The life!

August 8, 2011
We are having a great time so far!  This morning we played at the pool, came home for lunch and a little rest time and then went on a boat ride to a little island out on the lake. We stopped and floated for a little while ....this is Lizzie and Mema chilling! :)

Lake

August 7, 2011
We made it to Georgia to see mema and pepa.  This is the view from their back porch. We love coming to the lake! We have already enjoyed a dip in the water and look forward to boat rides, trips to the pools and much more!  :)

Visit with the Boykin's

August 6, 2011
While we were in NC, we wanted to get together with Kim, Steve and Jake.  We had plans to cookout at their house, but Jake was not feeling well and had a fever the day before. So, me and Mike went out to eat without the kids and just stopped by their house for a few minutes. It was good to catch up even if only for a little while. Jake was feeling better and jumped in for this picture of me and Kim.  :)

August 5,2011
We are in NC at mama and A.G.'s. It not too bad outside today and we are waiting for supper. Matthew is sitting and putting little rocks in his shoes. He has been doing this for at least 10 minutes. He will now come to me saying "ouch, hurts" and we will have to take his shoes off to get the rocks out. Then the process will repeat!  :)

Lazy morning

August 3, 2011
I lost control of this blog months ago. I have plenty of pics, but got behind posting and never caught up. I can now post from my new smartphone so I think it will be easier for me. Let's hope!
It is a rainy morning and the kids are watching cartoons while I pack for our trip to NC and Georgia. Matthew actually hugged Lizzie when I asked him to and I captured it. :)

He made it

February 28, 2011

With some help, Matthew made it to the top with Sissy! Of course, it makes me nervous because I am afraid they will get careless and he will fall out - I guess that's part of being a Mommy! They had a great time playing and sliding down the "big slide". I see many more days out here once the weather ever gets warm. :)

I am a big boy

February 27, 2011

We had a warmer day, so the kids headed outside! Matthew has figured out that there is more fun up these steps at the top of the swingset/play area because Sissy is there. Let's see how long it takes for him to climb it on his own..... :)

Me & my babies

February 26, 2011 I am feeling somewhat human again. We were watching tv tonight andLizzie and Matthew both came to snuggle with me. This was very specialto me because it's usually only one of them at a time or Matthew is jealous and pushes Lizzie away from me! Lizzie had just gotten out of the shower and Matthew looks like he is asleep, but he is looking at a magazine. I asked Mike to grab the camera to try to get a picture of me and my babies. :)

Flower craft

February 25, 2011

I made it out of bed today, but was still not feeling well. Mike stayed home again. We had gotten Lizzie some crafts for Valentine's day and she made these a few days ago. Of course, it's Lizzie - she had to make the vase instead of using a cup or something we already had! :)

Sick day

February 24, 2011 I was not able to take a picture today. Last night, the nasty virus that has been going around got me. I had a fever all day today and laid in bed most of the day. Mike worked from home to help take care of the kids and I am so thankful. To make it worse, today is Mike's birthday! I had planned one of his favorite meals tonight and me and Lizzie were going to make cupcakes. Not only did he have to cook for himself and the kids, he brought me soup and crackers in bed. He is the best husband in the world and takes care of me and the kids. I am very blessed. Happy Birthday, honey - sorry it was a rough day, we will make it up to you! :)

Stairs

February 23, 2011

Matthew loves going up the stairs! Now, Lizzie is trying to teach him how to come down. Mike and I want him to learn to come down on his tummy, but no, he has to do what Sissy wants! I have to admit, she did teach him to hold on to the rail every time he slides down a step. She is a great big sister. :)

Another snow day

February 22, 2011

Yes, we have snow - again! The district canceled school since the snow came overnight. It was sunny and was mostly gone in a day, but the kids enjoyed it while it lasted. They had been out playing before lunch and then Matthew took a nap. Lizzie wanted to play some by herself while I got things done inside. I looked out the window to check on her and she was sitting in the swing very still looking at birds eating at the bird feeder. I bet she sat there for 15 minutes just as still as she could be - I never knew it was possible! :)

Playtime

February 21, 2011

There was no school today for President's Day and Mike worked from home. The MOMS Club had a play time in the gym of a church in town. I took Matthew while Lizzie stayed home. There were a lot of little kids there and Matthew had a great time. I am not sure if he threw the ball at this little girl, or if he is scoping out the other ball to take from her! :)

Blue sky

February 20, 2011
We have had a few days of sunshine and blue skies and I felt the need to get a picture of it. I am so ready for Spring! The kids have played outside all weekend - although, Lizzie is still not feeling well. I have a feeling that we haven't seen the end of winter, but I can enjoy it while it lasts. :)

Lizzie & Ally

February 19, 2011
It is the weekend and Lizzie is not feeling well. I could tell yesterday after school that she wasn't herself, but I thought she was just tired from the week. Today, she has been quiet and not very active which is really unusual. She laid down after lunch and fell asleep - when I went to check on her, this is what I found. Ally was curled up beside her in the bed - this from the same cat who used to run away every time Lizzie was near! I guess Ally has gotten used to all of the chaos in our home, or she is just so old that she doesn't care. Either way, Lizzie loves her new bed partner! :)

Fun morning

February 18, 2011
On the days that Matthew goes to MDO, we have 30-40 minutes in between Lizzie getting on the bus and when I can drop him off. It was the first nice day in a while, so I took Matthew downtown before going to his school. There is a nice little area with a bridge over the creek and there is usually ducks swimming. He had a great time talking to the ducks (and anyone that walked by) while I enjoyed my breakfast. :)

Little troublemaker

February 17, 2011
So, I was sitting at my desk doing some stuff this morning. Matthew was playing and was very content - I looked one minute and he was playing with his cars and a few minutes later, I caught him trying to climb on the countertop! He is such a BOY! I have also caught him on the kitchen table. Fortunately, he has not tried to climb out of the crib, yet! I have said so may times ... "Lizzie never did this". I love my little man... :)

Grayson's birthday

February 16, 2011
Grayson Amendt's 8th birthday is this week and I mailed his gift today. It was also this week a year ago that his mommy was diagnosed with Leukemia. Rhonda was in the hospital last year on his birthday and one of her greatest fears was missing another birthday - it was God's will that she did. Rhonda and I met in Chemistry class our first year of college . We love science - Chemistry was her favorite and Biology is mine. I sent Grayson a book about both and I knew it would make her smile. Lizzie also made Grayson a card - she loves doing this for her friends. Happy Birthday, Grayson! :)

(Scott sent me a picture a few days later of Grayson and his books - he really liked them!)

Coffee

February 15, 2011
I love coffee and this morning it was much needed. Matthew has been feeling bad and I did not sleep very well last night. Last year, Mike bought me a Keurig coffee maker and it was one of the best purchases we ever made. I order K-cups several boxes at a time and always look forward to trying new coffee. Mike and I joke that we know how the day will be by the cups of coffee we need in the morning. Well, today was a 2 cup day and even one in the afternoon! :)

Valentine's Day

February 14, 2011
Lizzie absolutely loves Valentine's Day. She talked about it for weeks. We put a few decorations up and she made little treat bags for the kids in her class at school. She enjoys making cards for her friends and family and made us a very sweet one as well. At school, they had a Valentine's party - complete with all kinds of snacks, candy, games and a pinata. She came home with a bag full of stuff! We always get her a little something - this year it included a chapter book, heart stickers, little heart shaped boxes, heart ribbon, hearts made out of beads that she can hang in her room and other things. Well, she said the heart was her favorite shape, so I went with it! :) We also got Matthew books, coloring books, and a little Mickey Mouse holding a heart - I don't think he was as excited as Lizzie, but he liked the new books! To top the day off, Mike brought home a bouquet of roses for Lizzie. She had a great day! :)

A good day

February 13, 2011
Mike saw it first and told us to look outside at the sunset. Unfortunately, by the time I got the camera, the best of it was gone, but this is still beautiful. While I was standing on the deck, I couldn't help but think about the week. One of Matthew's favorite things to say now is "bye sissy, ab a good daaay" (bye sissy, have a good day") as she is getting on the bus every morning. He is growing , learning so much, and is such a happy little boy. Lizzie is smart, happy, loving and very spunky. They are both healthy. I have a wonderful husband that would do anything for me. We have awesome family and friends. I thank God that every day is a good day... :)

Outside girl

February 12, 2011
We had warmer weather this weekend and Lizzie was outside most of the afternoon with Mike. They started out trying to sled before the snow melted, but that didn't last long. When I looked out the window, this is what I saw. In the edge of the woods, out from the back yard, there is a tree that fell over last year. Lizzie had the best time playing on it - she climbed, swung, bounced and who knows what else. We are so lucky that she hasn't broken an arm or leg yet. That's my tomgirl... :)

Poem

February 11, 2011
Lizzie brought home a poem that she had written at school today. In case you can't read it, it says:
I love you, you are mine,
there's something important,
you're my valentine.
She messed up on some of the spelling, but I think she did an awesome job. She is such a sweet and loving little girl. :)

Playtime

February 10, 2011
The gymnastics school in town has a pre-school playtime some mornings for an hour. They put out a springy floor, tunnels, mats, hula hoops, balls and other things for the young kids to play with. The Catholic moms group met there this morning and I decided to take Matthew for the first time. He had a great time - he loved the tunnels! I see more of this in our future.... :)

Big sister

February 9, 2011
Matthew continues to want to color (well, at least try) and he gets the crayons and coloring books out many times every day. Lizzie has suddenly developed the desire to color as well, even though she hasn't done this in a while except at school. Today, she was trying to show Matthew how to color and all he wanted to do was mess her up! This ended up with both of them having a laughing fit and almost falling off the bench. :)

Sunshine

February 8, 2011
We had a scheduled 2 hour delay for school this morning for teacher in-service. The kids were playing and I was doing my thing around the house as usual. I walked by the front room and saw the sun coming out from behind a big cloud. It was so bright and beautiful reflecting off the snow. I was so excited because we haven't seen much of the sun lately. I love the winters here, but I also love the thoughts of Spring. :)

Trains

February 7, 2011
Matthew loves the train track and is starting to be able to put some of it together by himself. He came to me one morning a little fussy and was trying his best to tell me something. I finally figured out that he was saying "chain, chain" (aka "train, train"). I followed him to the room where the train set is and helped him put it together and he was happy as a clam and played for a long time. Now, we just need to get more tracks so he can make a bigger one! :)

Superbowl

February 6, 2011
We bought a new tv before the holidays and Mike is really enjoying it - especially football. He was very excited to be able to watch the Superbowl in HD. We were all pulling for the Steelers to win, especially Lizzie. Some of the boys in her class talk about the Steelers a lot and she has suddenly developed a desire to watch football. She and Matthew love to curl up on the couch and watch it with Mike. Unfortunately, the Packers beat the Steelers, but it was still a good game. Of course, we only know that from the news since we went to bed after the third quarter... :)

Coloring

February 5, 2011
Matthew has started to like crayons. I had let him scribble on a big sheet of paper a few weeks ago and now broke out the coloring books that Lizzie never used. We were getting supper ready tonight and he sat at the table for at least 30 minutes and had the best time. He scribbles, then flips the page and scribbles a little and flips the page. The entire time babbling - "Emo" (Elmo)," yeyo"(yellow)," bown" (brown)," coco" (color)," er you go"(there you go), and "no mout" (no mouth - as he puts the crayon in his mouth and we tell him no)! He makes me laugh.... :)

Looking at magazines

February 4, 2011
Lizzie was reading the National Geographic Kids magazine that she gets every month in the mail (thank you, Uncle Charlie & Aunt Alli). Matthew climbed on up at the table and joined her. He likes the magazine just as much as she does - they usually fight about who can look at it first. This time they compromised and looked at it together! :)

Ice

February 3, 2011
Earlier in the week, the forcast was that we would get "crippling ice" with this week's winter storm. I did not like the sound of that and would rather have the 2 feet of snow that was predicted other places. As the week progressed, the forcast was downgraded some and it looked like we would get ice, but not as much as we originally thought. We woke up this morning to a little ice, but nothing compared to what some of the other states are dealing with. I love how the ice looks on the trees and I snapped this picture quickly this morning before the kids woke up. We dodged the bullet this time, but it's still early and we have a lot of winter left.... :)