Neither Here Nor There

October 2010

2010-11-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful October! It started out with Ian going on his first field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. I went with him and we had so much fun! He got to ride the school bus for the first time (I believe that was the highlight of his trip), and I got to meet a lot of his little friends and their parents. We spent most of our time hanging out with his "best" friend Jeremy. It was fun watching those two together. I don't think I've ever seen two little boys as excited about pumpkins as they were. The next week Ryan and I went to eat lunch with Ian to celebrate him getting the Citizen of the Month award. He was so proud (and we were too)! He got a certificate, a ribbon, and his picture was taken and put on the wall outside the lunchroom. We also took the kids to a Fall Festival at Ian's school this month. It was the first time they had ever been and they loved it! They played games, won prizes, and even got their hair painted (thanks Paul)!

Coleman turned 9 months old on the 13th. He is getting so big! He has a mouth full of teeth (8) and he crawls everywhere! He's personality is definitely starting to come out. This is the age, I think, when baby's are the most fun. They really start interacting with others and Cole loves to interact with Ian and Maddie. He will follow them around and laugh at what they are doing. Of course he also tries biting them and then laughs at that too. He has started drinking juice out of a sippy cup and on occasion will still eat baby food but prefers food he can hold in hand. oh, and he is so handsome (I know he is mine but I have to say it).

This month I also went to a lot of showers for my niece Emily, who got married on the 22nd. The showers were fun and the wedding was beautiful! Ian was the ring bearer and got to wear a tuxedo. He looked so handsome and he knew it. He spent the entire ceremony winking at people and nodding his head like he was cool :) Maddie was the flower girl and was beautiful! She had a little problem getting down the aisle, so her cousin Katie and I tried to persuade her but she ended up sitting on the front row with us (cute none-the-less). There were so many family and friends that came together and made the wedding beautiful. It was definitely worth all the work.

After the wedding we spent the rest of the weekend in Tennessee celebrating Bopa's birthday. The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins and trying to play with Bopa's new remote controlled boat. They got to make cute ghost cookies with Nana, which seems to have become a tradition, and they had a lot of fun doing that. We also went to Erin and David's so that Ian could shoot a gun. It was his first time and he was really excited, especially when he hit the target (a big box). He, of course, now wants one for his birthday.

We ended the month with costumes, candy, and a birthday party. Our friend Jaiden turned one and we celebrated it on the 30th. All the way to the party the kids were trying to figure out why Jaiden was one but Cole was not. We tried to explain the concept of being 11 months and then turning 1 year old, but I'm not sure they quite understood. That night we went to Publix for trick or treating. Ian was Superman, Maddie was a bee and Cole was a pumpkin. Most people won't go to a grocery store for their Halloween fun, but we really enjoy it. Plus Hannah, Jaiden, and Xander came and it is always fun when lots of kids are together. I love going to Publix because it's like a mini fall festival. The kids get to play games and then they win fruit, cookies, popcorn, and candy. And this year they had face painting, although it was a little difficult to decipher what the lady had painted on their faces, it was still fun :) On Halloween we had trunk or treating at our church. The kids had a great time! Everyone stayed after and the kids got more candy then we need or could possibly eat. I think Ian went around 3 or 4 times. We ended the night with Granny and Grandaddy and free meals at Chili's. Now that October is over, and I am thoroughly exhausted, bring on November...black Friday, my birthday, and Thanksgiving!

Maddie's "Stanastics"

2010-05-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Maddie at gymnastics. She takes it with her friend Hannah. They are not the best quality of pictures because I can't get the camera on the right setting (I'll try again next week). She loves her class, her teacher Mrs. Wendy, and her new pink leotard (she slept in it the first night after we bought it). It's fun to watch her come out of her shell and try new things and meet new kids. I was worried that because she is usually so shy that maybe she wouldn't like it...I was definitely wrong.

Madelyn's 4th Birthday!

2010-04-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some picture from Maddie's Princess and the Frog birthday. We had her party at Bopa and Nana's house in Tennessee. My parents got to come and Aunt Cathy, Frankie, Sarah and Brenden came down from Nashville. She had such a great time and got lots of gifts. My favorite picture is the last one. Erin actually took it. Maddie was sneaking icing from the cake before the party started and she got caught - precious!

I can't believe my little girl is 4!

He's smiling...

2010-03-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

We FINALLY got a picture of Coleman smiling! He started smiling a couple of weeks ago, but we could never get a good picture. Either our camera's batteries were dead or we weren't quick enough or we couldn't even find the camera (which happens quite often) but we were determined this time. So, he had just woken up from his nap, I nursed him, burped him, sat him up on the couch and started talking to him, Ryan was ready with the camera and here is the result...

...isn't he beautiful!

Weekend update

2010-03-09T08:55:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I don't update every weekend, but I couldn't think of another title. Anyway, we had a really good time this past weekend and I got some really cute pics of the kids.

On Friday Katie and I took Ian, Maddie and Hannah to a class at the Zoo. They learned about deer and baby animals. They got to color, make a craft, pet an animal (I think a baby weasel this week) and ride the train and carousel. They were so cute! While they were in class Katie and I walked around. Jaiden and Cole pretty much slept in their strollers the entire time. I tried to get a good picture of the babies first trip to the zoo, but it didn't turn out very well. I think Katie got a better one. Anyway, it was so peaceful walking around outside, although a squirrel did run into the front wheel of the stroller and scare us (Katie screamed). I'm not even real sure how the squirrel did it because the stroller was standing still. I think it was ok although it looked a little dazed and confused as it scurried off into the woods.

Friday night David, Erin, Nolan and Thomas came to see us. Erin and Maddie wore their pink robes and played dolls. Then we put the kids to bed and watched Dan in Real Life. Definitely not the best movie I've ever seen, but not the worse. It was just nice to sit down and watch something other than a cartoon movie.

Saturday morning Ryan and David took Ian and Nolan to Home Depot for the kids workshop. The boys built rain gauges then took their "break" and ate hot dogs and chips. Ryan said that on the way home Ian was asking Nolan questions about kindergarten. I guess Nolan was tired of answering so he stopped and then Ian said "Come on Nolan, tell me, I've got to know what to tell my mom" :)

Sunday started our gospel meeting at church. We had our first service then ate afterwards. We had our second service at 1:30 with a singing inbetween. The message was really good and I'm looking forward to the rest of the week. Afterwards we went to the park to watch the guys play tennis (sorry no pictures, they didn't turn out). I did get a picture of the kids cheering on their dads and then Maddie started a round of "boo Jared". She thought she was so funny :)

Who will save the day?

2010-03-03T08:37:00.001-08:00

Isn't it funny the questions that kids ask and the way their minds work. Here's the conversation that Ian and I had this morning...

Ian "Mom, do superheros go to heaven?"
Me "no, baby, superheros aren't real"
Ian "then who will save the day"
Me "Ian, no one needs to save the day"
Ian "But, what if a meteor hits the earth, then who will save the day"
Me "Ian, a meteor is not going to hit the earth"
Ian "But what if one does"
Me "Then maybe you could turn into a superhero and save the day"
Ian "you know I can't"

Then he walk away with a disgusted look on his face because I obviously didn't answer his questions the way he wanted. 10 minutes later...

"Mom, why are superheroes not real?"

Snow!

2010-02-15T08:33:00.001-08:00

It snowed on Friday (surprise, surprise)! I sent the kids outside to play when it first started because I didn't think it would last, but it ended up snowing all day. Ryan even got to come home early from work because of the snow. The kids tried to catch snowflakes on their tongues...

Ian made a snow angel on the deck...

I took Coleman out in his first snow so that we could take some pictures. Ryan made a make shift sled out of some scraps in our garage and tried snowboarding on it...

Ian, Maddie and Ryan spent all Saturday morning sledding and playing in the snow before it melted away. What a great Daddy they have and what a great time they had in the snow! Now I'm ready for spring!

Burp cloths!!!

2010-02-11T09:44:00.001-08:00

When I went to Decatur to get the kids pictures made on Tuesday, I spent the afternoon with Melanie and her kids. Ian and Maddie had a great time playing with Hudson and Katie, and Melanie and I got to make some burp cloths.

Melanie made this wipes case for Cole. Adorable!!!

Here are the burp cloths that Melanie and I appliqued for Cole. Aren't they cute!!! It only took us 8 hours to do five (of course part of that was talking, taking care of kids, and eating brownies). Believe it or not, this is more than we usually get done when I go over there :)

My three beautiful kids!

2010-02-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

Coleman- 2 weeks

2010-01-30T15:10:00.000-08:00

Cole just had his 2 week doctor's appointment on Friday. I can't believe he is two weeks old. It still amazes me that I have three kids. I've only ventured out twice with them by myself - let's just say it was a little wild. Anyway, the doctor said that he was very healthy. He weighed 9 lbs and 8 oz and was 22 inches long, which means he has gained two pounds since we left the hospital two weeks ago. Hopefully he will slow down a little bit (on the eating and the growing). I'm not ready for my baby to grow up too fast. :)

Coleman is Here!!!

2010-01-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

Well, he was a week early and labor was pretty easy, so I guess I can forgive him for the cracked rib :)
Last Tuesday at 10:00 pm I started having strong contractions about 10 min apart. I really didn't think "this is it", so I timed them for about an hour and a half and then called the nurse. They wanted me to come in to be checked, so I called Kim (thank goodness for friends close by)to come over and stay with the kids while we went to the hospital. We were definitely not prepared. We grabbed our bags, but left the baby's bag and the carseat in the jeep and we took the truck. When we got to the hospital(about 12:30) they put me on a monitor and checked me every hour until about 4:00. I really thought they were going to send me home because I hadn't made much progress and the contractions seemed to be irregular, but they suggested that I stay until the doctor does her rounds which wasn't until 6:30. We finally got seen by the doctor and she said that I was ready. I was moved to a room, my water was broken an hour or so later, and the contractions were strong and regular from then on. I had my epidural done when my contractions, mostly back pain, were so bad that I couldn't stand it. By the way, I have no idea why anyone would want to go natural, the epidural was so nice. I couldn't feel any contractions, in fact they had to tell me when I was having one so I would know when to push. Labor was easy (I thought). I push through 2 contractions before the doctor came and then through 3 while the doctor was there and then Cole was here. It all seem to happen so quick that I really couldn't believe that it was over. All of our family made it in time, some just barely. And it was great to have everyone there!

Right before Cole was born. I was still in a little pain.

Grandmothers in waiting...

Daddy got to watch Cole get check out by the nurse after he was born.

Beautiful baby boy!!!

Ian and Maddie came and got to hold their new baby brother!

Mommy finally got him all to myself!

Christmas questions...

2009-12-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have been a mom for a little while now and with a 4 (almost 5 year old), 3 year old and one on the way, I am definitely no expert. And I find that this year it is particularly hard to know what to do or say when certain questions are thrown my way by the kids.

#1 - Is it ok to tell your kids that the reason why the Grinch has termites in his teeth is because he eats junk food and doesn't brush them?

#2 - When you go into a store and there is a nativity scene and your son jumps on the cow and pretends he is riding it like a bull, is it ok to laugh? (By the way, Hobby Lobby really should have their nativity scene off the floor.)

#3- What do you say when your child ask if God gives Santa gifts or does Santa give God gifts? After all, he reminds you, "God is so good" as the song says.

#4- Or what about when you are trying to explain the song "All I Want for Christmas is You" and of course you are listening at night and Delilah comes on so your kids think that Delilah sings the song and they want to go see her because all she wants for Christmas is to see us. I don't even know where Delilah lives!

#5 - How about when your child is insistent on buying Santa a gift because everyone gives him cookies (by the way, thanks Dora the explorer) and your suggestion of drawing him a picture just isn't good enough. oh, and the present he wants to get Santa is a fiddle.

With one week to go, I'm sure that these are not the last of the questions that I will be faced with, however these might just be easier than the questions that will be coming when the baby arrives :) Wish me luck!

The Baby Has a Name!

2009-12-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally have a name for our baby boy! I'm not sure if it was the threat of the baby coming soon or my nagging, but Ryan finally agreed to a name. We decided on Coleman Ryan McCuiston. We will call him Cole. It was my grandfather's name on my dad's side. His actual name was Roland Coleman Ryan. We really wanted to use a family name and I felt strongly that we use Ryan somewhere in it because, of course, it is Ryan's name, but also it is my maiden name. So, now that we have settled on a name all I have to say is monogram machine here I come...

34 weeks!

2009-12-10T04:24:00.000-08:00

I'm 34 weeks pregnant today! Hopefully I'll make it to 40 weeks, however it's not looking good. This pregnancy has definitely been eventful, unlike Ian and Maddie's. Besides being sick the first two months or so, last week I cracked a rib. Because they can't do an xray the doctors are not sure how bad the rib is or if it is even cracked, it could be a torn muscle. However, the theory is that the baby kicked me and there is a small crack on my 11th rib. Also, I was told that I will more than likely re-injure myself during labor, so that is something to look forward to :) I have also been having painful contractions, so when I went for my regularly scheduled appointment yesterday they decided to go ahead and check me. I looked good and the baby's heartbeat was 144. However, they told me that I am 1 cm dilated and 25% effaced. So the doctor gave me strict orders to do nothing for the next two weeks. They want me to at least get to 36 weeks before I have the baby. She said that even though I am 1 cm I could still go until my due date, however, the look of worry on her face and all the instructions she gave me did not reassure me. Who knows...maybe we will have Christmas baby :) As long as the baby is healthy I don't care when he comes. My next appointment is next week, so please keep me and the baby in your prayers!

Family picnic

2009-11-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

After church this morning we met my family at the covered bridge park in Cullman. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and had a great time! It was nice to be there with all of the family. I love to watch the kids playing in the leaves. I wish that we could have had a church service together, but since we were going somewhere close, we decided to just go to our home congregations and then meet. We used to do this every year when Papa was alive, but last year we didn't get to (although I can't remember why). I'm glad we got to this year because it's one of my favorite activities to do in the fall.

Here's some pictures of all the kids. I think the only ones that didn't get to come were Caleb and Katrina.

Catching Up!

2009-10-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

We had our internet service cancelled because we couldn't get it to work right, so I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog. The last week and a half have been pretty busy for us. Ryan took that Friday off and we went to his parents house for the weekend. The kids loved playing at Nana and Bopa's and Ryan and I got to go out and spend some alone time together. After church on Sunday, we met Erin, Nolan and Thomas at the pumpkin patch. We had a good time. We went on a "hayride" (there was no hay so the kids couldn't figure out why it was called a hayride), and went through a cotton maze and a corn maze. Then the kids played on haybales and went down a big slide. It is so nice that we are close enough that the kids are able to do things together during the holidays.

Ryan had also taken Monday off, so we took the kids to the Birmingham Zoo. I think it was the first time Ryan had been to that zoo. It was a beautiful day to be outside and the kids loved the animals and the train ride. The tiger was a little scary because he was eyeing Maddie like she was snack. I think it might have been feeding time.

On Tuesday I went for my 3 hour glucose test. Everything turned out fine. I met a girl who was also there for the test and we talked pretty much the whole time and it turns out that she works for a radio station and had tickets for Disney on Ice. So when we got ready to leave she asked me if my kids like disney and then handed me four tickets. Also, baby Jaiden was born so since I was already at the hospital I got to go by and hold her. She is adorable. She looks just like hannah and has a head full of dark hair.
On saturday night our class from church met at Ben and Rachel's house for supper. We had a really good time and the food was great! The kids got to carve pumpkins which I loved because I had no idea when we were going to carve them at home.

1st Soccer game

2009-10-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

We finally had Ian's first soccer game. The last two games were cancelled because of the rain. Granny and Grandaddy came to see him play and he was very excited. We won the game 7 to 0. I think we scored more goals in this game than we scored all season last year. Ian didn't score a goal but he was very close. I am very proud of him! He played so good! He kicked the ball all the way down the field. He has defintely grown in his soccer skills.

22 weeks down, 18 to go!

2009-09-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

I had my 22 week visit this morning at the OBGYN. It went really well. I took the kids with me because it was so early in the morning I hated to ask anyone to watch them. It was their first time to go and they were really good. I think they told every nurse in the place their age, and they thought it was cool to be so high up (5th floor),they spent about 10 minutes looking out the window by the elevators before we left. The doctor said that I look good and that everything was on track. I am borderline anemic, but that wasn't a surprise to me because I was with both Ian and Maddie. They want to wait, however, and give me 4 more weeks to try to bring my iron levels up before they put me on an iron pill. Baby mccuiston didn't cooperate very well this time. When the nurse came in to check his heartbeat she couldn't find it at first because he wouldn't hold still. Then she pressed down hard and he kicked her (the hardest kick I've felt yet) and finally she had to hold him still with her hand (very uncomfortable) to get his heartbeat, which was 148. She said that he can hear the waves that the Doppler makes and that he probably doesn't like it. I was hoping he would kick her again because she was really rough with my belly and it wouldn't look good if I kicked her :) Next month I have my glucose test and next week I start my 6th month of pregnancy. I know that once the holidays start these last months will go by quickly, so I'm really trying to write everything down and to spend some special time with Ian and Maddie before the baby comes.

Sweet Big Brother

2009-09-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

Today I was helping Ian clean his room and we were talking about where the baby's bed was going to go and about putting the baby's clothes in his closet. I then asked him if it was ok that he was going to share his room with the baby and he put his arm around me and said "Yeah mommy, I don't care if the baby sleeps in my room. I don't even care if he slobbers on my toys, I can wash them."

Soccer season has begun...

2009-09-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

It's time for soccer and we are excited! Ian's playing and Ryan's coaching again this year. Maddie didn't want to play, she said it was for boys, so she is content to sit with me on the sidelines and cheer. We are also the Incredibles again, which is nice because I can wear my shirt from last year (at least for part of the season). It's going to be interesting to see how much Ian has matured in the past year. Hopefully we won't see him on the field with his shirt over his head, or standing on his head, or dancing around one end of the field while all the other kids are at the other end (although all of that was pretty funny). And maybe we'll even win two games this year :) Go Incredibles!!!

It's A Boy!!!

2009-08-21T04:05:00.000-07:00

We had our ultrasound yesterday morning at 10am. Katie kept the kids and Ryan met me at the doctors office. It was very exciting! I had a feeling we were having a boy, but I had been wrong with both Ian and Maddie so I wasn't really trusting my feeling. The first shot of him that we saw, he had his hand resting on his face. He looked adorable! He weighed 8 ounces and his heart rate was 153. Everything about him (heart, brain, spine, etc.) checked out good. The doctor said that I am measuring correctly, 18 weeks, so my due date stayed the same (Jan 20th). Before we got in the ultrasound room, we still had not decided for sure if we wanted to find out what the sex was, but once we were in the room we had to know. I'm glad we found out because even though I said I was on board with the whole not knowing thing, I definitely would have had a hard time the next five months. I'm too much of a planner and I like to have everything ready.
We waited until Ryan was home from work to tell the kids. When we told them they were both very excited. Ian was happy he would have someone to play with and Maddie was just smiling (still a little unsure I think), then we let them watch the video and they thought that was neat. I pointed out the baby's head, body, legs and arms and then they wanted to know if we could see inside the baby's stomach. We then called our families and let the kids tell them that we were having a boy. Ryan brought cupcakes home to celebrate, so we ate those after we made the phone calls. We haven't narrowed down a name yet, but there are a couple that we like. The kids have decided against Sportacus and Ian now believes he wants to call the baby Jonah or Tire and Maddie has settled on Berry (yes, like a strawberry). However, just so everyone knows, we will not be using any of those names :)

Future Superstars!

2009-08-18T13:25:00.001-07:00

Here are two pictures of the kids rocking out. I think they are so funny! They both love to sing and "play" the guitar. They usually end up making up their own songs, so it can get very interesting. I really should get Maddie a pink guitar so that she and Ian won't fight over who is going to get to play it first. Of course, Ian has decided that he wants a drum set for Christmas, but I am thinking no...not with the baby trying to sleep, maybe next year (still doubting it though). However, maybe I should start encouraging this talent of theirs, and they could start a band and support Ryan and me in our old age. Hmmmm...something to think about...

Baby's Moving!!!

2009-08-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

I felt the baby (or Sportacus as Ian still calls him) move for the first time last Wednesday. It was just a couple of little flutters but it was very exciting! On Friday, he/she moved 5 times in a row and then I felt movements again this morning. I love this part of pregnancy! Even with morning sickness, backaches, going to the bathroom a hundred times a day, and all the other things that go on in a pregnancy, once you feel the baby move, it sinks in (at least for me) that this baby is real and it makes it all worthwhile.

Busy week!

2009-07-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

We have been extremely busy this past week. On Saturday, I took Ian and Maddie to see their first play, Beauty and the Beast, at the Princess Theater in Decatur. We met my family there and I thought the kids did great! Ian was a little concerned at first but then realized it was like the movie and loved it. Maddie liked it as well, however, it was a little loud for her so she ended up watching the whole play

while holding her hands over her ears. After the play the kids got to meet the cast. Ian was enthralled with Gaston and Maddie couldn't wait to see Belle. She met Ms. Potts first and talked about Belle the whole time (poor Ms. Potts) and then she got to get her picture made with Belle. As we were going to meet the Prince she said she had to tell Belle one more thing and when she went over to Belle, she tugged on her dress and told her she was 3.
The next day we went to a family reunion in Eva. It was my Memaw's side of the family. We had a nice time but couldn't stay long. The next morning we got a call that my Dad's uncle had passed away, so we ended up staying longer in Decatur than originally planned. Monday night I went with my sister to Maywood camp to pick up Caleb. Laina went with us and we had so much fun. I haven't been able to spend much time with Laina over the last few years so it was great hanging out with her. On Tuesday we went to the funeral home for uncle Jr. Towards the end, I caught Ian dancing in front of the casket, so needless to say, they did not go to the funeral.

Maddie got her first hair cut on Wednesday. I didn't want to cut it, but there was a piece that hung from her crown down past the rest of her hair. It wouldn't curl like the rest of her hair does, so I cut that strand and it curls so much better.

Thursday before Ryan came to pick us up, I met Jessica and her kids at the Snack Shack. I'm ashamed to even say how long it has been since I've seen her and I can't believe how big her kids are. The kids were cute together, although we might should have picked a place that had a playground because they were a little restless. Next time we'll know :) It was nice visiting with them, but we will definitely have to visit longer the next time we get together.

Finally out and about!

2009-07-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the first time I had actually gotten out of the house and gone anywhere (besides my mom's house) all summer. Maddie and I got up on Saturday and went to Katie's 6th birthday party. It was a Fancy Nancy party and it was adorable! The girls got to make hats and dress up, and then they had a tea party. Maddie looked so sweet all dressed up even though she would not smile for any pictures. (by the way, a picture is coming soon). While we were at a tea party, Ryan, Ian and Grandaddy went fishing at the pond in Eva. They
caught 8 bass and Ian reeled in 3 of those. Ryan said that some guys were down there fishing along with them and they asked Ian how many fish he had caught. He told them he caught 10 or 20, so I believe that we are raising a true fisherman - the catch always seems bigger than it really is :)

Sunday I finally went to church. It was the first time I had been back since getting sick. It was so good to see everyone and fellowship with friends. I was a little afraid, however, that they just might make me place membership again :)

On Monday I went for a checkup at the OBGYN. Everything looked good and the baby's heartbeat was strong (163 bpm). And yes, still just one heartbeat! My next checkup will be at the end of August and will include an ultrasound. Ryan and I are still trying to decide if we want to find out the sex of the baby or let it be a surprise. A part of me thinks it would be fun to not find out and then again the other part really wants to know so that bibs and burpcloths can be monogramed ahead of time. We will see which part wins out...

Big News for our family!!!!!

2009-07-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

If any of you follow my blog regularly I am certain that you have noticed my lack of blogging. Well I have a very good reason. I am pregnant!!!!!!! Yes, our third baby is on the way, due in January and I am soooooooooooooooo sick. "Sicker" than with either Ian or Maddie which constantly prompts people(even total strangers) to say "Maybe it's twins"! Which prompts me to say lots of things I shouldn't. Twins - I don't think so!!!!!!!!!

While I am on the subject, I want to thank all the people that have helped out while I have been sick. Lots of friends brought food and have helped with the kids. Nana and Bopa came and helped and then took the kids home with them for a week (we didn't have to twist their arms). Mom and Dad have been off and on and that is where I am now. Lots of babysitters here. So for all of you that helped we love and thank you so much. What a blessing you are in our life.

And aside from the sickness, we are all very excited. Ian wants a boy and wants to name it Sporticus and Maddie wants a girl named Ryan. Ryan and I just want a healthy baby (notice the singular use there?). I feel certain that soon this sick period will pass and I am looking forward to a great pregnancy and having lots of fun preparing for this new bundle of love. I will catch everyone up on our happenings soon. Say a prayer!!!

Swimming, a Birthday Party, & Fishing

2009-04-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

This last week has been really fun for the kids, and busy for me. We have spent quite a lot of time with Katie and Hannah (and we always love that!)On Tuesday we met them at Chick-fil-la and spent about 5 hours there (the kids were playing great, why mess with a good thing). And then on Wednesday I kept Lila while Kim went to the doctor. She is always sweet and good and Maddie loved trying to play baby dolls with her. I say "trying" because Maddie would tell Lila what to do like feed the baby or hold it a certain way and then Lila would look at her like she was crazy and throw the baby down :) On Thursday we met Katie and Hannah at the park. We had a picnic and the kids played for a few hours. We finally let them play in the creek. Not sure if that was a good idea, but they loved it and got completely soaked. On Friday we went to Hannah's house to eat lunch and let the kids swim. Kim, Addi, Levi and Lila were there.The water was a little cold at first, but that didn't stop the kids from getting in. After they played for a while they got push up pops. Maddie and Lila got it all over there faces. Not to be outdone, Hannah got it not only on her face, but all over her arms and legs. It was hilarious!

On Saturday we traveled to Decatur to go to Hudson's birthday party.It was a really cute party. They had it at a firehouse there in Decatur. The cake was adorable and Melanie did a really good job with the decorations. They had a firetruck that the kids could climb in and after the kids ate pizza and cake and Hudson opened his presents, they went outside to play games. The firetruck then came around and sprayed water and let the kids run through it. Ian thought that was really cool. He hasn't stopped talking about it since. After we got back to my mom's, Ryan decided to take Ian fishing. Ian has been asking to go for a month now and Ryan just couldn't tell him no :) They didn't catch anything, but had a great time.

Mobile trip

2009-04-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our weekend in Mobile. We went to Lambert's one night to eat. That was really fun! I had never been there before and didn't realize how much food they gave you. Needless to say we had alot of food left over. Ian got to catch a role and he was really excited about that. Later we went to the beach. Ian and Maddie had watched a cartoon about going to the beach so they have been asking for weeks to go. Maddie wasn't too excited about the water at first. I think the waves scared her, but eventually she warmed up to it. Ian, however, loved getting wet and letting the waves "chase" him.

Bluebirds!!!

2009-04-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

We finally have bluebirds in our bluebird house! Ryan tried to get a better shot (he wanted one of the bird flying out), but this one is all we got. We actually saw them and thought they were building a nest because the female kept flying out and returning with what we thought were twigs. However, Ryan was standing close to it and he could hear lots of baby bluebirds chirping, so the mother bird must have been bringing worms to her babies. How sweet!

Getting ready for Easter!

2009-04-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the kids coloring easter eggs and icing cookies. They were really excited about easter. After Ian's nap that afternoon (Saturday), he came up to me and said "Hey, were is that rabbit?" I guess he thought the Easter bunny should have come while he was taking a nap :)

Easter Party

2009-04-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

We had an Easter party at the church yesterday. We were going to have it at Emily and Jared's house but because of the rain, we decided to have it at the church so that we could hide the eggs inside. The kids had a really good time and ate tons of candy! Thanks Emily and Jared!

Survivor Retreat

2009-04-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

We had a great time this past weekend at our first Survivor Retreat with the church. It was suppose to be held at the camp but because of the tornadoes that were predicted, they decided to have it at the church instead. Of course the weather was fine both Friday night and Saturday (crazy weathermen). Friday night was a devotional and then a picking of the teams. Ryan, the kids and I were on team Sheep. We also had our first challenge that night. It was called Rahabs spies. Each team had to hide two players and then everyone would go and look for them. Alex and I hid for our team and we were never found - yeah team! However, by the time the game was over, we crawled out from the bottom pantry shelf and my legs were asleep and my neck was killing me. (Definitely getting old!) We stayed until about 12:30 and then went back home to sleep (sleeping on the floor did not sound appealing to me). We came back Saturday morning and stayed all day. We had more devotionals and challenges. We also had classes for the guys, girls, and kids. Katie did a great job with our class. I think everyone had a really good time and even though my family isn't going to Lads to Leaders this year, it was great to study the book of Joshua. There are so many things in that book that I had forgotten. Everyone in charge of the retreat did a great job! Can't wait for next year!

Maddie's curtains!

2009-03-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

My mom had spring break this past week so she came down for a couple of days to help put up Maddie's curtains.

I thought they turned out really well. I think we are going to have her initial monogrammed on the top.

Mom also made a tablecloth for Maddie's table and chair set.

And we made a memory board for her room. Thanks mom!

Snow Day!

2009-03-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful Sunday! We were surprised to wake up to snow on the ground (2-3 inches). The weathermen had been talking about snow, but we really didn't think that it would do anything but maybe flurry a little bit and we weren't even sure it would do that.
The kids were very excited about it and Ian thought that now that there was snow Santa should come back and visit. They got to play on the back deck a little bit before church and they built a cute little snowman. After church, a big group went outside and played.The "big kids" had a snowball fight and the little ones built a snowman. I was lucky enough to not get hit by a snowball, except for the little ones that Ian threw at me. It was so nice to be outside with everyone having fun and it seemed like we were out there forever. We finally came in for our second service (because it was a gospel meeting) and by the time we got out a lot of the snow was gone. The kids were a little disappointed. Maddie not as much as Ian because she did not like getting cold, especially her hands. Ian asked why God wanted to take away the snow, so even though it took awhile, Ryan and I finally came up with an answer that suited him. We had a great day! I thank God for beautiful snow and good friends to share it with!

New Countertops!!!

2009-02-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

It took awhile but we finally have countertops! I know, we could have gone on with pegboard for quite some time, but on Friday I knocked over a glass of milk and after cleaning up the mess and then having to clean all the utensils in the drawer below, I realized that I'd had enough :) So, we went and bought countertops, and my wonderful husband installed them himself (isn't he handy!). Now all we need are cabinet doors!

Homemade Laundry Detergent!

2009-02-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday a group of us from church got together and made our own laundry detergent. Susan was the instructor and she did a great job. I was amazed at how easy it was to make. I know we made over ten gallons in less than an hour. Susan and David figured up that it cost about $1.00 to make enough for 167 loads. It doesn't have a strong smell like tide or gain, but it has a clean smell. And think about it, you're paying all this extra money for scented detergent when you can just buy scented fabric sheets for your dryer. It almost makes me mad that for years I having been spending around $20 a month for laundry detergent when this is so easy. Anyway, if you have any interest in making your own, the recipe is below.

Directions:
1/3 bar of soap (Zote/Ivory)
1/2 cup of washing soda
1/2 cup of borax

Grate soap (use food processor if you have one) and place in pot with 6 cups of cold water. Stir on medium high heat until almost all of the soap is dissolved. Mix together washing soda and Borax. Add to soap mixture and stir until dissolved. Once mixture is dissolved, remove from heat. Add 4 cups of hot water in a bucket and add soap mixture and stir. As you are stirring, add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of cold water. Stir until all is well mixed. Let mixture sit for 24 hours. When ready to use, shake to mix. Mixture will separate when it sits so shake every time you use it. Use 1/2 cup in a load of laundry. This should be enough for over 75 loads.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

Ryan, the kids and I had a wonderful Valentine's day. This morning we met Granny and Grandaddy for breakfast at Cracker Barrel (where else!) in Gardendale. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get them to come home with us and watch the kids so that Ryan and I could go on a hot date. I knew since it was their anniversary they probably already had plans, but it never hurts to ask. However, it was a beautiful day, so we came home and played outside all afternoon. The kids swang, I raked some leaves and Ryan put up the blue bird house he had made me. I also had cleaned up all the mess Rachel, Katie, and I had made from the valentine baskets, so Ryan was very happy about that. The kids enjoyed their valentine presents, although Maddie did not enjoy the chocolate quite as much as she thought she would. She didn't like the filling in the middle so she tried to eat around it. All in all it was a wonderful day! I'm so happy to have spent it with the three loves of my life!

Ian's Haircut

2009-02-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

Ian's hair was getting a little long so we decided to give him a haircut. He wanted us to cut his hair like his daddy's. I was against the idea but the boys won out. Of course, it didn't help that when I cut it, I botched a big spot in the back. I guess we really didn't have a choice :) He was so proud that he looked like his daddy. He said that his hair wanted to be in the trash can. And when I told him that I missed all his hair, he said "it's ok, mommy, you want me to have lots of hair but I like hair like daddy's."

Valentine Baskets

2009-01-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

Katie, Rachel and I are selling candy baskets for Valentine's Day. They have turned out really cute. Below are pictures of some of the baskets we have already made, however, the pictures do not do them justice. There is also a description and price info. None of the baskets are exactly alike, so there will be varations of what you see below. If you are interested in buying a basket let one of us know or you can email us at candybasketorders@yahoo.com

The picture above is of the adult candy baskets. They are $15.00 each

The picture above shows the children's candy basket. It is in a tin container and there is one for a boy and a girl. These are $12.00 each.

The picture above shows a child's candy basket. It is in a reusable plastic cup. These are $7.00 each

Princess and The King...

2009-01-29T11:36:00.000-08:00

This is sweeter than any fairytale. Last weekend while mom and dad were here, Maddie wanted to dress up as a princess and wear her "dancing shoes". Well, Ian decided he wanted to dress up too, so we put his robe on him and Granny made him a crown that says "The King".
We got a pretend trumpet and announced the king had arrived. Then Maddie said "Who gonna dance with me" Ian reluctantly said "I will" and they danced around until breakfast time. Ian was trying not to smile but you could see he was having fun. They were so sweet and adorable! I know that they will not always be like this. Sooner than I want they will be in high school acting as if they can't stand each other and no longer dressing up in cute outfits to play together. But until that happens, I'll enjoy our little pretend kingdom.

Book club - first meeting

2009-01-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

We had our first book club meeting Monday night at Mary's house. I've never been in a book club before so I wasn't sure exactly how it would go, but I thought it was a lot of fun. There were 6 of us that came and we had a bookmark exchange which was really neat. The book we went over was "20 Wishes" by Debbie Macomber. Pretty good book, but not as deep as I thought it would be. Our next book is "The Secret Life of Bees". I've heard it's a great book, so I'm excited to read it.

Flamingo and Friends

2009-01-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

Well, the past couple of days have been pretty busy. Friday was Rachel's birthday, so Emily, Kim, Pam, and Katie came over to the house Thursday night and we cut out 30 pink flamingos and made a sign to put in Rachel's yard. We went over there about 11:30 and we actually got everything into the ground without bursting into laughter or making much noise, except for Pam (pavement running and slamming doors). I was really proud! Then on Friday we used Rachel's birthday as an excuse to take the kids to chuck-e-cheese. Katie brought cupcakes and everyone had a good time (especially the adults). Friday night I met Tracy, Nancy, Amber, Carol, Janice, Cathy and my mom at Stix for supper. I had never eaten there before ,so that's one more off my list. I got to try sushi for the first time, although I'm not sure that it really counts because I only tried the kind with the cooked shrimp. My mom and dad spent the night with us and Janice and Cathy came over the next morning to see our house. On saturday night we again celebrated Rachel's birthday at Macroni Grill. Ryan stayed home with the kids so I rode with Katie, who was without Josh and Hannah for the night. Ben had bought Rachel a cake from Edgars and they sang to her in Italian. And since Katie and I were without kids, we decided to continue the celebration of Rachel's birthday at Old Navy, Children's place, Pottery Barn and Target. We might have continued our shopping if Ryan hadn't called to let me know Maddie was out of diapers. And I know it might seem that Ryan got the raw end of the deal this weekend because he stayed home with the kids both nights, but I'm pretty sure he has a fishing trip already planned that he just hasn't told me about yet, so don't feel too sorry for him.

Train Party!

2009-01-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

We had a train party for Ian's birthday on Saturday. I would have posted pictures that day, but I couldn't figure out how to get all the pictures onto the blog. All of our friends and family came and we really appreciate that, especially those who had to drive 1-2 hours to get here. We ate pizza, cake, and ice cream, and the kids had games to play. The only bust was the pinata, which, coincidentally, would not bust :) Thanks to Julie, Rachel, and Emily for helping to decorate for the party, and of course all those who stayed and helped clean up. I think everyone had a good time. Ian got lots of great gifts and has played nonstop since. Can't wait for the next party!!!

Happy Birthday Ian!

2009-01-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my baby boy is 4 today. Time goes by so fast! It seems like just yesterday Ryan and I were walking the beach in Biloxi, wondering what our little boy was going to look like. Of course, he was suppose to be born on the 1st, so we
spent the next 10 days driving over railroad tracks, walking around our apartment complex, and eating mexican hoping that any of those things would work, but nothing did so I was induced. My mom and dad took me to the hospital that morning at 6:00 because Ryan had a test at 8:00, he was in tech school at the time. He got to the hospital about 8:30. I think he hurried through the test because we just knew that Ian would be here by 10am, but he was not. He was also not here at 12pm, 3pm, or 6pm. In fact, everyone scheduled to give birth that day had already come and gone, and we were still waiting. But, after 2 1/2 hours of pushing (and the nurses cheering), he arrived at 11:35pm. He was beautiful! We didn't know what to do at first (like most new parents), but we eventually figured it out. He has grown so much since then. He's his own little person. His favorite toy is his trains, he loves to play the guitar and lead songs at church. He would wear blue jeans, white t-shirts, and his Lightening McQueen shoes every day if we would let him. He is so special and I can't imagine what life would be like without him. God has blessed us so much!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

Is it too late to say it? It's only the 8th of January so surely it's not. I thought I should blog about the new year before I blog about Ian's birthday in a couple of days. I don't know if I make resolutions or if I just have ideas of things I want to accomplish, but I do try to take the first few days of the new year and look back at the past year and reflect on things that I could've done different or should've done different and think about what I can do to better myself in the coming year. Also, (for a little pick me up) I like to remember the things that I thought I did well. This past year a lot changed for us. Ryan separated from the Air Force and we left our home, our church, our friends and everything our kids have known for the last three years and moved back to Alabama (and we miss it all so much). But I feel lucky because Ryan started a new job which he loves, we have bought our first house, we get to see our families a lot more, and we've made some really good friends here. Also, Ian played soccer for the first time (very exciting especially when he danced) and Maddie's personality really began to shine and she started talking and talking and talking :). However, with all the excitement and rush I feel somehow that I didn't stop and take it all in. So, with that said, this year is the stop and smell the roses year. I'm not really sure how exactly I am going to accomplish this, but I feel certain that I will figure it out along the way.

Pecan Pies.

2008-12-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember my Memaw has made the best pecan pies anyone has ever tasted. Not only do they taste good but they are perfect in appearance.
I have never attempted to make a pecan pie, why should I she always had plenty. However when I went to visit her for Christmas she asked if I wanted to learn and of course I said yes. I spent the next hour or so chopping pecans, stiring the mix, and listening to her talk about the people that she takes pies to every year. This year she added the doctor's office were she gets her treatments for cancer. She had to make two for them because the first one was seized by the nurses and the doctors were not told it was there, needless to say they begged for another one. :) I'm not sure what prompted her to teach me that day. Maybe she knows that she is getting older and that she has only a short time left and she wants to pass on something that is special to her. I strongly suspect she wanted to teach me because she knows how much Ryan enjoys her pies and she believes in keeping your husband happy by baking. Whatever the reason, I had a great time learning and listening and now I have a wonderful memory that will always be with me.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T06:26:00.000-08:00

Well, the Christmas season is coming to an end and my family has had a wonderful time. We've been on a train ride to see Santa and Mrs. Claus, we've spent time with friends at various Christmas parties, and we have ended it with 4 days of time well spent with family. Christmas Eve was very exciting for Ian and Madelyn. Ian was sure that every time he heard a noise it just might be Santa even though Maddie said over and over "no, Ian, we have to be sleepy". When Ryan got home from work we drove to Tennessee to see his family. Everyone was waiting for us so that the kids could ice cookies for Santa. It was good to see all the kids together and it was our first time to see Edie since she was born. All the kids wore matching pajamas(adorable)and eventually everyone went to bed. Christmas morning was fun and chaotic (with 6 kids ages 5 and under there is no other way to be). Friday everyone went to Sears to get pictures made. The pictures turned out well and the kids did really good except for Maddie who after having her hair pulled a few times by Edie, who obviously was determined to be the cutest girl there :), was tired of pictures and ready for it to be over. The girls then went out to eat and the guys took all the kids to McDonald's. Tim and Cora came over to visit for the afternoon. It was really good to see them. Tim brought all us girls snow caps candy, but since I am the only one who likes them I got to keep them all - Jackpot! Saturday we went to my parents for Christmas. We ate an early Christmas dinner (luncheon chicken, my favorite)then opened presents. We let all the kids open first because Katrina and Maddie didn't like taking turns with everyone. Once the kids were finished opening, they went off to play and the adults got to open their presents in peace. Mom gave all the girls vacuum cleaners (do you suppose there is a message there?). We all had a good time and got a lot more than we deserved (except for me - ha,ha!).

Christmas at Papa's

2008-12-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we had christmas with all the aunts, uncles and cousins at papa's (actually Nancy's). It was nice to get together especially since we weren't able to come last year. I think everyone had a good time. We ate supper, played a christmas trivia game and then the kids opened presents.

Ian and Hudson both got Hulk smash hands.

Maddie got a cash register.

Here's Tracy and Dennis getting in on the fun :)

It figures...

2008-12-07T15:29:00.000-08:00

It never fails. The holiday season is upon us and nothing ever goes as planned. We are currently in Tennessee trying to get our car fixed. We came up here for Nolan's birthday party and had planned to leave today in time to make it to church and then on the the christmas party at the Courington's. However, things did not happen that way. As soon as we got the kids strapped in and were backing out of the driveway we heard a noise, well Ryan heard a noise. Needless to say we pulled forward, Ian and I got out (Maddie was already asleep in the carseat so we left her there), and now Ryan and his dad have gone to buy parts for the Jeep and the kids and I are in the house waiting. Hopefully we'll be on the road soon.