More-In from the Morins

New Blog

2011-08-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

Had a lot of fun going through our vacation pics and posting them last night while Mike had "Bro Night"...and I'm still not done! But I have exceeded my photo limit on blogger (I might have a problem!...I know I'm camera crazy!), but this is the easiest way for me to scrapbook for our kids for their baby and prek years...so I hope I can keep it up until they go to school...has anyone else had this happen? Blogger is asking for me to buy more space...love the current free-ness on here...hmmm...might be a bit before I am back...we shall see! :)

***I set up a new blog here***
using another email address bc of the space and $ thing...good to know the $5 does buy you a lot of space though...wasn't sure bc of how camera crazy I am if the $5 would get me very far...so now 18 posts later we have a new blog!

Tim-BER!!!!

2011-08-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

The Lumberjacks take a break...and I take over... :)

Pepere and Mike took down some trees at Pepere's...

The kids and I hung out and watched a movie while the trees were falling....

Then they found a caterpillar they named Pascal and they enjoyed playing with him...

And acting out Smurfs around his yard...

The Grumpster

2011-08-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

This guy was a little sleep deprived on vacation...got to skip naps and stay up late and woke up earlier than when he is at home...and boy can he be GRUMPY...but going in to wake him up from naptime and seeing him sleeping...MELTS MY HEART EVERY TIME! I love my little guy!!! :)

Sleeping Beauty

2011-08-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

Grandma took Mal and I to see Sleeping Beauty...we had some time to walk around where the theater was before the show...(more pics to come from G's camera)

Thanks for taking us out to the show! M wants to act it out all the time now! :)

Leavin' on a Jet Plane!

2011-08-25T19:15:00.001-07:00

Mike and Carter took MiMi to Boston to fly home on Tues...it was so fun having MiMi up north with Mike's family! So glad she got to see all the places we talk about in RI and Maine! :)

Newport

2011-08-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

MiMi's last day and it was pouring buckets! We planned on going to Newport and we went anyway! We def. made some memories as we ate our picnic lunch in the van on a street in Newport...we were disappointed not to be able to walk on the Cliff Walk...but it was fun to drive around and look at the amazing houses....To finish our outing and to make it a totally Newport-y day we stopped for some ice cream at the Newport Creamery! De-lish!

RI Beaches

2011-08-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

We lucked out with great weather for the reunion...the next day we took MiMi to see the different beaches and it was another rainy day...but we ventured out anyway!

Put our toes in the water...

Mal enjoyed her "office"...just cracked me up to look back there and see her hard at work!

We went out for clam cakes and chowder near where K and N got married...

We had fun...

The tour guide finished the day with a trip to Del's!

Then back to G&Gs for playtime and dinner time!

Reunion

2011-08-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time at the Reunion and getting to chat with some of Mike's family that we hadn't seen in a long time (or ever for me and the kids)...Carter got knocked over by the neighbor's dog though and twisted his ankle/leg so he was sitting with an ice pack on it upstairs at first and then sat on the porch the whole time with some of his "guys"...
We went to the playground after the reunion was over...

Carter's leg was still a little tender and he fell down often, but it was better than it was at the beg of the day...

The kids really mastered the "stepping stones" and loved walking across them this yr...

Carter wasn't in the mood to be in the pic...

One of our best fam pics to date! Yay!!! We are all looking!

Last Morning...

2011-08-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

It was time to leave Maine on Friday morning...always sad to leave! We packed up the cabin, and then MiMi and I took the kids on a walk while Mike and Pepere finished cleaning and closing down the cabin...They picked us up down at the Ugly Moose and we were off to a big breakfast before getting on the road...Thanks for a wonderful week in Maine Ray! We all had a blast! :)

Good Eatin'

2011-08-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Pepere and his new camera...took a pic of this guy cookin up some din din!

Steamers and lobsters...yum yum yummy! Thanks for treating us to the delicious spread Pepere!

Hanging out before Pepere and Mike went into town to watch the Patriots play a little preseason game...good eatin and good times!

Froggin!

2011-08-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

We went froggin in the pond next door! (Thanks for the pic Pepere!)

We found Lumpy, Bumpy, and Stumpy!

Mallory was over the moon and kissing them!

It was a froggin' good time! And they were very grateful to be released that evening! :)

Waterfall!

2011-08-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd full day in Maine we took a little drive to the waterfall...we had never taken the kids yet so it was fun to take them and MiMi at the same time!

It was fReEzInG!!!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Mike and Carter braved it though!

Us girls stayed a bit dryer!

Carter's faces were cracking me up...

Such a beautiful place!

Smurf-a-licious!

2011-08-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

Our 2nd day at the cabin was a rainy one...but that didn't stop our fun! Pepere took the kids and me to see the Smurfs! Carter's 2nd movie! It was packed so we had to sit 3 and 1...the kids visited Pepere a couple times during the film to offer him popcorn and then Carter sat with him for a sec when the credits rolled...Mike and MiMi hit the shops in the little town while we were in the theater...and Carter had his 1st piece of gum ever from Pepere's truck (keeping with tradition...Mal had her 1st piece when we were up in Maine when she was 3.5! The younger one gets to do everything sooner! One of the perks of being the baby! :) He chewed it and swallowed it a few secs later...but he did much better later in the week with his 2nd and 3rd try...he only chews it for a few mins and hands it back...you can tell he is trying to fig out how the whole thing works! Smurfy! :)

Then we all went out to a late YUMMY lunch and then headed back to the cabin with some new goodies from Pepere! Thanks Pepere!

Love just hanging out around the cabin...

Mike found a He-Man puzzle at the thrift in town and we had fun putting it together...a few pieces were missing though! We fig. there would be with the cheap price and when it was sold "as is"...It was a good time anyway!

Togetherness!!!! :) Love our days at the cabin! I saw a sign when I was in a store in town that said "www.weekends@thecabin.calm"...loved the .calm part-- we had a fun and relaxing week!

Ocho!

2011-08-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

After s'mores we left the kids with their sitters for the evening...Pepere and MiMi!...and headed out on the town for our 8th Anniversary! We got ice cream and then headed to Wally World! Had the greeter take a pic of us as we entered...she said that was the first time EVER she was asked to take a pic of a couple out to celebrate their Anni. at Walmart...Good times! But it was a nice little evening out and I love this guy and love just being with him...no matter where we are...Cheers to 8 yrs! :) And thanks for watching the kids for a couple hours P and M! :)

S'mores!

2011-08-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

Camp fire, s'mores, and guitar...

Let the good times roll!

MiMi was there too, but took some of the pics...wish we had a pic of her too!

Love my little people!

It was a "sweet" evening by the fire! :)

The Lake

2011-08-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

The kids were excited to go for a "real swim" that afternoon!

Hanging out before going down...

And we are off!

These 2 are good sports as I click away on my camera...

Sibling love....

Too much sibling love....he is over it!

A little rock climbing...

Easing in...very mild temps while we were there....very nice break from the heat wave we have had at home...but harder to jump right into the lake for us southerners!

Maggie the dog was back from last yr!

The kids were excited to see her...

Mike and the kids went swimming...MiMi and I didn't get too far in...brrrr! I did get in to my waist though!

Just love the clear water and being down at the lake! Mike found water snails this yr....more than a dozen of them...they were fun to collect and release...

Heading back for the day...

First Morning...

2011-08-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

The kids were up BRIGHT and EARLY (530!!!!) on our first morning...it was cute (although very early!) to hear them whispering when they woke up...when they came to wake us up we put a movie on so the adults in the cabin could slumber on...

Later we packed our lunches and headed into town for a very "Stars Hallow" concert near the gazebo in town...

Hanging with Pepere...

And Daddy!

Then we hit up some of the stores in town...Gotta love Renny's!

And went back for snacks and coloring before going for a swim!

Maine!

2011-08-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

We left to drive to Maine on Monday...we were all excited to get to the cabin and lake!

Both kids caught snoozes along the way...

Then lots of playing and running around when we arrived...then MiMi and I took the kids down to "look" at the lake...they both were so excited and the wading turned to swimming! So fun to be back...and so weird to be the only ones! We missed the other 8!

1st Rainy Day Tour

2011-08-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

1/3 of MiMi's visit up north has been rAiNy! 4 out of 12 days! The rain is much needed, but made things a little soggy for sight seeing...

On Sunday we tooled around town and showed MiMi some of Mike's old stomping grounds and went to a couple fav. shopping spots! We put M in the back (the coveted spot for our kids (Carter can do it too once he upgrades in a yr...so nice and easy to move M with the new boaster seat) and then sitting in the middle I could be more "in" on the tour and adult conversation...

Back to G&G's for the late afternoon and then dinner!

Fun to show MiMi around town!

Rockin' Out!

2011-08-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

We spent the rest of Sat. hanging out back at Pepere's...Mike and Ray put the camper on the truck and the kids, MiMi and I watched a movie from Pepere's DVD collection and went for walks and played at the playground...Then we all went out to a nice dinner...Thanks for a great day Ray! :)

H20 Morin

2011-08-15T12:24:00.001-07:00

Pepere took us out in his boat on Sat! H20 Morin was awesome!

We went over to his friend Walden's house to take a ride out on the lake...

We had a beautiful day for a boat ride!

Pepere took Mike and the kids out first...

They are off!

Wish I had a place on the lake! Love it!

Coming back in...

The kids enjoyed the ride!

Playing with toys while MiMi and I went on a ride!

Then we got the kids suited up for a swim that was more of a wade...

Snack break!

Almost the whole crew!

I could sit and look at the water for such a long time! So relaxing!

Then Steven built us a fire to roast marshmallows!

My 2 fav things...camp fires and being near water!

My main squeeze!

Thanks for a great time out on the water Pepere!

Early BDay Celebration

2011-08-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

pics to come

Thru the Night

2011-08-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

After packing up my room from Summer School I headed home to grab M and take her to her dentist appointment while the boys napped...then we went home and after Carter woke up the kids and I had an early dinner and headed to the pool...we stayed til it closed to give Mike the sleep he needed to make the 9 hr trip north through the night...MiMi arrived (we were so excited to show MiMi RI and Maine since 8 fam members couldn't come this yr it was the best time for her to visit all the places we talk about each yr...wish PaPa could've come too, but he had to work!) and we hit the road around 830pm! E-X-C-I-T-E-M-E-N-T!!!!

Almost midnight and we made our first stop...sleeping kids and an awake MiMi in the back! (Hard to see MiMi bc it's a cell pic)...At 230 Carter woke up and played so loudly with his "guys" he woke up the rest of the car (PAR-TAY!!!!) until about 5am when he finally went back to sleep....We arrived at G&G's at 6am and spent the day hanging out and taking turns taking naps!

Daddy Day Care

2011-08-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Mike had lots of fun with the kids while I taught my last week of summer school. M finished up her summer cold (kissin up on people all the while) and Mike (and Mallory) took Carter to his first movie in the theater one morning! His first movie was Winnie the Pooh! How fun and cute that Daddy got to take him! (No pics though...the "Fam Historian" was MIA!)

Mike packed for our 18 (!!!) day trip (he rocks!) and had us all set to go by Thurs. when I got home from teaching...packing and watching kids can wear a brother ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuut! :)

Almost 3!

2011-07-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

This little guy is so good at entertaining himself! I love to watch him play...

He hardly ever wants me to take a picture so I have to be sneaky!

"Mommy...I see you take a picture!!!"

He loves telling people "I Carter...I two and a half!!!!" and I love it...even though next month he will be 3!!! Can't believe he is almost 3!!! My baby!

He loves his big boy bed and we are so grateful for a smooth transition so far...fingers crossed it continues! He wakes up and plays or reads in his bed until we go get him at this point...which is so nice! :)

Carter is currently obsessed with "Hanging Tough"...It is on Laura's Bach. Mix and he always requests it when it is his turn for a song in the van....it is hilarious to hear him sing it and watch him rock out! He learned it while I was away last weekend!

He is a silly boy and he is content to just "be"...I admire and try to learn from him...he seems to have a personality more like his Daddy and his sister is more like me (needs to be on the go and doing something w/ others all the time)...

We love our little guy!

Can't believe he is heading to preschool in the fall!

A Little Date

2011-07-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

Mal has a summer cold, so Carter and I went on a little date Friday to get his haircut...it was so fun to hang out with just him! He was so proud of the sucker he got for doing a great job! We enjoyed stopping by the pet store too and looking at all the animals before we headed home...gotta love free entertainment! :)

Camp MiMi

2011-07-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of Camp MiMi for the summer...We are so grateful for the time, love, and energy you put into our little ones so we could teach! (Mike is done, but I have one more week!) The kids have had a blast and made so many memories! At the beginning of July MiMi could come in (Thank you so much for coming here MiMi so I didn't have to get the kids up and ready!) have coffee and chill and the kids would gradually wake up...then the excitement took over and M was up earlier and earlier to see her MiMi and would often be waiting on the steps with her clock in hand waiting for it to strike 7:00 so she could come downstairs and begin having fun with her MiMi...I love that the kids have had so much time with her!
And M is going to VBS at her school this week...(and Carter enjoyed some one on one time with his MiMi in the morning...good times!) We missed our church VBS bc we were at the beach so it was nice for her to be able to go to a VBS some where (she went last yr too and enjoyed it)....
M came home with this craft today and I got tears in my eyes...Who is that big girl!?!? She looks so old in this pic!

Thanks for loving our kids so well MiMi....they love Camp MiMi! :)

Matt's "Cover Girl"

2011-07-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun night at the concert with Matt's "Cover Girl"...remember the NKOTB song!??!!? So fun! We all met at Matt's for dinner, drinks, games, and gifts before heading to the concert...Everyone got a lei and a mixed CD for the occasion...the bride got a veil, a sash, and a fun cup for her evening out on the town...It was so exciting to finally go see a Boy Band! I'm so glad I grew up during the 80s and 90s!

The Bride with her pup! BFF for 11 yrs! Mocha and Lu are a package deal...Congrats Matt!

The whole crew!

Cue the music! "Won't you stay here with me and be my briiiii ide!" :)

There were many laughs before heading out! (and many more to come throughout the evening!)

And the notorious Party Bus arrives!!!

It was such a fun "blast from the past" to see both boy bands...I might have been a little HYPER having never seen either band before(!) and we were also surprised and excited to see this artist too...he came out before the boy bands...such a cool surprise!
It was so crazy to finally be in the same room as my boy Brian (thanks for enduring the hyperness in college my friends!) from BSB...and they were fun to watch, but we were all even more impressed with NKOTB...They were awesome and may be even better performers than they were as kids! I had fun texting with my friend who is a "groupie" who was there but in a different section....she goes to almost every show...now I can see why! :)

Back on the party bus.....HEY NOW!!!

Can't remember the last time I went clubbin...it was an evening full of fun and laughs! WATCH OUT!!!! My sis is getting hitched! :) Won't be long now!!! :)

And just for fun...here we are 8 yrs ago on my Bachelorette night out! No Boy Bands (wish they had been touring back then!), but plenty of dancing!! :)

Time with the Fam

2011-07-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

We had a fun morning together before I head to NC to celebrate with the girls for Lu's Bach Weekend! Mr. and Miss Serious had some fun with computer games...M is all about pbs games when she has computer time...Carter wants to be, but doesn't have a clue how to work the mouse yet...So this lasted but a few mins before it ended in frustration and the computer went up...but hey it was cute for a few mins! We got out the tents they got for Christmas and played some games inside while Mike took his walk (in the EXTREME heat...now that's dedication!) We also made a chain to count down to RI and Maine...We have some obsessed kids around here...now we have a visual... :)

And some reading time...love to see this little guy "read"...he was up late the other night "reading" in his bed...in the dark...we could hear the pages crumpling as he turned them on the monitor...no talking...just studious crumpling...we def had a good laugh about that one!
Loved having a family morning (love Fridays in the summer!) just hanging around the house...full of fun, time outs, and just being together... :)
Now I leave my 3 loves to celebrate the future Mrs. Howell with a little NKOTB and BSB!!!!! Happy Weekend! :)

jUmPy the frog!

2011-07-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

Aunt Laura and M found a CUTE little frog on a "scavenger hunt" in the morning...(all the adults just trickled out slowly in the morning with coffee in hands...it was such a nice cool morning to just hang out and chat outside...) And Jumpy the frog was an exciting and adorable find! MiMi ran to get a habitat out of the shop for the little guy so he wouldn't get too much love from the kids...

His world literally "got rocked"...
(and I was still in my PJs in the pic below when Mike and Carter arrived back at their house)...we were just having such a nice time hanging out with Matt and his rents...)

We had mercy on him after a while and released him back into nature...I know he was grateful!

Carter was excited to get back into the tent and the kids enjoyed some books for a bit...it was a "romper room" the night before when they got in...this was much calmer...We had a wonderful weekend with everyone...Can't wait for Sept! :)

Camp Out with Auntie LuLu

2011-07-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

Aunt Laura's finance and his rents came up to spend the weekend at MiMi and PaPa's...It was time to get the good ol invitation assembly line working for the wedding...Everyone did a little something...The Howells had quite a system! They were a machine! :)
Sat. night after all the work was done we relaxed hanging around the fire pit...

Made s'mores...

Chased and caught fireflies!! Oh the joys of summer nights!

Took some crazy rides in the hammock...

It was an unseasonably cooler night...just perfect!

Then our boys headed back for some "guy time" ...and Mal, Laura, and I had a "Ladies Night Camp Out" in their back yard...

Ahhhh the sounds of nature as we drifted off to dreamland...then 1130 we were startled awake by fireworks courtesy of the neighbor across the street...surprisingly M slept right on through that...then a text from Aunt SQ at 1230 to see how the camping was going...hehehe...
The "Sleep Ninja" slept right on through that too...and Auntie Lu only got sucker punched once by her niece...I warned her that the girl's got moves! :)

Woke up before the rest of the tent and got to enjoy my view above...

And beside me... :) Thanks for the sweet memories Auntie Lu!

Another Celtics Fan in da House!

2011-07-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

Move over, Rondo...The Future is here...

The Sweetness of Summer

2011-07-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

Love our summer days! The kids are having a blast at "Camp MiMi" in the morning! And we are having a great time teaching school...
It's fun waking this guy up from his naps...Couldn't believe his position today! It's like he was sliding into "home plate" or something!

I'm telling you these kids move when they sleep! Larry and Moe! Larry and Moe!!!
Mal likes being part of the "wake up committee"!

Crafting a bit while Daddy makes dinner...yikes...Carter has a bit to learn about scissor etiquette...

Yumm..... :)

We sliced the real one up after dinner and ate some for dessert on the deck waiting for the storm to blow in...love to feel the breeze and (slight) change in temp...it has been HOT round here!

Comic Relief ?!?!??

2011-07-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

Mike went into the eaves on Sunday after church to get a couple comic books out from his childhood (since C is all about super "he whoahs"...) only to discover that the eaves had leaked and the boxes were soggy and needed to be replaced... :( see Mike up in the balcony looking down?

So hours and tons of boxes later...(the recycling guy is gonna love us next week!)...Ta Da! Mike and the new bins!

But no where to store them! Yikes! What a collection the twins have! (the comics were all safe inside the soggy boxes...so that was good!)

PaPa came over last night to inspect the eaves and give us advice...

So much for our Sunday being a day of rest....but we got a lot done and the kids enjoyed sitting in an extra bin and watching a show amongst all the rubble...

38 Trips Around the Sun

2011-07-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

Mike turned 38 on the 8th...He had school, but I didn't...woke up and made him a hot breakfast before going back to sleep til 830 (yay summer schedule!)...

Then the kids and I made a cake to surprise him when he got home... :)
Love the lopsided sprinkles!

We got to go to a late lunch with the other Bday TWIN and his fam...the kids were totally HYPED to see the other M Fam!
(Mallory drew the fun pic above of Mike on a napkin at the restaurant...)

Then we got to give Mike his bday gifts from us before he took his BDAY nap!

After rest time Aunt Susan came over to watch the kids so Mike and I could go out on a date! We are such nerds and thought our coffee cups looked like the number 8 so naturally we had to make a 3 with the sugar packets right?!?! :) It was nice to go out on a date with my guy and celebrate!

Then we went for a romantic walk and got stuck in a torrential downpour! You were right Mike...you "told me so!" Oh well it made for some good laughs!

Thanks for watching the kids Susan so we could go out! You rock! And Mallory was very excited to have another slumber party with you!!! :) Happy Bday Mike!! We love you! :)

The 4th

2011-07-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

We ALL woke up slowly on the 4th...(so nice!!!) everyone was resting up from a great time at the beach...
We had a yummy breakfast and then made flags to celebrate and headed to the pool for the festivities! Carter won a game for kids ages 4 and under and shared the prize with his big sis...
We came home for some zZzZs @ naptime and then our cookout for dinner had to be indoors bc of the huge storm that came through...We had a surprise visitor at dinner bc of the storm--Aunt Susan! (her party got canceled due to the weather...)
Since we had already seen the fireworks at the beach we put the kids to bed on time and headed to bed ourselves after getting everything set to start summer school in the morning! What a HAPPY and RESTFUL Fourth of July! :)

Big Boy Bed

2011-07-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

Someone has been sleeping in his big boy bed ever since we got home from the beach! I think it was good for me to see a week of Carter trying to hang with a 5 and 4 yr old...He was more like them than the 1 yr old baby at the beach...it was God's way of helping me be "ok" with letting him make the transition once we got home...We are so proud of him and he loves his new bed! The first morning I ran up to see him when he woke up (we usually let them play for a while first...I couldn't help myself...I had to go straight up!)
When I opened the door he said,

"No Mommy...
shut de door...
I take a nap!"

My BIG Boy! We are so proud of him! (Next up paci and potty!)

And here is a flashback to when Mal made the transition....click here

Trip Home...

2011-07-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

No naps on the way down...too much excitement...

But there were def naps on the way home...

Mike noticed that we lost 2 more hubcaps on this trip...so now we are down to one...

"Take only pictures....
Leave only footprints..."
(and in our case hubcaps!)

Last Night

2011-07-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

I always get sad when it is the last night at the beach...
Mike poking a little "Gift of the Sea" fun at me in the pic below....

Thanks for all the memories MiMi and PaPa and Becky and Bob!
We are so grateful that you have kept up this tradition! :)

Photo Session (minus 2 who had headed home)

2011-07-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

4/6

2011-07-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

4/6 of "the next generation"...we missed you C and O!

There is a Reason

2011-07-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

I love the beach and the reflection it brings...(although with kids 4 and 2 not much "chill" reflection is going on...they are constantly on the go...and therefore so are we!)
(This was of those rare moments I could just sit back and watch them play...and a "sibling squabble" over a shovel almost broke out, but they sorted it out without adult help...yay!)
But I love looking out at the ocean and thinking about the GREATNESS of our God and what a MIGHTY God we serve!

The beach makes me think of so many praise songs...

One of which is There is a Reason...click here to listen :)

Shades

2011-07-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Rockin' Momma and Daddy's shades... :)

2 Cottages

2011-07-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

This was our first yr getting 2 houses...our group has grown to 20 (but 5 didn't get to come this year)...but it was nice for the 15 to have 2 houses to hang out in!

We had a 2nd row and a beach front...

So we would do breakfast and rest time at our different cottages and then lunch and dinner all together at the V cottage near the water...

I was worried that having 2 houses would damper the bonding...but it didn't!

The kids and the adults had a blast!

Game nights for the adults at the V cottage...(MiMi stayed back many nights to listen out for our munchkins...Thanks MiMi!)

Yummy food cooked by the different couples each night...

And 2 nights of seafood a la PaPa! :)

Wildlife

2011-07-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

We saw lots of rabbits and deer this yr at the beach...Cute little unexpected friends at the beach!

My View

2011-07-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

Loved "my view" when we would walk down to set up camp near the tidal pool...

There were some grumblings and life lessons on the way the first time we made the journey...everyone needs to pitch in and help...

A bucket and a shovel really aren't all that heavy compared to what the rest of the adults are lugging to set up... :) But we got over it and got with the program and I loved the view for the rest of the week of the set up crew! :)

Video won't upload...will try again later...

The 3 Musketeers (Doin what they do!)

2011-07-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

A piece of the action...(can't upload will try again later)

Snoozin', Swimmin', & a Snackin'!

2011-07-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than a sleeping baby on the beach!?!?!?

What a cutie!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again...snack time = funniest thing EVER to these 2!

The things they find hilarious...It makes me smile and laugh...

Making a bday cake with Aunt Susan...

Chillaxin!

Another snack break....

Just another glorious day down by the shore! :)

Slumber Party with Aunt Susan!

2011-07-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

Aunt Susan invited M to have a sleep over with her one night at the beach...Mallory was so excited! She loved sleeping in the trundle bed between Susan and her friend Shannon...Aunt Susan also painted M's nails red, white, and blue for the 4th before bed...What a fun slumber party! :)
Then on the last night I got to get in on the Slumber Party fun...We watched fireworks on the deck at our cottage with MiMi and Aunt Susan (PaPa told us they were shooting them off...and Mike was busy packing for the trip home) and then we headed back over to Aunt Susan's "apartment" at the bottom of the V cottage for the last night at the beach (Carter got Daddy to himself for the night after the fireworks) and I got to sleep in Shannon's bed since she had already headed home...Such fun girl time! Thanks for all the special memories Aunt Suzy!

Night out on the Beach

2011-07-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Love to go for walks at night on the beach!

The kids were excited about their glow sticks from Rita!

They instantly became light sabers (much to Peter's chagrin)...

The battle is on!

Trying to get that elusive fam pic!

Almost everyone is looking!

Me and the hubs...his TENTH trip to the beach with us! What a DECADE of memories! :)

Sweet Baby A!

The Rents minus PaPa...we didn't know where he went...but he went back to the cottage to get items to go "ghost crab hunting" like we did as kids...

The kids loved the flashlights and headlamp PaPa brought out...but we SADLY didn't see or catch a single crab...it was fun anyway to go on a hunt! :)

The Aquarium

2011-07-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

The kids were so excited to go back to the aquarium this year!

And touch the ocean creatures! Carter even got to touch them this yr!

It was a RAINY day so we were there with a baquillion other people... :)

So amazing to stand in front of the huge tank and see all the animals swim!

Sharks!

The kids each got to pick out a souvenir...both picked turtles! What a great way to spend a rainy morning at the beach!

The otters...my fav! And it was feeding time for them!

EXTRA Snuggles!

2011-07-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

Vacations = slumber party time with the kids! M really looks fwd to the extra snuggles! Although we might need to revisit the idea bc sleeping in between these guys is like sleeping between Larry and Moe from the 3 Stooges with all the arm and leg swinging when they are asleep! They sleep right on through it...parents- not to much!

MiMis are the COOLEST!

2011-07-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

This was our 1st vacation without an official "naptime"...although Carter would fall asleep several days....he was trying to hang with the big kids!

Both MiMis stepped in to help with reading and crafts to fill in the gaps...Thanks for all the lovin' and time you spent with the little people...wish I had had my camera to catch all the crafts with Becky!

Snack Sequence

2011-07-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

These guys had a blast during snack time at the beach...

"What choo talking bout Willis?!?!??!" (Carter's look CRACKS me up!!!)

"The Tidal Pool"

2011-07-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

We found this cool little tidal pool (at low tide) like we used to play in at the beach as kids...we found lots of "hermie crabs"...we would catch and release them each day...

The kids could swim around and the parents could relax a bit with the sound of the crashing waves behind where we were swimming...

So relaxing!
\
Games of chase!

Good times! We would try to get to the little pool once a day for some fun!

Fun with (the Future) Uncle Matt!

2011-07-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun hanging out with (the FUTURE!) Uncle Matt! We were so glad you could make it to the beach even though your bride couldn't! And he even brought his fun raft from last yr!

He made an AWESOME dinner on his night to cook and made us all over-eat it was so good! He was the KING of Bocce this yr and went home with the belt....Good times! Good times!
We can't wait til you are part of the fam Matt! :)

"Never Give Up!"

2011-07-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

After our spontaneous swim (in clothes!!!) after arriving Sunday it was hard for the boy to be convinced he needed to wear his life jacket...but after a little 2 yr old protest (aka "noise pollution") he suited up and off he went to chase and run away from the waves!

Love my boys!

The kids wanted to make a little castle at the water's edge...

Love my girl!

The building began...

The kids kept saying, "never give up!" and they kept trying to keep the castle safe from the waves with the grownups helping...Z was the last kid standing in the pursuit before the castle got totally washed away...such a fun first morning at the beach!

Trip Down!

2011-07-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Alarms set for 530...Mike up and at em..Sarah not so much...kids up after 7am...pack, pack, load, load...head to get gas and stop by the store "real quick"...didn't leave town til 12pm...wow...what a sslllllllllllloooooooooowwww exit from town that was...we just had to laugh...

We had a lot of fun jammin together (Halo is a fam favorite) and just bonding as we made our way to the beach...pulled in just as Amy and Co did! (perfect timing!) Checked out the cottage, then theirs, and out onto the BEACH! All 4 kids (2 of the kids couldn't make it this yr) were soaked right away! Can we say "EXCITEMENT"!!!!

We love going to the beach each summer! Thanks MiMi and PaPa!

We're BACK! :)

2011-07-04T00:02:00.000-07:00

We are back from a WONDERFUL week away at the beach! Hope to update soon with pics and stories! Happy 4th to all! :)

Won't be long now!

2011-06-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Before this boy is out of his crib! Pray for his Momma!

He seems very excited about making the switch! Wish us luck! :) Once he is ready (or me...seems to be my issue!), the crib and dresser go to friends at church, we paint his wall, slide the big boy bed into the spot where the crib is, and get new curtains, and it will be OFFICIAL....my baby isn't a baby anymore! :*****(

Take me out....

2011-06-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

...to the ball game!!!

Aunt Susan got us super cheap tickets to go to a game last night bc her work was selling discount tickets and she knew it was something we wanted to do with the kids this summer! Thanks for the hookup SuzyQ!

The kids were excited bc they knew the mascot from Relay for Life 2010...they got to meet him and hug him then...

And we were excited to have kids finally old enough to maybe make it through part of a game!

The kids enjoyed seeing all the mascots and little side games they did...shooting t-shirts at the crowd, sumo wrestlers, seeing Nutzy and Zinger dance...they didn't watch the game so much... :)

Distracting Carter with a free magazine we got when we entered...

The kids really enjoyed the hotdogs, curly fries, and large pink lemonade we got them for dinner...that was the main event for them I think...eating and sharing a drink in a HUGE flimsy cup with no straw or lid...now that was a sport for us to watch and ref as the parents...

They got really excited when Nutzy come out...Carter was obsessed with looking at the little comic about him in the free book we got...We tried walking around to find him 2xs during the game...once during the 4th inning and then before we left...but he wasn't where he was supposed to be at those times...SADness!

Oh well! That Nutzy...he's an elusive one! We had a great time watching our first game together!

It was fun seeing you and your friends Aunt Susan!!! Even though by the time y'all got there it was almost time for us to head out...Can't believe our kids made it til 9pm!!! Thanks again for the tickets! :)

"Super he whoah guys!"

2011-06-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

The kids enjoyed wearing some super hero outfits Mike threw together yesterday...these guys have a lot of fun together and play so nicely...until they don't!...Ahhh the joys of siblinghood! Summer is so different because they get to be the only kids in the house, but it's also an adjustment for them as they are the only 2 in the house...sometimes they aren't quite sure what to do with all their down time...except want the same toy! :)

And some reasons why Mike is my personal "super he whoah guy" (as Carter would say):
He already knocked 2 things off our "Summer to Do List"!

*cleaned and re-sorted the shed while the kids and I were at the pool with MiMi one day
*reorganized Carter's room so we could set up the big boy bed and have the crib up at the same time
*2 big things off our list...2 more to go!

Skylar Sighting!

2011-06-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

We love having Daddy home in the summer...Now he can be the one to find Skylar in the morning! :)

The kids were excited to see him again before he went on his merry way! :) We love our little yard turtle!

Waves of Change

2011-06-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

"The waves echo behind me.
Patience--Faith--Openness,
is what the sea has to teach.
Simplicity--Solitude--Intermittency..."
~Anne Marrow Lindbergh

Rereading Gift from the Sea and facing the transition of moving the little boy into his big boy bed...Ahhhh the transitions in life and what the sea has to teach! :) I'm gonna be boo hoo-ing when that crib comes down this summer! But I am grateful for the little boy he is becoming!

SECRET Surprise!

2011-06-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

This little lady was so excited about our "secret surprise" for Daddy this morning...it has been so nice waking up slow to this little one crawling in bed with us in the morning...and today was Daddy's first day without school! YAY!!!

When I tucked her into bed last night I told her we would make Daddy breakfast in bed in the morning and let him sleep in since we couldn't on Father's Day...She was all about the secret!!! Shhhhhh!!!! :)

Somebody was a little HYPER!! :)

We had fun sneaking around making breakfast together! "Shhhhh!!! or Daddy will hear!!!"

And it is ready to be served! Carter finally joins us at this point...ahhhhh the lazy days of summer! We are loving it and we are so grateful!

SURPRISE!!! I'm sure you weren't suspicious at all right?!!?!? :)
We love you!!! :)!!

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to a super SILLY and fun Dad...I had Welcome at church so Mike didn't get much spoiling in the morning...he had to choose 1- breakfast in bed 2-kids dressed or 3-sleeping in and he chose 2 and 3...We will have to make him breakfast another day this week...We did get to give him his gifts and cards before church so that was fun! :)
Then we enjoyed working the Nursery at church together and then came home to celebrate with PaPa, MiMi, and Aunt Susan too!
Our kids are so blessed to call you Daddy! Thanks for all the little and big things you do for them each day to show them you love them...(like this super cool "school's out for the summer" fort you made for them and the B&As on Fri!)

We love you and are so grateful for all you do and all that you are!

And we got to celebrate our PaPa too! We enjoyed eating fried chicken, watching the race, and watching golf with you!

Such a nice rainy cozy Father's Day 2011!

Grateful for the GIFT of SUMMERtime!

2011-06-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Carter loves playing on the back deck with Mags looking on....seriously...is she not part dog? And check out the "heavy metal" plant one of Mike's students gave him for Teacher Appreciation last month...that thing is growing so tall so fast...it's out-of-control! Hence the name maybe! :)

M has been enjoying her week at summer camp at school learning all about the ocean...A father came in yesterday and brought his surf board, taught them how to stand when they surf, etc....the kids had a big time...and M made a little surf board to bring home...such fun! Carter is sad not to be going..."I go to school Momma! I go to school!!!" Hopefully his excitement for school will carry over to excitement over the potty...not so much interest at this point!

And check out those tomatoes Pepere!!! They are almost ready as summer starts tonight!!! YIPPIE!!!! So excited for Mike to come home today and for summer to officially begin! Yeeeehaw!!!! :)

Chickens!

2011-06-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

M would love to have a tire swing in our back yard...good thing we have a friend that does! And see the chicken coop behind her? That's where our eggs come from! So cool for the kids to get to see and pet the chickens who give us our eggs each week at church! And in sad news...on the way home from playing with friends and petting a chicken on the particular day this pic was taken we got behind a chicken truck...D-E-P-R-E-S-S-I-N-G!! Always makes me want to become a vegetarian!
M was like, "what's in that truck?"
And I said, "chickens."
"Where are the going?" asks Mal...
"Up the road that way I think"...I said which was true (just limited info) and we will fill the kids in on the awful truth later in their life...SADness!
But for now we can think HAPPY chicken thoughts! :)

hApPiNeSs!!!

2011-06-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went to our fav diner near Lu's house with the Graham Fam and Matt and then headed to the pool at Matt's place...such a relaxing time of hanging out...Then the girls and Matt did a little shopping while MiMi, Mike, and the kids hung out at Laura's...(PaPa was home before we were done shopping! MiMi and PaPa drove separately bc Mom went to Laura's bridal portraits on Thurs! Special times!) We then ate a late lunch at Laura's before hitting the road with Aunt Susan again...We had a wonderful weekend of celebrating you guys...We are so happy for you both!!! :)

Showers on the Shower

2011-06-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

We really lucked out with the weather...there was a breeze and the storm held off til the very end once only the families were left...
Below Laura's future Mom and Dad in law!

We took some pics while we waited for the rain to let up before heading home...(Dad had already headed out to go let Kayla out back at Laura's so he didn't get to be a part of this photo session...sad!)

Such a good time and we are so happy about the family Laura is marrying into!

We enjoyed having guests make predictions about what the future holds for the couple in 5 and 10 years while we were at the shower...

Hope they will enjoy reading them and seeing what people predicted on their 5 and 10 yr anniversaries! We are all REALLY looking fwd to Sept Matt and Laura! :)

The Couple's Shower

2011-06-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

Becky and Rob were the first guests to arrive! Time to get the party started and chow down!

Good times with MLM!

The kids and I...

PaPa's famous pasta salad!

The infamous bowl of straw-"babies" (!!!!!)....

Wish I had thought to take pics of the spread before we all started munching!

Mike and Rob entertained the kids at a distance for part of the shower...

People were so generous! :)

This little girl and little boy looooooooooooove their Aunt LuLu!

The Bride and Groom played a game where they both answered questions at the same time and had to reveal them together...Made for some good laughs...

Mike hanging with the kiddos right before the "upchuck of 2011"...Carter's little cheeks look like a little hamster...totally stuffed with straw-"babies"!!

Some of the guests looking on...

Susan running the game with the couple...

Carter came over and said, "Momma..." and then got sick all over...poor little guy! Can't seem to learn to slow down sometimes! So he and I went over to the side for a while...MiMi took some pics of the couple opening gifts...

Mike and Mal over in our "upchuck section" :)

The Bride and Groom about to open up our gift with a card on top a la Mallory!

Our family before we parted ways...

The bridal party!

The kids and Mike headed over to our Beach Buddies house to play with their little girl and newborn at the end of the shower while a few of us stayed a little later...

One last pic of the Graham Girls before we left...Thanks for throwing such a GREAT shower Mom and Dad!!! We all had a lot of fun! :)

RayLen Vineyard

2011-06-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

Did someone say Steve Martin?!!?! It's the father of the bride! :)

The Graham girls!

The Graham Fam!

The Bride and Groom!

The future family hanging out before the guests arrived...

NC Bound!

2011-06-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

We were so EXCITED to head to NC this weekend for Laura and Matt's shower...I loved seeing my 6 ft 2 guy in the back seat! We enjoyed carpooling with Aunt Susan...Carter loves road trips bc they = paci out of the crib time! The kids both fell asleep on the ride there, but woke up and were SUPER STOKED to see Aunt LuLu, MiMi, and PaPa (and special guest Kayla!) when we arrived...We hung out for a bit before settling in for bed...Carter danced a jig or 2 and fell down numerous times and then we enjoyed a slow start to our Sat. trying on 8 baquillion dresses before heading to get the last min food items for the shower...

Relay 4 LIFE!

2011-06-10T04:36:00.000-07:00

Relay for Life was on Sat...
Mike and the kids and MiMi went to M's last soccer game (she got another medal (?) Go Mal!)...I was sad to miss her last game, but honored to drive survivors in our van to their luncheon after the opening ceremonies and first lap to start Relay...So HARD to see so many who have suffered with this horrible disease...but so comforting to see so many out to work to find a cure. See if there is a Relay event in your area! Click here! Or ask me how you can get involved! :)

The event goes all day and all night...tents all around the track with different teams and their fundraisers, a live band playing all day, all kinds of activities, and people walking laps the whole time to symbolize that "cancer doesn't sleep, so neither will we"....Relay 4 Life "c elebrates, remembers, and fights back"...to "make a world with more birthdays"....So grateful to have a friend who introduced me to Relay! :)
I had a great time, but sadly I didn't drink enough H2O and felt VERY SICK around 4pm...Had to go cool off in the ac in our van for 30 before our fam got there for dinner, crafts, and the children's walk!

The kids had fun eating and crafting...

The tent I was in almost the whole day...Good times!

My heart is so HEAVY for so many affected by cancer...it is nice to have an event to go to like Relay...

Listening to Captain Relay (Carter loved seeing a superhero!) before the kid's walk...

Sno cones after the walk!

And of course we had to do the bounce house!!

Mike stayed and walked more laps while I took the kids home and put them to bed...I was so sad to miss the night activities, but I needed to get home and feel better...I def learned my lesson about drinking enough water when you are outside all day! But other than overheating it was a GREAT day!!! YAY RELAY 2011!!!

S-U-M-M-E-R!!!!

2011-06-10T03:53:00.000-07:00

We are loving going to the pool in the mornings since Memorial Day! Yay! So excited and grateful to have joined a pool finally! The first day Carter was clinging to me when we walked into the water and said, "I too old to be swimming!!! I sinking!" over and over...he was petrified! I think all my talk about safety scared him...but once he realized he could touch and walk around he was loving it! (And we are still loving our baby pool too!)

It has been a nice start to summer and a slower pace...we can walk to the bus stop each morning and make fun muffins together in the morning if we want before school!

And some fun Carter-isms I don't wanna forget:
*straw-"babies" (strawberries)
*"baby"suit (bathing suit)

Love this time of year! :)

Last Day in 3D3s!

2011-06-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

Last Wed. was M's last day of school for the year! Time is flying! (Couldn't get a good pic bc of where I was sitting...) MiMi, Carter, and I went in to hear her class sing songs and have a popsicle party! It was very cute to hear them sing their songs and it had me tearing up a bit...Heaven help me next yr! :***(

It was so H-O-T that day they moved the popsicle party inside into another empty room down the hall...Here we are waiting for the GLORIOUS popsicles! So funny to see how EXCITED kids get about popsicles!

Mrs. K! M is going to miss her teachers!

Mrs. Y! Mallory loved going to school and learning so much this year!

Afterwards MiMi treated us to some Johnny Rockets!

Carter really enjoyed when the wait staff sang and danced!

Both kids loved their smiley face ketchup and M enjoyed replenishing the face every time one of us dipped a fry...Thanks for helping us celebrate MiMi! Summer had begun for 3/4 of us...Can't wait to have Mike home soon too!

Buon Viaggio!!!

2011-06-09T04:53:00.000-07:00

So glad we got to visit and hang out before your next BIG ADVENTURE K and Co!!

We will def miss our 2 wks of bonding time this Aug. up north...

But we are excited for you and can't wait to hear about your life overseas next year! We love you guys! "May the force be with you!" :)

Hanging out...

2011-06-08T04:46:00.000-07:00

Such a wonderful getaway weekend!

Giggling over grapes...Aunt K is so funny!

Everyone but K, C, and I went for runs!

Carter enjoyed the slide at the end of the picnic tables...

Lots of time was spent at this table drawing and playing...

Mike on the last night looking over the land... ;)

Good adult time...playing games and chatting...

Swinging one last time before we parted ways...

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Daisy the Dog

2011-06-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

The kids were so excited when a little dog came to hang out with us at the cabin...They loved loving on Daisy the dog!

Animal Friends...

2011-06-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Sweet little alpacas, goats, and little ponies in front of our cabin...

The kids enjoyed visiting with them multiple times a day... :) Sad I didn't get a pic of both of the llamas together!

(((bubbles)))

2011-06-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

Cousin A was so sweet with Carter the whole weekend! Blowing bubbles for him to chase in the field! :) Thanks for sending the bubbles with us MiMi!

Boats!

2011-06-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

The kids enjoyed getting in the boats and paddling around the pond...

The paddle boat is def a work out for the adults!

Check out those girls rowing! They were so serious! :)

H2Omelon!

2011-06-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

These cousins can eat their weight in watermelon!

The Creek

2011-06-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

The cousins had lots of fun in the creek by the cabin...wading and trying to catch fish, tadpoles, crayfish, and frogs...Cousin A caught all of the above!

Love the face M is making! Carter had so much fun in the water too, but I couldn't take pics of him bc I was holding onto him to tightly! :)

M giggling on the side of the creek...she went through a muddy part and her crocs got stuck when she was walking...She was laughing while I was trying to dig them back up....Ahhhhh fun down at the creek! :)

Memorial Day 2011

2011-06-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend away with our old friend Gilligan the llama at the cabin in Amish Country last weekend with K and Co...We loved going back!...Mallory said she wants to take her children there when she grows up! :) More pics to come...but here are the ones from last time many moons ago and pre-Carter...Thanks for a GREAT weekend K and Co! We love you! :)

"A Feast in the Moments"

2011-05-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

"He gifts with seeds as small as moments, grace upon grace, and the unlikely here and now, it shall sustain you, feed you.

Do not disdain the small. The promise of feast is within the moments.

Our enough is always in the now, because He never leaves us."

~ Ann Voskamp...from this post (click to read)

Loved that post and the fact that the "feast is within the moments"...

Definitely feel that way a lot...trying to slow down and enjoy and feast in the moments!

It has been crazy busy around here, but the promise of summer (and a slower schedule) is in the air...and this past weekend I could taste it!

Even when we are super busy we can be "still" in the moments and enjoy them for what God designed them to be...for what is the chief end of man? To GLORIFY God and ENJOY Him forever!

He gives us so much to enjoy each day!!! We just have to look! :)

"If you Build it....

2011-05-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

...."they will come!!"

In "Field of Dreams fashion" the B&Aers built a habitat for Skylar in the hopes they would find him again...and wouldn't you know...they did find him Thurs morning! So into his new habitat he went...a turtle in a turtle...(we hardly had any sand left in our sandbox so it seemed like the perfect place to build a home for the little guy)...We didn't let him go before school this time, but would let him go after Mike got home that evening so he could experience some of the excitement!...but when the kids and I got back from MOPS Bible Study at lunch time Skylar was no where to be found! Sneaky little guy!

Camp MiMi

2011-05-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

Went over to MiMi's the other day...the kids had been beggin' to head over so we took a ride out after picking M up from school one day. Now that MiMi is out of school for the summer we can hang out more! YAY!

Then today...I thought I would be taking both kids with me to the grocery store this morning (CrAy-zAY!), but MiMi came by with a flowergirl dress for M to try on and offered to stay with the kids so I could shop alone...what a TREAT to shop sans kids! It was a HUGE trip too as we were out of EVERYTHING almost...so I'm not sure where the kids would have gone in the cart! They had a much better time here playing in the pool on the deck with their MiMi! (It's gonna be 97 today! Phewwww!)
We love seeing you more MiMi and the kids are looking fwd to July at Camp MiMi during summer school!

Summer FUN!

2011-05-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

It feels like SUMMER over here with temps in the upper 80s and low 90s!

Played with some of our church friends yesterday to beat the heat!

Our kids had never tried a slip and slide before...they were more interested in the little "pool" at the bottom...

It was amazing how long 8 kids took turns playing on the slide...3 of the kids were quite dare devilish in their sliding...not our 2 though...(Mommy liked that...less nail bitting for me :) )

The kids love their little jeep...Hope to find one for our kids one day before they get too big for one...maybe we will find one sometime soon at a yard sale...

Carter doesn't understand how to push the pedal yet...but not the Mal Pal! She took him for a little joy ride!

Yay for summer fun!

And our (fun to say!!!) pool will be open starting this weekend! Yippppppeeee!!!!

Beep! Beep! Who's got the keys to the jeep!?!!? (can't load the jeep video...will try again later...)

TURTLE MANIA!!!

2011-05-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

"Consider the turtle.
He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out."
~Unknown

Exciting times around here this morning! The first B&Aer to arrive said, "Miss Sarah there is a turtle outside next to your steps!"...So we scooped him up and put him in the baby pool so everyone would get a chance to see him this morning....M and C were so excited when they woke up and saw our special surprise!

It looks like the same turtle we found before with Grandma!

Carter is about to "bust a gut"...he was so excited!

We let the little guy go before we headed to the bus stop...The kids named him/her Skylar...

When we picked M up from school the kids walked all around the yard calling, "Skylar...we love you!!! Skylar where are you?!?!?!"...He was no where to be found...smart little turtle!!!...Until next time turtle friend!

Dog Fair

2011-05-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

Aunt Susan invited us to a little fair near our house with different vendors dealing with dogs and their care...We headed over after church on Sunday...The kids were excited to get their faces painted...they waited so patiently (something Carter usually struggles with)...they both picked out what "face" they wanted to have painted...

M choose a unicorn! At first she wanted to be a poodle...lots of time to choose and decide in line...

Carter wanted a tiger or an elephant that would have covered his eyes and nose...but I was concerned about his boo boo and not painting on it...so I asked if she could draw one of those small on his cheek...he was so still while she painted...I don't think M got her face painted until she was 3...I was surprised at how still he sat...but when it didn't look like what he had been looking at while he waited he got upset...he couldn't get over the disappointment so he and I went back to hang out in the van while Aunt Susan and M finished walking around...good lesson in disappointment and things not working out they way we want them too sometimes in life...and I should have chatted with him before he got his face painted about it looking different...we had a nice chat on the way the van as Carter kept up his "noise pollution"...but once inside he was a happy little camper... :) Oh the JOY of playing in the back!

We got home and Mike had cut the grass and was working in the yard...it looked so nice!
Thanks for telling us about the fair Aunt SQ! We had fun! The kids loved seeing all the different dogs!

PaPa Do List

2011-05-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

MiMi and PaPa came over with dinner on Sat. night...Mike was finishing up painting the bathroom (!!!!) when they arrived! (you know we take 4ever on painting projects around here...thanks Mike for working during naptime to make it happen!!!)..Mike even pulled off the old mirror and we were ready to put up the new one! Mallory and I came home from a BDay party to find:
*Front door knob fixed (quite a prob with all the B&A traffic not to have a working door!)
*dishwasher fixed!
*And bathroom finally being completed!
*and the smells of a home cooked dinner a la MiMi!

Before dinner we went outside and Carter fell running in the front yard and hit his head on the front bottom brick step (ahhhhh!!!) That boy is gonna give me an ulcer! We are VERY GRATEFUL he didn't get hurt worse than he did...and when he fell I was ironically telling a story about another friend's child falling and needing stitches! Oh our little ROCKY...what are we gonna do with him!!?!? :)

Then after dinner MiMi and PaPa broke out the strawberries that they picked at their friend's farm that morning....Carter about levitated out of his chair he was so excited...strawberry sweetness was rolling down his chin after he ate his whole helping...Mal enjoyed quite a few as well...they love strawberries...sadly we have been so busy we haven't been to the farm to pick them this year yet...not sure when we will be able to squeeze it in!?!?!

Thanks for coming over to hang out and fix things around the house and feed us dinner!! We had a great time with you all! :)

Sportsmanship...

2011-05-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

We have really enjoyed soccer...Can't believe there are only 2 more games and we won't be at the last one bc will be out of town celebrating the future Howells! (Yippee!!)...so only one more game for us! We love getting to practice a few mins early and warming up as a family... :)

Ran into my high school soccer coach this Sat while M was playing and it was fun to show her my daughter playing on the same fields that we played on for practice in High School... :)

Carter had grown to love sitting on the side lines with the bag full of snacks, books, and toys...and M loves joining us on the water breaks...here she is getting a pep talk from Daddy...Last week was rough...she acted like a goof at the end of the game...we had to have a long talk after the game and then before the game this week about what it means to be part of a team and how there is a time to be goofy with friends and a time to work hard for your team...she really put her all into working hard the whole time this Sat....we were so proud of her!

There she goes! She isn't very aggressive at this point and hardly touches the ball, but she is running and working with her team which we love!

At the end of each game one kid is chosen for a medal (everyone gets one by the end of the season)...M got one for GREAT SPORTSMANSHIP....we were so proud of her and for trying her best and that the coach saw a difference in the way she was trying this week...

She wanted all of us to try on her medal...Showing Carter the medal and letting him wear it...

We decided to go for ice cream after the game to celebrate...not that it's about getting a medal...but it was just such a drastic difference in how we felt about her effort last week and then this week...we couldn't help but feel proud and want to celebrate...

Silly boys!

We got home and passed a lemonade stand at the end of our road...how cute! We love our neighborhood....so we bought 4 cups and came home and sat on our front porch sipping our drinks and looking up at the squirrel nest in the tree above....(the kids and I saw the squirrel building it the other day...really cool to watch...)

What a SWEET start to our Saturday!

Melt my HEART...

2011-05-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

These 2 can drive us batty sometimes...but it's moments like these that melt our heart! Mike and I were cleaning up after dinner and the kids were reading quietly in the other room...

Had to sneak and grab some pics before the moment was over...

M loves to have a captive audience...and Carter was loving being read to for quite a while!

The end of "the moment" before C was done and on to playing with his super heroes! (wouldn't load video...will try again later)...

ZzZZzZzzZZzZs!!!

2011-05-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

What a busy and full weekend...we had a lot of fun...but some of us are feeling a bit tired! Everyone took a nap today but me! :)

She's Almost 11!!

2011-05-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Abby came over for her B-Day sleepover last night...We colored and watched a flick before dinner...Carter even joined in (this is a big deal...he usually never wants to color!) and said, "I color toooooo!!!" He was so pleased with himself! So fun to have him color for a bit with us!

Then we went to CiCi's Pizza...A's choice and she ate off the 10 and under discount for maybe the last time before her actual BDay! She was such a help to us during dinner...taking M up for 2nds, 3rds, you get the pic...she is a helpful and patient cousin...
After dinner there was a TORRENTIAL down pour as we left the restaurant and headed to Target to pick out a gift...we had to take a pic of the craziness once we got inside! It will def go down in the BDay history books...people prob thought we were crazy going shopping during such a big storm...all in good fun and the search for the perfect gift!

We when we got home A helped me bathe her cousins (Carter is currently not a fan of baths and he let's you know it...this too shall pass right?!?!) while Mike set up a fort in the living room for the girls to sleep in...A's idea since it was toooooo wet and rainy for outdoor camping!
We had a great time celebrating with you and can't believe you are almost 11 Abby!!! Time is flying!!!!!

Tomatoes!

2011-05-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Check out those tomatoes Pepere! We are loving watching them grow! Thanks for our plant!

Each day when we water we notice a new little guy growing! Can't wait til we can eat some of them!

One of our little ones loves the camera...one not so much...he has much more important things to do! :)

Silly face! :P Just like Cousin E...she loves looking at the pic in our kitchen of cousin A and E and making a face like E now! :)!

Our Graduate!

2011-05-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

Our little guy graduated Speech on Wed...they said it was one of the quickest turn arounds they have ever seen...a month in...and he's out...We love chatting with him more! Language just clicked for him! YAY!!! All he needed really was a little more time...it's so hard as a parent...so much of it is a balancing act...trying to be proactive and trying to be patient (key word: trying)...But I love as a teacher and as a mom all these great resources that are offered before age 3 to get kids the help they need before they get to school...and that the help is FREE! He is going to miss his teacher...he would get excited to see her each week...and she had a lot of great tips to get him talking more..

We love having real conversations with him now...His vocab has really exploded! I love to hear him talk! He loves "super-hew-whoahs"...(super heroes) and Mike is so excited to have a little one excited about what he loved as a kid! We love our little guy! Now we really can't get a word in edge wise with 2 "Chatty Pattys"...it is funny to watch things change around here as he gives his opinion more and more...he was a go with the flow kinda brother...now he will let big sis know when he would rather do "B" when she suggests "A"...it's good for both of them! And we are seeing his humor come out more too...On Mother's Day I said, "How old are you Carter?" and he said, "I 3!" with a huge grin and a chuckle..."No you aren't!" I said, "You are 2!" Then he said, "No I 4!!!!" I think we have a little jokester on our hands! :)

4.5

2011-05-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Can't believe our little lady is about to celebrate her half b-day...

Some things about her that I don't want to forget as of late:
*Her fav number is 12 she informed us one day...wow! Didn't know you had a fav #...hmmmm...wonder what makes it her fav I thought to myself? It's in the Bible a lot, there are 12 #s on a clock (and she loved clocks), there are 12 eggs in a dozen (and she loves eggs), the numbers 1 and 2 look cool next to each other in a number so that's why she picked 12...I thought and thought about why...so I asked...why is it your fav #? "Because it's my favorite!"...well there you have it...love that at this age they just pick things to like just because!
*If you say anything to her as a compliment like:
You run fast!
You have long hair! etc...she will respond..."I'm 4! (With 4 fingers up)...well that explains it right??? She makes us chuckle...
*She and Maggie are still "the BEST of friends spending so much time together" (cue the music from Fox and the Hound)...since the end of Jan she has even been able to sleep with Mags at night...we thought she was finally old enough to handle a cat coming and going in the night...both kids used to sleep with doors shut before this so cats wouldn't be bothering them while they slept...she also gets to have Mags in her room for Rest Time...BFF I tell you...see Mags snuggled up with her in the pic above?...I snapped it without the flash the other night before going to bed myself...hard to pick Mags out from all the other stuffed animals M has right?!?! But I love that they are such close buddies! :)

Cat Nappin'

2011-05-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

Carter isn't the only one around here that takes Nap Time seriously... :)