Nagel Crew

Jump Rope for Heart!!!

2012-02-04T11:00:00.001-08:00

Jackson's school is participating in the "Jump Rope for Heart" fundraiser. It's part of the American Heart Association and every year students pledge to jump rope for a healthier heart and raise money to donate to help those with heart disease, his personal goal is $100. If you'd like to help him reach his goal let me know! To read more about the fundraiser follow this link: www.heart.org/jump

Oh that husband of mine....

2012-01-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

he must love me more...because he built me THIS!he surprised me last Saturday by having my mom and grandma get me out of the house all day while he re-did my closet. Had I known he was doing it I would have taken before pictures for sure, but it was a surprise. Before it was a just a simple 5'x6' closet with two wire closet shelves for hanging my clothes, which meant the 43 pairs of shoes you see above were a DISASTER in the closet floor! He loves me.

Love...

2012-01-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

love.

LOVE.

I love shoes. Like I REALLY love them. The three pairs above are some of my latest additions from Christmas and birthday. And I love them all! I especially love the closet pictured too, but unfortunately that is not a recent addition......sigh. One day!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

I posted these pictures backwards, sorry. It's been a while since my last post, we've been bust bees lately. I was sick twice since Thanksgving and in between I was finishing up Chrismas shopping and in the boys' classrooms quite a bit with the holiday parties and planning etc. Here are a few pictures of the last couple weeks:
this was our disaster area after Christmas morning! the house is still a mess, but it'll have to wait until later this week!

We all got some great stuff from Santa and the boys had a great time opening up all their goodies... Maddox got a scooter he's been wanting since Jackson has one and so does their neighbor friend, Jackson got a big boy bike... the one he has been riding he's had for 2 years and has really out grown it!

Here's the tree after Santa stopped in!!!

On Christmas Eve my mom, eric, aunt dyan, carlos, cousins, grandma sandy, michael, and our friends Kendall and Adam came for lunch and to visit...here are the boys opening gifts that day:

The week before school let out, the boys had holiday parties at school, I went in and helped with Jackson's and then checked him out and we headed over to catch Maddox's little program he had, they sang a few holiday songs and had some sweet treats for everyone to enjoy while we were there....poor Maddox felt awful and left early with us when it was over, I took his temperature when we got home and he had a fever! I guess he caught what I had earlier in the week.

I made these super cute cupcakes and took in to Jackson's class party- aren't they adorable!?!?

Hope you all had a fabulous and restful holiday!!!! See you in the New Year!

Family Pictures

2011-11-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again!!! My family dreads it mostly (well Adam and Jackson do) but it's not so bad!!!! Besides... look at their cute faces

Just a little preview of a few of my favs! Hope you are having a good week!

Regarding the Pumpkins:

2011-11-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

None of you guys voted because you "couldn't choose just one" so I believe at last count we had two tied..... pick one so we can have a winner!!!!!!! (for those of you that did choose one, thanks!)

Such a good big brother!

2011-11-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

As much as I miss my babies not being "babies" anymore, and as much as they drive me nutty (a good portion of the time!) , I also love watching them grow into little people. Jackson is such a big boy now, he's like a real live person! Some of the things the both of them sy are so hilarious and and cute sometimes. But more recently I've watched Jackson grow up SO much. He is SUCH a good big brother, the things he does for Maddox are so sweet, like helping him buckle his pants, finding his shoes for him, sharing a toy or candy, pulling him in the wagon around the cul-de-sac... the other day I called Jackson in from the neighbor's house playing (maddox had already come home) and I looked out the window to see jackson struggling to pull both of their bikes up the hill. I asked him why he had both bikes and he said, "well Maddy forgot his when he left." I thought it was so thoughtful when could have simply left it for him to go get. A recent conversation between them went like this:
Maddox: "Jacknen, you my brudder Jacknen?"
Jackson: " Yeah Maddy, I your brudder"
Maddox: "okay Jacknen"

They are so funny, and Jackson is a good sport for putting up with Maddox; lately he's been quite the whiner!

Happy Halloween!!!!!

2011-10-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was our 7th Annual Pumpkin Carving! The jack-o-lanterns are below...we had nine this year (11 including the boys' little ones)! It's one of my family's favorite things to do! We started around 4pm and finished up around 10. Ofcourse we stopped here and there to enjoy all the yummy food we had too!

This year we went hard core and got shirts made!

Here's the group shot... which one is YOUR favorite????

Where did September go?????

2011-10-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Apparently we were busy, since I've been MIA in the blog world, although I don't remember much of what we were doing. So here are a few pieces of what I DO remember... The second weekend in September our transformer box in our cul-de-sac went bad. I noticed around 5pm that it seemed warm in our house, so I checked the thermostat and it read 78 (which is warm for us, we keep it 72-74) Then I walked over to one of our vents and noticed it was blowing but it wasnt cold...so I sent Adam out to look at the AC unit (which is brand new) and while he was out checking on that I noticed all of the lights in our house were really dim. So I told Adam to come look at all the lights thinking it was an electrical problem and then he noticed our mete was blank and so were all our neighbors'. Then I called our electric company, the lady was nice and said she'd dispatch someone right away but couldnt give me a time frame. It was 5:30 by then and our house was only getting warmer.... 5 HOURS later they showed up! And they brought the WHOLE crew, so we sat in the driveway and watched. The trucks were so loud (they brought 4 of them) they woke the boys up, so they watched too. I took pictures.

The next weekend was Adam's birthday... we woke up at 5am to sit in line at the annual REI sale, it was FOREVER considering they didnt open til 10am...I fell asleep. BUT Adam did get some great stuff for his birthday and with the birthday money that was sent to him. Thanks Grandma Hiliger, Grandma Sandy, Anna, and Maryellen!! Here's Adam with his birthday cupcake for breakfast!!! Then the next week was Jackson's birthday, he had school that day so he got to eat his birthday cupcake before school ofcourse and then open a couple of his gifts from us, he got Rio the movie, and some new undies (boxers like a big boy he says) and we also got him the new LeapPad game system which he loves and has not put down! I like it too because it's all educational games. Then I checked him out early to go have a birthday lunch, and then Adam came home early and we all went to see The Lion King at the theatre. Afterward we had dinner with some friends and a fire with S'mores on the deck!

SIX years old!!!!!

In other news, the temperatures have dropped quite a bit her and it's been lovely. I turned the heat on for the first time yesterday and it smelled so good, I love the way the furnace smells for the first time each year! We've also been enjoying the chilly mornings in our slippers on the trampoline, fires on the back deck in the evenings roasting marshmallows, and ofcourse...

...Fall decorations!!! I love the colors of fall, I bought some beautiful, HUGE Mums for my front stoop and they just look so Fall-ish :) That's about all we've had going on. I am room mom for both Maddox's and Jackson's classrooms so that keeps me busy atleast 1-2 days a week, usually once a week I'll spend cleaning up around the house and doing laundry (it never ends), and I also joined the gym back in August so I spend a couple hours there 3-4 days a week too. I really thought I'd be bored when the boys went to school, but the day flies by! Sorry I was gone so long, we have the Ellijay Apple Festival this weekend that we are excited for, so check back soon... I promise I won't be so long next time!

Until then, we'll be enjoying the WONDERFUL weather, I hope you are too!

First day of school!

2011-08-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Last Monday was the boys' first day of school...BOTH of them! Jackson started kindergarten and Maddox started Pre-K. I can't believe how fast the time has gone! So from now on I am on my own during the day until a little after 2:00! Here are a few snapshots of the boys saying goodbye and getting dropped off. (sorry for the picture quality on some of them, I used my camera phone) Jackson in his classroom (above), he looked a littel nervous! He is loving it though, he just said today that he loved his new school!

This was in the parking lot at Jackson's school, we dropped him off first.

Next, we took Maddox- here he is in front of his cubby.

Jackson again getting settled into class, and below Maddox all ready to go!!

Photo Dump!!!

2011-08-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

One of these days I will be better at updating and posting to this blog; without going in spurts and randomly posting a month here and there....but today is not that day. So here's some pictures to catch you up on what we've been up to. It's been one BUSY summer! They say pictures say 1000 words...so let's just hope these do!!! Jackson learned to ride without training wheels and Maddox had a pretty "rad" pirate party in the beginning of July...

We left the week after Maddox's party (the 12th I think) and stayed up at Lake Arrowhead for a week....I took my camera but didnt take any pictures while I was there!

Last week we headed down to the beach for one last hurrah before school starts- it was super last minute (like we decided the night before) and loads of fun....the kids bombed Adam with water balloons...

....and we played on the beach

Maddox caught a crab

And Jackson got a tan!

He Drives me CRAZY.....

2011-07-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

...is in time out more than my kids, stinks up my house, and has ruined my hardwood floors. But at the end of the day after he's done being a bad boy, he lays at my feet and cuddles. Despite being a pain in my rear- he has such a sweet heart. And I love him. Besides LOOK how handsome he is!!!! How could I not!?!?!?!?!?

4 Years Old!!!!!!!

2011-07-03T11:37:00.001-07:00

Where did the time go??? Just last week he was a baby, crawling, sleeping in a crib.....wasn't he??? Yesterday Maddox turned FOUR!!!!! Here's the big boy on his new "big boy bike" Luckily it fell on a Saturday so we celebrated by going up to Lake Lanier for the day with our friends Kendall and Adam (the boys adore them and think it's pretty cool that he has the same name as their dad!)
We got there a little before lunch time and stayed until about 10 last night....Maddox caught his first fish!!! (courtesy of Kendall's help....since I HATE anything to do with fish!!)

He appears to have mixed feelings on the matter too!

Just getting down to the dock after dinner, baiting up!!!!

The fish kept getting away with their bait

Earlier in the day Maddox got to open presents from Kendall and Adam and eat cake. They got him THREE new Hot Wheels racing sets and some new cars!!!!

His Patriotic Birthday cake from Kendall and Adam...

These pictures are from yesterday morning... we let him open his gifts from us and Jackson. He got a new bike!!!! a new helmet, a movie, transformers, and a water rocket!!!

He's been wanting a big boy bike for months!!! FINALLY!!!!!

We made him sit and close his eyes while Adam brought it in..... he's so cute!

And ofcourse, he has his traditional birthday cupcake for breakfast!!!!!

In other news they have both been in swimming lesson the last 2 weeks! Maddox is WAY more comfortable in the water than before and Jackson is SWIMMING!!!!!!! YAY!!!! I have a video to post but Blogger wasn't letting me load it- so maybe I'll have better luck later. In the meantime here they are playing at the pool

Jackson's Pre-K class "graduation" ceremony

2011-06-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

The last day of school for Jackson was May 28th...the class did a little graduation year end celebration and all the students got their "diploma" and did a little performance for the parents, and then we all had pizza and snacks afterward...here are a few pictures from the day.

Playing Catch Up....

2011-06-13T07:54:00.001-07:00

Well obviously I've neglected my blog the last two months...and this morning i've been trying to update it and catch up on what we've been up to, but for some reason Blogger isn't allowing me to upload anymore photos at the moment...so for now here is a VERY little peek of our beach trip last week from Adam's extended family reunion...Adam and his sibling's signature photo pose

Maddox on the beach

The Nagel's with their spouses- catching air!

My three boys on the beach Sunday night

I'll post more later today or tomorrow; I'm not sure why I can't upload right now...check back soon though because I have losts of posting to do!!!!!

M.I.A.

2011-04-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

I've definitely fallen behind on blogging. But, in my defense- we've been busy: A few Saturdays ago Downtown Kennesaw had their annual "Touch A Truck" so we went with my mom, aunt and cousins to see all the big trucks, emergency vehicles, back hoes, etc.

Maddox loved the garbage truck!

Jackson "drove" the big F-250

...and took a ride on the school bus

Later that week Jackson asked if he could ride with no training wheels....

he contemplated...

and Dad "demonstrated" while Maddox cracked up at the fact!

I planted some pansies and violas:

And then we tore a hole in our ceiling!

then Adam framed it in to two treys...

....and NOW i can fit my GINORMOUS canopy bed in here! (It's pretty much done- we moved all of our furniture back in, but Adam still has to put the crown moulding inside the 2 upper treys. I painted the moulding today so maybe this weekend I'll post pictures of the "mini-makeover")

I did however finish the little dresser that was posted a few weeks back:

It looks exactly as I had pictured it would, and I simply adore it! Whatcha think???

Who's your favorite Brave???

2011-03-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

this little guy is mine! He and Jackson informed me that they "needed" a ball hat...so the other night we all went to Target and found hats....but then ofcourse they needed a ball too. So, now I've got 2 new ball players living with me. Jackson looks pretty cute in his new hat too, but he's not here to pose for pictures right now! So for now, here's our littlest Brave:

A Re-Do and a new gadget!

2011-03-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

As you probably already know, when we sold our old bedroom set last summer Adam's dresser was included in the sale....then we bought a new bed and dresser/mirror but have since been down one dresser. Adam hasn't seemed to mind, but I do. SO, this past weekend since I was already on a Craigslist binge I figured I'd see if I could find him anything (because we are also about to re-do our room). And this is what I found! I know it looks rough, but its way better in person I promise, plus it's my latest furniture rehab...I'll be back soon with pictures of it after it's makeover. We've looked at a TON of dressers in the last several months but something about this one I just really loved...so stay tuned! In other news, I got a rice cooker!!! I've been know to screw up rice here lately and have been meaning to get one, and yesterday in Target I stumbled across this one. It was the last one, on clearance, AND has a handy dandy vegetable steamer on top!! What luck!!!!

DEAL of the day!!!!!!!!

2011-03-05T13:03:00.000-08:00

Can you say EXCITED?!?!?! Talk about a great deal! Here's the scoop: two years ago I blogged about our "new" front load washer and dryer (Maytag Neptunes)- before those we had the old fashioned top load washer and the "it takes forever to dry your clothes" dryer. Well I had been getting along just fine with the Maytags but lately I have noticed that I hate having to bend down to swap loads and just felt like the front loaders didn't clean our clothes as well. Basically, after owning "front loaders" - I didn't think they were all they're cracked up to be. (Just my opinion) So, the other morning I woke up and randomly decided to sell my set on Craigslist. AND I found THESE Whirlpool Cabrio HE washer and dryer!!!! (If you've seen MaryEllen's, they're the same as her's but black!!!!!) Long story short, mine sold in 24 hrs for the same price I paid for them 2 yrs ago and I only came out of pocket on THIS SET $150.00!!!!!!!I'm officially in love. I might even like doing laundry now...and if you know me, you know I LOATHE ENTIRELY doing/keeping up with laundry! That's all the news I have for now. Enjoy you're weekend!

Jackson and a video

2011-03-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

Jackson stayed out of school last week, it was their "winter break" so we had a few play dates with friends and enjoyed the wonderful weather! He's becoming quite the daredevil on his bike....riding full speed down our driveway into the cul-de-sac and with his feet on the handlebars (who knows where he learned that!)The video below is from the other night in the tub, we heard them laughing hysterically and we went in to find they had made up their own game that they thought was SO funny....

Well thats all for now- see you soon!

CONGRATULATIONS........

2011-02-28T05:37:00.000-08:00

...to my wonderful husband!!!! He went to take the exam to get his contractor's license last week and HE PASSED!!!!!!! It's two seperate tests and they are pretty difficult- a few weeks ago he took them and passed one but missed the other by 6 measly points!! But you have to pass both to get your license, so he took the second portion again on Friday and HE GOT IT!!! He's now a licensed contractor!!! I am so proud of him; he has worked so hard and been studying non-stop the last several weeks. He couldn't deserve it more!!!!

Hello!

2011-02-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

Just incase you haven't caught on to me and this whole blogging thing- I tend to go in spurts, one week I'll make 3 posts but the next you won't see me for 3 weeks! Oh well. So if you have been wondering where we've been.... we have been outside at the park ...enjoying the beautiful weather!

And I've got more flowers in my house than I know what to do with, including 12 of these beauties!! (a little over a week ago I bought a little bouqet of flowers from Publix because I like fresh cut flowers on our entry table, then last Thursday Adam bought me "happy thursday flowers" and then Monday for Valentine's I got roses!") Atleast my house smells good!

Today I went in to Jackson's class to read for storytime; I chose Where The Wild Things Are and I'm Not Getting Up Today by Dr. Suess - a couple of my favorites! Then a little while after I read Adam came in for a tool demonstration! Jackson's class is learning about tools and building and his teacher asked if Adam would come in to talk and show some of his tools. Although, I've never mentioned anything about Adam's occupation to her so Jackson must have. Adam was hesitant to do it because he hates speaking in front of people, but I informed him that Jackson would be SO disappointed if he didn't and assured him that the class of 4-5 year olds were not going to judge his public speaking and would be thrilled with whatever demonstration he came up with!

Turns out it he liked doing it...and they loved it too!

Thursday!

2011-02-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

Maddox and I had some mommy/toddler kitchen time today....I was pretty bored, so I figured I'd teach him a thing or two early. Plus there were a few recipes I had been wanting to try! So, on today's list was homemade chocolate and vanilla ice creams (without an ice cream maker!), homemade icebox cake, and seven layer cookie bars for the (new) neighbors!! Whipping the cream for the ice creams and the cake!!! We made both with just these ingredients:

My sous chef Maddox, (multi-tasking) watching the cream while stirring the chocolate mixture!

Later after dinner the played "horsey" here Jackson was giving Maddox a little ride

And then they switched so Jackson could "be the cowboy" as Maddox said.

Then they played with the ol' doggie....

...until Walker decided he wanted a close-up!

Not much going on (sort of)

2011-01-31T19:59:00.000-08:00

I know I've been away...I'm sorry. Honestly, I haven't taken ANY pictures lately, and when I don't take pictures I don't usually blog. We really haven't been up to too much, but for some reason have been kind of busy (if that even makes sense). We've been doing lots of playdates with friends and helping some other friends, shopping, doing yardwork, and enjoying the weather here and there...although this week it is supposed to be chilly and wet again. I grabbed a few quick shots of the boys today- they were playing a game in the kitchen with Maddox's new truck...

...trying to aim it between each other's legs-an action shot above!

They also each started star charts today! We'll see how they do! At the end of each week if they get all their stars/stickers, they get to pick a toy out of the treasure box!

I'll leave you with a little bit of brotherly love...

enjoy your week!!!

Adam and Jackson

2011-01-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

Here are the last few "snow pictures" everything has really just iced over and is difficult to play in, but we went out one last time and I grabbed a few shots of Jackson and Adam with his "snow skills." Below Jackson was sliding down the side of the yard :

Being a ham:

and Adam cathcing air:

He rigged a "ramp" in the backyard and went down to the basement to see what he could find to jump it....he tried his rock-climbing crash pad and his wakeboard, but the kayak worked out the best- below is a video of his first run and then the next is what he was supposed to be trying to do-enjoy!!!!

More snow days

2011-01-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

We're still "snowed in" today and probably tomorrow too...so this morning adam helped the boys make snowmen and went "snow boarding"

Maddox was cleaning all the snow off the railing

We've had a fire going both days and enjoyed some of these...

and warmed up by this...

Here is preview of Adam...one is in the backyard and the other is sideways (sorry) of him across the street going down the neighbor's driveway across the cul-de-sac and into the other neighbor's house...I filmed from inside as I was not appropriatly dressed for the FREEZING weather!

Sorry I've been away...

2011-01-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

I just really haven't been in a blogging mood I guess! It snowed here last night (Sunday) just like the weather man predicted...it started around 9:30 or so lightly and within 15 mins a TON moved in and all was completely covered in just a few short minutes. We went out for a bit this morning although it was still misting a bit and my camera kept getting wet so I didnt take too many photos- maybe later I will. Here's Maddox building a "snow castle" Walker got to play too-

he loves it!

This was last night before we went to bed... about another inch fell after we went to sleep! It ended up being about 5.5-6 inches...which isn't bad for GA!

The streets were blanketed within 15minutes-

Adam went sliding down the hill in our backyard...he also went down a couple of the neighbors driveways and across the cul-de-sac, maybe I'll post those later- they are taking a while to upload now though.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

Note: these pictures are in completely random order! (sorry) Here are several pictures from the last three days at the Nagel House. I'll comment here and there but will mostly let the pictures speak for themselves, as I am too tired to "write." Enjoy!

It snowed on Christmas!!! Brotherly love in new jammies Christmas night

Christmas Morning...

opening gifts from Grandma Sandy Christmas Eve...

Opening gifts from Meme and Grandpa a few days before (since they were leaving town).

making a gingerbread house

playing in snow!

Christmas Morning!

About to crash while makeshift "sledding"

my snow angel!

Hope you and yours' had a wonderful holiday! Have a good week! Until next time...

Florida!

2010-12-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

We're back!!! We left last Saturday (11th) and came home this weekend (18th). When we got there the first couple days were warm, but then Monday and Tuesday South Florida had record lows!!! I think Monday it was 50 degrees and Tuesday maybe 58!!! After that it warmed back up though...so here are some pictures from our trip! The boiys had never been on a plane before- so here they are getting ready to board, watching for our plane to pull in. Maddox enjoyed the ride and loved his window seat!

Jackson liked it too, although he seemed a little nervous.

The boys played some hoops in the pool...

Maddox thoroughly enjoyed the water!

we watched some sunsets...

Went to a really nice park and rented this way cool bike...

lounged in some hammocks...

This was at the manatee park...all of those things under water are manatees!! There were hundreds!!! It was amazing, they all swim up the canal during the winter months when the gulf is chilly. They stay for a few days then go eat amd come right back!

chased some birds...

climbed a few trees...

sat at the beach...

built a few sand castles...

walked on the beach....

visited the Sanibel Lighthouse...

That's a wrap! We had a good time, but we are glad to be home in our own beds!!! Have a good week!

Jackson has been sick today.

2010-12-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

We had a friend of ours come over friday night and hook our Netflix up to our Wii, so that we can stream movies/shows instantly to our tv...it's fabulous! Adam is addicted and the boys and I love it too. So we watched movies most of the weekend! Jackson has been running a fever and then threw up on the couch a few hours ago... so I ran to the drugstore for some meds and a thermometer (I searched everywhere for mine with no success!!) When I came home Adam had changed him and set him up on the couch with a bucket and cartoons:

Maddox decided to have nap:

Adam put up Christmas lights!!!!

And I made a batch of this gooey goodness!

That was pretty much our day...hope you had a good weekend! We're off to sunny south Florida next Saturday and after this coldness, it will be nice to warm up!

A bag and the tree

2010-12-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

I will start by sharing how excited I am about my new FANTASTIC camera bag! It's a Crumpler 4 Million Dollar Home Bag (just incase you are in the market)...and I love it. It will hold my camera and two lenses- which is all I would ever take out at once anyhow. I can't wait to take it on an outing! Next, the tree is trimmed! We went to three places this year before finding the right tree, and I must say, I think it's my favorite so far!!!

I think it need more lights, but the boys started decorating before I could finish getting them on- oh'well.

This week

2010-12-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

We haven't been up to too much. We finally got some family pictures made (a few are below). I'm not really a big fan of them, but with two kiddies it's hard...o'well.

We got our tree tonight (check for pictures later in the week) and then made a fire since it's FREEZING outside. Walker was a fan of the fire; he cozied right up.

and I enjoyed a cup of this...

Our tree is still "falling out" so maybe we'll decorate it tomorrow. That's all I got for now!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-11-28T10:58:00.000-08:00

My pictures are backwards (again). I always forget it loads them in reverse order that I upload them until I have already added them, and by that time I don't care enough to change it. So, we had a great long weekend for Turkey Day- and hope you all did too! My side of the family rented a cabin in Blue Ridge, Ga to spend Thanksgiving. We drove up Wednesday afternoon and came home this morning. We spent time together cooking,baking, eating, playing games, watching movies, etc... We also visited a few local places around town and went to the downtown Blue Ridge tree lighting and parade Saturday night. Here's the "great tree" after the lighting: Us freezing waiting for the tree to be lit...they took their time!

Maddox and Adam watching the parade

Some of the fun characters in the parade

Jackson was being a stinker and didn't want his picture taken

The depot and caboose!

Thanksgiving dinner- Adam's parents drove up Thursday to join us! My aunt and Carlos were also there...there are a few people missing in this picture, but we forgot to get a group shot.

Some of the yummy food...

Me and Mom

For Stratton:

2010-11-17T18:08:00.000-08:00

The boys love dancing to music videos on tv. They LOVE music- they both know half of the songs on the radio these days. Every Saturday morning we watch the top 20 countdown on VH1 and some days I'll put videos on and they dance in teh livingroom as they sing along. Tonight I got a video! We'll a snip-it anyway- Jackson thought I was cooking but I was hiding as I video taped him. Looks like he remembered some of his breakdancing lessons from Uncle Stratton!!

2010-11-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

Jackson's class had a little Thanksgiving feast and performance of their own this morning. All the kids sang a few songs for the parents (there's a video of one below) and some of the parents brought food in to make a Thanksgiving lunch together. This little turkey handprint was at his seat along with a Turkey Day song for us to sing together

Here he is in his turkey head hat! (He's in the orange striped shirt)

Everyone practicing their songs-

New Paint!

2010-11-17T05:54:00.000-08:00

This was our living room until a few days ago: a cold gray color... (above was our ceiling before- it was a really light gray) but because it's such a big and hollow room the cool gray made it feel cold and not-so-cozy...so we re-painted last weekend and Adam added can lights to the ceiling and we re-painted it too!

its a shade or two lighter than the walls, and the walls are a "Toffee Crunch" dark tan/light brown color. It's hard too tell in these pictures because during the day our livingroom gets so much sunlight but the paint is actually A LOT darker than the gray was!!

Since my accent color is blue, I added a splash to a couple walls-

It's a little "cozier" now that the color is warmer

I have to go make a bunch of food to bring in for Jackson's class Thanksgiving now, but check back later I'll have pictures from his class feast and performance!!

Jackson & Maddox conversation

2010-11-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

I was getting the boys ready for bed tonight and they were both in Maddox's room getting their pjs on when I over heard this from outside the door:

Jackson: "Maddox, you rub my legs?? I'll give you a dollar..."

I then walked in the room and said "what's wrong?"

Maddox: "Jacknen's yegs hurtin" (his language)

Me: "Jackson, your legs hurting?"

Jackson: "yeah, I want the petin pad (aka-heating pad) I got crabs." (aka-cramps)

These two are characters for sure...so funny.

Check out the new kicks!

2010-11-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

This guy has been keeping busy being a rockstar...as always, And this guy has been busy feeling under the weather and a little grouchy because of it.

NO MORE SCOOBYS!!! You may have noticed in all previous posts in the last YEAR Maddox is wearing a pair of Scooby-Doo Crocs...he LOVES them. I have taken him 3x to pick new shoes and he refuses. But we had family pictures today and not only did I not want Scooby in the family photo, but Scooby was getting too small. So, remember these???

Converse OneStars- I myself had a pair in 1996... they are back and look oh so cute on these little feet!!!

Does he look like a rockstar or what?? I totally dig them, and since I have convinced the little man that these shoes make him run faster, so does he! I never thought I'd get them on him but after fussing about them for only a few minutes he was sold!

Happy Halloween!!

2010-11-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well...the kiddies made out with some great loot last night! Here's our "spooky house" after we spider-webbed it and lit our jack-o-lanterns...mine totally rotted and adam's was pretty rotten too, but it was still ok to light. I carved a new one yesterday afternoon:

Avery came over to trick-or-treat with the boys. Our neighborhood is a little better for trick-or-treating and there aren't many kids her age in hers; so she joined us again this year!

Poor Maddox- he felt like poo. He threw up about 15 minutes before we left and right after he threw up he cried: "I wanna go get candy" he must have known he might not be able to go! Anyway, my mom offered to stay with him and answer the door but I said I would atleast take him to 4-5 houses and then she could come back with him. So once he got suited up he said he wanted to ride in his stroller...and I guess since he didnt have to walk around he did okay because he made it the whole way!! We didn't do the entire neighborhood...but about 25-30 houses. I was just glad he didn't have to miss out, they had both been looking forward to going all week!

Walker had a ghost tee-shirt on and he went with us as well...he didn't know what to do with himslef I don't think. There were so many people out and ofcourse everyone walks up to ask "if he's friendly and can they pet him?" Maybe people always think he looks mean because of his size?? I think he has a really sweet looking face. (I could be biased) Well I'm off to take Maddox to the doctor- have a great day!

We live with Super Heros!!!

2010-10-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Note to self: don't wait until 3 days before Halloween to get kiddos costumes!! In the past I've always taken them in plenty of time, but I just now got around to it this year. So, this is what we ended up with due to lack of sizes. Originally Jackson wanted Spiderman but when he saw Iron Man he changed his mind (which was a good thing because they were our of Spiderman in his size). Maddox opted for Superman...it was that or Scooby-Doo or a fireman. As soon as we got home they rushed in and put them on right away. Above they were having a Superman vs Ironman face-off. IronMan himself:

Superman in action jumping off tables!

My little heros (Maddox was flying in this shot)

His professional Superman pose

We went to 2 different stores to find each of them costumes. It was an overcast, off and on rainy day here. It had not rained since this morning though and I was starting to see blue sky, so I figured I was safe for an outting. After we picked Jackson up from school we headed to Walmart and the entire ride was dry...as soon as we came out of the store it started to pour! So we were a little damp on our way to Target but when we got to Target it had stopped raining...until ofcourse we were ready to leave...so on our way to the car we got SOAKED. The good news is, the costumes seem to be well worth it(for the boys) and atleast we didn't wait until tomorrow when even more of the cotumes would have been gone! Trick or Treating pictures to come!

5th Annual Carving Contest

2010-10-24T07:16:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we did our annual pumpkin carving!!! Here are the results!!! Which one do you think looks the best??? Maddox and Jackson painted theirs, then later after it dried Jackson had help carving his too.

The lineup (minus Dyan's...she took a little longer)

Our family's: Adam did the skeleton face, I did the bat over the moon, and the boys' are in front

Our's with Dyan's (Medusa) and Brandon's (skull)

What do YOU think????

A Busy Week!

2010-10-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

I started working on these little gems the other day: rice bags/heating pads/bed warmer - call it what you will...but they are fabulous! I have used them for years. I had a great one my grandma bought me until about 6 months ago when it finally bit the dust and fell apart. The I got another one that was filled with a gel-like substance, only I like them so hot that it exploded in the microwave...so one of the blogs I follow has a tutorial on how to make them yourself! I got the supplies and starting sewing away!!! (I know..ME sewing! That's the first time I've ever made mention of such a thing on my blog.) Here are 2 of the completed ones- I'll spare you the picture of the first one; it' THAT bad. I was having trouble even threading the machine and then could not figure out how to reverse stitch...no worries, I figured it out ;) I get pretty bad migraine/tension headaches and also have terrible joints, which years ago they diagnosed as juvenile arthritis (is it still juvenile since I'm only 25???) Anyway I use heating pads often and so far these have been GREAT!!! Let me know if you want one too (or want the link on how to make them).

Here is one of my completed projects I mentioned in an earlier post: our kitchen table! We've had it for 3-4 yrs and I've always liked the style and size of it but wasn't found of the orange-y color of the wood. Years ago I painted the legs and feet of it black (but did a poor job of it) so it had started to wear. So this week I primed it and painted the entire base black and sanded and re-stained with a red mahagony. I only wonder why we didn't do this a long time ago. Before- orange: primed:

new stain! (it's still drying so the coloring looks off)

Today I went in to Jackson's class and did an art project with his classmates. I brought in mini pumkins for everyone and some paint and let each of them paint their own pumpkin! We did the activity during their "centers" so I only had 4-5 at a time painting at my table. Here are some shots from this morning.

After about an hour and a half each child had their own to take home! They all seemed to enjoy it!
This week has also been early realease at school so Jackson has been out everyday at 12:45 instead of 2:45, which means he's gotten to play with me and Maddox more. Monday I picked him up and we went to a playground nearby for a bit, Tuesday's pictures are below- we went back to the duck pond park so Jackson could feed the ducks since he didn't get to last week and then ofcourse we played a while, Wednesday we did some shopping and then had to go to our accountant to pick up tax stuff, (always fun! ;) Thursday we had a playdate after school with some other friends that lasted until 4pm- Maddox conked out in the car as soon as we left! And today...well you already read about this morning- we'll see what this afternoon holds. All I know is, it's 1:45 and I need a nap!

The boys playing on Tuesday...

feeding ducks again!

The weather here the last couple weeks has been AMAZING, but who knows how long it will last (Fall isn't usually long here) so we'll take advantage of it while we can! If you need us, we'll be outside!

Wings Over Atlanta & Apple Festival

2010-10-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

There was quite a bit going on around Atlanta over the weekend. The Wings Over Atlanta Airshow was Saturday and Sunday- so we went Sunday morning, thinking most people would have gone on Saturday so it wouldn't be as crowded...we were wrong. They said 120,000 people came on Saturday! I'm quite sure another 120,000 were there Sunday! Either way it was fun. I hadn't been in several years so it was pretty fascinating to watch all these amazing stunt pilots and to see all the different aircraft! It's the only time they ever allow people onto the military base- but they bring in a TON of different planes, jets, helicoptors...you name it. I couldn't even count how many planes they had out on the base. They even had most of them open to let people go inside and take a look.

Above: I can't remember what they said this plane was- but it was HUGE! You should have heard it taking off!

Just a few fun shots of the formations:

Jackson sat in one of the helicoptors, but wouldn't put the helmet on- Maddox wouldn't get in at all.

We all went inside this plane- it was bulit in 1956 and they still fly it, everything was still original!

Adam checking out one of the planes

Apple Festival: I had never been to the apple festival before. It was okay. It was really just a bunch of vendors selling arts and crafts, furniture, food, etc + apples. We did have a pretty yummy caramel apple and Adam was excited about the loaf of apple bread we got, so I guess it was a win.

They did have blow-up slides, bouncy houses, and rock walls for kids- they also had plenty of things to blow money on; one thing being a "yo-yo balloon" for the bargain price of $1 that's what the boys picked. (They are actully kinda fun) Here is Maddox covered in blue snow cone pretty excited about his balloon on the way home:

And just incase a pony ride wasn't your thing...they also had camel rides!

The boys both made it clear that there was no way they were getting on one of those things- but they were fun to look at.

Ducks and Pumpkins

2010-10-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

This morning Maddox and I met some friends for a little play date at a new park nearby...there's even a duck pond to feed the ducks! At first the ducks made him a little nervous because they kept getting so close- but he soon got over it and enjoyed feeding them.

Then we walked up to the playground for a while:

...and took some more pictures :) This might be my new favorite park!

These pictures are from Monday- Jackson didn't have school, so we met my girlfriend, Ivey and her niece at the pumkin farm...it was nice because it was during the week so no one was there! I loved this picture of the boys on the "bouncy pillow." Maddox would NOT get on and jump unless Jackson would hold his hands... both of them! I thought it was so sweet :)

Once Maddox grabbed hold though, he enjoyed himself!!!

And these pictures for some reason, reminded me of grandpa...

I booked our airfare!!!

2010-10-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Well actually, a few weeks ago I booked our arrival flight, but the return airfare was nearly double the price so I waited and yesterday it went on sale! So now we have a flight home from this wonderful place in December... ...so while you guys are trying to warm up here in December...we'll be in this pool,

lounging in these hammocks,

...and watching the sunset on this beach!!!

Our weekend, so far.

2010-10-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today has been another pretty day- so we got up this morning and went to the mountain before it got too warm and the kids got too tired. It was perfect for a little trail walk and some playtime in the field.

Maddox was yelling at me to stop taking his picture here- this was near the end, after I had been snapping his pictures for quite some time-

Walker came along...he enjoyed himself.

Jackson's sad eyes...he had just tripped and fallen while running with dad and Walker-

Maddox and Walker were checking out all the emergency vechicles zooming by, there was an accident down the road I think.

Jackson was investigating this tree stump; there was a dead bird inside- he was very concerned about it!

This goober wanted his picture on top of the rock...

I love trees in the fall...especially unique or funny shaped ones

Ham.

Okay, that was all of this morning. Thursday night Sarah and Lee came into town and we got to meet this big guy!!

He sure is a happy boy and was content doing just about anything.

He is such a big boy!!! He's gonna be a linebacker!

In other news, Walker was with the breeder we got him from all last week and we got him back on Friday afternoon...He's gonna be a daddy!!! I am also starting some more projects this week...so check back soon! Hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather- if not, get outside!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2010-10-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a perfect day! The weather was great, 72 degrees and it was so pretty out...so we took full advantage and went for a picnic and playtime in Downtown Woodstock, right where Adam and I got married...

this hardwood was huge and had the funkiest looking vines growing up it-

tackling Dad after playing tag

That's all I've got...Hope you had a good weekend too!

Jackson's Birthday Party

2010-10-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jackson's birthday this past weekend since I was a little behind in September... so here are a few pictures from the party he lucked out with lots of fun stuff!!! A new Batman Batcave, a jet, glow-in-the dark doodle pro, Spiderman toys, remote control Bumblebee car....the list goes on! (My next project will be trying to find a solution to storing all of this stuff!!)

Cake!!!

I do have to brag on myself for this one....a Spiderman Cake!!! And it was a pretty cool one...the Spiderman hanging from the "web" on top the building spins around!

Welcome to the Jungle

2010-09-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

It's done! I will start by apologizing that these pictures are completely out of order, but I do not care enough to go back and fix them. So, we painted over the weekend and then finished up the rest yesterday and today. There are stil 2-3 minor details we are adding but for now here's Maddy's new room :) This is his valance- made of burlap and a tree branch (from my backyard) as the rod. We cut down some bamboo...and I filled it with artifical palm fronds and jungle vine

I framed animal print paper...giraffe, crocodile, and zebra- and hung lanterns in 2 places with led lights inside as his night light.

I cut his name out of grassy/leafy looking scrapbook paper with a Circut Cutter and framed it-

His bedding he already had (i bought it a few months back), and I liked- which was part of the reason I kept with the jungle-safari theme

Notice no toys???? Adam made a "cargo" crate (he still has to make the lid for) to fit in and hide toys! The orange thing on the wall is a pelican- it's always been his hamper and I figured it still fit in. I don't like "character" rooms (or anything else chracter really) so I thought this was a cute idea for a 3 yr old room without having to suffer through Thomas the Tank all over the walls and bedding!!

Cagle's Dairy Farm

2010-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we went to the Dairy Farm Maze and Hayride/Bonfire with my aunt and cousins... we skipped the maze because we have dine it a few times before, but did the hayride and bonfire this year instead. It was kinda neat- it was about a 1 mile ride to the bonfire area near the lake and it included marshmellows for roasting and there were hotdogs and s'more kits available for a few extra bucks :) our new "family picture"

Maddox in the pumkin patch

Me and Adam on the tractor!

Maybe we'll go back for a pumkin closer to Halloween!

Meet Maddox's Room:

2010-09-24T13:03:00.001-07:00

Right now. Pretty plain and a bit messy... ...it takes me a while to figure out the "what" I want to do usually when it comes to projects like this...then once I figure it out I usually complete it pretty quickly. I've been wanting to decorate both boys' rooms for a while now but haven't known what I wanted to do- now that I've figured Maddox;s out check back soon! As for Jackson's I'm still not sure where I'm going with his yet! I'll have to complete this first, but I'm pretty excited about it.

It's Officially Autumn...

2010-09-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

don't you love it!? I know I do- so, here's the new background to celebrate the season!

Happy Birthday Jackson!

2010-09-24T06:38:00.001-07:00

These pictures are out of order- sorry. They should be last, but you'll read about them at the end of this post...this was the boys last night playing together before bed.

Yesterday Jackson turned 5years old!!! Can you believe it??!! Just the the other day he was a tiny baby! We celebrated at home off and on and then again when Adam got home. We made cupcakes first thing inthe morning, then went to Meme's to play for a bit, then came home and played with a couple of the new things he got...then we ordered pizza for dinner (his choice), and let him open another present after we sang and had cupcakes!

Here's our "big boy"- he lucked out with a bunch of new Legos (a road construction kit, and a firetruck and trailer kit) and a few new movies- Shrek and Bob's Big Break in 3-D and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which if you haven't seen I thought was pretty cute.

Making his wish!

That being said...I've NEVER put together SO MANY Legos in my life! It pretty much consumed most of my day yeasterday...those little things are kinda tricky! But last night before bed they got some extra playtime and did great sharing and having quiet roomtime.

Pizza Trailer

2010-09-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

The boys like to ride their bikes in the garage sometimes when Jackson gets home from school (like today). The tri-cycle that Maddox got for his birthday has a little compartment on the back that he refers to as his "trailer" like daddy's ofcourse...he uses to hold all sorts of things...toys, juice cups, tools, and today...

...his pizza. It was pretty funny actually; he'd ride a few feet, then turn around and grab a bite and put it back and keep riding etc. He's a funny kid and I figured it couldn't be TOO harmful right??
It's not like he was eating it out of the dirt...

Jackson's Class/Birthday

2010-09-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am planning a party for Jackson's fifth birthday; it's on my to-do list this weekend. But yesterday (Thursday) when I picked him up from school, his teacher randomly said to me "if you want to volunteer anytime inthe classroom we'd love to have you!" Which kind of made me feel like she didn't think I wanted to come in/help...I had just brought the class pet (beta fish) in 2 days before!!! Anyway, ofcourse I said, "sure. do you need a volunteer for anything in particular??" and she right away started naming things- then decided for me that I should be in charge of the "birthday box." So I said sure, what's that? Like a treasure chest??? She said just a box full of party supplies for when the kids have birthdays, and since Jackson's is next week when school won't be in she thought maybe I could bring a treat to share with the class for him. SO- off to Party City I went and fill this huge box full of paper plates. napkins,forks, horns blowers, Birthday crowns, clappers, candy, table clothes, and a banner...I thought it was a pretty good box, although more than what she was expecting I think (but I'm new at this schoool mommy thing so didn't really know what I was doing), but either way she was really excited and grateful that she got to keep it!

Once I got there I passed out cupcakes, we sang, and then I read the class a story for the end of the day.... here are some pictures of his class! Note: Maddox was pretty excited he got to be a part of the "big kids" day!

9/11

2010-09-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today in Canton, a few minutes from us, one of the parks hosted the "American Heros Helicopter Show." We took the boys this morning for a little bit- it was pretty neat. We watched lots of helicopters take off and several landing. They also had some treats available to buy and some kiddie jumperoos set up. The fire department and police department were also there with their vehicles for everyone to look at.

Boys enjoying their Sno-balls

Big trucks!

Tons of helicopters-

Jackson attempting to climb a tree

And colorful tongues after their sno-balls

Labor Day = Random Road Trip.

2010-09-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

Well here are our two TIRED kiddies after a little weekend roadtrip: Sorry I haven't been around. I have not been feeling well at all the last 2 weeks. I;m still not feeling too great, but better than I was. Anyhow- my mom called Thursday night and informed me she was heading to the beach for Labor Day weekend and mentioned that we could come. Not thinking anything of it, since I have been under the weather and so had the boys, I said probably not. Then when I mentined it to Adam on Friday morning he said "Yeah...maybe we should..." and left it at that. Then at 1:00pm on Friday I called him at work and asked if he was serious about wanting to go because if so, I needed to see if I could board Walker, not to mention we'd need to be leaving in 4-5 hrs! So...long story short by about 6pm we were loaded up and (hopefully) all packed ready to head south. This was probably the most last minute trip I've ever taken. But I'm glad we did!! Here's some pictures from the trip:

Above Jackson is playing alligator and chasing Maddox

writing names in the sand

building sand castles

playing at the fountain in Rosemary Beach (like I said, this was a very last minute trip- which meant not all was packed...I forgot my camera battery charger!!! So ofcourse, after the 2nd day my camera died.) I was SO bummed because I missed some great shots at the pool and at Baytowne Wharf! O'well.

The first night Rosemary had a "Kids rock the Block party" with face painting, fishing, sidewalk chalk, jumperoos, etc...

Taking a break on the square

Rosemary Market Street-it's such a cute place!

Maddox pimping dad's shades.

trying to outrun the waves!!

we love the beach!!!

Hope you had a good weekend!

Boys

2010-09-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

I never though having a king-size bed would be a big deal...I can't tell you how BIG a difference it makes!These little sneaks have been creepeing into our room after we put them to bed at night and we come in to find them snoozing it up in our bed! They are SUCH bed hogs...so we move them back to theur rooms; although usually atleast one of them makes it back in with us in the middle of the night. In other news, my 3 year old can do his own dishes...I was in the living room the other day and heard him in the water in the kithcen and came into find him washing away...

Since you asked....

2010-08-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

....here he is! A few of you have asked about the baby boy- he's doing well and sweet as ever, I swear he is the biggest baby ever! Sorry we havent't posted on him in a while- I actually haven't been great with taking pictures lately. In the shot below I snapped it right as he shook his head, that's why his ears are flying and his mouth looks scary...oh well - he kept moving. He doesn't come upstairs that often these days (i think because it's hard for him to get up and down them) but when he does, he always wanders into our bathroom; he knows we don't like him to drink from the toilet, so he usually walks up to the sinks and starts licking the faucet until one of us turns the water on for him...atleast he's polite about it right??

I thought this one was funny because of the angle of the camera his head looks 3x the size of his body- he looks like a cartoon!!

Otherwise he's doing great- still growing, I haven't weighed him lately. He seems bigger though i guess. It's hard when you see him every day, we don't notice. Because he's European though, he is slow to grow...meaning he wont completely fill out until he's close to 5! (this helps in dogs this large so that they don't develop the joint and bone problems) His dad is 170lbs though, so something tells me he's got growing to do!! Ta-ta for now! I'll try to post more often about him!

Just About Done

2010-08-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well as I mentioned before- I am in the process of re-doing my guest room. Before (above) it was a bright yellow/green color and I had my old furniture in there that I've had for years! I got rid of the furniture (a double bed and long dresser) because I wanted a queen bed for in there for guests and because it is the only room in our house that has remained un-done and sort of a catch -all storage place since we moved in. So anyway, I'm just about finished with it! I painted it a brown...which is a little darker than I thought it would be, but the room gets plenty of daylight so I think it works out...I like it enough to keep it, plus I think it makes it tranquil! I'm still looking for a small end/night table and some stuff for the wall, but otherwise... ta-da!

After:

Just the two of us...

2010-08-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a quiet week without Jackson here during the days. His first full week went well though and I think he is going to enjoy it. His teachers keep saying how good he is...he's just been a little shy I think; he's usually slow to warm up. In the mean time it's just me and this guy... but we kept busy this week going to the pool, playdates with friends, and ofcourse shopping! I'm on my way to see a movie so check back later for updates from this weekend!

Our first Rodeo

2010-08-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

And probably my last. We went with some friends friday night to a Rodeo that ws in town a few minutes north of us. I thought since we had never been the boys might enjoy it and I was interested to see one too...I wasn't a fan. They are definitely over-rated, I felt COMPLETELY out of place (considering I wasn't wearing my boots, cowgirl hat, or belt buckle!) and I thought it was a slight form of animal cruelty...just my opinion. Anyway here are some pictures from the night- the boys did think it was kind of fun, I wouldn't say they loved it, but atleast now they've been.
besides that, anyone who wants to get that close to an angry bull this size is nutty!

Maddox did like seeing the "cowboys" as he referred to them.

I mean seriously, WHAT is that guy thinking??

Jackson thought they were crazy too!

First day of School!!!

2010-08-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

Today is Jackson's first day of SCHOOL!!! We all dropped him off this morning...he goes from 8:15-2:45! Adam stayed home this morning so that we could all walk him in to his new class. He seemed to be ok when we left, he didn't cry or anything; maybe just a little nervous/excited??? Maddox didn't want to leave; he thought he was going to school too. So after getting home and asking for Jackson for a few minutes I think he realized it was just me and him! We took the dog for a walk already and then he started right away on painting the deck! Here he is getting ready to leave!

I didnt realize until I got to the car that he looks like a goof in this picture, but oh well- here he is in his classroom

I made him eat as much as i could this morning because they can't bring their own lunch and he is a pretty picky eater! Maybe he'll see other kids eating and join in???!?!?

New shoes and new bookbag...ready to go!!!

Week at the Lake

2010-08-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Lake Arrowhead and invited two other couples with their kids to stay with us for a few nights. Needless to say we all had a blast! We spent the days out on the docks and on the boats, had picnics on the dock, everyone had dinners together and then played some great games at night. All the kids could not get enough of each other and were thoroughly exhausted by the end of the day! Below is a launcher/trampoline that was a riot to even stand on much less be launched off of. One person crawls out on the end and the other jumps onto the end closest to the trampoline...it was a ton of fun. Avery and Jackson on the boat-

Maddox was loving playing on the dock during the day- we had to force him to get into the water, but once he got in he oved it!

Adam showing his skills- we all had a great time wakeboarding. A few of our friends had never done it before so it was fun to watch too! I played photographer- but there are some of me on facebook.

Maddox and JT

Picnic lunch at the dock

This was one night while we played a game called Partini- it is so fun...

...one of the things you have to do is called "pencil head" two people are read instructions on what to draw but have to do it with the paper on their head! Then they are compared and scored for a winner- this was Kacy and Patrick competing.

Kacy trying to wakeboard

a few of the kiddies swimming

This is a video of my friend Marcey's 4 yr. old son JT getting launched- the guys decided it would be fun to launch a 35lb boy into the air with them weighing nearly 500lbs all together!

Summer Days....

2010-07-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

recently ours consists of late afternoon visits from the ice cream man,

making an absolute mess creating their own "library" (although I can't really blame them- it is more constructive than TV),

sharing brotherly love at times,

pretending to go to school,

and a few days here and there with a coupleof friends at the lake! This was last weekend...Adam pulled his groin right after this shot trying to do a gainer off the top dock....

Just to let you know-

2010-07-20T17:39:00.001-07:00

I have not been ignoring my blog...I just haven't been taking any pictures. So, I have nothing new to post. But I won't be a complete disappointment- I'll atleast share what we have been up to lately. Since the 4th have been trying to get some things done around the house, I've been in search of a housekeeper, but have yet to find one, swimming lessons are still friday mornings usually followed by playtime with Avery and Kacy. Walker is doing good- still growing!! I am about to re-do my guest room. That should be fun; it's kind of been our un-finished/catch-all room since we moved in. I sold the furniture in it last week and bought a new bed for it, but it still needs re-painted so you'll get pictures from that soon enough. Jackson starts Pre-K the first week of August! His orientation is Thursday night- I can't believe it! WHAT am I gonna do?!?!? (I'll probably get alot more done during the day to tell the truth) but I'm still a little sad he's going, he's a big boy now! That's all I can think of for now...see you soon! (with pictures I promise!)

Happy 4th !!!

2010-07-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

After the party yesterday we headed to downtown Kennesaw with a group of friends to watch the fireworks and listen to a local band... here are some pictures from the night!

It was a pretty good firework show and lasted quite awhile... then the kiddos did sparklers!

You remember these two people right???

Jackson and "Jeremy-bump" (there's a story behind the name)

A few of the kids watching the choo-choo go by...Avery, Caisen, Jackson, Maddox- they LOVED the train!

Hope you and yours are having a great weekend too! We're headed to the pool now and then to a cookout! See you soon! Happy 4th!

Birthday Bash

2010-07-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Maddox's big day on Saturday by having a pool/pizza party!! We rented the clubhouse and did pizzas, presents, and cake inside then took the party poolside! Here are some shots of the pool...

Maddox showing off his new ride from Grandma Sandy- a big boy tri-cycle!

opening birthday presents!!

blowing out the candles-

Pizza time!

Birthday boy and his friend Madison

Happy 3rd Birthday to Maddox!!!

2010-07-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Our little guy turned 3 on Friday(July 2)! we started our morning with the usual swim lessons (which he did much better with this week) and then we played at a friends house and had cupcakes and let him open his presents from us Friday afternoon! Here's the little rugrat blowing out his candle and eating his cupcake :)

Just Hanging

2010-07-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Here's Mr. Grumpy Pants he wanted to get dressed- so he went in search of some clothes to put on.

We've been hanging at the pool a bit- the boys are in lessons once a week so I try to practice with them a few times a week as well. Here are a few shots from the other day of both of the boys swimming with me....ignore my face in all of these - I was getting splashed in the face the whole time from their kicking!

Maddox is fearless almost in the water-

Jackson is a little timid; he gets nervous about going under

practicing "kicking his legs"

Taking a break playing with their toys on the stairs

Not Too Much Going On

2010-06-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! I know I've beeen a little MIA lately, truthfully though I haven't taken any pictures since the lake a few weeks ago and we havn"t been up to too much anyways. I got my wisdom teeth extracted last Thursday, so I spent the last weekend sleeping it off and this week has been low key for the most part. I signed the boys up for swimming lessons a few weeks ago. It's just them with their friend Avery in a class on Friday mornings- and so far so good! Maddox was really timid at thing mornings lesson for some reason, which is surprising because he loves the water... I think it was because he just wanted me though, because last week Adam took them since I was asleep. Anyway here are some pictures from this morning's lesson. The instructor today was wworking on getting them comfortable on their backs... this one is of Maddox- then Jackson-

and their friend Avery-

here they are getting warmed up

okay- we're having company for dinner so that's all I got for now! Be back sooner next time I promise!

Lake Lanier

2010-05-31T11:03:00.000-07:00

Some friends invited us to their lake house this weekend- so since we weren't doing much we took them up on it! It was a fun day- Adam did some wakeboarding and we all played on the jet ski. The boys were tired so they played on the dock and with the dogs most of the time- they did go out on the boat for a bit though :) This was about 45 seconds after we got in the cat to come home...

Adam in action

The Adams (our friend's name is Adam too!)

goofing around- trying to throw each other off the back...they both fell off!

Me and Kendall (Adam is Kendall's fiance)

Maddox scoping things out

Hey hey- I'm back!

2010-05-24T14:09:00.001-07:00

...I wasn't really gone anywhere; just from the blogging world. So here I am with nothing really new to report. We haven't been up to too much lately. My aunt and cousins came up this past weekend- the boys played all day with Brandon and Walker and the girls (me, my cousin, and aunt) ran to get lunch, and to Home Depot, then just hung out and shopped online. Here's Walker hanging out with the guys- I think he was blinking here...but thought it was cute. Maddox up to no good as usual

Dyan- feeling a little nutty by the end of day...

excuse the lighting on this one- I don't think I had my flash on.

Here's just a lazy one of of us, since we never have any of both of us together- I think Adam was caught a little off guard! ;)

Meanwhile, after not accompishing much the last week or so- I proud to say I have been pretty productive today. I got up and was out the door by 9:45 this morning (not typical for me, normally I like to take my time and do nothing for about an hour before I start to get ready or go anywhere). I then went to Target, Old Navy, 2 banks, Walgreens, and the mall! I was home by 12:30 and while I was going from place to place I also ordered a cake and party platter from Publix for this weekend; and then painted a table and fed the boys lunch...all by 1:15!!! So- for this evening I plan to get the boys to bed and exercise, then finish my growing pile of laundry! Wish me luck :) See ya next time!

Deal of the Week-

2010-05-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

So I got bored the other day and decided to list many of our furniture items on Craigslist...our master bedroom set, the guest dresser and headboard, and a chair in our livingroom. Don't ask...I don't really know either, I just was bored with it. Turns out the bedroom furniture was a hit...I sold our set that someone had given us right before we got married, in 2 days; had nothing but our bed in room for 2 days after and last night found this!!!! I love it! It's huge!!! It's liek 3 beds in one. You can set it up as a panel bed, a 4-poster, or canopy; the canopy is too high for our ceiling- it hits our fan, but we won't be here forever so no worries. The boys like it too- it doubles as a jungle gym

The best part is- the dresser and mirror came with it- what a deal, I sold our old furniture and paid less for this than I sold ours for! Now we just have to find a fun nightstand and a chest for Adam...

Finials go on top the posters- I had to call and have them shipped from American Signature-but look how HUGE it is! It makes our room look little!

Adeline

2010-05-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

Well Anna and Adeline left this morning...it seems like they just got here! Their visit went by pretty fast, but we all had dinner together last night at Maryellen's and I snapped a few pictures of the cutie; since I'm sure the next time I see her she'll be walking and talking... Miss Amy saw me taking a bunch of the baby and walked up and said, "I wanna say cheese!" she's pretty funny...here's here cheese!

Jackson and Amy were pretty into the bird book...they play pretty good together and Sarah doesn't leave until Wednesday so they can have another playdate.

playing with her momma's shoe...

I liked this one; she looks so cute.

Couch Buddy

2010-05-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

He's such a sweet boy- I don't think he has a mean bone in his body- his hands are bigger than mine

He likes to snuggle- at night he curls up next to me on the couch, he thinks he's little...

A Sad Day

2010-05-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

Everyone always says how much the boys looks alike-I've even had 5-6 people ask if they're twins! I don't usually see it that much; but when I looked at this picture after I snapped it I thought wow- they really look alike here! Well, it's official- Maddox is in a big boy bed. I'm sad. This means he's not a baby anymore- I can't believe it. I left the rocker in his room anyway just incase he still wants rocked...oh well I guess. He still tells me he's my baby though when I ask- when he stops saying that I'll really be in trouble!

He seems to like it!

Froggy boots

2010-05-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Crazy Jackson posing for a picture as always... my favorite little feet

investigating bugs...

my little Oscar-

this shot is just classy- don't you think? For some reason I adore the fact that this little guy always looks like a hot mess. He just wouldn't be my Maddox if he didn't- it's his nature I guess, but I love it. Adam was grilling and he wanted to go out in a hurry but couldn't find his Crocs- so the boots sufficed I suppose, then ofcourse jackson wanted his too.

I just haven't been in a blogging mood...

2010-05-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

... I'm not sure why but I haven't been up to it, besides that I haven't been taking many pictures either! But here's what I've got for now: my little brother had his senior prom last weekend, here are some pictures I got- look how cute he is; he' all grown up!

Jackson brought me my camera and said he wanted his picture taken. Maybe he was beginning to wonder why I hadn't taken any lately!

Last night on our way out the door to Maryellen's for dinner we were trying to get the boys in the car and couldn't find Maddox anywhere- we kept yelling his name but got no answer...he had fallen asleep in the bathroom floor!

...Anna and Stratton got here Saturday with Adeline, and Sarah will be here Wednesday with Amy, so I'm sure I will be taking pictures this week!! Check back later!!!

Rednecks

2010-04-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

these are my little rednecks in training...today adam was out cutting the grass and doing yardwork and the boys were out playing. All of a sudden they came running in saying "I'm hot, I'm hot!" "I need to take my shirt off!" I said, "well what are you going to put on?" and Jackson said, " I'm hot, like daddy's- I not wearing it" So this is what I went out to: since adam had taken his off, they didn't need their's either

...ohh bother...

Doggie date

2010-04-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

We had our first playdate for Walker this weekend! We take him to the park quite a bit, but he's always WAY bigger than any of the other dogs in the run-so a few weeks ago I joined "Atlanta's Great Danes" - a club that meets up at different parks every few weeks so the big guys have some friends their size. Here was is first day- about 6 people showed up with their danes to play. For those of you that think Walker is big- he looked little yesterday! (ofcourse he was the youngest there) most the others were 14months - 5 yrs and had 10-40lbs on him, but it gave us a preview of whats to come

this boy on the left is 2 months older than Walker- incase you can't tell in the picture- he's pretty big- I have a feeling this will be walker in just a few months too!!!

our handsome boy

Maddox was pooped that day- this was before we even got to the park

Wee're baack!! (warning: long post)

2010-04-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

what an awesome trip! the weather was perfect the entire time and the hotel was amazing! here is a shot from our balcony, it looks like the beach is far, but it was actually right ON the beach- as soon as we passed the fountains we were in the sand!!! we went to Tulum and Xel- Ha on Monday- it was BEAUTIFUL- Tulum was postcard perfect, literally paradise; the pictures don't do it any justice!

This was Xel-Ha ("where the water is born" - here all the underground rivers and streams meet the ocean- it was gorgeous!)

I can't even tell you how clear the water was- it is the most beautiful turquoise blue you've ever seen...

These are a few of the Mayan Ruins of Tulum- they were pretty amazing too...I can't believe they're 1600 yrs old!!!!

the ruins overlook the sea right here- it was amazing!

some nice french lady kept volunteering to take our picture...

this was back at our resort- it was neat because you could sit back off the ocean a little bit under these palms that provided a mix of shade and sun...

or you could sit right near the water!

view from the ocean- right behind those trees was the pool and hotelthis was the view off our balcony- each night the hotel had a different show or band of some sort- it was so pretty at night with all the fountains lit and everything!

this was the first picture we took when we got there!

it was fun!!!! but we did miss the kiddos and are glad to be home...

Lillies and Sope Creek

2010-04-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

I am excited to say that I noticed my lillies had sprouted today! I was worried that they would not come back because they were diseased and died last year after only a day or so- but they are back. Spring has sprung!! We had a pretty productive morning and got most of our laundry done, upstairs dusted, and the boys rooms cleaned. Then we got bored so we headed out for a drive and ended up at Sope Creek. What a PERFECT day for it! It was about 80 degrees and so nice and breezy by the river; the boys loved it:) I had the camera the whole time, so here are my boys...

Adam striking a pose

Maddox baby bouldering

Trail walk

Letting Maddox feel the cold water- there were people swimming in it!!!!

Three of my four boys on the rock walls (we forgot Walker- poor guy)

Easter "Saturday"

2010-04-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday the weather was beautiful (it has been so nice the last week!) So, we had family over and ate lunch... hunted eggs...

opened easter gifts from Grandma Sandy- new pj's and underwear!!!

colored easter eggs, although MANY of them ended up broken from being dropped...

played in the new sandbox from Nonna- it was a huge hit- they spent the entire day Saturday in this thing and most of today too!

2010-04-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hello! Hope you all had a great Easter weekend! We moved our Easter celebration to Saturday this year because it worked out better fro our family...the boys woke up to their Easter baskets filled with candy, coloring books, crayons, movies, and new trucks from Peter Cotton Tail...

Countdown, April Fool's, & Not Much Else

2010-04-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

My countdown begins! In just SEVEN days I will be in Playa del Carmen with my toes in the sand:) Happy Anniversary to us!!! I'm excited!

As you know today is April 1st (aka April Fool's Day) for the past 3 years I've played the same little prank on Adam- I put a rubber band around the kitchen faucet sprayer trigger and when he turns it on he gets soaked! Well I got him again for the 4th year running:) You'd think after so many years he'd check the faucets, I guess not. Happy April Fool's to you- hope you played a prank on a loved one!

In other news not much else is going on here, Adam finished the touch up painting on the exterior of the house since it;s been SO NICE out...

Maddox played with the dog and "painted" the back deck with water...

Jackson played with the camera...

Adam went shirtless...

and Maddox scoped out the scenery...

All Done!

2010-03-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here's what we were doing to the powder room. I haven't really loved it for a while now so we decided to give it a little face lift...ta-da! We simply added beadboard and chair rail to the walls and a fresh coat of paint. I added some different wall decor and re-arranged the picture frames. I think it looks way better. It's now a much cozier bathroom!

Moving on...random pictures. This is mean banana boy...

...whom does not want his picture taken!

poor Walker...doesn't he look so sad? Jackson always asks, "why the doggie's eyes sad?" He not really- his face is just so droopy!

Faces

2010-03-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Jackson's latest portrait

Isn't this the sweetest face you've ever seen? Who couldn't fall in love with this big puppy?!?!

I truly believe he really thinks he's a lap dog! Is it normal that my dog is bigger than me????

As I was giving Maddox a bath in the sink, Jackson kept me company.

Jackson has been into taking showers lately, Maddox however is not too keen on the whole thing. But with Jackson showering that leaves Madoox alone in the tub (which he does not like). So, in order to get him to bathe this afternoon (we had been at the park and he was so dirty!) I had to think of something a little more exciting than the usual tub. Into the kitchen sink he went! Here are some snapshots of the little nuddie!

Walker sits at the end of teh bed on sunny days and soaks up the rays...I saw Maddox go up the other day and then didn't hear him for a while, so I snuck upstairs with the camera and caught him snuggling:) They're such good pals!

Hope you are having a good weekend! Until next time...

Reasons I Do NOT bake:

2010-03-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

1. I hate it.
2. I don't even like sweets/baked goods.
3. Adam says when I bake, I never eat it and then he eats an entire dessert himself.
4. It makes an awful mess.
5. A regular meal just tastes better.
6. Things never go as planned... ...all that being said, I found a recipe for petit fours that looked pretty simple (LONG, but simple.) So I thought what the heck....things started out great, everything as planned- until I got to the icing:

it made an awful mess. Then, they didn't even taste good! I will say it was totally my fault(obviously-I was the one baking!). I messed up the icing from the beginning and as I tried to fix it, it just got worse. The consistency was too thin and just made it WAY too sweet.

HOWEVER, I will perfect this one and report back to you when things work out. After last night though, I'm out of powedered sugar. Stay tuned....

Tonight:

2010-03-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

My powder room is in shambles...

the boys watched a movie on top of a laundry hamper...

and Walker got a boo boo...

all of this went on while I was baking.

Now, notice the bathroom pictures becaue soon it will no longer look like that- we're doing a mini "re-do." Normally there is a toliet behind where adam is sitting- obviously he pulled it out to pull off the baseboards- then the cover piece on top snapped and water flooded out into our hall. All the while Adam is yelling"there's water spewing everywhere!" I guess that was just incase I didn't notice it running down the hall?? It made for a good laugh...the boys were really just gettingin the way so we put a movie on for them- I camr in later to find that they had made a horse out of their hamper...as for walker, he cut his foot playing outside and had a to be bandaged for awhile, he's all better now.

Amy and Sarah in town

2010-03-22T18:27:00.001-07:00

So Amy and Sarah came up last week for a visit; we actually got to see them a lot. Monday I took the boys over to play in the afternoon, Tuesday we went to the park in the morning and then took them all for lunch at Chick-fil-a, Wednesday I watched Amy for Sarah and we went to DAC Kidz (an indoor play place) because the weather was chilly and rainy- check Sarah's blog for those pics, I didn't have my camera. Then Thursday afternoon they stopped by just to say goodbye and meet Walker because they had not seen him in person yet! It was a pretty fun week- it really flew by though!

Puppy Playtime

2010-03-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Walker adores Adam when it's playtime. We always play with him for a few minutes after the boys go to bed a little rougher than when they are up (obviously because he's so big) . Especially since it's been raining here for four days- we've been playing a little more because he hasn't had as many walks this week. Tonight he was so sweet and kept trying to "kiss" Adam while they danced.

His ear looks funky here- it was just inside-out from playing. I guess he was trying to put his arm around him!

Smile for the camera!

I love this puppy SO much (I think because I feel like he loves us too- I didn;t have that feeling with Apollo) and am so excited for him to grow up and share his life with us...

Yum-O recipe!

2010-03-10T05:45:00.000-08:00

We had falafel in pitas last night for dinner; they were so good! (if you like Greek) Here's they recipe incase you're interested:

-1 can garbanzo beans
- about 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves chopped garlic
- 3tbsp. parlsey
- 1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp. corriander
- 2 tbsp. flour
- s/p to taste
- oil for frying

SO EASY!!

-combine all ingredients (except oil) and shape into ping-pong size balls; press slightly to flatten a little.

- fry in about 2 inches of oil until browned on both sides

-serve warm however you please!

Playing, Cooking, and Walker(for Aunt Lynn)

2010-03-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

The boys love playing in our bathroom for some reason...so in the mornings when I'm getting ready- they play up here with the little pebbles in the candle tray; they've made some kind of game of it. Here are their latest pj portraits:

Here's the handsome stud for Aunt Lynn (she loves new pictures). In the mornings the sun shines right through the guestroom window, he loves lying at the bottom of the bed or right under the window soaking up the sun!

Doesn't he look so cuddly? He really is such a snuggler- especially at night when he's tired.

The most chaotic time of day around here (4:30-6pm) is also the time I'm cooking dinner, the dog is starving &ready to eat, and the boys start to get cranky...lucky for me Adam is always home by 5ish so I'm not on my own too long. Unfortunately for Adam he always walks in to a mad house! Anyway, the boys LOVE to "cook" when I'm making dinner, right under my feet! This is them yesterday cooking dinner...

... I think Maddox was making Matchbox cars

Bon Appetit!!

Time for a big boy bed??

2010-03-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

Today when I was ready to Maddox down for a nap he wouldn't sit in the rocking chair to read. He got his pillow and book and wanted to read in the floor...I said ok and laid down next to him to read, afterward he said he didn't want to get in his bed; he wanted to sleep right there in the floor! I told him okay, but he had to go to sleep - if I came in and he was up he'd go to his crib, he said ok!(thinking he had other motives to play with his toys) I went in 10 mins later and there he was, asleep! Even if he wanted to play or get up he could...he can climb in and out of the crib no problem. Now what?!? I don't want to put him in a "bed" he's still my baby. If I take the crib out things just won't be the same...I think he's trying to tell me something.