Snow again!!

For the second time in two weeks, it is snowing and so beautiful!! We are supposed to get up to six inches overnight. Can't wait to sled tomorrow!


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Happy Birthday Davis!!

Five years ago today, at around this time in the evening, I had just introduced Jackson to his baby brother and was holding the most precious baby boy in my arms. There was an ice storm when my water broke in the middle of the night, and Davis was born around lunch time. It was somewhat fitting that we had ice and snow today, the first snow of the year. We had a birthday party planned with a lot of children to go to Charlotte and run around in an indoor bounce park...this had to be postponed when the sleet started last night and we were stuck at home all day today.

The kids really wouldn't have had it any other way! They had a blast riding sleds all day and throwing snowballs at each other. It quickly turned into a sheet of ice, and now the road makes a slick surface for flying down in a sled! Davis spent a lot of the day putting legos together with his B'pa. Surprisingly, they are still together and haven't broken apart yet! This evening, a few kids and neighbors came by for birthday cake...who other than Aniken and a Clone Trooper covered the Star Wars cake for Davis! It was pretty cool that our neighbor, who also happens to be the fabulous doctor who delivered Davis 5 years ago today, was here to share birthday cake with our family. It's amazing the gifts in life and friends God has blessed us with. Happy Birthday Davis!!!

Cub Scouts

WOW! Life is busy! I know that I keep saying that, but that sums up the life of a dual working family with three small children! Never enough hours in the day! Jackson received his bearcat whiskers and badge at Cub Scouts on Monday...boy was he excited! On Tuesday, he bit into his sandwich at lunch and lost a tooth; on Sunday, Jack cooked dinner for us for his Cub Scout badge. He was going to make PB&J, but then decided if he was cooking, he wanted to make something that he really liked. He decided on his favorite dinner, ribs and baked potatoes! He did a fabulous job and we had a very nice dinner. He set the table and cleared it and helped with the dishes as well. I am so excited to have another helper in the kitchen!!

Dinner with friends

We had dinner with friends last night. Nothing special, very last minute and very low key! Honestly, something we don't do enough! As they were getting ready to leave, the boys asked their buddy to spend the night. They have had so much fun! He had no clothes since it was last minute, so jack is sharing his shoes and clothes! They each have a different croc on. Too cute!


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Basketball in the rain!

So we finally have a break from the cold but it is raining...oh well! The kids are enjoying some outside time in the rain and having a ball! A little rain never hurt!


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Biddy Ball

Here we are...our new Friday nights!!! Church basketball! That's Jackson wearing #4 and he has improved so much from last year. We are up right now, but it's a good match up. Go St. John's UMC!


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Early Mornings

Somehow, my children have been great sleepers, but are definitely morning people, well, except for Davis who would sleep in if not for his brothers! Drew must not need a lot of sleep. That little guy gets up every day between 5:00 and 6:00 am...too early for us! He does not go back to bed, and is a very light sleeper (just like me). This is unfortunate for the fact that he comes to our room and wakes us up every morning, particularly ME! He always comes to my side of the bed to "nuggle" as he says it (snuggle).

Last night, I was very tired, so I switched sides of the bed hoping to out smart him! This morning, he brought his little blue toddler pillow (which he carries in every morning) and climbed half way into the bed before he placed his hand on Ashley's head to see if it was really me. When he realized it was the wrong parent, he climbed back out and then over to my side. It was so funny when Ashley told me this, because even in the dark, he was sure to find me to snuggle with and cuddle. I do get frustrated because I am tired and just want to sleep, but then I remember that these days go by too quickly and I just need to enjoy his "nuggle" time!

Drew is THREE!

WOW! Can't believe how quickly time is passing! Life seems so much busier these days, and I am trying to find some balance, so the blog has been lagging...but that's ok!

Drew turned 3 years old on Tuesday, and he was so excited. Maybe it's because he has 2 older brothers, maybe it's because he's really smart, or maybe it's because he's just exposed to technology more, but he is quite amazing for a 3 year old, if I must say so!! He has surprised me with his computer abilities this week. He has seen Jackson playing on the computer some, and now he even knows how to navigate the Noggin (Nick Jr.) website! He can click between the games and even knows how to click PLAY and click to skip the instructions so that he can get right to the fun! In fact, this afternoon, he was giving Davis a lesson on how to use the computer! Crazy to think that I didn't even start using a computer until middle school! Jackson began in his 4 year old pre-school class, and now uses it daily in school.

We have also made great strides in our house! For the first time in 8 years, I don't have ANYONE in DIAPERS!! Drew is potty trained and thrilled to be wearing big boy underpants! He still wears a pull up at night and for nap time, but we are all in underwear for the rest of the day! YEAH!! He is such a big boy! He had a wonderful birthday and is looking forward to his party with Davis (Davis turns 5 the end of January) at Monkey Joe's!

Drew's Pre-School Program

The week before Christmas, Drew had a program at school. Parents were invited into the classroom to decorate ginger bread houses, listen to the children sing, and see what the day to day activities in the classroom are like. Life was crazy at that moment, so I was late, but I did make half of it, and was just in time to see the activities in the classroom. Two year olds are SO cute, especially when they are hyped up on sugar and preforming!!! My favorite part was at the end when the kids got to dance along with the "GONG" song (basically a freeze frame dance song). It was hysterical and so cute to see Drew interact with his buddy. He is so lucky to have such great teachers! They put up with his bad mood when he walks into class everyday, and get him to enjoy school and have fun (and learn quite a bit while he's there!). Thank you guys!!!

Hustle and Bustle

Through the hustle and bustle of the holidays, life is crazy!!! I had my last photo shoot of the year today, and have a few more orders to process, then I can breathe!! AHHH....very busy, which is a good problem to have, but I am very much looking forward to taking some time off for Christmas!

Let's see...here are so highlights from the last few weeks:

* we went to see Santa this week! it was the first time in EIGHT years that NO ONE cried!! everyone was excited and happy and even talkative!

* on the way home from seeing Santa, the kids were misbehaving and not listening. i threatened them with "mommy and daddy bootcamp" and told them we'd learn how to listen, be respectful, follow rules, and what the real meaning of the holidays is. Davis started crying because he said he didn't want to wear boots! he was also upset because he thought he'd have to march all night long!

* we went to a local light show in a neighborhood last weekend, and it was great! the kids loved it, and we even had a Santa sighting! He was in a sled on the lawn with mrs. claus, and davis and drew decided to scream out the window "santa, can you hear me??? i want star wars stuff, i want a DS, i want a train!! santa, can you hear me??" SO CUTE! they wanted me to turn the car around so they could tell him again!

* it has been a magical fun season so far, and we are enjoying it! EVERYONE is really into it this year, and Drew is so excited!

* we went to a birthday party for Jesus last weekend. the kids enjoyed a puppet show, music, and crafts.

* last night, Jack had his music holiday performance! He sang "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" and "Up on a Housetop" along with the 2nd Grade. They performed on stage at the new middle school, and it was a packed house! almost twice as many parents as were anticipated showed up! what a great turnout! good job pirates!

* christmas cards are here, and finally stuffed and addressed (thanks to a sweet helper next door) and going out tomorrow!! YEAH! one less thing on my "to do" list!

*what's left...shopping, wrapping, cooking, drinking, parties, parties, parties!

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy 93rd Birthday!

While we were in Florida, we were able to celebrate my grandmother's 93rd birthday! WOW!! She says that she is 39 and holding, so we changed the candles around on her cake. She says the secret to a long healthy life is her weekly get together with her girl friends for beer and chicken wings!! Something that I never knew about my grandmother! Drew also made fast buddies with Homey, dad's little dog, and the neighbor's dog, Russell. He even wanted to pack him up and take him home with us!

Thanksgiving at the Beach

On Tuesday, we made the LONG 13 hour trip to the beach to see my dad. It's the first time in in longer than I can remember that we have had all of my dad's side of the family together. Uncle Pat is here with his girlfriend, if we don't scare her off with all of the kids, and grandma is here too! We will celebrate her 93rd birthday tomorrow, and she says the secret to a long life is her weekly girls night out to have beer and hot wings (something I never knew about her, but think is hysterical!!!). Oh, and I forgot to mention the 6 dogs and 5 kids...so needless to say, it's pretty loud here! The kids had fun on the beach and watching movies in bed with Iyah and the dogs. Lots to be thankful for this year!

Thanksgiving Program

Today was the Thanksgiving program for Davis and Drew. They were SO cute and had lots of fun. The teachers did a great job prepping everyone and teaching them some new songs. Davis loved being the center of attention, imagine that, but Drew didn't like being up on stage quite as much. He gave us what has become his hallmark look, the binaculars (he covers his eyes with his hands and peeks through his fingers at us). Davis sang so loudly, and even performed a dance (he was the only one, it wasn't part of the show). and was adorable!

Great Grands

Today, we went to Charleston for a newborn shoot. The boys got to visit with their grandmother and great-grandmother for the afternoon. Aunt Doris helped out a little too. They went downtown to see where daddy went to school, and were thrilled to see FRESHMAN (don't know if Jack will ever think FRESHMAN are as cool as he did today!!) in uniform, tour campus, and go to The Battery to play on the cannons. Don't worry, for those of you not familiar with Charleston, they aren't real...well, maybe they are, but they are REALLY old, and certainly don't work. They are for show around the Battery, and the kids got to climb on them and run around. Lots of fun! Their highlight was getting football jerseys from The Citadel. Pretty cool! Here are some pix of them with their great-grandmother (by the way, I have no explanation for the tongues in these photos, other than it's a silly boy thing to stick out your tongue a lot!).

Augusta

We went to Augusta for the weekend to visit my sister. The kids had such fun with their cousins!! Little Addison has grown so much, we didn't even recognize her! She was so sweet and snuggly, it was fun to be around a little baby again.

We had a packed weekend! On Saturday, Ashley made Jackson's year, well, maybe even his life, by taking him to the Clemson game. It was a night game, and very late, but Jackson did well on his report card, so Ashley thought he could reward him for this. Jackson loves football, but even more, loves Clemson!!! They ended up staying with his cousin who attends Clemson, because it was so late once the game ended. Thanks Caitlyn!! I stayed at my sister's with the other boys. We had fun cooking and playing and snapping a few pictures. I even got to be crafty and paint on the wall in Addi's nursery! On Sunday, we ventured off to the fair...lots of fun for these kiddos. Very expensive, but the kids had a ball, so that's what counts, right? Here are a few highlights to share....now we have to catch up on laundry to make it through another week!

Halloween!

Ok, so I have been slack with the family blog...not really slack all around, but something has to give!! So sorry, but the Halloween pix will finally be updated now! I have been swamped at work, with the kids, soccer, and my photography demand has been overwhelming! I know it will slow up, but I hate turning people away for Christmas portraits!

Halloween was a blast this year! Everyone chose their costumes, well, except Drew, who quickly decided he wanted to be Buzz Lightyear after I showed him his costume. Jackson kept with his athletic streak and decided to be a Clemson football player (his cousin Ellis was Tigger and he wanted her to be his mascot!), and Davis continues his fascination with Star Wars and wanted to be Darth Vader complete with a light up light saber. The older boys took off (Halloween is so much fun in our neighborhood b/c there are SO many little ones who love to get candy) and Drew and Ellis went around with me and Dana (Ashley's cousin). Drew loved to tell everyone who he was and that he had wings and what color they were and that Buzz had lights and that he wanted candy and he could shake his booty!!! Too cute!!!!!!!!! It rained at first, but we were blessed with about an hour of very humid, but not rainy, weather for the kids to enjoy trick or treating! Now on to Christmas! The boys were upset and said that everyone is forgetting Thanksgiving. I guess they are right, we have a lot to be thankful for in our lives, so we must celebrate that! Happy Fall!

AVON Walk for Breast Cancer

Hello everyone!

I wanted to take a minute to thank you again for your support and donations towards such an incredible cause: The AVON Walk for Breast Cancer. I just completed the walk yesterday, and I won't lie, it was HARD! The truth is, I wouldn't have been able to do it without your contributions! The first step towards the walk was meeting the fundraising goal.

I am proud to say that my team mate and I raised almost $4200!!! What started out as an effort to show a friend we cared, and honor the lives and memories of many women in our lives, turned into an amazing experience. All of the months of training, power bars, gatorades, and bandages could not prepare us for the journey that we made over the last 2 days.

It was very emotional and inspirational, and I met some INCREDIBLE men and women along the route: families walking with each other, children working crew whose moms had breast cancer, daughters walking in their mom/aunt/grandmother's memory, men walking with or for their wives, volunteers whose lives themselves have been touched by breast cancer, and who travel the country just to help at these events, friends walking for and with friends, many repeat walkers, but most inspirational were the survivors themselves, and those currently suffering from cancer walking themselves!!!

I was truly touched by these people, and so happy to have been able to walk and make a small contribution in the fight against breast cancer. This year's Charlotte AWBC had over 1200 participants and raised over $2,300,000!!! Much of that money will be spent in the Charlotte region to fight breast cancer and help patients in this area.

Thank you again for your support! I have been so touched by everyone's support and encouragement through this process, and I couldn't have made it without you guys! I have attached a photo of my friend and team mate, Beth, at the finish line! Beth kept me going, and was super cheerful throughout it all!!! Thanks Beth!

I walked because I could, and I am glad that I did! I walked today to help find a cure for tomorrow.

Thank you again,

Andrea

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend, we decided to take the boys to the pumpkin patch. The younger ones had a field trip, but it was cancelled because of all of the rain that we have been having (which we are very grateful for after the lack of rain over the past few years). The kids thought it would be fun to go on a family field trip!

The "farm" had animals (and some really stinky pigs which Drew especially loved), a hay trampoline, a corn maze, a hay fort, and a really bumpy muddy hayride! That was their favorite, well, that or the icecream at the end! I love the picture of Davis in front of the muddy tire. Somehow mud and tires and boys make me smile! Our cute little niece went along with us, with her mom and dad! She really enjoyed the time running around with the boys too!


**Pictures to come--having a little technical difficulty tonight!

Fire Station Visit

While we were visiting my mom this weekend, we made a stop at the Fire Station where my stepdad works as a volunteer. I am probably not getting this all right, but I think he works with the EMTs on a First Responder unit. Anyhow, the kids were VERY impressed. They especially loved the job of keeping the coolers full of ice! The big fire truck was out on a call, but they got to tour the station, the HAZMAT truck, and the First Responder Ambulance Unit. I think B'Pa was pretty proud to show the boys what he does! They are pretty proud of him too! Tons of pictures to come, but I just have a minute for one or two tonight...

A silly Davis story too...on the LONG way home (why does the trip home always go by so slowly? and why is there ALWAYS so much traffic in Atlanta, even on a late Sunday afternoon???) Davis asked about every 10 minutes "how much longer?" Finally, he changed it up a bit..."are we in the part of the earth where "B" lives, or the part of the earth where we live?" I told him probably in the middle, as we were half way home. Then he wanted to know "How long does it take to get out of the middle?" I couldn't help but laugh, knowing all he, and I, really wanted to know was how long until we were all home and could get out of this car!

What's new?

So sorry not to be posting so much these days...it has been really busy. My photography business has taken off. This is great, and I truly love it, but it does add onto my daily duties of being a mom, working mom, and let's see...maid, cook, taxi driver, seamstress, personal shopper, homework helper, etc...

Let's see what's new:

Jackson started Cub Scouts about 2 weeks ago. He loves it and is so excited about the prospect of camping, fishing, and all the other outdoor father-son activities that come with scouts. I think it teaches them some great life skills and am happy that he likes it.

Davis started soccer a few weeks ago and had his first game last weekend. He is the only child we have in sports this season, and I am so excited that Davis gets to be the center of attention for once. After 3 years of watching Jackson play, it's nice to have everyone on the sidelines for him for a change. Davis LOVES soccer and he's really good! He is a big kid, and he's not scared to kick the ball hard and run fast. It's fun to watch him!

Drew is the same sweet little boy, only the terrible twos have settled in, which means we don't see that sweet little boy often. Mostly, we have a moody, grumpy, boy who now likes to hit and yell and cry at the drop of a hat, or lego, or whatever else is in his way. The hives have gone away (YEAH!!) FINALLY! They lasted about 8 weeks, but now they are gone, and we are starting to re-introduce all of his "allergic" foods, and we wait and see if he reacts. We had a follow-up yesterday with the allergist who said everything is good. We go back at the end of the year. Wish us luck! Hopefully, the hives were a one time thing, and we won't ever see them again!

I am well now, and gearing back up into training. I am SO thankful for all of the support that I got. I reached my goal, actually surpassed it, and raised almost $2000!! Let the countdown begin...only 2 weeks until I walk 39 miles in 2 days! AHHH...I'm a little nervous! I hope that I can do it!!