Morrow Madness

Ice Ice Baby!

2010-01-29T06:57:00.002-06:00

Colby is out of school today for this icy weather forecast!! I think I may be the excited one except it is not even 7am and both kids are up and full of life and ice or no ice I still have to work tonight!! Maybe I'll get a nap later this afternoon....we are going to venture out and try to get some donuts before it gets really bad. Hope you all have a great day....be safe!

Colby is 6

2010-01-14T00:20:00.003-06:00

Colby turned 6, WOW, on December 30th. It is so hard for me to believe he is 6 years old. He is growing up into such a smart and caring little boy and I love him more every day. We spent his actual birthday at Chuck E. Cheese with YaYa, PaPa, and Aunt Lien. His birthday is so close to Christmas that we usually wait to have his party in January but I will always make sure he knows that December 30th is his birthday...by the way I am officially broke now! We had his big birthday party on Jan. 10th at War Memorial....complete with a Razorback theme. I think this was the best party he's had yet. We had so much fun playing on the field and visiting with our family and friends. Thank you to all of you who came and made this day so special for him. Here are some pictures from both "parties"!

Rounding off 2009 in pictures

2010-01-14T00:03:00.005-06:00

Chanley the Bumblebee

Colby AKA Wolverine

Colby and I at his Thanksgiving feast

My babies on Christmas morning

Colby and Chanley with their PaPa on Christmas Eve

Chanley's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-09-02T00:32:00.002-05:00

We had Chanley's 2nd Birthday Party on Sunday at Thornhill pool in Sherwood. Last year when we had her birthday at the park and it was 101 degrees I thought..."next year we are definitely having a pool party." Who would have known it would be 72 degrees in August! The kids swam their hearts out but had some blue lips afterwards. It was a luau theme with primarily hot pink and lime green as the colors. Her cake was made by Cakery Affairs and it was amazing. I also got some cupcakes for the kiddos from Sam's. The colors were not exactly what I had asked for but they were yummy too. The goody bags were filled with Chanley's favorite snack...GOLDFISH, a lei, and some crazy looking cookies with tiny snowballs on top. Colby picked them out on the latino food isle at WalMart. I have no idea what their called and could never pronounce the name but they were super cute and the kids thought they were great! I attached a special thank you to each bag from Chanley as well. We had pizza, cake, and opened some amazing gifts. Just to name a few she got: pj's, fall clothes, a puzzle, Elmo hands, a baby stroller, money, gift cards, a baby doll with diaper bag, and lots more. She had a great time and has asked me to sing her the "party" song every night since as she is going to sleep. I finally had to throw the remaining cake/cupcakes out today....I literally took a bite everytime I walked into the kitchen. I'm sure my thighs will show the proof. Thank you to everyone who came to the party. We love you all!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Kindergarten Cutie!

2009-08-26T17:20:00.002-05:00

Colby started Kindergarten at Hurricane Creek Elemetary last week. He absolutely loves school and is doing extremely well. His teacher says his is "Mr. Social" and talks to everyone in the class. I love that about him! We are just having to work on when talking is allowed. He gets up very easily in the morning and has given us no problems about going to bed earlier. He is exhausted and I think this is why he doesn't put up a fight. I did very well on the first day and held it together for the most part. It is still so surreal to me that I have a baby in school. Chanley and I are keeping ourselves very busy while he is gone and getting some quality mommmy/daughter time in. She cannot wait to pick him up in the afternoon and squeals so loudly when he gets in the car. It is precious! Here are some pictures of his first day of school.

Ta Da!!

2009-08-13T01:09:00.004-05:00

Here is Chanley's 2nd Birthday invitation...Kalina you are amazing, thank you so very much for all your hard work and talent!! I know sometimes my crazy ideas are a little much but you made it more than perfect. Thanks again for all your help!!

And here is the thank you card she made to match....ADORABLE!

Little Swimmer

2009-08-05T21:32:00.003-05:00

Here is Chanley the fish!

Favorite Cousins

2009-08-05T21:09:00.004-05:00

After church on Sunday we went swimming at Jereomy's cousins house. She has two boys that Colby just adores and cannot get enough playtime with. They swam for hours and Chanley impressed us all by doggie paddling all over the pool. She has no fear...which scares me to death! Thanks Jeannie and Tracy for having us over...we had a blast!

Mr and Mrs William Adams

2009-08-05T20:57:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday Jereomy's cousin Billy got married. Jereomy was a groomsman and Colby was a ring bearer, and I must say they were two of the most handsome boys I have ever seen. Megan was a beautiful bride and the wedding was beautiful. Thanks to both of you for choosing Colby and Jereomy to be in your wedding party...it was an honor to them both!

Sneak Peak

2009-07-23T23:04:00.002-05:00

Here is a sneak peak at some of the pictures I plan to use for Chanley's birthday invitations. I am no professional photographer but I think they turned out pretty good! Thanks Nat for the tutu....it looked great!

4th of July

2009-07-07T02:06:00.002-05:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful/safe 4th of July weekend. I had to work, as usual, so Jereomy and the kids went to his cousin Jeannie's house for a cookout/pool party. They all had an amazing time. They swam, ate great food, and watched an enormous amount of fireworks!! Unfortunately my inlaws weren't there because my MIL had to be placed in the hospital for respiratory distress. She suffers from pulmonary fibrosis and has been sick for sometime and took a turn for the worst. They transfered her to CCU on Sunday morning where she has continued to make improvements. She is scheduled to have a lung biopsy in the morning and those results will determine further plans for her care. Please lift her up in prayer! And Happy "belated" Independence Day!

Test Results

2009-07-07T02:01:00.002-05:00

We took Chanley to ACH on June 24th for an renal ultrasound and VCUG (xray with fluro contrast). This was a not so fun to say the least experience. They attempted three different times to catheterize her before it was finally successful. She was strapped to a board with her arms up next to her head and fought with all her tiny might. It took three nurses/techs plus myself to hold her still. Once the catheter was in and the contrast had filled her bladder, they removed the catheter and watched her bladder empty to check for any reflux into her kidneys. Yes the experience was traumatic for she and I both but the results were wonderful. No reflux noted!! So hopefully she will never have to endure this procedure again. God is good!

Pay in da Pooooo!

2009-06-18T18:15:00.002-05:00

We had a playdate recently with Aundrea and Connor and went swimming. We only got to swim for a short amount of time but the kids had a great time and so did we. It was Chanley's first time to go down a big pool slide and she loved it! She has no fear when it comes to water which terrifies me! Connor is so super sweet and I just kiss all over him when I see him! Thanks Auni for inviting us!

Happy 3rd Birthday Kylee Grace

2009-06-18T18:04:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday we went to Kylee's 3rd birthday party at Jump Zone. The kids had a blast jumping and playing with all their cousins. Kylee's Barbie themed party was adorable as usual....Sam always goes above and beyond to make her partys precious. Her Barbie cake was amazing....yes I ate it and don't tell my bootcamp instructor! :) We got her a Barbie movie, Barbie placemat, bowl, plate, and cup set. I think she got a ton of toys to add to her collection. We had a great time! Happy Birthday Kylee!

Colby Update

2009-06-17T01:37:00.004-05:00

Colby:
Oh my darling baby boy! You are very insistent on me not calling you a baby anymore but since you can't read this yet I'm going to do it!! My how you are growing up. You will be starting kindergarten in the fall and I am sure this will push me right over the edge. I am enjoying every minute of our summer together and trying to make it memorable for you. I just don't know what Chan and I will do when you are gone all day! You make me so proud and are growing up to be the sweetest little boy. You are so polite and always say "yes ma'am/sir, please, thank you, excuse me, etc.". You are learning about the importance of telling the truth and will be quick to catch someone up in a "story lie" as you call it. You are starting to read a little and it is amazing. We are working on a few of your lowercase letters and writing your last name over the summer. I know you will do great in school and will be the teacher's shining star. We are having a lot of fun this summer so far. We have been to Wild River Country several times and you and Chanley love it. You also love swimming at Mrs. Racheal's house too. You can swim short distances without your floaties. You are so fair complected and are almost always a little red on your shoulders and under your eyes no matter how much sunscreen we slather on. Your sister definitely has your Daddy's coloring and never burns. You are still into superheros and love TV/movies. You also love to play your Wii but usually only when someone can play with you. You ask all the time when we are going back to Disney and if can go "after this tomorrow". You are learning the value of a dollar and that things aren't cheap! This makes it so much easier on me when I have to tell you no about something you want. You are my pride and joy....and will ALWAYS be my BABY BOY! Here are some of your favorite things!

Favorite TV shows: Spongebob, ICarly, Hannah Montana, Suite Life of Zack and Cody
Favorite movies: Spiderman (all 3), Transformers, XMen, Hulk, VeggieTales, and many more
Favorite Food: anything that won't eat you first-j/k Chicken nuggets, fries, pizza, taco soup with Fritos, corn, baked/mashed potatoes, ice cream, brocolli, cereal, PopTarts, pancakes, cheesy potatoes (hashbrown casserole), and much more!
Favorite Drink: Sprite zero, Strawberry milk, Capri Sun Roaring Water, and Sunny D
Favorite Book: Pirates Don't Change Diapers
Favorite Game: Candy Land
Favorite Color: depends on the day but usually red

Chanley Update

2009-06-17T01:19:00.004-05:00

Chanley Hope:
Well, well, well...where do I begin. There is so much to write about with you these days. You are a great big ball of energy and sweetness (most of the time). You never cease to amaze your Daddy and I everyday. You are always surprising us with something new and making us giggle. Just when I thought you were behind other kids your age in the "vocabulary" department you went and pulled out all the stops and showed me that you knew EXACTLY what to say. We were in the kitchen one night recently and you were whinning for your cup...I asked you to tell me "cup", you did and I praised you. I then proceeded to explain that you needed to tell Mommy what you wanted instead of whinning for it. You ever so seriouly turned to me and said "NO! I a baby!" and that I quote! Needless to say your Daddy, brother, and I laughed until we cried. That is just one for instance of your personality. You are a socialite and never meet a stranger. You will walk up to any and everyone and tell them "hi/bye". You like to do your own thing and despise being made to do differntly. This is where we begin to see some not-so-sweetness! You rarely cry, however, and are usually in happy spirits. You long to be exactly like Colby in everyway. You want to eat with him, lay with him, watch any kind of superhero show with him, and imitate him in everyway. He has taught you how to spit and say "HULK SMAAAAASSSSHHHH!!" Sometimes I wonder if you will ever be a girly-girl. Then you find my high heels and prove to me that girly girls can be superheros too. Sometimes I think you can walk better in those 4inches than I can! I cannot believe how quickly your 2nd birthday is approching...I am already making plans if you can believe that :) We are going to ACH on Wednesday for your renal ultrasound and xray...I am praying with all my might that you do well through this and that we get a good report. Here are a few of your favs and stat updates:

Weight: 25lbs
Height: not sure
Sleep: usually 10pm-10am with about a 2hour nap, you still have to have your silky/minky blanket and Sassy (pacifier)
Hair: dirty blonde with tons of curls
Clothes: varies, anywhere from 12-2T, usually smaller in pants
Shoes: 5-6
Diaper: 4, hoping we will start potty training soon but so far you are not interested
Fav Food: Fry Fries, Nuggeys, mand. oranges, grapes, nanas, fafles (waffles), toast, mac and cheese, and anything you can dip in RANCH! I swear you would eat dirt as long as you could dip it in ranch! Thanks Bubba for starting that!
Fav Drink: Berry MoMo (Strawberry milk)
Fav Snack: Sish (goldfish), mellos(marshmellows)

I love you with all my heart baby girl and am so grateful to be your Mommy! Thank you for being my sunshine!

*****Warning fellow bloggers....PICTURE OVERLOAD!

Weekend Fun

2009-06-02T17:53:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was great for us! Colby was finaly able to play tball on Saturday and he did amazing. Then I was able to take a scheduled absence from work on Saturday night that was much needed. I am feeling the two-job burn out coming on strong! We went to dinner at Sakura and then to see UP! Chanley has started watching some TV and movies so I thought she would like it....she and I spent the last hour in the truck because she got to loud! But Jereomy and Colby tell me it was a good movie. Chanley fell outside just before we went in and scraped the side of her face and eye...her first real boo-boo! The next morning we went to church and then decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and to Wild River Country. We let Chanley go to Ya Ya's house since it was so hot and around her nap time. We were wiped out to say the least by the time we got home. I know that weekends are the best option for us right now but I sure did enjoy this time with my family!

Before:

After:

The next day:

Wild River Country:

Disney Part II

2009-05-16T04:33:00.002-05:00

Here are pictures from the rest of our Disney trip....I have given up on trying to blog about the events of the entire trip...it is just too exhausting. Enjoy!

To be continued.......

2009-05-06T18:32:00.002-05:00

I promise I haven't forgotten to finish posting all our Disney details. This has been an extremely busy week for us and I am completely overwhelmed. To be honest this is the first time I have turned on my computer since my last post. Chanley has a strep and bladder infection and hasn't slept without being right next to me in over a week. I registered Colby for Kindergarten today and that was so hard. We definitely have some work to do with him this summer to get him on the same level as all the kids who have went to preschool. So long story short as soon as our household resumes some type of normal behavior I will finish my story! Thanks for being patient and please pray for Chanley and that she gets better soon!!

Are you ready?

2009-05-02T01:36:00.004-05:00

I am not McMamma, Kelly's Korner, Steece's Pieces, or any other famous blogger but if there is a chance that someone out there cares to hear about our many adventures as a family of four I will blog on! No I don't have 2,000 comments per post nor are we known world wide but I have some wonderful friends and family that I absolutely love and want to keep up to date on our lives. So if your ready for quite possibly the longest post ever I will give you the low down on our Disney adventures. We had an absolutely amazing time and cannot wait to go back. We were ready to get back to the comforts of our own home and beds but were sad to leave the "magic" behind. I am going to try and post one day at at time so you can "relive" our vaccation with me! So if your ready...here it goes!
4-19-09 Day 1
Our plane left our of Little Rock at 6:55am, we had a stop in Houston, and then arrived in Orlando at about 2:00pm their time. We then boarded the Disney's Magical Express Bus and headed to our hotel. We stayed in a family suite at the All Star Music Resort. It wasn't a 5 star hotel but for what we were in the room and at the hotel it was perfect. There were two rooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchenette with a microwave and refridgerator. Once we checked in we had a little time to kill while waiting on our luggage to arrive so we went to our food court and bought our refillable mugs and a snack. Once our luggage arrived we changed clothes and took the bus to the Magic Kingdom. It litteraly took my breath away to see the castle and to think we were actually finally there! We rode It's A Small World first thing and loved it! We didn't ride any more rides that night because we were just too overwhelmed and amazed to try and figure out where everything was. We ate dinner at The Crystal Palace with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet. The food was not the best but Colby loved seeing the characters and getting their autographs. Chanley...not so much. She was terrified to say the least and even had nightmares that night where she woke up trembling. We then went and watched the Spectromagic Parade, which was absolutely amazing. After it was over we headed back to the hotel for the night to rest up for our first full day at Walt Disney World! Here are some pictures from Day 1:

4/20/09-Day 2 Animal Kingdom/ Jereomy's 28th Birthday

Animal Kingdom was the plan for Day 2. We had breakfast scheduled at The Tusker House with Donald, Mickey, Daisy, and Goofy. I was really thinking about cancelling this due to Chanley's reaction at dinner the night before but we decided to go ahead. Glad we did! The food was amazing and she did a little better. After breakfast we got a FastPass for the Kali River Rapids and went on the Kilimanjaro Safari Ride. This was awesome!! It was probably one of our favorite rides in this park. We also loved It's Tough to be a Bug and met several characters including Pochahantas, Jiminey Cricket, and Rafiki. It started raining about halfway through the day and continued for the remainder. We had dinner for Jereomy's birthday at Rainforest Cafe and then headed back to the hotel for a dip in the pool. The pool was heated but with no Florida sun it was cold so our swim was short. Jereomy and Colby and I then headed back to the Magic Kingdom to watch the fireworks and eat dinner while Chanley and YaYa stayed back at the hotel and rested. We had a great time at Animal Kingdome but it was probably our least favorite park just because it felt super crowded, it was raining, and we didn't get to ride all the rides we had planned...oh well there's always next time!! Here are pics from Day 2:

Okay I will be back with the second part of this post later...brain is on overload trying to remember details and make slideshows :)

Counting Down!

2009-04-13T19:05:00.002-05:00

Just in case anyone was counting.....we leave for DISNEY IN 6 DAYS!! We are all super excited but nervous at the same time. This will be our first big vacation as a family and Jereomy, Colby, and Chanley's first plane ride. Everyone please pray for a safe trip with very few meltdowns!! Ok just a safe trip would be suffice!

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T18:48:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful, rainy Easter this year. We started off with church- our program was amazing to say the least! Next we went to lunch with NaNa and PaPa then it was home for naps and hunting eggs inside the house. The kids knew no different and thought it was just as much fun! The Easter bunny left both kids a basket full of goodies and a set of Resurrection Eggs. I would recommend any parent with a preschooler or young child to get these. They are wonderful for using to help kids learn the true meaning of Easter and Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. I hope all of you had a blessed Easter just as we did! Here are some pics of us all fancied up! :)

T-Ball 2009

2009-04-08T10:32:00.003-05:00

Well Colby's t-ball season is in full swing! He has had several practices and one game so far. It is going to be really difficult for me to make the games since they are all on Saturdays. Most are early enough though that I can just stay up after work and try to sleep in the afternoon....my baby is worth some lost shut eye! Here are some pictures from his game last Saturday:

Happy 4th Birthday Paige

2009-03-31T02:09:00.002-05:00

Colby and Chanley went to a birthday party for Paige on Sunday. It was at a gymnastics place and they had a BLAST. Colby loved jumping off the trampoline into the foam pit and Chanley just liked being able to fall without it hurting!! We got her a new Tinkerbell bathing suit, crayons and coloring book, and Hannah Montana stuff. Thanks Paige for the invite! We had a great time!!

Cute Pics

2009-03-31T01:56:00.003-05:00

I am obsessively trying to figure out my new camera before we leave for Disney so I have been taking pictures like a mad woman. I took these before church on Sunday and thought they were too cute. The glasses they are wearing are from Colby's trip to see Monster's vs. Aliens in 3D with his Nana on Saturday. Enjoy!

Chanley's First Time Out

2009-03-31T01:46:00.003-05:00

Chanley you have developed quite the little attitude lately. You are the sweetest little angel until you don't get your way and then well....you let everyone know how you feel. The other day you hit your brother and when I told you that we don't hit....you hit me. So you got your very first time out...in the bathroom. I made you sit there for all of 1 whole minute and you hated every second of it. Sorry for sharing these pics...but one day you will laugh at them too!

Playdate at The Wonder Place

2009-03-31T01:20:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday I took the kids for a playdate at The Wonder Place. We met my friend/coworker Jodie and her kids Will and Kate. They had a blast and completely wore themselves out. Everyone's favorite was definitely the water table. Colby also had a blast "checking out" other kids in the River Market grocery store. Chanley loved chewing on the rubber asparagus...EEEWWW!! (and yes I put them in the "icky bucket" :) After they finished playing we went to lunch at Red Lobster then it was home for naps! Thanks Jodie, Will, and Kate for joining us!

Lovin This Weather

2009-03-24T02:04:00.004-05:00

We have been taking full advantage of this beautiful weather. Colby and Chanley absolutely love playing outside so they are immediately asking to go out after breakfast. Colby loves riding his Power Wheels Escalade, play t-ball, swing, or ride his bike. Chanley loves riding in the wagon, swinging, and riding her four-wheeler. Although I'm sure it won't last long, we are enjoying it while it lasts!

Chanley Update

2009-03-24T01:56:00.003-05:00

Chanley:

It is so hard to believe that you are now 18 months old. You are becoming such an independent little girl and have the most amazing personality. You soak up everything around you and are constantly trying not to miss a thing. Your big brother is your best friend. You love to play chase, build with blocks, read books, play with superheros, or anything else he wants you to do. You destroy his room almost daily and this often leads to him trying to kick you out. This doesn't stop you! You light up when Daddy and I come in the room and with the biggest smile ever say " Hi Mama, Hi Dada". It just melts our heart. Your latest word is "Cheeeeese" and showing all of your teeth. It is hilarious and makes for great pictures! You would stay outside all day if I would let you and you love to swing. You've tried tball with brother but quickly realized that bat was just too heavy. You've learned to say "no-no, tat chu (thank you), nona (banana), toot-toot (self explanatory :), Sasen (Carsen), Ah ya (YaYa), NaNa, PaPa, Sish (goldfish), Mo Mo (milk,marshmellows), Sissy (yourself), puppy, baby, pu-ple (purple, or any color I try to get you to say....everything is pu-ple), bye-bye, ouchie, hay-bow (hairbow), Doda (Dora), and more I'm sure I am forgetting. You have the most kissable cheeks that far outweigh our tiny body. I think you are about 24lbs now but are definitely taller. All your 12-18mo pants still fit but are much too short. I love picking out your outfits and dressing you up so cute. You are the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen. You hair is getting super long and is still very curly in the back. You are still in a size 4 diaper and probably will be for a long time. You can wear some 18 month clothes but 12 month fits better except for length. You wear a 5-6 shoe depending on the style. You are still very much attached to your taggie, silky blanket, and paci (pap pap). You really only require having them when it is time to go to sleep. You went to sleep in your swing for every nap and bedtime up until about 2wks ago. You were getting much to big or it and had laid down in your bed and fallen asleep by yourself a few times. You will lay down without being rocked and go to sleep for naps but want to be rocked and read to at bedtime. I have to say....I enjoy this. It is our time. I am looking forward to the summer with you and discovering new things with you everyday. We leave for Disney in 4 short weeks and I know you are going to love it! Daddy, brother, and I love you more than life itself and thank God everyday for you.

Love,
Mommy

P.S) You can slow down on the getting older anytime!

Rhea Lana

2009-03-04T17:15:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday my kids had their 5 minutes of fame. They were asked to model clothing for Rhea Lana's Children's Consignment on Saturday Daybreak. After working all night I rushed home at 6am to wake my sleepyheads up and dress them in the clothes that they had given us. Chanley wore a precious Anavini smocked dress and Colby wore a striped Polo with khaki Gymboree shorts. Did I mention it was 28 degrees?? We were supposed to be at the station at 7:15 but didn't go on until almost 8:00 so we had to be creative and find ways to entertain them without disturbing the news crew. It was super cool watching them tape!! I was totally in awe of the set and seeing it up close. Both of the kids did amazing on air and I considered it a success. Here are some pictures from the show and of the bargains I found when I shopped at Rhea Lana!!

This is a new with tags Rosalina smocked bubble that I got for $18.00!

The "stars" with Rhea Lana

Are you kidding me?

2009-03-03T17:56:00.002-06:00

Have you been watching this season of The Bachelor? Well last night was the final episode and it was appauling!! He first chose the girl who I have wanted to win the entire time, Melissa, to then DUMP her at the "After the Final Rose" taping and tell her he was really in love with the other girl! What a PUNK! I am so furious over the whole thing I'm not sure I will watch anymore but I do hope they make Melissa the next bachelorette and that she finds someone to make her truely happy.

Happy Early Birthday to ME!!!

2009-03-03T01:36:00.003-06:00

I am excited to announce that I am a proud mommy to a new......

CANON REBEL!! I have wanted this camera for a very long time and could never bring myself to buy it. I have been thinking about how our upcoming trip to Disney would need to be heavily documented and I REALLY wanted some amazing pictures to bring home. So Jereomy bought the camera for me today as an early birthday gift!! I love it so much already...even though I don't really have a clue how to use it! I am going to be doing a lot of manual reading over the next several weeks so I can make sure I don't miss a thing when we get to Disney! Just wanted to share my excitement! If you have one....please send me some tips!!

The Chosen One

2009-02-28T02:55:00.002-06:00

If you have read my blog before you know that I am a HUGE fan of the My Charming Kids blog! Well last weekend MckMamma had a "Name that photo contest" and she picked my caption!! I know to some this will seem silly but for all of you avid bloggers you know this is a pretty high honor!! Go over to www.mycharmingkids.net and see for yourself! Thanks again MckMamma for choosing my caption!!

Picnic at the Park

2009-02-25T08:36:00.004-06:00

Colby has been begging me to go to the park recently. It has been so cold/rainy and just not good weather recently. So yesterday even though it was cloudy it was warm enough for us to go. I packed us a lunch of turkey sandwiches, cottage cheese, rice cakes, and drinks. We ate at the picnic tables and then played for about an hour. Chanley thought she was in heaven and that she could do anything Colby did. If he wanted to swing....she wanted to swing...if he wanted to climb on the slide...she tried that too! I got some good pics on my phone and thought I would share! Enjoy!

She climbed all the way up here by herself!

So excited!!

He is learning to swing all by himself!

Yummy lunch!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T21:33:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day. Hopefully your day was filled with sweetness and love! I spent most of the day sleeping of course because I had to work again tonight but I stayed up to see Jereomy and the kids open their gifts. Colby some Crayola ColorWonder Paper and markers, a new pair of gym shorts and t-shirt, and a balloon. Chanley got a new swimsuit for Disney, a Dora book, some "Ha-Bows", and a balloon. Daddy got some new Diesel shoes and a basketball goal that he just thought he couldn't live without. As for me?? I got exactly what I asked for....The Multiple Blessings book (Jon and Kate Plus 8) and a new digital scale!! And of course a happy, healthy family whom I adore and grow deeper in love with everyday. Love you all!! MUAH!!

Love is in the air!

2009-02-10T15:44:00.006-06:00

Today Colby, Chanley, and I made Valentine's treats to give to our family and friends. We made a huge mess but had a lot of fun. We dipped pretzel sticks in white chocolate and rolled them in sprinkles and baked heart and X's and O's cookies. We are letting them cool right now and will put icing on them later. Here are some pics from our messy morning.

This was Chanley's contribution to the treat making:

Happy 3rd Birthday Peyton!

2009-02-10T15:31:00.004-06:00

Sunday we took the kids to Jump Zone for Peyton's 3rd Birthday Party. They both had a great time and were completely worn out when we left. Peyton got lots of cool gifts. We got him some shark swimming trunks, a Dr. Seus book and Cat in the Hat stuffed animal, and some new Spiderman underwear. Here are some pics:

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2009-02-06T20:46:00.002-06:00

I could not help sharing with you what Colby said to be today. He is so smart and is constantly amazing me with his comments and "little wisdom". So we were on the way home from Target when he says to me.....

"MaMa?"

"Yes, son?"

"Jeniah (a little girl who stays at his NaNa's house sometimes) had to go to the doctor today because her has been loosing pounds."

"Oh, really? Is she okay"

"Yes, she's okay. She has to eat all her nuggets from now on though. Hey MaMa?"

"Yes, son?"

"Am I loosing pounds?"

"No baby you are DEFINITELY not loosing pounds."

"Oh yeah....I'm WINNING pounds because I eat all my nuggets everytime."

"Yep baby that's it....your WINNING pounds."

Life in the eyes of a 5 year old. Oh how simple and oh how sweet!!

New Trend

2009-01-12T01:43:00.002-06:00

I am an avid follower of the blog My Charming Kids! I love MckMamma and am very attached to her family even though I have never laid eyes on them in person. She is a fantastic writer, Christian, mother, wife, etc. If you have never been to her blog you can click on my MckMiracle button or go to www.mycharmingkids.net. But I have to warn you....her blog is addicting and you might find yourself reading her old posts for hours. Anyway she started an every Monday post called "Not Me Monday" where she basically laughs at herself for crazy things that she did....but would "never" do during the previous week. So here goes my hand at it....

On Sunday night while playing Wii tennis with Colby, I most certainly did not hit him in the back of the head with my remove while I was in full back swing. It did not leave a bump and I did not tear up knowing I had hurt my baby! Nope not me!

I did not say I needed to use the bathroom at work just so I could finish the 3rd book in the Twilight series! Nuh uh not me!

I would never be silly as to wake up at 1:20 in the afternoon, after I had worked all night, and angrily ask my dear husband why he didn't wake me up for church, with his smiling response to be simply "Because it's Saturday". I would never do that!

I absolutely, most certainly, do not love it when Colby comes and crawls into bed with us in the wee morning hours. Not at all!

I do not love the fact that my children sleep until 10am every morning...that would be no fun at all!

I did not just realize that starting today I would have 3 jobs! I will not be cleaning a hair salon on Monday's, having a nursing clinical group in L&D on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and working my usual Friday and Saturday night shifts in L&D. Now why on earth would I ever do that!

This has been fun! Try it out and let me hear what you would "never" do!!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-12T01:37:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to wish each and every one of my blog readers a very Happy New Year for 2009. I pray that this year brings all you hope for but most of all finds you happy, healthy, and with God in the center of your lives. We love you all!

High 5!!!

2009-01-12T00:44:00.002-06:00

Well it is official....our first born is now 5 years old! Colby had a fun packed week to celebrate his birthday. On Tuesday December 30th at exactly 8:40am Colby turned 5. I had a really hard time with this birthday because 5 sounds so old to me. I still felt like when he was 4 he was somewhat still a toddler (although not in size)! Tuesday morning Colby woke up to birthday cards, balloons, and presents. He got a Spongebob game for his Wii from Daddy, Mommy, and Sissy. He got donuts for breakfast and then we picked up Dakota and Montana and all went to Jump Zone to play. They played hard for over an hour and then we headed to Larry's for pizza and games. He had a great time with his cousins. Chanley was right behind them pretending like she was 5 too! We had his actual party last Sunday at....can you guess.....JUMP ZONE. Yep it's his fave! Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us. His Batman themed party was a hit and definitely wore us all out. I couldn't decide which pics to use so I decided to make a slide show so I didn't have to! Here is a list of just a few of the gifts he received:
* LEGO Batman for Wii
* LEGO Indiana Jones for Nintendo DS
* Gift cards
* Monster Truck game and sterring wheel for Wii
* Walli blanket and toothbrush
* Batman wings and Spiderman web shooter

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T04:54:00.003-06:00

We had an absolutely wonderful, fully blessed Christmas this year. It was full of chaos and I loved every minute of it! The kids haven't stopped smiling yet and we just watch with amazement. I can't write the full post that I want right now so I will leave you with a sneak peak pic and promise to post all of our fun times really soon!! Hope you all had a blessed Christmas!

Playing Catch Up

2008-12-23T00:22:00.001-06:00

I have posted several new posts so take a few minutes to catch up on what has been going on with all of us!

Date Night

2008-12-23T00:00:00.003-06:00

I had a very rare weekend night off earlier this month so Jereomy and I took advantage of it and had a "date" night....well sort of. We went with several of our friends to The Rev Room downtown to see Riverbilly (local band) play. The drummer is one our our CRNA's from work and a friend of mine. We had dinner with Alan and Amber at The Butcher Shop, where I ate as much as a grown man. I am really starting to get concerned at the amount of food I can consume before I stop myself. I might just be developing a problem! After dinner we went and picked up my brother in law and headed downtown. We had a great time and it was a much needed time with friends. Thanks YaYa for holding the fort down and for lovin the babies for us while we were gone!

Colby Update

2008-12-22T23:45:00.003-06:00

My baby boy is almost 5!! In exactly one week to be precise! I am really having a hard time with this birthday. I have been thinking a lot lately about how he will be starting school next year and how different my day will go without him here. He asks all the time when he will get to go to school and seems to be really excited I'm just not sure he knows that he will have to go ALL day....EVERYDAY. He is growing into a little boy and not so much a toddler anymore. He is taller than most 6 or 7 year olds and out weighs them too I'm sure. He eats as much as we do and has more energy than you can imagine. Right now he is in size 6 clothes and wears a size 1 shoe. He is so excited about Christmas right now and amazes me at how much he comprehends about the meaning. He can tell you a lot of the story of Jesus' birth and why we have Christmas to begin with. It melts my heart! If you ask him what he is getting for Christmas there isn't much he won't say and everyday there is something new to add to his "list". He has been pretty good this year and I'm sure Santa will be good to him. I'll be sure to let you know what all he got.

Chanley Update

2008-12-22T23:17:00.003-06:00

Chanley is now almost 16 months old...this is so hard for me to imagine. I look at her everyday in amazment at how much she is growing and learning. She has quite a personality and lets you know when things aren't quite going her way. She is a cuddlebug and so loveable. She loves to climb on everything and doesn't seem to be scared of much at all. Her favorite thing to do right now is to pull all of my tupperware out of the cabinet and climb inside and play with her brother. This keeps them occupied for hours but leaves a huge mess! She is so tiny compared to Colby when he was her age. She weighs about 23lbs and I think she has at least a pound in each cheek. Her hair has grown so much and I love to fix it in pigtails or up like Pebbles...and she always has a bow! Her vocabulary is growing everday and it is so much fun to watch her and Colby play. She loves his cars, trucks, football, and Spider-Man playhouse. As much as I try to get her to play with her purse or babydoll, she would pick his toys over hers anyday. She isn't the best eater but still loves yogurt and chicken nuggets. She still wears a size 4 diaper, 12-18 month clothes, and size 5 shoe. She goes to bed around 10pm and usually sleeps until at least 10am. I know I'm soooo lucky! She sleeps in her own crib in her room and loves it. I hear her in the morning talking to her dolls and calling for me. I walk in to the most beautiful baby with the biggest smile on her face. She is a joy to us and we are so blessed to have her. We love you baby girl!

Christmas with PaPa

2008-12-22T23:07:00.003-06:00

This past weekend we drove up to Cave City where my dad lives to have Christmas with him and my grandma. We also went up to my aunt and uncles on my mom's side and had Christmas with them as well. It was an exciting day and we all ate good food and enjoyed everyones company. I was exhausted to say the least since I had worked all night the night before....but I made it. My dad let Colby "drive the tractor" (aka lawn mower) and he thought he was hot stuff. He has so much fun when we are there because he gets to do totally gross boy stuff, like catch frogs, or play in the mud. I only wish we were closer and could see him more often.

L&D Branson Trip 2008

2008-12-22T22:59:00.003-06:00

Yes I know I am waaaaayyyy behind on my posting but I am going to do my best to do better with the start of the new year! For now I'm just going to try and get caught up :)!
Back in November several of us L&D nurses went to Branson for the annual girls weekend. Most of the girls drove to Branson on Friday but I had to work so Rachael, Shelby, and I drove up on Saturday morning. I got about an hour of sleep on the way up and shopped for 8hrs!! It was totally worth it....we all got lots of good deals and a lot of Christmas shopping done. Later that night we went back to our condos and had a bachelorette party for Becky, one of our coworkers. It was wild to say the least! I had so much fun but missed home terribly. This was the first night in more than 5 years that I had stayed away from my husband or my kids! It was good for me though and I definitely want to go again next year! Here are a pic from the tame part of the trip :)

Christmas Card Pics

2008-12-10T15:30:00.002-06:00

We attempted for the second time today to get a picture for our Christmas cards. After about 30 shots I think we finally got one. I wanted a pic of all of us since I sent one of just the kids out last year but we just couldn't get it together. So Brandi came over today and took some pictures of the kids and this is what we came up with! Send me your address if you want to see the finished product!!

Halloween Fun!

2008-11-12T23:58:00.003-06:00

We had a great Halloween this year. Colby chose to be Ironman and Chanley was a strawberry fairy. They were both absolutely adorable and had lots of fun. We started out the day having lunch with YaYa then we came home for naps so we could be recharged for that night. When Daddy got home we went to Kidz Fest at our church where the kids were able to jump in bounce houses, get their faces painted, and play games. Then it was off to get us some candy!! We didn't go to very many houses but we got more than enough candy! We ended the night with dinner at a mexican resturant down the street....and started the wee morning hours with violent vomiting!! Colby and I got super sick from the food!! Needless to say we won't be eating the dog food there again! Here are some pics from our fun day!

DAISY Award

2008-11-05T12:01:00.001-06:00

Last Wednesday I went to work as usual thinkng it was going to be just another day in L&D. Little did I know it would be one of the most exciting days of my life. I was awarded the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses! A former patient that I had taken care of wrote a letter and nominated me for the award. My nomination was choosen from several that were sent in for the month. Tears of joy fell down my face as they read the letter from the T family. I could remember them as if I had taken care of them only yesterday. My patient wrote the sweetest things about my care for her and stated that I had saved her baby's life. This hit me so hard knowing that I have such a huge impact on the patients that I care for everyday. That night I did nothing special other than just doing my job and what I feel I was called to do. I am so deeply appreciative of having the opportunity to do what I love and to get this type of feedback melts my heart. Thank you again T family for nominating me for this award. It means more to me than you will ever know! Here is a slideshow of the presentation.

DAISY Award Pics

2008-11-05T11:58:00.001-06:00

Arkansas State Fair

2008-10-30T11:59:00.003-05:00

We took the kids to the Arkansas State Fair a couple of weeks ago. This was Colby's 3rd year but Chanley's first. I have to say she was exceptionally good. She sat in her stroller the entire time, well almost, and never fussed. The only time she got out was walking back to the car when her big brother decided his legs were "killing" him and he couldn't walk another step. So he got to ride back to the car in his sisters stroller while I held her. He did wear himself out while we were there! He rode lots of rides, walked through the Hall of Industry, ate some food, made his own slush, and much more. Chanley rode the carousel for the first time and loved it. She even cried when it stopped. Here are some pictures from our fun day.

Race For the Cure 2008

2008-10-14T12:57:00.001-05:00

Saturday morning, with my pillow calling my name after working all night, I walked in the Race For the Cure. I tried so hard all night long to get out of going but I rode to work with Kerry Friday night and had already promised her that I would go. I'm glad I did I really enjoyed it and ended up being back home by around 10am. So even though I didn't get as much sleep as I normally would have I was able to function Saturday night. Thanks to Jereomy's work for allowing us to walk and for the great tshirts and gloves!! Who knows maybe next year I'll be able to run in the 5k!!

Pumkin Patch 2008

2008-10-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday the kids and I went to the Pumpkin Patch in Mayflower with one of my friends and her little boy. He is the same age as Chanley and their conversations were priceless! There was a huge play area for all of them to play, tables under the shade trees where we ate our picnic lunch, pumpkins of course, and a hayride. We didn't get to go on the hayride because they wouldn't take less than 10 people but they allowed us to drive down in our car so we could see the decorations. The kids were worn out after we left and slept all the way home!

Bryan's Birthday Party

2008-10-14T12:25:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday we went to Bryan's 6th birthday party at Gator Park. Colby had an absolute blast riding go carts and playing games. We had to leave a little early to get him to AWANNA which brought on a huge tantrum! Here are some pictures before the tears!

As promised...

2008-10-10T00:06:00.000-05:00

Here is the video of our baby girl walking as I had promised before. It is quite amusing so feel free to watch it more than once!

AWANNA Cubbie

2008-10-09T23:49:00.000-05:00

Colby has been going to AWANNA's at our church every Sunday night. This is a "club" where kids ages 3yr-5th grade get together to learn about God and important aspects of the Bible. The main focus of AWANNA is scripture memorization. Colby has done exceptionally well so far and has gotten a stamp or sticker in his book every week. He even earned his first patch for his vest last week, the Hopper patch! Each child has a vest and every couple of weeks if they are able to recite their verse they earn a new patch. Some of the verses he has memorized so far are: "all have sinned", "give hime the name Jesus, and he will be great", "all he had made, was very good", "while we were sinners, Christ died for us". Here is a picture of Colby proudly displaying his new vest.

Addalyn's 2nd Birthday Party!

2008-10-09T23:44:00.000-05:00

Two Sunday's ago we took the kids to Addalyn's birthday party at Hobbit Hill Riding Farm. This was both Colby and Chanley's first experience riding a horse. Colby loved it.....Chanley, um not so much. But they both had a great time playing with all of their cousins and eating cake and ice cream. Addalyn got a lot of cool presents and will be able to share clothes with her baby sister Emma soon because she is quickly catching up with her in size. They are both precious baby girls and we love them lots!! Happy Birthday Addie!

Addalyn, the birthday girl

Oh to be a kid again!

2008-10-09T23:34:00.000-05:00

Don't you just wish sometimes you could have the freedom and carefree spirit as you did when you were a child? I sure do. And seeing my kids grow up reminds me of exactly how much I miss it! Take for example my first born, Colby. He decided he needed to ride his bike the other day while we were out in the garage loading my car. He hadn't been up for very long so he just had on what he had slept in the night before. Oh yeah, and his Batman mask, which he slept with as well. Here are a few pictures of his leisurely stroll.....ahhhhh, no worries!

Just a tad late :)

2008-10-09T23:08:00.000-05:00

I am just now getting around to posting Chanley's 1year "stats" I couldn't forget the most important one from her first year. I makes me quite sad to think that she is growing up so quickly. She is becoming quite the independent one and has a fierce attitude. I have absolutely NO idea where it comes from. At her one year checkup she weighed 20lbs 15oz and was 28 1/4 inches long. I was expecting her to weigh more than that but I think she holds at least 5lbs in each cheek! She falls in the 50-60 percentile in both her weight and length class and is right where she should be developmentally according to Dr. O'Neal. Whom we love by the way. She started walking two days before her first birthday and is now everywhere. She tottles all over the house like a drunk man and it is absolutely precious. I actually have a video to post to show all of you. Colby thinks it is great that she can walk/run to/from him, until she steps foot into his room, then the screaming begins. He ever so politely says "No, No baby girl" and sets her into the hallway and closes his door. Then she ever so impolitely begins to scream.....and it gets louder, and louder, and louder. Until either I distract her with something else or Colby decides her being inside his room is much quieter than her being outside! Her favorite things to do right now are riding in her car outside, swinging, playing in "her" cabinet with all the Tupperware, playing in bubba's room, mommy reading books to her, taking a bath, or throwing things in the toilet. We are trying to cut out the latter one! She has recently decided she DOES NOT want to go to the gym with me and brother. She had been going with me two days a week but has decided that it isn't for her and has cut my class/run short twice now because the girls couldn't get her to calm down. So for now she has to stay home with daddy while me and Colby go. Her eating habits have become quite picky these days. She loves fat free bologna, goldfish, Gerbers Crunchies (sort of like a cheeto but with much less mess), yogurt, applesauce, oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon raisin toast, chicken nuggest, fries, and mac and cheese. She is STILL sleeping in her very own bed and has a pretty nice sleeping routine I must admit. She still falls asleep for the night in her swing (yes it still swings, and until it doesn't that's how it will be), then I move her to her bed about 9:30 or 10pm. She then, on most nights, sleeps soundly until about 9am. Since she has started sleeping later she usually only takes one nap a day from about 2-4pm. I have to say I am not minding this at all! She still babbles nonstop and Colby even says sometimes she speaks "Spanich" (like spinach but Spanich). LOL! Her newest words are "Tank Tu" (thank you), Bat (bath), and Bebe (baby). She is quite the entertainer and I am so privileged to be her mommy!

Travs Game

2008-09-12T14:04:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago....(yes I am behind) I took Colby to the Arkansas Travelers baseball game. We went with some of my friends from work and their kids. We all went out to eat before hand and then headed to the game. The kids didn't care too much about baseball that night....all they were interested in was the giant inflatables in the "Kid Zone". Needless to say we didn't watch much of the game but still had a good time. Thanks Brynn for inviting us and for the tickets!!

Slideshow of Birthday Party

2008-09-12T13:47:00.001-05:00

Our Baby Girl is 1 !!!

2008-09-12T12:15:00.000-05:00

We had Chanley's 1st birthday party on Sunday. Minus a small melt down or two it went great. Most all of our friends and family were able to come and the weather was absolutely beautiful. This was a huge relief since had rained everyday for the last week! We cooked hamburgers and hot dogs and of course had cake. Her cake turned out absolutely amazing. I almost cried when they showed it to me for the first time. It was even more perfect than I could have imagined and tasted AMAZING! Chanley loved seeing everyone but I could tell got a bit overstimulated at times. She really showed her temper when it was time to open gifts. The first thing she opened was a Lily Leapfrog from her Uncle Tank, Aunt Jekie, and cousin Carsen. She wanted to play with it right then and when I sat it down to get another gift she went NUTTS! And to make matters worse she has started this thing where she holds her breath, turns blue, and even sometimes passes out. Well she pulled that there in front of everyone! LOVELY!! Oh well...she soon recovered and had a blast digging into her cake. I ended up opening the rest of the gifts for everyone to see. I can't thank all of you who where there enough for making her 1st birthday party a total hit! Thank you Jeannie for helping me decorate and fight those stubborn table cloths with the wind! We love you all!!

So Proud!

2008-09-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

I am proud to post that BOTH of my kids have slept in their own beds since Sunday night!! I was afraid to talk about it too much at first because I was scared they would regress back into our room as they have so many times before. I have to say....I have done very well! Jereomy and I are both off on vacation this week and we have been staying up late watching movies and rearanging the house. We have laughed and giggled like teenagers!! Colby is so proud of himself when he wakes up in the morning and finds that he has slept in his bed throughout the night. Chanley slept until 8am on Tuesday morning which is unheard of for her!! Hopefully this will continue and they will begin to get on a more "normal" routine. I will let you know!!

Chanley's Birthday Invitation

2008-08-25T22:05:00.001-05:00

Here is a link for you to be able to view Chanley's first birthday invitation. I found a super helpful lady on ebay who helped me create these. I am so proud! I just hope her party goes as smoothly! Let me know what you think!
http://leschphotography.zenfolio.com/p722514362

Playdate with Jo and Gabby

2008-08-13T00:45:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Colby and I went to WRC with Jo and Gabby. (a friend of mine from work and her daughter.) Chanley stayed with Nana and Papa so that I could go down the big slides with Colby. He teared up and started to cry as we were leaving her because he didn't want to go without her. How sweet is that!! Here are some pictures from our day.

VBS 2008

2008-08-13T00:23:00.001-05:00

Colby was able to go to Vacation Bible School for the first time this year. The theme for our church this year was Outrigger Island. It was all decked out with Hawaain decor. There memory verse was "Know the truth, Speak the truth, Live the truth." He sang the most adorable song with his class which brought a few tears to my eyes, made me several crafts, and most importantly learned God's word. My camera wasn't cooperating very well so my pictures aren't great but I did get some video of him singing and I will try and post that. I have never posted video before so we'll see how it goes. (he is the handsome boy in the yellow polo with the orange lei!! :)

11 months old!

2008-08-12T12:33:00.001-05:00

I know this post is late....as most of mine are....but better late than never, right? Chanley turned 11 months old on August 5th. Her huge personality by far out ways her tiny body. She is larger than life in every way. She has become quite the chatterbox as well. For the most part, we have no idea what she is saying but she is super serious with her conversations. I am happy to announce that since last months update she is now saying MaMa!! And wearing it out! :) So as of now she can say DaDa, Bubba, MaMa, Bye Bye, Baby, BaBa (bottle), and sometimes what sounds like Juice. I took her to the doctor last week because she hasn't been eating or sleeping very well and I had been attributing it to her cutting her top teeth. However she had continued to run a low grade fever for over a week so I thought I needed a second opinion. I have decided that I cannot be a nurse and a mommy at the same time. It just isn't possible. Anyway, she was fine. She weighed almost 21lbs which totally blows my mind. It seems like just yesterday I was bringing home this tiny, fragile, 7lb baby! I am obsessively planning her first birthday party. I have several lists and have "window" shopped on the Internet until my eyes cross. I know she won't remember it, nor does she even care, but something about this being her first and probably our last baby to turn one.....I can't help but make it huge. She is eating solid food much better now and doesn't seem to have any swallowing difficulties as we had thought before. She still eats two jars of baby food twice a day and usually some cereal in the morning. Then she snacks on whatever we are eating too. She can eat an entire graham cracker by herself which is a huge improvement from even last month. She hasn't taken any steps yet but is getting braver by the minute. She will cruise around all the furniture and will hold on to things with only one hand. She still wears a size 3 diaper, mostly 6-9 months clothes but some of her 12 months are starting to fit. She is just now in a size 3 shoe but I have a terrible time finding ones to fit her because her foot is so narrow. She has so much hair it is unreal....I cannot keep my hands out of it. It is definitely curly which I love....and she will hate! Her brother is still the light in her eye as always. She is usually found in his room getting into everything. He watches over her and protects her to no end. He is often heard telling her that he will beat all the bad guys up that try to hurt her....and even the babies in the nursery! LOL!! To watch the two of them interact is priceless. For the most part her sleeping habits are the same. She hasn't been sleeping as well lately and we are attributing that to the teething. Her top two teeth are through but she still acts like there are more to come. I wish so badly I could take the pain away for her. It won't be long before I am posting about her being 1 year old. I am going to enjoy these next few weeks and hope they go by very slowly!

More TuTu Pictures

2008-08-12T12:31:00.000-05:00

Here are some more of the pictures I had made of Chanley in her tutu! Sorry it has taken me so long to post them! :)

TuTu Cute!

2008-07-28T20:50:00.000-05:00

Today I took Chanley to have some pictures made for her first birthday. One of my friends/co-workers does some photography on the side and was so kind to come and take some pictures for us. We had a really cool place to shoot them at and I think they are going to turn out great. Thank you Jaime and Laura for your time and love!! I appreciate you both so very much! This picture was taken with my phone.....I will post the final product soon!

New pictures!!

2008-07-22T20:19:00.001-05:00

I took the kids to get their pictures made last Thursday. I feel terrible because when Colby was 10 mo. old I had gotten his picture taken at least 5 times and Chanley has only had hers made twice! So I figured it was about time. I just wish I didn't have to take out a second mortgage to buy the dang things!! :) Anyway go to www.picturethisportraitgallery.net, click on cliets and enter the password JMORROW. Let me know what you think so maybe it will make my decision a little easier.....and a little cheaper!

10 months old!

2008-07-18T12:11:00.001-05:00

I'm a little late on this post, but better late than never right?!! Chanley turned 10months old on July 5th. I know I say this every month but I cannot believe how quickly time is moving. It seems like just yesterday I was the whale in the kiddie pool at Wild River Country with her swimming in the comforts of my tummy. That is one reason I wanted to do this blog....so that I would have somewhat of a journal to keep of all the things that are happening in our family. This month I want to do something a little different and write a letter to Chanley that I can print out for her baby book.

Chanley,

Well princess, where do I begin. It is surreal to believe that you are 10 months old. How fast you are growing and everyday becoming more and more beautiful. I have made it a point to tell you everyday that exact thing. You ARE beautiful and always will be. You are the apple of my eye and your daddy's pride and joy. Your brother can hardly keep his hands off of you and talks to you in the sweetest way I've ever heard. After all.....you are HIS baby! He even teared up the other day when we left you with Nana and Papa while he and I went swimming. He couldn't wait till we were able to pick you back up. I have to say, you love him just as much. Your face lights up and you smile the biggest smile when you see him. He calls you "tun-tun", which I'm not sure you will appreciate when you are older but for now you love it! You are crawling everywhere, pulling up, and "cruising" around the tables and couches. Every once in a while I will catch you standing by yourself but once you realize what you are doing you quickly sit down. You are eating finger foods MUCH better now. I think that you just needed a little more time. You can eat Gerber Crunchers, Wagon Wheels, etc. You love to eat of mine and Daddy's plates too. So far we've let you try french fries, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and green beans. You also loved mommy's baked squash the other day. You are still only eating baby food for the most part. I have started giving you whole milk in your sippy cup a couple of times a day and you don't seem to mind it too bad. You will, however, drink it better from a bottle. I think you will be a little harder to break from the bottle than your brother. I still don't give you any juice because it upsets your stomach, but you love Gerber Splashers which is fruit flavored water. I am trying to do better with healthy eating habits! One thing you haven't done yet is say MaMa!! I try so hard everyday but you just won't budge!! We have been going swimming a lot lately, either at Miss Rachaels or at WRC or Magic Springs. You absolutely love the water!! You just don't like your floatie!! You want to be out in the open water with the rest of us. You are much too brave just like your brother. He jumped off the deep end the other day without a life jacket and scared me to death! He thinks he is invincible just like HULK! Your sleeping habits are pretty much the same as last month, but we are going to have to start letting you sleep in your bed pretty soon because you are trying to crawl out of the playpen! I know it will be hard for me but it is best for both of you. I just need to suck it up and realize that I can't keep you with me forever. I am furiously trying to plan your first birthday and am making myself a little crazy over it all. I just want it to be a great party. Only a few more weeks and my baby will be 1 yr old! You are such a joy in our lives and I thank God for you everyday. You and your brother mean the world to me and I just can't imagine a day without you. Thank you for all the joy you bring. We love you Tun-Tun!

Love,

Mommy

Much Needed!

2008-07-15T13:08:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday night I went to a presentation for work at Cajun's. We got some new information on our fetal fibronectin kits. ( a test we use to try and determine if a patient will deliver prematurely). There was an open bar with wine and beer, a huge spread of appetizers, and then we got to choose from two entrees. I chose the rib eye, which by the way was quite possibly the best steak I've ever had. Then we had our choice of three deserts and I chose White Chocolate Bread Pudding. It was unbelievable!! My mouth is watering as we speak! Anyway.....the highlight of my night was getting so see my long lost friend Nicole. She came up after the meeting so we could catch up. We didn't get to talk very much though because we went upstairs and it was so loud we could barely hear each other. Jo, Mandy, and Brynn came with us as well and man did we have ourselves a grand ol time! The rep from the company that was providing us the presentation bought all our drinks.....a big whoppin two for me! We all had a great time, even if we were dripping with sweat by the end of the night! It was much needed "me" time even if a little portion of it was work related. Now if I can just do it more often! Thanks girls for a wonderful night!

Dreaming......

2008-07-03T23:10:00.001-05:00

So I am up at 11pm, on the computer, getting ideas for Chanley's first birthday party. For those of you who know me well, you know that I am an overacheiver and a tad OCD......okay, okay....I am OCD!!! Anyway....she won't be a year old for two more months but I feel as if time is slipping away a little faster everyday. Colby has never been able to have a birthday party outdoors because his birthday is in December and it is always too cold. Therefore, Jereomy and I have come to the agreement to have her party at the park close to our house. #1) Its free! #2) There is a large playground area, basketball court, huge grassy area, etc. for kiddos to play, #3) its free! #4) I cannot imagine squeezing everyone in our family into my house #5) I just know that Chanley is going to rip into that cake and maybe being outside will be a little easier to control the mess......yes that is my OCD too! :) Well I just wanted to share tonights findings with you. I found a lady on Ebay who is going to make us some custom invitations.....not going to show those to you because it is a surprise!! I also found her sweet little tutu and hat for her first birthday pictures! I am most excited about that! While looking for some ideas for her cake I almost woke my kids up with the gasp when I saw the picture below.......now if this cake becomes a reality for her (me) it will be on a MUCH smaller scale because unlike the pavillion at the park I am sure the cake is not FREE! Anyway just wanted to share with you while I dream! Oh yeah I almost forgot.....it will be a "fairytale" theme!! Let me know what you think! Nighty Night!

Tball is over! :(

2008-06-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday we attended Salem Baptist Church, the sponsor of Colby's first t-ball team. The team was recognized and each player was given a trophy. Colby was so thrilled! He walked up in front of everyone with the most amazing smile on his face. I have to say, I was smiling pretty big myself. I am sad that our year has come to an end but so very thankful for all the other players and their families and our wonderful coach. Colby has made leaps and bounds of improvement since we first started and the year was so much fun......and that is what it should always be about! Here are some pictures from their presentation.

Magic Springs

2008-06-30T22:26:00.000-05:00

We have found a great place to spend some of our days this summer.....Magic Springs. We went last Saturday and again yesterday and had so much fun. Nana and PaPa got us season passes so we can go as much as we want all summer. Colby loves it and so do Jereomy and I. Chanley went the first time and got a little too worn out so we let her spend some quality time with YaYa this weekend. I was super tired because I had worked all night the night before but I still enjoyed being with the fam! I didn't take any pictures this weekend because I forgot my camera, but here are some when we went on the 21st.

9 months old!

2008-06-12T21:39:00.000-05:00

Chanley turned nine months old on June 5th. She is growing and amazing us everyday. Today was her nine month check up. She weighs 18lbs 15oz (I think she has a pound in each cheek) and is 28in long. She has a mild case of eczema but other than that she is absolutely a healthy baby girl. She still hasn't been able to advance past eating Stage 2 baby foods. We are going to give her some more time and if she isn't eating more solid foods by one year at the latest, we will go to Children's for a swallow study. She is crawling everywhere and is most often found in her brother's room. She loves being in there with him and they play so good together. She also likes to play in her room just as long as someone is in there with her. You know when she gets quiet......she's into something she's not supposed to be. Her vocabulary is growing everyday. She now says bye-bye, dada, bubba, baba (bottle), and sometimes hi. She is waving bye-bye and will patty cake or clap when we do. She is so mild tempered and is so flexible with her schedule. For the most part she still wakes up around 6 and takes a bottle then goes back to sleep. She then gets up around 9 and has some cereal with fruit for breakfast. She has a jar of some type of vegetable or dinner and a jar of fruit at lunch. Then both her and Colby take a good afternoon nap around 1 or so. She eats another 2 jars of baby food at dinner and then a 8oz bottle at bedtime, which is usually around 9:30. She still sleeps through the night for the most part but might wake up if she looses her paci. I still swaddle her at first but she manages to break free sometime during the night. She has become such a mama's girl recently and wants to be wherever I am but doesn't necessarily have to be held. She just wants to be able to see me. She loves water including her baths. Dr. ONeill says we will have to start only bathing her when needed to try to clear up her eczema. I don't know how that will work since we have had the same routine since the day she came home from the hospital......bath, bottle, bed!

I still can't believe how quickly these babies grow up. I thank God everyday for trusting me to parent such wonderful children. I take in every second and try not to take a moment for granted. I know that her next milestone is only a blink away. We love you baby girl!

Wild River Country

2008-06-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

The last two years my mom has gotten us all season passes to WRC for Christmas. So we have been anxiously awaiting for it to open so we could go. Last year I was large and in charge there so it was a nice change to be able to go without a moo-moo on! If you were there last year....you probably saw me....I was the whale in the kiddie pool. Kinda hard to miss! Anyway...Jereomy and I took Colby on Saturday after his t-ball game while my mom stayed home with Chanley. We had such a good time. I enjoyed riding the slides almost as much as Colby did, however, there were soooooo many people there! We stayed for about 3 hours and then decided we couldn't fight the crowds any longer.

Today I took both the kids back to have a playdate with Payson and Paige. Their mom, Mandy, and I work together. The three older kids play so good together and I think they really enjoyed themselves. Chanley absolutely loved the water even though it was quite a bit colder today. She would get so mad when I wouldn't let her crawl where she wanted to go. She got tired out pretty quickly and ended up sleeping for about an hour in her stroller.

Mandy has an underwater camera and took these amazing pictures! I want one sooooo bad....(hint hint, wink wink) :)

Happy 1st Birthdy Carsen!

2008-06-11T21:14:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was my precious nephew Carsen's first birthday. They had his birthday party on Sunday at Tar Camp Park in Redfield. I cannot believe how fast time flies. It seems like just yesterday that I was at work when Jess came in in labor. I can still remember almost every detail of that day. I was around 28wks pregnant with Chanley at the time. He was grown so fast and is now walking, talking, and into everything. I love him so very much and enjoy every minute of being an auntie!

Colby had a blast at his party......there was so much room to run and play but it was so hot!!! None of the kids seemed to mind much though. Carsen was a little apprehensive at first about digging into his cake, but as you can see in the pictures....he got over it really quick. Jess and I had to rinse him off under the water faucet because the dye from the cake started breaking him out. He absolutely loved the water! He even got back in it after we changed him from the cake. Chanley was absolutely precious as usual. She never even wimpered. Here are some pics from the party.

Big Boy!

2008-06-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

As most you of you know Colby has been sleeping with Jereomy and I for the last 4 1/2 years. Not only has this been comfort for him but for us too. We said when we moved into our new house (2 yrs ago), that he was going to start sleeping in his own bed. Then we realized we had a split floor plan and didn't feel comfortable being that far away from him. Then when Chanley was born we thought that would be a good time. We quickly changed our minds and decided that he would wonder why he had to sleep in his room but she got to stay with us. (excuses, excuses.....on our part!) So then we said, okay, we will move them both together.

Colby and I went to Target on Sunday to get Carsen a birthday gift. We were looking for a stuffed animal net for Carsen's room when Colby spotted some Incredible Hulk sheets. Of course the first thing he said was "Mama can I PWEASE have those sheets". (Big blue eyes batting, and lip poked out). I told him that if he got new sheets he would have to sleep in his bed all night long like a big boy. He quickly agreed and even through in a "I pwomise"! So that afternoon after we got home from Carsen's party I washed his sheets and put them on his bed. That night both of our kids slept all night long in their beds for the very first time. As for me.....I was up at least four times checking on them and felt so empty. Like Chanley has her taggie and Colby has Barry.....they are my security. I know this is best for them both but, man, I sure do miss them. Here are some pictures of Colby's new sheet set!

8 months old!

2008-05-15T11:15:00.001-05:00

I should have done this post a couple of weeks ago but since Chanley has been so sick I am just now getting to it. Our precious baby was 8 months old on May 5th. It seems like she is growing up way faster than Colby did and I can't keep up. We took her to the doctor several times in the past two weeks so that is the only reason I know how much she weighs. The last visit she was right at 18lbs with her clothes on. She is begining to crawl and loves to stand up when she can. She says only "B" words at this point.....bye-bye, bubba, and blah blah! She is doing so much better with her food. She can eat a whole jar of stage 2 veggie/dinner and then about 1/2 of a fruit. She usually gets up in between 5:30-6:30 in the morning, takes a 6-8oz bottle and then goes back to bed until about 9. This is wonderful!! I'm sure it won't last much longer though, Then she usually eats some cereal with fruit and might take 1-2oz or formula. I try to play with her and keep her up until Colby takes a nap around 1 then I feed her baby food for lunch and we all try to take a nap together. When she wakes up around 4 she takes a 6oz bottle and is usually good until 7 or 8 when I give her a bath, bottle, and bed! We have been in that routine almost since the day she came home and it has continued to work for us! She is such a good baby!! When we go out to eat or shopping she just sits in her seat and takes in all the action. The only time she really cries is when she's hungry or tired. We will be going to the doctor soon for her 9 month check up and hopefully we get a good report. I will try and post some new pictures of her soon.

Crawling!

2008-05-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

Okay it is official.....my baby is growing up way to fast! Chanley is crawling now! She still hasn't mastered going for long distances but she has gotten the basics down. I can't believe it! She just amazes me! Colby is so proud of her too! He says she is getting bigger and can almost fight with him! HA! Hopefully I have a little while longer before all that starts. He loves for her to sit in his room and lay on his couch and play toys with him. They are adorable together! Hopefully I will have some crawling pictures to post soon!

Sad News

2008-05-09T11:30:00.001-05:00

I got some sad news on Wednesday. Two families that we just adore are moving away from us! The first is The Purnell's.....a family I have known for only a short time but are very near and dear to my heart. They are moving back to Texas to be closer to their family and a new job. I am happy for them because I know it must be difficult to be so far away from all your loved ones. However, I am very sad that they won't be close to me anymore! The other family is our neighbors across the street, The Berry's. They have a little girl, Kate, who is only six weeks older than Chanley. We were looking so forward to the girls being able to grow up together and be at the same school. They are also moving to be closer to their family in Conway. We will miss you all dearly and hope that you will keep in touch with us! Love you! Here are some pictures of Chanley and Kate.

Doodle Works

2008-05-09T11:19:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday we took the kids to Doodle Works after Colby's t-ball game. I took Colby there last year to make Mother's Day gifts and got such a great response I thought I would take both kids to do it again. They have some of the neatest ideas for gifts and can make the kids hands/feet prints into the cutest things. We chose to do both kids hands.....not so easy with Chanley! Here are some pictures from our day....I will post the finished product soon!

Hand-Me-Downs

2008-04-25T21:53:00.001-05:00

Chanley has not felt well at all this week. She is battling her first ear infection, an infection in her right eye, and a horrible cough. I took her to the doctor on Tuesday and we started some antibiotics for her ear and eye and some cough medicine. She still isn't significantly better but is no longer running fever. Even though I know she feels lousy she is still such a good baby. She requires a little more attention now but for the most part she is her little independent self. While I was getting ready for my yard sale this weekend I got down some of Colby's old toys out of the attic and cleaned them up. She is in awe! I couldn't believe how much stuff I had saved. She now has a "new" learning house, walker, dancing monkey thingy, and blocks. I was so glad that I saved these not only because I am saving money but because it just means a little more when I can tell Colby that they used to be his. He inevitably plays with them more now than ever and tells his sissy he is "sharing" his toys with her! Never a dull moment!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-04-24T21:02:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday was Jereomy's 27th birthday. I had a great day being with my family and I think he enjoyed it too. We started off with church that morning and then went to Kobe Steak House for dinner with all the fam. Colby loves to go there.....he calls it the "fire place". This is mine and Jereomy's favorite resturant.....although I leave there everytime not being able to breathe! Dang that double fried rice! Chanley was starting to get sick but she was the best baby ever the entire time. She just sat in her carrier and took in all the action. Thank you to everyone for all the gifts and for your company!

High School Musical on Ice

2008-04-24T20:33:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday night I took Colby to High School Musical on Ice. He had a blast and I actually had quite a bit of fun myself. We went with one of my best friends Brandi and her son Bradyn. The boys were locked in the entire time and sang every song! We had amazing seats and were able to see all the skaters up close at some time during the show. After I gave my right arm for the tickets to go and parking.....I gave the left one for a t-shirt and some spinning light up thing. How I let him talk me into these things I'll never know......Brandi wasn't much help in the decision making process either! Thanks B! Here are some pictures from the show!

7 months old!

2008-04-15T13:26:00.000-05:00

I am a little late making this post but better late than never, right? I cannot believe our baby girl is growing up so fast. I am trying to savor every minute of every day because I know that I can never get that minute back. Chanley turned 7 months old on April 5th. She has started sitting up all by herself and drinking from a sippy cup. She is doing much better when she eats baby food. We still give her small amounts at a time just to be sure but she is not gagging near as much as she used to. Her favs so far are Chicken with Apples, Tutti Fruity, Hawaiian Delight, Banana Pudding, and Turkey with Sweet Potatoes. She also likes the fruits mixed with rice cereal or oatmeal. We haven't gotten any first words out of her yet but we're working on it. She hasn't mastered crawling yet but she definitely gets where she needs to go. I'm not sure how much she weighs right now but at our six month check up she was 16lbs 10oz and I am quite sure she is heavier than that now. She continues to grow out of her clothes quickly especially in the length. Hopefully she will be tall! She wears 6-9 months, is in a size 3 diaper, and wears size 1 or 2 in shoes. She loves to play in the bath tub and cries when she has to get out.

She admires her brother and watches him all day with amazement. He, for the most part, plays very well with her. However he has a tendency to be a little rough and thinks he can carry her around like we do. It is scary how much she looks like him, or how much they both look like their daddy! I joke all the time that I really did deliver them!

Her naps are getting a little shorter but she still sleeps through the night like an angel as long as she is swaddled. Jereomy calls this her straight jacket! I know that we will have to start breaking that habbit soon but for now it works so I'm not changing it!

Fun Weekend

2008-04-10T13:20:00.000-05:00

We had a really busy, but very fun weekend. Colby's t-ball game was canceled Saturday morning because of all the rain we got on Thursday. So for the first time in a while I was able to sleep in a little! Then we all got ready and went to Bradyn's 6th birthday party at Party Central. Colby had a blast jumping and playing with all the kids. He really loved the Power Ranger theme too! Here are some pictures from the party.

After the party we headed back home and Jereomy and I started getting ready to go with some friends to The Looney Bin to see the Sandman (hypnotist). We met up with everyone at Shorty Smalls and then to The Looney Bin. It was hilarious watching all of those people do the stupid things he told them to. Then it was back home to relieve YaYa from the babies. Here are some pictures we took while we were out.

Stuck!

2008-04-10T13:08:00.000-05:00

The kids and I had a very interesting morning last friday. We got up a little early because I had promised Colby we would go and get donuts. We left the house somewhere around 5:30. We got onto I-30 as usual only to shortly find a sea of red tail lights. I thought for sure there must have been a wreck since it was raining and we had just had all of the bad weather the night before. Wrong......the interstate was flooded and had been shut down and declared impassible! We were stuck in the far right hand lane with an 18 wheeler in front, back, and to the left, and a guard rail to our right. We sat there for almost 3 hours before finally being able to maunever between the 18wheeler and the guard rail and went the opposite way down the access road until we were able to finally turn around. It was quite an experience to say the least! I finally dropped the kids off and got to work around 11:00, after going back home so we all could recover from our meltdowns. Never a dull moment with our family! I had my camera with me and took some pictures to pass the time. Enjoy!

My baby is playing t-ball!

2008-04-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that Colby is old enough to play t-ball! It truely blows my mind at how fast children grow up. This is our first year to play and so far he is loving it. Our team's sponser is Salem Baptist Church. Our coach and all the other parents/kids have been wonderful and welcoming. You can defintitely tell the kids who have played before! Colby has made us very proud....he pays attention well and follows instructions. We just have to work on running to first base after he hits the ball.....not after the ball! His first game was last Saturday and I didn't stop smiling the entire time. Those kids are so entertaining! I wish the game could stay this much fun forever....but I know that as he gets older it will become more serious. I will enjoy it while I can!

These are some pictures from his first practice and game.

Easter 2008

2008-04-02T15:37:00.000-05:00

I know Easter was two weeks ago but since I have just started this blog I thought I would add a couple of important even though they aren't necessarily "current".
We had a great Easter this year. We went to the early service at church and then out to lunch with YaYa. It was so nice to get to enjoy a meal and not have to fight any crowds. YaYa brought Colby a huge bowl full of easter candy and even got Chanley some new baby food to try. Then it was back to the house for an easter egg hunt with Nana, Papa, Aunt Lien, Uncle Tank, Aunt Jekie, Carsen, Jaz, and Jameson. Colby had a blast with them. Chanley was exhausted so she slept for most of their visit. They got both got so much stuff! Tank and Jessica brought them both easter baskets FULL of goodies. Nana and Papa brought them both new movies! Then we all took a good nap.....what a wonderful day!

Copy Cat!

2008-04-02T15:33:00.000-05:00

Okay I have a confession to make. The idea for this blog was not my own. I have several friends who have been blogging for years and pretty much have their family's entire lives on one web page! I have enjoyed reading their blogs and keeping up with their families so much that I have decided to try and start one of my own. Yes I am a copy cat! I hope that everyone enjoys it and bear with me because I'm not so sure how I am going to do with this!