Amy's Anecdotes

Sweet as Sugar

2009-11-25T21:37:00.003-05:00

My Abby Grace. Sweet as sugar.

She is a lot of things for only being 4 years old. Of course, she would correct me to say that she is actually 4 1/2. But, we all know I'm in no rush for her to get any closer to 5.

Anyway, like I was saying, my Abby Grace packs a lot of personality into her tiny body. She is smart, strong, funny, sassy, motivated, outgoing - honestly, it feels kind of silly to list her qualities this way. Just one word, like each one of them is just a simple description. I could write pages about each of these qualities. Examples and anecdotes to illustrate just how complex and wonderful she is. There is one thing about Abby that Matt and I always come back to though. One thing that stands above all the rest.

Her heart.

My daughter has the most loving heart. The most giving soul. The most thoughtful and sweet and intuitive and caring spirit that I have ever known. At only 4 years old (4 1/2), she continually amazes us with her love for others.

She really loves people. Really develops special relationships with others far beyond the ability of a typical 4 year old. She remembers you. Remembers what you like, remembers stories or jokes you have told, remembers games that you played together. Remembers what is important to you and what is going on in your life at the moment.

She tries to make everyone happy. For example, I always joke with her about not wanting her to grow up. She knows I am kidding, but she also realizes there is some truth to it too. She'll say things like, "Don't forget - when I grow up you get to meet my babies." And the other day she explained how she would always live close by, "I'll move into the next neighborhood with my family. When someone in our neighborhood moves away, just call me on the phone and tell me which house it is. I will run over here and get the house and then I can always live very close to you. Just don't forget to call me right away so someone else doesn't get to that house first!"

There is another story that I was reminded of tonight that really gives a glimpse into her heart. One afternoon, Matt was in the playroom with Abby while I was helping Drew with some homework. All of a sudden, I heard her crying - loudly sobbing. I ran back to the playroom to find out what was wrong. I was sure she had been badly hurt.

I opened the door to find her sitting in Matt's lap and he was holding a book.

The Giving Tree.

I asked what was wrong and Matt simply explained, "the book made her sad." In between sobs, she emphatically denied this. She kept insisting she was "just tired." She ran out of the room.

Matt explained further, "As I kept reading the book, I could tell she was just getting sadder and sadder. Her face was changing and I could just see that she was really upset. Finally I told her that I thought everything was going to be ok. That was when she started sobbing. I couldn't console her. That's when you came in."

Abby wouldn't admit it, but that book had broken her little heart. At only 4 years old, Abby consistently shows a level of empathy for people that I rarely even see in adults. She understands people's emotions. She is always thoughtful and loving and generous when it comes to interacting with other children and adults.

She wants to get to know you. She wants to talk to you about anything and everything. She has instant connections with people that she meets. And some are even more special than others. For example, my Papa and my Grammy. For some reason, she just has this special place in her heart for them. Of course, they are my grandparents and they are family so we would expect her to love them. But there is something different there - a special love she has for them. We rarely ever get to see them, but she asks about them all the time and wants to know how they are doing and when she will see them again.

This past Saturday we took the kids to a Gator football game. During the 4th quarter, we had tickets to go sit in the box with Matt's company. As soon as we walked in, Matt introduced us to one of his co-workers, Sophia. Right away, Abby was smitten. There was an instant connection. After a few minutes, we went down to sit in the seats and watch the game. Next thing I knew, Abby was asking to go back up the stairs. Matt thought she wanted a snack, but I knew immediately where she was going. She wanted to talk to Miss Sophia. Sure enough, I found her a few minutes later sitting at a table and chatting away with Miss Sophia. She was in her element and happy as a clam. What's the big deal about a football game when there is girl talk to be had?

Matt later told me that Sophia said to Abby, "When I have a daughter, I want her to be exactly like you."

Oh, my sweet Abby Grace. I am so proud of your heart of gold. There are so many qualities about you to love. So many moments that take my breath away.

I am so grateful for the privilege of being your Mama.

So very grateful that you are mine.

Teamwork

2009-11-16T12:18:00.004-05:00

About a week ago, Matt was outside playing basketball with the kids while I got some things done around the house. Drew and Abby kept running inside every few minutes for a "huddle." After eavesdropping on them a few times, I decided to pull out the camera and take video. Here's a little peek into what was going on...

Just to clarify, we ARE Magic fans in this house. However, the Lakers are currently the champions. So, every time Matt and Drew play basketball, Drew insists on being the Lakers while Matt is the Magic.

There are so many things I love about this.

I love that they run into the house to keep their plans a "secret" from Matt because he pretends to listen to their huddle. And that while they are inside, Abby still hushes Drew so that Matt can't hear them.

I love that this captures their personalities - Abby is the chatter box and the one in charge and Drew just goes along with the plan. I love that Drew is being so sweet with Abby - passing the ball to her and letting her shoot the baskets instead of doing it all by himself.

I love that the plan is for Abby to pretend she is sleeping, yet as soon as they get out there they make Matt pretend to sleep so they can score a basket on him.

I love that Matt has two hoops set up - a little one for Abby and the tall one for Drew.

Mostly, I'm happy that I caught these moments on video. It wasn't anyone's birthday or a holiday or a special occasion. It was a normal Saturday afternoon of kids playing with their Daddy. It is these moments that I'm conscious to commit to memory or to photograph/videotape. It is these moments of getting along with each other and using their imaginations and having fun that I want to remember. Not just the special occasions, but the everyday things that make these children such a joy to be around. To remember their sweet voices and little bodies - just as they are.

I LOVE this age for both of them. We really couldn't be having any more fun...

Easily Entertained

2009-11-04T21:16:00.002-05:00

I love my camera. I have always loved pictures and scrapbooking. I have kept scrapbooks filled with photos and memorabilia ever since high school. Back then, all I needed was construction paper, fancy scissors, and Elmer's glue.

I took my hobby to a whole new level once Drew and Abby came along. I love scrapbooking - documenting the memories, being creative, time spent with friends - all of it makes me so happy.

I also love taking pictures of my kids. I got my first digital camera when I was pregnant with Drew. Several cameras later, I finally have a digital SLR that I LOVE! I have had it for a year and a half and I have taken well over 10,000 pictures with it. I still only use it on the automatic setting (gasp!), but the quality of my pictures has drastically improved and it is even more fun to edit and scrapbook them!

Recently, I was editing the pictures from Abby's last day of preschool. That morning, we had gone to pick up cupcakes (decorated with little graduation caps) for the class. I took this photo of Abby with one of the cupcakes.

The colors in the photo are a little too warm, so I was trying to edit the picture to balance out the color. It was then that I noticed something...

Do you see it too?

No, it's not just those sweet freckles that are beginning to appear on her nose. However, I have fond memories of my Dad counting my freckles when I was a little girl, so I do the same thing with Abby. And, it's not her birthmark that becomes more prominent when she is really happy or really upset. Cupcakes make this little girl VERY happy!

It's something wrong with her pretty, blue eyes. There is a speck of orange in them. What in the world is that?

It's me! I was wearing an orange shirt that day. You can clearly see my reflection in her blue eyes.

This made me laugh out loud!

Obviously, I am easily entertained...

If You Say So...

2009-10-28T20:26:00.005-04:00

Today was Drew's First Grade Halloween party. Well, it was really a "Pumpkin Party" because we aren't supposed to mention Halloween at school. It was also Wacky Hair Day so that made things exceptionally interesting.

I got to plan the party with my newest friend and co-room mom, Belinda. She is an amazing photographer (and really cool chick). These are just two of the photos she took today with her snazzy, fancy camera. I heart them.

I also heart the little boy who explained the origin of Halloween to me on the way to school today.

"You know, Mom, a long time ago people were really afraid of ghosts. So AFRAID of them that they would hide in their houses and be afraid to come out. So, all the people dressed up in costumes to scare the ghosts away. Do you hear me, Mom? They SCARED the ghosts away. And they left food for the ghosts by the door to make them happy. So, I guess they were scared and a little happy. But, anyway, that is why we have Halloween. But, don't worry, we don't have ghosts anymore. This was a LONG time ago."

"Wow, Drew! Who told you all of that?"

"Handy Manny."

Fantastic.

The Beach. AKA: The Most Pictures I've Ever Put In One Post.

2009-10-17T22:29:00.047-04:00

So, it's October. And I'm still re-capping our summer. I just don't know what to say. Life is busy and I'm busy living it. I'm really trying to get and stay caught up with the blog. It is a wonderful record of family memories. (And my mom and sister drive me crazy requesting new posts).

Matt was scheduled to take vacation during the second week of July. However, it was the first week of July when our firstborn decided to have major surgery. It kind of put our plans on hold. We weren't sure how quickly he would recover and what would be safe for him to do.

We were supposed to leave for the beach on Monday, but had to stay in town until Drew's doctor's appointment on Wednesday. The doctor examined his incision sites and said that Drew could return to all normal activity. Drew had been feeling fine, so that was all we needed to hear to pack up our things and head to the beach!

We stayed at my Dad's condo for four days. It was AMAZING!! The kids loved it and had a wonderful time! I took over 500 pictures while we were there.

This post contains 40. It took a loooong time for me to go through and edit all the pictures and then to narrow it down to 8% of them for your enjoyment.

Let's get going...

My healthy and happy boy walking on the beach! I cannot even begin to tell you how great it was to see him back to his usual self after such a rough week.

No hesitation for either child with the ocean on this visit. They both wanted to jump right in and get their feet wet!

Or, go as far out as Daddy could take them and let the waves crash over their heads!

Back on the beach, Drew was an avid seashell collector. Note the shells in his left hand...

Daddy was brave enough and tall enough and strong enough to take them out as far as they wanted to go in the ocean. They always came back beaming from ear to ear and wanting to know when they could go back again. Here, Abby is running back to the beach after her turn in the ocean with Daddy!

It's fun to go out far, but sometimes it's just as fun to play in the shallow water.

Drew was really into playing soccer with this ball. He and Daddy would take turns trying to "score" on each other by kicking the ball into the ocean while the other one would try to catch the ball before it hit the water. Again and again and again and again...

While the boys played soccer, Abby was really into building sand castles the first day.

I lost track of how many times she filled her little bucket with water and brought it back up to help make her castles. She was quite diligent about it.

Clearly, my aversion to sand has not rubbed off on my little girl!

Towards the end of the day, we noticed a lot of people gathering on the beach. Finally, someone mentioned that the space shuttle was about to launch - we had no idea it was scheduled for that day and we were so happy that we hadn't gone inside for dinner already!

What an amazing view! The kids were thrilled!!

I checked on the babies before I went to sleep that night and this is what I found...

They slept very well considering this was our first vacation away from home. We never heard from them much in the middle of the night, but by 6 am they were awake and ready to get started with the day.

To their delight, they awoke just in time to see the sunrise every single morning.

Way. Too. Early.

But, oh so sweet...

And breathtaking...

We let Daddy sleep in every day. This first morning, I got the kids ready to go down to the beach for some pictures. I had to beg and plead with them, but they finally gave in.

And, they really didn't mind too much once they discovered I was going to let them play in the ocean!

They walked around looking for seashells and trying to get close to pretty, white birds.

They ran in and out of the ocean -

And then posed for a picture or two...

My little ballerina girl even twirled on the beach a time or two!!

After breakfast, we changed into our bathing suits and headed back down to the beach for our second day. Drew wanted to build his own sand castles while Abby and Daddy played in the ocean.

They played in the waves together for a long time! The waves were bigger on this day and Abby kept getting knocked down!

She finally had enough and began to hold onto Drew for dear life! It was a sweet thing for this Mama to see as my babies played together so nicely. Over and over she would shriek as the waves came closer and then grab onto her big brother.

He hugged her close each time and they braved the waves together!

Which just meant that they started falling down together...

Thankfully, they always came up from the water with smiles on their faces!

On our third day at the beach, I finally put the camera down for the entire morning and took my kiddos out into the ocean for some fun! Of course, I had already been in the water with them several times, but this was my turn to really splash and jump and play and enjoy our time together.

We built lots of sand castles that day! This was a little village of castles we made and Abby found a big feather to put in the top for decoration.

They had so much fun jumping over it!

And, of course, they still played with that orange ball! Lots of "monkey in the middle" on this day!!

We went out to a local pizza place for an early dinner and then came back down to the beach for sunset.

It was another great photo opportunity with my precious babies. I can't decide which one I like the best. I like each one of these for different reasons...

Oh, be still my heart...

I love this boy!!!

And, don't even get me started on my sweet Abby Grace!

She breaks my heart with her beauty.

Honestly, it was as perfect as it could have been. The kids loved the beach. Loved the ocean. Loved the pool. They loved collecting seashells and building castles and walking/running on the beach and playing in the waves.

We ate lunch by the pool every afternoon and swam for hours. We went out to eat and played games when we needed a break from the sun. It didn't rain at all!

The kids were well-behaved and got along remarkably well. They are at a wonderful age - so wonderful that I just want to freeze time and enjoy it for as long as I possibly can.

Though they get on each other's nerves plenty, they truly have a beautiful friendship and they love each other very much. It is an amazing relationship to watch.

Our family is blessed beyond measure.

The Appendix Is Really Quite Unnecessary Anyway...

2009-09-20T22:28:00.011-04:00

Just two days after our July 4th celebration (on my 33rd birthday), this is what my little boy looked like...

He woke up that Monday morning very sick. He had a high fever, was throwing up, and slept the ENTIRE day (or whenever he wasn't physically getting sick). He didn't eat or drink anything and he slept so hard that we could barely wake him.

A few different times over the course of the day, he would push at his stomach and say, "I don't like this" or "I don't want this." Obviously, I just thought his little tummy was hurting and he was tired of feeling sick.

The next morning, concerned about dehydration, I encouraged him to go to the bathroom (just to see if he would be able to go). As he stood up, he grabbed the lower right side of his belly and cried out in pain.

All of a sudden it clicked for me.

His appendix.

OH MY WORD.

I called the pediatrician and said we didn't have time for an appointment and we were on our way to their office to be seen ASAP. I carried my sick, 65 pound baby into the office and cradled him in my arms as we waited for the doctor. He slept most of the time and would only wake occasionally to moan in pain. After a quick examination, our doctor called the hospital and told them we were on our way. We went straight there.

Drew actually perked up a little on the way over and was talking from the backseat. I began to think we might be overreacting with our hospital trip and maybe he was going to be fine. However, by the time we got to the hospital, his fever had spiked once again and he was in a lot of pain. They brought us back right away, took all his vitals, put him in a wheelchair and took us upstairs to wait to be examined by the surgeon.

Waiting...

Never a place you want to see your baby...

He slept as we waited for the surgeons to examine him. Once they did, I was told he needed immediate surgery and was a "textbook case of appendicitis." I was shocked that a child so young would have appendicitis, but the surgeon assured me that they see it all the time in young children.

Drew slept as I filled out all the necessary paperwork and it wasn't long before they came to move his hospital bed up to the surgical floor. I remember walking alongside his bed (he was sound asleep) and feeling as if I was floating outside of my body. Like it wasn't real. Like my son wasn't about to be taken in for surgery. Like he wasn't in so much pain that the only way his little body could cope was to stay asleep so as not to feel it. He looked so vulnerable to me.

I began to get really scared. Surgery is a terrifying thing, especially when it is for your 5 year old son. I didn't have too much time to dwell on the fear. The nurses came in with more paperwork and more questions. They debated giving Drew a sedative. He was in a deep sleep so it seemed unnecessary. However, they were concerned he would wake before surgery began and then get really scared. We opted for the sedative - I couldn't bear the thought that he would wake and be scared to death about what was happening to him.

It was time for them to take him and I almost lost it. I leaned in to kiss his sweet, pale lips and then his cheeks and his eyelids. I whispered in his ear to be brave and strong and I told him how much his family loves him. I squeezed his hand and held back tears as our hands became disconnected when they began to wheel him away.

I was alone for a brief moment before a nurse appeared to take me to the waiting room. It wasn't long before my mom and brother came to sit with me. I had first thought that I would rather be alone, but I was very comforted by their presence. It was especially nice to have my mom with me so much over those few days. She is so wonderful and it was nice to have someone who was just as concerned about me as she was about Drew. She's a great mama!

The surgeon finally came in and said that everything had gone smoothly. The appendix had been HUGE, gangrenous, and filled with pus. It was extremely infected and could have ruptured at any time. He told me that Drew was in recovery and I could see him when he woke up.

Waking up took a long time and we called to check several times only to hear that they were trying to wake him but he was not responding at all. He was totally fine, just completely out of it.

They finally said we could come back. He really was not awake yet, and certainly not alert, but it was just going to take time. I was there as he squinted his eyes open and looked directly at me. His face was swollen and he was lethargic and confused, but he knew I was there and he could hear my voice. That was all that mattered to me.

Grams and Uncle Adam were happy to see him too. And they were a big help to me as we got settled in our new room. It took a while to make the transfer and it was so wonderful to have their support.

As soon as we were all settled, Daddy came for a visit. Of course, I had kept Matt updated throughout the day and as soon as he got home and picked up Abby, they headed straight to the hospital. The little dude was glad to see his Daddy. This might have been one of his first smiles!

And, Abby was so relieved to see that her big brother was ok...

She was so concerned about him.

Daddy and Abby brought Drew his lamb - he sleeps with this lamb every night so it was a big comfort to him!

It was a long first night. Drew's appendix had been very close to rupturing and the surgeons were not sure if any of the infection had leaked. So, he was on a combination of three strong antibiotics to fight off any infection that might have developed. The side effects of those antibiotics had the potential to make him very sick. Thankfully, he responded to them very well.

Nights at a hospital are filled with a constant interruption of blood pressure and temperature checks, beeping machines when meds run out, and nurses coming in to administer meds and IV fluids. It was a long night and we were both glad to see morning.

They had kept Drew on IV fluids throughout the night, but discontinued them the next morning and encouraged him to drink on his own.

His first sip of water in several days...

There were some other complications that Drew had while recovering. For the sake of privacy, I won't go into detail here. Suffice it to say that the road to full recovery was bumpier and longer than we had hoped. Everything was eventually fine, but it was a VERY stressful day for Drew, Matt, and me.

One of the good things was we had lots of visitors that day! Grandaddy and Nessa came by right before lunch. They were worried about our recovery issues and concerned about their sweet grandson. Grandaddy took matters into his own hand and bribed Drew with money. I only mention it now because it definitely helped and I know Grandaddy was so proud of himself and Drew!

Good thing Grams came by again with a cool, new alligator bank for Drew! Now, he had a place to keep his money!

And, boy did he enjoy "feeding" that alligator money!

After my dad and Vanessa left, Matt wanted to spend some time with Drew so I went home to take a shower, change clothes, get some lunch, and pick up Abby. Drew and Daddy got some special time together and I got to spend some time with Abby which was really nice. It wasn't long before we wanted to see Drew though so we headed back to the hospital.

We had several other visitors once we got back. My sweet friend Kari came by with her children to bring toys, games, and cookies. Drew really enjoyed opening up his presents and Abby enjoyed seeing her friends!

Danielle came by with baby Graham. She had more gifts for Drew and doughnuts for me! Dunkin' Donuts is an inside joke for us and it soooo brought a smile to my face!

Also, my wonderful friend Marci kept Abby for us on two different days. She didn't even give me an option, she basically just called and said she was picking Abby up and we could have her back when Drew came home. It was such a relief to know that Abby was well taken care of and was having so much fun.

Jen came to visit late the second night and it was just what I needed. Drew was asleep, I was exhausted and frustrated, and I just needed my good friend. She brought me dinner, listened to me vent, and offered wonderful advice (thanks in part to a phone call to her mother who is a nurse). That advice changed the way I was advocating for Drew and I believe it was the catalyst for some changes that gave Drew the time he needed to begin the process of getting better.

By the next morning (day 3 in the hospital), Drew was feeling much better. He had some applesauce and juice for breakfast and we took a short walk to build up his strength.

Look what we found on our walk...

A playroom filled with with toys, games and activities!

With an XBOX 360.

Drew would have stayed there all day if they had let him. It really cheered him up and that made me so happy!

Eventually we had to go back to our room, but they let us bring Battleship with us. I taught Drew how to play and he loved it! And he won! (Because it is the LAW that you let the sick kid in the hospital win every.single.game.)

Just about ready to go home. Waiting for the nurses to finish our discharge papers. Lovin' his balloon from Grams.

There had been no sign of infection and Drew was able to drink and eat (a little) on his own. All of that together meant it was time to go home! This happy boy couldn't wait to get home to his people and his own bed.

They wheeled him out of the hospital in a wheelchair and he thought that was first class all the way. To this day, when he talks about being in the hospital over the summer, the only thing he mentions is riding in that wheelchair. It left quite an impression.

I'm glad the rest of it has faded from his memory. It was horribly scary and difficult and frustrating and exhausting. I don't want him to remember any of that.

Instead, we will take away memories of a brave boy, good health, and supportive family & friends.

After a day or two of resting at home, Drew was almost completely back to normal. He was moving around better, eating and drinking normally, and was back to his happy self.

Good as new.

That, my friends, is answered prayer...

Independence Day

2009-09-16T09:23:00.001-04:00

Continuing with the summer recap...

My festive children were so excited for the 4th of July this year! Lovin' their red, white and blue!

We had plans to go hang with the Patterson family during the day. Pool, food, and some sparklers - nothing fancy, just wanted to enjoy the day together.

We stopped by the store on the way to their house. We went in to buy sparklers and came out with this...

Drew was understandably thrilled.

As soon as we got there, we got ready for the pool. Drew's favorite thing about their pool is this cute basketball set. It kept the boys entertained for a long time!

Mr. Paul spent a long time setting up the slip n slide. I remember having so much fun with the slip n slide when I was a kid. I think I must have been a bit older than these guys though because they couldn't quite get the hang of it!

Miss Marci demonstrated the proper technique, but I think she would discontinue our friendship if I posted that photo on the world wide interweb.

Abby did pretty well...

But it wasn't nearly as much fun as the pool.

So, we headed back to the pool to enjoy some popsicles!

After we ate, we went outside to try out the fireworks. It was still light outside, but it gets dark late here in the summer and we wanted to be able to try out the fireworks with our friends!

Abby's first sparkler...

Drew did great with his first sparkler. They really loved it!

And didn't seem scared at all!

Our daddy set off all of the other fireworks in the street. It didn't matter that it was the middle of the day - the kids still loved it!

This picture of Abby and Sherilyn is one of my favorites from that day!

They had so much fun. You've got to love the perspective of a little kid - even small fireworks are a big deal to them! They were super-impressed!

Drew, Sherilyn, Abby, and John are best buds - they get along so well together. And that made this a wonderful 4th of July!

We headed home before dark because the kids were getting tired. They had their baths and we told them they could stay up late to see the "real" fireworks.

Poor Abby just couldn't make it much past her regular bedtime. She was exhausted from our fun day.

Abby might have missed the beautiful fireworks, but Drew was still wide awake. He went outside with Daddy in his pajamas and Crocs while I stayed inside with Abby.

When they got back, he wanted to take me outside to show me the fireworks. We walked around the neighborhood as he pointed at the sky and ooohed and aaahed at the colorful displays. It was so much fun to watch it through his eyes. I remember trying to take a mental picture of the amazement in his expressions and the feeling of his sweet hand in mine as we walked along the sidewalk.

Precious memories with a precious little boy...

The Show Must Go On

2009-09-12T20:47:00.020-04:00

Abby's first dance recital was June 21st. This was her second year of dance, but we didn't participate in the recital for her first year. She was really scared during that year's little show at Christmas and I didn't want to risk a major meltdown during the most important dance performance of the year.

This year, however, was a completely different story! Abby was much more confident, and she was adamant that she really wanted to be in the recital this year. Her class spent months practicing their tap routine to the song, "I Am A Promise." It is the cutest little song and their costumes were just adorable!

Abby slept in curlers the night before and I love the way her hair came out! It was so much fun to curl her hair, put on make-up, and get everything ready for the big day. It brought back so many memories of my own dancing years!

Here is a picture of the entire class - a very sweet group of girls!

The performance was in the afternoon and Abby seemed really tired while we took pictures. Honestly, I figured she was just tired of me taking so many pictures. As one of the backstage moms, I was able to stay with the girls in the audience and watch the dances before ours since we weren't scheduled until the middle of the show.

Abby got VERY clingy and whiny and I was afraid she was gearing up for some serious stage fright. I kept asking her if she wanted to go on stage and she insisted that she did, but she wasn't acting like it at all. I was really worried she would back out at the last minute. But, she didn't - she walked on that stage and never looked back!

That very evening she got really sick with a high fever - I felt so badly knowing that she had been sick all afternoon but had rallied to be able to dance in her first recital. What a trooper! You never would have known she was sick by her performance. She was terrific!!

I was sitting in the second row and she kept her eyes on me most of the time. She is looking right at me in this next picture. I was so proud of her and I was so glad she could see me watching her!

I wasn't the only proud family member there that day. Daddy, Drew, Grams, Grandaddy, Nessa, Uncle Austin, Uncle Adam, and Uncle Joe all came to watch Abby dance!

Apparently, Drew was quite anxious for Abby to have her turn on stage. He kept a countdown going with Matt - 10 till Abby, 9 till Abby, and so on until it was time for Abby's class to go on stage. He then leaned into Matt and whispered, "My tummy is nervous for Abby." I think it is precious that he was so nervous and excited for her. What a fantastic big brother!

After the recital was over, we went outside to find our family. Daddy was first and he surprised Abby with beautiful flowers!

Drew was right behind him and he had his own bouquet to give to his little sister...

Abby looked over at me - so thrilled with her flowers - and I just love the expression on her face in this one. She is just so pleased.

But, she wasn't done yet. Grams was next...

Then Grandaddy and Nessa...

Our entire family was so proud of Abby! (Thanks Uncle Joe, for taking this picture!)

The four of us...

I'm not going to lie. I really love that Abby loves dance. If she ever wants to do something else then I will completely support her. But, for now, I will enjoy watching her make the same kinds of memories that I have of my own childhood. Memories of dancing, friends, costumes, make up, classes, and recitals...

Oh, and flowers. Lots and lots of flowers!

We love you, beautiful girl!

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Program...Of Nothing.

2009-08-11T19:18:00.003-04:00

Hi. How are you? I'm great, thanks for asking.

So, you're here to read a blog? About my family? So nice of you to stop by. You must be disappointed every time you click here and see the same picture over and over.

Clearly, I've dropped the blogging ball this summer. I have plenty of blog post ideas filling up my head: a dance recital, basketball camp, my birthday, my 6 year old's birthday, a trip to the hospital, a beach vacation, a family wedding in New York, pool playdates, 4th of July celebrations...well, you get the idea.

This summer has been busy. I was appointed "Cruise Director" on the last day of school in June, and the action hasn't stopped. I've wanted to write about it and share pictures, but I am exhausted by the end of the day and all my evening energy has been devoted to staying awake for So You Think You Can Dance.

Priorities, people. Try to understand.

All to say, I'm just stopping in to tell you that I will be back. I'll cover all those topics and more once we get into a routine here. School is starting in a few weeks so I'm making the most of these last few days of summer with my babes. There will be plenty of time in the pool, fun playdates, a family weekend including a Tampa Bay Rays game, and lots of snuggle time while watching afternoon movies. Because in a few weeks I'll be missing these kiddos like crazy.

Thanks for being patient...we'll resume our regularly scheduled program very soon!

6 years old

2009-07-20T19:08:00.007-04:00

This little boy doesn't like cake...

But he sure does love hearing his family sing happy birthday to him!

And blowing out the candles is so much fun that we did it three times!

And when Abby asked him what he wished for...well, you can hear his reply in this video.

I'm pretty sure he meant that he already has the best family in the world.

And the best thing about that is we know we have the best son/brother in the world.

Drew, you bring so much joy to our lives. You are so very smart - astounding us with your memory and things you learn on a daily basis. You are loving and sweet and caring - always concerned about others and reaching out to try to make them feel better. You are so funny - we laugh all the time at your jokes and silliness. And, your Dad and I just look at you all the time and wonder how in the world you became so handsome.

You have it all, Andrew Joseph, and there is nothing I would change about you.

Nothing.

Well, except if it were up to me you would have stayed 5 forever. This perfect age where you are independent, yet still need your Mommy. You are a tough guy that loves sports, yet you still love to snuggle. You don't hesitate to give me a hug or kiss - things like that don't embarrass you yet. You are so big, yet I can still scoop you up in my arms if you need to be comforted. Oh, how my arms will ache when you are too big for me to hold or too old for me to snuggle.

You keep insisting that turning 6 won't change any of that. You tell me things like, "I'll still be your little boy" or "Don't worry, Mama, I'm not a grown up yet" or "I'll always snuggle you, Mama." Your sweetness breaks my heart.

I know you are right. Each of those things is true. Turning 6 won't change any of those things.

But, you see, I remember holding you when you were minutes old. Looking into your eyes as I became your Mama. I remember feeding you and rocking you in the middle of the night when it was only just us. I remember when we found out that you would be a big brother. I remember your first smile, first laugh, first words, first steps, first day of school - all of it.

Everything.

Each year, you turn another year older. Another year that has gone by too fast. Another year filled with precious memories of the wonderful blessing that you are to our family. I am proud to watch you grow. I am excited to see what the future holds for you. But, I just can't pretend that each year doesn't break my heart a little. I am fully aware that before I know it you will be grown.

All the more reason to cherish each and every day of our lives together.

You are one in a million, sweet Drew, and I'm so happy that you're mine!

Bowling Party!

2009-07-02T19:46:00.015-04:00

The baseball team got together for a few hours of bowling for our end-of-the-season party. Our kiddos love to bowl so they were very excited!

I love Drew's bowling style. He runs full speed to the lane and throws the ball as hard as he can!

He watches as it rolls and sometimes gives the "thumbs-up" sign if he thinks he's going to knock down a lot of pins. Bowling in real life is a lot harder than bowling on the Wii - during which Drew got 7 strikes in a row the other day!

On this day, my little dude still managed to get a strike and several spares. He looks pretty pleased with himself!

Baseball buddies!

Abby also enjoys bowling, but she's not quite as strong as her brother. She gently places the ball on the ground and then pushes it as hard as she can (which, unfortunately, is not very hard). It takes a loooong time for that bowling ball to make it all the way to the pins.

Fortunately, we got these ramps for the little kids and that helped a lot!

Celebrating after one of her many spares!

Watching the ball with her friend, Riley.

Abby and Riley are great friends! They go to the same preschool, have dance class together, and keep each other company during the baseball games!

After two hours of bowling it was finally trophy presentation time!

Drew's coach called him up for his trophy and said that Drew had done a great job at third base this season. He also said that his hitting has really improved and called him the "Sledgehammer." Drew loved it!

All of the coaches got a team picture that had been signed by all the players. It was such a thoughtful gift!

Go Yankees! What a fantastic season!!

The Sledgehammer

2009-06-29T21:52:00.003-04:00

Baseball season has been over for about a month now. But, the tournament games are often still a popular topic of conversation around our home.

Our team was eliminated in the first round of the tournament during the Fall season. The boys had done their best, but we played a very good team and we were outmatched.

However, this season, we played the Cardinals and we were pretty evenly matched with them so we knew we had a chance to win. Our Yankees were winning for most of the game, but the Cardinals caught up and the game had to go into overtime.

We eventually won 17-16! It was very exciting and we were so proud of how hard our boys played. Matt and I were so happy for Drew because we knew HOW MUCH he wanted to win that game - that boy is competitive and a win for the team was a great boost to his confidence!

We made it to the next round which meant we had to play the Marlins. The best team in our division. These players (and their coaches) are serious. I have no idea how often they practice or what those practices must be like, but they are excellent. Our boys were getting good hits, but the Marlins kept getting them out before they could get on base.

Drew got a great hit his first time up but they got him out at first.

It was a little disheartening to be playing well, but not be able to score any runs. The boys handled it well though and we encouraged them as much as we could. The Marlins infield was just way too strong for us - they don't miss.

Ready for the ball at third base!

Drew was up at bat again in the 4th inning. The Marlins had flipped their positions so their stronger players were now in the outfield.

Drew stepped up to the plate and NAILED the ball! In this next picture he's watching how far it goes as he runs to first. I love the expression on his face!

He had smacked that ball and it flew through the air all the way to the back wall where Marlins began to scramble around it. But, Drew still had plenty of time (and we desperately needed to score) so he rounded first and headed to second base.

Do you see all those players going after the ball - it made it all the way to the wall! And it didn't just roll there - it flew! Am I repeating myself? It was just so exciting!!

As he nears second base, it's clear he's going to be safe! It was just the big play we needed to retain a bit of respect as the Marlins were running away with the game.

A well-deserved high five from the head coach!

Ready for more action...

Sliding into home!

He was so happy to score a run in this big game!

The team gathered as they do after each game. I don't know all that was said but I can imagine it was mostly words of encouragement and praise - our coach is wonderful!

But I do know what he said right before this next picture. "The game ball goes to Drew for one of the biggest hits of the season!"

Here's a closer look at the sweet expression on his face. I love this little boy so much!

We were all so very proud, but Assistant Coach Daddy might have been the most proud of all!

And this little girl is his biggest fan!

So, the "biggest hit of the season" earned Drew the nickname "Sledgehammer."

And that's what Coach called him as he presented him with his trophy for the season.

More on that next time...

One Week Ago...

2009-06-27T09:29:00.001-04:00

I was celebrating my 9th wedding anniversary with my wonderful husband. He planned a very romantic getaway for us right here in town. We stayed at the Gaylord Palms and it was perfect. Really perfect.

The hotel is gorgeous and we enjoyed every moment of our time away. We ate lots of delicious food - the highlights being a fancy steak dinner and a breakfast buffet that was nothing short of amazing! We spent a relaxing day by the pool reading books and sipping frozen drinks. Matt scored the last table with an umbrella and arranged lounge chairs in the shade so we didn't melt in the Florida sun. We saw La Nouba (Cirque du Soleil) from the best seats in the theater and it was fantastic!

All in all, it was relaxing and romantic and just what we needed.

The hotel delivered champagne to our room the first night to congratulate us on our anniversary.

And, after dinner we walked around the hotel until we found this enormous screen with this special message -

Matt wanted me to Photoshop an extra "t" into his name but I'm just not that talented yet.

The Gaylord Palms is an elegant and beautiful hotel. It felt like we were in paradise. However, I could not get over the bedspread in our room. Why would such a classy place have monkeys dressed in period clothing on the comforter?

And why do those monkeys also have to be playing musical instruments?

And, why do I have these awful pictures but don't have a single picture of the two of us all dressed up for our fancy anniversary celebrating?

I don't know. I can't explain it.

But, I do know this. As much as we enjoyed our time away - we sure did miss Drew and Abby! It was so much fun to talk to them on the phone and hear Grandma describe the funny things they had done or said while we were away.

So, we were very excited that on our last morning at the hotel, Grandma was headed over with the kids for a fun day at the pool! The kid's pool here is awesome! A huge slide, splash area, playground, beach area, and it is a zero entry pool so there is plenty of space just to sit and splash around. We knew the kids would love it!

We went out to greet them and their reactions were priceless. I was so caught up in the moment of getting my arms around my babies that I don't even know how they responded to Matt. But, I heard them both saying "mommy, mommy, mommy" over and over and I had two little sweethearts wrapped around my neck in a matter of seconds! It is such a sweet memory that I hope will always stay clear in my mind.

Matt had to park the van, so I took Grandma and the kids inside the hotel to show them around. The center of the hotel is an atrium with so much to see. The kids loved the fish (koi), turtles, and alligators - but they really couldn't wait to get out and see the pool we had told them all about!

Drew was having so much fun playing in the sand and making castles with Daddy.

Abby stayed with them for a few minutes, but then she came with me to the shallow end of the pool where we could cool off

and splash to our heart's content.

I love that Drew is holding out his arms for Abby in this next picture! Just like his daddy!

"Look, Mama!!"

"Cannonball!!"

The slide was a big hit! I can't even tell you how many times Drew went down that thing. And, he had no fear! He didn't want us to catch him - he wanted to swim to us after he went under the water!

Abby, on the other hand, wanted to sit on Daddy's lap. As he hit the bottom of the slide he would hold her up in the air so her face didn't go under. But, I knew she would love it if she just gave it a try - she did a water slide out at Disney by herself a few months ago. So, about the 3rd or 4th time I yelled up to Matt to just push her down by herself and I would catch her so she wouldn't go under the water.

She was furious!!

For a second.

And then she was elated! She loved it! She had an enormous smile on her face as I caught her at the bottom of the slide and she squealed to me, "I don't need Daddy anymore! I can do it by myself!"

And she did it by herself for the rest of the day!

Getting thrown in the air by Daddy is always a favorite pool activity.

Especially for my little daredevil of a son who would help by flinging his body as far out as he could go!

When it was time to dry off, the little dude borrowed his Daddy's sunglasses and I couldn't decide which expression I liked better -

Serious?

Or smiling?

And, Abby has to be just like her big brother! So do I like -

Cool?

Or cutie?

It's hard to say, but I can tell you this...

I love those little people (and all of their expressions) more than anything in the world.

I really do.

And their Daddy is pretty wonderful too!

Sometimes It's Just Better Not To Ask...

2009-06-25T20:48:00.004-04:00

As we were driving in the car today, Drew seemed deep in thought about something. So, I asked him what he was thinking about. I immediately regretted the decision when he replied, "I'm thinking about the difference between boys and girls."

~~Eager to discuss any concerns he might have~~ Worried about the direction this conversation was quickly heading, I asked with trepidation, "Really, what do you mean?"

"Well, girls like pretty things and boys like awesome things."

I was SO relieved at his answer that I didn't even mind refereeing the argument that followed as an offended Abby made it clear that she very does so much like all the awesome things and the pretty things and the awesomely pretty things. Thankyouverymuch.

Close call, my dear friends.

Close call.

Growth

2009-06-05T18:27:00.010-04:00

First day of kindergarten...

Last day of kindergarten...

I sent my baby off to school 10 months ago. He had just turned 5. Do you see his face in the first picture? He still had a baby-shaped face...

No more.

He has grown many inches and has thinned out all over. He has lost 6 baby teeth that have now been replaced with 6 adult teeth.

He can read above grade level, write at grade level, and has a photographic memory that has served him well in all of his school work. He has made many friends, has a girlfriend (who even gave him a ring!), won the hearts of teachers, and joined the ever popular running club.

He plays third base for his baseball team, is consistently one of the best hitters on the team, and watches SportsCenter more than his father does.

He broke my heart on the day he began kindergarten. I knew the days would be long and that I would miss him.

And I did.

But, I can't deny that he was extremely successful this year. When we got home this afternoon, I had tears in my eyes and a quiver in my voice as I told him how very proud of him I am for all he has done and learned this year. In true Drew form, he tucked his chin down and looked up at me through his eyelashes as he responded, "Aw shucks, Mama." It was one of those amazing moments during which I could tell he really understood just how much I love him and how proud of him I am. Priceless.

He has gained much independence and confidence this year. He is still my sweet, loving, funny, naive, charming, affectionate, and super-smart Drew.

But, he has grown.

And he will keep growing year after year. And with each passing year I will have to let go just a little bit more. And as hard as that is for this mama, I know it is good. It is right. It is best for him. And, although at times my heart longs for my precious baby boy, I wouldn't trade knowing and loving this face for anything in the world.

And, I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am that I get to have him all to myself for the next three months!

I Don't Ask For Much...

2009-06-02T20:34:00.004-04:00

but I HAVE repeatedly asked this little girl to STOP. GROWING. ALREADY.

Judging by the difference between the 1st day of school and the last day of school, she's clearly not listening.

But, I couldn't be any prouder.

I really couldn't.

Unless, that is, you added this little man in there too.

Don't even get me started...

Let's Go Swimming!

2009-05-30T09:48:00.015-04:00

Before it started raining all day, every day - like the kind of rain that makes you think you might have moved to Seattle but can't actually remember packing any boxes kind of rain - we were swimming almost every day. Summer arrived early in Central Florida (as it often does) and the only appropriate outside activity is swimming. Otherwise, I would surely melt.

Thankfully, all of the money and tears invested in swim lessons the past few summers have produced children who love to swim and are good at it!

During a recent visit with Grandma and Grandpa, we visited their community pool. It was a perfect afternoon. Well, except for the swarms of love bugs that followed us wherever we went. It was beyond crazy.

Helpful tip: it appears love bugs do not so much enjoy the swimming pool. So, we were safe while we played and swam the afternoon away...

These kiddos LOVE to jump in the pool! Their energy is quite impressive.

They also loved this fountain that was in the middle of the pool. Can you tell??

Grandma is so much fun! She invents cute games for the kids and is always willing to go along with the funny ideas they come up with on their own.

She sure looks happy, doesn't she?

But don't forget about Grandpa...

He's pretty fun too!

What a fun afternoon at the pool!

Egypt Is Farther Away Than You Think

2009-05-16T21:25:00.016-04:00

Last weekend, we traveled to Tampa to celebrate Mother's Day. I really cannot imagine that anything would have made Grandma happier than having all of her grandchildren with her to celebrate! All of her children and grandchildren in one place on a day dedicated to moms - perfection!

We really did have a wonderful day. Matt had the kids make cards for me this year. I had thrown a few hints his way that I would prefer handmade cards. There is just nothing more precious than their handwriting and knowing that they wrote exactly what they were thinking. As you can tell in this next picture, I loved Drew's card! I also love how proud he looks as I am reading it!

Abby wrote on the front of the card she made for me and she signed her name on the inside. However, Matt had to write the message because it was too long for her to write. It read, "I love Mommy all the way to Egypt and the ocean. She's the bestest in the whole wide world."

I told her that I couldn't believed she loved me ALL the way to Egypt. She solemnly nodded her head and added, "I do love you all the way to Egypt. It's where the pyramids live."

They each had a gift for me. Daddy had taken them into the playroom the day before so they could help wrap their presents. When they were finished, I went into the playroom to put a few things away. There was still tape and wrapping paper on the floor. I teased them, "Hey! What's all this wrapping paper doing on the floor?"

Drew didn't miss a beat, "Oh, don't worry Mom. We are wrapping presents for Father's Day." Abby chimed in, "Yeah, Father's Day. We had to get Daddy some presents. Don't worry, it's not for Mother's Day."

They gave me lots of scrapbooking paper and stickers. Drew's was all for baseball and Abby's was all for dance. Love it!

Thanks, honey, for making my Mother's Day so special!

We had to get a picture with all the Moms!

Uncle Joe used the leftover paper to "wrap" Abby up as a gift! She loved it and then Drew wanted to be wrapped up too!

These two precious little people really are the BEST Mother's Day present I could have ever asked for.

I love them all the way to Egypt...and back.

How My People Watch TV

2009-05-01T08:48:00.000-04:00

Better Than Counting Sheep...

2009-04-29T20:21:00.006-04:00

Here are the videos I promised to share of Abby singing to Drew with her new guitar. Sorry the video quality is not very good. The lights are dimmed because it's bedtime.

Obviously, we are quite proud. ;)

And, we'll be contacting American Idol in about 14 years...

Yep, I'm Still Talking About Easter...

2009-04-25T23:02:00.020-04:00

Easter was weeks ago. A tiny blip in most people's rear-view mirror. Yet, here I am, still blogging about it.

But, I finally made it through ALL the pictures and the memories are so sweet that I'm not afraid to document them even though it is practically May.

So, who wants to see more Easter pictures?!

Anyone?

*Tap-Tap* This thing on?

Ok, it's just me then. Here we go!

We traveled to Tampa on Saturday to spend the day with my nephews and their parents. We had lots of fun playing with Ryan and baby Tyler and the kids were BEYOND excited to spend the night - what an adventure!

Easter morning I got some cute pics of Drew and Abby lovin' on their baby cousin.

We waited for Matt's parents and Joe & Kelly to arrive before we did Easter baskets and the egg hunt.

Here is what the baskets looked like this year -

The kids seemed thrilled with their gifts. Actually, only Abby seemed thrilled. She was genuinely excited about every single thing she pulled out of the basket.

Drew, on the other hand, seemed happy enough. He was pleased, but definitely not over-the-top happy about any of the items. Truth be told, I think he was just ready to get on with the egg hunt.

The boy is turning out to be quite competitive.

Being the tallest one does have its advantages...

Abby and Ryan held their own though!

How sweet! Drew is pointing out a princess egg to Abby -

We put coins in all of the Easter eggs this year. For Christmas, my Aunt Kris got the kids some money jars that count the money as each coin is added. Drew and Abby both have about $40 in their jars and they are always asking (read: begging) for more coins to put in their money jars.

I also had special eggs for each child that contained a dollar bill. Drew's were baseball eggs, Abby's were princess eggs, and Ryan's were Elmo eggs!

After the egg hunt, Grandma called everyone inside and put on some music for dancing!

Then it was time to eat the chocolate bunny. I cannot even begin to describe Abby's delight in this fine piece of candy. Those bunny ears were gone mere seconds after this picture was taken.

But, we had other bunny ears for a fun photo op!

It was a fun family weekend made even more special by all the people we were able share it with.

Happy Easter!

Egg Hunt!

2009-04-19T22:28:00.016-04:00

We headed over to my friend Danielle's house on the Saturday before Easter. Danielle and I have been friends since we were 5 years old. We have shared many happy memories and seen each other through many trying circumstances. We have 5 children between us and they all love each other - everyone especially loves new baby Graham!

However, let's be real.

I'm really only friends with her anymore because her backyard is so rockin' cool. Seriously, it's like an amusement park without the cost of admission.

They host an annual Easter party with an egg hunt that has become a huge hit with the kids. When I told Drew and Abby where we were going they knew just what to expect. Lots of eggs, lots of prizes, lots of kids, and lots of fun!!

And, they're off!

Look at this! They are finding eggs while climbing on a tree fort - so much fun!

Our pretty girls!

Checking out the loot in the Easter eggs!

Trampoline time!

This is a regular swing that hangs from a tree. It can go amazingly high!

Dewane recently added this tire swing - Abby loved it!

Giggles on the seesaw!

We had such a fun morning!

Thanks Snyder Family!

And, I was just kidding before.

We don't just love you for your awesome backyard.

That would be shallow.

We'll always be best of friends, no matter what kind of backyard you have.

But we are going to have to ask that you don't let baby Graham get any bigger...cause we sure do love playing with that sweet baby boy!

My Nephews

2009-04-14T22:51:00.010-04:00

Well, I finally uploaded my pictures from Easter weekend to the computer.

There were 217.

That's going to take some time to edit.

And I'm thinking about joining a group for people addicted to taking pictures.

Because, clearly, I have a problem. You know, because I felt it was necessary to take 200 more pictures than the average person took this Easter.

Ahem.

Anyway, these photos of my nephews were just begging to be edited first. And they are too cute not to share!

Baby Tyler is such a sweetie. Seriously, the best baby I've ever met. He's content and happy and easy and adorable! I was so excited to take his picture - it was the first thing I did when we arrived in Tampa on Saturday.

Big Brother, Ryan, joined in on our little photo shoot.

It seems he takes every available opportunity to give his baby brother lots of love!

I sure do love those boys!!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T21:22:00.016-04:00

We just got home from a very fun weekend with our family! The kids had a fantastic time with their cousins - sleepovers with Ryan and Tyler are always a treat!

I'll post pictures of our Easter weekend soon, however, I'll first need to get the pictures loaded onto my computer from the camera!

In the meantime, here are some of the photos taken of the kids when we visited the Easter Bunny on Friday...

My Drew cracks me up! His personality is the greatest and the next three pictures just make me laugh!

Such a handsome guy -

Pretty Abby Grace loved the bunnies and butterflies!

Happy Easter!!

Fleeting

2009-04-10T23:12:00.002-04:00

We have a tree in our backyard. It blooms once a year. Early Spring.

The tree is full of yellow flowers for just a few weeks. Then, slowly, the flowers begin to fall to the ground and the brilliance of color is gone until next Spring.

This is what the tree looked like 4 years ago. I was 9 months pregnant with my Abby Grace.

This tree had fallen over in the hurricanes during the Summer of 2004.

We lost several trees in our backyard that Summer...

All of them were cut up and taken away.

But, for some reason we decided to use some stakes to prop up the tree with yellow flowers. It continues to bloom every Spring.

This is what it looked like this year.

I'm so happy when the tree is blooming. We see it each time we drive into the neighborhood and the yellow flowers remind me that my favorite season has finally arrived.

The flowers don't last for very long so I've learned to appreciate them while they are here.

And, sadly, they fall just a few weeks after they have bloomed.

However, I am blessed with a precious girl. She LOVES flowers just as much as her Mama. And she has been so excited for Spring with all her talk of flowers blooming, bees buzzing, and warm sunshiney days ahead.

So we ventured outside one afternoon to enjoy the last of those pretty yellow flowers...

She gathered them up in her hands.

And then she threw them up into the air!

She giggled as they fell all around her so we did it again and again!

I've never been happier that we kept that tree.

Hosanna!

2009-04-05T21:42:00.009-04:00

Today is Palm Sunday.

When Drew and Abby were babies, Matt and I sat in the sanctuary at church on Palm Sunday and watched as the young children walked up and down the aisles waving palm branches. After the service, we agreed it was very sweet and couldn't wait until our own children would be old enough to participate.

Today was that day. I told them both that they would be in the "parade" and that I couldn't wait to see them as they entered the sanctuary. I found a seat right on the aisle so they would be able to see me.

Abby's class came first and as soon as I saw her I felt my eyes fill with tears. What a precious sight she was - just beaming as I waved and smiled at her. Drew was the leader as his class came in next. Again, my throat felt tight as I held back tears. My heart was filled to overflowing with love for the sweet boy who smiled shyly as he walked by me.

In the moment, I didn't know quite what it was that would make me cry. After all, it was just my kids holding a palm branch. I don't get that emotional when they pick up a stick at the park...what gives? As I looked around though, other mothers were wiping their eyes and smiling proudly as they saw their own children.

I was not alone.

And that's because it's not just that our kids walked by us waving palm branches. What they were doing symbolized the great celebration that took place so long ago in Jerusalem.

On Palm Sunday. A day for celebration before the darkness of Good Friday and before the rejoicing that comes once again on Easter Sunday.

Hosanna was the cry of praise shouted in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem. Though he was a king, he entered as a common man.

Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

The "Hosannas" quickly turned to "crucify" once Jesus was nailed to the cross. His crown was not one of a king, but a crown of thorns. A crown that He wore as He died to save us from our sins, though He had led a sinless life.

And the love I was feeling for my children as I watched them in church today? It cannot even compare to the love that my Father feels for me.

Because He is perfect and I am not even close to perfect. My love for my children is pure and strong and overwhelming in its intensity. However, my actions and words do not always reflect this.

I love my children and would do anything for them. That does not EVER change. However, I am also impatient, weak, quick to anger, and a whole other host of imperfections that leave me wondering if I am a good mom at all.

I was reminded today of something Abby said to me many months ago. We were in the car and I heard her cry out from her car seat behind me. I asked her what was wrong and with distress she replied, "I got a cut on my foot today at school! This is just awful!" I assured her that it was just a small cut and she would be fine. A few minutes later I heard a loud sigh from the backseat and again I asked her what was wrong.

"Mama, I don't like this cut. This is just not the way God made me."

And today as I sat in church and listened to the wonderful message from Pastor Joel and thought about the precious children that I've been blessed with, I thought to myself, "I don't like the way I am. This is just not the way God made me."

I know I was meant to be a mother. And I know that I am a good mother. But, motherhood is the most important thing I will ever do. I don't want to miss my chance to get it right as all of my imperfections work against me and get in the way of shaping the minds and hearts of my children.

Being a mother is like no other relationship or experience I've ever had. Sometimes it's fun and games. Sometimes it's long conversations trying to convey an important lesson or value. The days can be frustratingly repetitive. The hours are filled with a combination of activities that you wouldn't find listed on a resume. Things like hugging, caretaking, correcting, driving, wiping, laughing, cleaning, snuggling, entertaining, disciplining, sighing, reminding, conflict resolving, kissing, lesson teaching, prodding, encouraging - all as their own expressions of my deep love for my children.

And though all of these things do express my love for them, they also wear on me as I do them over and over and over - sometimes feeling as if I'm getting nowhere at all.

Today I realized this is probably how God feels about me - He is always there for me, He blesses me, He provides His word for me, He answers prayer, He sits in the aisle seat so He can watch me with pride...

And I am like a stubborn child who will not see it. Oh, how He would probably love to send me to "time out" just as I do with my children when they disobey, don't listen, do something that is hurtful, or when I know they just need time to think about what they have done or said.

I really heard the message today from Dr. Hunter: I can't believe enough to fix the mess I am in. I can't do enough to get out of that very same mess. I can't have enough faith to make the mess all go away.

A relationship with Jesus is the only way out. God's ability is what gets us through. To trust Him that all these circumstances will work together for good. To acknowledge Him - that He is in control. He loves me. He has a plan.

God made me for relationship. With my husband, my children, my family, and my friends. And He made me for relationship with Him. And so it is with renewed desire that I attempt to model that for my children. That I do my best to see them through His perfect eyes. Even when it is frustrating. Even when it is repetitive. Even when I feel like I can't do it for another single second.

Today more than ever, I left the service feeling the weight of motherhood on my shoulders. And then I went to pick Abby up from her Sunday School class. The teacher pulled me aside as Abby was walking over from the group.

"You know," she whispered to me, "I just wanted to tell you that I can really tell everything you must do with Abby at home. She is such a good listener - she always knows the answers to the questions about the bible story. And she is so well-behaved and has such a kind heart. She really is a very special little girl. I just felt like I wanted to tell you how special she is."

Of course, I thanked her profusely. However, my initial thought was - "No, she is that way in spite of me."

As I was thinking about the exchange later in the day, it suddenly occurred to me what God had done. He knew how I was feeling. He knew I needed encouragement. He knew I was having doubts about my impact as a mother.

And He provided Abby's teacher as an immediate response of encouragement.

What was my initial reaction? To not accept it.

A stubborn child...

Pastor Joel once said, "Mothers stand on holy ground." It doesn't matter if I'm making a sandwich, bandaging a boo boo, or teaching an important life lesson - I'm standing on holy ground. My actions, my words, my reactions to things - everything I do teaches my children how to relate to this world. And how to relate to The One who created them in His perfect love.

Soon I will go in to check on my sleeping babies. Their faces will look peaceful and innocent - like angels. I do this every night. And every single night I feel my throat tighten and the tears begin to well up in my eyes. Because I know what a blessing they are. I know how wonderful they are. I know their lives are so very precious.

And I know that there are so many things that I could have done better during the day.

I want to be better for them. I want to be the mother they deserve. The one God intended for them to have.

I want to be just the way God made me...

Happy Birthday Abby Grace!

2009-04-02T19:49:00.002-04:00

Today is the day. My sweet baby girl turns 4 years old.

She is smart and funny and ever so beautiful. She loves to dress up as a princess and she wrestles on the floor with her Daddy. She likes to have her nails painted and she digs in the dirt with her fingers. She is a good little mama to her baby dolls and she quite enjoys defeating the dark side with lightsabers. She is outgoing and bubbly and at other times is impossibly shy. She is thoughtful and generous and sensitive and caring and then she gets mad at her brother for no reason.

She has the voice of an angel and yet she whines enough each day to take me right to the edge of insanity. She has a great sense of fashion (thanks, Aunt Anna) and then is annoyed with me almost every day because she doesn't like the outfit I have chosen for her.

She has a heart of gold and a smile that can light up a room. Her giggles are contagious and her hugs - well, there's just no words for how it feels to receive her love.

We can't imagine our lives without her.

Our family gathered at our house this past Sunday before her birthday party. We visited, opened presents, and celebrated the birthday girl.

Here are some pictures of the people who most love our Abby Grace...

Mommy-

Daddy -

Grams and Aunt Anna -

Grandma and Grandpa -

Aunt Denise, Uncle Joe, and Ryan -

Uncle Adam -

Time to open presents!

Drew is so silly - he had everyone laughing with this bow tied around his head.

A birthday hug for his little sister.

Abby has loved dressing up as a cheerleader lately. Aunt Anna and Kyle got her this awesome Gator cheerleader dress, pom poms, and ribbons for her hair.

There were two main things Abby wanted for her birthday this year. The first was a real, pink guitar. Uncle Austin and Uncle Michael were happy to fulfill her wish!

The other thing she wanted was her own camera that would take real pictures. Grandma and Grandpa found the perfect princess camera for her. Aunt Denise, Uncle Matt, Ryan and Tyler got her some great scrapbook stuff so she could have a place to put all of her pictures!

Ryan was happy to help with all of the present opening. He is such a cutie and my kids love him SO much! (P.S. We missed you Uncle Matt and baby Tyler!)

My kids have been asking for a pet for as long as I can remember. They really want a dog, but Daddy has told them that the only pet they can have is fish. Grams was happy to oblige.

They were so excited - they couldn't believe it! They immediately came up with names for the fish. Abby named her two fish Goldie and Leia. We got one blue fish for Drew and he named his Superman. Uncle Adam was so proud!

Thanks, Grams!

She loves her real guitar. And it's a huge bonus that it's pink and has jewels on it. Abby likes to pretend she is Hannah Montana. She also likes to sing lullabies to us before bed. I'll post video of that soon!

Kyle and Drew had so much fun playing with the Star Wars toys. Kyle is so great with my kids!

Happy Birthday sweet daughter! We love you more than you will ever know!

She Likes To Party

2009-04-01T18:55:00.022-04:00

We had Abby's birthday party this past Sunday. It was supposed to be at a park. However, weather.com was toying with me all week long with it's forecast for a 60% chance of rain on Sunday.

Let me just say here that Florida is experiencing a drought. There has been NO rain and plenty of fires because of it. Except, you know, on the day we have an outside party planned. I watched enough weather reports on TV to practically consider myself a meteorologist, and I drove the people around me crazy with my high level of stress.

Would it rain? Would it not rain? Why does Mother Nature dislike me so? And, why in the world do the weather people have the only job where it really doesn't matter if they are right? Things change on a dime and then they just shrug their shoulders and move on to the next front coming through...

Anyway, on Friday I finally waved the white flag and called Miss Cassie at My Gym. I knew it was a long shot, but I asked her if they had a party time available on Sunday.

In two days.

And she saved the day and said, yes, they could host the party from 4-6 on Sunday. No, she was not working. But, yes, she would come in just for us!

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Returned almost everything I had bought. Called every single person on our party list. And then prayed and prayed for lots of rain to justify all this extra work.

Abby totally rolled with the changes because she loves My Gym and Miss Cassie. See, here's proof!

Abby also loves her best friend, Sherilyn. These are two of the fanciest girls I have ever met!

After some free play, Miss Cassie had the kids sit in a circle with Abby in the middle. Each child introduced themselves and then was to say something nice to Abby. She loved the attention!

Here the kids are all lined up and receiving instructions for the first of many fun games. Miss Cassie and Miss Laura did such a great job - all of the kids were really into the games and had a blast!

One of the games was chase. While watching the kiddos run around in circles, my brother turned to my sister's boyfriend and began talking smack about how he would beat him in a game of chase.

That gave me an idea. So, I went over to Miss Cassie with my suggestion. Next thing we knew - Austin, Adam, and Kyle had their very own turn!

Oh. My. Word.

Y'all, it was funny. The kind of funny where your sides hurt from laughing so hard and your eyes water with tears and you are still talking about it the whole next week whenever you see someone who was at the party.

The chase finally ended when Adam leaped through the air, horizontal to the ground, and finally tagged Kyle.

Awesome.

As fun as it was, the focus went back to the kids!

This little boy owns my heart.

All kinds of fun was had in the ball pit...

Abby got to sit up high on the swing while the kids marched in a circle around her singing Happy Birthday. She loved every second of it!

Admiring her cake...

Make a wish!

This little girl is sweeter than sugar. And her parents adore her.

She wanted a piece with a big, pink flower on it. Girlfriend only likes the icing - she won't touch the cake part!

Down the zip line...all the kids loved this!

Abby really wanted to have a princess pinata at her party. It had to be a pull-string one because we couldn't use a bat at the gym. The kids didn't seem to mind and they all got plenty of candy!

The party couldn't have been more of a success. The place/time change didn't keep anyone from being able to be there. My Gym is so much fun - and - so little work for the parents since Miss Cassie and Miss Laura handled almost everything. The kids had a terrific time - there were smiles all around!

We came home and watched Abby (with some help from Drew) open all of her presents. She was in heaven - surrounded by princesses, barbies, polly pockets, and other assorted treasures.

It had been a busy, fun-filled birthday celebration. And these two munchkins had a great time!

More family pictures coming tomorrow on Abby's birthday!!

The Boys

2009-03-18T11:50:00.001-04:00

The day after the Daddy-Daughter dance was set aside for some Father-Son fun! As I mentioned before, Drew's baseball team this season is the Yankees. Matt thought it would be fun to take Drew to a Yankees Spring Training game over in Tampa. So, they got suited up in their Yankees jerseys and headed off for a fun afternoon!

They arrived at Legends Field, walked around for a bit, and got a program. Drew was so excited to see the "grown up Yankees" play!

Oh my word. That kid is cute!!

They had great seats - very close to the field and right at first base behind the Yankees dugout. Matt wanted Drew to be able to see all the action up close so it would hold his interest. And, it worked! Drew had a great time watching the game. He called the plays as they happened and took lots of pictures all by himself!

They had a great time watching the game. The Braves beat the Yankees, but these guys are still big fans!

Their fun day continued on after the game. Since they were in Tampa, they decided to spend the night at Aunt Denise and Uncle Matt's house. Drew had a blast playing with his cousins, Ryan and Tyler.

What a fun day for my two favorite guys!

Daddy's Little Girl

2009-03-16T15:12:00.004-04:00

We saw the notice in the church newspaper a long time ago and last Friday night it had finally arrived.

The Daddy-Daughter Dance.

As soon as we saw it, Matt and I knew that Abby would love it. She loves dancing, pretty dresses, and, above all, her daddy. It was perfect and we couldn't wait to tell her. We got her a fancy dress for Valentine's Day and then daddy explained where she was going to be wearing the special dress.

She clapped her hands, giggled, and jumped up and down with delight. Then, he explained that one of her very favorite friends, Sherilyn, was also going to the dance with her daddy.

It was simply more than Abby could take. She was beyond excited!!

We waited with great anticipation for the big night. On the morning of the dance, Abby crawled into bed with us and chattered on and on about their special evening ahead. In fact, she told me, "Mama, I just don't think I can go to school today. I should just get ready for the dance!"

Abby loves flowers so we thought this pretty, pink corsage would be a big hit. Her reaction did not disappoint - she loved it!

A practice twirl before the dance!

These fancy girls sure are pretty in pink!

From what I heard, they had an AMAZING time at the dance! There was lots of dessert...

Balloon animals (Abby's is a flower sword)...

And, of course, dancing!

They also had a prayer service. The girls made a promise to live a pure life and the daddies promised to protect them and to be a good role model.

It was an evening that Abby won't soon forget, and I know for sure that her daddy will always treasure that memory.

Heartbreaker

2009-03-13T15:46:00.003-04:00

Drew's school had an event today called Trek for Tech. The students ask for donations, walk laps during school, and then the money is collected to purchase computers/technology for the school.

I volunteered to help with the event and I was so excited when it was finally time for the kindergartners to come out for their turn to walk laps. I love Drew's class - they are adorable and I have so much fun with them every Friday when I dividend at the school.

I watched as Drew and his classmates began their walk. After a few laps, I saw one of the girls in Drew's class run up to him and grab his hand. They walked holding hands for several laps and I could not believe how incredibly cute it was! I took their picture with my camera phone. I have no way to upload it to my computer so I took a picture of my phone with my regular camera.

The memory is just too sweet not to share...

When we got home, I asked him if she was his girlfriend (I've seen them holding hands at running club before and last week when we were leaving running club she came over to hug him goodbye). He smiled shyly and said, "I don't know. I guess I'll have to ask her. But I think so."

When did my precious baby boy get so big? He just breaks my heart with his sweetness.

Guess Who?

2009-03-12T06:16:00.001-04:00

The new "game of choice" around here is Guess Who.

Star Wars Edition.

It must be pretty clear by now that almost everything we do around here seems to somehow involve Star Wars. In fact, Abby and I spent the day together Saturday while Matt and Drew went to Tampa to watch the Yankees play the Braves. Late in the afternoon, after playing with her baby dolls, I asked her if she wanted to watch a movie. Since her brother wasn't around, I began suggesting princess movies: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, etc. She shook her head, adjusted the pink fluffy blanket on her favorite baby doll, frowned, and replied, "Ummm...how about something from the Star Wars Trilogy?"

Oh my word. That child is just too much.

I made the executive decision to redirect our attention to the playroom and we began a rousing tournament of Candy Land.

Because "Gumdrop Pass" and "Rainbow Trail" just felt more appropriate than unending lightsaber duels for my 3 year old daughter.

This parenting gig. It requires much wisdom and sound practical judgement.

Or not.

Anyway, I realize that I've completely digressed from the original intent of this post. Well, not completely, I guess, since I'll still be discussing Star Wars. So, here it goes...

This is my kids playing Guess Who. You played this when you were a kid, but it was a little different. You asked things like "Do you have brown hair?" or "Are you wearing glasses?"

I have to ask things like, "Do you have a green face?" and "Are you a droid?"

They LOVE this game. It's the new favorite and we play it every day. This honor was formally held by the game "Pretty, Pretty Princess." We played that game every day too.

Matt is, in a word, relieved.

He just didn't look right wearing those dangly earrings.

Drew and Abby often like to play as a team against me. They whisper possible questions into each other's ears to get approval and then take turns asking me those questions.

Which, by the way, are never a surprise to me since their idea of a whisper could easily be heard by someone in another room.

I love it though. I think it's so cute that they work together.

On this particular day, Abby whispered to Drew, "Let's ask if her person has a yellow light saber."

Drew replied, "But NONE of them have yellow lightsabers!"

She looked him straight in the eyes, raised her eyebrows, and with a determined look on her face said, "Yeah, well we'll just see about that."

And, let me tell you, that little girl looked shocked when I told her that I didn't have a yellow lightsaber.

Totally shocked.

In hindsight, I suppose I should have let her watch something from the Star Wars saga. Apparently, we need to brush up on her Star Wars trivia.

Drew Steps Up To The Plate

2009-03-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

Baseball season started again a few weeks ago. Drew is on the same team as last season. Now, they are the New York Yankees!

Daddy has always cheered for the Yankees (he is from New York), so we were very excited! Drew loves having Daddy for an assistant coach.

And, besides me, Abby is his biggest fan!

Drew is playing 3rd base this season. He's really improved in his fielding thanks to lots of practice with Daddy!

After getting one of his five outs for the game, Drew throws the ball back to the pitcher.

First time at bat. Drew got two hits off the coach's pitch at this game! No tee needed for this little dude!!

The following pictures are a few action shots as Drew makes his way around the bases to score a run for the Yankees!

The game was great! The players did very well and everyone had fun. After the game, the coach awarded the game ball. We were so excited to see Coach hand the ball to our Drew!

Drew's game stats were 5 outs, 2 hits, and 1 run scored. A great game!

Drew had a big cheering section for his first game. Grandma & Grandpa, Grams, and Uncle Adam were all able to come watch and to see Drew earn his MVP game ball!

Our little family is so proud of Drew! He has worked hard to improve this season and is really enjoying playing baseball.

Go Yankees!

Being a Girl Requires a Lot of Maintenance.

2009-02-24T20:17:00.015-05:00

My mom and I had been trying to get together and go for a pedicure, but our schedules kept conflicting. We could not find one day that she was off from work and I would have both kids in school. We finally decided to do what all other reasonable adults would do in this situation...

We took Abby with us!!!

Oh my word! This little princess was so excited to join in the fun. I don't think she had any idea what to expect, but she just knew we were going to do something special and that it would involve nail polish.

She sat on my lap at first. She wasn't scared at all - it just seemed silly to put her in one of those big chairs all by herself. Whenever the lady would finish doing something with my feet, she would do the same for Abby. She filed her little toenails and massaged her legs and Abby loved every single minute of it!

After about 20 minutes, one of the other girls came over and offered to take a picture of us. I think she really just thought Abby was adorable because next thing I knew...

She picked her up and moved her to her own chair! Now she really got the royal treatment! She painted Abby's toenails bright pink and then offered to let her pick out two designs. Abby chose a heart and a flower.

Then she asked if she could paint Abby's nails and, of course, I agreed. I dare anyone to say no to this face-

Grams and I told her the name of this polish was "princess pink!" She also got a heart and flower design for her pinky fingers!

One happy girl...

Eventually, she climbed back over to my lap while we waited for Grams to finish and then we took this picture-

That's a lot of 3 year old fun for only $10!

On the way home I was telling her the name for what she just did was a manicure and a pedicure. She thought about that for a minute and then asked me, "Mom, why is it a manicure if it is for girls? It should be a girlicure."

She was so excited about her nails for the rest of the day. She kept playing with the little designs on her fingers and I warned her to be careful with them so they would last longer.

I didn't realize I had made that much of an impression until later that night. She woke up around 2am and she was screaming! I ran in her room, knowing she had probably had a bad dream. I calmed her down and asked what was wrong. She replied, in between sobs, "I had a dream that Drew was scraping off my nail polish. He was ruining my manicure!"

I assured her everything was fine and she went back to sleep.

I assume she began dreaming about her first facial...

Way Back Whensday #13

2009-02-18T17:17:00.000-05:00

Abby is 18 months old in this video. In honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to share the first time Abby said "I love you."

Well, if you want to get technical, she really only says "love you." We were still working on the "I" part. Still, it's pretty adorable...

My Runnin' Bear

2009-02-17T20:22:00.015-05:00

Drew is still loving his running club! Thursdays are his favorite day of the week because he can't wait for running club after school. Our Saturday mornings have also been busy with races at different schools in the district. We've only had to miss one race so far - which is a good thing because Drew loves those races!

Here we are at his very first race.

Drew gets to run with other 5 and 6 year old boys. They run about half a mile. There they go!

I asked Abby to pose for a picture while Drew was running and this is what she did - a runner's stretch! This kid cracks me up!

Drew is just about to cross the finish line in this next picture. The coaches always talk to the students about pacing themselves during the race, but finishing strong at the end. Drew always finishes strong and he's so proud when he passes another runner at the very end!

His little sister is his biggest fan. She can't wait to be in running club when she goes to kindergarten.

This is the race that his elementary school hosted. I'm pretty sure we have the biggest running club in the county - 350 students!

They warm up as a group before every race.

We always get a good spot by the finish line so we can cheer for Drew at the very end.

Abby loves to run too!

Crossing the finish line. We are so proud of Drew for finishing every race and doing the very best that he can!

He gets a ribbon at every race. He also gets a little runner to add to his running club chain.

I'm so glad Drew insisted on joining the running club. He really enjoys it, and it's a great school activity for him.

Obviously, we are extremely proud of our runnin' bear!

Because Nothing Says Love Quite Like A Giant Hershey's Kiss

2009-02-15T22:26:00.002-05:00

We had a great Valentine's Day! The kids were so excited for their school parties this year, and we had lots of fun making Valentines for our friends and family.

This is such a great holiday for my super-affectionate babies!

I was able to help at Abby's preschool party and there is really nothing better than a 3 year old party. What a fun age! They all decorated these cute boxes (that I covered with white paper the week before) and they had so much fun handing out their valentine cards and candy!

Drew's class decorated these bags and they were filled to the top with lots of goodies. Drew opened all of his cards and immediately gave Abby all of his candy. He kept handing it to her and saying, "Here, Abby, I got this for you!"

These are the heart bowls we filled with goodies for them. Abby loves candy, so it's easy to make her happy.

Drew does not like candy. Even more, he's quite offended that anyone would want to eat junk food that "is not healthy for your body." So, with holidays that focus on candy I have to improvise and get him other fun things.

After I put together their gifts, I realized it seemed a little over the top for Valentine's Day. I mean, really, shouldn't they just be getting a card and some candy?

Then I thought about what my mom used to do for Valentine's Day when we were kids. All of sudden I remembered the year she gave me Dance Reeboks along with my little heart box of chocolates. I still vividly remember how ecstatic I was and how I just knew those Dance Reeboks were going to change my life.

Just like they changed Paula Abdul's.

Anyway, I guess I can blame my mom for setting the gift-giving bar so high.

Moving on...

It won't quite make him an 80's dance star, but Drew loved his Buzz Lightyear pajamas. And, yes, Abby is hugging her giant Hershey's kiss. I told you, the girl likes her chocolate.

Next, she started hugging her fancy dress. She knew about the dress because she had already tried it on. However, what she didn't know was where she was going to be wearing that dress. As part of the gift, Matt told her that he will be taking her to the daddy/daughter dance at church next month so they can get all dressed up and have a special night together. She is beyond excited!

They both got several books. Abby got the newest Fancy Nancy books, and Drew is holding a Clone Wars sticker book. He has barely put it down since that morning. He says that the "Dark Forces" page is his favorite because General Grievous has four lightsabers. And, today in the car, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when Abby was looking at the book and began telling me about Mace Windu and Emperor Palpatine and their battle. It was too funny to hear all the Star Wars nonsense coming out of her sweet, three year old mouth.

I guess I should have known I had a problem on my hands when she stopped asking to watch Cinderella and started asking to watch "Episode 6."

Both of them also got a motion picture book (it's called scanimation). These books are SO cool and their reactions definitely did not disappoint. They've practically got them memorized by now!

I love Drew's face in this picture. I'm so glad he was pleased with all of his gifts.

Abby was just as pleased with all of her stuff. She was especially delighted with this lollipop that is approximately the size of her head!

Daddy loved his handmade valentines from the kids.

They worked really hard on these and made them all by themselves. I asked Drew what he wanted to write on his card so I could help him spell it out. He replied, "You are my best grown up."

My feelings were a little hurt and I couldn't help but ask, "Really, Daddy is your best grown up? What about Mommy?"

No kidding, that kid patted me on the hand and said, "Well Mama, yes. Yes, he's really my best grown up." And, the little dude even emphasized the word really to make sure to get his message across.

Then, as if he could read my heart, he said, "But, don't worry, Mama. I still love you the most."

And then I made him and his little sister promise that they would always be my Valentines.

Thankfully, they readily agreed.

Way Back Whensday #12

2009-02-11T08:22:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day 2007

Gator Championship Celebration

2009-02-07T12:35:00.000-05:00

STILL catching up...

We promised Drew and Abby that we would take them to UF for the celebration if the Gators won the national title. And, that's just what we did!

We met up with our friends to tailgate a little before the celebration began. The boys had a great time tossing around the football before we ate our picnic lunch.

Here is a picture of all the dads and kids - so fun!

This was Abby's first time ever at the Swamp! Daddy spent a lot of time teaching her the different Gator cheers and she was so excited to see where the Gators play football!

Here's our little family getting ready to watch the big celebration!

The boys...

And, the girls...

The Pollock family joined us in the stadium which was perfect since Matt and Todd had gone to the game together.

Abby loves Mr. Todd -

Almost as much as she loves cheering for the Gators!

It was very crowded down in the front row, but I used my son's sweet face to secure us a spot right in front just in case any of the players walked by. And, it was definitely worth it. Drew got Joe Haden's autograph on his Gator helmet!

Tim Tebow ran right by us so I was able to get a great picture of him. We were all ecstatic after his announcement that he would return for his senior year with the Gators. Next year should be very exciting!

Abby met one of the Gator cheerleaders and it made quite an impression. She dresses up like a cheerleader all the time now!

Time to go home...

But, it sure was nice to look up at this as we were leaving!

I promise, no more Gator posts for awhile... :)

Champions!

2009-02-03T21:15:00.000-05:00

still catching up from last month...

Our Gators are the 2008 National Champions and we are ecstatic! Seems like I need to get this picture published somewhere - Tebow and Harvin - what an awesome year!!

As I mentioned before, my Christmas gift to Matt was a ticket to the Championship game down in Miami. Here is Matt with the kids in the morning before he left - all in their Gator gear!

As soon as we won the SEC Championship, I knew I wanted Matt to be able to go to the game. It all worked out so that Matt could go to the game with one of his favorite guys, Toddy P. They tailgated all day long and met up with many old fraternity brothers - they had a great time!

We knew that Matt's cousin Joanna would be there tailgating, but figured he would have a hard time finding her because so many people would be there. What a coincidence to find out that they were tailgating right next to each other!

Anna demonstrates the Gator chomp before the big game!

Matt rode down to Miami with Anna and her best friend Cassie. They hung out for most of the day and had so much fun. Aren't they so pretty?

It was an exciting game. There were many ups and downs and lots of reasons to cheer. Matt barely had a voice the next day, and he and Todd complained that their hands were sore from all the high-fives.

But, it was well worth it because the Gators were the big winners! We are so proud of them, especially Tebow. He is just amazing!

The next morning the kids were so happy to wake up and find out that the Gators had won the game. They watched SportsCenter for the highlights and wanted to wear Gator t-shirts to school. They couldn't wait for Daddy to get home!

And, when Daddy did get home he had a big surprise for me. Aunt Anna and Kyle babysat so Matt and I could go out for dinner and a movie.

At dinner, Matt gave me a card which I assumed was just a thank you card. It was. But, it also said that he wanted to give me something special to say thank you for the generous gift of going to the game.

So, he had bought me a day at the spa at the Gaylord Palms Hotel. The spa there is so fancy and I just loved it when I was there for my 30th birthday. So, I get to go for a massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, and overnight stay whenever I want!

I was so shocked. And I'm SOOO excited!

A Gator win and a spa day...it doesn't get much better than that!

Better Late Than Never...

2009-02-01T20:29:00.020-05:00

I kind of dropped the ball here with the blog last month. My sister, Anna, will be more than happy to complain to you about it if you would care to listen. Seems that law school is fairly mind-numbing with it's stress and all, and she was going through some serious withdrawals of seeing her "babies."

We, on the other hand, have been 14 kinds of busy and it seems I crash into bed at night with nary a thought of updating the blog. But, we have been up to some fun stuff around here!

So, let's catch up!

New Year's Day was so much fun! We took the kids to the Lil' 500 to ride the Go Karts. They were so excited - we haven't been there in a long time!

Look who is old enough to ride in his own Go Kart!

But, Abby didn't mind having her daddy ride shotgun!

It wasn't crowded at all, so we basically had the whole track to ourselves.

Even mommy got a turn to ride with Abby - we had fun racing with Drew!

It was so cute to watch Abby try to drive the Go Kart. She kept wanting to go faster and faster!

They both loved it and we loved watching them have so much fun -

Next, we headed to a park for some playground time. Drew really likes this triple slide!

They even have a little rock wall that the kids like to climb.

Abby is super fast when she climbs this thing. It kind of takes my breath away because I'm so worried she's going to fall! But, of course, she never does.

Drew's favorite thing lately is tag. Freeze tag, regular tag, whatever kind of tag you will play with him - he is constantly teasing us, "You can't catch me..."

Daddy gets pretty close!

The big brother took a time out to help push his sister on the swing.

These two are best buddies - they are at such a great age for playing together.

I sure do love these two little people!

What a great way to start the new year together - quality family time!

This Little Dude is Cold Too!

2009-01-24T10:21:00.001-05:00

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2009-01-23T20:49:00.011-05:00

We've had quite a frigid week here in Central Florida. It has been COLD. The temps have been in the 30's for three nights in a row and that is not something we are used to around here.

It's the kind of cold that allowed me to introduce my children to frost on the grass. And to watch them delight in being able to see their breath. It's meant we've had to pull out the fleece pajamas from Christmas to keep their snuggly bodies extra warm at night. And, it means Abby gets to dress up in warm sweaters - courtesy of her sweet friend Sherilyn who just gave us some great hand-me-downs...

Abby really wanted to wear this sweater dress, but it was so cold that we had to put it with some jeans to keep her legs warm!

I wore a scarf that day and Abby loved it so much that she had stolen it from me by mid-morning!

She told me, "Well, the blue really matches my eyes, Mama. I think I should wear it to keep my neck really warm."

The children were supposed to wear their hats and mittens to preschool today because the teachers had a surprise for them -

It snowed today!! Oh, they had so much fun playing in the "snow."

And, Abby got to make her first ever snow angel. So sad that it had to be in styrofoam rather than real snow.

But, not sad enough to make me want to move North!

Because the temperature should be in the 70s by tomorrow afternoon and this is one native Floridian who can't wait for it to warm up a bit!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-01-22T09:30:00.003-05:00

Daddy, you are the best! We love you very much and appreciate all that you do for us. We hope you have a very happy 33rd birthday!!

Love,
Your family

Way Back Whensday #11

2009-01-07T09:31:00.007-05:00

We are getting very excited about the National Championship Game tomorrow night! It's bringing back memories of two years ago when the Gators brought home the title in 2006.

There was a big pep rally at Florida Field that January to celebrate our National Champions. Matt and Jamie took the boys to Gainesville for their first visit to University of Florida.

So, to recap, Drew was three years old. He really wanted to hear the bells ring at Century Tower. And, Matt ran into his cousin right at the end of the video.

Nevertheless, it still documents my sweet boy's first introduction to the greatness of UF. Almost brings a tear to my eye...

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of my boys.

And, here are Drew and James as they explore the campus. We like to think that they are envisioning their futures as Florida Gators.

Go Gators!

Way Back Whensday #10

2008-12-31T15:44:00.003-05:00

Abigail Grace - 20 months old

Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Christmas Day

2008-12-30T20:15:00.027-05:00

After lunch on Christmas day, we drove to Tampa to visit with Matt's side of the family. The kids love going to Aunt Denise and Uncle Matt's house because they LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their cousins! They were also going to get to see Uncle Joe, Grandma, and Grandpa so they knew it was going to be a fun day. Plus, there was going to be a sleepover and that is so much fun for them that they could hardly stand all the anticipation!

As soon as we got there they got down to business - opening presents! They opened the gifts from Uncle Joe first. He is so great at picking out things the kids like and he hit another home run. Drew got a pirate treasure chest and Abby got a ballerina June from Little Einsteins - they loved them!

Next, Drew wanted to give his present to Ryan. Ryan got a train table for his birthday so Drew gave him Sir Topham Hat and Porter to go with all of his Thomas the Train stuff. This was Drew's favorite Christmas gift a few years ago and Ryan seemed to love it too!

I loved watching Drew this year as he discovered the joy in giving. He couldn't wait for everyone to open the presents he had picked out and wrapped for them.

And, even though she is only three, Abby certainly enjoyed giving to others as well. She came out of Sunday School one morning telling me the most important thing she learned that day was "Christmas is all about giving. And Jesus."

She earned a big hug from Ryan who loved the Thomas the Train bath set she gave him!

Grandma and Grandpa love having all of their children and grandchildren together. It makes for fun photo opportunities like this -

Every year, Matt's parents just ask for gift cards to restaurants. They (especially his dad) love to go out to eat so it's the perfect gift for them. This year I wanted to have a little fun with them as they opened their gift. Look at his dad's face - he's so confused. I know he's thinking, "What the heck is in this big box? I don't want this! Where is my Outback gift card?!"

Once they dug underneath all the tissue paper they found their gift cards all wrapped up for them. They thought it was funny and I definitely pulled one over on them!

Grandma and Grandpa got Drew and Abby a keyboard for Christmas. It is really nice and I think they are going to love learning how to play it!

Oh, how they love their new baby cousin. These kids just love babies - especially Abby. She is so maternal - wanting to feed him, help change his diaper, kiss his cheeks, and play with him. It's so fun to watch them with baby Tyler.

Matt and I in front of Denise and Matt's beautiful Christmas tree!

Matt and his family -

And, our little family on Christmas Day.

We had a great dinner (thanks to Matt's mom) and let the kids play with their toys for awhile before bed. Matt's mom gave the kids Santa hats and they put on a show for all the grown ups. They played musical instruments and danced to Christmas music - it was adorable!

Finally, it was time to sleep.

They had plenty of wonderful Christmas memories to dream about.

At least that's what I thought.

Until two days later when Abby asked me, "Mom, is it almost Christmas again?"

Christmas Morning

2008-12-29T21:15:00.001-05:00

The kids woke up around 6:30. They were thrilled to see that Santa had visited our home, left lots of presents, and had eaten his milk and cookies.

It was just the four of us that morning so we started opening gifts right away. This was the first year that our little family was alone on Christmas morning, and though I love to have all of our extended family with us, it was really special just to share it with the kids and have them all to ourselves.

They wanted me to open the presents from them first. They were so proud to have wrapped them with Daddy's help. Drew got me a Disney scrapbook album.

And Abby got me lots of Disney paper and stickers to use in the album!

Next, they wanted to open the presents from Mommy and Daddy. Here, Abby is opening a princess frame I got for her special picture with 3 of the Disney princesses - she loved it!

And, Drew opened a baseball frame with a picture of him holding his game ball standing next to his favorite coach!

Then, it was Daddy's turn to open his present from the kids. He got an Urban Meyer book.

He was happy.

Then I told him to open the cover.

And he pulled out a ticket to the National Championship Game!!!

He was VERY happy.

I got to open a present that Abby made for us at preschool. It was an angel she made using her handprints. I loved it!

Abby was quite adamant about the two things she REALLY wanted for Christmas. Buster the dog (from Tigger and Pooh) and a princess watch. She got both and she was quite pleased.

Drew loves anything Star Wars/Clone Wars and he really loved his new Leapster 2!

Of course, Abby had to have a princess one as well!

The presents under the tree had all been unwrapped, but they were excited when we reminded them they still had full Christmas stockings to open!

Then, the sweetest thing happened. Drew had opened two of his stocking stuffers when all of a sudden he stood up and started walking away from the rest of his gifts. I asked him where he was going and he didn't answer. He got his Daddy's stocking and took it over to where Matt was sitting. He handed the stocking over with a big smile on his face.

He never said a word.

But, I guess what they say is true - actions speak louder than words.

His thoughtfulness made our hearts so very happy.

After every present had been unwrapped, the first thing they wanted to do was play the Wii!

Daddy and Drew love playing tennis. Drew is actually quite good. He has some trick (that none of us can figure out) and he serves the ball so fast that it is always an ace. We call it his "super serve."

I've tried my best (at least half a dozen times) and I still haven't won a game of tennis with him.

Yeah, it's pretty embarrassing.

Abby also wanted to play her new princess game. Three days after Christmas they had already won the entire game!

Drew really wanted a toy robot from Santa and since he was such a good boy this year he got just what he wanted!

Santa also brought lots of new games. We opened Hungry Hungry Hippos first! It was a big hit!

Merry Christmas, sweet family.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-28T21:10:00.023-05:00

Well, things are finally starting to get back to normal around here. The decorations are all put away. The playroom is re-organized with all of the new toys. The house is clean and Matt goes back to work tomorrow after a week off.

It was a fantastic week filled with many Christmas activities. I took over 350 pictures, so it's taken me a few days to get them all edited and ready to share. Here are some of my favorites from Christmas Eve when we celebrated with my side of the family.

The kids were all dressed up and ready to go to the Christmas Eve service at church. They were very excited because they were going to be able to come to "grown up" church since there was no child care for the Christmas Eve services. However, their excitement quickly turned to squirminess as they realized that "grown up church" is long and filled with lots of talking. There was lots of music though and the kids enjoyed singing along to the songs that they knew. By the time they got to Silent Night, Abby had fallen asleep in her chair with Aunt Anna's arm around her. I took an adorable picture of it with my mom's camera, but I forgot to load it onto my computer. You'll just have to trust me - it was ever so sweet.

Anyway, here we are all dressed up!

Back at the house, we began opening presents right away! I love Abby's reaction to Drew's Gator uniform from Aunt Anna and Uncle Adam. Her enthusiasm never waned.

Drew and Abby made sure everyone had help opening their gifts. Translation: If you were over the age of 5 then you did not get to unwrap anything!

Here, everyone has a big reaction to Anna's new pair of jeans. Exciting stuff!

But, not nearly as exciting as the new Fancy Nancy book Abby got from Uncle Adam. She was ecstatic! (That's a fancy word for excited.)

Grams, not to be outdone by any of this nonsense, gave Drew and Abby their gift next. They were shocked that they got a Wii. In fact, I don't think they quite "got" it at first. It was a box and we told them it was the Wii, but it seemed like they didn't believe us because they just kind of stared at it for a long time.

Then, Abby opened her princess game and she began to realize that this Wii was for real.

And, Drew opened his Lego Star Wars game and FLIPPED OUT! It was the best reaction of our entire Christmas. He was BEYOND thrilled and he wanted to stop opening gifts right then and there and go play his game.

RIGHT.NOW.THANK.YOU.VERY.MUCH.MERRY.CHRISTMAS.

Big hugs were given to the bestower of the Wii.

Uncle Adam is on a snowboarding trip so he needed lots of cold weather supplies.

Abby was kind enough to model the hat she gave him for his trip.

Kyle gave Aunt Anna a ski trip! They will go in February. She was totally surprised and it was so much fun because I knew about it all along!

Uncle Austin did a great job handing out the gifts from under the tree. I think his favorite gift was his fancy sunglasses!

We took a break from opening presents to go wave to Santa as he rode on a fire truck around the neighborhood.

Abby collected as much candy as she could from Santa.

Bye, Santa! Good luck delivering all those gifts!!

Way Back Whensday #9

2008-12-24T08:50:00.004-05:00

Christmas 2003.

This was the picture we used for our Christmas card.

Andrew Joseph - 5 months old!

The Show Must Go On

2008-12-23T19:00:00.002-05:00

Abby's Christmas recital was last week. I was a little nervous about the whole thing because she really didn't want anything to do with it last year. She was afraid of the "big girl room" and she didn't want to perform in front of all the parents. She spent most of the recital in my lap.

I tried to be understanding since she was only two years old.

I'm good like that.

But this year she is three and there are just no excuses. She rocked her preschool program, thus I was confident in her ability to master the dance recital.

Let me tell you people, she did not disappoint. Seems I have a little performer on my hands. This girl loves the spotlight and she wants it focused on her 100% of the time!

The girls had a small ballet class for the parents to observe before the show.

Then, they disappeared with the teacher to put on their Christmas costumes.

Their dance was to the song "Away In A Manger."

Away in a manger, no crib for His bed,
The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.

The stars in the sky looked down where He lay

The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing,the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes

I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray!

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care

And take us to heaven, to Live with Thee there.

Hold on...this next one doesn't look like it's part of the dance.

And, it's not really Abby's fault. See the girl in the pink leotard in the previous picture? The one with the baby doll flung over the top of her head? Yeah, her.

That baby doll came straight down onto Abby's head just as the song was ending.

Abby tried to hold it together. She really did. Her face crumpled and her bottom lip stuck out. Her eyes filled with tears and then she ran into the arms of her teacher for comfort.

After a few hugs (and the promise of a glittery fairy wand), Abby re-joined the group to finish the show.

I was so proud of her.

She cheered up as we joined the other families for cookies and juice, and she wanted a picture with her sweet ballet teacher.

And, when all was said and done, I don't think it bothered anyone that Abby's "Baby Jesus" was wearing a pink shirt.

What?

You didn't notice that?

Yeah, me either...

What An Honor!

2008-12-19T17:18:00.002-05:00

Guess what? Our family visited Disney World 47 times last year with our seasonal passes! I'm pretty sure we've set some kind of record.

You know, for being lame enough to go to Disney 47 times in one year.

Anyway, check this out! (click the arrow to play once it finishes loading)

Thanks, Aunt Ellen! ;)

Way Back Whensday #8

2008-12-17T06:24:00.001-05:00

Christmas 2006.

Abby is 20 months old.

Indeed, Happy Birthday Baby Jesus.

Santa Visit

2008-12-14T05:58:00.004-05:00

The kids had a great time visiting Santa this year. They weren't shy at all - they loved him!

Hope you enjoy this little slide show.

Hints for better viewing:
1. Click on "full screen" (top right while loading or lower left hand corner once the slide show begins)
2. Roll over any picture you would like to see larger and click. Click a second time to return it to it's original size.

Merry Christmas!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The One Good Thing About A Rainy Day...

2008-12-11T18:32:00.002-05:00

is Abby Grace in a raincoat!

Way Back Whensday #7

2008-12-10T06:31:00.000-05:00

Christmas 2005.

The year that my best friend, Danielle, saved me from a Christmas card nightmare.

I had two cute kids. Two cute outfits. No cooperation.

So, I took this picture -

And this picture -

And then my sweet, wonderfully talented, generous, and non judgemental friend of over 25 years did this -

There is a special place in heaven for anyone who helps me with my OCD need to have everything perfect and then decides to keep loving me anyway.

Lucky for me, that's a pretty long list.

Anyway, as a side note, the rolls on Abby's thigh in this picture just make me swoon. Is there anything yummier than chubby, baby thighs?

I dare say not.

Fear No Terrain

2008-12-08T08:47:00.001-05:00

I described Drew's enthusiasm for kindergarten in a previous post. We are now almost halfway through the school year and it still has not abated. He LOVES school and I'm just so proud of his effort and positive attitude.

I also mentioned in that post that Drew has a favorite teacher. He really loves all the adults at that school - especially his main teacher. However, he thinks one of his PE coaches hung the moon. I don't know how it all started, but he just loves her to pieces.

One day, she told the PE class about a thing at school called running club and Drew had to be a part of it. If this coach was going to be there then so was he.

So, Drew's first school club is running club and it has been a great experience for him. All three coaches are wonderful and I really like the way they are with the kids. Abby and I make sure to be there every Thursday so we can watch the runners - it's one of the highlights of my week!

Here's Abby waving to her brother as he walks to the covered court.

The runners get a ticket for each lap they complete. Once they earn five tickets they get a "bear foot" to wear on a chain. Here is Drew turning in his first set of five tickets and getting his chain with his first bear foot.

This is his favorite coach. Look at him beaming at her as she helps him put the bear foot on the chain. It's just so sweet!

These running club buddies are also in Drew's kindergarten class!

The coaches manage this big group of 5-7 year olds very well. I couldn't believe how smoothly the whole thing went. The students do their warm-ups, listen to announcements, and then run 2-3 laps around the field.

Drew was so excited to receive his first "bear foot." He wears the chain to school every.single.day.

And, the running club motto:

You gotta love that!

It's Great To Be A Florida Gator!

2008-12-06T20:33:00.003-05:00

We are the SEC Champions and it feels great!

Here are my kids giving the nod to Percy and Tim.

Unfortunately, we didn't have Percy today. But, we did have the best player in college football. Timmy took over and willed his team to win.

It was an amazing thing to watch!

Way Back Whensday #6

2008-12-03T07:30:00.001-05:00

The Very Hungry Catepillar was Drew's favorite bedtime book for a very long time.

He is just over 3 years old in this video.

Oh, how I love that little guy!

Part Deux...

2008-12-02T13:42:00.011-05:00

Yep, I'm still talking about Thanksgiving around here. We celebrated with my dad's side of the family on Sunday. So, of course, that means several more pictures. And, I have to apologize for the number of pictures in these last two posts that include me. Usually, I'm not such a fan of putting pictures of myself on the blog. Truth be told, I actually manage to escape having my picture taken very often at all. In fact, this is the only picture of me from Easter this past year.

I don't think that needs an explanation.

Anyway, my sister has decided it is her mission at family events to make sure I'm included in some of the photos. Seriously, she grabs the camera from my hands and then recruits an uncle or two to make the kids smile.

If you know my family then I probably don't need to tell you that getting both kids to look at the camera AND smile at the same time is hard work. And it usually takes some bribery to get the job done.

Hmmm...it feels as if I've totally lost my focus.

Oh, yes! Thanksgiving, part deux.

My dad's parents (my Grammy and Grandaddy) were there as well as my Aunt Kris. Here's a group picture of everyone that was there (except for Kyle, sorry dude).

Grandaddy, me, and Abby -

Aunt Anna and Kyle (pleae note that "Kyle" is pronounced with two syllables around here thanks to Abby Grace).

Abby with one of the uncles that always makes her laugh.

Here are the four of us with our grandparents and Aunt Kris.

Grammy was getting lots of love from her great-grandchildren!

Four generations of men in our family...

And, drumroll please, the best picture taken of my little family in over a year!!

It was a happy day with good food and quality family time.

Just the way it should be...

Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-29T20:06:00.014-05:00

I had high expectations for Thanksgiving Day. I love my mom's side of the family and we haven't seen them in a long time. The kids were really looking forward to seeing Papa, my grandfather, and I knew that would be fun. The food is always delicious - I've never eaten anything that compares to the food from my mama's side of the family. Really, I just knew the whole day would be great.

And you know what?

The day exceeded all of my expectations.

My cousin Michael and his wife Susan hosted Thanksgiving at their home in Jacksonville. It was beautiful and it had a big backyard that the kids loved. Michael and Susan have 5 kids (the new baby is not in the picture) and my cousin Steven and his wife Angela have one child. My kids had a blast playing with all of them and it really made me wish we lived much closer so that they could play together more often!

They climbed trees, pushed each other around on a bike, and played soccer in the backyard. Turns out that Drew can really kick a soccer ball!

Abby and Amelia became fast friends. They were inseparable the entire day. Amelia was so sweet to my Abby and I just loved watching them play together. Here they are with Papa and Miss Juanita.

Abby has excitedly talked about seeing Papa for the past few weeks. At dinner she would say, "I can't wait to see MY Papa!" and Drew would correct her, "Abby, he's everyone's Papa."

She talked to him on the phone the other day at my mom's house. When we got home she told me she had talked to Papa about coming for Thanksgiving. She said, "He really can't hear mama, but, don't worry, he can see just fine!"

Clearly, they really enjoyed each other!

And Drew got to have some special time with HIS Papa too!

And, to round out all the Papa pictures, here is one of me with him. I can't believe the man is 87 years old. He seemed really healthy and happy. It was great to see him and to watch the kids with him. It really made me miss my Grandma though. She would have LOVED her great grandbabies!

Abby and Grams always have fun together. Perhaps now would be a good time to mention to the Internet that my mom has lost 45 pounds!! We are incredibly proud of her!

Daddy and the kids had fun playing together outside. It was such a beautiful day!

Me and Abby Grace...

Here are my siblings with Savannah. She is my cousin's daughter so I'm not sure if that makes us second cousins or first cousins once removed or if we are even really related at all. But, I do know that this year the spotlight was on Savannah.

Somehow she went from being a cute 12 year old who chased my brother around to a gorgeous 17 year old who is about to graduate from high school! None of us could believe the transformation, and every time I walked by her I would just shake my head and wonder where all the time has gone. Because, if she's all grown up then that just makes me old.

Very old.

Sigh...

And here is my Mama with her babies. She looks pretty proud, don't you think?

The real kicker of the day was Grandma Pauline trying to convince me (and anyone else that would listen) of my untapped singing talent. She said, and I quote, "I've never heard anything like your voice. You have an instrument there, young lady. A fine instrument."

I insisted each and every time she cornered me (which was probably half a dozen times) that I really could not carry a tune to save my life. She was quite earnest in her plea with me to believe in myself and my dreams, and, of course, my fine instrument.

The likes of which she has never heard.

Ever before.

Amen.

And I was scared to death that the sweet woman was going to force me to sing so she could prove her point. And that, dear friends, would have ruined a perfectly fine Thanksgiving day. So, I did what any other normal person would do and I hid out by the cheesecake. And because I was already there I decided I should probably just go ahead and have a piece.

Or two.

Anyway, it's important to say that on this Thanksgiving I really am thankful for my family, my friends, my health, and all of the blessings in my life.

Mostly, however, I'm thankful that Grandma Pauline did not make me sing. Oh, how I'm thankful for that.

My Little Turkeys

2008-11-27T06:41:00.006-05:00

The kids have been very excited about Thanksgiving. These pictures show off just a small sample of the many crafts they made at school. Abby's class had a Thanksgiving program last week and it was adorable! They sang lots of songs and played instruments - Abby was terrific. I was also able to attend Drew's Thanksgiving party. They made crafts, sang a Thanksgiving song, and had a wonderful feast! I love being able to be there with them on special days like that - they both had so much fun!

We are now headed to Jacksonville for Thanksgiving Day! Drew and Abby are so excited to see their Papa (my grandfather) and there will be six other children there for them to play with - it's going to be a great day!

Here's my Abby Grace with her turkey song - it's a little long, but totally worth the two minute time commitment!

Way Back Whensday #5

2008-11-26T09:03:00.005-05:00

These pictures are from our family's first visit to Magic Kingdom. This was March 2007, so Drew was 3 1/2 and Abby was almost 2.

Look closely at Drew's hand and you'll see he's holding something. It's a little Mickey Mouse and he carried it around ALL day! He was so excited to be there and to know he was going to meet Mickey.

Here he is - finally showing Mickey his own little Mickey Mouse! Drew was not scared of the big Mickey at all.

Abby, on the other hand, had a healthy fear of all the characters until we had been to the park several times. Look at the way she's hanging onto Matt! My poor little girl...

But, she'll never turn down ice cream...

Even if it is in the shape of the super scary Mickey Mouse!

Tyler Matthew

2008-11-21T21:58:00.013-05:00

Baby Tyler is finally here! We were so excited to drive over for a visit to meet the newest member of the family! And, of course, to check on the new big brother and his parents!

Baby Tyler is sweet, adorable, quiet....well, he's really just perfect. And, big brother Ryan is adapting to his new role just fine - he loves his baby brother so much!

He's not the only one though! Drew and Abby couldn't wait to get their hands on their new cousin. Abby's maternal side came right out. She immediately wanted to hold him. She helped give him his bottles, she followed along to observe diaper changes, and she held him just as much as we would let her!

She was so delighted with him that she's been asking for a new baby ever since! She tells me that she really wants to be a big sister so she can take care of her own baby.

Drew couldn't wait for his turn...

Drew is so gentle and good with babies. He was fascinated with the new little guy.

Matt and I finally got a turn to hold our nephew.

But, not for long though! We had to get a group shot of all the cousins!

And, the proud grandparents! It's so much fun to watch this family grow and I have a feeling that these two people are having the most fun of all!

All the excitement died down a bit as the older kids began to play with all of Ryan's toys and the adults sat down to lunch. But, I grabbed this little guy out of his bouncy seat and snuggled up with him on the couch. I smelled his sweet head and felt his breath on my chest. I loved the feeling of his little "frog" legs all scrunched up under his body. I could lean over and kiss him as much as I wanted. This yummy newborn stage passes by so quickly and I just wanted to soak it all in.

And, would you believe he was already smiling?! Just a reflex, of course, but it was so fun to see his gummy, little smile.

We love you baby Tyler and we can't wait to see you again very soon!

Welcome to the family!

Way Back Whensday #4

2008-11-19T10:13:00.003-05:00

Here is my precious baby girl just one month after she turned 2.

Her sweet, baby voice just melts my heart...

Birthday Wishes!

2008-11-18T07:37:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Aunt Anna! We hope this song will make up for the fact that we didn't get our birthday card in the mail on time (as usual)! I'm hoping you think that this is much better though...

After they sang, I asked them what their favorite thing about Aunt Anna was. Abby said "her pretty hair." Drew said, "playing with Kyle." I'm sure what they both meant was - how much we love her and she loves us!

So, happy birthday to my #1 blog reader and the best little sister a girl could ask for. We love you!

It's A Little Bit Like The World Series...Only Not.

2008-11-15T20:24:00.006-05:00

Today was such an exciting day! It was Drew's last game of the season and he was amazing!

It was actually the first game of the tournament, but our team lost 8-7 which is why it was our last game. However, Drew was phenomenal during the game so our family was on cloud nine!

The best part...well, I'll show you Drew talking to me about it...

That's right! HE CAUGHT A FLY BALL! Words cannot even begin to express the excitement on the field when it happened. The batter popped the ball up and it headed right for 3rd base which is where Drew plays. He held his glove up in the air and the ball dropped right in. The look on his face was priceless! Matt described it as "pure elation."

I was jumping up and down, waving my arms, screaming and clapping for my Drew! I had goose bumps all over my arms watching him celebrate on the field - it brought me so much joy! He ran over to his daddy and jumped into his arms as Matt lifted him up and swung him around. The players, coaches, and fans in the bleachers were all cheering for him. The coaches from the other team even made their way over to high-five him. His smile was enormous and it seemed to last forever.

That was definitely the highlight of the game, but he also had many other great moments. Like he said in the video, "I did a lot of good things so I got another game ball!"

In the last inning we had two outs and two players on base and we needed to score to stay in the game. It was Drew's turn at bat (no tee allowed at this point in the tournament) and I was so nervous for him. He got two strikes and then he hit the third pitch to get the bases loaded! Unfortunately, the little guy after Drew struck out, but that didn't take away from Drew's accomplishment under pressure!

Earlier in the game he scored a run. And, at one point he fielded the ball at third base and got a player from the other team out - something he has never done before!

So, to recap - one catch of a fly ball, one run scored, one hit (without the tee), and one out at third base!

He got the game ball for the second time this season. He is the only player to get a game ball twice!

We are so proud of Drew and so proud of the Tar Heels! We have terrific coaches and a great group of little boys.

As we were walking into the dugout, Drew turned to his coach and said, "Well coach, I'll see you next season in January!"

His coach said, "Drew, I'll see you at the team party in a few weeks."

To which Drew replied with a nod of his head, "Of course you will!"

I really love that little dude!

Way Back Whensday #3

2008-11-12T10:40:00.003-05:00

Has it already been one week? Cleary, I need to get on the ball with my blogging duties...

Thankfully, this way back whensday stuff is easy and fun!

Here is my favorite photograph - EVER!!