

2010-02-23T21:06:00.004-05:00

I have now started this post three times. I keep erasing what I write. I can't really get what I want to say to come out right. This post was going to be a quick top three things of the moment I don't want to forget, but I am wanting to turn it into some mushy post. I'll stop right now and let my buddy Steven do it for me....

"So breathe it in and breathe it out

and listen to your heartbeat

there's a wonder in the here and now

it's right there in front of you

I don't want you to miss the miracle of this moment"

We took this picture yesterday (2/22/2010) while visiting with my dear Pa-Paw and Ma-Maw. Pa-Paw was sitting under his warm electric blanket. His hands were warm, but felt so thin. The nurse drained fluid from his stomach on Thursday and again today. Based on the measurements, he is filling back up too fast for his liver to be working properly. She told him today that his liver is shutting down. I can't help but to be so sad, but every time I cry I try to tell myself that I am being selfish. How can I want him to stay here on Earth when he will be in heaven? God's been preparing it for a long time. It only took seven days to make this place, can you imagine what heaven will be like after all this time? It is far beyond my comprehension, but I know my Pa-Paw is going to be so alive and well. So, for now I want to remember his soft, warm hands and his "I love you baby" good-bye kisses.

Austin showed me this picture as soon as I opened his classroom door this afternoon. He said, "This is a picture of my mommy and my daddy." He was so proud. Austin has enjoyed writing, coloring, and "drawing" for awhile, but this is the first picture that actually looks like something! I'm not saying I have a Picasso on my hands, I'm just saying this picture is special and I don't want to forget it!
He must just be getting better at drawing actual objects. When I said something to Jason about it being his first drawing, he reminded me of this painting from the snow day last week. Here are Austin's first two pieces of art.

I don't remember if this is Batman, Spiderman, or Superman, but that is what he was going for.

We had family night tonight at BounceU. I don't want to forget all five of us climbing to the top, waiting for each other, getting situated, counting to three, and sliding down interlocking arms. We stayed at the bottom and laughed together each time. We did this at least ten times. The kids thought it was so fun to go down together. Maggie has been so excited all day. I think it's funny she already knows the name BounceU. She is such a daredevil. She goes down the slide headfirst, upside down, rolling, and even takes off airborne with a bounce at the top. I guess I shouldn't be surprised... she does exactly what her two fine role models do. We practically had the place to ourselves tonight. We played on the slide the most, but the boys also enjoyed the obstacle course with a little climbing wall.

Weekend Highlights

2010-02-21T17:26:00.006-05:00

We'll start with Thursday.... Amy, Caleb, and Anna came over for dinner and playtime. It's so great to have close cousins!

We had Jennifer and Nick Cooper babysit the kids on Friday night. Jason and I spent the evening furniture shopping for Matthew's room. Then, we had a late meal at P.F. Changs. It was delicious and great to eat with just Jason. We didn't have any luck with the furniture though.

Saturday dad watched the kids so we could do more furniture shopping. We ended up at Haverty's in Hamburg. We decided on a bed there. I think the dark wood is going to look nice with his new bedding. Here is the progress on his room:

It just needs one more skim coat of mud, sanding, and some paint!

Matthew's new bed

Matthew's dream room!
We purchased the pirate quilt and the Euro sham last weekend in Louisville with some significant help from Jason's mom (Matthew's b-day present from her). He will be getting some accent pieces too. I'll post a picture after it's completed!
Saturday night we went to the Groth's for Life Group. The kids played well together, the men yelled at the UK players as they watched the game, and we girls enjoyed chatting with each other as usual.
Sunday I decided I would take advantage of the beautiful day and run! We haven't ran since Oct. or Nov. and we are ready to get back in shape! I needed a new pair of running shoes so I went shopping today. These are the shoes I purchased (Asics Gel-Kayano 16):
I was proud of myself, even though I probably over did it for the first time back out. I walked .4, ran 2, and walked .4.

I thought I'd end the post with Maggie's new outfit that she wore to church today. She spins around as soon as she steps in to it. I can't wait for her to start dance in the fall!

More Snow Day Fun

2010-02-16T15:19:00.002-05:00

Maggie loves scooping rice in and out of two containers. We don't do it often because of the mess she tends to make. Today was one of her not so messy days!

I taped brown paper to the floor in the kitchen and let the artists create. They did very well. I taped their creations to the walls in their rooms.

The kids have been great today. I look forward to our summer days together!

Another Snow Day to Play!

2010-02-16T09:29:00.002-05:00

After breakfast and TV I decided to make the playdough recipe mom used when I was growing up. It's so easy the kids can make it. Step one: Heat 1 cup flour, 1cup water, 1/2 cup salt, 1T cooking oil, and 2 teaspoons Cream of Tarter. Stir over low heat until it thickens and pulls away from the sides of pan. Heat until it is no longer sticky.
Step two: Remove from pan and let cool. Once cool, knead dough. Divide into balls and poke a hole in each. Put food coloring drops in hole and knead.

Step three: Enjoy!

One year ago….
I was looking back at our snow day post from one year ago. I then continued reading. My how things have changed! Here are my favorite lines from last year’s February posts:

Feb. 17, 2009:"On Friday, Tot's Landing called me at school to inform me that my son stuck an m&m up his nose. Apparently it was stuck so far up that the teachers couldn't see it. After some melting time, Austin blew a chocolate booger. He cried hysterically."

Feb. 2, 2009:"When we pray with Matthew at night he repeats what we say. Tonight, I was praying with him while Jason was with Austin. Here is how it went...

Me-Dear Jesus

Matthew-Dear Jesus

Me-Thank you for our time together.

Matthew-You're welcome."

Valentine's Weekend

2010-02-14T21:47:00.004-05:00

My Three Little Valentine's

Today I feel like the luckiest mom in the world. I have three sweet hearted children and one amazing Valentine. I love Austin because he is so considerate. I love Matthew because he is courageous. I love Maggie because she is sweet and sassy. I love Jason because he my soul mate. As time moves by so quickly, I want to take time to breath it all in. This is such a wonderful stage in our family, and I can't get enough of my four sweethearts.

I made these Valentine's bags for the kids and filled them full of little goodies and toys. I put them together in the hotel last night after the kids were asleep. This morning they woke up to their Valentine surprise. They were so excited. Austin kept saying, "You and daddy sure love us a lot." Then the boys started telling me how much they loved me. Austin said to the stars and back. Matthew said to the beach and back.

We started today off with breakfast at Lynn's Paradise Cafe! It is such a fun place to go. Today they had a balloon arch set up for pictures. The staff wore prom attire. It is such a neat eclectic place. If you're ever in Louisville, I suggest getting reservations.

Saturday in Louisville

We always go out of town with Jason's family for his birthday. It is always a great get-a-way together with his family. This year we stayed closer to home because I don't have Monday off (well, snow is in the forecast). We left town around 10:30 Saturday and drove to downtown Louisville. We ate lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Yum! On the way Austin said he didn't want to eat there because it's broken. I asked why it's broken, and he told me because it's old. It caught me by surprise because we hadn't been talking about it. I guess he'd been thinking on that one. As we passed the high rise buildings, bridges, boats, and stadiums, the boys were in awe. They kept saying, "This is the coolest trip ever." They're so sweet!

After the Spaghetti Factory we walked to the Louisville Science Museum. We played in it all afternoon. It is such a great place for kids. I was pleasantly surprised to find out they currently have a Titanic exhibit. I loved it! I read every word of every display. Jason laughed as he told me that all they need to do to get me interested in a museum is make a movie. Funny, but probably true.

Here are a few photos from the science center:

Catching up

2010-02-10T09:36:00.005-05:00

We hosted a "Soup"er Bowl party for our Sunday School class "Happily Hitched." We had several soups, appetizers, and desserts. It was great to watch commercials, chat with friends, and watch football (I did watch the 2nd half). Best of all, it was at our house, so we put the kids to bed and didn't have to leave the party to do it! I made potato soup, buffalo chicken sandwiches, snack mix, chocolate cake, and a dip. Here is the link to the buffalo sandwiches and chocolate cake. If you like chocolate, you should try this cake. It's easy, very moist, and super chocolaty. I used coffee instead of coffee liqueur.
I can't put Beth Moore's new book down! I'm only in chapter 4, but I would like to recommend it to all women. You really need to read this book!! It is called, "So long Insecurities." You can buy it at Lifeway. I also recommend following her blog. Through her blog she is leading a So Long Insecurities Discussion group. Here is the link to that post. There are currently 5,602 women signed up to discuss this book.
Yesterday was not a very restful Snow Day! I took advantage of the day off, and made a few morning calls. We went to the doctor, pediatric dentist, and my dentist... and the pharmacy four times! It was nice to get all those things done, but having to make the day up doesn't seem fair! Maggie has bronchitis. Please keep her in your prayers.
Woodford County gave me a second chance at a snow day. It was much better today! After making breakfast, I made a water table for the kids. They had a blast playing with whisks, measuring cups, strainers, etc. Then, we had a few minutes of school. I bought a new game called "Bananagrams." It's fun for adults, but a nice spelling manipulative for learning. The game is made of little letter tiles, so we were able to practice spelling sat, cat, hat, fat, rat, and bat. Tonight at bed, Matthew's book had the word fat in it. He was able to figure it out from this morning! I was so proud! Amy, Caleb, and Anna came over around 11:00. We made lunch, and then the kids played while Amy and I scrapbooked! I didn't really want another snow day to make up, but it may have been worth it!

Preschool Music and Art

2010-02-01T17:43:00.006-05:00

Austin and Matthew came home singing this song from school the other day. It starts out quiet and ends in a shout. I could only manage to get one kid on video. Matthew did one showing only! This second song they have been singing for a while, but I think it's cute. The end is their favorite part.... you'll see why!

The boys had homework over the weekend for the classroom's All About Me Unit. They were asked to bring in a mobile with their name, photos, phone number, address, and likes. The boys (and Jason and I) worked very hard on the mobiles. I used the Cricut to cut out tags for their names and letters/numbers for their other information. The boys used a stamp pad to burnish the edges of the tags and used paint and foam stamps to stamp the letters of their names on the tags. They searched the house for small toys that represent their favorite toys. We collected mini airplanes, Thomas the Train, Spiderman, Spiderman web, mini baseball, paint brush, Nerf darts, and cars. These likes hung from the mobiles. I was pretty pleased with their final products!

Here is a picture with star shape clip art over our address and phone number so they aren't visible to all!

Panties and Pacifiers! My big girl!

2010-01-24T13:56:00.005-05:00

My baby girl has turned into a toddler over the last week.

We decided Tuesday it was time to cut out the pacifier. We had been trying to keep it to just nap and bedtime anyway, so we thought it was time to give bedtime a shot. She didn't have a good night on Tuesday, but the rest of the week has been perfect! She has barely even asked for it. It is taking her a bit longer to soothe herself to sleep, but she has made it through the night no problem Wed-Sun. On Wednesday night I had a sad moment about her growing up so fast. I cried a little. She didn't even cry for her paci, but I almost went back in to her room to give it to her because I wasn't ready for her not to be a baby.

Maggie has shown interest in potty training so, on Saturday Jason decided to begin. He put on her panties and gave it a shot. She did perfectly Saturday and Sunday morning at church (twice). Sunday was another story. She had four accidents (at least). After Saturday and Sunday's morning successes, this afternoon was a little discouraging. I don't know what to do about tomorrow. If I were going to be home for Spring Break, I would wait and try then. But.... I'll be in Spain!

Oh my! In this cheesy shot, I see my baby pictures in Maggie's face. Unfortunately, that includes the large forehead I have! Sorry Mag.

She is cracking me up with the doodle pro! It is her new favorite!

Handsome fellows after church today.

Happy 4th Birthday Ellie!

2010-01-23T14:39:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated Elllie's 5th birthday at Oogles and Googles! All the kids had such a great time, and it was fun to go somewhere we've never been. The kids heard stories, got tattoos, dressed up in prince/princess costumes, got their faces painted, went on a treasure hunt, ate cupcakes, and more!

Here are a few pictures of the celebration.

Matthew (of course) requested his usual spiderman face, El got a butterfly, and Austin a sword on his cheek.

Our two princes and a princess.

Prince Matthew the Spiderman

Light pink eye shadow for Maggie!

Under Construction!

2010-01-21T20:49:00.002-05:00

A Well Deserved Remodel

Jason's dad and Uncle Jesse came down today to begin construction in Matthew's bedroom. When we built our house, we changed a small bedroom to an office with a double door opening to our bedroom. Doing this took out the closet. It was wonderful as an office, but not so great for a four year old's bedroom! Today they took off the doors, hung dry wall, and began framing the closet. Soon we'll be able to paint, buy a new bedroom suit for him, and pick out bedding! Matthew is so excited. He wanted to sleep in the closet tonight! Also, he has his heart set on painting the room blue.... it's his favorite color right now.

Squid Dogs!

These were fun to make and turned out really well, so I thought I'd share them! We spent last weekend in London with Jason's family. Amy brought her Family Fun magazine, and we saw an idea we wanted to try. Squid dogs! They are so easy. You cut a hot dog (we cut in fourths) and poke raw spaghetti noodles through the hot dogs. Then, boil the dogs and noodles at the same time. We added cheese to make the eyes and mouth. The kids ate them up!

Our 1st Year with Matthew

2010-01-10T17:43:00.003-05:00

**To watch the video, you may need to let it buffer once through, and then go back and watch it to see it without stopping.

Today we are remembering our 1st year with Matthew. One year ago today, we picked him up for the first time. January through March we only had him on Wednesday nights and the weekends. April 3, he moved in to our home. It has been a wild year; full of ups, downs, and if possible, inside outs! We felt God's calling long before the situation arose, so when times were tough, we had faith in His plan for our family. This hasn't been easy, but it's been good. We have learned to live as a family of five with two four year old boys and little sister. We have all given, taken, and grown as a family. We have laughed, cried, screamed, and (all) thrown tantrums. Our family (especially parents), friends, love for one another, and our reliance on Jesus Christ has gotten us through this awesome year. Thank you to all who have supported Matthew and us. We couldn't have done it without you.

We feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to welcome Matthew into our family. One year later, he is part of this family. This is his home; he knows it, believes, it, and thrives in its stability. We love him for his sweet smile, his bravery, his laugh, his adventure, his love of books, his hugs, and his kisses. Matthew, thank you for trusting us, relying on us, believing in us, and loving us. We love you.

SNOW DAY!!!

2010-01-07T19:21:00.002-05:00

I have to admit..... I get just as excited about snow days now as I did when I was a student. Even though (like tomorrow) sometimes I'd rather go to school in January than in June, there is something wonderful about seeing your county's name scroll on the bottom of the screen. I took off my clothes and jumped back in bed. Of course, Maggie was up shortly after 6:00. Knowing we're already off tomorrow, maybe everyone will sleep in until 7:30... just a wish!

We started the day with pancakes. Hoping it would soon start snowing (snow day without snow), I showed the boys how to make snow flakes. They always enjoy using their scissors. We taped our unique flakes to the front window. Daddy said he noticed them immediately when he pulled in the drive way.

This morning I made a delicious potato soup (recipe from Jessica) and put a roast in the crock pot for French dip subs (recipe from Cara) for dinner. Both were excellent. As soon as I get a chance, I'll post the recipes.

This afternoon, we bundled up and ran down to Sara's house. Here are some photos of our Arctic adventure!

I have never seen myself in Austin, however, as I was about to end this post, I caught a glimpse of his bundled up face. Is it just me or does his face look just like mine in this picture?

Enjoying the Opryland Hotel

2010-01-02T22:49:00.005-05:00

Jason and I have had a wonderful time rejuvenating in Nashville! The Opryland Hotel is breathtakingly beautiful. We have walked around enjoying all the views as well as sat on a bench, table, and gazebo while eating or sipping coffee.

After checking in, we walked around until we found a nice place to eat. Opryland has many restaurants and shops. We spent the afternoon shopping, walking, and having ice cream. We ate dinner at a great restaurant, and then headed to the outdoor hot tub! There is something incredible about relaxing in a hot tub while it's 26 degrees! Steam rolled off the water as it hit the freezing air, but we stayed nice and toasty! We ended the night sitting at a table with Godiva and coffee.

This morning was perfect.... coffee, muffin, gazebo, and garden waterfall views. We shopped at OpryMills and had a fantastic BBQ lunch at Neely's!!! You know.... Down Home with the Neely's on Food Network. It was sooo good. We had delicious pulled pork sandwiches, Memphis style with coleslaw on top. Tonight we got in the outdoor hot tub twice as well as sat by the Delta river enjoying Godiva and coffee...again! Today the pedometer registered 22, 125 steps, which is over 6 miles! Perhaps that evens out the ice cream and Godiva!

Tomorrow....... coffee, muffin, and another great view.

One view from the Gazebo this morning

Water garden

One Opryland entrance

Outdoor Nativity

Inside the Delta Atrium- view from one of our coffee spots

Lights in one of the atriums

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T22:35:00.000-05:00

Welcoming the New Year with friends!

Our 8th Anniversary

2009-12-31T16:42:00.004-05:00

After celebrating Maggie’s birthday on Monday, Jason and I celebrated our 8th year wedding anniversary on Tuesday. I let it go by without a blog, and for that I am sorry. He is far more important than most of the things I blog about. As many of you know, I’m usually not short for words, however, when it comes to things emotional, I usually get stuck. If I’m talking, I immediately cry. If I’m writing, I get blocked or feel too mushy. So, I’ll make it short and sweet….. There isn’t another person in this world I would rather spend time with. I love being alone with him more now then ever before. He is my husband and my best friend. I love him, trust him, depend on him, support him, and believe in him. He is the head of this household and a Godly leader to my children. He holds me accountable and knows me inside and out, and, for some reason, loves me no matter what. I can not wait, to spend this weekend alone with him at the Opryland Hotel!!!!! I love you Jason Keith!

Maggie's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-12-31T16:02:00.006-05:00

After having such an eventful Christmas, I wanted to have a laid back birthday party for Maggie. We invited a few close friends and family to celebrate Disney style! We ordered a platter from Chick-Fil-A and had apples/caramel dip, carrots/ranch dip, coleslaw, and chips! Very easy! I also had lots of help.
Mom helped with the activities and coleslaw and Jackie made the cake. For Maggie's 1st birthday mom gave her a beautiful cake server and knife set engraved with her name and 1st birthday date. I knew it would be something special to look forward to each year, and, for me, it was. Maggie will grow to love this special tradition too.

Not many decorations this year. I set out birth pictures as well as 1st and 2nd year birthday pictures. We had Maggie's pictures taken on Sunday in a cute new sweater dress that Nana bought ten minutes before the pictures!

Princesses Anna, Madelyn, and Maggie

Aunt Aprile bought Maggie her first Cinderella dress from the Disney Store. It is a beautiful one! She put it on immediately.

The kids decorated circles and added a die cut of their first initial to the center. Mom turned their creations into buttons.

Oh no! Pluto lost his bones! Luckily, the kids were here to help him find them! Nana cut out (at least) 30 bones and taped candy to them. Pap hid the bones in the basement. After eating and making buttons, the kids ran to the basement to find Pluto's bones.

Princess Maggie has new panties!!!! You know what that means!!

Making a birthday wish!

Birthday Girl!

Woo! What a night!

2009-12-28T13:04:00.002-05:00

December 28th

Happy Birthday to my baby girl!

We love you!

Our Merry Christmas

2009-12-27T10:32:00.004-05:00

We truly had a special Christmas this year. Spending time with family was the highlight for me. Christmas Eve we went to Granny and Jesse’s house in Clay County. We had a huge dinner with turkey, ham and all the fixings. Christmas was complete with our large box of Godiva, traditionally sent from Cousin Steven in San Francisco. It arrived with perfect timing on Christmas Eve. We look forward to this yearly as we search the chocolate guide with pictures and descriptions for our perfect piece of chocolate. Mine this year had a smooth coffee filling.

The Cousins!

Aunt Aprile and Cousin Anna

Jason's Aunt Chris, Aunt Wanda, and Uncle Marion

Maggie already loves all things princess! Here she is opening up a purse with all the necessities. She and Anna loved playing make-up with the play eye shadow and lipstick.

We arrived back home late Christmas Eve. We purposely tried to keep the boys awake the ride home by watching a movie on our new dual DVD players (thanks Granny !and Grandad)! We wanted the boys to be awake when we got home so they could set out milk and cookies for Santa. After putting them to bed, the fun began! We had everything perfectly arranged before we crashed. It looked so good with the lights turned out and the tree lit up.
Christmas morning the kids were great. They opened all their toys with excitement. Our only surprise was Austin saying (about the Jeep), “Hey, Nana and Pap have one of these too!” Note to self….. next year hide things somewhere else or cover it up!

After playing with toys and trying to clean things up, we headed over to Mom and Dad’s. We had a relaxing day over there. We had a great lasagna lunch (as requested by my brother and me). I don’t know why, but I love having lasagna on Christmas. Maybe because we’ve had lots of traditional food the night before? Mom and dad gave us a big, beautiful Doug Prather Horse print. We wanted this for the stairway to the basement. We already have it up, and it's perfect! The kids received a Wii from nana and pap. Jason and Pap set it up and the fun began! Jason and Pap were very patient while teaching the boys how to bowl, play tennis, and baseball. I enjoyed playing Rook with mom, my bother, and ma-maw. Maybe I enjoyed it so much because I got the Rook 6 of 10 rounds!

Nana and Maggie

Ma-Maw and Maggie

Nana started Maggie's American Girl collection this year by giving her a Bitty Baby.

After coming home we set up the Wii and Wii fit (from Granny and Grandad). We didn’t enjoy the thing telling us we were out of balance and weak! I guess we need a little more work!
It was a wonderful Christmas. Now….. on to Maggie’s 2nd Birthday, then, our 8th anniversary, followed by New Year’s! The fun never stops!

Here are a couple of pictures from my surprise birthday party. I stole these off of mom's blog. The second picture is one of me and my good friend Jessica (co-worker too). I talk about her in several blogs, so I thought it would be good to put a face with the name. Her husband Matthew is in the picture too.

Six parties in one post!!

2009-12-24T12:11:00.008-05:00

Stinnett Family Christmas

Friday, December 18 we celebrated Christmas with mom's family. We gathered at Eastland Church of God for delicious soups, sandwiches, and appetizers. Pa-paw wasn't able to come this year, but was remembered by all. All of my cousins were able to come except for Christopher. He was called to Eastern KY with the National Guard to help with all the power outages.

My Cousins

Ma-Maw and my big brother Jason

Keith Family Christmas

Friday night after Stinnett Christmas, we headed to London. Saturday night we celebrated in Clay County with the Keith Clan. I have a photo below of one of my favorite Keith family traditions. Every year one of the Keith men reads the story of Jesus' birth from Luke, we pray, and eat. After eating we draw numbers and open and steal, open and steal, and (1 1/2 hours later) open and steal some more! This year I ended up with a cute Vera Wang purse.

Greene reading the Christmas story

The boys opened new transformers. It took Jason and I half the night to figure out how to transform them!

Maggie opened a travel Aquadoodle. It was perfect for her! She played with it all night.

My 30th Birthday Surprise Party

Jason (with mom's help) pulled off the perfect surprise party! It totally caught me by surprise! I was so confused as to how it all happened! Jason treated my closest friends and family to a brunch at Equestrian Woods Clubhouse. The food was delicious, and the timing was perfect. We have been so busy, and I know my friends are too, so having a brunch was the best idea. It was simple and sweet. Mom made the table decorations, and I wish I had a picture of them to share. She made little balloons with my baby pictures on them. One picture looked just like Maggie. Most people didn't realize how much she looks like me. Everyone thought it was a picture of her. I don't have any pictures of the day as I didn't come prepared with my camera! Thanks to all who made my birthday extra special!

Christmas with Kimmie

On Tuesday night we headed over to Kimmie's to visit with M's family. She and her family constantly show us love and support. Christmas was no exception! We brought home 2 guitars, 2 pair of cowboy boots, 2 hats, sock hats, gloves, 6 movies, pants, socks, cars, hot wheel tracks, Lincoln logs, money, a baby doll, purses, pink boots, and more! Oh my! Jason and I brought home some goodies too! A very nice card table and chairs and a pottery bowl, beer cheese mix, and silver spreader! Needless to say, the Envoy was full! We enjoyed our time and conversations with his family.

Christmas at Granny and Grandad's

Jackie traditionally puts together an amazing Christmas Eve brunch and we head to Granny's for Christmas Eve dinner, so the 24th is rather busy. The last couple of years we have opened presents with Jason's immediate family on the evening of the 23rd. It was so fun! Caleb, Anna, M, Austin, and Maggie went to town! Caleb is the best at showing excitement! As a result, the boys followed. Every gift brought a huge YEAH!!!! I love this!! I really, really wanted this! Of course when it was over, they were disappointed they didn't have more. I pray this is normal for 4 year olds. I wish they would show a little more appreciation for what they are given, but I assume this is normal for their age and understanding.

Aunt Aprile bought all three boys a Nerf gun!

Maggie was busy playing mommy with her new stroller, baby Belle doll, and princess necklaces.

All three boys got Lego sets. Jason helped the boys put theirs together.

Caleb is a talented Lego builder! He didn't receive any help putting his together... and it had a ton of tiny pieces. He has been working them since he was the boys age. This is a hobby I hope the boys take after.

Austin's 1st Lego!

Anna and Maggie cuddling watching a Princess movie.

Jackie's Christmas Eve Brunch

Yum!

On the way home from Clay County last Saturday, M saw a deer crossing sign and said, "Look!!! This is where Santa crosses the street with his reindeer!"

30 years!

2009-12-20T15:47:00.002-05:00

Today I am celebrating my 30th Birthday…30! It isn’t that I am no longer in my twenties that bothers me, it is that life is moving at too rapid of a pace. I loved growing up, my time in high school, college, newly wed years, and having babies. But, my babies are growing up too fast. This year I want to breathe, relax, and take in every moment.

Here are the 30 things I want to enjoy in my thirtieth year:

Jason- quality time together and watching him play and wrestle with the kids
Austin- his sweet words and actions
Maggie- her fun laugh
Matthew- his excitement and curiosity
Parents- time together as a big family
Brother- him living in Lexington!
Grandparents- everyday is a gift.
In-laws- the fun we have at their home with the family
Sister-in-laws- talking and laughing, sharing time together
Close friends- accountability and love
Kindergarten- well, not sure I’m going to enjoy the first day, but I want to enjoy talking with them about school everyday.
Home- my new basement!
Winter- snow days!
Spring- Spain
Summer- time off with my kids, the beach, and fishing at Granny’s.
Fall- orchards and Gatlinburg
Music- Steven Curtis Chapman. Maybe even a concert…
Coffee- my new Keurig…yum!
My bed- getting in at night and laying with the kids in the morning.
God’s word- enjoy deepening my knowledge and growing the faith of my children
Sunday pizza- our new tradition fits perfectly between church and naptime.
Books- I never get to read, but I sure enjoy it when I do… Twilight series?
Movies- romantic comedies or kid movies with popcorn and cheddar sprinkles.
Date nights- my favorite nights!
Sweatpants and soup- enough said!
The beach- sun, sand, relaxation, and restaurants.
Great Wolf Lodge- so much fun!
Minivans- Oh yes, I want to become a minivan mom this year. Thirty is the perfect time.
My job- it’s easier to enjoy when I’m doing my best... planning with Jessica too.
Scrapbooks- time to start back!

Playing in the snow!

2009-12-19T12:44:00.002-05:00

We had a blast out in the snow today playing with Aunt Amy, Caleb, Anna, Granny, and Grandad! We made a huge snowman!

Southern Lights at the Horse Park

2009-12-19T11:41:00.004-05:00

Among the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, one of my all time favorite things to do is take a ride through the Horse Park for Southern Lights. There seemed to be several new additions this year. My favorites are 12 days of Christmas, Santa waving from the Limo, and the nativity.

Once through the lights, we feed the animals, rode a train, and walked around all of the train displays. It was a great night with Nana, Papa, Uncle Jason, Cassie, and Thomas.

Carrot sticks did the trick! Austin is not a fan of animals licking food out of his hand. He usually will not feed the animals. This year, they had carrot sticks. This gave Austin a few more inches for comfort!

Taking a family ride in the little train.

The boys had a great time looking at the train displays. The men working the booths were very kind. One even came around and let Austin stop and start the train. That made his night!

Tot's Landing Christmas Program

2009-12-19T09:54:00.002-05:00

We have been preparing since early November for this year's Tot's Landing Christmas program. The boys came home one day singing, "I'm a little Christmas tree tall and straight. Here are my branches for you to decorate..." All together they sang three songs.... motions and all! As expected, they did much better at home, than on stage! I didn't know they were wearing Santa hats, so when they came out, it took a while to figure out which ones the boys were. The shoes helped a lot. Austin's height helps too.

This year the theme was the Christmas tree. Each classroom was a different part of the tree. As you can see in the pictures, the boys' classroom were the ornaments. Every room was too cute! It was fun to see our good friends the Crum's and the Coleman's little ones sing too. They also have bigger kids in the boys' room too.
Mom had bunco at her house, but dad came and was a huge help with Maggie. She sat with her Pap the whole time. Uncle Jason came too. Afterwards we went out to dinner. It was a great night. M also had a nice surprise with seven family members there to watch.

From the left, the boys are the 3rd and 7th.

As you can tell, their ornaments are beautifully decorated with glitter paint. Austin decorated all over, M decorated around the center star. They made these at school, and hung them from the ceiling to decorate their classroom.

Great Time at Great Wolf!

2009-12-13T17:38:00.003-05:00

I have been counting down the days till Great Wolf Lodge. I LOVE that place!!! Jason read about all of the Christmas festivities going on at Great Wolf, and we couldn’t wait to take the kids. It was beautiful. The lobby had snowflakes and Christmas trees everywhere. While the guys were checking us in, there was a Christmas show in the lobby that ended with a snow fall! This was a perfect way to welcome us to the Lodge! After playing in the water park for several hours, we took a dinner break. As we walked to the restaurant, Santa and Mrs. Claus entered the lobby! Santa’s elves were also there painting faces. The guys and babies ordered while Sara and I took Austin, M, and Ellie to see Santa and have heir faces painted. After dinner we went back to play some more. I think I have as much fun as the kids. Maggie is going to be more like M when it comes to adventures. She quickly decided she wanted to go down the toddler slide instead of the baby slide. She had so much fun, and looked so precious going down it.

Only at Great Wolf Lodge can you sit on Santa's lap in your swimming suit!

Tis the Season!

2009-12-12T07:45:00.004-05:00

Tis the season for gathering with friends and family. We have been busy! Here is what has been happening with us since Thanksgiving Day in Clay County.

Baker Thanksgiving
We gathered with the Baker family the Sunday after Thanksgiving at my Uncle Harley’s house. We had a great meal with all the trimmings. It was nice to be with family. The boys spent lots of time flipping through the newspaper advertisements showing everyone what they want for Christmas. It was nice outside, so the boys enjoyed playing with Pap, Uncle Jason, and my cousin John.

Jesse’s Birthday

Aunt Chris and Uncle Fred always put together a wonderful Birthday lunch for Uncle Jesse. This year Jackie brought a decadent chocolate peanut butter cake…. with Reese’s on top. Yum! Aunt Aprile (Jane) took perfect care of Maggie (Jane). She sat by her at lunch and dessert to help her eat. Maggie isn’t quite as loud as the other niece and nephews yet, so she has a special place with Aunt Aprile. Although she's quickly learning....

LG Christmas
Celebrating Christmas with the Life Group was extra special this year. As the children get older, this season just gets better and better. This year we gathered at Matt and Emily Coy’s house. We ate a delicious meal, made an ornament with the kids, changed in to Christmas P.J.’s, watched a kids Christmas movie, and had great adult conversation. I love to look at last year’s picture and this year’s. What a blessed year we’ve had! This year we added baby Eva, Lindsey, and Matthew. This is our fifth Christmas season as a life group. When we started there were only five children…. Now we have eleven! We get together every other weekend with our families. Us girls have accountability group every other Tuesday and the guys meet together every other Wednesday. I have received love, encouragement, support, and prayer from these great friends.

Life Group Christmas Party 2008

Life Group Christmas Party 2009

Happily Hitched Christmas Party
We hosted our Sunday School Christmas party this past Friday night. Families were invited too, so we had a house full. It was very laid back. We provided dessert. Everyone else brought an appetizer. The kids played downstairs by themselves all night. I love the basement! We were able to enjoy the night with the other adults. We had great conversations, and we ended the night laughing as we reminisced about our perfectly rolled, knotted, and pegged clothes in the 80’s. It was great to hear words like Swatch Watch, Eastland’s, and Guess!
For dessert, I had a chocolate fountain. The boys wanted to dip things in it all night, but I wouldn’t let them do it without help. I told them to wait until everyone left, and so they did! We took off their shirts and let them stand on chairs. They dipped fingers and even cupped a handful of chocolate. They enjoyed it!

Baking Day 2009

2009-11-28T13:18:00.006-05:00

This may look like a lot (and it is), but it isn't all of it! I couldn't fit six other things!

Yesterday I spent the day with the other Keith girls, mixing, measuring, baking, pulling cream candy, chopping, icing, and sprinkling delicious candies and cookies. I think we have been doing this for about 6 years, and it has become one of my favorite days of the year. It is wonderful to spend so much time in one place with my mother-in-law and two sister-in-laws. Although it is a long, hard, tiring day, we still manage to laugh, talk a lot, and make a mess!

The List!!

This year we added several new recipes to our old favorites. I think there were around 26 candies and cookies total. My favorites are cream candy, toffee, and chocolate chip turtle bars.

Jackie helped set the Christmas mood by playing Christmas music on the record player.

Austin was helping me mix when cousin Caleb decided he should be wearing goggles. Then, they finished by mixing together. Austin helped several times throughout the day. He loves to help me cook.

Maggie took advantage of the free time (with little supervision) to draw... on her face.

The famous pulled cream candy!

This is an adventure every year... as well as a must. We haven't perfected the technique yet, but it (usually) turns out, although we swear it's not going to. This year it took Amy watching the pot for about three hours before it reached the right temperature. Usually we cook it on too high of heat and it boils over, so this year we cooked it on a lower temp. Amy wasn't aware when she started that she'd be spending the next three hours on a stool watching the pot! We transfer it to a marble slab to cool, and then we pull. We pull and we pull, until we think it's about to cream. This is a guess every year. It may not be pretty enough to sell, but I love it anyway!!

We also made sugar cookies for the kids to decorate. Austin and Matthew dumped enough sprinkles on each cookie to decorate at least five! We let them do it on their own though, and they had fun.

Aprile's friend stopped by right in time to help the kids decorate!

Niece and Nephew ATTACK! Aunt Aprile hasn't had quite enough kid time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T20:46:00.005-05:00

Jason and I started the day buying the last couple of Christmas gifts for the boys at Kmart's Thanksgiving Day sale. We made a quick trip through Starbucks and got home quickly to watch the parade. We headed out to Granny' around noon. Amy and the kids arrived shortly after, and we ate, played, snoozed a little, played, and ate some more!

We are thankful this holiday for Granny's alertness. She was totally with it! She knew it was Thanksgiving. She laughed, talked, and questioned. She talked to us about the kids, Jason's job, she even asked me if he was good to me and how well he helps out around the house. She got a kick out of watching Maggie eat. She said Maggie ate better with a fork than she does.

We also played a new game called Imaginiff. It was a great game to play. And when we were finished, it was dinner time! I can't believe we were ready to eat again!

Here are some pictures from the day.

Thanksgiving Family Photo 2009 with our little turkey!

Maggie Jane Moberly

Jackie and Jesse fixed us up good! Turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, corn pudding, creamed spinach, cranberry sauce, candy apple salad, deviled eggs, and rolls! Don't forget the pumpkin log, jam cake with caramel icing, and brownies.

Austin and Matthew ate and ate the cranberry sauce. It was their favorite part.

AFTER

Granny and Anna

I better get some sleep..... tomorrow is the annual Keith girls Christmas Baking Day!!!!! Jackie has a list that is going to keep us busy!

Thankful for my Family

2009-11-24T22:17:00.007-05:00

I am thankful for the precious stage Maggie is in right now. She is having a blast playing with her big brothers. But, there’s still hope for her! One minute she is copying every move the boys make and the next she is wearing her princess dress. She twirls, spins until she falls, and laughs. She and I play a little Mommy’s girl game. I say, “You are momma’s girl” and she laughs and says no, “Dada’s girl.” I laugh every time, but it’s NOT true! She has also started singing Happy Birthday, only she sings, “Happy to you, Happy to you.” She is also in the mine phase. She points to everything and says, “Mine?” I tell her yes and she says, “Oh.”

I am thankful to work with such generous students. WCHS has an annual food drive, and I am a BIG fan…. or competitor! I encourage my students by having several high goals for them to reach with rewards in the end. This year I decided I wanted to bring in cans to show my students I want to do my part too. Jessica and I made flyers to put in our neighbor’s doors. On Thursday, she and I passed out 100 flyers, 50 to her neighbors and 50 to mine. I recruited two helpers from my house. She and I rolled up the flyers and the boys ran them to the doors. On Saturday morning, we went around looking for cans set out on front porches. I only had four neighbors participate, but with my mom and my cabinet, I donated 52. My students’ total was….. 2,865!!!!!!!!!!!! Today we had our Thanksgiving Assembly. Jessica and I received 1st and 2nd prize! She had around 2,500!

After collecting from two houses Austin asked, "Mommy, do the people know we're stealing this food?" Needless to say, I hadn't done a very good job explaining what we were doing!

I am thankful for the feeling I get every night as I look at the lights on the Christmas tree. I love it this year more than ever. We started decorating the house for Christmas last weekend. Since we go out of town for Thanksgiving and don’t come back until Sunday, we love setting it all up before we leave. Then, we get to come home to Christmas. The kids are over joyed with Christmas all ready. They have looked through a couple toy fliers and have circled many things. Just about every toy commercial that comes on one of the boys says, “Oh. Cool! I want that for Christmas!” We have a tree in their bathroom and one in each bedroom. Maggie and I set up the little tree in the bathroom without the others knowing. When Matthew walked past it for the first time he completely lit up as he yelled, “Hey Austin, come and look at this!”

I am thankful for my kid’s cousins. It is wonderful having cousins so close in age. Caleb takes such good care of Maggie and Anna has taught her all about how to be a princess. Caleb has taught the boys how to shoot Nerf guns and how to seek and destroy Uncle Jason or Grandad. They came over on Monday night and helped decorate the basement Christmas tree. We made fruit loop and straw garland. On Sunday, the boys made a paper chain garland all by themselves for the tree too.

We watched Elf as we made our garlands. Austin kept his Nerf goggles on as he worked... well, as he watched Elf and occasionally strung a fruit loop or straw piece.

I am most thankful for quality family time. Austin was struck with an idea he couldn’t let go of this past weekend. I think the spirit of Christmas got to him as we decorated. All of the sudden he yelled and jumped up and down as he said, “Can we drink hot cocoa, snuggle under covers, and watch a movie?” He didn’t stop thinking and talking about this all day. Jason checked the TV and saw that the original “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” was coming on at 8:00. So, on Saturday night, we drank hot cocoa with marshmallows, snuggled together with a blanket, and watched the Grinch. We have now seen it three times! It’s a good thing it’s only 30 minutes! Maggie at the dinner table tonight said, “Da, da, da Grinch.” Jason and I laughed so hard…. she continued to do it and we continued to laugh. My favorite thing to do is spend time at home with my family.

Happy Thanksgiving! May God bless your family and mine.

Heaven is the Face

2009-11-04T18:52:00.004-05:00

A few thoughts and some lyrics...

Jason came home today excited to share a song he knew I'd love. Steven Curtis Chapman has several songs that hold deep meaning and significance to our lives. Miracle of the Moment, Cinderella, One Heartbeat at a Time are my favorites. When I hear them I want to sing at the top of my lungs with tears in my eyes. I can't even express my love and appreciation of all he has done for the children in this world who need a loving family. After attending an outdoor concert at the Biltmore (one of his first after his daughter's death), I left knowing without a doubt I wanted to adopt. If you'd asked me that night, I would have given you two specific names. I just didn't know how it would happen. Well, two months later we were given the opportunity to open our home to those two children just for one weekend. We prayed fervently for these two, and believed they would find their way back to our home forever. What we didn't know was that God had different plans. He wanted one home with Him. Her big brother is now laughing and playing so loudly in the other room, I'm laughing and crying at the same time as I type.

When I heard Steven Curtis Chapman's new song for the first time, I couldn't stop thinking of Katie. But, more than anything, it made me think of Matthew. I have often thought back and asked several what if questions, but Miracle of the Moment helps me to remember that He has given us a treasure called right now and this is the only moment we can do anything about.

I want to share the lyrics of his new song with you. Jason and I didn't have the pleasure of knowing Katie very well, but we know her big brother, and know he loves and misses his sissy. This month is the one year anniversary of her tragedy, and I know she has a loving family that misses her terribly. As you read the lyrics and hear the song throughout this season, please pray for her family who believe Heaven is the face of a little girl named Katie.

You can also listen to it at:

Heaven is the Face

Heaven is the face of a little girl
With dark brown eyes
That disappear when she smiles.
Heaven is the place
Where she calls my name
Says, “Daddy please come play with me for awhile.”

Chorus:

God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more,
But God, You know, that this is what I’m aching for.
God, you know, I just can’t see beyond the door.
So right now...

Heaven is the sound of her breathing deep,
Lying on my chest, falling fast asleep while I sing.
And Heaven is the weight of her in my arms,
Being there to keep her safe from harm while she dreams

And God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more,
But God, You know, that this is what I’m longing for
God, you know, I just can’t see beyond the door.

Bridge:

But in my mind’s eye I can see a place
Where Your glory fills every empty space.
All the cancer is gone,
Every mouth is fed,
And there’s no one left in the orphans’ bed.
Every lonely heart finds their one true love,
And there’s no more goodbye,
And no more not enough,
And there’s no more enemy (no more).

Heaven is a sweet, maple syrup kiss
And a thousand other little things I miss with her gone.
Heaven is the place where she takes my hand
And leads me to You,
And we both run into Your arms.

Oh God, I know, it’s so much more than I can dream.
It’s far beyond anything I can conceive.
So God, You know, I’m trusting You until I see
Heaven in the face of my little girl,
Heaven in the face of my little girl.

Trick or Treat!

2009-10-31T21:00:00.007-04:00

Happy Halloween!!!

We had a great night celebrating Halloween in London with Jason's parents and sister Aprile. Buzz and Woody ran from house to house yelling trick or treat, Happy Halloween, Thank you, and YEAH!! Maggie said, "Teat" and "dank du" at each house. She wanted to run as fast as the boys. Every now and then she would get a little rush of excitement and squeal and run faster. They were equally excited to finish the neighborhood so they could help Grandad pass out candy. Each handful they grabbed went half to the Trick or Treater and half to their own bag.

About half way through the night we looked up and saw an incredible double rainbow! It was gorgeous!!! You can't really tell it was a double in this picture, but it truly was beautiful. We paused to tell the boys about God's promise to us.

I have never seen so many Trick or Treaters! I think most of Clay County came in to London for Trick or Treating. The neighborhood was lined with cars. Although it was a little scary trying to watch three kids who wanted to run, it was fun to see so many kids in costumes. Maggie loved looking at everyone dressed up.

Back home showing off their loot!

A Magical Disney Halloween

2009-10-31T14:02:00.009-04:00

With the boys being four and Maggie being almost two, this Halloween has been the best one yet! We have three Disney characters this year. Best Buds Woody and Buzz Lightyear and little Miss Minnie Mouse. We have already gotten great use of the costumes.

On Thursday, we visited at Kimmie's house. We ate yummy taco soup with PB&J sandwiches and the kids got lots of Halloween treats.

On Friday all three of the kids had Halloween parties at school. I had the best treat of all! Little Minnie Mouse and her two school friends came to trick or treat in my classroom. The boys wore their suits to school for their party. They went trick or treating from classroom to classroom and iced and decorated cookies. Unfortunately Mommy left Austin's cowboy hat at school. I guess next year when we receive the letter that says not to bring accessories we'll listen! Austin was such a great sport. I've mentioned in previous posts that he loves his hat and wants to wear it daily. When we realized we had left his hat he was upset, but didn't shed a tear.

Friday night we made our Trick or Treating rounds to my Granny and Ma-maw and Pa-paw's. It was great to see them. I am blessed with wonderful grandparents who love to see the kids. Woody lucked out..... Ma-maw hat a cowboy hat from when she traveled to Texas! Woody is now complete with a new hat!

Here are a few pictures of Friday. Just a reminder... I can't post pics of one special boy.

FYI.... he's the one with a Jack-O-Lantern face!

Woody, Buzz, and Minnie Mouse

Visiting with Gigi

Gigi tickled Maggie's tickie hoe (Tickling hole AKA belly button). MJ raised her dress and Gigi got her. She laughed and loved it!

Woody and Buzz giving my Pap-Paw a big hug

Nana and Minnie

Minnie loves Pa-Paw... Pa-paw loves Minnie too.

Minnie has a hard time keeping her ears on.

Me and My Pa-Paw

I sat by his side most of the visit and he rubbed my arm. His hands were so warm. He looked at me in the eyes and said "I love you sweetie" before I left. He put both hands on Austin's face and said,"Pa-Paw loves you." I pray Austin Porter will always remember his Great Grandfather Stanley Porter.

Carving Our Pumpkin!

2009-10-29T17:17:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday we finally carved a pumpkin! Jason did a great job! I was busy picking out the seeds to roast them in the oven.

Austin loved scooping out the icky gooey insides of the pumpkin.

Sweet baby... stole candy from the Halloween basket and opened it without us even knowing. She's learned from her two big brothers.

It has been so fun decorating for Halloween this year. I cut down the corn fodder on Jesse's farm with a tobacco cutter, we bought pumpkins from Bi-Water Farm, wrapped a couple trees in orange lights, and added the scary pumpkin!

Be afraid!

Gatlinburg with the Family!

2009-10-21T20:30:00.006-04:00

There is just something about the smell of fudge, mixed with kettle korn, and smoke coming from nearby restaurants that makes me want to take in a deep breath of fresh Smoky Mountain air! I love Gatlinburg in the fall. Growing up I made many wonderful memories camping in the Smokies with my family. I remember finding the perfect stick to whittle for marshmallows, sharing a caramel apple with my dad, hiking in the mountains, and, of course, buying an air brushed t-shirt.

Last weekend we enjoyed making new memories with our little ones and spending time with Jason's family in Gatlinburg. We stayed in a four bedroom cabin with plenty of room for the kids to run wild... and they did!

Happy 4th Birthday Anna! We celebrated cousin Anna's birthday on Thursday night with yummy strawberry cake and presents.

Friday night we had a blast finding our way through a mirror maze, putt-putting in the dark, bending and crawling through the laser quest, and using our magic wands to fight the dragon in the Magi Quest.

Maggie was too funny walking around with her putter and pink ball. She played (or at least walked on) every hole.

Austin opening a treasure chest with his wand.

Maggie called it quits by this point! I just chased her around to keep her from hitting random boys on the head with her wand (oh yes, she did).

After a fun filled night playing, we walked next door and ate at the Flying Horse Grill. The kids rode on the carousel while we waited for the food. It was the perfect place to eat a late dinner after a playing so hard. This is the second year we have done this combo of places. They are conveniently located next door! The food is great, fast, and there's a carousel to keep the kids happy!

The kids loved playing with each other around the cabin. Yes, Austin is wearing my black boots! Anna likes to strike a pose when you get out the camera. She loves to takes pictures and have her picture taken. She is actually a gifted photographer!

Sunday morning we made our annual trip to Pancake Pantry. As the others waited in line, Amy, Jason and I brought the kids over to take a picture and make a wish in the fountain.

Me and my sweetie.

We met in Gatlinburg and got engaged in Gatlinburg. It's our special place.

Maggie is taking note of all cousin Anna's style and sass! When she saw her open her princess dress at her b-day party on Friday, she immediately wanted to take it from her and wear it. She kept saying, "I wear it. I wear it." We bought her a princess dress the next day at the outlet. She loves putting it on!

Austin loves his cowboy boots. He wants to wear them everywhere... school, church, around the house, etc. We bought him a cowboy hat to go with them. Of course the boots are brown and the hat is black, but he first wanted the red cowgirl hat... I settled with the black one! He loves to wear it. I think he's worn it to school everyday this week. He is Woody for Halloween, so the boots and hat will be perfect. Matthew is Buzz.... Best Buds!

A Day at the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-15T08:02:00.005-04:00

Tuesday we headed to Bi-Water Farm to meet Kimmie, her sister Laurie, Brittney, and James. It wasn't the prettiest fall day, but it didn't rain and it wasn't too cold. We fed the animals, road bikes, walked through a haunted barn, went on a hayride, walked the pumpkin patch, picked a few pumpkins, slid down the big slide, and ate yummy pizza at Fat Katz. We had a great day. All three kids were knocked out by the time we got home!

The boys took some money from their banks to buy little toys and candy. I bought two big decorative pumpkins (the ones that are a different color orange) and Kimmie bought me a bag of cute little pumpkins and gourds and both of the boy's pumpkins from the patch. The house looks very fall. I love it!

Poor Maggie. She spent more time on the ground in the dirt than she did standing up. She just kept getting tripped up on the pumpkin patch vines.

She loved feeding the animals. She found this pot on the ground and used it to hold her feed.

Austin on the other hand wouldn't have anything to do with feeding the animals. He didn't like the idea of them licking his hand. He just threw the food on the ground around the animals.

Austin loved picking out pumpkins. He kept finding ones he wanted. He finally decided on a perfect pumpkin for his size. He carried it proudly!