B-Day with the Fam!

Mallory enjoyed her B-Day celebration with the family on Sat. We are so grateful for our little girl! She really got into opening the gifts this year which was a lot of fun! Can't believe a year went by so fast! Some things that she is doing right now that we love and want to remember:

*When you sneeze she says, "Ha sheeeesh Mommy/Daddy/Baby...and I love that she calls me Mommy when she does that bc I'm usually Momma so it seems even sweeter to me...
*When you ask her something and she wants to answer in the affirmative she says, "Uh huh suuuuuuuuuuure!"

*When Carter cries she goes to him and says, "It's okay...It's alright.." (over and over...wish we could catch her on film with her little voice...)

She is such a blessing to us! :)

"Stuffed and Grateful"...

In the words of Jason Mraz on Friday Night...I am "stuffed and grateful." We had a wonderful thanksgiving! Great conversation around the table about our Grandmother Sug and memories from our childhood. :) And time to talk bc Mallory was napping during our meal and Carter was too! I put him in his carseat in the dining room to which Mike said, "Nobody puts my baby in a corner!" (Name that 80s flick!) Then I had 2 MNOs! (Thanks to Mike and MiMi!) Susan and Laura treated me to the Jason Mraz concert! Laura and I got to go out to dinner before hand too! Then last night we went to the Bachelorette Party for our neighbor who we grew up with. I felt so old! I was def knocking people out on the dance floor with my HUGE purse/diaper bag! :) We had such a nice time with family and have sooooooooooooooooo MUCH to be THANKFUL for! It's so nice to "stop" and count your blessings! God has done so much for us this year!!!!

Overwhelming...

A sister's love can be overwhelming at times....

When we had our 20 wk u/s and found out that Carter was a boy the tech said..."Uh oh! You better toughen up boy bc you are gonna have a big sis at home that is going to be dressing you up and having her hands on you every sec!" Was she right or what?!?!?!

But he loves it! :)

"Wise Guys"

This morning one of the 1st graders I keep was telling Mallory all about the "Wise Guys" who came to see Jesus....kids crack me up! I love it!

And I started rereading a book Mike and I read every Christmas Season called God Came Near and here is a part that really got me this morning....

"Think about it. Just bc one has witnessed a thousand rainbows doesn't mean he's seen the grandeur of one. One can live near a garden and fail to focus on the splendor of a flower. A man can spend a lifetime with a woman and never pause to look into her soul.

And a person can be all that goodness calls him to be and still never see the Author of Life....

Have you seen Him?...

Those who first did were never the same."

Happy B-Day Susie Q!

We finished up a fun day by going out to dinner for Aunt Susan's B-Day! Mallory was so excited to see Aunt "ShoeShe," but unfortunately had to make an "early exit" with Daddy bc she wasn't behaving herself at the restaurant. Oh the joys of parenting! Thanks for coming back by the house to hang out afterwards Susan! Happy B-Day and hope your next "trip around the sun" is fabulous! :)

Over the Edge....

So we thought we could hold out until Wed. when Mike got off of school early...but our friend Ginny pushed us over the edge with her decorating! We had to go "Kris Kringle" on our house this morning!!! We always keep the previous year's cards to look back at and Mallory had a ball looking at them and recognizing some friends! We couldn't believe how peaceful both kids were while we cleaned and decorated...guess all the new things to see and play with were exciting to them too! :)

Goodness and Light

I get so excited this time of year...I know it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, but one radio station in the area is already playing Christmas music! So you know we have been listening to it and rocking out! :) And yesterday was such a big day for friends and babies! As humans I think this time of year is so special bc I think we are created to crave redemption and goodness and light and that is what this season is all about. For the 3 friends that had good baby news yesterday their road to a family hasn't been easy, but they have been looking to the baby we celebrate this time of year to help them in their journey towards a family. One of the families I don't even "know know"...just know through the "blog world," but have emailed with the mom a few times. Their faith helped them carry a baby to term and deliver a baby that they knew would only live a short time and helped them in the wake of that incredible loss. Their faith in the baby helped them to go through pregnancy again and deliver a healthy baby yesterday! As a "Pollyanna" type person I see so much good in the world, but there is also so much suffering and so much of a need for a Savior. The world is not as it should be and we need someone to look to to help us during times of suffering and to help us when life is dark. I love the lyrics in the Christmas Carol Do You Hear what I Hear?

"The Child, the Child Sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light..."

Our Little Turkey

"Our little turkey" will be 3 months exactly on Thanksgiving Day! We are so Thankful that the Lord gave him to our family!!! We went to the doctor today for his 3 month well visit...(He got an extra visit bc we switched peds...Mallory never went at 3 months)...

Here are his new stats:

Weight: 13 lbs 3 ozs 90%tile

Height: 75th%tile

He was a champ for his 4 shots that he got today! Carter has some tight neck muscles on one side that we will need to work on relaxing...as you can see in the above pic he always turns to that side while sleeping or hanging out...so now I will be switching his position in the cradle. She also gave me some exercises that will hopefully help before we go in for his 4 month checkup! But on the whole he is doing well! :) He is quite a social guy and loves to smile and coo. We are so blessed by his chill personality. :)

Big Girl Room...

Here is her "Big Girl Room"! Thanks for all your help with decorating MiMi and Aunt Susan! We love how it turned out! Mallory loves playing in her new room and doing her bedtime routine in here too. She will be making the big move in Jan., but is enjoying the transition time and having a whole floor to herself before baby brother moves into the nursery! Can she really be big enough for a bed?!?!? She is still my little baby!

We enjoyed pizza tonight from the restaurant we went to every month to celebrate while Mallory was in utero. (We just brought the restuarant to her this yr!) We are so grateful that the Lord gave us our little girl and for all the fun we have had with her these last 2 years! :) Can't wait to see what next yr holds!

B-Day Smiles....

Mallory and Daddy playing with her new puzzle book...2 of her favs! The perfect combo! Carter is happy about it! :)


And Daddy also brought home a new pink horse! Giddy Up!

And Aunt Laura sent us a "smile" in the mail...Mallory was so HAPPY when she opened it after her nap! :)

B-Day Breakfast!

Playing a little B-Day tune on the gee-tar this morning...

Someone is a "Little Grumbelina" on her B-Day this morning...not feeling so good...and she wasn't feeling the hat! But we are so grateful for our little one!

We are having a lowkey B-Day this morning...we were going to celebrate with our Wed. playgroup, but Mallory came down with a cold on Monday and isn't feeling 100%...so we postponed....and since our plans changed for today (Mommy was more disappointed than the BDay girl I think...she still doesn't have a clue what BDays are) Daddy took off and we are having a family day celebrating the little girl that God blessed us with. She has grown so much this year! She is now a walker and a talker! She brings so much JOY to our lives! Check out her video from last yr if you like! Just click here...and tonight MiMi andPaPa and Aunt Susan will be over for dinner! :) Gotta love BDays even when you are sick!

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!"

Trying out the new slide with PaPa...Well new to her...My sisters and I actually grew up with it at our house! :) It just moved locations and is ready for the next generation of kiddos!

PaPa and Daddy made the stairs/ladder...

Carter had fun "talking" and smiling at MiMi while she peeled potatoes and cooked dinner!

Mallory loved the slide and wanted to go back outside after it got dark...She was not too pleased with the fact that she would need to wait until tomorrow...Guess I know what we will be doing as soon as we get back from the bus stop in the morning! :)

Beach Buds in the Fall!

Our little professor...she was such a serious baby...we used to call her "the judge"....she's not so serious anymore...But here she is trying on Daddy's glasses....she's so scholarly!

Playing with Zack at MiMi at PaPa's....and Carter had fun smiling at Becky and Amy today....

Our Beach Buds....Amy and Zack headed down to meet Carter today...along with Becky! After the toddlers warmed up to one another again they had fun on their playdate....especially during their game of "Hide-N-Seek!" :) Thanks for traveling down to see us...can't wait to come visit you guys!

Cabin Fever!

After 2 days at home I was feeling a bit "squirrel-y" so we ventured out today! Yay! Mon. I went through tons of clothes @ home...retrying on pre-maternity things from the attic and yesterday I couldn't find anything to do so we stayed home by default. It is harder when it's colder bc I don't want to go anywhere that could be "germ central." Life is starting to settle into a routine with my two guys so I'm looking forward to the new freedom I will have in the mornings. (Last yr I was Nannying during the day so I couldn't go out most mornings.) Today we went to "StoryTime" and I ran into an old friend from High School so that was fun! :) And now it's NapTime...Yay! Could today get any better?!?! :)

Happy B-Day PaPa!

Mallory loves her cat "Mags!" :)

Someone looked like a "little man" for church on Sunday!

We had a GREAT time on Sunday celebrating one of Mallory's idols...her PaPa! PaPa and Daddy worked on the playset in the afternoon, MiMi babysat Carter while Mallory slept, and I got to go to the movies with BookClub! Yay! Then Aunt Susie and Mike came over for dinner! Sadly my camera was recharging during the festivities so no pics of the actual party! We enjoyed calling him on Mon. on his actual B-Day and singing to him! Happy B-Day...PaPa we love you!

Roasting Dogs!

On Sat Night Daddy built a fire in the campfire area he made in our back yard...we have been wanting to use it ever since he cleared the area, but with 2 small kiddos there never seemed to be a "good" time bc we are so tired after the kids go to bed and we weren't sure how they would do with it....But we decided to cook hotdogs for dinner and then take turns tending it when it was time to put Mallory to bed...It was a little tricky with a toddler, but fun! She loved helping Daddy roast hotdogs on sticks...and ate 2 whole hotdogs for dinner...Wow! She must have been proud of her work! Then Mike and I (and Carter...all snuggled up with Mom) enjoyed it after she was asleep. Campfires are so cool...they are like the ocean...they make me so reflective and I could stare at them and think forever! (It was fun chatting with you too Kate! It was like you were there with us! :))

We've Moved!

Apparently we have moved to "Whina!" (Sounds like China) And our daughter only speaks "Whineese!" It has been a tough couple of days around here! I was encouraged by this devotion on Fri...click here to read it...There are so many "noises" in our life that God wants us to listen to...I pray that He helps me stop and listen and grants me patience to deal with them before they get louder! :) The website has a daily devotional and is named for this passage of scripture...I pray that you will find encouragement from it too! Click on Proverbs 31 to read what God has to say about wives and mothers! I am so grateful to be a mom and I love the babies God gave me...even when they are "Crank E. Crankenheims"!

Progress Continues!

Daddy and PaPa got more work done yesterday!

They got the roof beams up and the swing area ready!

And this will be a "lean-to" in the back where Mike can store tools, the lawn mower, wheel barrel, etc...We can't wait to see it completed!!! :)

Teddy Bear Picnic!

They even had Teddy Bear sandwiches!

The toddlers chowing down! The place was so quiet during the picnic then it was back to playing and noise central!

Our little guy all dressed in his "Beary" Best!

Huh!?!?!?:)

Mallory got to bring her cat "Meow Meow" to her first Teddy Bear picnic on Sun. It was such a cute B-Day party! We have had QUITE a busy weekend full of fun!

Cornbread and Chili!

Mallory munchin on some cornbread!

Carter slept through all the excitement!

After a late nap (bc of the party) we headed to our church Fall Festival! It was so nice to be outside with such beautiful weather! They had a hayride, moonbounce, bon fire, and a chili cook off! I love fall and all the festivities!!!!


Remember Impkins from the Hugga Bunch in the 80s??? :) That's who our girl reminds me of when she is being mischievous! This is a pic of "The Little Miss" after she called me "Say-Wah"...she thinks she is so funny! She just started calling me by name a few days ago and I was taken aback by it...but I think it is bc she hears all the kids I keep calling me that...I'm trying not to react and hopefully she will go back to calling me Momma 100% of the time soon!

Happy B-Day Dana!!!

A future Shawn Johnson?? :)

Mallory loved playing at the gym today for Dana's B-Day...and I loved catching up with her mom! It's crazy to look back at pics from last yr! What a difference a year makes!

Mallory loved bouncing bc she isn't allowed to jump on the beds at home!