The Vinson Family

AWANA

2011-09-18T15:30:00.000-04:00

This year Josh and Rachel are both Cubbies in the AWANA program at a nearby church. This is their first week back and they are very excited! The Cubbies motto that they memorized is "Jesus Loves Me" and 1 John 4:10, "God loves us and sent His son."

GA Aquarium

2011-09-16T15:52:00.001-04:00

One Friday in September we drove Daddy to work, went to E-Day (special homeschool day at Perimeter), came home, and then picked Daddy up from work. After that, we began our journey to the city. We had dinner in the car, navigated through an expensive area of Atlanta suggested by the GPS, and an hour later arrived at our destination- The Georgia Aquarium!

We got to visit the aquarium with some expert volunteer divers, The Agustins. The family of five attend Classical Conversations with Josh and Rachel and invited us to go to the aquarium for FREE! It was a wonderful evening. We especially enjoyed the first hand knowledge that Diedre and Andrew had regarding the individual animals. Thank you for a great evening!

"Carl" the octopus was very active that night.
Apparently he rarely moves out of his cave.

Daddy and Rachel climbing through the penguin exhibit.

No way was I going down there being 35 weeks pregnant.

Sweet Rachel : )

Cheese : )

Studying the different fish.

Rachel making a fish face for me.

Me with Rebekah, 35 weeks

The dolphins! They were so entertaining. If they had lounge chairs in front of this exhibit I could have sat and watched them for hours! They were so much fun!

The HIGH

2011-09-15T15:36:00.004-04:00

School has started and so has field trips of all sorts. Every Thursday in September, the HIGH museum offered free toddler Thursdays. I wasn't sure how great the experience was going to be for my two young ones, but it was better than I thought. They had several custom activities throughout the day for the kids. We first explored the hands on area and then listened to a storyteller.

After exploring the exhibits and trying to stay calm and quiet, they got to do some blue collages. I was pleased with their work. Great job guys!

And not to forget.. we had a blast with our friends, The Cookseys. Here's some of the gang looking over art books.

Girltime

2011-09-08T15:01:00.009-04:00

This weekend my neighbors surprised me with a shower for Rebekah. We had a great time celebrating her soon to be arrival. Thank you Bowers!

I also decided that it was time for Rachel and I to go on a mother-daughter date. This past summer she got her fingernails painted by her Nanna and absolutely loved it. Since I was selfishly wanting a pedicure, I decided we could go together. She enjoyed it and got to wear a special princess crown when we were there.

Such a sweet little girl! I can't believe we will have TWO of them soon!

Trip to Rock Hill

2011-08-18T14:37:00.001-04:00

This August before I got too pregnant to travel some more, we went to visit Jason's family in Rock Hill. Russell made it back from Sicily and is now settled in at his new home. So nice to have him closer! Italy was fun but very far. During our stay we hung out at home and also explored Charlotte's Discovery Center. I used to go there when I was a kid, but it pretty much is brand new since I used to go. Either way, it was a fun and educational activity for the kids.

A 3D video on bugs!

Picking zinnias in the yard : )

Summertime

2011-08-01T14:37:00.001-04:00

Beach time

2011-07-07T13:20:00.000-04:00

Botany Bay Plantation

2011-07-07T11:13:00.000-04:00

The beautiful entrance to Botany Bay- the coast's famous angel oaks.

One of my favorite flowers- the sunflower : )

Our semi-successful attempts at a family photo.

Edisto 2011

2011-07-04T17:12:00.001-04:00

Good food, good times, and great sites

Kayaking!

Our best family photo from the trip : )

Josh's swimming lessons

2011-06-15T16:43:00.000-04:00

This year we enrolled Josh in Gwinnett County's Swim 1 class. He attended it for two consecutive weeks from M-Th with Daddy. We were very pleased with his progress in class. The class took place indoors and as you can see from the picture, the water was pretty cold and it took some bribing to get the kids in. By the end of the two weeks, Josh excelled at going under water, swimming short distances with his "diggers," making bubbles, and occasionally swimming with going under and coming up again. Hopefully next year, he will be even more gung-ho about going the distance.

Pizza and Preggo

2011-06-11T16:11:00.001-04:00

Josh with our friend Joe making pizzas.

We stocked up with about 20 individual doughs to put in the freezer- wuhoo!

And, I'm 20 weeks pregnant with a girl!

Rachel's 3rd Birthday!

2011-06-09T15:21:00.001-04:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to our beautiful daughter, Rachel!

We had several celebrations for Rachel's birthday. 1st- with family, with sparklers from her Sunday school teacher, and with friends at her birthday party. Each event was equally fun and we were thankful for them all!

Mudfire

2011-06-03T15:10:00.001-04:00

Since the weather has been nice, the kids are enjoying lots of time outside. One afternoon, I let them venture into the backyard mostly unaccompanied. I was cleaning up in the kitchen and watching what they were doing. Oh my- it soon turned messy quick. But once the mess started there was no reason to stop it since it was outside and was occupying their time very well. Here's what they invented... they call it mudfire : )

And something less messy, picking blueberries.

Piedmont Park

2011-06-02T14:58:00.000-04:00

One hot Sunday afternoon in June we ventured downtown to Piedmont Park for a family get together with Jason's co-workers. They catered the event with barbecue and had lots of fun activities for the kids. Josh and Rachel got their faces painted, decorated buckets, played in a jumpy thing, and ran around. They were completely exhausted after the afternoon's activities, but nope, naps did not occur.

Suwanee Town Center

2011-06-01T14:48:00.001-04:00

Summer is almost here! The kids are getting to enjoy their water time outside now- yippee! Off to Suwanee Town Center...

Strawberry picking in Grayson

2011-05-28T20:59:00.004-04:00

Pool Opening!

2011-05-22T21:39:00.003-04:00

We hit the pool this 1stweekend it opened up in our subdivision. It was also the same weekend that Russell came to visit. He is now back in the states living in SC. We are glad to have him closer. Cheese!

May randoms...

2011-05-20T20:53:00.001-04:00

Loving on Gentoo.

Cute hairstyle and yummy granola.

Enjoying our probiotics- kefir.

Josh joining me to his 1st recital to hear some of my students play.

Closing ceremony at AWANA.

Sunday School

2011-05-14T20:40:00.000-04:00

One special Sunday in May, the kids got to ride the Beck's horse during Sunday school. They had a wonderful time! We are so thankful for the Beck's and their service-
THANK YOU!!!

A Spring Fling!

2011-05-13T20:27:00.000-04:00

We are part of a homeschool/preschoolers group called CHEERIOS. They host several fun activities throughout the year and this is one of them: their SPRING FLING! We had a great time doing arts/crafts, a water balloon toss, playing at the park, wading in the water, face painting and eating ice cream! What a great day!

Field Trip to Briscoe Airport

2011-05-05T20:16:00.000-04:00

A great 1st time trip to a small community airport. The kids loved it!

Easter

2011-04-24T15:51:00.000-04:00

This Easter was not the norm for a few reasons; we didn't get to host the event and I didn't perform anywhere. Instead, I recovered from pneumonia/upper respiratory infection that had hit me the prior Thursday. So, for Easter, I was thankful to be home and to be breathing. It was a rough few weeks, but that's all behind us now.

Now, time to supply you with lots of photos to tell more of our time during Easter...

Fernbank Museum

2011-04-12T16:36:00.000-04:00

Over Spring Break before we got a terrible stomach bug, we enjoyed a fun trip to The Fernbank Museum in Atlanta. Josh had been enjoying reading a lot about dinosaurs recently so I thought it was due time for a trip. They also had a new kid's exhibit which the kids ran and ran and ran around in. Lunch was a little difficult since the kids were worn out but we managed to have a delightful trip overall. Thanks honey for joining us! I can't do these trips without you!

My Girl's Trip to DC

2011-03-27T16:51:00.000-04:00

Sicily

2011-03-20T15:42:00.000-04:00

So, we went to Sicily back in March and while I did my best to post photos as soon as we got back, I reached my maximum limit on picasa and couldn't upload any more pictures. So... it has taken us a while to find space for our online albums and now we have one at this address. I hope to eventually post comments of all the beautiful scenario and yummy foods we enjoyed, but this will have to suffice for now since I am quite behind and can't stand it much longer. Enjoy!

Happy 4th Birthday Josh!

2011-02-23T14:38:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet son, Joshua Vinson. He got to choose the theme for his birthday party this year and it was a 100% Buzz Lightyear. Josh wore his costume from Halloween and Rachel dressed up as Jessie for about an hour, then she was ready to put on her princess costume which she likes better : )

We had Toy Story named food and yummy cupcakes for dessert. I also wrote a book for Johs, "Can you do it?" I used Toy Story characters and the format from Eric Carle's book that asks questions like, "can you do it?" For example, "I'm Buzz Lightyear and I say 'To Infinity and Beyond.' Can you say it?" Josh really like it and was asking me to read it the next day and the next : )

Jason also made Mr. Potatohead so the kids could put the pieces on him. All the grandparents made the trip too. They stayed for the weekend and we had a great time. Thank you for celebrating Josh's birthday with him!

Happy Birthday to you... now blow the candles out. Yeah! There was no hesitation from Josh with eating the cupcake though only the icing was completely finished. He likes his sweets. It runs in the family : ) Thank you God for another wonderful year with our son. We are so thankful for such as sweet little guy.

Let it snow...

2011-01-31T14:59:00.006-05:00

Look Mom! There's snow.

Crunch, crunch as we walk.

1, 2, 3, Ready, Go...

Whee... down the hill.

Lick, lick on the snow.

Cheese for a photo

Churn, churn goes the mixer.

Yum, yum for snow cream and cookies!

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-22T19:29:00.008-05:00

Christmas Morning began with coffee and milk, coffee cake, a Christmas reading, and then gifts galore. The kids didn't waste anytime and thoroughly enjoyed opening their loot. It was fun to see what their immediate favorite toys were and then which ones they liked a week or two later. The monster truck was Josh's top present. Whenever someone asked him "What did you get for Christmas?" he answered, "a monster truck." It's hard to pinpoint Rachel's favorite gift, but she would say a princess since she received several princess related gifts. Boy does she love them!

Later in the day, it SNOWED. Apparently it had not snowed in Georgia on Christmas Day since 1882. Wow! It was so beautiful and an amazing Christmas gift to us all. Of course, after playing outside, we came inside to warm up with hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies. Yum! Merry Christmas Ya'll!

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-01-22T19:21:00.004-05:00

The past three years we've attended our church for a family Christmas Eve service. This year I played cello with another cellist and a pianist. The service was very simple with alternating hymns and scripture readings telling the story of Jesus' birth. I enjoyed participating in the worship and looking down at my kids in my Mom's lap and in Jason's lap. They did a great job during the service!

These pictures were taken when we got home. Josh was eager to get his tie off and Rachel had fun playing dress up with my high heels. So cute!

A week with The other Vinson's

2011-01-22T15:57:00.005-05:00

Santa at Bass Pro Shop

Trains!

Stone Mountain Christmas

more trains!

Josh's 1st train ride : )

It was a sing along too.

The other Vinson's

So glad you guys could come and visit. We had a great time!

Rachel's 1st Haircut

2011-01-22T15:46:00.004-05:00

You would think our daughter would have had a haircut by now, but no. It didn't happen until she was 2.5 years old. Over the Christmas holidays we were visiting my Mom and she was helping with the kids after bath time. She took Rachel into her bathroom and decided to pamper her some by brushing her hair and blow drying it. But then she asked, "Would you mind if I cut Rachel's hair?" First off, this was my Mom's first profession and she had some experience cutting hair especially little girls, me for example. So, I said okay.

I had enjoyed how long Rachel's hair had gotten and the natural layering she had as well as her curls and blond hair. God is so creative and amazing and created such a beautiful Rachel. I never thought I would have a blond girl!

December Times

2011-01-12T09:51:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned before, I'm still catching up on posts from December. I think it might have to do with all the things we did and all the pictures that got taken. See below for some fun we had...

Josh playing with trains at Imaginations at Play

Rachel painting away : )

A trip to Edventure in SC

Drivin' the tractor

...and the firetruck

Good times with The Bauknight Family

And silliness at home again

Happy Birthday Jason!

2011-01-12T09:42:00.003-05:00

On Dec. 11th we went out for Jason's birthday to Provino's, a local Italian restaurant that has amazing garlic rolls and free dinner and dessert on your birthday. The kid's a great time and ate well. I realized we hadn't been out to a nicer restuarent in a while since Josh was asking about all the people around us. Even though we were in a secluded booth, he kept wanting to talk to people at other booths or tables. He's quite the social guy. After dinner, we explored "Christmas in the Park" in downtown Suwanee. It was very cold that evening but we did get to enjoy Christmas carolers, hot coca, music, crafts, and more.

This post is about a month late, but it was still important to post : )

Life Group Christmas Party

2011-01-12T09:22:00.002-05:00

Since we moved, we are now attending a different Life Group in the Buford/Suwanee area. For our last get together for the year, we had a Christmas Party with white elephant gifts for the adults, a devotion, and the kids decorated gingerbread houses. I particularly loved how Josh decided how to eat his- no hands, face first : )

For the devotion, Josh's Sunday school teacher spoke to all the kids. First, he asked them what they want for Christmas and he wrote these items down on a sheet of paper. He also asked them if they remembered what they got last year and many could not remember. Next, he read Matthew 6:19-21:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Then he asked the kids what eternal things they could ask for. Some of the answers were grace, God, patience, and love. He wrote these on aluminum foil. Next, he took a candle and held the paper up to the flame the one in paper representing our earthly wants disappeared in flames (it was magic paper so it was really impressive) and the one written on foil represented our eternal wants didn't got into flames.

This lesson was a great reminder to us as well as we get so caught up in wanting things during this time of the year. I was thankful for this simple illustration of investing in our kingdom home, heaven, for our children and family for they are greater than anything else we can receive on earth.

Christmas time is here.

2010-12-24T10:21:00.004-05:00

One thing I've really enjoyed about Christmas this year is the kid's knowledge and simple understanding of the reason for Christmas- Jesus. It's so exciting seeing them grow in so many ways.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Good times in Columbia

2010-12-23T16:28:00.000-05:00

The second half of Thanksgiving was going to be a trip Myrtle Beach but since Jason's brother came into town we spent more time in Rock Hill and then decided to visit Columbia too. We first enjoyed an evening at one of my favorite pub's, Hunter Gatherer.

Cheers!

Good Eats!

Goat cheese salad, Duck Confit over grits, and kalmata olive pizza.

The next day we enjoyed Riverbanks Zoo with our cousins. They had special wristbands for the kids that allowed them to do all the extras at the park for FREE. Thanks Melanie and John!

Feeding the giraffes lettuce.

Riding ponies.

The carousel.

Feeding the birds nectar.

An early Christmas Gift

2010-12-22T10:01:00.006-05:00

For Christmas, Josh and Rachel got a play set from the grandparents. Since we got a used one, the guys got to have fun with big tinker toys (ha,ha). First they disassembled the playset at someone's house, transported it, and then reassembled it at our house. After two days of work, it is standing strong and being enjoyed on warm days. Thank you all and Merry Christmas!

More Thanksgiving...

2010-12-21T16:08:00.001-05:00

I just realized I hadn't uploaded all of our photos from November. Here are some from Thanksgiving in SC. Rachel and Noelle had a little photo shoot outside. Cheese!

Our Thanksgiving surprise- RUSSELL came home from Sicily!

He picked Hibachi Grill for the day after Thanksgiving. This was our first time going with the kids. The kids loved the entertainment!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-22T15:51:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family in Rock Hill, SC and believe it or not, it's almost Christmas. I'm doing better on Christmas presents than I am on blog posts so I'm not too worried. But, I do hope to catch up before the New Year's with some picture posts.

Hope you are enjoying the holidays with your family!

Dinosaur cupcakes

2010-11-16T09:52:00.000-05:00

In mid-November, we celebrated a friend's birthday with yummy Martha Stewart dinosaur cupcakes. They had green meringue frosting and gingerbread cookies on top. Catherine did a great job on them and was sweet to bring them over to share with us while enjoying the great weather outside!

New Orleans

2010-11-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

Derek and Ashley tied the knot the first weekend in November and we got to witness this special event in New Orleans! This was our first time to the party city and we had a great time. I've posted the photos on picasaweb for viewing but had to include a few favorites here. There were so many great sites. What a truly unique and fun wedding!

The day before the wedding we attended the Dashley's Amazing Race of the French Quarter. This was a fun and exciting was to truly get to see and know the area. Above is our team. We didn't come in first but had a blast along the way and that's all that matters. This was the last task, put on some wigs and take a photo a Fifi Mahony's Wig shop. Oh what fun!

Enjoying beignets at Cafe du Monde.

A kiss before following the brass band on a parade called the "Second Line." This is a New Orleans tradition where you follow the band and twirl a parasol or handkerchief in the air along the way (they provided these). This was lots of fun as we celebrated from the church to the reception at The Blue Room in the Roosevelt.

Before leaving we had another fun get away gift, masquerades for all.

The Hanes Family

2010-10-11T16:55:00.007-04:00

Back in October we were delighted to have some visitors. My Dad, Stepmom, and Grandma came to visit us. We had a wonderful weekend full of lots of hugs, smiles, great food, outdoor play time, beer brewing, a movie, card playing, church and more.

Thank you all for coming to visit!
Hope to see you again soon.

Downtown Atlanta

2010-10-07T14:19:00.007-04:00

Last week we enjoyed some sights and eats in downtown Atlanta with our friends Gosia and Ellie. They were very generous and shared some tickets to the Children's Museum with us. Thank you! After about two hours there, we walked through Centennial Park to the CNN Center where we got lunch at the food court. We made it back outside in time to see the fountain music show, get wet, and eat. Then we ran along the park, blew bubbles, played duck-duck-goose, attempted at handstands and finally headed home. It was a wonderful day and we decided we will have to go again while this weather continues.

Happy Birthday!

2010-10-05T14:25:00.001-04:00

This weekend was my Mom's 60th Birthday and my 32nd Birthday. Yes- for 32 years now we've shared the same birthday, but this year I thought we should focus more on her so we had a wonderful dinner at our cousin's house in Shandon. The weather was beautiful which allowed us all to enjoy time outside on the front porch and in the backyard where there was a wood fire pizza oven. We all had a wonderful night. Thank you family and friends for coming to celebrate!

Another year goes by...

2010-09-30T16:42:00.003-04:00

When I was cooking dinner this evening my mind wandered on things I used to hate that I like now. Isn't it amazing how this happens to everybody. Here's a short list:

I used to de-vein shrimp, now I'll eat it anyway.

I used to only drink skim milk, now I prefer raw milk. It's SO good!

I used to never eat bacon and was disgusted by how people saved fat from it, now i think this is awesome- two good things from one thing!

I used to think I would never let my kids eat in the car, that was before I had kids. Lots of things change : )

I'm sure there's many more but this was just a fun list I thought up as my birthday approached.

AWANA

2010-09-30T14:16:00.007-04:00

Since the kids are not in preschool this year, I felt like I needed to do a "First Day of School" photo, so here's one from AWANA. We just joined the program at a nearby church. Josh is in Cubbies, ages 3-4, and Rachel is in Puggles, age 2. In case you don't know what this is, the goal and purpose of AWANA is "to reach boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and to train them to serve Him." In other words, hide God's word in their hearts by scripture memorization, activities, and more. The program has a lot to offer (though I don't agree with everything in it), but I'm thankful they are getting a school feel from it as well as all the other good stuff.

Jason and I have really enjoyed the conversations we've had with Josh such as:

Who made you? -God.
What else did God make? -God made all things.
Why did God make you and all things? -for His own glory.

We've reviewed the first few catechisms with him and he knows them and understands them. AWANA has provided us with a handbook for Josh that includes stories, scriptures, and leading questions for him to understand more. Rachel receives a brochure each week about what she's studying too. Right now it is God's creation and knowing that God created all things. It is such a JOY to see that they recognize this simple fact in everyday life.

The only downfall is that I teach a guitar class on Wednesdays afternoons and then have to book it to AWANA. So, we eat dinner in the car. Not best scenario, but if we can survive by only doing this once a week, then I think we'll be all right : )

Playdates!

2010-09-30T14:04:00.003-04:00

For the past few weeks, we have been meeting with some other stay at home moms every Thursday. We all congregate at our house in the den, then begin our music class. I've been using songs and chants from "Music Play" curriculum. I studied this in college and have been excited teaching it as a class for my kids and friends. We've had a great time with lots of music babble and development! After the class we all have lunch and play outside. I just LOVE seeing all the kids get along and play together. God is so good!

Next month, one of the girls has offered to teach three PE classes for us. We can't wait!

Amicalola Falls

2010-09-22T13:09:00.006-04:00

Two weekends ago, we ventured out for a hike at Amicalola Falls. It was our first time seeing the falls and the first big hike we;ve done with the kids. The weather was great and the kids did pretty well. Rachel hiked half-way up the trail and was carried the rest of the time. Josh made it up 175 stairs and then wanted to be carried for the next 425 stairs. I can't blame him. Both were carried on the way down and they highly enjoyed that. We got a great workout and enjoyed being in God's wonderful creation.

On our way home I twisted Jason's arm so we could stop at Burt's Pumkin Patch. We had just seen it from the road and I had him turn around. Had I been driving the car would have immediately gone to the left : ) The pumkins were HUGE! I'm not sure what type these are but they definietly stand out with their size and brightness. We made it home with two and some squash for eating.

Kitchen remodeling

2010-09-13T15:31:00.007-04:00

Before we bought the house...

(PS. This is me and our realtor)

After we painted and moved in...

and after we got a new range and countertops ...

and soon, more updates as we get them done. First, a tile backsplash-still deciding on what we want; possibly white rectangles, stone, or glass.

Let me know what you think?

One Sunday Morning...

2010-09-10T22:25:00.006-04:00

I caught some shots of the kids before heading off to church. Their sweet personalities shine through these and make me smile. I hope they do for you too!

Pizza and Potty

2010-09-02T22:11:00.001-04:00

So you might be wondering, what type of title or blog post this is? Well, it's about our precious daughter Rachel who decided to start using the potty on a regular basis Labor Day weekend. This picture was taken Sunday night while we were eating outside. She said she had to go potty and wanted to go like her brother off the deck but she realized that didn't work. So we brought the potty to her. She needed some encouragement to stay seated so I we gave her some pizza. Hence, pizza and potty.

On another note, not only did she amaze me with her potty training skills. She would tell me when she had to go! But, she also ate a whole piece of Green Pizza! This stuff had spinach, broccoli, pesto, and cheese on it. Way to go Rachie! We are so proud of you!

Play time

2010-08-31T21:37:00.000-04:00

I am in love when the kids are super happy and content playing by themselves with something they found or came up with; something that was started from them. Sometimes I will direct them to do this or do that but I absolutely love it when I don't have to do anything. I know that sounds lazy, but they can entertain themselves and have a blast.

Below is one afternoon where they were playing dress up with their conductor uniform. They have an Elmo book that taught them about the train, the conductor, and needing tickets to ride. Rachel was walking around saying, "Tickets please."

Another common game Josh will do is create a pile or line of pillows to do somersaults on. Ever since we went to a gymnastics party he has been crazy into this.

Harvest Park

2010-08-30T21:54:00.000-04:00

Last week we took a field trip to White Street Harvest Park in Suwanee. This is a new park that opened in May. Currently it holds 60 or so community garden plots. There is room for growth so I think they will be opening it up soon for more gardeners. They also are planning to create an outdoor classroom and treehouse for handicap students at this location. The design is for a handicap accessible treehouse. It sounds really great. We enjoyed our first visit looking mostly at plants in the beds and along the trail. What a great science lesson and trip ; )

Two comments from Josh : )

2010-08-27T16:13:00.005-04:00

Josh killed his first fly by slamming his shoe against the window in our house. He came outside to tell me, "This fly shouldn't be in the house Mommy." I agree with that! Thanks for helping Josh!

Over breakfast on morning today he said, "If Sissy were in your belly then she would be a baby and I would kiss her." Kind of true. We've been around two pregnant friends recently and I think he is remembering when Rachel was in my belly and I would let him kiss her.

Edisto Beach Day 4 and 5

2010-08-24T15:28:00.003-04:00

As you can see Rachel had lots of fun in the sun at the beach. She also maintains a great appetite for food which we are thankful for. Below, Josh and his cousin were busy being pirates. They had a lot of fun playing together. So thankful for family!
The last day of our vacation, Jason and I got to go out for a boat trip with my Mom's friend. We rode to Beaufort for lunch and enjoyed the peaceful wind capped day.

On our way out of town we stopped at a local grocery that was on a farm. Josh had fun picking some zinnias for me. Aren't they just as beautiful as him?

Edisto Beach Day 3

2010-08-24T15:19:00.002-04:00

Above is a picture of a terrapin turtle that we saw at the Edisto Environmental Center. The kids really enjoyed seeing the crabs and fish in the aquariums there. My highlight was running on the boardwalk.
Later that day we went for a bike ride to the playground. It was lots of fun until we started getting eaten by mosquitoes and were ready to cool off. Even though Josh is pictured in the trailer, Noelle and Rachel got to ride together. Their smaller bodies were better to pull and more fun for them.

Edisto Beach

2010-07-12T13:16:00.007-04:00

This year we attended our 4th trip to Edisto Beach with Jason's extended family. There were three houses between all of us; so a lot of people! We had a wonderful trip as always. The kids and I seem to enjoy it more every year. I've never been much of a beach bum but I'm getting better with practice : ) Here are some pictures from the first two days...

The Zoo!

2010-07-01T13:19:00.003-04:00

Our neighbor gave Rachel a trip to the Atlanta Zoo for her birthday. What a fabulous present and gift to us all! Not only was the zoo fun but her girls were a huge help with my kids. One of the biggest reasons why we hadn't been to the ATL zoo yet. It can be difficult herding two little toddlers around, but with Anya and Allie the kids got to hold hands, take turns in the stroller, and walk around. Whew!

Here the kids got to brush the goats and sheep. They loved this hand-son activity and were very gentle. Later the next week we got to go to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC and had a wonderful time there as well. Unfortunately I forgot my camera on this trip but the kids had an equally good time, ate there bagged lunches, and had a treat- ICECREAM! It was such a long and hot day that we all needed it before heading home. We hope to visit again in the fall when it will be much cooler.

Rachel's Birthday 2...

2010-06-22T12:47:00.001-04:00

We have a lot more pictures from this special day but here are some favorites that show Rachel's blossoming personality. What a cutie pie she is!

Playing with some of her toys the day after.

Father and Son time

2010-06-19T13:51:00.002-04:00

Josh and Daddy got to attend a Build and Grow free class at Lowe's back in June. It was a great outing for the two of them. Also, Josh went to his first movie "Toy Story 3" at the end of July with Daddy too! It was a celebration for being potty trained. Josh had a wonderful time. He also got spoiled and got to have popcorn, a hotdog, and fruit snacks. Apparently he ate it all by himself. I'm looking forward to when it comes out on DVD so we can all watch it again. Maybe we'll have popcorn too : )

Rachel at 2 years

2010-06-19T13:35:00.006-04:00

Playing with Mommy's espresso cup and saucer.

Notice the pinkie placement : )

All smiles!

Her favorites pajamas mixed.

Having fun with our neighbor, Miss Anya.

It's amazing how time flies with little ones. We just celebrated Rachel's birthday last weekend. I will post her birthday party photos sometime this week, but these were just some cute ones I found on the camera. What a sweet little girl. Also, her check-up went well. She's 28 lbs. 68%, 34.8 inches 75%, and head is 18.8 inches 57%.

Last day of School (from May)

2010-06-19T08:29:00.003-04:00

This past year Josh was in a 2 year old preschool class at McKendree United Methodist Church. He loved school and enjoyed all the activities that they did their. I decided to keep both kids at home with me next year and do some school at home. We'll see if we can do it! Here's some pictures from a picnic we had on his last day of school.

Enjoying their first ice popsicles!

Notice the matching band-aids? Rachel needed one because Josh had one. So funny!

New babies

2010-06-07T16:25:00.006-04:00

Congratulations to Lucy Elaine Alphin born two and a half weeks ago and Eliza Abigail Long born one week ago. They are all doing well and we are excited to have some new babies to visit and love on.

Here are some photos from our last visit to Columbia to visit my cousin before she had her second daughter. Rachel and her cousin Julia had a great time playing together. They are both very girlie-girl. We enjoyed a wonderful brunch while their. Thanks for all the yummy and local food!

We also got to visit with Baby Brooklyn some. Rachel enjoyed helping me feed him : )

Meatless May

2010-06-04T15:06:00.003-04:00

We survived our attempt of having a Meatless May. This wasn't too difficult since we included seafood in our diet. We had several people ask why we were doing it and all I said was "My husband wanted to try it so, I guess I will too." His reasoning was that he wanted to see if he felt different without meat and then when he added meats back in he also wanted to see if he could tell a difference from them too. So, that sums it up. We did allow the kids to eat meat if they wanted. They got to enjoy cold cuts, bacon, sausage and all that yummy goodness.

Now that May is over we are slowly adding good quality meats back into our diets; for example, grass fed beef, DeKalb Farmer's Market chickens, and local pork sausage. What we noticed last month was that we experimented with a lot more foods. Shrimp was probably our favorite since the kids love it, it's very easy to prepare, and is affordable. We should have eaten more fish but I never came across that many recipes with or for fish. Maybe next time we do this I will be ready to venture out a little more and learn how to prepare fish other ways. I know it should be easy but truth is I haven't prepared good quality fish much. We mostly eat grilled or baked salmon, frozen Mahi-Mahi from Whole Foods, and marinated fish from Trader Joe's.

One of my favorite dinners last month was Oysters Rockefeller. I really could eat raw or broiled oysters every week and not get sick of them. Recently I was reading on the Weston Price Foundation about how good they are for you- lots of vitamin B12 and zinc. We were able to find some easy to prepare from The Fresh Market. Next time, I hope to prepare some from a closed shell. We'll see. I've only done this once with my Mom and it was fun but still kind of hard to open if I remember correctly. Sounds like a fun food challenge for this summer!

Strawberry Picking

2010-05-19T08:19:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite things about May and early June is STRAWBERRY season. I have wonderful memories and some cute photos of myself picking at a young age and I'm so thankful the kids are already getting to experience this here in GA! We had the privilege of going twice this year to Washington Farms. The berries were plentiful in mid-May but harder to find towards the end of May. We left with great berries both times so, nothing to complain about. We enjoyed many fresh, in strawberry jam, and in strawberry ice cream. Definitely a tradition I hope to continue every year!

Planting a garden

2010-05-11T21:16:00.007-04:00

Last year was our first attempt at planting a garden in the ground and before that I only had container plants. Since we moved, we had to start from new again. Jason and I decided we wanted to look into the square foot gardening method so we bought the book, All New Square Foot Gardening, and went from there. I have to give him the credit for reading the book since I just suggested it and planned the vegetables and herbs that would go in it. If you would like to read up on more about this, check out this blog for more details that I won't go into since it's already on his website.

Mixing the soil

Bed #1 with marigolds, dill, cilantro, strawberries, cucumber, peppers,
cilantro and parsley seeds.

Bed #2 with marigolds, two types basil, tomatoes, eggplant, okra, and carrot seeds.

Some hearty sage that has lasted three years in the container now! I also have some leftover thyme, oregano, mint, and chives. I was impressed that they all survived the winter and the move. These are some great additions to eggs in the mornings. Can't wait for more goodness to come from the backyard.

Happy Gardening ya'll!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-07T22:04:00.002-04:00

For Mother's Day last year, I received the Martha Stewart magazine from my stepmother (Thanks Erika!). This month's tear out menu was in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. I gave it a look, decided to go for it, and made all four recipes that were on it! It was a two course meal featuring Garlic-Jalapeno Shrimp, Mango and Radish Salad with Lime Dressing, Rice with Peas and cilantro, and Caramel Custards for dessert. I was very pleased with how everything turned out and the kids LOVED it too except for the radishes and cucumbers : ) Instead of typing the recipes out here, I found some other bloggers out there that posted them instead. It looks like I wasn't the only one thinking, "this would be a great dinner party meal." Now I need to decide who to invite over next time I make it.

Go Tigers!

2010-04-17T14:47:00.007-04:00

Well, I didn't cheer for them but at least two people I know did. Last weekend, we went to the Orange and White Clemson Spring Game. It was a fun, family football game. Since the game was free and low key (no real opponents) it was a great way to introduce Josh to football.

We left Saturday afternoon for Pendelton, SC to visit Jason's anut and uncle. I had hope the kids would take naps in the car, but this didn't happen so we decided to take Arlene up on her offer and keep Rachel. It was nice having special time with Josh. I enjoy special outings with each kid ever now and then so that we or I can focus just on them and make them feel extra special. Rachel and I have had some fun coffee dates but not as many with Josh.

We didn't stay for the whole game but stayed long enough for Josh to enjoy it, practice holding hands and smiling to people, meet the tiger, and more. I thought for a minute or two during the game that Josh was going to fall asleep on me, but curiosity kept him awake.

The rest of the weekend was great! We enjoyed visiting the cows on their farm, spending time with cousins, eating great food, and lastly the short drive home. This trip made me wish we lived closer to grandparents. A 1.5 hour drive verses a 3.5 drive would be nice, but then again it could be worse. All in all, it was great to get away!

Spring is here!

2010-04-17T14:06:00.005-04:00

Time to mow the lawn...

Drive a convertible...

(our neighbor's jeep)

Go shopping...

Watch petals blow from trees...

Blow bubbles...

Wear a bathing suit...

Or go topless if you need to!

But most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-08T22:15:00.010-04:00

Easter weekend was simply beautiful this year. God's glory was shining through all the flowers and budding trees and was such a great reminder of the fact that He has risen!

For Easter this year we celebrated at different churches since I played cello downtown and Jason had to help out at our church so things were a little different. We will plan differently for next year since we all missed each other. We joined back together at our house for lunch with friends and family. After the services, the kids participated in an egg hunt at church and then loaded up on candy before coming home (sometimes I wish everyone would use raisins- wouldn't that be great?! BTW- I do eat candy and so do my kids. I'm just saying wouldn't it be nice?)

At home we had a yummy lunch and a super cute bunny cake that my friend made. Since company came over for the lunch I had to clean and had an excuse to take photos of the house. So I posted a few below. For some reason I didn't hit all the rooms. It must have been because of napping or messes. We still have a lot more changes to do to make it our home, but it already looks 10x better than before. Trust me- the wallpaper is all gone!

Dining Room

Great Room and kitchen in back
(we've updated the light fixture since I took this)

More Kitchen

Josh's Room

Every day is different

2010-04-08T21:53:00.003-04:00

Some days I am amazed at how well my son listens and obeys when we are out and about; how he will hold my hand, how he will stop when I ask him to, and how he will help his sister with things. But more days than usual this has not been happening! Ahh! Times can be tough for Mommies and Daddies, but I have to remind myself, it will get better; right?

Today I felt like one of those moms that everyone looks at when we were in Target today. Rachel was ready to get out of the cart (crying and not happy) and Josh wanted to push it (crying too). He did have a turn but it was time to go and his behavior was getting worse so I told him it was Mommy's turn. That didn't seem to have any impact on him. He was determined to pull the buggy. We made it to the checkout but then had to tackle the parking lot with him holding my hand or getting in the buggy. Neither option was what he wanted so I had to carry him, but that wasn't an option either. Instead I had to hold him and then his shoe came off in the middle of the parking lot! Ahh. Fortunately someone helped us out by picking it up and brought it over to us while I could get my kids safely into the car.

As you can tell I needed to vent a little after this morning. I have to say that the rest of the day went very well and we all got naps in in (that's unheard of for all of us!). Many lessons were taught over and over throughout the day and while the kids may sometimes scream for Daddy when they aren't happy with the consequences, I know that they still love me and that if I didn't discipline my kids, then I wouldn't be loving and parenting them. That's a motto I remember reading a while back and has stuck with me. I would love to know any Mommy tips that you might have with similar scenarios.

Our Silly little kids

2010-03-28T20:38:00.004-04:00

Just a few random photos and updates...

Here's Rachel sporting a new outfit along with her accessories galore. She was walking around like this with her purse and shopping cart too! She is a really funny girl!

This is what she looks like after eating yogurt- ah!

The weather here has been on and off great. On the good days, we've been able to explore some new nearby parks. Whee and... ahh! were Josh's expressions : )

This photo was taken of Josh one day when he didn't take a nap. He decided to play with some of the boxes. This one became his favorite and we turned it into a robot and punching stars in it. Boxes are such great free toys for kids!

Last Friday we enjoyed a family movie night and watched Up! I was amazed at how long the kids sat and watched the movie. It was a good and bad thing. I just don't want to overdo it with the TV and/or online viewing. Do you have a set time limit per day or per week on what your child watches? Would love to know your thoughts.

We have moved!!!

2010-03-03T16:07:00.003-05:00

Everything has happened so fast. We started shopping for a home after Thanksgiving and decided that we were going to rent our old home. Jan.1st the home we now own was put on the market. We saw the home on Jan. 4th and put an offer on it a week later. Another week went by and we put a counter offer on the home. A few weeks later, we closed on the house, found a renter in a week and a half for our old home, and then moved. Whew!

We've always been interested in moving primarily for a bigger kitchen, but I didn't realize what a huge ordeal packing is. Today marks the third garbage day since we have lived here and I'm just looking forward to no more boxes in the next few weeks. I realize there will still be things we have in boxes, but most will be gone.

I haven't taken any photos of the new home, but boy do I have some fun looking old photos of the house. The prior owners had some interesting wallpapers and curtains; none that were my taste. We've been making updates and will continue doing this for probably several years as everything can not be done all at once. Too expensive and overwhelming. But, we have done a lot already and we are very happy with our new home. I'll try to post some photos soon.

Happy Birthday Josh!

2010-03-03T16:01:00.005-05:00

Our little boy is now three years old! Since we closed on our new house the Friday before his birthday we didn't do much. But, we did celebrate with family and have candles. Whenever I asked Josh what he wanted for his birthday, he said, "candles." What a sweet boy. So simple. I love it!

Here are some pictures of his "Lightnin' McQueen" cupcakes. He absolutely LOVES the movie Cars, so I got these little toppers for his cupcakes. It also helped make things easier for Mommy.

As you can see, Rachel loved the cupcakes too.

She had a different eating technique though.

Updates on Josh: he can successfully and consistently count 13 and maybe more. He can sing his ABC's as well as other favorite songs. His recent favorite toy is an aqua coloring book he got for his birthday. He spent at least an hour coloring it the first day he got it. Oh, thank you Nana! He loves his Sissy very much and always prayers for her first as well as Mommy and Daddy. He has two different blessings that he likes to say, "God is Great" and "Thank you God for Sissy. Thank you God for everything." This last one is my favorite. The inflection in his voice when he says everything is SO sweet. It makes me smile to God every time : )

He is 34.25 lbs (73%) and 3 ft. 1 in. (33%). So it looks like some more growing will be coming soon. He's a little short for his age right now, but I'm not concerned and neither is the doctor. I'm sure he will catch up soon!

House ideas...

2010-02-08T15:42:00.004-05:00

This is our current home and decor... but this will be changing soon. We are moving! Our closing is this Friday and I am anxious about all the work that this 12 year old home needs. We are getting new carpets, having the downstairs painted and will attempt to paint upstairs starting this Saturday! I've posted some photos because I need help with colors. Can anyone out there recommend their favorite paint swatch?

I am looking for a neutral khaki/brown color for the great room in our new home. We currently have Sherwin Williams blonde in our house. I love the warmth from this color but I'm thinking I want something less yellow for the new home (or maybe just darker carpet will work?).

Also, I'm trying to decide what color to paint in the kitchen. The cabinets will need to stay white and we plan to get new countertops at some point. Below are some ideas of the blue I'm thinking of, but just not sure what would go best with the great room as well since they are very open to each other. Oh, I don't mind going more modern too. I'm open to anything especially free advice!

Remembering Mark Stading

2010-02-01T22:03:00.006-05:00

The Citadel Bell Tower where Mark Stading remains
Dec. 16, 1976-Jan. 25, 2010

The Citadel's courtyard

Inside the chapel

His wife, Meredith, and son, Brooklyn

Praying for your family.

Life

2010-01-25T13:23:00.005-05:00

Life has become stressful for us recently since we will be moving soon. We are beginning to pack and prepare for all the work we will have to do on our new home. This morning however, I was reminded once again, how precious life is. My childhood best friend's husband died in his sleep last night. He was newly married, a new Daddy, very fit and healthy, and in his young thirties. Life was good.

I know that life is good, but I'm having a harder time understanding God's timing of this death versus my brother's which was just a few months ago. I know that God is good at all times, but at times like these is when you question why? I try to understand, but God has a plan for everything whether we understand now or later. I only wish sometimes we could know now. Why take her husband?

My dear friend is several miles away right now and I wish I could be there to comfort and support her. I'm just praying for her and her family right now. Please pray for them and remember to be thankful for every day and every moment you have.

God comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

2 Corinthians 1:4-5

Happy New Year!

2010-01-20T13:56:00.011-05:00

Happy New Year!

Boy has time flown by already. We have been super busy with details on a fixer-upper home that we have a contract on. We feel good about the price we are getting, the area, and the investment on the house. I am, however, feeling very overwhelmed by the amount of work that this home needs. The prior owners were smokers so are going to have to paint every inch of this house and get new carpets. On top of that, the home needs many other random things to be fixed- the stove, the garage door, gutters, flashing, and the list goes on.

Please continue to pray for our family- that we will agree on home improvement projects, that God will give us guidance on making the right decisions and finding the right people to get the job done. Also, please pray for all the details that a move entails (this is first for me other than apartments) and that God will continue to provide for us. We are so blessed for all that we have already; may we never loose sight of this.

Finally, I wanted to update photos from over the holidays. I wish I knew how to do a cool collage but I don't know how to. Would love a lesson if you know how.

Getting a fresh cut Christmas tree.

Josh enjoying a book in the dog's bed : )

Fun at Oma and Opa's house.

Making bread with Daddy.

This is what I call ice skating on tortilla chips!

Hanging out with Daddy after a nap.

A playdate: Nathaniel, Abigail, David, and Josh

The Georgia Aquarium!

Lunch afterwards at The Varisty

Thumbs up!

Rachel and her cousin, Noelle

The gingerbread house we made and ate.

Rachel enjoying a book and below,
her new shopping cart.

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-28T12:30:00.002-05:00

We are currently in Tennessee enjoying the cool sunny weather while warming up inside by the fire. Ah, it's very peaceful at the moment, but there have been lots of crying spells recently. It's been a long break so far due to the kid's health. A few days before Christmas Josh got a cold, then a fever, and is finally getting better a week later. Rachel on the other hand has never been so discontent. She has the same cold as Josh and had a fever for two days but is slowly getting better. She's never cried this much; ever. Thankfully Daddy is around to help and is doing a great job. We are just praying that the kids get better soon and that we won't get sick as well.

Back to more positive thoughts though. The holidays have been a lot of fun! We've had a chance to visit family in SC, had family come and visit us, and now visit family in TN. My recent distractions from blogging have been family and house shopping. Over Thanksgiving we decided that we plan to rent our house and more somewhere hopefully closer to Jason's office. We are looking into a certain area and know what we want in the house (a bigger kitchen and some other things) but are having trouble finding one within our price range. So the search is still on. I'm trying not to have it consume my life, but there are SO many homes, so many neighborhoods, and so many things to consider. Just praying for the right one to come along... hopefully soon.

Hope you are well and enjoying this special season with family and friends!

Thanksgiving at the beach!

2009-12-07T21:52:00.008-05:00

This Thanksgiving our destination was Myrtle Beach for two reasons. Jason's parents had a place to stay there and his Uncle Russell would be able to come and visit from NC after just getting back from Afghanistan. This visit with family was a huge answer to pray.

We took several family photos but could not get one decent one with both kids looking at the camera. (Urgh) I still haven't gotten the Christmas cards together but was hoping we would get a picture from this trip. I guess it might just have to be one of Jason and I then insert the kids beside us. Below were some of my favorites though that I had to post. Josh enjoyed pretending to be a pirate and put seashells on his eyes like Daddy. Such boys.

For those of you that don't know. The day after Thanksgiving is important for shopping but also for the Carolina Clemson Game. As you can see from our sweaters, I am a Gamecock fan and Jason is a Clemson fan. In case you're not a football fan, it's still important to know that the Gamecocks won this year. Go Gamecocks!

Thank you God for bringing us all safely together.

A Fall trip

2009-12-07T21:45:00.003-05:00

I'm playing catch up tonight on old pictures and blog posts. Here are a few pictures from a trip to Oma and Opa's house when Daddy was in Israel and it was still fall.

Rachel loving on Gentoo, our dog.

Josh enjoying the great outdoors and everyday sticks;
something a boy can't live without.

Exploring the rainforest at a children's museum.

I love Rachel's face in this shot. So cute!

Potty Training has begun...

2009-11-22T14:08:00.002-05:00

I decided to be GUNG-HO about potty-training today. So what does that mean? It means that I am letting my child wear underwear and going to the bathroom about every 15-30 minutes in hopes that he won't have an accident. So far Josh has gone pee in the potty about eight times today, poo-poo once, and had three accidents. The accidents were a bit my fault b/c I lost track of time and was just about to take him. Another accident occurred upstairs in our bathroom when I was getting ready and Rachel turned some water one. I guess that triggered him to go. He's currently napping so I have no idea what going on with his bodily functions at the moment, but hopefully they are on hold til he wakes up.

Preceding today's events have been some potty-training moments such as: going pee-pee in the potty, of course, but the most important, Josh told me twice this past week that he needed to go, and then went. This comment and response is what I'm praying for and hoping will happen ever time. Although, it hasn't happened much today...

I still have hope and will stick with it! Right now he is enjoying the Elmo cover that goes on the seat and receiving a treat every time he goes. We have a potty that some friends loaned us that we will start using too especially when we go out of town. Please pray for us- specifically that Josh will learn to have control and will willingly go in the potty and of course, pray for patience for us.

2009-11-19T13:12:00.004-05:00

What are you up too? Probably the same thing we are... getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas!!! Can you believe it's time already? We haven't made Christmas plans yet, but are praying that we will all be able to make it to the beach for Thanksgiving. Please pray for Jason's brother, Russell, that his commanding officer will allow him out of state leave when he returns from Afghanistan. If he does, he will get to come see us for Thanksgiving!

Today we went to Josh's preschool to enjoy a Thanksgiving Feast. We meet in the sanctuary where the kids paraded in wearing their tee-pee stenciled Indian shirts and hats. They were too cute! Then we enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving meal. I think my favorite part about Josh's preschool is all the arts and crafts projects they do. I couldn't nearly do that many at home. I would feel overwhelmed and would get tired of cleaning more things. Needless to say, I am very thankful for this as well as getting to run errands on Thursdays with only one baby, my darling Miss Rachel. I guess I should actually call her a toddler now since she does toddle around very well!

Random tidbits on the kids

Josh (2 yrs, 8 mns.) is getting better at sharing and showing compassion for others. I'm really amazed at everything her can say to us now. The other day he told Jason everything he had for lunch and it was true! There are some words and phrases that he is confused with. He calls sheep, "baa-baa." He knows they are sheep, but when I ask him, "What's that?" He says,"Baa-baa Mommy. Baa-baa." Also, he says, "Mommy turn the light off," but when asks this, the light is off. He has the off and on parts confused. Oh well. Did I even mention one of his cutest phrases? He calls me honey! I love it! He picked it up from me when I called down to Jason in the basement. I was saying, "Jason, Honey? Can you come up please." Ever since then, he started calling me honey. I haven't asked his school teachers if they have been called honey, but I wouldn't be surprised!

Rachel (17 mns.) has a growing vocabulary too. A few weeks ago when we were at Oma and Opa's house, she identified a teddy bear on a coffee mug by saying "Bear." I couldn't believe it! She's been successfully going up and down stairs for a while now. She loves to go down slides and climb ladders at playgrounds. She's a bit fearless like her brother., but I would say she's a better listener. She went on her first walk down a big hill in our neighborhood and held my hand the entire way. Although on the way back, she disobeyed and had to go in the stroller. But, I was very happy with how long she walked and obeyed. We are constantly working on obedience with both kids and I'm sure it will never end. Maybe when they are 21? Lastly, she's the best sleeper ever and I am so thankful for this as Josh wavers with being put down for bed (A few weeks ago he was struggling with this, but is doing much better now). The secret is her blanket. Give her the blanket and in her thumb goes. She had her first cold a few weeks ago and this did cause her to wake up in the middle of the night and not put herself back to sleep b/c of her stuffy nose she couldn't suck her thumb. Poor girl. But she's all better now. Praise God for healthy kids in this difficult flu season and more.

Go Gamecocks!

2009-10-28T16:11:00.015-04:00

This weekend we (Rachel, Josh, and I) went tailgating to USC's Homecoming Game.

We had a great time and got lots of practice cheering for the Gamecocks!

Getting ready for Halloween

2009-10-28T15:40:00.010-04:00

As you might notice from the pictures, the kids have more than one costume. No, we are not going trick-or-treating twice in two different outfits. We just ended up with this many from a friend. So, we decided to try them on to see which ones fit best for Halloween. Josh had his Preschool Halloween Party on Tuesday and they got to dress-up for this as well. I think Rachel will wear the pumpkin on Saturday and the monkey costume is long gone. It was way too small for Josh so we loaned it to someone else. Hope you have a fun Halloween!

Rachel enjoying the pumpkin costume,
but not the hat

Josh and his ripped muscles

Our little fairy

Brother and sisterly love

At Josh's school

Happy Fall

2009-10-14T14:46:00.007-04:00

This is my favorite time of year for so many reasons. I LOVE the colors of fall, the cooler weather, the food prepared (apples, pumpkins, turkey), and the celebrations (my birthday, Halloween, and Thanksgiving). This provides so much to be happy about and so many reasons to thank God for all of His creation. Thank be to God!

Ireland

2009-10-08T21:10:00.017-04:00

We are back from a wonderful week plus two days long trip to Ireland for a wedding and vacation. Jason and I left the kids with his parents and hopped aboard a plane to the Emerald Isle. Our first destination was Dublin. Soon after this, we meet up with Jason's co-worker, Bob, and his wife, Mary Anne, in Galway. We then traveled together by car visiting some towns and ultimately made it to Sligo for a wedding. The following day, we took the train to Dublin and flew home after that.

I just realized I probably should not have posted this many pictures but instead provided a link to a folder in picasa, but oh well. We have many more photos as you can imagine but these provide a little story and time line of our travels. Enjoy viewing!

Got Guinness?

Visiting the Guinness Storehouse

Fresh oysters in Galway

Walking in Galway

Near the Spainish Arc in Galway

Limestone rocks by the sea in Connemara

The Cliffs of Moher

Dungaire Castle

View in County Mayo

Cappuccinos

Pub food

Ballynahinch Castle

The view from our room

Kylemore Abbey

Hiking near the castle

Jason and Bob

All of us- Me, Jason, Mary Anne, and Bob

The view from The Bervie, my favorite place.

Achill Island

Keem Bay

Sheep, sheep, everywhere were sheep!

Diana and Fintan's Wedding 10-3-09

The church

Kiteboarding near the reception at The Sligo Yacht Club

Jason, Bob, Fintan, and Mike at the reception.

Walking in Dublin

Our car ride home with the kids.

We missed them dearly!

Remembering Ace

2009-09-21T15:01:00.008-04:00

My niece, Laurel, just turned 15. I wasn't there to celebrate with her, but I wanted to share a beautiful tribute of her Dad that she posted on facebook.; Laurel, I hope you don't mind. I wanted to save this somewhere and share more about your Daddy and your words were so wonderful and perfect. I love you!

God got tired of taking old people.
He needed a strong handy man with a gold heart.
My daddy was perfect for the job.

It's crazy how quickly life can turn around. I've learned not to hold grudges; don't be mad at anyone for long, it may be the last time you see them. I would rather have a dad, and be mad at him, then not have one at all. I don't have my daddy to walk me down the isle, or have my daddy take me fishing again. I don't have my daddys' rough but gentle hands to hold. I haven't seen my dad in a year, and i know he missed me. Well now he can see me all the time, looking down from heaven, guiding me. He's the best guardian angel i could ask for. I'd give anything to get one more hug, and hear one more i love you. He told everyone that i was the only one he would kill for, the only one he would sacrifice his life for. I was daddy's little girl, his Pride & Joy. He did so many things for me, and to make sure i loved life. He had a heart 10 sizes too big. He always wanted to help someone, no matter what is meant he lost. He told me, that one day if he died, that he didn't want anyone crying at his funeral. He didn't want it to be a moment of sadness and loss. He said he wanted people to celebrate his life. And celebrate him being in a better place. I tried my hardest to make his wish come true, but as the tears fell, i also smiled for him like he wanted me to. He always told me about the song " My sacrifice " by Creed; and the lyrics that go " When your with me, i'm free, i'm careless, i believe. " Well daddy, now you can be free, you can be careless, and you can believe it. Because you'll be with me every day of my life now. Beside me. Guiding me. I knew my daddy was standing right beside me the whole time. I knew he was holding my hand. He was there, he was. And he'll always be with me. 08/09/09 is a day i'll always remember now on, and it won't be a happy holiday. I miss you & love you Daddy.

Updates on us

2009-09-21T14:49:00.002-04:00

There have been several reasons why I haven't posted in the past few months. The primary reason was that I didn't have our pictures from our annual beach trip uploaded and accessible on my computer. Months have gone by and I still don't have the pictures from our trip, but I'm going to write a post anyway because too much has happened to wait on them.

"I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand,
and I tell you, 'Don't be afraid. I will help you." Isiah 41:13

A lot has happened in the past few months- good and bad. It's hard to even begin with the bad for I start to cry just thinking about it. My brother Jan "Ace" Hanes died in a car accident on August 9, 2009. I was at my Mom's house when we found out the news and am so thankful I was there to be with her and she was there for me too. We were speechless and couldn't believe the news as the coroner spoke, "I'm sorry ma'am, but your son passed away this morning."

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Psalm 34:18

I remember the day as if it were yesterday; words shared with family and friends, planning the funeral, what we placed in his casket, the details of the service, the whole nine yards. It would be a paper if I wrote it all. But, what I want to share is what I'm praying for. Since the morning I received the news, my constant pray has been that God will be glorified in my brother's death. That somehow God would speak to those who do not know Him and that they would be changed. I may never know til I reach His celestial place what impact Ace's death made on others, but I pray for my family, for my friends, and for Ace's friends. I pray that God will be glorified and that they will find rest in Him.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will find you rest."

Matthew 11:28

My brother

2009-09-14T13:25:00.014-04:00

Jan "Ace" Kneisly Hanes, Jr.
I will always love you!

Holding his daughter, Laurel right after she was born, 1990

Caring for me, his sister, at the duck pond

Good times at Grandma and Grandpa Hanes' house in Ohio

A trip to Texas, 1989.

Fun in the sun at Dad and Erika's old house, 2000.

Mom and Ace dancing at our wedding, 2004.

Mom and Ace visiting right after Josh was born, 2007.

Playing with Rachel, 2008

Playing with Josh, 2009

A Great Saturday!

2009-07-25T12:05:00.007-04:00

This morning began with my daughter greeting me in bed to be nursed. Soon this special time will be ending so I enjoy ever moment we have together. A minute later, Josh woke up at 7:00 am; a little earlier than usual but not a problem. We all went downstairs to join Daddy for breakfast and coffee before heading off for a softball game.

We took care of the essentials at home; changing diapers, getting dressed, packing our bags and drove off to the ballgame. It was very nice outside since it was so early in the morning. Rachel had lots of fun walking along the fence and practicing her new walking skills from one spot to another. Josh had a fun time seeing Daddy out on the field. I think he's starting to understand softball a little bit. We still need to go to some more games and have Daddy narrate the game instead of me. That would help ; )

Next, Rachel and Daddy went home so the little girl could ge ta morning nap in. Josh and I headed to the Farmer's Market. At the market we bought all sorts of produce: cherry tomatoes, valencia tomatoes (these were yellow), corn, cucumbers, peas, fancy green beans that I don't know how to spell, chard, apples, and some garlic. When paying for one of these items I gave one of the farmers $2 and we got a half dollar back. I decided that this would be Josh's to keep hoping he wouldn't loose it.

Next we stopped by some garage sales on our way home. At our first stop we got a new backpack for Josh for $5. It's from Rei and doesn't look like it's been used at all! Our next stop had lots of kids books and I found two Elmo books (this is one of Josh's new loves). I found about 5 books that I thought looked good and decided to let Josh buy them also thinking we might get a better deal ; ) Josh was a great shopper and paid for his 1st purchase of books all by himself not to mention he got a great deal on them. 5 books for a half a dollar when they were asking 25 cents each. I was so proud of him and it was a great lesson on how much you can get a 50 cents or a half a dollar. I look forward to having more shopping trips like this with him in the future. Gotta teach him how to get a good deal!

Did I mention that Josh loves to help me bake too? I hope to catch up on the past month sometime soon. We've got lots of pictures from several fun trips this summer.

Saving a bird

2009-06-15T15:59:00.006-04:00

Last Monday when my mom was in town we got back from walking the dog and saw a baby bird crossing the road. We weren't sure what to do with it other than hover over it and say, "Awe." When the neighborhood cats starting coming closer however we decided that we needed to do something. We got a cardboard box and placed the bird in there for protection and put it on our back deck where the cats could not get it. We tried giving it some food and water but didn't have much luck. Later that evening my mom noticed some adult robins in the trees outside the deck looking on so were hopeful that one of these was the mommy bird.

The next morning the bird was still there. I called a wildlife rescue person and they recommended that we either call another person who might be able to come and get the bird and put it into captivity or we could try to leave the bird out and hope that it will be ok. I was still worried about all the cats we have in the neighborhood so we left the bird in the open box still, ran our errands, and came home. When we got back. It was gone! I was very excited and happy because I think it was rescued. I'll never know but want to think it was a happier ending than what would have happened if I left it with the cats. Can you tell that they loved watching the bird. I even let Josh try to feed it. Bye bye birdie!