The Taylor Family Journey

Food

2012-01-27T21:22:00.003-05:00

I couldn't think of what to title this post...in training, eating healthy, new adventure. Blah... who knows! All I know is that I'm learning and practicing some new habits with food. I've said for awhile that I am a healthy eater which really meant that I ate decently healthy meals and then loved a dessert afterwards. :-) My meats were always lean and prepared well and I ate lots of fruits but my veggie intake was seriously lacking. When I bake I like to use wheat flour, that's healthy right?! Seriously, I have been trying to take care of my body for awhile now but I recently have a renewed interest. I think it's called "baby weight." YUCK! The first time the weight literally just fell off. This time it has hung around a bit too long. Along with the baby weight I have been doing some reading and we have watched a few food documentaries on Netflix.

I have made a few changes...

1.) Thanks to Forks Over Knives I have decided to start a little vegetarian adventure. I'm not saying that I won't ever eat meat again (I may eat it tomorrow) but my meals for the last 3 weeks have been meatless and I've really been enjoying it. The really exciting part is not just that I'm not eating meat, but I am eating a TON of vegetables, which hasn't really happened before. We used to have our 1 token vegetable at dinner and sometimes lunch would be a salad. My lunch and dinner plates are now full of veggies!

2.) I have kicked a lot of processed foods out the door. No more crackers, chips, cookies, etc. I am still eating cereal/granola for breakfast because I can't find much else to eat (any whole food/plant strong suggestions?). I am also still doing whole wheat pasta and the occasional slice of bread but that is pretty much it.

3.) This kind of goes with the above statement of no processed foods but desserts have been limited to one visit to the frozen yogurt store a week. No more dessert after every meal.

There are a couple of issues that I am still struggling with though...

1.) I'm still learning what is healthy and what is not healthy. The internet is full of information but it's the sorting of it that is the problem. I recently read that Olive Oil was bad for you. Everything I have ever read before said it was a healthy fat... that you should not over do. This article said to stay away from olive oil like you stay away from sugar! I've read a few other conflicting articles about other "healthy" choices.

2.) I'm also learning the difference between eating healthy and eating to lose weight. Nuts and avocados may be really healthy and I happen to love them both but I'm not sure that they will help on the weight loss journey. Since I have been eating so many fruits and veggies I have not started with the old standby of counting calories. However, that may be happening soon..

3.) I'm also having to acknowledge once again how many of my eating issues are born out of our culture and how I was raised. Food has always been a reward, used for a celebration or even to make a bad day better. If I am going to live a healthy lifestyle I can't continue to make food the focus. We even caught ourselves tonight doing it. I mentioned our recent trips to the yogurt store. After dinner Mark spontaneously said we should go get some yogurt. On the way over I asked him what had spurred the trip and he replied, "It's been a long week and we've both worked hard." How do we avoid it? What other ways can we destress/celebrate? I'm thinking new clothes or pedicures for me! :-)

I've lost 5 lbs since New Years (bye bye baby weight) and am hoping to lose some additional. Even if I don't lose more, I'm enjoying the new foods and am hoping to stick with the veggies for awhile...we'll see. I'm really wanting to do it for myself and my family. I couldn't stand feeling like I didn't take care of myself so that I couldn't see this sweet face everyday!

Caroline's Sillies

2012-01-22T20:20:00.002-05:00

Caroline's vocabulary and understanding of conversation has been growing like crazy. The other day I asked her if she wanted lotion on and she replied, "I'm good." as in "No thanks Mom." It was so cute!

She has been calling me "mommy" for a long time but the other day I casuaaly mentioned in conversation with her that I liked when she called me mama. It's been mama ever since!
She has also started to really enjoy her play kitchen. We have it in her room and lately she has been playing in there by herself. This afternoon Mark and I both spent some time in there watching her cook.

While playing with Mark she said, "I'm cooking you dinner. Be patient." Bah! It's so scary the things that they pick up! When Mark first told me that she said that, I thought oh no, we have a sassy girl on our hands. However, she said it a little bit later while she was cooking for me and it came out very sweetly!

While cooking with me, she brought me a play chocolate chip cookie. I asked her what kind it was and she said, "a polka dot cookie." I think they may have to be the new name.

Caroline Sings

2012-01-21T21:11:00.002-05:00

Caroline has turned into a little song bird. She is singing all the time which means we still occassionally get to hear some Christmas tunes!

Words

2012-01-20T13:05:00.001-05:00

"My peoples" (as Caroline would say) and I run in a fairly tight little circle. Our Sunday School class is a pretty close little group and then I am blessed enough to add a sister and brother in law in the mix. I have been learning a lot lately about the importance of words but also the intent behind the words. I ran across the verse/idea below on one of my favorite blogs today and am thinking that I need to be practicing this more often. I think I may be talking a lot less! :-)

"My wise friend Holly taught me years ago to put the ugly and unkind things through the Phillipians 4:8 test:
Is it true?
Noble?
Reputable?
Authentic?
Compelling?
Gracious?
The best, not the worst?
Beautiful, not the ugly?
Because these are the things God tells us to dwell on."

Rookie Mistake

2012-01-07T21:04:00.004-05:00

I've made a rookie mistake with Libby. Is she not my second child?!? Poor girl (or poor mama depending on your perspective) does not take a bottle. She only has love for me. We have tried on and off over the past 5 months but have failed most every time. The last few weeks I have told myself that this is going to happen. I've got to be able to have a break at some point before she turns a year old! Tonight we decided to try again and we took some extreme and sweet measures that enabled success!

Mark thought it would be best if he wore the sweater I had been wearing so he smelled like me! I think they are both adorable!

Our second piece of the recipe that made success...Caroline's first prayer. :-) Libby was boohooing as Mark started to feed her. As I was running around grabbing stuff to help Caroline get to bed, I asked her to pray for Libby and she actually did it! Her sweet little prayer..."Dear God, Thank you for Libby. Help her to feel better. I love her. Amen." My heart turned to mush and God's must have too because Libby stopped crying and took the bottle! Thank you Jesus!

New mamas (and second timers too) don't make the rookie mistake. Give your baby a bottle. Your husband, your babysitters, even your baby will thank you. You will most definitely thank yourself. Here's to another try with the bottle tomorrow night!

Howling Winds and a Tiny Voice

2012-01-03T15:47:00.000-05:00

Last night the wind was holwing outside and there was a draft coming through the house. Our church normally hosts 100 or so homeless on nights that are below 25 outside, as it was. I'm assuming that since we just got through the holidays we were all a little behind in our game because we didn't have people in last night. I think because I could hear the wind all night long I felt really bothered that people were living outside in the cold. As I was laying in bed with Caroline doing our nightly routine I asked her who she wanted to pray for. She said "ladybugs and butterflies"...while I was thinking homeless folks. I talked with her about how cold it was outside and that some people didn't have homes and beds to sleep in like we did. She caught on very quickly and said, "My peoples need jackets and blankets too. It's cold outside." She is 2 and 1/2 and it's very normal to claim everything as her own. Mark and I always giggle when she says, "my people" as if she has a posse or something! :-) But it made me think...my people. They are my people in that it could be us any day and more importantly it is my people in that they are God's people. Am I caring for my people? We prayed for them last night (along with ladybudy and butterflies too) and just got word that the church is opening our doors tonight. We will be headed down to help for a bit with jackets in tow.

God's Love

2012-01-03T15:28:00.001-05:00

The young adults led our service at church on New Years Day. The sermon was on God's unfailing love for us and some of the most familiar verses were used (John 3:16). However, the sermon was presented in a way I had never heard before. Whenever I hear of God's love, I hear "God loves you so much that he sent Jesus." God loves me so much that he sent Jesus. True, true! But here's the new part ...God wanted me! As a parent, would I choose to have children knowing that they would disobey me and thus experience death? It's a little sad/scary thinking about that answer now because of the love that I feel now for my children. My immediate answer is no way!

Crazy side thought...I often lay in bed at night and have visions of the girls being hurt in some way...hit by a car or something. They are the most terrible thoughts. I find myself praying that God will take away those thoughts or images because it is more than I think I could ever bear. I can't imagine the pain of losing a child.

It's hard for me to imagine that God still wanted me even knowing that we would disobey and experience death due to our choosing ourselves. In grateful awe of the pain that God was willing to endure so that we could be in relationship with Him.

Christmas

2012-01-01T14:15:00.002-05:00

I'm sure I've said it before but we had a really great time celebrating Christmas this year with the girls. As I said in the last post, I've really recognized the importance of being intentional. Caroline is picking up on EVERYTHING that we say and do so we made the most of it this Christmas. If she's not being too shy or silly she can tell you the whole Christmas story from the angel telling Mary "Don't be scared." to the wise men bring frankincense and myrrh to Jesus as presents. We also taught her a couple of Christmas songs, "Joy to the World" and "Away in a Manger." The preschool did their job and taught her "Rudolph" too. :-) At times I thought it might be crazy to be teaching her so much stuff but she is a little sponge right now and it's sooo fun! I'm trying to get her to soak it all in before her little brain realizes how big the world is and how much other junk there is to soak up. Besides, who can resist hearing "Happy Birthday Jesus" for days on end. :-)

Christmas Eve we all went to church together and then back to Brad and Lindsay's house for dinner.

We then ate Jesus' birthday cake that we made earlier that morning. Caroline insisted that Ariel and Sleeping Booty be on his cake. At first I thought it was silly but I she was serious about it so I had to be too. :-)

Afterwards we put the girls in their Christmas pjs and played for awhile.

We headed home, only to be back at Brad and Lindsay's at 9:30 on Christmas morning to open presents together. We keep saying that eventually we are going to have to have our own family traditions but the girls are still so young that even though we teach them a lot, they still don't have a clue what is "supposed" to happen. Maybe next year...

We had a good time opening presents. I think some of my favorite were the handmade gifts. Mark made a "helping tower" for each girl. Caroline loves to help me in the kitchen and this little guy is perfect for her to stand in safely.

I made little aprons for the girls too (and Mom monogrammed them). Gigi also did a great job getting crocheted hats for the girls. I love the one she gave Caroline!

Caroline had a good time opening presents but she wore out much more quickly than I had anticipated! I had a few pictures on my camera (that were deleted) that show Caroline and Kelsey sitting and coloring while they still had a stack of presents to open. We really didn't get them that much but I wrapped everything individually thinking the present opening would be the most fun. Wrong. The presents weren't that fun anyway...a few boxes of towels for the girls bathroom redo that we just completed!

I also had some pictures of Libby's new trick...she is now sitting. It's hard to believe that she is growing so fast. She is getting so big that even Caroline is beginning to notice. Instead of "here you go Libby" it's turned into "no Libby, don't touch that."

Oh what joy 2012 will bring!!

Goals/Priorities 2012

2011-12-31T21:17:00.001-05:00

Mark and I sat down at the end of October to think about what in the world we were doing with our lives! I've always been a planner and a goal setter but life has been a whirlwind since having our second child. It's been a reminder to me that we have to be really intentional with how we spend our time. As I've said before this blog is a way for us to keep track of our family now and for future generations to read. There is lots of room for growth in our lives and this is just a starting point. Here are a few goals written down so that hopefully we can be held accountable throughout the year.

Mental/Emotional
Nicole - read 1 book per month

Marriage
Weekly date nights
Check up on goals monthly
Take at least one weekend trip away from the girls (May for anniversary or November for race)

Physical
Nicole
    Workout 3 times per week
Mark
     Run 2-3 times per week
     Learn to swim
     Develop cross training regimen - weights/yoga
Together
Do relay triathlon (Nicole -swim/bike, Mark - bike/run ??)
Each compete in 1 sprint triathlon
Run 1/2 marathon together (November ?)

Service
Mark
   Serve on Missions Committee at church
Together
   Help to fundraise for the Habitat for Humanity Race
   Complete monthly service projects with Caroline (making cards for people, taking people cookies, etc.)
   Participate throughout the year - Great Day of Service, Angel Tree, etc.
   Be open to other opportunities as they present themselves

Spiritual
Nicole
   Daily devotion time with God
   Join Bible study group in the fall
Mark
   Read Bible daily
   Do daily devotion
Family
   Talk about what we are learning weekly
   Read the Bible with Caroline
   Teach Caroline hymns
   Memorize 2 Bible verses a month with Caroline

Christmas Light 2

2011-12-25T07:51:00.001-05:00

Just an added note from another Christmas hymn tonight...O Come All Ye Faithful. Faithful...I think that is what God wants from us. Not perfection, just faithfulness.

Christmas Light

2011-12-24T14:15:00.004-05:00

It seems that at many of the most joyous times of year there is always a small reminder of the sin and darkness of this world. Small in that it's not some big glaring sin but those little parts of daily life that can easily cloud my view of the Light. My own struggles with competitiveness, pride and self centeredness have reared their ugly heads once again. While I am aware of these struggles, it is a constant battle in my head to keep my thoughts (words and actions too) in line with Christ's desires for me.

Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death (James 1:14-15).

My very favorite Christmas hymn brings me great encouragement...

Come thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King;
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit, rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to they glorious throne.

Ultimately I am reminded of a verse that we recently taught Caroline, "I am the light of the world." Jesus is Light and he has overcome the darkness of sin and death. I know that as I continually fall flat on my face in my own sinfulness that Jesus is the one and only who can bring light and life.

4 Month Check Up

2011-12-22T13:49:00.001-05:00

I took Miss Elizabeth Lee to the doctor the other day for her 4 month check up. I always wanted a longer name that could be shortened so we did Elizabeth and call her Libby. However, I will admit that it's already a little "confusing" when they call her Elizabeth at the doctors office. :-)

She is a happy, healthy girl. She weight 15 lbs. 7 oz and is 26 inches long. She is in the 90% for weight and I'm not sure on height but I'm sure it's up there too. The doctor commented on what an easy going baby she is and I agree. She giggled when the doctor was pushing on her belly and moving her legs around. She's a sweet pea.

I'm wondering if she is going to start moving around before Caroline did. She rolled over for the first time last week and is always trying to get moving when we place her on her belly.

Caroline at 4 months

Libby at 4 months

It's amazing to me to see the differences. They both have the cheeks but the coloring and hair/lack of hair cracks me up!

More Christmas!

2011-12-22T11:19:00.000-05:00

The Christmas posts may never end! We went Build A Bear the other day so that Caroline could help pick out a bear for Libby for her Christmas present. We got Caroline a bear for her first Christmas and thought it would be fun to do the same for Libby. She did a great job picking it out and helping to get it all ready. It's now safely under the tree waiting for Christmas day.

Apparently they have been learning about Santa Claus and Rudolph at school, so we decided to make reindeer cards for her preschool teachers. I'm a little obsessed with the handprint art. It's so fun and easy and you can make so many things with a handprint - who knew!?!

Last night we took Libby, Caroline, Reagan and Kelsey on a little outing!

We went to dinner at Sweet Tomato. The girls were sweet as can be. They held hands the whole time we went through the line.

Once we got some food on their plates they were as happy and quiet as they could be!

After dinner we packed them all up in the car again and went to see the Christmas lights at Life University. It's a drive thru light show and the girls were a little bummed that you couldn't get out but they still seemed to enjoy it. I think we could handl 4 girls again soon. :-)

Christmas Dress

2011-12-21T21:44:00.000-05:00

We snapped some pictures before church the other day and here are a few of them. No framers but still some sweet faces. :-)

Giggling Girls

2011-12-20T17:50:00.001-05:00

Oh how I love these girls!

More Christmas Fun

2011-12-17T20:25:00.000-05:00

This past week the girls and I spent a few days in Augusta. We worked on a few Christmas presents, decorated our first gingerbead house and went to Lights of the South.

It was a wonderful night to go because it was not too cold out. There were tons of lights the girls enjoyed and it was fun because we got to see them all on a hayride!

We also spent a lot of time just hanging out.

These two look like trouble!

Saturday was a big day. We spent the morning baking cookies to take caroling, wrapping presents, skyping grandparents and getting Christmas cards sent out. I finished up the last of the Christmas shopping too. After all of the good times, Libby was worn out. She has been on a new little sleep schedule lately and I am loving it. She slept through the nights for 4 nights now! 8 PM to 6 AM!

This afternoon we went caroling with some folks from Sunday School. We had a great time! Caroline went with us and it was so fun to share the time with her. She enjoyed pasing out her cookies and saying Merry Christmas to everyone.

Little sweetie, Miss Kate went with us too!

After caroling we had a few folks over for dinner and then we passed out from too much Christmas fun!

Lately...

2011-12-08T20:51:00.001-05:00

We had some friends over this past week that we miss dearly! Britton and Caroline play so well together.

I think their younger siblings could be friends too!

As I said in my last post, we are turning into a cookie factory. We've made sugar cookies with peppermint kisses, reindeer cookies, and spritz cookies (reindeer snacks and pumpkin bread too)! Since the spritz cookies required a "tool" Mark and Caroline worked on that together.

Sarah and Reagan also brought over some goodies so that we could make Christmas trees! We both agreed that all of our craft/food ideas from Pinterest have helped us to be better Moms. :-)

So many Christmas crafts left and so little time...

Cookie Factory

2011-12-08T20:42:00.001-05:00

I'm beginning to think that Caroline believes our home is turning into a cookie/candy making factory! She has always been a pretty good little eater but the past two weeks she has turned into cookie monster #2 in our home. We have been doing our fair share of baking and she has been enjoying it. It's become the norm to ask for candy at every meal. Of course, we don't let her but she asks every time! The other night we were getting ready for dinner and she told Mark, "Libby, candy in her pocket." She repeated it a few times but we were preoccupied getting everything on the table and thought she was just proclaiming more love for candy.

Of course, we were wrong. It's a little hard to see with her striped pants but sure enough there was a little surprise in Libby's "pocket."

A sweet Christmas tree ornament (from Mark's childhood)ended up in her pants. Caroline was very proud of herself and exclaimed, "Caroline did it!"

Christmas Celebrations

2011-12-04T21:11:00.001-05:00

All of the Christmas celebrating has begun. We're having a great time around here getting ready for Christmas. It has been such a joy to teach Caroline about Jesus' birthday and why we get to give and receive presents this time of year. Libby is just a little joy to have around as well. :-)

We went to the Garden of Lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The girls both really enjoyed it. It's a rare occassion that I would say this but I think Mark and I would have enjoyed it a little more without them in tow. It was super crowded and navigating a stroller and kids was a challenge.

We picked our Christmas tree out one night. I think some of my family think that we are crazy for buying a tree every year but we really enjoy the live tree and giving to a community organization that is fundraising. Sometimes it's a local church, sometimes Young Life and this year the local high school band.

The picture below was not staged. :-) I just had to post it because our night of decorating was so Norman Rockwellish unlike most of our life! Mark put a fire in the fire place, we played Christmas music and Caroline decorated the tree like a pro!!

She was so serious about it and knew just what to do with the ornaments.

Every ornament she pulled out was her favorite. I do think she liked a lot of them because last year we got all these great (non-breakable) animal ornaments.

All of the new decorations have led to lots of new toys for Caroline and Libby. Caroline mostly just loves to share the toys with Libby by piling them on top of her. :-)

I'm looking forward to the coming weeks and many more celebrations!

Caroline's Jabber

2011-12-04T21:05:00.001-05:00

Caroline has been learning new things and talking up a storm at home. Here are a few of my recent favorites...

1) She has officially learned the word "favorite." Picking out a utensil for meal time has become an event. The other day she finally picked one out, walked over to the table and announced without being prompted, "it's my favorite." Mark and I were so tickled. She now uses the it whenever she pleases. She even said football is her favorite which leads to number 2.
2) We watched a bit of the SEC championship yesterday on the computer and she was very into the "all fall down." After every play she would say "all fall down." Mark would then ask her if she thought they would fall down on the next play and she would respond very seriously, "Yes."
3) She has been singing in bed a lot lately. I love to turn the monitor on and hear her sing. We've been working on some Christmas carols and yesterday as she laid down for a nap I kept hearing her say, "the stars in the sky, lay down his sweet head." Away in a Manger - if you're confused.

Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-26T14:00:00.001-05:00

I will admit that in the past I have let some of the craziness of the holidays get to me. Not this year! Thanksgiving snuck up on me so fast there was no time to feel the craziness. We had a truly wonderful Thanksgiving this year!

Caroline and I woke up early to go cheer on Daddy as he ran in his first even 10k! He did a great job and beat his goal time!

Mark looks pretty good, even after 6 miles!

We arrived home to find Lindsay and Libby doing some planning for the Black Friday extravaganza. We may have scored a "new" refrigerator since Lindsay and Brad got a real new one on the big shopping day!

One of the reasons that Thanksgiving seemed so wonderful this year is because everyone had their part in helping out.

Caroline is getting to be quite the little chef too. She helped make some chocolate chip cookies before everyone arrived!

We started one new tradition...writing things we are thankful for on our table runner. We then write our name/year next to it and will pull it out again next year and add to it. We were trying to write things unique to us or this year (Mom wrote about her Sew Divine business and Mark I wrote about the addition of Baby Libby to our family).

We also continued the traditions from Vern's family of doing puzzles together at the holidays. The whole family took part in the 1000 piece puzzle and completed it in 24 hours. I will admit that I contributed the fewest pieces.

Other than that, we just hung out and enjoyed the company of family. We watched my new favorite cartoon "Sid, the Science Kid."

I'm beginning to consider a tv...

Yea for restful, fun family time!

Sisterly Love!

2011-11-20T19:40:00.001-05:00

As a parent, dividing attention between two little girls can be a challenge at times. I am glad to say that Caroline adores Libby and that makes it a little easier. She is constantly talking to her, hugging and kissing her. She says, "smile me" all the time. Thankfully, Libby returns the love!

Mark's Birthday Weekend

2011-11-20T19:31:00.001-05:00

Today is Mark's 39th birthday! We had a great weekend celebrating all of his years. :-) Most of Mark's birthday weekend consisted of eating his favorite foods. I know what makes him happy. :-) Friday night we had pizza for dinner. Saturday morning we woke up early and got online so that we could sign up for one of Mark's birthday presents - swim lessons. The Cobb County parks and recreation offer swim lessons at a reasonable price but they fill up within 5 minutes of registration being opened! Thankfully, Mark was signed in and ready to go. He will start his swim lessons in January! woohoo! Afterwards we went to Canvas for breakfast.

I think both girls enjoyed it!

After breakfast I told Mark that I needed some "alone time" after being by myself with the girls all week. He agreed. My alone time consisted of spending a couple of hours at Lindsay's house preparing for a surprise party!! Brad and Lindsay were so kind to offer to host a surprise party for Mark at their home. There is no way that I could have kept it all a secret at our own house. I dumped stuff at their house all week and they helped me get everything ready.

Mark knew that we were going on a "date" Saturday night so we had a babysitter come over. Shortly before we were going to leave I got a phone call from Lindsay saying that they needed more fire wood for the bonfire at the party. Eeks. One thing I learned this weekend is that I"m a good liar or secret keeper depending on how you look at it. :-) In real life I had asked Mark to build a fire pit that I saw on pinterest and he had said that was a good idea. For the sake of the surprise party I told him that Lindsay had stolen my idea of the fire pit and had built one in their back yard first and that they needed fire wood. We left for our date with a few pieces of fire wood in the back seat to drop off at Brad and Lindsay's. To make a long story short, Mark took a bit of time to make it into the house but when he did, he was very surprised to see all of our Sunday School friends plus a few others. I think Mark is still in shock over the whole evening. He keeps telling me that he feels so honored that "everyone came to wish me a happy birthday" as if he doesn't deserve to be loved and appreciated. I'm really glad he enjoyed it and am super surprised at my secret keeping/lying skills.

We enjoyed one of Mark's favorite meals - taco soup with all the fixings. I love that as adults we still sometimes enjoy boy tables...

and girl tables!

A few years ago, Katie from Sunday School, nicknamed Mark "cookie monster" and it has stuck. Lindsay saw some cookie monster cupcakes on pinterest and did a great job making a replica cookie monster cake. We all enjoyed reading some stories and looking at some old pictures of Mark - mullet, beard, wife beaters and all. :-)

We had a babysitter for the evening but she brought the girls over to visit for a bit. Caroline and Mark enjoyed some cookie monster cake together!

and then roasted some marshmellows together.

We had a wonderful night celebrating with friends. I could not have asked for anything better!

Sunday morning we had breakfast together and opened the last of the presents...a bit of running gear and a new Bible. Mark had not asked for a Bible but his old one was falling apart. I was a little worried that he may not want to part with the old one but he gladly took the new one to church so I think it's a keeper.

After church we completed our birthday celebrations by going to Ted's for lunch (where he thought we were going on our date). We then enjoyed a somewhat lazy afternoon...at least as lazy as can be with two sweet girls who did not want to nap! :-)

I'm very thankful for Mark and the sweet husbad that he is to me and even more so for the great Dad that he is to our girls. I'm looking forward to this year together because we all know once he hits 40, it's all downhill. :-)

Fall Fun

2011-11-20T19:23:00.001-05:00

Mark spent a good bit of time blowing the leaves on Friday night trying to create some order in the yard. He ended up with a monstrous pile that covered about 1/2 the front yard. The leaves are plentiful and the girls (Caroline and Reagan) took full advantage!

First Haircut...

2011-11-14T21:32:00.001-05:00

and more weekend fun.

Mom and Vern came in to visit this weekend since Mark was out for the week. We stayed busy and the weekend flew by!

We played at out new favorite play place, Catch Air, with the girls.

I am so thankful for Mom and Vern. They literally jumped right in and played with the girls!

Saturday morning we woke up and decided that Caroline needed her first hair cut. The ends of her curls were frizzy and crazy. We told her and that her hair looked like the dolls hair below and even she agreed that a trim was needed. :-)

I was so proud of her. She sat so still and watched an Elmo video that the lady put on for her. She acted like a pro while Gigi and I acted crazy taking pictures of her "first haircut."

We also loved on this munchkin!

Caroline was pretty excited abou the final product! It's a little shorter than I had wanted but you can't really tell much different in the length since it all curls up anyways! Since we went to a kid place, the lady was really funny and put sparkles in her hair and gave her "earrings" too!

Halloween

2011-11-14T21:22:00.001-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Halloween...

Caroline, loves Miss Becca, who is holding her hand. She is always asking for Becca to come over and play!

We went to 5 or 6 houses and then came home to pass out candy with Mark. I think she was confused and in awe of the whole evening.

Kelsey came over to visit after a bit. You can see that Disney made a big impact on our Halloween costume choices!

We tried to get a group picture and this was the best that we could get with the late night sugar high. :-)

Our littlest munchkins didn't look too excited about their flower costumes!

Skype

2011-11-13T21:27:00.001-05:00

Vern snapped this picture as we were catching up with Mark on skype this morning. They say a picture is worth one thousand words and I think this one says a lot...and I'll just leave it at that. :-)

Busy Weekend

2011-10-30T21:59:00.002-04:00

We had a very busy weekend. Friday I got to come home early from work. Caroline helped Daddy rake some leaves and then Mark and I headed out on a date.

Saturday morning was our churchs Mini Great Day of Service. Our Sunday School class packed boxes to send to the troops overseas. Afterwards we went to lunch together and then off to the Habitat for Humanity homes dedication. Ashley got to present the keys to the home owners!

We got home late in the afternoon and Caroline decided she was not napping. I had a big afternoon planned for us anyway. It turned out (as it sometimes does) that my plans may have been better for a 5 year old than a 2 year old (although a nap would have helped).

We baked some sugar cookies with our new Mickey Mouse cookie cutter and a pumpkin cutter too. The cookie baking went so well that we decided to forgo the icing. :-)

We then carved out the pumpkin. I thought Caroline would enjoy the process but she put one hand in to pull out the guts and promptly said, "Dirty. Wash hands. Wipe."

I tried to encourage her by showing her how it was done but she would have none of it.

At least she was willing to pose with the smiley face pumpkin.

Sunday morning Mark (and I) woke up at the crack of dawn so that Mark could run in the Atlanta Marathon Relay. A friend asked him to replace her because she was injured. He was glad to jump in and had a really great time. Of course, after waking up so early Libby would choose to sleep 9.5 hours until I woke her at 7:30 AM to eat! Maybe the long sleep will happen again soon! After Sunday School I brought the girls home and started a little sewing project. I had decided before Disney that Caroline should be Minnie for Halloween since we would already have the skirt. I failed to think through the rest of the costume and later realized that the shirt was the toughest part. Mark watched the girls (and made the pretty yellow shoes) while I whipped up the Minnie shirt. It's certainly not the prettiest thing up close but I'm pretty proud of all that I accomplished with one hour! :-)

Minnie and Mickey looked so sweet together at William's 3rd Annual Halloween party!

Caroline had a great time playing games and eating lots of goodies.

Libby also had a good time. It's so funny but there are certain days/times that I remember exactly what Caroline was wearing when she was the same age as Libby. Of course, Halloween is an easy one to remember and compare pictures. Libby is on the left and Caroline is on the right. I think they look kind of similar with their little cheeks. Their coloring is very different though. I will have to get a full head shot of each soon.

Noelle is the sweetest friend and she cracks me up with her silliness! She dressed up like Cinderella and all the little girls were in love! We could've just brought Caroline to see Noelle instead of traveling all the way down to Orlando for the princesses!

Noelle also spent some time loving on little Libby. Notice how William climbed on top of the couch to get a closer look! :-)

We had one wild weekend which has left me feeling both worn out and full of joy. There is always a long list of household projects to work on and Mark and I have committed to talking more about our priorities this week. :-)

Preschool

2011-10-30T20:34:00.006-04:00

Caroline loves preschool!

Can't you tell? I think we've decided not to purchase her first schhol pictures!

Mark and I aren't too sure about it either. We've had too much homework to do!

In all seriousness, Caroline is loving preschool. She comes home every day talking about her friends, her teachers and all of the painting that they did. This past week we got to go to the Halloween party at school. Mark and I and another woman were in charge of snacks. We had a good time putting it all together and I think the kids enjoyed them.

We were really glad to have Daddy along for the party since it was during his lunch break!

Libby, on the other hand, was more of a party pooper.

Two Peas in a Pod

2011-10-30T20:11:00.001-04:00

Caroline has lots of little friends but I think Daddy may be her favorite. Caroline is definitely very high on Daddy's list too!

What girl wouldn't love having her nails done by her daddy!?!

Bye Bye Paci

2011-10-30T20:07:00.003-04:00

This was a big week for us for lots of reasons but one reason is because we shared all of Caroline's paci's with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. After coming home from Disney we thought it would be nice to send them a present to share with all their baby friends.

After sending the paci's away we were pretty excited that Mickey sent some mail back to say "thank you." Caroline was pretty excited about getting some mail from Mickey.

Mark and I are thankful for talented friends who helped make the mail possible. :-)

Caroline has been telling us that Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto have her paci's and she seems fine with it but it hasn't made bed time much easier. :-(

Vacation

2011-10-30T19:55:00.000-04:00

We just arrived home from "vacation" with the whole family. I have to decided to unofficially, officially no longer call vacation, vacation when there are two children in tow! We really did have a great time and that is evidenced by the fact that both Mark and I agreed the week long vacation felt like a whopping 3 days. While preparing to take two little ones to the pool or Disney for the day are monstrous tasks, the smiles that ensue are worth the hard work!

Caroline was really the perfect age for our trip to Disney. First of all, she was free! More importantly, she was old enough to get excited about seeing Minnie Mouse or Mickey but not old enough to be sad if we missed riding the flying Dumbos (which we did). We had a wonderful time with her and little Libby was a great traveler too.

She mostly chilled out wherever we took her.

We started our trip at 4:45 in the morning. Thankfully, Caroline is a little ray of sunshine in the morning!

All of the kiddies were decked out in clothes made by Gigi for the first day at Disney! Although Libby only went with us to the park that night, she got a sweet dress too! Thankfully, Mom watched her during the morning so we could have some time with just Caroline.

Daddy and his little princess on Main Street with the castle in the back ground.

Our first ride at Disney was "It's a Small World." Caroline was in awe of all the scary people. :-)

Caroline loved the tea cups and we still here about the pink castle.

Libby strutting her stuff with a glow in the dark bracelet from Aunt Lindsay. :-)

Speaking of Aunt Lindsay, she is the best baby hlder ever! She was always offering to help with Libby and I was more than glad to accept the help.

Watching the Electric Lights parade.

We had two day passes so our second day we decided to go to Animal Kingdom. It was defnitely a good decision for us. We stood in line to see Minnie for only 10 minutes and could have seen other characters very quickly but Caroline was not interested. Caroline also really enjoyed the animals and The Lion King show was awesome!

The days we were not at Disney we spent hanging out at the pool, resting, playing on play grounds and enjoying time with family.

We were all so grateful to Mom and Vern who took us on vacation. We could have never afforded a week long stay or two days at the Disney parks on our own. Thanks to some good budgeting, packing lunches and cooking in the condo we even came home with money left over from our vacation fund! WOOHOO!

Thanks for a great week! We look forward to many more weeks in Orlando!

Friendly Farm

2011-10-23T22:02:00.003-04:00

On our way down to Disney, our friends Dustin and Adrienne recommended that we stop at Dustin's Mom/Step-Dad's home for a visit. They have a farm with all kinds of fun animals and other stuff that we thought the girls would enjoy. We had no idea at the time how neat the whole area really was and that the adults would enjoy it just as much as the kids! It turned out to be a perfect rest stop on the long 8 hour drive to Orlando!

The girls and Heidi (Dustin's Mom) checking out the emus.

Mark and Caroline checked out the chickens who were munching on some pizza!

They also had bunnies, horses, birds, dogs and cats running around the farm.

A massive tree in their back yard.

The branches were so long that they went down to the ground (sometimes into the ground) and back up again!

Just as it should, the tree had a great swing hanging from it's large branches. :-)

Kelsey being the sweet dare devil rode one of the horses!

One of the neat things about their property is that they are partial owners of an underground spring that is right next to their property. There were tons of scuba divers there that morning taking dives into the Devils Den.

On the other side of the springs, they have some friendly neighbors with some great treats as well! We met this blind deer who was raised by humans so now it can be petted and loved on!

They also have this...

There is really no possible way to describe "this." There was a limestone quarry in their backyard and they have turned it into this oasis. The above picture is just a small portion of the whole thing. There are gardens throughout with exotic plants and flowers. There are portions with koi fish and other kinds of fish and other portions you can swim in! It was like nothing I have ever seen before - maybe in pictures of some island nation. It was unbelievabe. I just hope we were nice enough to be invited back. :-)

The whole visit made me really thankful for sweet friends. It was so nice of Dustin and Adrienne to set that up for us and Dustin's parents were just great! They were so kind and gracious, spending a few hours of their Saturday with us. We were extremely grateful for the stop on our long drive!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-23T20:57:00.004-04:00

Also known as a mini photo shoot...

Mark suggested that we get the biggest pumpkin we could find in honor of Grandpa Schoellman who used to grow 300 + lb pumpkins! Normally we wouldn't spend money on such silliness but since we had some leftover vacation money I agreed and am glad to have a reminder of Grandpa sitting on our front porch. :-)

Growing Up

2011-10-13T10:23:00.000-04:00

I was talking to Mark the other day about our girls hair. It's so funny to me that they both have such distinct (and yet unique to them) hair. When we are out and about the first thing people comment on is their hair. Of course, it's the "beautiful curls" with Caroline and the "where did she get that red hair?" with Libby. I really don't have much to say to folks but it's a reminder that they were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God - who is quite creative! I truly love the comments.

However, these comments serve as a sweet reminder that we hope to be growing these girls up to receive other comments as well. She is one smart cookie. She has such a sweet, giving heart. She is so loving and gracious. She really loves Jesus. Last night Mark and I had the opportunity to attend a seminar on how to share your faith with a toddler. We both really enjoyed it and were encouraged and challenged by the leader. I hope that we will be able to put some of the ideas into practice in our home. We have already put one into practice...

Luke 10:27 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength..." While working on loving God we may work on loving ourselves a little less --- all the smudges are from Caroline kissing herself every night! :-)

While we are thinking about our girls growing up I have also been challenged that I need to be growing. I need to be living the life that God desires before I can really share that with them! I have been a little down lately wishing that I had some wise, older woman to share her faith with me and encourage me on my journey. Being part of such a large church has its joys and challenges. I miss being able to interact with older women and seeing their faith. I want to know the women whose Bibles are written in and falling apart from use. I want to know the women who have raised children who love the Lord. However, I know that I can't depend on others to be growing and challenging me. I have to seek the Lord first and be diligent in prayer. I have committed to doing this for myself first, for my marriage and for my girls (and I will be praying for a wise, old women)! Growing up is hard to do! :-)

Look Alike

2011-10-04T14:35:00.001-04:00

I think we are moving into the awkward/embarrassing/totally fun toddler talking stage. Caroline has been talking up a storm and likes to tell us everything she knows (and she knows really random things). Everytime we see a Nissan Murano - "Kelsey's car." Really? How can she know that?!

After picking her up from school today we pass a woman walking on the side walk, "Tessa's Mom." Exactly. We keep walking and are about to pass a man when she shouts out, "JESUS!" Obviously not Jesus, but I will give her this, he looked just like the Jesus in her children's Bible.

Thankfully the man grinned (we were in a church parking lot)!

Hard Times

2011-10-02T20:39:00.003-04:00

I'm not going to lie things have been hard lately. Mark has been traveling a bunch, work has been tough, time with family and friends has been stressful and the girls are just a handful. The girls are not bad by any stretch of the imagination, it's just hard toting two kids around by yourself 3 and 4 days a week. There is also a great sense of isolation that comes with having a newborn...leaving dinner parties because your baby is hungry, being paged in Sunday School because your baby is crying, or trying to feed/entertain a baby while trying to pay attention to the small group you are hosting in your home. All of these things have led to one drained mama!

However I see these sweet,

silly faces

and I remember that these times will pass (and I will probably wish for them back)!

Habitat Road Race

2011-10-02T20:28:00.004-04:00

This past weekend our Sunday School class was in charge of the Habitat Road Race at church. Our church was building it's 30th and 31st Habitat homes and this was the 18th race that was put together to raise support for the homes. I kept trying to explain to people what that actually meant and it's really hard to put it all into words. The class was in charge of everything from fundraising, to organzing every last detail of the 5k (and other races) on race day.

Mark, being the servant that he is, volunteered to lead the fundraising committee when no one esle volunteered. We were charged with raising $120,000 in order to build 2 new Habitat for Humanity homes. We succeeded in raising $109,000 this year. This whole experience was very humbling to say the least! We certainly didn't do everything perfectly and we learned a lot along the way!

However, it was a joy to serve with our class. Everyone took on responsibilities and things got done. Thankfully, we had a fearless leader in Ashley (she's the calm looking one on the right in the picture below)! She is not only highly organized and detail oriented, she had a peaceful and gracious attitude through everything. It really is neat to see how everyone was able to use their gifts and shine in some way. Prem and Jenna (center) worked the information table. I can think of no better folks for the job. Their smiles are sweet and they are always genuine and sincere in conversation. Lindsay was even assigned to be the nurse for the morning. We truly were a body of Christ.

We had close to 900 runners! We heard over and over again from church staff that it was the best race the church had hosted so far...maybe they were just being nice...we have lots of ideas to make it even better.

We had a really fun day!

William participated in the Tot Trot. I'm hoping that next year we will raise all $120,000, the race will be even smoother and that Caroline will be able to participate in the Tot Trot too!

2011-09-26T20:54:00.002-04:00

Grandpa went to Heaven on Friday, the 16th. I was sad that we did not get an opportunity to see him one last time. However, I did call and talk with him on Thursday night so I know that he knows I love him dearly. :-) I have lost loved ones in the past but for some reason it seems a little different this time. It's a strange feeling knowing that I will never see him again, at least here on earth. I miss him already.

We packed up the "new" van on Saturday and headed up to Cincinnati. We means Libby, Caroline, Kelsey, Lindsay, Mom, Mark and Me - whew! We did our best to honor Grandpa but I will say it was kind of hard with 3 little ones in tow! Thankfully, the littlest one slept the entire way up and back. She was perfect!

The two big girls, were angels on the trip as well. Thye just required a little more attention on the drive. I have a feeling the next time we say we are taking a trip they both may protest!

Sunday afternoon there was a visitation at the church and then the service. I was so thankful for the pastor, Dave Dayton. He was a dear friend of Grandpa's and did a wonderful job talking about the change that had occurred in Grandpa's life because of Christ. It was really neat for me to hear a sort of timeline and put his life in perspective. Grandpa did not become a Christian until he was 50!

On Monday morning we went to the cemetary for the burial. It was really neat to visit there because most of the Schoellman family is buried there. Grandma and Grandpa already have their headstone.

After the service we went to my aunt and uncle's house for lunch and the girls made friends with their second cousins.

I always enjoy catching up with family. However, that little saying about "the good, the bad and the ugly" often rings true. We have a little bit of each in our family, as most do. One silly example is of my Dad's cousin, Ernie. He is known as "the barefooted one" because he goes everywhere with bare feet. He wore shoes to the service on Sunday and my mom asked if he was honoring Grandpa and he said, "No. I'm honoring God on the Lord's Day." Sure enough on Monday he came to the burial service with bare feet!!

I think I'm going to have to nickname Caroline "Ernie" because this is often how she ends up in the car!

We spent A LOT of time in the car driving up there and around town getting to places. Thankfully, the girls had a little time to play.

They are two peas in a pod...

although we did hear our fair share of "mine" throughout the trip. I also would not recommend 2 two year olds sleeping in the same bed in a small hotel room. Mom ended up sleeping with Caroline, Lindsay slept with Kelsey and I got Libby Lee.

Thankfully, we survived the trip and were able to say goodbye to Grandpa.

September 11

2011-09-11T21:06:00.001-04:00

I haven't been able to read the news on the internet this week without seeing article after article mentioning the 10th anniversary of the attacks on Sept 11th. It's made me reflect on how much my life and the world around me has changed in these ten years.

Just like everyone else, I remember exactly where I was when the attacks happened. I was in my first semester of nursing school at Emory University. The nursing building was brand new at the time and equipped with all of the latest technological gadgets in each lecture room. As I walked down the hall that morning I noticed a small group of students and a couple professors standing in one of the lecture rooms watching the screen on the front wall of a lecture hall. I walked in and saw a huge picture of the first tower smoking. Honestly, I am embarrassed to admit how naive I was at the time. I had never heard of the Twin Towers or the World Trade Center. I had never visited New York. I had absolutely no concept of the size of the buildings or the magnitude of what we were watching. I just remember listening to everyone talk and trying to understand what was going on. The truth is that everyone was trying to figure out what was going on to some degree. No one could have guessed that a second plane would hit minutes later. I do remember asking one professor, "How come the building hasn't collapsed?" I could tell she was startled by the question and she just responded that the buildings were huge compared to an airplane and that the building wouldn't fall. At this point it was time for class to begin and we all filed into the adjacent rooms to begin our clinicals. About 30 minutes into the clinicals, a professor came running into the room and said, "We're evacuating right now. Get out!" I just remember being frightened by her intensity. We all gathered our things as fast as we could and went home without a further word. I later learned that the school was frightened, especially the nursing school, because we were directly across the street from the CDC. Once everyone pieced together that the nation was under attack, there was a thought that the CDC may be a target. I went back to my apartment that morning and turned on the tv. My roommate, a friend and I sat in stunned silence in front of the tv from mid morning until early evening when we could take it no longer. It was unbearable to watch it all unfold but yet we couldn't turn away. I made phone calls to my Mom and Dad a few times throughout the day. I remember my sister wanting me to come home from college but I stayed. I felt so badly for my roommate who had lost her mother just a few months earlier. I'm sure she must have wanted to call her mom for comfort and understanding too.

I think I understand more of the horror of that day the older that I get. I have since come to understand the symbolism that the Twin Towers held. Now that I have a husband and children of my own, I can begin to imagine the devastation that would be felt in losing one of them. Certainly I understand more about humanity. I could never have imagined the depth of evil that is so present in our world. However, I could also not comprehend the amount of strength and faith that is present. I am confident that the Christ who conquered death will also win the battle in the end. While I am steeped in my Christian faith, I have also learned about others faith. I am grateful for the opportunity to visit a mosque when I was in seminary. After the attacks on Sept 11, some would have had me believe that all Muslims were not only capable but were also encouraged to perform such evil acts. The Muslims inside the mosque were fully devoted to God and were full of peace and love. While I have continued to learn and grow through these10 years, I pray that I will never forget the events of that day or the courage, bravery and faith that were witnessed.

Grandparents

2011-09-10T15:14:00.000-04:00

It seems I have been posting about grandparents a lot recently. This post is about the real grandparents...my grandparents. My Dad called earlier this week and told me that my grandma was in the hospital. They are still not quite sure what is wrong but she seems to be hanging in there. However, I got another call from Dad today that said Grandpa was in hospice care and not doing well. After the initial shock of hearing that Grandpa was in hospice, a flood of memories came to me. My grandparents truly are the greatest! Growing up all of my friends knew my grandparents and wanted to have them as their own! I wish I could think of a creative way to write down all the memories but a list will have to do for now...

My grandparents love me so much they would come to all my soccer games and swim meets growing up. I could always count on them being there to cheer me on. Grandpa would sometimes get in trouble with my dad for being too loud on the sidelines of the soccer game but I just soaked in all his enthusiasm. Besides, the loud cheering voice was great for swim meets when I could actually pick out his voice while swimming my race! Impressive!

My grandparents love me so much that we would have sleepovers at their house all the time growing up. They had a great house too...they lived on a farm so there was lots of room to run and play. We would fish in the pond, play hide and seek in barn, jump on the trampoline, rummage through the chicken house, pick blackberries in the garden and eat their fresh corn. At night we would pile on top of quilts on the floor and watch movies before drifiting off to sleep.
My grandparents love me so much that they always had the coolest toys around. Most of the "toys" were not too expensive (although they did buy us a golf cart). I'm pretty sure grandpa just collected junk from friends who were getting rid of it... but they were treasures to us grandkids. The two person bicycle was one of my very favorites.
My grandparents love me so much that they would do anything to spend time with me. I must have gotten my love language of time from them! Grandpa would take us on bike rides and sled down the hill in the snow with us. Grandma rocked us to sleep until we were much to old to be rocked to sleep. :-) Grandma and Grandpa took us on special trips in their motorhome. They would take one or couple of grandchild(ren) at a time on a trip so that we would feel extra special being away from our siblings. After Caroline (and Kelsey) was born they made a special effort to come down to Georgia and visit. Being in their 80's and traveling through an airport is no small feat!

My grandparents love me so much that they taught me what it means to love and serve others. I love going out to eat with them because it is a joy to watch them interacting with strangers. They are always full of smiles and cheer. Grandma is always making dinner for someone who is sick. Just a couple of months ago I spoke with her and told her I was making dinner for the homeless ministry in our area and she said she was doing the same thing in her community the following night. I will always remember making "bread runs" with Grandpa. He would drive around to the different groceries in town and pick up the day old bread so that it could be given to those in need. There was a "bread run" ministry at my church in college and I volunteered immediately because of my grandpa. They taught me to serve!
My grandparents love me so much that they shared the Gospel with me. They took me to church every time we would spend the night. I will always remember putting on my dress, grandpa telling me how I pretty I looked and driving in the great big blue cadillac down the road to the small country church. Everyone there knew my name, even though I didn't know theirs. I was always given lots of hugs and kisses from the strangers. During church Grandma would give me a piece of candy and then I would fall asleep on her arm. While I slept through many of the sermons as a child, I will never forget the feeling of God's love in that place.

I have so many wonderful memories of my grandparents! However, it is a sweet realization for me that the reason they are so great is because of Christ in their lives. I have talked with family members who have said that not all perceive my grandparents the same way that I do. In years past, they may have been seen as harsh but I never saw anything but grace. This is not to say that they are not opinionated and do not have thoughts on right/wrong. However, I know them as love.

Bath Time

2011-09-06T20:19:00.002-04:00

We've been trying to get Libby into some sort of night time routine because her "bed time" was too late for me! Her new routine includes a bath and we have found a great little helper!

Papa!

2011-09-06T20:14:00.002-04:00

Mark's Dad, also known as Papa, came into town for Labor Day weekend to meet Libby and play with Caroline. He may have enjoyed some time with me and Mark, but the girls are much more fun! We mostly just hung out around the house - reading books, doing puzzles and coloring. Papa is a much better artist that Mama! He can make elephants and sheep! However, we did spend a morning at the zoo and enjoyed a picnic lunch.

I now know where Mark gets all of his crazy antics - Papa and Caroline had a great time playing together!

Sadly, I never got a picture of Papa and Libby together. We also greatly missed Grandma coming to visit. We hope that she gets well and is able to make a trip out here soon! You both are always welcome!

Great Dad!

2011-08-30T21:41:00.000-04:00

A friend asked me tonight how I was adjusting having two little ones at home. Of course, lots of people have asked, but being that tomorrow Libby will be 4 weeks old, it's becoming more and more real. I had to admit to my friend that it's been hard but not as hard as I had imagined. First, Mom was here for two weeks and now Mark has been home for two weeks! I'm beginning to realize that I still haven't really experienced two - when Mark goes out of town for a couple of nights that will be a whole other story!

In the meantime, I am giving thanks for Mark and the great Dad that he is to these two girls!

He already spoils them like crazy! Libby gets lots of hugs and snuggles from Daddy and baths too!

The picture above reminds me of this one below with Caroline.

And Caroline has Mark wrapped around her little finger! As soon as he walks downstairs from work, she says, "PLAY!" or another favorite, "CHASE!" I love watching them play together. Mark also puts Caroline to bed most nights that he is home. We have always had a long bedtime routine with Caroline - we both love the sweet time with her - reading, singing and praying. Lately, she has been singing along with us. Sorry the videos are so dark - these are two of her favorites!

Preschool!

2011-08-25T10:13:00.001-04:00

Caroline started preschool at St. Andrew UMC last Thursday. I was more than a little hesitant about this change because I felt guilty not spending more time with her. However, she loves it and so do I!

Everytime we have gone to the school to drop her off or pick her up, she is smiling a huge smile! This is how I left her on the first morning...

I'm really looking forward to seeing how she will learn and grow this year!

Hands and Feet

2011-08-21T12:47:00.003-04:00

We said adios to Madre on Friday. I would like to have a sad face here, except that really wouldn't be fair to Mom, Vern, Mark, the girls or even myself. Mom and Vern deserve their own lives and our little family needs to be a family. We had the joy of having Mom here for 3 weeks caring for us as we waited on the arrival of Libby and then for 2 weeks after her birth. I could never put into her words all that she did for us. She was the extra hands that were always needed to tie shoes, kiss boo-boos, give baths, and more.

She did laundry, dishes, cooked and cleaned and she did it all with a smile. Of course, she also played with Caroline constantly and loved on little Libby. I had to remind her at one point that Caroline didn't need constant play time from Gigi!

I could never imagine someone serving us so selflessly. She never complained about the amount of work, being pulled between two daughters and three granddaughters who love her dearly,

or missing her husband. She was careful to give Mark and I time by ourselves. Even the son-in-law said, "I could find no fault with her this whole time!" That's quite a statement for a son-in-law!

In thinking about her time with us, I was reminded of the prayer below about being the hands and feet of Christ.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet, on earth but yours.

Your are the eyes through which He looks

Compassion on this world

Yours are the feet

With which He walks to do good.

Your are the hands

With which He blesses all the world

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet.

Yours are the eyes, you are His body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours

Yours are the eyes, through which He Looks

compassion on the world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

- St Teresa of Avila

Mom loved us well during this time and we are incredibly grateful!

I tried to thank her with a pedicure for her tired feet but it could never be enough!

Wee Wee... Home

2011-08-17T08:20:00.000-04:00

We recently taught Caroline about her 5 little piggies...and our favorite part is when she gets to her last toe she says, "wee wee home." Since we've been 'wee wee home' from the hospital, we've been enjoying time with family and friends coming to visit and some snuggle time with the girls.

Mom and Lindsay were so sweet and did a little decorating before we got home!

We've got a ton of pictures of Caroline holding Libby. This is mostly because for the first week, anytime Caroline would hold her, she would say, "Picture?" like she was some sort of movie star!

We've also played a little dress up with the girls...

and took a few pictures.

We are already in the mode of, if one sister does it, so does the other!

Happy "Birth" Day

2011-08-15T07:59:00.002-04:00

I might forget all the gory details if I wait any longer to write this post. The munchkin decided to hang out in my belly until the scheduled induction on Wednesday morning. We headed into the hospital at 5:30 AM looking forward to the day ahead!

We got checked in and heard about what we could expect for the day. We also got a prediction that we didn't expect. Our first nurse told us she could predict what we would be having. She listened to the heart beat on the monitor and told us that we would be having a girl! She said girl heart beats sound like a washing machine and boy heart beats sound like ponies. Up until that point, Mark and I had mentally been preparing for a little boy, just because we knew it would be a little different than Caroline. We had absolutely no preference either way!! However, hearing that it might be a girl was a funny feeling...almost a sigh of relief that we might be somewhat prepared! Our nurse said she had only been wrong once in the last 6 months so now it was time to wait and see!

Around 7:00 they started the pitocin and then around 9:00 I got the epidural. I was a little disappointed in the whole epidural this time around. Everyone kept telling me that the great thing about being induced is that you never have to feel any pain because you can get the epidrual pretty much whenever you are ready. However, even after another dose of medicine in the epidural, I still felt all my contractions and they were still painful. After the epidrual, we waited...

and waited some more! I watched a little bit of tv, talked with Mark, visited with Lindsay and Mom and did a little knitting. I started working on a gender neutral hat for the little one (it's still not complete)! At noon, they checked me and I was dialated 4 cm. so Lindsay and Mom headed home for a lunch and to be with the girls.

At 1:30 Mom called and said she was on her way and picking up some snacks for after the birth. Then around 1:45 I sent Mark to find a nurse because I felt terribly. I couldn't find a comfortable position and I was naseous. I'm sure I scared the nurse when she came in because I looked so unhappy. Right away she said, let's check and see what's going on. Within a short moment she said, "It's party time!" She asked me to do a 'practice push' and then stopped me and went to call Merrilee, our sweet midwife. Thankfully, Mom and Merrilee both made it to the room in the nick of time! After two contractions, and about 8 pushes we had a precious baby gir at 2:05!! I was thankful that the little one came out quickly, although it did take a little work on Merrilee's part. I was so sick to my stomach that the poor little babe got it's head out and then I wanted to stop for just a quick second and catch my breath but I was assured there was no way was that going to happen. Mom and Mark said the little baby was turning blue and Merrilee told me I had to push. :-( I did my best to push and unlike Caroline's delivery I saved all of my sickness for after the baby was born! Thankfully, her color returned quickly and we had a healthy little....girl. Since I was sick and the baby was a little blue, it took Mom asking "So what do we have?" before we heard the exciting news.

Probably the only thing I liked about being induced was that I got to have my favorite midwife help me to deliver. Mark joked as she came running in the room that she was our super hero here to save the day. Although I told him he was going to make the nurse mad, I was really glad she arrived so quickly and got the little one out!

Elizabeth "Libby" Lee Taylor was born at 2:05 and was 9 lbs 1 oz and 19 3/4 inches long with red hair! She has been a blessing! She is a great little eater and sleeper so far. I keep wondering when this newborn phase is going to wear off! :-)

Here are a few pictures after the birth...

I was so glad that Libby was born early enough in the day that we got to see our first baby girl! Caroline has been a great big sister. She has not shown any jealousy at all yet. She calls her "Libby Baby" and loves to "hold her."

We feel very blessed and thankful to be a family of four!

Officially Late...

2011-07-31T13:35:00.002-04:00

This little one and Daddy may have a beef to settle before it's even out of my belly! Mark likes to be on time to events, which really translates to 15 minutes early. Not only is this little one not Daddy time, it's not on Mommy time either (real on time). We are currently at 3 days late and counting. As of now, I am scheduled to be induced on Wednesday, August 3rd unless the munchkin decides to join us sooner. We're still waiting as patiently as we can and Mom is still here keeping us good company. With both my camera and Mom's camera we've had quite a few pictures to document our days...

Caroline loves talking on the phone!

We went to the "gym" and she loved playing in the foam pit and jumping on the trampolines.

She is such a little girl, carrying around her backpack. She is supposed to be starting preschool in a couple of weeks! I'm not so sure I'm ready for it!

We went to the zoo one day this past week.

Check out that monstrous belly!

Her new favorite toy is Mom's i-pad. She knows how to turn it on and find her games. She is pretty good at a couple different matching games.

Mom also taught her a new favorite game...hide and seek. Her favorite hiding spots are behind the curtain, underneath a blanket and behind the couch.

We are so thankful to have Mom (and Vern on the weekends) here helping out!

I just hope to be adding to our family picture soon!

Waiting Patiently

2011-07-24T06:50:00.003-04:00

We are still waiting on baby Taylor to arrive. My due date is July 28 and it's only the 24th so I shouldn't be surprised. Of course, I had talked myself into believing that this little one would come at least 8 days early like Caroline. :-) I will also add that this part of the pregnancy has been much different than with Caroline! This past Sunday night, the 17th, I started having contractions pretty close together. They were not painful but they were pretty consistent contractions none the less. This has happened no less than 3 other times this past week but there is still no muchkin! In all my excitement last Sunday, I called Mom and asked her to come on up to Atlanta a bit early. She had been planning to come this week since Mark was supposed to be out of town for a couple of days. I've been so thankful to have her here!! She has been such a big help with Caroline and it's a joy to have someone to share in the waiting. In all of our waiting we've had a little fun...

Caroline and Gigi shared some secrets...

and some giggles.

Mark finished up the very, very last of the to do list,

Mom did some sewing for us (she is a busy bee with her sewing powers),

and we had a little pool party for Gigi's birthday.

Notice the pretty puddle underneath Mark. Thanks to a sweet Daddy loving on his little girl, he looked like he had a little accident himself. :-)

After a good 5 day of anxious frustration, I have finally settled down. I'm no longer timing the contractions. I'm sure I will know when I'm in labor when the pain sets in. :-) Here's to another few days of fun with the family before we add to the joy and chaos!

Happy 2nd Birthday Sweet Caroline!

2011-07-16T05:52:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that Caroline is 2! It seems she was just a little baby but alas she is a little girl! We really didn't have much planned for her birthday but it turned out to be a great day!

After Kelsey's birthday last month, any time we would say the word "birthday" she would immediately put her lips together and start blowing. I decided she should blow out a candle at every meal! I think she loved it!

Our "non-party" turned into quite the shindig! I had decided several weeks ago that we were not going to have a big party - she wouldn't know the difference anyway. However, we decorated an elmo cake and

and we welcomed a few friends. Our neighbors Mike and Sharry, Sarah, Moose, Reagan, Lindsay, Brad, Kelsey, Chad, Noelle and William all joined us!

Caroline loves Mike...

and Sharry! Sharry's birthday is the 15th as well so we shared present opening time!

Just a little chaos with 3 wild 2 year olds!

I think she enjoyed her strawberry elmo cake!

We were so thankful to have Chad, William (and Noelle) drive down from Cumming to join us!

After the presents and cake, we headed outside to do some fireworks! Mark had bought a few for the 4th of July but since it rained we did not get to use them. The girls all loved the pop rocks and sparklers but once they heard the pop and bang of the "bigger" fireworks they were no longer happy campers! Instead of doing any more fireworks we just played outside with everyone until it was WAY past their bed time. The weather was amazing...mid 70's in July!?!?

Mark sure enjoyed his time with the birthday girl!!

Ring Around the Rosie

2011-07-14T22:19:00.001-04:00

Love these sweet girls playing together! I also love that Caroline can't wait to fall and that she has to lay all the way down...sitting is just not good enough!

Getting ready...

2011-07-05T20:47:00.002-04:00

The past few weeks have gone much more quickly than I had imagined they would. I can't believe that we have 3 weeks (or less) until we have a new little one joining our family. In some ways, I feel as prepared as I can be. I don't really feel stressed about having or not having anything in particular. I don't feel nearly as "nervous" about all the baby stuff as I did with Caroline.

There is one new thought has crossed my mind recently that I feel a little sad about. When I first became pregnant, I remember my friend Sarah asking me if I felt sad that I would miss out on time with Caroline. I immediately thought, no way. I think having a brother or sister will be good for her. She will learn to share and love and it will just add to the joy in our home. I still firmly believe all of those things. However, over the past nine months Caroline has changed. She is no longer the little girl who could barely walk or talk. I can easily understand her thoughts and feelings now. I can have conversations with her. I do feel a little sad knowing that our time together will be different. She will no longer have my undivided attention. Of course, there are millions of brothers and sisters in the world and we will adjust and manage just like everyone else. I am just trying to make the most of these days with her! Mark and I have already promised each other, swapping some one on one time with the new baby and with Caroline.

Not perfect...

2011-07-05T20:32:00.002-04:00

I've realized what I've read on many other blogs before...my blog posts always tell of the good times and show lots of smiling pictures.

Of course, things are not always that way...Caroline has mastered the pouty face in recent weeks! Sorry the picture isn't from the front and you can't fully appreciate the drama! :-)

July 4th Weekend

2011-07-05T20:29:00.002-04:00

We had another fun family weekend! Saturday morning we woke up and made our way to Gainesville to visit some friends who just moved there. We had a great time playing and swimming together.

I was very proud of Caroline (and thankful for Aunt Lindsay) for going down this huge water slide at the pool!

Sunday morning we were bad and skipped church! We don't miss often and now that I think about it, it's kind of ironic. In small group the other night we were talking about going to church when you are out of town. Honestly, our church cancelled Sunday School and all services, but one, and I thought to myself, "If they think everyone will be out for the holiday, then we might as well stay 'home.'" Terrible logic but that's what I thought!

So we went to Piedmont Park in downtown Atlanta. Sometimes it's funny to me that I have lived in Atlanta for so many years - my time in college and my time in Marietta seem like different lives. Driving around downtown reminds me of my time in college. We had a great time at the park - walking around looking at all the dogs, ducks, geese, squirrels that were out. We did a little swinging and played on the playground. Caroline was tuckered out by the time we headed home!

Monday morning we went to the 4th of July parade in downtown Marietta. Everything worked out perfectly. We got a good parking spot, sat in the shade and enjoyed all the people watching. Everytime there would be a short break in the parade, Caroline would say, "more, more." I will be one sad mama when she stops saying, "more." She says it at the most precious times. Today, Reagan came over today to play and they were chasing each other around the house. Reagan would stop for a moment to play with something else and Caroline would say, "more! MORE!"

We had a quiet afternoon at home and then went over to the neighbors house for dinner. We planned on doing some fireworks but the rain got in the way of that plan. It was a sweet weekend! I'm not preparing for Caroline to spend some time with Gigi and Grandude so that I can get some last minute stuff done around the house! 3 more weeks until baby Taylor arrives!

Sprinkler Fun

2011-06-25T16:54:00.002-04:00

Another Pinterest find...a homemade sprinkler thanks to Daddy!

Hairdresser

2011-06-25T13:53:00.004-04:00

Aunt Lindsay and Kelsey came over the other day and I couldn't resist asking Lindsay what she would do with Caroline's hair if she had to do it on a daily basis. Lindsay, who has dabbled in hair dressing before, immediately pulled out a comb and some rubberbands. These two pictures make me smile...

Caroline sat down quickly and let Lindsay start working and then she asked for a book to look through! I guess she thought it might take awhile! It cracks me up that they do such grown-up things sometimes, even without knowing it!

The finished product...two little pigtails!

2011-06-25T13:38:00.002-04:00

My family often teases me about all of the blogs that I read but I always find the best stuff. One of the things that I learned about recently is Pinterest. On Pinterest I can "pin" all of the great stuff I find on blogs or anything that I find on the internet. I can also follow friends and other people to see what they have pinned. I am really enjoying it and have found lots of fun crafts for me to do and some for Caroline too. We made "goo" the other day with cornstarch and water. I'm pretty sure Mark was more entralled than Caroline. Today I put some finger paint in a ziploc bag and then we "colored" on the bag with q-tips. I enjoyed this little project because there was absolutely no mess! It was also a fun way to practice some of her letters...she now knows A,B and C. We're making progress...

Pictures

2011-06-19T23:19:00.002-04:00

Just a few pictures from this last week that made me smile...

We had lunch with Noelle and William the other day and Caroline decided that it was funny to put the bag on her head. She is silly and laughing all the time at home with me and Mark but I think this is one of the first times that she spontaneously did something silly of her own accord. She can be such a shy girl in public and since she was very quiet while doing it, I didn't discourage her. :-)

We went swimming with Sarah and "Reggie" one afternoon. They are such sweet friends and it's been a blessing to have the girls so close in age. It's hard to believe that in a few short weeks we will both we adding number two to our families!

Caroline gave me a popeye smile as we created our Fathers Day goodies this week.

I think she really enjoyed finger painting for the first time.

We are still in the midst of baby love! She has been kissing my belly a bunch, carrying around her own baby dolls and...

feeding her real life friends (who are totally capable of feeding themselves). :-) She is a sweet girl.

Father's Day weekend

2011-06-19T23:06:00.000-04:00

We had a good Father's Day weekend. Friday morning Mark took Caroline to "Donuts with Daddy" at daycare. Caroline's teacher, Ms. Kim, is really sweet about getting cards, crafts and other goodies together for the parents. I'm glad that Mark was able to take Caroline and enjoy some donuts and dad time.

Friday night Becca came to babysit and Mark and I went to The Counter to eat dinner. I piked The Counter for Mark because it's a burger place that we had heard was great. The burgers were good and it was nice to try someplace different but nothing has replaced Mark (or my) love for the bison burger from Ted's.

Saturday morning we celebrated Father's Day. There were no big presents but Caroline gave Mark some of his favorite candy, a "hand" painted catepillar picture and a homemade card. We then let Mark pick between option #1 of going to Canvas for breakfast and then the Marietta Aviation Museum or #2 of going to Sublime donuts for breakfast and then to the Peachtree-Dekalb Airport to play on the play ground and watch planes take off. Mark chose option #1.

Just a silly picture of Caroline and Mark at breakfast.

We really enjoyed our time at the aviation museum. Thankfully the sun was hidden and it was not too hot out yet and we were the only people there! There were lots of fun planes to see and Mark told us something about every single one. I wanted to take him somewhere he would enjoy and I actually enjoyed hearing all of the stories and history.

Mark pulled out the seats and Caroline made herself right at home. It's crazy to me to think about soldiers flying on those little seats in this huge C141 and then jumping out!

Saturday night we celebrated Kelsey's 2nd birthday. Sunday was just a normal church day, although I did try and make a nice dinner for Mark. Afterwards we went to Yogli Mogli for some fro-yo! It was a nice end to a fun family weekend.

Curly

2011-06-19T22:45:00.003-04:00

A picture just can't do the curls justice! Our sweet girl has grown ringlets in the back and a curly/wavy mess on top! I used to try and brush it so that it looked like I had attempted some style but lately I just haven't known what to with it! Most days its just a curly mess. Everyday, it seems, someone tells us that her hair is like Shirley Temple. We smile and nod at the thought since Shirley was such a cutie (Caroline's hair is not that curly though). However, we heard a first the other day when our dear friend Beth said her hair looked like Richard Simmons!! I don't think I'll ever forget that one. :-) I'm anxious to see if her curls will stay or if she'll end up with waves like me as she gets older.

Last Week

2011-06-12T20:13:00.000-04:00

There has not been a whole lot going on around here. We did a little bit of traveling and were pretty busy in April and May but things have slowed down. We have the major home projects complete, although there is still a little nesting to be done here and there. We are now home bound until baby Taylor makes his or her big arrival. I will admit that I have been feeling a little anxious about this time. Not anxious about the baby...just wanting some "fun" things to look forward to and like I said our calendar is pretty empty for the next 7 weeks! I know after the baby comes our calendar will continue to look a little empty for awhile too. I think that is adding to the anxiety!

Here are a few pictures to document the last week. The funny thing is that I don't have a picture to document one of the most exciting events. Mom (and later Vern) came into town to watch Kelsey while Brad and Lindsay went on vacation to Mexico! We spent every morning and evening together - playing, going to music class, swimming and more. I'm always so thankful for time with my family.

We visited with some friends the other day and Caroline had the opportunity to hold baby Bear! Ki has been so sweet with Caroline. She taught/allowed Caroline to wrestle a pacifier into Bear's mouth. She showed her how to burp him and rub him on the head and she was never fazed when Caroline was a bit too rough. She's been a great teacher and it's been fun to see Caroline enjoying time with a baby. I don't think Caroline was too sure of the "holding" thing but after Bear was moved, she asked for "more." I'm hoping this means there will be lots of love to come for the little baby brother/sister!

Saturday night we went out to dinner with Mom, Vern and Kelsey. Although the weather has been burning up, we ate outside on a covered patio and it was lovely! The food and company were great and we were thankful for some more sweet family time.

This afternoon Mark and I were called in as replacement babysitters. Mom and Vern had to get back to Augusta and Lindsay and Brad's flights were delayed. We thought about going swimming, until an afternoon shower hit. The girls had fun anyways...wearing their tutus and watching the rain come down.

Lindsay and Brad arrived home safely and brought the girls the best presents! They each got a colorful bracelet and a maraca. I know it's silly but it warmed my heart that they thought of Caroline and that the presents were so appropriate! Those girls love to dress up and make some noise!!

1000 Gifts

2011-06-07T04:48:00.000-04:00

Mark asked me the other day if I was still doing that "gift thing"...oops. I'm obviously not doing very good with it but I thought I would add a few more.

17. Caroline played peacefully in her high chair for an hour today while I did some cooking and cleaning in the kitchen!

18. A big, comfortable bed with soft sheets.

19. Friends that came over for book club.

20. Fruit in the summer time - strawberries, blueberries and kiwi.

Caroline's Sillies

2011-06-03T22:04:00.000-04:00

Caroline is always making me laugh. The following three stories are from just today.

This morning when we went to get her out of bed. She got up and was walking around the room, talking all sorts of gibberish. All of a sudden she got back into bed and laid down. The next thing I know she has her hand on her forehead and is saying "sick." It took me a minute to realize she was just repeating a Peter Cotton Tail book. We haven't read the book in over a week but on one of the pages Peter is laying in bed sick. I really have no idea where that came from but it's funny the things that she remembers!

On another "sick" note, we recently got a "boo boo bunny." It's just a bunny shaped pouch that we keep in the fridge for when she gets a boo boo. Seriously, we have probably used it 5 times in the last 2 months. I don't want her being a hypochondriac! :-) However, boo boo bunny must have made a big impression. Tonight after dinner I was trying to clean up dishes and she decided she needed a drink from my water cup. She grabbed the cup with both hands and was attempting to take it off the table but of course it spilled all down the front of her. She was soaked. She immediately started crying, pointed to the fridge and said, "bunny, bunny." I reluctantly got her the bunny, she put it on her mouth and stopped crying! So silly!

After the water incident she started playing again and was hiding in the bathroom. Of course, she ended up locked in the bathroom. Thankfully, she didn't get upset. She just said uh-oh and mommy, all the while Mark was working on getting the door opened. :-)

We do have a couple of fun pictures from recently. We had corn on the cob the other night and Caroline is getting to be a pro at eating it!

We also had a play date at the house today. Eight little ones and seven mom's makes for a full house! It was lots of fun though and the kids were all so well behaved!

Memorial Day Weekend!

2011-05-30T20:53:00.033-04:00

We've had a weekend full of family fun! I can't remember what we did Friday night but the rest of the weekend is documented in pictures!

Saturday morning we had breakfast in bed...

and Caroline helped us celebrate our 6th anniversary! Eeks we are getting old!

We then headed off to the zoo. Thankfully, the sun hid behind the clouds for most of the morning and we enjoyed a quiet stroll around the zoo.

We came home for naptime and then headed over to Lindsay and Brad's for a dip in the pool. Caroline is LOVING Kelsey these days. Every time we get in the car, "Kelsey? Kelsey?" and the past couple of days, "Water? Water?" has been added to the list. I think we may be spending a lot of time at the pool!

Sunday morning we went to church. Lindsay and Brad watched Caroline Sunday evening so that Mark and I could have a date night. We had some good conversation about where we are and where we should be going. Mark and I approach life very differently at times - I'm a planner and Mark is work your hardest and lets see what happens person. It can make for interesting conversations about where we think God is leading our family!

Monday morning we did a bit of housework and then took Caroline to Monkey Joe's. She is a teeny bit too young but I think she stil enjoyed her time there. Mark climbed through many of the jump houses with her which made her happy (and Mark too)!

Monday afternoon it was back to Lindsay and Brad's for a Memorial Day celebration with friends from Sunday School. One of our friends asked, "So what do we do to celebrate Memorial Day?" Of course, there were lots of silly answers - eat burgers and wear red, white and blue were high on the list. The question certainly made me think though.

Apparently, someone or some people who shall remain nameless borrowed my camera and enjoyed taking a few pictures. Eli's silly face was the most tame of them all. :-) We had a great time with our friends!

I was very thankful for our weekend together as a family. It included lots of time like this...

I couldn't ask for much more!

Big Girl Bed

2011-05-30T20:48:00.008-04:00

Mark completed Caroline's "big girl bed" about a week ago. I love it! It's been really fun to have a picture of what I want in my head or from a magazine and ask Mark to build it. He always makes it happen and it's a joy to have something that he made in our home! As part of the preparation for the baby, we decided to switch every room upstairs (except ours). What were we thinking?! We put the bed in Caroline's new room a week ago and kept telling her that it was her new big girl bed. By the time we go the walls painted, she seemed to understand that was going to be her new space. She took her afternoon nap in her new bed/room on Friday and the switch has gone really well so far. I know at some point she will be brave enough to hop out of bed and play in her room but thankfully not yet!

There is still some work to do in the new room (curtains and pictures on the walls) but at least the furniture is all in place and the painting is done! I hope to have it all finished in the next few weeks!

Swimming!

2011-05-25T13:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I took Caroline over to Lindsay and Kelsey's to go swimming. It was so funny to watch her! She was excited and scared at the same time. She had a huge smile on her face but then she would squeal like she was upset. Lindsay invited us back to go again this morning and she loved it. I'm glad that we got to go two days in a row so that she could get used to the water and start feeling more comfortable in it. I really hope she loves the water as much as I do. I don't care that she ever becomes a competitive swimmer but I definitely want her to know how to swim!

They look like such big girls floating in the water!

The only problem with swimming right now is that the water is still freezing! We got them out to warm them up and Kelsey was not happy. Caroline just looks pooped!

Totally Rad 80's party

2011-05-22T20:23:00.000-04:00

Dustin and Adrienne throw the most fun parties! Tonight we celebrated Adrienne's big 30 with an 80's themed birthday party. I had so much fun getting us all dressed and enjoyed checking out everyone else's stylish duds!! Here are a few pictures...

Our sweet girl styling her hot pink tye-dyed footless tights, jean skirt/jacket, bracelets and keds!

You can't see from the picture but both Mark and I had great bottom portions too. :-) He had some knee high socks on and I had purple footless tights.

The Shetty's lookin good....love the bling!

The Goodman's pulled off a sophisticated 80's look!

Caroline and her new friend Lane!

The birthday girl and Beth both look awesome!

Vacation Day 3

2011-05-16T16:43:00.000-04:00

We've had a great couple of days in Charleston. I will admit that after our first day here I wasn't really that impressed. We did a lot of driving around, visited a couple of places that people recommended and it just wasn't what I thought it would be. However, yesterday we took a carriage tour and it was everything that I had hoped it would be. The churches, homes and gardens were beautiful. I loved hearing all of the history. Today we went back and walked around a bit more looking at the old houses. I told Mark that it's hard for me to believe that real people live in those houses. I think of the people in the homes as some kind of characters in a Disney movie!

We ate lunch at Hyman's yesterday and then came back to the hotel and hung out for the rest of the evening, spending some time at the pool and in the hot tub. We watched a movie and went to bed early. Today we spent a couple of hours at the beach, came back and showered and then had a late lunch at 82 Queen. The atmosphere at the restaurant was the best that we had visited so far! The food was good too. Mark especially enjoyed the mac and cheese until he found it that it had both sour cream and cream cheese in it. :-)

I have to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed spending some quiet time with Mark away from the normal routines of our life. However, I was telling Mark I think that at this point in my life I don't need as much down time to recharge from being a parent. I definitely need time away and enjoy time free from the responsibility of parenting but I think 2/3 days is plenty. :-) I keep wishing that Caroline was here to play on the beach with us and swim with us in the pool. Mark and I will be in conversation or looking at something and then pull out a Caroline saying. We're both in love with her and can't wait to see her soon!!

Vacation Day 1

2011-05-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

I'm sure there will not be a daily update but here is Day 1 from our trip to Charleston.

We left Caroline this morning in the care of Gigi and Grandude. We've talked with Mom twice and she said Caroline is happy as can be. I'm so thankful (both for Mom and Vern and my sweet girl)!!

We arrived in Charleston around lunch time and headed to the hotel where they gave us a map of Charleston and told us some places to visit. We went to the Shem Creek area and ate lunch at Vickery's. We both had fish sandwiches, which were pretty good. We then headed down to the harbor area and visited the Ft. Sumter visitor center and checked out some of the huge ships, barges and boats. The temperature today was perfect. However, it really wasn't that "pretty" out because the sun was hidden by the clouds all day. After walking around a bit, we headed back to the hotel to rest for awhile before dinner.

Dinner turned into a bit of a fiasco when the first two restaurants we tried to visit were closed. We ended up driving a little bit out of the way to Folly Beach and it was great. The area was pretty touristy but it was fun. We had a good dinner and then went on a short walk on the beach. We saw the biggest and brightest rainbow I have ever seen in my entire life! It's hard to tell from the picture but the colors were amazing and you could see from one end of the rainbow all the way to the other end! It was a sweet end to a little bit of a rough night.

I'm looking forward to a few more days with Mark!

Water Day

2011-05-11T18:37:00.000-04:00

I'm going to say that this was our best play date yet! We had a few munchkins over this afternoon for "water day." We filled up two baby pools, turned on the sprinkler, blew bubbles, played with side walk chalk and had a great time! The kids all played soooo well together today. I think they really enjoyed being outside and playing in the water. We set up the tent so the adults could have some shade and it was perfect!

Sorry for the overload of pictures!!

Mother's Day Pictures

2011-05-11T18:31:00.000-04:00

We got a couple of cute pictures showing our Mother's Day this year.

Caroline and I got dressed up and went to her day care on Friday morning for a Mothers Day Tea. We had a good time together!

Sunday afternoon we took Caroline on her first "hike" at Kennesaw Mountain. We only walked up about 1/3 of the way before we headed back down but she did a good job and walked most of the time.

I love this picture of her!!

Work

2011-05-06T08:46:00.001-04:00

I love the southern "sawl!"

Shirtless

2011-05-06T05:32:00.055-04:00

We've had a lot of fun lately which has required a naked Caroline top half. This past week we made salt dough. She was wearing clothes until I decided that we should color the dough and took her little shirt off

We also had little snack of chocolate covered strawberries the other day. She loved them!

We've also done a few things where shirts were required. We went to the zoo twice this past week. Both times Caroline looked like this...

She can be such an intense little one, checking out everything around her. Kesley went with us one day and she is the complete opposite of Caroline. She ran around the petting zoo wanting to touch everything!

The zoo has a "new" baby panda bear. It's so cute!

The funny thing is that everything is a "baby" to Caroline these days. She points to my belly and says baby which is awesome, until she points to an 80 year old man and says the same thing. One of the funniest things is that she babbles a lot. She will be just talking away and I won't understand a word she is saying and then all of a sudden there is "baby" thrown in there!

One morning this week I watched Kelsey for a couple of hours. After breakfast we were hanging out in the kitchen and she got into the "baby" friendly cabinet.

The picture above makes me smile though because it reminds me of this picture below from almost a year ago. This time she stacked the lids with the containers while last time it was just a mess!

This age is just so much fun. They are learning so much everyday and I love to see their little brains work. This is my conversation with Caroline when I went to get her after her nap this afternoon...

Me: Hi sweetie

Caroline: Daddy?

Me: He's not here right now.

Caroline: Work?

Me: Yes, he's at work.

Caroline: Saw?

Me: Yes, he's working on the saw.

She has really just learned the words "work" and "saw" in the past couple of weeks and to hear her put it all together without any hints from me was so sweet. She loves her daddy! I love that we are a step ahead of the game since she knows her daddy loves saws. One of Mark's favorite hobbies (building furniture with saws) happens to coincide with his real job (selling saw blades). I look forward to having some pictures on the blog soon of Caroline's new "big girl bed" built by Mark!

Easter!

2011-04-26T22:17:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful time celebrating Easter this year with our family and friends! Mom and Vern came into town on Thursday night. We had a couple of relaxing days to hang out with them... and then there was Sunday!

We went to the 9:00 service at church and it was beautiful. The sermon was a reminder that "He still appears today..." The thought reminded me of the book that I am reading and seeing God in our lives every day. At the end of the service, the choir/orchestra did the Hallelujah chorus. Mark leaned over and whispered that it was his Mom's favorite song. Since she has been in the hosptial for several days we called her during the song so that she could hear it and have a little bit of Easter celebration too.

After church we came home and prepared for our guests. We had 14 adults and 3 little ones over for lunch and fun times! Mark and Vern set up tables and tents outside and we enjoyed a beautiful day!

Everyone brought goodies to share for a yummy lunch together. Of course, the only food picture I got was cupcakes.

After lunch we had an Easter egg hunt for these 3 sweet girls.

I love all the commotion surrounding the egg hunt - parents, grandparents and cameras everywhere!

We then put the girls down for naps and the adults had some fun with eggs! First up, the ancient art of egg tapping. :-) You tap the other persons egg and see if you can get theirs to break without breaking your own. The game didn't last long but it was fun.

Next was the infamous egg toss.

I think the guys had the most fun when they had free reign with the eggs though! They ended up tossing the eggs OVER the entire house and trying to catch them on the other side. I think we had one catch at the end of the day. The rest of it looked like the picture below...

This picture includes most but not all of our friends and family that came to hang out. We are truly blessed to have such sweet, fun friends. :-)

After all of our Easter fun, we went to The Garden, a shelter for women and children and served dinner to them. It was a sweet end to a day of celebration. When we finally arrived back home, I thought I would have a mess of dishes to clean up but Lindsay and Brad came over the house was spotless!! Yipee!

2011-04-18T20:37:00.000-04:00

I know the video is side ways but my new computer does not seem to have the magic of video editing and I was too lazy to research it for too long. The giggle is all that matters in this video!!

1000 Gifts

2011-04-17T20:55:00.000-04:00

11. Crockpots that make yummy dinners - especially the tender meat.

12. Leftovers from the crockpot for the next day = no cooking for me!

13. Healthy bodies.

14. Quality time with my Mom and sister.

15. Completing a project...new curtains for the living room.

16. Warm baths - when the water covers your entire body.

Bee Video

2011-04-17T18:46:00.000-04:00

This is probably only cute to me and Mark but I haven't posted a video in awhile so I thought I would share.

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-17T18:42:00.000-04:00

Caroline went to her first official Easter Egg Hunt today. Chad, Noelle and William hosted the hunt in their neighborhood. Noelle spread out 600 eggs all over the grassy area so there was plenty to choose from!! We did a little practicing before we went because I thought Caroline may be overwhelmed by all of the kids. I think the practice helped because she ended up with a full little basket!

Augusta!

2011-04-14T22:36:00.001-04:00

I've said it before and I must say it again...I love coming to Augusta. Mark traveled Monday - Friday this week and I was not looking forward to a week by myself so Gigi (that's her new name) and Grandude graciously offered to have us visit. At the last minute Lindsay and Kelsey decided to tag along for the ride! I always feel like I'm on vacation when I'm here. I don't have to think about work or any other priorities. We just enjoy time together! We spent most of our time playing and eating. :-)

Aunt Lindsay bought a fun sprinkler that we thought the girls would love...

we were wrong. Even with the encouragement from Lindsay and I the girls really wanted nothing of it.

After the sprinkler fiasco, we ended up with a really fun pool that the girls both loved! We even had our own personal pool boy. :-)

We took them to the little playground that is in the neighborhood. It's my goal to one day live in a neighborhood that has a playground and pool/swim team. The girls LOVED the slides and had a great time climbing up and going down. We sent them down together a few times and they just giggled and giggled!

Since we did so much playing we had to make sure we had some good food in our bellies. We had Mexican tonight and the girls ate a whole bowl of cheese dip themselves!

Lindsay then told us about the free ice cream for little ones at Brusters so off we went. It was a treat to see Caroline eat her first ice cream cone.

We did do a little bit of "work" while we were here. Caroline and Kelsey both did some modeling of the clothes that Gigi is now making. The clothes really are precious and it's been fun to see her start this new business venture. You should check out Sew Divine and see all their cute things!

1000 Gifts

2011-04-10T21:56:00.000-04:00

I am in the third chapter of a book by Ann Voskamp called, "One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are." The book has been really interesting and has gone a lot deeper than I imagined so far. Of course, you could probably guess that one of the things that book challenges the reader to do is to keep a list of 1000 gifts or a thousand ways that God has shown His love to you. The author said the list does not have to be "big" things. I can also do repeats and list Caroline 100 times if I want. Silly, material things like a new favorite shirt also count. Ann believes that the act of giving thanks, allows you to experience God's grace in new ways and enables you to live a life of joy. Sounds good to me. I'm starting the list on the blog hoping that it will keep me accountable to keeping the list going, although I might not write all 1000 or more on the blog!

1. Hearing Mark breathe while he sleeps next to me.

2. Working on projects together as a family.

3. Enjoying the curls, giggles and silliness of sweet Caroline and laughing as she won't take that necklace off! She even wore it to church this morning!

4. Watching Caroline and Mark play on the swing set that he built for her.

5. Watching Caroline go down the slide by herself.

6. An air conditioner that is limping along.

7. Sunshine with a nice breeze.

8. Spending time with family! They invited us over to cook out and eat popsicles.

9. A blog to keep up with our little life...it's been so fun to go back and look at pictures!

10. A baby that is having quite the party in my belly right now.

Whew...I've got a long way to go!

Opening Night!

2011-04-09T00:32:00.000-04:00

For years now I have wanted to go to opening day/night of the Braves season but have just never had the opportunity. This year I marked it on my calendar and as the date neared I started making plans. Those that know us well, know that we are not the best planners! We are great at planning things when other people are involved but, if it's something for just Mark and I to enjoy we normally wait around too long and miss out. I was pumped that I had scheduled a babysitter two weeks early! Now to get the tickets...I wanted the ultra cheap seats...the game looks the same to me from most anywhere in the stadium, plus parking, food, babysitting all add up quickly! We looked for tickets two weeks before the game and the cheap seats were sold out. We waited another day to make a decision about what to do next and the whole game was sold out!! I was so bummed but started checking stubhub everyday. I saw the prices go up, up, up and we waited, waited, waited. To make a long story short, the tickets went down in price and we bought tickets at 5:15 Friday night before the game. Yipee!!

I was so excited on the way down there! However, we got to the stadium and all of the parking lots were full of tailgaters! We sat in traffic for a good 45 minutes passing a few open parking lots that wanted $30 to park! One guy even told us he wanted $50! No, thank you. We eventually headed back towards the way we came in and one of the permit parking lots had been opened up to non-permit holders and they charged us $12. My smile may have diminished for a few minutes but our persistence finally paid off with a cheap parking spot right across the street from the stadium entrance.

Once inside it was all worth it!! Mark asked me if the great baseball players or the atmosphere made the night so fun. It's a combination! The music, the crowds, the cheering, the great hits and catches. There is nothing better than watching someone hit a double, knock in three runs and then watch as the sold out crowd jumps to their feet and does the tomahawk chop! It was a fantastic game and we won 6-3! Go Braves!

Mark's home!

2011-04-07T20:28:00.001-04:00

Mark just got in town tonight and boy am I thankful!! Monday to Wednesday is doable most every week but Monday to Thursday just wears me out!! It's crazy how that extra night just takes it out of me! Tonight Caroline and I ate dinner at Chick-fil-a and I can't tell you how thankful I was for the lady that walks around the restaurant and asks if you need anything. We didn't need anything but after spending many days by myself it was so nice to have someone ask repeatedly if she could get anything for us. She smiled and talked with Caroline. She got Caroline a drink refill and brought her a cow hat to wear. All of the extra attention made me feel so cared for! If going to Chick-fil-a makes me feel loved it's obvious my love tank must be a little low!!

I've been trying to have something planned for everyday so that it will make the days go faster but this week was a bit of a challenge. I did not have work or life group this week because of spring break. However, we did find some other trouble to get into. :-)

Caroline "painted" for the first time ever. It's really crazy all of the stuff they have for kids now. This paint is magic! It is clear and only shows up as a color when you put it on this special paper. No mess to clean up and a happy Caroline for about 30 minutes. Yipee!

Caroline still surprises me every day with the things that she is learning. We've been potty training for what seems like an eternity now but this week we have hit a new high and I think we are just about done! She's been wearing panties every day! She's also talking a lot more! She is able to put two words together too. Although she has been saying these for awhile, her favorite words are hi, bye and no. When I go to put her down for her nap, I try to say, "Sweet dreams, love you, see you soon" etc. but she will have none of it. As we walk into the room she says, "Bye" very matter of factly. I slip in a quick, "I love you" and down she goes!

Tonight after arriving home from dinner, I got her out of the car and told her we were going to take a bath. She told me she wanted to play and ran out into the driveway. I said no we were going to take a bath and I headed inside, hoping she would follow. Of course, this was not the case, I turned around a few moments later and she had already made it all the way around to the front of the house and was sitting on the front porch. We "play" on the front porch every day. :-)

Thankfully, Daddy arrived home right after this little stunt and she got in lots of good play time and giggles. As we were telling her it was just about time for bed, she layed down on the floor like she was going to sleep and Mark copied. Soon she was patting Mark on the back to wake up and saying, "hi." Of course, that was not good enough. She soon put herself back to "sleep" on the floor and proceeded to pat herself on the back and then pop up with a "hi." I love watching her play with Mark in the evenings. She always gets so silly and giggly!

Nothing new

2011-04-04T21:55:00.000-04:00

There is not much new going on around here. We are just trying to enjoy the spring weather and be outside as much as possible.

We've had a few play dates with friends and look forward to some more this next week.

All of the kids posed for group picture, except for Eli. He was playing for Mark when this photo was snapped.

This is the group picture from our last play date in August! It's hard to believe how much they have grown!!

We are also trying to get our house spruced up a bit. We are doing a tiny bit of re-decorating and also just trying to get the house organized as we prepare for the new babe. I think the next few months will be rather busy but I'm looking forward to them.

Pictures o plenty

2011-03-26T15:47:00.000-04:00

Here are just a few pictures of Caroline from this past week.

Monday Mark and I were able to babysit for our little friend Brittan.

Our silly girl eating an apple and a piece of pizza. We're so healthy. :-)

A sweet friend from church gave Caroline this humongous bunny that had a hat on it's head. Last night she put the hat on her head and pranced around the house!

She is so much fun!

Beautiful!

2011-03-19T21:11:00.000-04:00

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here the last few days! We have taken full advantage of it and spent a good bit of time outside. Thursday night we played outside for a long time and then had dinner on the back deck. Friday night we went out to dinner and again sat outside. Caroline has really been into coloring lately so she sat in Daddy's lap while the food was being prepared and colored.

She is very serious about her art work!

Saturday we spent some time at the park celebrating our little friend Hunter's first birthday. Caroline enjoyed running around, playing on the play ground and giving her daddy a little love.

Saturday night we watched Kelsey so that Brad and Lindsay could go on a date. We did a little reading...

and then decided we need to get out and enjoy some yogurt with our friends.

I think the girls both enjoyed it!

Although Caroline looks like she's in a yogurt daze!

We have really enjoyed the last few days of beautiful weather. I'm just not ready for the mosquitos and flies that are about to arrive with this warmer weather!

Play Dates

2011-03-19T20:54:00.000-04:00

We've had some fun play dates lately and I thought I would share the pictures.

Kelsey, Lindsay, Caroline and I all went to DAC Kids a couple of weeks ago. Getting both car seats in the same car is never fun but it makes the trip so much better!

DAC Kids is an indoor "pirate ship" play place. This included lots of sand and Caroline was not a fan! She stayed seated in my lap while we played on the sand. Thankfully, there were lots of jumpy things around the perimeter of the sand and she really enjoyed those.

A few days later we met Noelle and William at the mall. I had grand plans on finding some prego clothes and of putting Caroline on the mall train and carousel. The train idea didn't work out so well. She cried the moment I sat her in the car so she never made the trip. I still had high hopes for the carousel though. She saw the carousel while we were eating lunch and kept doing her sign for horse.

However, the carousel ride turned out much as the train. There were some definite "No, no, no!" so I once again relented and we sat on the bench for the carousel ride.

Thankfully, she seemed pretty happy about that!

I just love watching these two play. William is such a sweet little guy and it's fun to see him interact with her.

Funny...

2011-03-04T21:54:00.000-05:00

Immediately after writing my last blog post I was looking at the articles on CNN and ran across this article. The article basically says that parents exaggerate the joys of parenthood to make themselves feel better. Apparently having children is "not only financially foolish but (that kids) literally make parents delusional."

"Here's how cognitive-dissonance theory works when applied to parenting: having kids is an economic and emotional drain. It should make those who have kids feel worse. Instead, parents glorify their lives. They believe that the financial and emotional benefits of having children are significantly higher than they really are."

Whatever the reason for my joy, whether exaggerated or real, I will take it. :-)

Living the Life

2011-03-04T21:29:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking the past couple of days (since I've been feeling better) that I'm really "living the life." :-) I thought that I should write about it so that when times are a little more challenging that I can remember all of my blessings.

I have been afforded a good bit of "free time" lately...which mostly means I get to be with Caroline. My only real responsibility (I know it's a big one) these days is to care for her. We spend our days going to reading time at the library, going to the zoo with friends, playing at little kid gyms, singing together, reading books, swinging and just exploring our little world together. I never really get bored...maybe a bit lonely...needing some adult conversation...but never bored.

She is tons of fun and makes me smile and laugh everyday. We get to travel to Augusta to visit with Grinny and Grandude (and see the fish in the picture below), play with Kelsey and Aunt Lindsay and lots of other friends.

"Living the life", I also have the opportunity to do things that are important to me. Mark is a sweet husband and father and allows me time to be with my friends, get my nails done or just have a bit of time to myself. I went to the gym twice this week! Yipee! I also work just a few hours a week. It's hard to complain! I really am thankful for all of my blessings. My cup runneth over!

Disclaimer: I will admit that while I'm living the life, the pile of laundry on my bedroom floor is growing and the dust bunnies throughout my house may start hopping they are so big.