Me and My Gang

Lost Tooth

2012-01-24T10:12:00.001-05:00

JT has finally lost his first tooth! We were in Florida the first week of January and it was very loose. We just knew he would get it out that week, but after MANY weeks of watching him play with it, he finally lost it Sunday evening while eating popcorn! Maybe the next one will not be as much work!

Santa does not visit our house for Christmas, but we have said that the tooth fairy could visit, so I made him a Carolina Panthers "tooth pillow" with a Panther head pocket. First tooth = $1, papa fairy won this one, but momma fairy thinks the others should not bring in as much cash! We'll see....

Scenes from our Christmas celebration

2011-12-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

Our family had a great Christmas celebration for 2011! We were busy as are most families, but looking back, we got in everything we wanted! We decided to do a real tree for the first time as the "boy" tree - and it will forever be remembered as the year the tree fell. Reading the posts on Facebook, it seemed to be a common problem this year! Below is a pic after I got the thing propped back up. Did I mention we were hosting a Christmas party that evening??

JT was able to participate in the children's choir for the first time this year and was given a speaking part and a small duet. He did a super job - we just wished we could have lowered that mike a little!

Andrew's class was to dress in costumes of children around the world. I found this fabric and knew immediately it would be a perfet Chinese costume for him that would "transform" into pjs after the performance. The hat was just a piece of posterboard and yellow duct tape.

I spent A LOT of time in the kitchen this year! Here was one of my favorite projects. I stole the missing part idea from an old college friend who is really a cookie diva!

Christmas morning and they were so excited they could hardly contain themselves! Christmas falling on a Sunday found us rushing a bit so it was great that Andrew's teacher had said the kids could wear pjs to church! JT got to choose his outfit, too, by the way!

Best Wishes to you all for a great 2012!

Halloween Costumes

2011-12-30T12:34:00.003-05:00

It may be easy to tell that JT is a Power Ranger, but Andrew's costume would have been a mystery to me a year ago. He has introduced us to the world of Pokemon and this year wanted to be Pikachu. The boys once again scored big at the church Trunk or Treat and then several of our neighbors had special treats for them!

2011 Birthday Season

2011-11-07T22:04:00.001-05:00

Between September 19 and October 16 we celebrate 3 birthdays. First, Andrew turned 4. This year he wanted a blue monster cake and we had his party at the pumpkin farm. It was a very chilly day for the middle of September, but the kids, and Andrew had a blast!

I am so thankful to the Internet and all the other blogging moms when I start looking for ideas for cakes!

And this is why I spend so much time on these - he just looked at the cake for the longest time! His only critique, it didn't have any hands. I made hands!

Everything was about Pokemon this year. We don't even let him watch the cartoon!

Next, Bill turned 39. He had been wanting a caramel cake, so he did not get his tradtional cake with super sweet icing.

Last, we celebrated Joshua's 6th. He got hooked on the show Wipeout this summer and so he wanted a Wipeout party. We did the best we could with backyard obstacles. All the boys really seemed to enjoy it. Joshua's #1 wish this year was for a goldfish. I thought I was getting off easy because they're only 38 cent each. I bought 2 and both were dead in a week! He now has a blue Beta named "Cut-tail". All things Addidas and sporty were also cherished items.

The course started with a zipline out of the treehouse. The most popular event!

The Stump Jump

Our attempt to simulate the "BIG RED BALLS" - hay bales and the sprinkler.

Happy Birthday to all my boys!!

Summer Flashback #1

2011-11-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

Back in June I competed in my first triathalon. I had gotten a bad case of shin splints so I had been biking and trying to swim a little anyway - plus it was something I had always wanted to try! This was an all female sprint tri with a 300m swim, 11mi bike, and 2.5mi run. I was so nervous for this event and at one point Bill told me I needed to get myself together! With running, I know what to expect, but with this, I had no idea! The swim was my "weakest link", but even there I did better than I had expected! All in, I finished 17/98 ladies even with my chain poping off during the bike ride!

1:11:55, very happy with that!

Bill rides Bridge to Bridge

2011-09-29T02:32:00.000-04:00

Mid September our family packed up after an afternoon soccer game and headed to the NC mountains for Bill to ride in the annual Bridge to Bridge cycling event. The ride starts in Lenoir, NC and snakes around, up, down, around, and 101.8 miles later, finally finishes at the summit of Grandfather Mountain!

The start - he's back there somewhere!

And there he goes! I was so excited to have actally gotten this photo.

The boys and I had about 6 hours - and what to do?? There wasn't much in Lenoir, but we found a WalMart and found JT's Halloween costume. I let the boys spend about 1 hour in the toy isles while I read a magazine! -And Bill was concerned about what we would do for all that time!

Maybe this is the cow-bell dance - not sure, but another 1/2 hour spent here dancing around!

Winding up Grandfather Mountain we spent some time viewing the animals and eating samples at the Fudge Shop.

It was a dreary, rainy, misty, cool day. We even had to eat our picnic in the back of the SUV.

At the very top - the weather was beautiful! The boys even got a little sunburned.

We finally spot the correct red jersey!

Looking good!

Last stand up the very last incline.

Finish line! Only 75% of riders finish this race and he finished 74 out of 332 finishers!

First Days

2011-09-16T12:55:00.000-04:00

JT is starting his second year homeschooling and I am happy to report that things are going well! Andrew is in preschool 2 days a week. The teacher always rewards the well behaved students with stamps or stickers each day, but Andrew is the odd child that doesn't like either and refuses... Aren't they each sooo different!

No, it wasn't cold - he just really likes this shirt!

Spray Park

2011-08-06T21:27:00.000-04:00

We visited the local spray park before "regular" school got out this year, hoping to avoid some of the crowds. Wouldn't you know it - one of the local 2nd grade classes was having a field trip to the spray park that day!! The boys still enjoyed it and we hope to visit again.

Spring Soccer

2011-08-06T21:20:00.000-04:00

JT finished his 2nd season of soccer with his dad as coach! He still hustles after the ball very well even though he is not the star of the team. We're just glad he wants to continue playing!

Buzz Cut

2011-06-21T22:14:00.000-04:00

JT had been wanting a buzz cut like dad's so finally, the weekend before Memorial Day, he got his wish. I'm sure it is much cooler, but he just likes having it like dad's. Andrew wanted no part of it - he said he liked his hair!

Mother's Day

2011-06-01T23:43:00.000-04:00

We made our rounds for Mother's Day this year, but sadly, I didn't take any photos when celebrating with Bill's mother. Here's me and my gang!

Celebrating Easter

2011-05-19T22:29:00.000-04:00

Easter celebrating (& candy eating) started with an egg hunt at Andrew's preschool. Joshua could not understand why Andrew got to take his Easter bucket but he didn't. It all worked out when I told him if he helped put eggs in Andrew's bucket, he could help eat the candy!

Glazed spiced sugar cookies - this batch vanished quickly!

After about 4 months of me searching for a pop-up camper, this is what we ended up with. I think we made a good call to give us a little more flexiblity. We tried it out the Wednesday & Thursday nights before Easter at a local park and we had a great time. The boys really enjoyed it!

Look at all that candy! After our church egg hunt.

Easter bucket treats, and no, the Easter Bunny didn't bring it.

Butterfly

2011-04-25T15:16:00.000-04:00

We were outside playing and J started yelling at me that he had caught a butterfly. I was thinking to myself "no way" but when I met him he had one in his net! It made his day!

Sugary St. Patrick's Day

2011-04-04T17:44:00.000-04:00

I found a great recipe for chocolate chip shape cookies and tried it for shamrocks! These cookies were a huge hit around our house.

There was no sneaking one of these cookies... there was always evidence!

Mom's Garage Barber Shop

2011-03-17T10:46:00.000-04:00

Dad was out of town and we were looking for something to do, so I thought, HAIR CUTS!! Andrew is absolutely opposed to haircuts and has put up a pretty good fight for most of the ones in his life, but I think he was tired of being told his hair was getting long like a girl. I will take them sometime before Easter for a proper cut, but for now, I think it looks okay - and we saved some $$!

Before - couldn't get a serious pic from him!

After- super handsome!

Andrew was about like a sheep dog!

And some people couldn't even tell I'd cut his hair!!

Valentine

2011-03-16T11:43:00.000-04:00

We normally don't celebrate Valentine's Day because Bill is not a big "fan", but this year he surprised us all! We had made him sugary sweet cookies and he came home with a Wii!! I was in shock - the most that has ever been done before was maybe a candy bar and a card. Now JT is addicted and he and Bill are having Mario Cart races every night after dinner.

Ready for church

Attempted heart shaped pancakes.

Cookies for Bill

The obsession has begun!

No Thumb!

2011-02-10T21:45:00.000-05:00

We no longer have a thumb sucker in our house!! I had planned to wait until the summer to break the habit, but the dentist had suggested sooner rather than later so we got through the holidays and then started the process. He would only do it in the bed as he was going for naps or night, but he also seemed to keep at it most of the sleepy time. We made a chart and promised a reward if he could go 7 days without his thumb. He did it!! He sometimes has a hard time falling asleep if he's not super tired and this requires me to sit by him and make him be still, but that's not very often. This boy loved his thumb, but he really did surprise me at how well he did. By the way, he chose a Spiderman car toy that twists as his prize!

First day of EMMA classes

2011-02-10T21:30:00.000-05:00

After one semester of kindergarten homeschooling, I felt like Joshua was ready to join the local EMMA group for a class. He goes only on Fridays from 9-11 to "Kindergarten Activities". This is basically like a crafts class with a learning twist. It certainly takes some of the pressure off of me for that and he gets to interact with other home schooled children as well. Maybe we'll add another class for 1st grade!

First day

Christmas

2011-02-04T20:56:00.000-05:00

Christmas was a joyous time as always and was filled with way too much food and lots of time with the family we love. The boys were especially excited this year and they were hard to contain! The years top prizes for JT were a police officers uniform, a WWF wrestling ring (not sure where that fascination originated!), and police city Legos. Andrew still had a hard time communicating the things he really wanted, but there was one thing for certain - the Playmobile dragon castle!

Family shot dressed up the Sunday before Christmas

Christmas morning in their pjs - photos went a little better this year!

Merry Christmas!!

Mountain Retreat

2011-01-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

This year's family mountain retreat took us to Bat Cave, NC. The house really was great (like all those in the past), but like many of the mountain places we visit, getting there involved "turning off the paved road"! We had beautiful, but cool weather for two days and enjoyed hiking around the property and eating too much. On Sunday morning we were surprised with about 4 inches of wet snow and still snowing! It wasn't supposed to happen until 6pm!! We thought we were stuck because there was no way 2 of our vehicles could get out of the very steep driveway. Luckily, the owners had a friend/neighbor that came up and cleared us a path out! As Bill would say, it just makes the story better.

Paper Jamz guitar was a popular and entertaining gift!

Moon Dough for Andrew - this stuff is amazing!

The gang!

Our Sunday morning surprise!

First snow of winter

2011-01-22T20:58:00.000-05:00

The first Saturday of December we visited Mimi and Papa T for the annual Christmas photo. Can you imagine trying to get all these kids in a shot AND THEN adding in 6 more that couldn't make it??? The finished product was great as usual.

On our way home it started to snow and by the time we arrived we had a light dusting - our first snow of winter!

Singing at church

2011-01-17T16:32:00.000-05:00

These kids aren't quite ready for the Hallelujah Chorus, but they are SO CUTE!!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Away in a Manger

Rocketry

2011-01-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

In the last year, Bill and the boys have taken to building and launching rockets. I think the time in the garage is a great stress reliever for Bill and Joshua really likes the launch. Andrew, however is still scared of the launch process and cries and doesn't want to watch! On a cold Saturday in November, they all went to Bill's dad's house for a guys day and gave me (mom) a chance to get some Christmas decorating done without as much "help"!

Each rocket is named. Below left is the "Silver Streak" and on the right is the "Big Bertha". Both of these rockets are still part of our collection, but sadly, some (like the one above) have been lost in the wind!

Panther's Stadium Tour

2011-01-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

I don't know what we were thinking when we decided to take this crew on a tour of Bank of America Stadium! It was a great chance to see an old college roomie, but we didn't get much out of the tour!

My two plus a friend's little girl and her two.

JT always has a pose and Andrew, well, "silly" should be his middle name!

Halloween Dress Up

2011-01-10T21:26:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am still very behind in the blog, but I have a goal - be caught up by the end of January!

Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays because I have a 5 year old that is not very brave when it comes to scary things and also because it is the beginning of a 2 month candy/sweets addiction that I have to fight terribly come January! This year we attended a costume party that required all attending to dress up. There were lots of scary decorations there, but by the end of the night, JT was doing much better!!

We started Halloween evening by going to the church for Trunk or Treat and these are the characters that joined us...

After church we came home to let the boys trick or treat through the neighborhood and who would have thought that would require a costume change!

Daddy worked very diligently on this Jack O Lantern!

Pumpkin Farm (year 4)

2010-12-16T11:51:00.000-05:00

Once again we visited the pumpkin farm to celebrate a birthday (well late celebration that is). JT had a bike party and we wanted to visit the pumpkin farm for Andrew, but because of Bill's surgery, we had to postpone it for a month. Once again, we had a great time, and it only took 1 week to get all the corn kernels out of our clothing!

Fall Trip

2010-12-05T22:41:00.001-05:00

We had some use them or lose them frequent flyer miles so the family took a mini vacation the first of October. It was Andrew's first flight and the first that Joshua can remember. They did great! We flew into Rochester, NY and drove up to Lake Ontario then to Tonawanda and then a walk around the American side of Niagara Falls - all in one day! We were so tired because we flew out of RDU at 6am, but we drove on to Mississauga, Canada and crashed. We spent some time touring around Toronto and thankfully the rain seemed to break a bit each time we needed to be out. We found a great state park in Bronte Creek to explore without continuing to empty our wallets and then headed back to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Only Joshua and I rode the "Maid of the Mist" since Andrew was sleeping and then we spent the night over looking the Falls. It was a great hotel room! We concluded our whirlwind trip by driving down into Buffalo, NY and checking out Lake Erie and then back to Rochester for a little downtown touring. It was a great trip and the first time we've really done any sightseeing with the boys, but it was tiring!

Windy, windy beside Lake Ontario

Touring the American side

JT by CN Tower, Toronto

Why didn't we bring the stroller!!!

Bronte Creek Park

View from our hotel on the Canadian side of the Falls.

Andrew is awake to see the Falls!

Seeing the pattern yet? Just before J & I rode "Maid of the Mist".

Andrew was a good sport with our lack of sleep, downtown Rochester.

First Year of Soccer

2010-11-21T15:52:00.000-05:00

JT played his first season of soccer this Fall. We were hesitant to start so early, but he had shown an earnest desire and would kick a ball around the house for an hour. He was one of the smaller kids on the team but gave a valiant effort. He was not one of the "stars" but he certainly did hustle! I guess we will be in for another round in the Spring!

Andrew did really well during practices and games. He would sit in his chair or play along the sidelines.

Birthday Season

2010-11-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

We celebrate birthdays from the middle of September until the middle of October. I (mom) am lucky to celebrate my birthday alone in the month of January. This year was the year of cakes. Both Joshua and Andrew's cakes had me stressing how they would turn out until the very end. They LOVED their cakes and I could not have bought anything they liked better! It was a joyful time as we celebrated 3, 38, and 5 years!!

3 years 9/19

38 years 9/26

5 years 10/16

First Day of Preschool 2010

2010-11-02T14:32:00.000-04:00

Andrew was not so excited about the start of school this year because he did not understand why Joshua was staying home. He goes on Tuesday and Thursday from 9-12 and gives me the opportunity to run errands or spend more uninterrupted time with Joshua on his school.

He used the special day plate for lunch. For some reason, this motivates the kids!

Habitat - one HOT Saturday in August

2010-11-01T09:39:00.000-04:00

It was a hot day, but thankfully we had plenty of water and every so often, God sent us a little shade cloud! Our college/career class volunteered to help on truss day. I had no idea what a truss was before this, but now I am intimately acquainted! It was hard work, but very fulfilling. Habitat for Humanity is a great organization and I would strongly recommend it for any of your charitable giving (or volunteer time!).

CRASH!!

2010-10-19T17:17:00.000-04:00

Yes, my computer failed! The last Tuesday in August, I lost my motherboard. It was a long journey without Internet and I realize just how dependent I have become. Now, 2 months later, I have the original computer back (it chugs as if it will crash again soon!) and a new laptop. I'm trying to catch up on all the events and eventually, I will start posting here regularly again!

First Day of Kindergarten

2010-08-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

We are attempting our first year of homeschooling!! *YIKES* I can't believe this is where life has led me and each time I think this is something I cannot do, I remind myself that I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined being a stay at home mom! Today was our first day and everything went fine. We started a little after 8 and were finished within an hour. My dad thinks J must be a very quick learner ; ) but that time did not include a snack or recess or lunch! I tried to make today a special day like so many of my friends with children starting "real" school because it was still his first day of school. The only unexpected today was Andrew. He is usually so content in front of the television, and that was my plan for this morning, but he did not think the same! It was a battle for about 20 minutes, but he finally resigned himself to PBS.

On our front porch, "1" for his first day.

Our work area

He still gets away with too much just because he's cute!

He kept telling me, "I want to play that game!".

Finishing the day with our special day plate because it was his special day!!

Popo's 70th

2010-08-23T21:08:00.000-04:00

Saturday, August 14th, we celebrated Bill's father's 70th birthday. He's not one for gala affairs so it was an intimate gathering with the family in the upstairs room of the Boardroom. It was a great evening with good food and a good cake!

Popo and 3 of 5

What an awesome cake!

Hot in Atlanta!

2010-08-15T17:05:00.000-04:00

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm tired!! We have gone & done so much this summer trying to give the girls a good experience, but it has worn me down! (Not to mention my house is a wreck!) We had one week overlap of the Russian girl and the French girl so we chose that week to visit a "city". Originally, I thought I'd be fine with my boys and the girls alone, but in the end I enlisted the help of a local teacher friend so it wouldn't be me alone with the kids! We had a great condo in downtown - we could walk everywhere. We did a lot of walking and the boys did surprisingly well even though the heat/humidity was almost too much for me. In two days, we visited Coke World, the Georgia Aquarium, CNN center, Centennial Park, Turner Field, and finally, Atlantic Station for a little shopping. The toughest part was the 330 mile drive!

JT was in Coke paradise - I let him drink as much as he wanted! I think Solène tried all 41 flavors.

At Centennial Park

This was a real aquarium behind us with live coral. Although the GA Aquarium is expensive, I would strongly recommend it.

July - just a lot of water!

2010-08-10T14:51:00.000-04:00

Our summer has been very busy with trips to the waterpark, lake, and beach. It was a very hot/humid July and the only way to cool off was in the water! Luckily, the boys seem to love it as much as we do!

p.s. I am playing catch up on all my photos for the next few weeks!

As the family photographer, I have to occasionally ask Bill to "get me in one" so in the future, we'll know I was there!

Freeze pops are a summer must at our house!

Yes, that's Bill on the rope swing at Belews Lake.

*Trying* to broaden their palette!

Welcome Solène

2010-08-08T20:32:00.001-04:00

We continued our summer short term exchange experience with the addition of Solène from France on July 24. JT asked me today who he will play with after everyone is gone. Our boys have truly enjoyed these additions to our family!

Face Paint

2010-08-08T20:23:00.000-04:00

The Panther

The tiger

Yes, we own face paint is all I can say.

July 4th at Popo's

2010-07-26T06:48:00.000-04:00

We had a great 4th of July at Bill's "homeplace". Ilona had seen a photo of one of these cakes that I would make when we lived in Switzerland and wanted one for this year. She really enjoyed it! We had a great time Sunday evening riding the Kabota all around and then we took rockets to launch which J was very excited about! We did the traditional hamburger/hotdog grilling and then finished the evening with our own *fireworks* by the pond.

We don't have a good hill for these type of activites either, but J had a blast!

What a Man, what a man!

2010-07-07T14:57:00.000-04:00

As you remember, Bill was cycling on 4/29/2009 and was hit head on by a car. He spent 12 nights in the hospital, had 2 surgeries, (1 or 2 still to come), and lost so much strength he had to use a walker to make it to our mailbox. At the time he was training for Blood, Sweat, and Gears, a 102 mile bike ride in the NC mountains. Our God saved Bill that day and gave him the resolve to "make it back". On Saturday, June 26, 2010, Bill completed the ride in 5 hours 42 minutes! He said he was riding mad - every time it got tough, he got mad about being hit. Must have worked because he did awesome!

On his way to the start line.

Still looking strong at mile 82!

At the finish with his #1 riding partner (and great friend through his recovery).

Mountain Escape

2010-07-07T09:07:00.000-04:00

The last weekend in June found us in the NC mountains. Our cabin was super cute and had everything we could need - even though it was miles from "town". We enjoyed being with good friends and watching Bill on his comeback bike ride!

The cabin had no ac, but thankfully it was cool at night.

JT enjoying the hot tub. Don't ask me why he's wearing water wings!

The many faces of Andrew in the Watuaga River - he was pretending to be a pterodactyl.

Introducing Ilona from Russia. She is with us until the end of July.

Momma can't do this much longer!

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-29T22:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day! So I am only 2 weeks late, but here's to my father, Bill's father, and Bill! We spent Sunday in church and then preparing for Ilona's arrival (from Russia) and had dinner with Bill's father in Albemarle. Monday morning we (me, the boys, & Ilona) went to the beach to celebrate with my father.

Pool's Open

2010-06-09T14:03:00.000-04:00

Against my better judgement we put the baby pool out yesterday. We also have season passes for the waterpark, but Joshua couldn't imagine us not using our pool! There were 2 holes in the side to patch and one in the top ring that I've still not found, so I'm guessing it will not see 2011 in our yard!

The water was super cold, but the boys braved it. Of course, they were cold, but not happy to get out!

Bye, bye training wheels!

2010-05-28T14:10:00.001-04:00

We set a goal for Joshua to be riding his bike without training wheels before he turned 5. He did it almost 2 weeks ago - 5 months before turning 5!! This whole time he's been using training wheels he's continually asked when he can get a "full face" helmet and when can he get a dirt bike and our answer has always been that you have to learn to ride without training wheels first. Wouldn't you know it, the day he rode without training wheels he wanted to know when we were going to the store to get the dirt bike and full face!!

Bill started him off on a slight decline in a grassy area beside the house. He took a few falls, but eventually got it.

It really became a big deal riding through the neighborhood! We did add the knee and elbow protectors for the pavement. ; )

Notice that he is wearing cycling pants (with pads and all) and a cycling jersey with pockets in the back. No, his dad doesn't spoil him at all!!

We were at a friends house and they let him ride this - he did great to start with but then cornered on a small hill and flipped it (he was okay, just bruised and scared). He hasn't really said much else about wanting a full face or dirt bike!!

Sleepy Boy!

2010-05-21T16:44:00.001-04:00

I don't know how long we had to stay in carseats when I was little, but I know my parents always talk about me being asleep for any trip by the time we reached our mailbox. Andrew is starting to display some of these behaviors! J never (even as a baby) slept in the car. I was only wishing this could have been me....

And here he is within 10 minutes of being awakened - apple juice does wonders for this kid!

Mother's Day Celebration

2010-05-13T08:56:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Mother's Day at the beach!! I was being a bit selfish this year, but after last year, I felt a bit entitled ; )

All worked out well. Bill's mother was also at the beach for a wedding so we got to visit with her for a while Sunday morning and I took the boys and visited with my mom yesterday. We all had a great time in the sand, surf, and pools and the weather was great! It really is a blessing to be a mom to such great boys!

We took this picture on Monday since I was not exactly "photo ready" at the beach!

On Wednesday at my mom's. She had actually been sick, so it was good we weren't with her earlier!

Another 5K and Fun Run

2010-05-04T12:46:00.000-04:00

This was the 3rd year I've done this 5K and somehow my time improves each year but I can't get past second place in my age group! I'll keep trying! This year we made it a family event and Joshua wanted to do the one mile fun run. He finished in 13.27. Bill said it took some encouragement as he made the first turn and wanted to stop, but he finished strong!!

Here he comes!

Receiving his finishers ribbon

Some of the other folks that ran that day.

Everyday dress up

2010-04-23T15:58:00.000-04:00

I have boys and thought dress up was only for girls... WRONG. My oldest loves to dress up in "character" - it could be a super hero, football player, cyclist, soccer player, cowboy, etc. etc. You name it - but he is now encouraging little brother to get in on it. Too bad he only ever wants to be batman! This is everyday at my house. J really wishes mom could be elastagirl from the Incredibles - I wish I could be a superhero, maybe then the house would be clean!!

Suiting up little brother

Batman off to swing

Batman in the kitchen to cook (bother mom!)

Regular Robin

Cyclist Robin

Rough, tough cowboy

Seven Years

2010-04-13T09:12:00.001-04:00

We are so blessed to have found each other and to have found a way to live with each other! Though we may have had a rocky courtship - our marriage has been bliss! Thank you Bill for being a wonderful husband and father and thank you God for blessing our union - 7 years yesterday!

last night before a fabulous dinner

The day - April 12, 2003

Youngins - 1998 about 9 months dating with a wee little Maggie

Grandma would be proud!

2010-04-13T09:04:00.001-04:00

I started transplanting these tubers from my grandmothers yard when I first moved back to NC. My grandma could grow anything and spent most all of her days outside. I don't have her green thumb, but I have her irises and I also planted a sprout from her famous blueberry bush that is still growing 3 years later!

We Still Celebrate a Risen Lord!!

2010-04-04T17:19:00.000-04:00

We don't talk about the Easter Bunny or Santa much at our house because we never want our kids to lose sight of the birth, death, or resurrection of Christ. We hope you and yours have enjoyed a beautiful Easter weekend!

Joshua was too busy making Wolfpack signs in this photo!

So I'm the camera lady that sets the timer (where's my remote, by the way) then runs across the yard with a 30+ lb load on her hip. If I didn't carry that child - he'd be across the yard somewhere! That's my excuse for looking frazzled! ; )

Does Anyone Else Feel My Pain??

2010-04-04T17:04:00.000-04:00

Of course, I think I have 2 of the cutest boys in the world, but why, oh why, can't I ever get a decent shot of them together? Check out this progression....

255 Miles South

2010-04-01T00:29:00.004-04:00

Bill is on a misson trip in Costa Rica for a week and I thought it would be an excellent time to load up the boys and visit my sister in her new digs! She has a great new home in a great neighborhood and we really enjoyed our visit. Below you see the most memorable part for the boys.

Sunshine and St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-20T23:02:00.004-04:00

We enjoyed the warmer weather so much this week! Only problem now is that J thinks it is time to wear shorts all the time, get out the swimming pool, and go to the beach. Against my better judgement, I bought the boys St. Patrick's Day shirts, and I don't regret it one bit. We got so many complements on them and I'm crossing my fingers that they will be big enough to last for 2011 as well!

Not the bravest kid on the block, but he is getting there - climbing trees! He got stuck one time and started yelling, "¡Ayúdeme!" He's watched too many Diego episodes!

Do they get much cuter than this??

J's imagination takes him into cowboy gun battles (seen here) and sword fights. Below, A had found a nice "fishing pole" and told me, "I sit and fish". Here he is showing me the SHARK he caught!

13.1 Complete!

2010-03-11T16:16:00.005-05:00

So I didn't achieve the 1 hour 55 min goal, but I do have great excuses why!! ; ) My official chip time was 1:58:24 and I *think*, I might have been able to shave 3 min in MB on the flat course. Either way, the race has been run and I am not ashamed of the time. It started out to be a chilly day, but ended with beautiful sunshine and my wonderful family and friends cheering for us!

My fans! The boys wait patiently for momma and enjoy goldfish.

Coming up the final incline to the finish - my legs were so dead, the back was hunched, all form was lost, but the finish line was in sight!

Joshua had picked me a flower! I'm sure the city of Charlotte was okay with that!

My partner - she pulls me up the highest hills!

First Snowman of Winter

2010-03-03T10:29:00.004-05:00

Preschool was cancelled AGAIN!!! I'm really thinking I should get a discount. Even the Myrtle Beach Marathon has made special offers for runners unable to compete this year because of the snow cancellation. Today, the school system got it wrong. The roads are clear and at best should have only had a delay. Nonetheless, the wet snow was perfect for snowballs and snowmen and we had a blast this morning!

A would slyly walk up to the snowman when he thought I wasn't watching and say, "I'm gonna take your nose off!".

Hopes Dashed -- snowed out!

2010-02-16T14:56:00.003-05:00

So I've had February 13th blocked on my calendar since September. I registered for a half marathon in Myrtle Beach - a very large race - and have been in diligent training since November 1. So we get to MB on Thursday night, our accomodations are great with lots of indoor pools and hot tubs, and it seems like a great family get away. I was to run Saturday morning and Bill was going to do a 63 mile bike ride on Sunday. All was great except the threat of weather. Friday evening around 6pm it started snowing - at the beach - and the city cancelled our run. So what do 6000+ mad runners do on Saturday? They went out and ran in the snow! The weekend wasn't a complete bust, the boys had a great time in the pools and the bike ride went on Sunday with only a 2 hour delay. We did have a good time, but I was disappointed and have now registered for a 1/2 on March 6. Knees don't fail me yet!

3-5" of snow was predicted, but I don't think it passed 2". At any rate, I'd never seen snow on the beach before! It was pretty and on the palm trees, too!

Saturday Snow

2010-01-30T11:19:00.004-05:00

We didn't get the 12+ inches, but I think it was a solid 6-8. It was plenty for us because much more and little legs would not be able to maneuver!

Bedtime Routine

2010-01-19T14:27:00.005-05:00

Each evening usually finds me in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner and the boys & Bill go upstairs to "wind-down" and get ready for bed. This could involve football down the hall, Nerf basketball games, or back flips and cannonballs on our bed. I don't think Super Nanny would approve, but our kids are still usually snoring by 9!

Andrew doesn't get as much airtime as JT!

A few more from Christmas

2010-01-14T21:06:00.003-05:00

We were extremely thankful this Christmas to be together and healthy for the holiday! We have a wonderful Savior who saves - from lots of things!! This is the best family shot taken the Sunday before Christmas. I can almost hear the internal groans each time I get out the tripod! You can't see the complete outfit, since I was trying to crop out the firefighter rainboots J insisted on wearing to church with his santa football tie, but I made my jacket and pants. Still trying to fit in the hobbies every now and again!
This was taken at Papa & Granny J's house on Christmas eve - my 4 year old - going on 14!!

Did I mention that it is hard to get a picture of the boys together. This was the best I could get of them in their pjs before opening presents.

A little better here. Our "big" boy got his most prized football uniform for Christmas and the "little" boy was very excited about the little dinosaur figures. They are so different!

Photos are tough!

2010-01-07T14:57:00.003-05:00

Trying to get pictures of the boys together has become quite the challenge. Here they are in their Christmas green about a week before the 25th.

Annual Family Christmas Trip

2010-01-07T14:50:00.002-05:00

This year found us back in Black Mountain, NC for a very cold weekend! The house we rented was great for us with lots of toys in the basement for the boys.
We went for a 1/2 mile walk to the lake which was partly frozen and then just as I was picking Andrew up for this photo op, I realized he and I needed to make the 1/2 mile back since I did not have the diaper bag!

Honoring Bill's Mother

2009-12-18T15:33:00.002-05:00

Bill's mom was recently surprised with a party to honor her 70th! Doesn't she look beautiful! Sadly, Brian was out of the country and couldn't make it, but look who jumped in the photo....

Ready for some Football?

2009-12-18T15:28:00.005-05:00

We have taken JT to a couple of games this year and now he is going to be a football player. The #1 item on Christmas list is a complete (helmet and pads) Wolfpack football uniform! Mom is not so sure of this decision!

The future of football?

Halloween and such

2009-11-21T08:53:00.003-05:00

I am so far behind on my pictures, but I have to publish Halloween photos before Christmas is here!

A fun day at the zoo.

Andrew still isn't into dressing up - so we went with what we had. We did love to hear him say, "I'm Bob duh Bidda."

Like so many boys his age, J wanted to be Spiderman this year, but unfortunately, we couldn't ever find one to fit. I was very happy about this Dash the Incredible costume!

I did a Halloween 5K and Dash won the prize for best costume!

The fun run was a "Trick or Trot" and the boys got lots of candy. By the time I had finished the 5K - little pumpkin was on his 3rd sucker, and I ran fast that day!

I love the way you eat a cupcake

2009-11-03T10:02:00.003-05:00

Joshua turns 4!!

2009-11-03T09:44:00.003-05:00

The day begins with his choice of breakfast (Poptart) on our special day plate. At least for dinner he chose "that orange fish (salmon), broccoli, green beans, and potatoes".

Then he was off to preshool for party #1. I had to purchase the cupcakes for this one, but the blue icing made for some very cute/messy kids. By the way, he wore the hat ALL DAY! After school we headed off to Chuck E. Cheese with Papa and Granny J which we have done for the previous 2 years.

Saturday was party #2 with some family friends. I made these pumpkin shirts for all the kids since we were going to the pumpkin farm.

His cake request this year was a football cake. I had seen this done at the grocery store and thought my model turned out well! Too bad is was so windy we couldn't get the candles lit!

Our kids are getting too big too fast! Joshua is still a very smart and well behaved child. He seems to be more gifted in words than numbers at this point and it will be interesting to watch him develop in the coming year. We love you, JT!

Tweetsie Railroad

2009-10-27T08:36:00.003-04:00

We got a great deal for tickets and hotel, so off to Boone we went. The activities at Tweetsie were perfect for our kids, but I was not so impressed that we will spend the $$ to go back again. I'd rather go to the State Fair! Joshua became a cowboy on the trip and has now acquired a cap gun and toy riffle. He is constantly on the lookout for Indians!

Happy Birthday Bill!

2009-10-23T07:22:00.003-04:00

Bill celebrated his 37th birthday this year, but he thinks the accident has added age to his body, so it was really like his 40th! I am just so thankful that he was here and HEALTHY for the celebration! Joshua thought Bill should have a bike or parachute cake. This is my attempt at the bike.

Blowing out the candles - too bad it looked better than it tasted! I tried a new icing recipe and Bill thought it was like eating shaving cream.

I scraped the icing off and tried again. This time the icing got the stamp of approval!

Bill wanted me to take the boys to the bike shop to pick him something out for his birthday and this is the jersey that was chosen! Bill has actually worn it, too. What a good sport!

Andrew turns 2!

2009-10-06T08:44:00.003-04:00

Our little boy is 2! He celebrated this year with several parties and enjoyed all of the attention. He is a sweet, loving, strong-willed little boy and we look forward to watching him grow in the year to come!

Race Day

2009-10-05T15:19:00.003-04:00

I have been trying to run myself back into shape. I've done area 5K's but this was my first attempt at a 10K since Cooper River in 2002! It was a tough course, but my training partner and I both won our age groups!

Andrew was a trooper - and was rewarded with lots of chocolate cookies from Mimi!Daddy and Joshua gear up for the 1 mile fun run.

They finish in a little over 13 minutes!! Go Joshua!
My legs were dead and my head was dizzy!

First Day of Preschool

2009-09-28T06:55:00.002-04:00

It was tough to get a shot of the boys together on this, their first day back to preschool. Andrew did not want to cooperate! They are doing great and I am relishing in my few hours alone each week!

Haircut for Andrew

2009-09-28T06:51:00.002-04:00

Try as I might, I could not keep Andrew still for cuts at home. He did much better for the stylist and now has a bowl cut which I never ever thought I would go for on my children, but it is so cute on him!

Labor Day in Lake Country

2009-09-16T21:42:00.003-04:00

We returned to the land of our courtship for a long weekend and had a wonderful time. Bill has worked such long hours lately, he needed the break mainly to sleep and rest. We found a beautiful place and now plan to try for a week next summer!

Labor day (continued)

2009-09-16T21:30:00.003-04:00

J testing daddy's reflexes! He loves to jump off the back deck.

Our house had a great view and sandy beach that was perfect for the boys.

I found this swim set at TJ Maxx this summer and it is great. One piece that wraps the stomach and back and then swimmies. We call it his "turtle back".

Yep. He is.... this is the way he wanted to be on the "beach". Can you imagine the sand!

More great ideas

2009-09-03T14:31:00.002-04:00

I am so glad that I don't get to participate in so many of dad's great ideas. A couple of weeks ago he and J made it the whole night out in the tent. Joshua was so excited the next morning that he had slept outside all night (and I was so excited to have had the whole bed to myself!).

Puddle Play

2009-08-30T17:11:00.006-04:00

So my boys love to play in puddles and each time it rains we get a couple of great ones a few houses down. Andrew has finally gotten the "hang" of it. Now if only he could figure out how not to fill his diaper with puddle water!

Time to go home for a snack!

Daddy's great idea

2009-08-13T10:01:00.002-04:00

J has really been wanting to camp out and last night got to camp in his room. He slept in there all night and they have enjoyed playing "camp out" this morning. Now - how long do I have to deal with this tent set up in the house!

Dairy Day

2009-08-13T09:54:00.003-04:00

Monday was a hot one, but the boys were real troopers as we visited a local dairy farm. We went on a hayride and saw very few cows because they were all trying to find shade. They did get to help feed a 1 month old calf and at the end of the tour got to enjoy ice cream in the shade. We purchased some very rich and creamy chocolate milk there and now Joshua only wants to drink that "cow milk"!

He's Back!!

2009-08-04T14:53:00.003-04:00

Three months does wonders for a body! By the way, he normally doesn't "suit up" like this to ride around the neighborhood, but J insisted!

4th at the Beach

2009-07-24T14:56:00.002-04:00

Bill continues to gain more and more strength and we headed south for the 4th. The boys really had a great time - if only their sparklers didn't look like they're holding fire!

First Fresh Corn

2009-07-23T16:59:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we got fresh corn from the farmer's market (why is corn so expensive this year?). It took Andrew a few tries to figure it out, but then he started to enjoy it - or the butter and salt, at least!

Moving up!

2009-07-12T17:01:00.008-04:00

My baby is now in his toddler bed! He was so excited when he realized that he could get in and out of bed on his own. We close the door for naps and bedtime, but to my knowledge, he does not get up until we come in!

Here he is asleep that first night. As you can see, he hasn't started losing his baby fat yet. ; )

Fun at City Park

2009-07-11T14:12:00.006-04:00

We celebrated a friend's birthday at city park on 6/27. The rides were perfect for the boys!

Joshua had a great time as did Andrew, but he (A.) was still afraid of the carosel and gave a definitive "no" when asked to ride!

Wedding

2009-06-16T21:45:00.004-04:00

My niece was married this past weekend which gave Joshua his first opportunity to participate in a wedding. He was so excited about his "new" clothes, but especially the shoes. He carried them out of the mall, wore them all evening, put them on the next morning, and wore them to the rehearsal as well. He said he liked them because they were slick and shiny! He did a great job during the ceremony, but was very serious and would not even crack a smile for pictures!

Bike Riding

2009-06-09T15:06:00.003-04:00

Saturday found our family outside enjoying the day after a couple of days in the house with all the rain. I think J enjoyed his ride more than Andrew!

A Look Outside

2009-06-07T22:11:00.004-04:00

We are enjoying the outdoors! If the boys had their way, we'd spend every minute outside. They are fascinated by bubbles in any form, and I *try* to overlook the suds running down their arms, legs, shoes, etc. Crocs are very handy for washing! We have purchased one of the small pools with the filter and pump and we filled it up last week. I think I've gotten more than I bargained for with the cleaning and such and have decided that once they outgrow this, we will have passes to the waterpark!

Been a while

2009-06-04T14:37:00.002-04:00

So many of you know, but some may not, that Bill was in an accident on 4/29. He had left out early that Wednesday morning for a bike ride which ended suddenly when he was hit by a car that was obviously not paying attention. Our household is trying to return to "normal" again, but there is still quite a bit of healing to be done. He is expected to make a full recovery, it is just taking longer than he wishes. That being said, I have not even uploaded photos from my camera for over a month, but I do have some coming, so stay tuned!!!

Easter

2009-04-25T17:10:00.004-04:00

Hallelujah, Christ Arose!! We had a wonderful Easter and it was great seeing Andrew go for the eggs/candy for the first time. This year found us answering more tough questions from Joshua about Jesus, the cross, and death in general. At least he's thinking about it!

Real Haircut

2009-04-22T13:19:00.005-04:00

Joshua has only had mama cuts for the last year (it took him that long to get enough hair to cut!). Finally, on Good Friday, we took him for a real cut. He looks like such a big boy now! The stylist couldn't believe how well he behaved and how still he was. We had already promised a trip to Krispe Kreme afterwards!

Antiquities

2009-04-09T14:02:00.003-04:00

These photos were done as part of a fundraiser at a local church. The photo quality was not the best in the world, but the boys seemed to have fun dressing up. Andrew does not like hats at all, but suprisingly he didn't even try to take these off! We had our first egg hunt at the preschool today and Joshua is getting very excited about Easter candy! Happy Easter everyone!

What to do?

2009-03-20T08:47:00.004-04:00

One of the houses on the street behind us has an odd "L" shaped lot that wraps around behind our neighbors behind us and backs up to us. We've been dealing with caution tape across the back of our property since September and are trying to decide what to do - any ideas??

You live in a deranged age, more deranged that usual, because in spite of great scientific and technological advances, man has not the faintest idea of who he is or what he is doing. Walker Percy

Day of Play

2009-03-11T21:09:00.002-04:00

Our weather is all over the place!! Snow, very warm today, and back close to freezing for the weekend. We have taken full advantage of the beautiful weather spending lots and lots of time outside. Today - the zoo, but the only thing J is ever interested in is the playground!

REAL SNOW!

2009-03-02T21:39:00.003-05:00

We saw lots of snow for those 2 years in Switzerland, but this is the first time we've really experienced more than a dusting since we returned in 05! Joshua was very excited, but Andrew just wanted to take his mittens off and go inside! Andrew has started walking/toddling around, finally at 17 months! Joshua has had a breakthrough on his bike with his pedaling skills and now I have to run or ride beside him to keep up. We are all doing well and even though we enjoyed the snow today, we are looking forward to Spring and warmer weather!

Gator time

2009-01-31T13:19:00.002-05:00

Joshua has gotten the hang of driving the Gator, but I'm still not ready to switch to "fast" speed as long as Andrew is riding! It is so funny to watch my 3 year old driving! I can't imagine when it's a motorbike or faster!

SNOW!

2009-01-20T09:43:00.002-05:00

Not a lot of the white stuff, but enough to get Joshua excited. Andrew was not happy about the mittens, though. (And yes, J is still wearing his p.j.s)

Christmas update

2009-01-09T18:06:00.003-05:00

Christmas was a joyous time, both in celebrating the birth of our Savior and in watching 2 little blessings from God! Only problem now is that Joshua is already making a list for what he wants next year.

Family Photo at Church

2008-12-21T20:52:00.004-05:00

Here we are, all dressed up in our Sunday best!!

Family Retreat

2008-12-21T20:45:00.004-05:00

Our family had a long weekend away to celebrate an early Christmas. The house was great and even had a zip line on the property! We ventured into "town" one day and Papa and Bill made it look like Andrew could walk. He had his 15 month checkup on Thursday and was doing well other than an ear infection, and I had no idea! He's doing well and really has not suffered much with it, so I'm thankful!

Children's Program

2008-12-21T20:41:00.005-05:00

Although Joshua only had a small part, we thought he did a wonderful job! Of course, they all won cuteness points!