Mr high energy has crashed!! When he lays to sleep an nap time I remember how little he still is. Sleeping children are so sweet!!




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Snow...

The kids had a ball in the snow last weekend! Better snowball snow than sledding snow, and they had quite a few snowball fights!

Today, we are going to a funeral for a close friend and neighbor's son. He passed away last weekend at the young age of 19. It is so sad and tragic, and I am trying to soak in every moment with my children. They are such a blessing in our lives and I can't imagine ever loosing one of them.

These are their smiles this week, well, Davis and Drew...Jack has been hiding from the camera! Davis still LOVES Marley!!

Davis is learning to read!

Davis just started a reading program at preschool. We are so proud of him!! Today, no school for the little ones, but davis wants to teach Drew!!


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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!