Welcome 2009!

It is about to be a New Year! I thought I would use this post to reflect on the happenings in our home throughout the past year, so here it is.......


January:
Gabe turned 6 years old this month. Where has time gone? We celebrated by taking him and two friends to see a movie and eat Japanese! They had a blast. Can't believe we are about to celebrate his 7th...I sure don't have babies anymore!

Joey and I began temporary foster care during the Christmas holidays. We started this process to eventually adopt a little girl. We feel this will happen when the time is right. Our first child was a special 3 year-old girl that needed lots of love! She lived with us for about 6 weeks and was able to experience a Hallmark Family Christmas. We were sad to see her go, but she is living in a wonderful place now!


February:
Joey and I attended the Kindergarten Jam with Gabe on Valentine's Day! It was hilarious! Gabe danced for several songs, but REFUSED to do the "tootie-tah". He stood there, hands by his sides, and watched everyone else stick out their bottoms and dance silly! His face was priceless! I will definitely never forget that.


March:
We were very excited to have another visitor this month. A sweet little girl from up north flew down and was placed with us for 6 weeks. She was precious! I LOVED seeing her transform while she was in our home. When she arrived, she was scared and had no idea of what affection was about. We were able to see her learn to hug, play, and smile! We sure did enjoy our time with her. She is now in a wonderful adoptive home.


April:
This month was spent playing baseball and doing more work on the house! Joey helped coach Gabe's team this year. They had a lot of fun playing together.


May:
This month was FULL of graduation trips! My brother and niece graduated from high school.

Michael graduated from LaGrange High School. We attended a LARGE graduation party at my parent's cabin. It was a lot of fun! We all danced and ate until we couldn't! We also watched him walk down and receive his diploma. I can't believe my baby brother is now in college. He was only 5 when I left home! He attends Georgia State University in Statesboro, GA. It was a little farther than everyone thought he would go, but he is doing great! We have really high hopes for him... he is a sweetheart!

Cassie graduated from Marion High School in Marion, Arkansas. Our family made the long trip up to Memphis and watched her receive her diploma. She was valedictorian of her class and now attends Union University. She will be a great teacher someday! What a precious girl. We ate at the famous "Rendezvous" in downtown Memphis on the way home. Afterward, Joey and I decided to start a daily exercise routine. It sure has changed our whole outlook on life!


June:
Summer is here! Both boys finished up school early this month. We started the summer with lots of swimming and playing on the waterslide. My boys sure do love the water! Joey and I also celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. We took the boys to Charleston and Isle of Palms to celebrate. We loved it! We were able to enjoy downtown Charleston, the beach, and some landmarks. We even saw Kung Fu Panda for the second time during a rainy day. It was a great trip!
We also celebrated Cole's 4th birthday at Chuck E Cheese with some friends. He had a great time! What a big boy he is now!


July:
We traveled almost the entire month of July! We spent the 4th with the Hallmarks on the lake. That is always lots of fun. We spent time intertubing with the kids and enjoying the "Memphis Hallmarks". Cole had fun playing with Kayla's friend Ashton or "Jashton" as he called her!
The next week, we drove down to Millry with my mom and sister. We were able to visit my grandmother and two great-grandmothers. How lucky I am to be able to spend time with them! We rode horses, had a fish fry, and played in the country. Gabe and Cole always LOVE going down there. They have plenty of cousins to play with and lots of "country boy" activities. We definitely need a house in the country one day! After all our traveling, the month was almost over. Oh yeah, I also had a birthday this month..... I am now 31!


August:
The summer flew by! We went to the beach during the first week of this month. We took our annual trip to Panama City. Joey LOVES going there. We have found a wonderful place to stay and there are always TONS of activities for the boys. We decided to do the Pirate Cruise this year. It was well worth the money! The boys were able to ride on a "real" pirate ship on the ocean and do all the fun pirate activities. Gabe enjoyed them all EXCEPT swabbing the decks! He didn't think that was such a good idea! Cole thoroughly enjoyed sword fighting with everyone on the ship. We will definitely do this again next year!
School began at the end of this month. Gabe began 1st grade and has had a great year, so far. Cole began 4k and has made many new friends. I think the rest of the year will be lots of fun for both of them.
Joey also celebrated his 37th Birthday. We always have fun celebrating his special day. He got an IPod from all of us. He continues to enjoy it during his 5:30 workouts. He has stayed very fateful to the "Y" this year!
The month ended with a 50th Anniversary party for my grandparents. It was wonderful seeing all of their friends and relatives and being a part of the celebration. My mom made a special video of their 50 years together that we were all able to enjoy. They sure have shared some special times together and with our family. They are truly a picture of a wonderful marriage!


September:
This month began my busy Fall! I am GradeParent for both Gabe and Cole's classes this year. These duties have kept me very busy each week. I enjoy planning their parties, reading to Gabe's class, and helping out the teachers. This is a lot of fun for me!
Gabe also attended his first "spend-the-night" party. He had a blast! He really did not want to come home the next morning. He loves being with his friends!
This month was also when I decided to go back to school. I will begin classes in January to get my Master's in the Art of Teaching. (MAT) I can't wait! I have always wanted to do this, and we feel the time is right!

October:
October was full of fun Fall activities. We were busy with soccer, Fall Carnivals, Trunk or Treat, Hallelujah Night in Alex City, Field Day, Fifties Day, and trips to the pumpkin patch. I organized the Bake Sale for Gabe's school carnival. It was quite a big deal, but ended up great! We also had a little girl at our house for a week this month. She was a sweetie! And let us not forget....my mom turned 50! Wow, that was a busy month!!!

November:
Elections, Thanksgiving Parties, Food, and Family.....that sums this one up!!!

December:
Christmas Time! We had a wonderful Christmas this year! The boys were super excited about everything and we were able to spend lots of fun moments with our families. The boys particularly loved the bonfire at the Hallmarks, and playing with cousins at my parent's cabin. Our Christmas in Anderson was very low key and relaxing! We were able to sit back and really enjoy the boys and our time together. That is what Christmas is all about! We even had the Hallmarks with us for a few days at our house. I LOVE this time of year!

Now on to 2009.....This year should be full of fun and new things! I am starting back to school on January 5th, Cole and Gabe will both be playing sports for the first time, we are continuing our adoption / foster care process, and Joey and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage! This is a wonderful time in our lives and there is never a dull moment in our house! Things could never be better. I am really looking forward to another year, but wish time could slow down just a little......

Family Fun

Another Hallmark Family Christmas Fun Day has come and gone! Joey and I started this tradition the first year we were married. Our family takes a "special" day before Christmas and does fun "Christmas" activities. We had a great time this year! I think we are all definitely in the Christmas Spirit, now. We even found the boys under the tree last night attempting to peak at their presents. Poor things...they just have to wait too long. I don't know how long Joey and I will make them wait... we hate the waiting as much as they do!

Joey and Gabe ran in the Reindeer Run at the Y on Saturday. I think they LOVED it! Cole and I cheered them on as they rounded each corner, so it was fun for us, too. We had pancakes afterward and visited with Santa on his GIANT sleigh. Gabe even won a door prize - a stop watch with a laser light on it. The boys have been playing with it non-stop. Maybe we should have just gotten them one of those for Christmas instead of the millions of things they are getting!

After the race, we headed to Greenville for our Family Fun! We decided to go Ice Skating this year for the first time. Joey had a little "trouble" with his skates hurting his feet, so he did not last very long. ( I personally think he was a little nervous about the whole thing!) Poor guy, he did take some good pictures of me and the boys having fun! Gabe was a natural! He absolutely LOVES ice skating. He was flying around the rink and doing turns by the time we left. I think he skated for about 3 1/2 hours before he finally had enough. Cole didn't really like it at first. We got one of the "walkers" for him, so he was able to balance a little more. By the time he finished, he was skating a little without help. Joey took Cole over to the Bounce Room while Gabe and I finished up. We had a blast!! We will definitely have to add that to our agenda again next year. Maybe we will buy Joey his own personal skates so he will be more "comfortable"....

After ice skating, we went to "Sticky Fingers" for some ribs and took in all the downtown sights. I LOVE downtown Greenville at Christmas. It is so much fun to walk around down there and take in everything. We ended our busy day at Roper Mountain Lights. The boys always love it and each have their favorite parts. Afterwards, we headed home and curled up in our bed. I think we were all asleep before 9!!!! What a fun day! I can't wait until we do it again next year!

Tooth !

Gabe lost his first tooth! We are ALL very excited. Poor thing, he has been waiting forever. I think other kids in his class have almost lost every one of theirs, and he is just now losing his first! Funny story how he lost it.....


Gabe came running in the kitchen last Friday with his tooth in his hand and blood in his mouth yelling, "my tooth came out!" My first thought was he had knocked out the wrong one somehow. Living with boys, I have become accustomed to such things happening. He told me he and Cole were playing "tug-of-war" with his pants string in his mouth and it popped out. I know, sounds weird, but I am sure glad it happened. I HATE anything that has to do with pulling teeth! My poor parents were probably suspected of child abuse because of the drama when my teeth were pulled. I really don't think it is the blood that disgusts me, it is just the sounds that are involved in teeth moving around. YUK! I am getting nauseated just thinking about it. Good thing Joey doesn't mind.... He is our teeth puller!

In the process of Gabe losing one tooth, another became loose. Looks like that one will come out soon. Gabe is not so excited about it. I think he will be a lot like me. Maybe we will just let it hang there until it falls out. No harm, right?!

New Bed

We have a new bed! Am I excited or what?! Joey and I finally got a "king-size" bed. We bought our queen size when we got married and have decided we needed an upgrade. This is our christmas present this year, so we are able to enjoy it a little early. I think Joey actually thought he would get more room at night, but I think he has been disappointed. I still sleep as close to him as I ever did! We just have a few more feet on the sides! The boys are excited because it gives them another excuse to cuddle with us on the weekends! Our entire family will enjoy this for many years.

I love a parade!

We went to our first Clemson Christmas Parade tonight!!

I thought I would share a few photos from the grand event. Cole was his usual "Mr. Christmas" self. He greeted everyone in the parade with a BIG "Merry Christmas" and a wave, while Gabe took it all in seated quietly beside me. I think everyone knew who we were by the time we left! When I asked the boys about their favorite part.... Gabe - the army guys, and Cole - Santa on top of a fire truck, of course. Hope ya'll like the pictures!

The Elves are back!

The elves have returned to the Hallmark house!!!! Every year Santa sends 2 mischievious elves to our house from the North Pole - Garland and Jingles. This has been a tradition in our house since Gabe was a baby. Each night we sprinkle them with "magic" North Pole Snowflakes, feed them crackers and water, and wait for them to come alive. This year the elves arrived after our return from Thanksgiving. The crazy creatures were hanging from our fireplace screen and scattered our Christmas books all over the floor! They always seem to make a HUGE mess wherever they go! This morning Gabe and I searched the entire house looking for them, only to discover them sitting in the boys' playroom with all of Gabe and Cole's pirates. I guess they decided to plan a pirate/soldier battle. They had them perfectly lined up and ready for war! Who knows what they will do tonight?! I just hope they don't make too much noise or too big of a mess..... After all, elves don't clean up after themselves! :)

Thanksgiving

I am finally finished unpacking from our Thanksgiving holiday! We had a great time, but the unpacking is always the worst part. It took me all day to get everything back in shape. Thank goodness I have a WONDERFUL husband that helped unpack and bought our groceries for the week! That was a huge help!

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. We went to LaGrange to visit my family this year. My parents bought a farm a few years ago and have now added a donkey (Chester), shetland pony (Buddy), rabbits, and cats. The boys LOVED playing with all the animals - especially Gabe! I think Gabe is my country boy! He loves anything that involves the outdoors. Cole seemed to like riding the "four-leeler" the best. We had to ride it with him each time. He is a speed demon! Please pray for me when he turns 16!!! We also enjoyed lots of really good food. My mom has to be one of the best cooks in the south. I think everything she makes turns out perfect. I learned a lot of my cooking skills from her, but she definitely has the talent! She sent home tons of leftovers, so we will be able to enjoy it for a few more days.

We also enjoyed going to the lights at Callaway Gardens. The kids loved it! We haven't been in a few years, so it was very magical for all of them. Gabe and Sidney (my niece) enjoyed the ride by giggling and singing, while Cole was glued to his seat! I don't think he said a word the entire time! He absolutely LOVED every minute. I haven't met a child that enjoys Christmas more than him. In fact, Joey and I call him "Mr. Christmas". He walks around the house singing random Christmas songs constantly!

We also got to see Santa while we were there. EVERYONE sat in his lap this time and quietly told Santa what they wanted. Cole wanted to pull his beard off, but he had a real one.... thank goodness!

Now we are all in the mood for Christmas. This week will be full of Christmas activities and decorating. What a fun time of year!

Oh, yeah.... the best part about the weekend! Alabama 36 - Auburn 0 !!!!!!! Roll Tide!

Visitor in the house

Today was a very FULL day for us! We got a call last night about a baby at the hospital that needed a home for a night (or two). So.... I headed straight over there and picked up a little 5-month-old baby boy. He was a cutie and a chunk! Only 5 months old and weighed 20 pounds! My boys NEVER had rolls like that. Anyway, he spent the night with us last night and left this afternoon. He got to enjoy a very small amount of time in our home. He was precious and the boys HATED to see him go.... especially Gabe.

While Baby "M" was here, he was able to visit Gabe's school for reading time, pick up Cole from preschool, meet Joey at his work, and just play with the boys. He definitely experienced a whirlwind. It is amazing how "easy" a small one can be after taking care of toddlers in the past. He was really a lot of fun and a great baby!

Cole was able to "pretend" to be a chef today. They made pumpkin bread at school and his teacher said he stayed right under her the whole time. I really wasn't surprised because he pulls up a chair every time I cook. They made chef hats, so now he can be a "real" chef.

We also had a soccer banquet tonight. The boys had a lot of fun. Gabe LOVES playing soccer and the banquet gave him some time to hang with his friends. He is always so proud of his trophies. When we got home, he meticulously organized them on his dresser. (Everything has a specific place!) Wonder where he gets that from.....

Now it is finally time for bed. Cole and I have planned a fun day of playing at home tomorrow. Who knows what we will end up doing?!

Shots... ouch!

I took Gabe to the doctor this morning. He played around a bon-fire a few weeks ago while we were visiting the Hallmarks and has had a cough since. We thought it was time for a visit to our friendly Pediatrician....

From the minute I told Gabe we were going to the doctor, he began asking if he would have to get a shot. He is terrified of shots! When we stepped into the doctor's office, I let the nurse know that I wanted a good check-up while he was there. Gabe hasn't been to the doctor in about 2 years, so I thought this would be great. They did the whole work-up on him. Of course, that means pricking his finger. Poor thing, I had to use all my strength to hold him down. He pushed and pulled until the nurse finally was able to stick his finger. He immediately sat up and said, "Oh, I didn't even feel it." He wants to be so tough....

Next, we went in to see the doctor. They wanted him to get undressed and put on a gown. I knew this was going to be a problem. First of all, Gabe hates to be naked in front of other people and putting on a "gown"...well, that is for girls! After I convinced him that no one was looking and the gown was really cool because it had footballs and bears on it, he decided to undress and wait for the doctor. When the doctor walked in, Gabe began trying to convince him that he really didn't need a shot today. After the doctor decided to give him a few breathing treatments and some allergy medication, he informed us the nurse would be in soon for his flu shot. Well, that was NOT what Gabe wanted to hear! He immediately got under the table, pulled the step stool on top of him, and refused to come out. After explaining to him the purpose of the flu shot and bribing him with a biscuit from Chick-fil-A, he decided to come out and sit with me. When the nurse came in, he was pitiful! He was so scared of that shot and was huddling next to me in the fetal position. I grabbed hold of him and held him down while the nurse quickly gave the shot. It was over..... After a few minutes of calming down, he realized he was finished. He quickly put his clothes on and headed out the door. He was ready to go! After paying, we went to the car and called Joey. He was so happy to tell his dad how he was "really tough and didn't even cry" when he got his shots. Sweet boy.... We headed on to CFA, got some biscuits, and headed back to school. He couldn't wait to tell his class about his shots. I think he will be the hero of first grade today! :)
Luckily, I won't have to do this again until next year!

VOTING

Ok... I think this week will finally be a little more slow-paced than the previous few. Here is an update on our family for the past week. The boys and I went to vote last Tuesday. I thought this would be a wonderful experience for the boys, so I drug them to the long lines with me. We had a nice little talk about behavior before we left with backpacks full of entertainment in tow! There was no way I was going to be waiting in line for 4 hours with 2 boys and NOTHING to do. I know much better than that....
It actually wasn't too bad. We only waited in line for about an hour. During that hour, only one scuffle occurred. It was over who was going to be the X's in a game of Tic Tac Toe while I was on the phone with my mom. Needless to say, once I hung up the phone, the problem was solved immediately! As we progressed through the line, many people commented on the boys being there to vote. Gabe was more than happy to let everyone know we would be voting for John McCain. Cole informed everyone he was not old enough to vote and would not be voting this time. Just when I was beginning to be satisfied with our time in the line, it started to slow down and we were stuck behind two older people that did not think a bath was necessary. Cole noticed..... He kept telling me (repeatedly), "I smell stinky, do you smell stinky?" . He is so honest! Actually, I was thinking the same thing, I just couldn't voice my opinion. After one of the ladies working the poles gave the boys a lollipop, I was able to distract Cole with something else for the last few minutes until we voted. Gabe was extremely interested in the whole process of voting, while Cole found the butttons on the machine quite interesting. I had to hold his hands while I proceeded to vote. Luckily, he didn't mash any of the buttons, or we would have probably been there another hour trying to change my vote. The boys got a sticker when we finished, so the day was well worth it to them.

The next day was a real hard one for Gabe. He had been so excited about McCain and the election, that we hated to even tell him the outcome. At breakfast, I broke the news. To our surprise, Gabe cried.... he actually cried. Poor fellow, he voted in school and wanted his guy to win. We had to explain the whole process to him and the importance of supporting our president and he seemed to be okay. Who knows, he might have a true passion for politics.

On to another fun Fall week at the Hallmarks...

Mom's 50th Birthday

Today is my Mom's 5oth Birthday! I feel so lucky to be young enough to enjoy celebrating it with her this year. Not many ladies my age get the privilege to enjoy a parent's 50th birthday as an adult. My mom is very special to us, so our family made a birthday video for her. Maybe she will feel like we were with her on her special day...

(Hit "pause" on the playlist to turn off the sound on the songs)

Happy Birthday Mom, We Love You!!!

Our Weekend!

It was a nice weekend! We spent Friday night at the Fall Carnival at Gabe's school. I worked at the Bake Sale for some of it, then Joey brought the boys later. I was a little worried about them getting dressed fed and out the door, but why? Joey always does a great job at that... in fact, sometimes better than I would! The boys arrived at the Carnival in their costumes of choice. Cole has decided he is "the Hulk" this year - how fitting! :) Gabe wants to be a Marine. We ordered him a special "Marines" shirt, but it wasn't here in time, so we made do with all his camouflage. I thought they looked really cute! By the end of the carnival the boys were exhausted. We all came home and went straight to bed!

Saturday was spent playing soccer and cheering on the Crimson Tide! Gabe had a wonderful soccer game on Saturday. He is so much fun to watch! Joey and I enjoyed watching the Bama game together on Saturday night. I almost made it through the WHOLE game this time. I went to bed with just a few minutes left, but Joey kept me updated. I sure do hate falling asleep at the end!

Today was a beautiful day! We slept in and went to the late service today... I think we all needed a little extra rest. The service was wonderful! I feel like I learn so much every week! I took a few pictures of the boys before church today. The trees were so pretty, but no match to my handsome boys!

Now it is time to prepare for a busy week! Lots of fun stuff to do this week... Field Day, Fifties Day, Trunk-or-Treat, Fall Parties..... Plus, the Hallmarks are coming! We are all looking forward to seeing them!

Okay, I have to go to bed or I will feel it tomorrow morning. Happy Monday!!!

Boys, Boys, Boys....

Okay, do I live in a housefull of boys or what? I was just happily cleaning and organizing my house this afternoon when I got a call from Joey on the cell phone. It was an emergency call from Gabe. The boys had headed down to the pond and needed me down there right away. The instructions were to get there quick and bring my camera! So, I didn't hesitate and headed straight down.....

When I got there I found Gabe racing toward the car to get me. I ran for the area where they were all gathered and found a 3 foot snake stabbed with one of Gabe's homemade spears. Boy were they proud!!! The boys were jumping around all trying to tell me the story of how Joey stabbed the snake. They all had to take turns holding it and showing me how big it was. You would think they had found an anaconda. One of Gabe's many heroes is Steven Erwin, so this was a wonderful moment for him. In fact, we haven't told Gabe the story of Steve's death....he would be devastated. We figure he will find out one day on his own....

Now I am back at the house finishing up... the boys will probably be at the pond until dark or there is nothing left of the snake. I think I will just stay here in my house and wait...... :)

Okay, so I have fallen a little behind with my blogs. Now to catch up.....

What has happened to October? This month has flown by! Since my last post, we have been busy with all the month's activities. We enjoyed spending the day at the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago. Cole ran from one activity to the next while Gabe loved looking at all the animals. We ended up leaving with a pumpkin for the porch and a few small pumpkins for the boys to paint. They loved creating their own special pumpkins.

A few days ago my grandparents came to visit. It was wonderful having them here! I feel so lucky to get to spend quality time with those two wonderful people. They have always made family a priority and it shows in how we all love them. I have such wonderful memories of them taking time out of their days to sit and play with me. I still think about the picnic lunches Gram fixed for me in the tupperware lunchbox when I was little and working in the garden at their house. I think those memories have definitely affected the way I parent my boys today. I know now how hard it is to find time for the little things, but the rewards and memories made are well worth it. Every time I pack a picnic for the boys and we sit in the backyard to eat it, I think about the times I did that with my grandmother. They are such special people and now my children know that, too!

I took Cole to get his 4-year check-up yesterday. He had to get his last and largest round of shots. After the doctor gave him his overall check-up, he left the room for the nurse to bring in the shots. I decided to give Cole a heads up on the situation by explaining it would feel like a bee sting and everything would be okay. During my well-thought out explanation, Cole said "ok" and continued to play with the basketball in the room. The nurse came in and he said... "you going to give me a little bee sting?". He then jumped in my lap and took all the shots without a tear.... Amazing! I don't think ANYTHING bothers him. I still took him to Chick-fil-A for lunch to help my feelings....

I will be baking like a mad woman over the next few days! I am the chair (Joey thinks it is funny) of the Bake Sale team for the Fall Carnival at Gabe's school. Looks like my family will be on a sugar high for a few days. I never can make cookies or treats without the boys (including Joey) sampling a few. I really enjoy cooking, so it will be fun to make all the holiday treats. I just hope lots of the other parents decide to be a baker, too!

I took a few pictures of the boys yesterday. I think it is fun to capture their everyday expressions every now and then. I have to enjoy the way those sweet faces look today, because it won't take anytime for them to change! Until next time...

Mountains

Isn't this time of year great? The weather has been so wonderful lately. Joey and I decided to take the boys to the mountains on Sunday afternoon. We drove up to Caesar's Head State Park in hopes of some good stream-splashing and hiking. When we got there we discovered a beautiful overlook! I took pictures for Joey so he could enjoy it. (He does not like heights...at all!) We also went down into the "Devil's Kitchen". The boys were a little threatened by the name, but it was really neat. We all walked down some rickety stairs into a very tight opening in two huge rocks. If you are claustrophobic, do not enter!!! When we reached the other side, it opened right up to another overlook. Joey had no choice but to keep walking. Bless his heart, he had to take a deep breath when we reached "safety". :) After talking to a park ranger about which of the multiple trails we should try with the boys, she suggested going down the road to North Carolina to see the waterfalls. We only had to drive about 15 minutes, and it was great. The waterfalls were beautiful and the hikes to them were just right for the boys. This is the first time we have gone hiking without the Kelty backpack. It is great not having to carry the whole house just to spend the day in the mountains! I had originally planned to take a nice relaxing walk up the mountains to the waterfalls and back down without the kids being drenched in water....yeah right! As soon as the boys hit the trail and heard a stream, their ears perked up and they started begging to swim. I think they forgot how cold the mountain water can be this time of year. Anyway, when we got to the top of the trail and discovered the three beautiful waterfalls, Cole immediately "fell" in the water and was soaked. I guess you know what happened next....both boys were splashing in the subzero water having the time of their lives. After about 30 minutes of teeth chattering, we hiked back to the car (wet shirts in hand) for a snack and a relaxing ride home. The boys were so happy to put on dry clothes! We have tried to take the boys to do this at least once a year since we have lived here and the reason why is clear....we all have a blast! There is just something about beautiful trees, cold water, and enjoying nature with the family! I am sure we will continue to do this for many years to come. Now I have to get back to my day! We have a little girl staying with us for a few days. She is precious! Every child we get reminds me how special God made all of them. They sure are a gift.....

Thursdays......

Today was a typical Thursday in the Hallmark House!! Most of our morning was consumed with the Y routine...(get Gabe off to school, head to Y, run, come home, take a shower). It is amazing how much of my morning that can eat up. By the time I finish all that, it is 11:00 and almost time for lunch. I guess I feel it is worth it because I continue to go most every day. I'm not seeing huge results, but that is probably due to the fact that my diet remains the same. I love to enjoy and cook good food - especially the ones that are really bad! Cole and I spent the remainder of "our" time (he doesn't go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays) playing puzzles, reading, and just hanging out. Cole helped me clean house a little today, too. I was vacuuming their rooms and turned around to see Cole with a mop working on the hardwoods. What a big help?! Anyway, he thought he was helping, so he did the mopping while I vacuumed. After picking Gabe up from school and finishing homework, we headed outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. I absolutely love the Fall! It is such a great time to get outside and play with the boys. Gabe found a butterfly that was injured and attempted to save it. The poor butterfly was put in a bug catcher for a while and then released back into nature. Just as Gabe released it, a bird swooped down and finished it off. Now Gabe is attempting to "preserve" the headless butterfly in a picture frame. That boy sure does love nature! Cole has now become extremely interested in cooking. While I was making the salad tonight Cole came dashing through the kitchen, grabbed a chair, and drug it up to the counter. He ended up helping me tear the lettuce and spin it in the salad spinner. I think that is his new favorite activity because he continued to do that for the next 30 minutes! In fact, he made a "special" salad just for Joey. He was so proud! Looks like I may have a little helper in the kitchen for a while. Who knows, he might be the next Emeril Lagasse!!! :) Well, it is finally time to retire for the evening. I am anxious to watch the debate tonight. Joey doesn't enjoy watching them because they make him mad, so we will see how much of it we actually see. I usually fall asleep within the first five minutes of contact with my pillow, so it won't matter anyway. Looking forward to tomorrow's lunch date with Joey. One straight hour of couple time will be nice.......

Ok....Anderson has evolved once again and the BIG Grand Opening of our very own Kohl's store was today. I am not usually one to attend these massive crowd-gatherings, but I got a $10 gift card in the mail and just couldn't resist. Yes, ten free dollars with no strings attached - irresistable to a thrifty mom! The store was really nice with some pretty good buys, but they definitely weren't giving things away. There were quite a few people there that seemed to think things were irresistably cheap. I saw one lady with a shopping cart crammed to the top full of things. I don't think she even knew what was in there. It amazes me how people can spend so much money on frivolous items when others are doing without necessities....completely amazing! I ended up leaving the store with a $9.99 shirt and another I just couldn't resist. Yes, I did give in to their marketing ploy and buy extra, but it was still a really good deal. While I was leaving the store, I saw a lady with two full buggies. The store was even nice enough to send a guy to the car with her to load it. Guess she had a successful day of bargain hunting! I think Kohl's will be a great addition to Anderson. It is always fun to have an extra place to browse. Well, now I am on to homework, outside play time, and dinner. It has been a great day!!

My 1st Blog!!!

Wow - my first entry.... what do I write?! I decided to start this blog as a way to journal about my days with the boys and help family stay connected with our daily life. I think it will be a great way to help a busy mom (me) remember some exciting things about each day. On to today.....hmmmmmmm. Mom and Dad have been here for a few days, so it has been wonderful having them around. The boys get so excited when people visit us. I think it takes them a few days to be "normal" around visitors because it just doesn't happen very often. They love it, though. We usually spend the first day getting on to them until they realize they can't get away with evil crimes with company here. Then they return to their usual mischievious, but darling selves. Anyway, we had a great time with the parents here. We ate lunch at my very favorite place in the world "Grits and Groceries" where I had the world's best Shrimp Po'Boy. It was heavenly!!! Cole seemed a little sad to see his grandparents leave this afternoon. After waving in the front window while they exited, he sacked out on the couch and was very close to sleep until I yanked him up to go pick up Gabe. Poor little fellow, he was laying down everywhere all afternoon trying to catch a small nap - even the middle of the floor in the library while I checked out the 300 books we got today. The boys love to go to the library. It is a little hectic - Cole enjoys pushing the elevator button one million times while I stand in line! Anyway, Joey worked late, so the boys and I chilled out all night and ended the night with new books to read. Everything was peaceful and calm until Cole went to the bathroom pulled off his pull-up and attempted to flush it down the toilet. The boy LOVES watching things swirl around in the toilet - will we ever outgrow this? Besides I just enjoy digging stuff out - YUK! Now that I have rambled on and on about our day, it is time to watch HOUSE. Hopefully, it will be great tonight. Joey and I always enjoy his sense of humor. I think Joey relates a little too much to him. Till tomorrow.....