The Riese's Pieces

Kaden's 2nd Birthday,&ENT update...

2012-01-21T16:15:00.001-05:00

We had Kaden's birthday party@
Chic Fil A.
I highly recommend it, if you are looking for a fun way to celebrate, but don't have the time to clean the house (or the room) to house the family and friends! Best thing is, it is inexpensive,there's an indoor play place for activity for the kids,ice cream can be given in place of the toy,and the adults always love some good ol' sweet tea!

Homemade cupcakes for Kaden's friends! :)

Everybody looking at Mike (as he sings his version of Happy Birthday to Kaden).

Kayleigh-Bugg and Parker having a sweet moment!

Kaden chilling out with Emma Kate!

I didn't order the party package,we just got kids meals for all the kids.
At the end of the party, we passed out Elmo Cake Pops!

(Now available with my business~ Riese's Pieces Cake Pops & Truffles).
Kaden LOVES CFA,so I knew it was a great match.
Thanks to all our friends who brought their kids out,New Years Weekend.(We felt like we had the whole restaurant,no one was there but us that Friday night).
The day of his party,he was NOT feeling well(ears),and had a super early nap.But as soon as we got there he lit up w joy!
I am still working on his 2yr video.
He just got a CD for Christmas from NeNe and Papa,and the songs all say his name...so it will eventually get done!We are excited to see what lies ahead in this new year w Kaden.One thing we know for sure, he is getting tubes! We are so anxious for a happier boy and not in distress at night.
Kaden is getting Tubes,Feb.3rd.
That in and of itself is a miracle! We don't have to wait 1month (many kids needing tubes do).The visit at the ENT went great. He is a candidate for tubes with the 7 ear infections, from 2011 & he has "glue ear". The fluid in his ear is so thick,they call "glue ear". The glue ear is usually not painful but can be for some cases. And it appears in Kaden's case it is painful-because he is NOT sleeping. The Nurse Practitioner that we saw, said it was like we were describing her son when he was little (*who got tubes around the same age as Kaden). So, she was so gracious and understanding that she pushed us up on the surgery schedule. I had in my mind a DR. that we should go with, but at that point ...we said who can get us in first!?
It turns out God was SO good, we got the head of the Practice (who we wanted) and are getting in 2 weeks! Dr. Parks did our friend, Trey's ear and also a few other kids we know. So, we are encouraged that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We really thought that he was possibly just giving us a hard time at night and needed to be moved out of his crib. So, we converted his bed and we still have the same sleeping habits. So, therefore we know it is his ears. Mike,me& especially Kaden,have not slept since mid Dec.
So,we are hopeful for Feb and TUBES or "New Ears" for Kaden. For us,this is what we are choosing to do.
I am not content to just keep medicating him every time an ear infection comes, and have possible hearing loss with all that fluid built up.
His poor body has been exposed to so much.So,going forward...the tubes can do their work to keep that fluid draining properly!
I know many parents are against tubes and surgery for what they think can be corrected other ways, But for him this is what we believe and have prayed about.
I am so thankful my sisters and friend(s),Joy&Liz, have all walked through this journey.
So,it almost feels like I have already experienced it.
However,it is our first time with our own child. So it is a bit deeper now that it is our little boy.
We are praying for a smooth process. We are dreaming of the the day again when we have a happy,sleeping boy! It seems like an eternity from now. (Feb 3 is just around the corner), but he has been miserable since Christmas!
I just cry with him some days, because there is SO little that I can do but hold him!
Amongst all these long days and nights he has these phrases lately- "Hold You!", "Mommy lay down,"
And of course one of the sweetest moments, I was walking out the door with him to run an errand because mommy could not be out of his sight, and Mike was home. Kaden overheard me say "Good Bye, Honey!" and instantly we heard an echo at the door;Kaden said "Goodbye, Honey-Kiss,Kiss!"
It was a priceless moment! :)
We know he is hearing well, because he is repeating almost everything we or Parker says.
So,thankful for this ray of hope! And thank you for all the support from my MANY friends who have reached out and been some support for me.
Kaden, we love you to pieces,even when you are at your saddest moments. We are praying for comfort and for God to heal you and most all that you will grow into a sweet, little boy who loves the Lord!
We are looking forward to a new year and "new ears!"
We thank the Lord for another year with you and can't wait to see all that you will learn (and even explore in your creative curious mind).
Happy 2nd Birthday, Kaden!
Love,
Daddy, Mommy & Parker

Happy New 2012 "Ear(s)" please?!

2012-01-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

(Christmas Day-2011)

Well, Happy 2012~ And where have I/we been?!
Well, trying to deal with Kaden's stubborn ear infection(3weeks long) and his 2 year old molars all at one time! All of this=lack of sleep for mommy, daddy & Kaden! And to top this all, Mike had Year End Closing at work, we had a trip to D.C, for Christmas, Kaden's 2 year birthday and somewhere in there I slept little...but really prayed more!
Therefore, NO BLOGGING has even been an option!

We made it to DC and the boys LOVED seeing the family. Kaden was good till the last 2 days! And it has been a down hill, sleepless journey since we have been back.

Wow! I have lots to share about the good ol' trip to D.C. a few candid shots of Christmas,

Kaden's 2 year birthday, New Years and of course a few other fun moments! However, that requires me to upload, search and even edit and NO TIME! Kaden has been a Velcro child begging to be held and wanting my undivided attention! So, the photos will come later. :(

We had 3 big blessings for our family the last part of the year! ....The boys got 3 new cousins in the last 4 months! We are happy to welcome, Owen (9/21/11), Malcolm(10/12/11) and Lucas (12/22/11) into our extended families! I promise to be back soon and post some of these sweet moments!

Here are the boys with NeNe and Papa and 2 new cousins, Owen and Lucas(who was 4 days old in the photo).

I am really hear coveting prayers!
My mind is in a funk. I JUST got Christmas decor down...YESTERDAY! Yup! I am so exhausted. Mike only has closing 4 times a year, and it requires a heavy amount of hours. He worked about 18 hour days the last 2 weeks. However, his boss resigned 3 days before Christmas and caused more of a load on Mike's year end schedule the last 2 weeks of the year. So, we are praying for Mike's work load and anxious to see what will come with his job. We are trying to find a new schedule that will work best for ALL of us as he takes on a new role (temporarily).

Coveting prayers for Kaden. Hence the whole title "New Ears"-After 7 ear infections in the calendar year (2011) ,looks like Kaden is a candidate for tubes.However, Mike is (more then mommy) CAUTIOUS about the whole surgery thing! So, pray for wisdom tomorrow. We are heading to an E.N.T. with Kaden and I am ready tomorrow to get Tubes for him. We have a totally different kid. He has not slept in about 3 weeks and has been up 2-4 times a night. Before this last ear infection, he would sleep 12-13 hours per night. Of course, there was always little sleep when he was dealing with an ear infection! I have 3 niece and nephews who all got tubes before 2.So, am I surprised that Kaden has been battling ear issues? NOPE!
Do I want this for him? Nope!
However, I know and have heard how life changing it becomes following the "simple" procedure!
Scared? Yes.
He may not even need tubes. And if that's the case, I have NO clue what solution there will be!?! We have exposed his little body to every antibiotic (most common in kids).Amox, Augmentin,Zithromycin, Omnicef....You get it! I do not want to be an over medicating mom/parents! When the kids is sick for other infections, we want the meds to work.
My sisters saw amazing changes after their kids got tubes. I am very educated and hopeful in that part of the world if that is what is best for Kaden!

(Kaden with NeNe and newest cousin,Lucas)

We have stopped him on Cow's milk and that has cut back on his congestion. However, he has built back up another runny nose, and back to irritability and no change in his sleeping at all. Prayers please for this little guy to get better for the best of health!

So, off to the ENT we go and praying for a good,and best solution for Kaden.
I am just being real and appreciating the prayers tonight! I have a God who is greater then all my worries and fears. I was reminded last week, that in my weakness he is strong! He is my provider and always knows what is best for me and these sweet little lives I get to take care of (and sweet lives includes) sweet, awesome daddy who is working hard for us all!
I sleep SO much better when I share all my anxiety and leave at his feet!
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.~1 Peter 5:7
It does me no good to worry! However, I want what is best for our little boy and can't keep battling these nights like this life that has been "our new normal!"

(This photo is just one of many sleepless nights.-he got up at 4AM that morning!...It is almost 11:30,and he needed a nap! Look at him he is checked out!!!!)

Thanks for letting me vent and unwind tonight, and THANK YOU in advance for all the prayers past, present and future!

Baby gender truffle reveal

2012-01-06T22:38:00.000-05:00

I am so happy I got to be apart of the Chandler Baby revealing "Party!"
They had a sonogram the week before Christmas,and I had the honor and privilege of making truffles for them and their extended family!They announced to the whole family on Christmas day with the truffles!
My computer is down and I can't upload my photos,:(
I do have a couple Photos on on my FB page.The best part of the reveal is the sweet video that Chad &Kristin uploaded on my personal FB page.You have to watch it:).
The reveal is on the video!
Super sweet and again,it was an honor to be apart of their celebration!
Looking forward to the next baby gender reveal!
Who is next?
One dozen truffles buttercream blue or pink cherry!($15.00)
Or 2 dozen truffles ($20.00)
I would love to help you announce to your family and close friends:)
Looking forward to a great 2012!

Super Hero Cake Pops and Special request #1...

2011-12-06T17:39:00.002-05:00

I am amazed at the "word of mouth" referral I am getting for my sweet little business!
I absolutely LOVE helping others out to make these what can be "time consuming" hot, wanted items for parties etc.
In the last few weeks, I have had 2 very special orders. One just got completed! And if I may say so, SUCCESS!
We stayed home for Thanksgiving and I rested after making 7 dozen turkey cake pops! Then it was a nice 4 days of family time. We also had my friend, Joy and her family over for dinner. (They had closed on their new home that Tuesday, so I insisted on feeding them and letting the boys play). And the kids ate first, then we ate while they played...it was nice!
I must say that we stayed home for the Thanksgiving holiday and it was so nice to just enjoy the time home and relax after 7 dozen Turkey Pops were made!

(And then of course, I jumped and went shopping @11 PM till 3AM).Yup, shopped and got alot accomplished. However, I am sure I could have gotten some of the same deals on line. But, the time spent with my friends was priceless.
I had a few days break and then it was time to pass off some sweet birthday pops for a little boy @ Parker's preschool. Following that order,I had my first challenge...Super Hero Cake Pops!
They were an absolute joy to make! All the cake pops were the basic butter cream cake pops and then character colors.(Only challenge was the "blue" for Spider man successfully accomplished after working with the correct amount of oil, dye and white chocolate)...the rest of the process and coloring was easy, thanks to WILTON!
The creativity came from the client to add the "rings"! I loved how they turned out and looking forward to making more "birthday" character cake pops. ($2.00 a piece with the special rings).

The next upcoming "special" order is for a very sweet couple in our small group. They are having their third baby in April, and find out in two weeks the gender.
However, it is SO close to Christmas Day when they find out, so they have opted to wait till Christmas DAY by biting into a truffle that I will be making "PINK" or "BLUE" to find out the gender!
How excited do you think I am???
Just a little!
NO A LOT!
I cried tears of joy that night, after my friend asked me. I remember praying that God would use me to be a blessing to the community with my talent and business. But, I never would have seen this one coming and I am HONORED!
What a joy and privilege to make these special truffles in a couple of weeks and help them celebrate this 3rd child of theirs. :)
I will not be able to reveal till after they find out! But, I sure will be SO excited to announce to all of you shortly after the holiday with the photos of the truffles. Something extra special about this!
So, Chocolate covered cherry PINK, for (GIRL) and Butter cream BLUE, for (BOY).
I guess I can add that to my list of options now available to all of you! :)

The next few weeks,I will be busy making Cake Pop Reindeer, Snowmen, & Truffle Baskets for many friends, family and clients.

I LOVE taking the load off of others and creating a unique and sweet treat for all to enjoy. I so call this my therapy and joy! Some of my friends call me "crazy!"
But of course with the economy today, it is nice to offer something reasonable,special and homemade.
Can't wait to see what special orders will come in 2012!
THANKS to all of you who have been so supportive and passing on my business. I am loving this and so excited for all these Christmas Baskets.
Nap time is over...off to my boys! :)

Gobble-Gobble!

2011-11-14T16:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Cake Pops, $1.50 a piece.
I am taking orders for the holidays.
Why not add two of these Turkey's in one of my fall baskets for a total of $12.00?
Or get a dozen for $18.00, and take them home to the family or have them as your little "centerpieces" for all your guests.
Great way to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to your loved ones this holiday!

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next Thursday!
Much to do before now and then, and happilly filling orders.
A new flavor was in the works today. And happy to report it is a success!

Any guesses?

The Three Month Mysterious Object

2011-11-10T00:17:00.002-05:00

So MUCH adventure in our house.

Now that we have two busy boys, there is NO telling what they will come up with next.

But, I must say, that Kaden(our 22moth old is at the age of "curiosity" and so intrigued with the beautiful porcelain thing we call the "toilet"!

In June we installed a new toilet in our master bath room and got one with a flush up on the top. Mike installed it and did a fabulous job.

Kaden has been mesmerized by ALL toilets (public or private) he can find them anywhere we are! He gets his hands washed frequently [wink]

He has to flush our toilet every day and now is even taking a deep interest to sit on the "potty" and go "potty" himself!

(Merry Christmas to mommy if he really is going potty by his 2nd birthday :)

Well, back up about 3 months ago when he was taking a deep liking for this "yucky" object in our home, and imagine his mind when daddy installed the NEW toilet in our home?

He figured out after 1 month that the "flush" was at the top of the toilet!

***(please note)*** there is NO privacy in our home with our (Velcro child, a.k.a. "mommy's boy).

Unfortunately, if you close the door the precious blue eyed, 22month old, thinks that you have left him FOREVER! Therefore it is just easier to let him into the bathroom and be "happy!"

So, he soon learned how to "flush" the toilet (after watching what mommy would do).

He got very curious one day with the object/toy in his hand/"his" phone (one of daddy's old phones), and "flushed" it DOWN the new installed toilet.

Fast forward...(I hear the flush) and think great, He found the flush, but I don't think much because it flushed normal and he can't talk and tell me what happened!

I don't know that he has actually flushed a CELL phone down it...till 3 months later.

2 days later....toilet is no longer flushing and clogging up!

Yup, we are completely bummed that our NEW toilet is now "broke" and we are pretty sure we know why! We conclude that child #2 has flushed SOMETHING down the new toilet.

(Mike's response, "goodness we have 2 other toilets")

My response ("'I LOVE my master bath toilet and hate walking ALL the way down the hallway (in the middle of the night) to go potty.)

Fast forward 2 months and we no longer have an upstairs toilet functioning at ALL-and where is Mike? In France!

Well at least I have 1 toilet working in the house, until the BUSY BOYS that God has blessed us with, are goofing around and decide to LOCK the downstairs door!

NOW.....NO toilet available at ALL!

Lovely, it is 1 hour before I have a babysitter coming (to give me a "little" break) and I have NO working toilet.

(Master toilet has an unknown object down it, guest bathroom toilet has a broken chain, (but seriously have no time to open up the top and manually flush it), and now our working toilet is locked up!

Well, my sweet babysitter calms me down and gets the screw driver and takes the door knob off of the only working toilet in our home!

(At least there is no door knob to be locked any more!)

And now we can go potty INSIDE the home.
Guess what Mike had to do, (within a night of sleep and jet leg") when he got back from Paris?

Yup! Fix Master toilet and guest toilet.

However, the task was too great and only one toilet got fixed that weekend.

Thankfully, we agreed NOT to invest a chunk of money with a professional plumbing company, and he found the time to "plunge" away and get the object out!

It took 4 hours and 3 attempts and FINALLY that "object" (aka. cell phone), was pushed through and discovered!

(Uncle PHIL, "NO the phone does NOT work!")
Sorry it is not available for use to you! :(

For the future parents out there~don't let your kids play with old cell phones because they may just clog up your toilet one day!

So, the boys have been BUSY around here. Therefore, at nap time I can't sleep since I am so worried what they may do "in their sleep" (not really) They are actually FABULOUS sleepers!

I have chosen to stay busy myself making cake pops and truffles.

It is a true delight and stress reliever! :)

Check out my "Cake Pops & Truffles Page" at the top of the blog for prices and details.

I would LOVE to make you a basket of goodies for some family and friends this holiday! :)

Until the next adventure or cake pop flavor,

Jenn :)

Now offering Riese's Piece's Cake Pops & Truffles

2011-10-18T17:26:00.000-04:00

Here they are all wrapped! I just made these triple chocolate cake pops for my sister in law's baby shower! They were loved by all.
The joyful thing about a cake pop or truffle, is that it is just the right size for that sweet little crave! You walk away not feeling guilty for having one! They freeze well and are great to pull out when you just want something sweet.
So that's why my new business card says "enjoy some of life's sweet delights!"

I have officially started a business!
I am dipping cake pops all week for a fall festival this coming Saturday. I am loving it and hoping not to come home with any or very little.
My cake pops and truffles can be shipped 8 months out of the year too. September -April.
Current flavors are:
*Apple Cinnamon,(dipped in white and cinnamon/sugar for garnish)
Butter cream,(dipped in white and Pepridge Farm cookie crumbs for garnish)
Triple chocolate( dipped in chocolate and seasonal colored sprinkles for garnish)
Oreo Cookie( dipped in White or chocolate upon request and cookie crumbs)
Strawberry (dipped in white& red sprinkles for garnish)
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (homemade batch of cookie mix and dipped in chocolate and peanut butter)
*Pumpkin-(Dipped in white chocolate and pumpkin almonds for garnish)
Red Velvet(dipped in white or chocolate upon request and red drizzle for garnish)
Chocolate Mint( dipped in chocolate and garnished with Andes Mint Pieces)
Smore Bites-(Marshmallow bites dipped in chocolate and garnished with graham cracker crumbs)

Let me know what flavor and colors you'd like and allow me to make a unique favor, or gift for all.
Cake Pops and Truffle =$1.00 a piece.
Custom orders that need extra detail =$2.00 a piece.
Shipping $8.00

Take me out to the ballgame

2011-09-26T23:21:00.000-04:00

"Take me to Oregon Park! Buy me some peanuts & cracker jacks.

I don't care if I ever go back!
For it's root,root,root,root for the GIANTS,if they don't win it's a shame!
For it's 1,2,3, strikes you're out at the old ball game!"
Parker is off to a great start of Tee-ball! His team is "San Fransisco Giants!" And he LOVES being on a team with his buddy, Tucker. :)
Tonight, he earned one of the game balls, for hitting his first pitches in both at bats.
We are very,very proud of P!
He has taken a love for daddy's favorite sport!:)
And there may just be some deep down talent~practice and time will tell.
Hope you enjoy seeing a few photos of P in action!

Parker in action just before he hit the ball!

He got to play "catcher" tonight and loved it!

"Can I play Base-ball too?" K Loves watching his brother, "Par-par!"

We will miss you, Abbey Girl!

2011-09-17T16:33:00.000-04:00

This is by far a post I thought I would be writing a few years from now! It's a post that I don't want to blog about but it is a chapter of our lives that has ended. Things have changed in our home. I am moved how the chapter ended, and must share about our goodbye with our sweet dog Abbey!
Last Friday, we lost our West Highland Terrier of 8 years. Abbey was the joy and spark of our lives 4 years before we became official parents to our boys. She had spunk, personality and she had unconditional love for us all! I will never forget the day we got her, Mother's Day, 2003. It was just one month before we celebrated our 1st Wedding Anniversary and we were SO excited to go and pick her up. After searching and searching for a "Westie" we finally found her! We fell in love with her the moment we walked in!
I will admit there was some frustration and sleepless nights in her "puppy days!" Mike would come home during his lunch shifts to let her out and by summer she was ALL mine. I was off during the summers since I was a teacher. Abbey was the sweet puppy, that only ate the left shoes, and always ate the bottom of my long flow skirts. She loved to get into the trash and shred it ALL over the kitchen!!! And she was the puppy that loved to go for car rides! If we just took her on 1 -2 car rides a week, she was a well behaved dog. If we didn't give her that attention she would act up or take it out on us in other ways... :) And she was that "puppy" that went on every trip with us and she was "that puppy that was secretly snuck into hotels" cause she was SO little and was so easy to handle :) Abbey and I made a couple special visits to see Mike the year he was auditing a client about 2 hours from us! Those were some LONG weeks for Mike. And HE loved having her and I come and visit (at the hotel...that of course we snuck her into.) We boarded her 1x and we never did it again. No comment needed. So, thank you to ALL our close friends & family, especially Mom & Dad Riese, The Hoeyes & Yvette for being our "dog sitters!" As you can tell, she was our first "baby" and we made sure to make that clear to all. However, we welcomed Parker into our home when she was almost 5 and she accepted him...but fell in LOVE with him when he had leftover dinner for her! :) He was her best friend during meals! One of her ALL time favorite snacks was Peanut butter and Tuna. She was my "assistant" in the kitchen and was always more then happy to try anything out :) I couldn't cook in the kitchen at all last weekend. It was SO sad not having her around. She was my assistant-waiting to try anything that "fell" or mommy happily shared. :} I know that time will heal, but not sure that I will ever be completely healed from her loss. However, I have had to learn to accept that the 8 years we had with her. She made our home special with her unconditional love. She was the perfect greeter to all who entered.
She didn't give us much notice that she would be gone by Friday, but I think in our hearts we knew it was soon. However, I don't think I could have ever been prepared for how I found her. But after I processed the WHOLE day, my goodness my heart smiled and realized she knew Friday was her day!
She woke up Labor Day puking. It was uncontrollable at times. She ended up being tied up all day to our kitchen. I saw her weakening before our eyes on Monday, so I got her into the vet on Tuesday. They gave her a shot for nausea and vomiting and we were all being conservative on NOT doing ALL this blood work, and X-rays. She had just been in the end of Aug. for a swollen Anal glad. She had just had had blood work for parasites etc. So, her Dr. really had an inkling that her symptoms were related to taking her prescriptions on an empty stomach! We had a follow up on Sat. and she never made it! She wouldn't eat and would only drink a little bit. I have moments where I kick myself for not rushing her in sooner!!! But I can't change what has happened. I need to cherish the time we had with her and know that our God is Sovereign! But I do have a gut feeling that she may have had H.G.E. virus! You can read about it below. The days to follow she just stayed the same. She never barked or whined.
On Friday, I closely watched her. She moved from room to room ALL day. She started her day out in Parker's room, then she made her way to our master bedroom, and laid on my side of the bed and then within 30 min. she had moved to Mike's side of the bed. I went in to get her by 2:30 and took her down to our family room. She had been laying on one of Kaden's blankets! :( My heart sank AFTER a friend pointed this all out to me). Abbey was spending one last moment with each of us.
Parker and I took her to the family room around 3:00 and I left the room around 4:00 to go chat with a friend and "nap". I found her at 5:45 "asleep forever" on our couch! (OK!!!! I am still suffering from this moment!) My mom calls it "Post Traumatic Dog Death Disorder!" I keep walking into the room and I keep seeing her and unfortunately Parker found her with me. "Mom, she is in here ASLEEP-but her eye is open!"
My mind instantly says-she is dead! Get the boys out of here! Then I think,(CRAP! How do you explain a dead dog to a 4 year old) and I instantly FROZE!!!! And then my mind and my body FREAKED!!!
NO! She is gone!!!
*But I have completely forgotten that I am a mother to 2 small boys who are in the room.
I don't care, I just start wailing and bawling and I have now completely turned into a state of shock. I dial Mike and it was NOT a nice phone call!
Mike answers and hears; "BAAAAHHHHA"~ "SHE IS GONE" I don't care about your job-you have to leave, NOW!" Don't make me take care of a dead dog!!!" "I beg you, please leave now!"
Mike responds-"ok! I will leave now and be right home!"
(He was suppose to work till 10 that night for GE quarter closing= basically a really crazy time at work for him!)
All during this phone call I am motioning the boys to go out and play! And I finally get them in the back yard. Parker has some idea, and Kaden has no clue! He just heard the word "outside" and ran to the door!
I have to tell you, I have no idea what my phone call was like to my mom except complete shock and screaming! (Sorry Mom! I know you were preparing to go help another Daughter, I really didn't plan to be so needy the night before your international flight! EEK) I love my MOM! She is awesome, when I am in a complete state of shock.
I am so grateful for our neighbors. I took the boys immediately down to the Hoeyes and waited for Mike to get home! I was a mess running down that sidewalk with the boys in the wagon and me running! I don't want to relive that day again.

Fast forward! We are sad and I miss her the most. She was with me the most. But we are making it! Miss her a ton in the mornings, meal time and when we go to bed! Here are some sweet photos of our Abbey girl :)
Thanks for letting us share the latest and I covet your prayers for this sadness to get better. (So silly...but she was NOT just a dog she was a part of OUR family!)
And many have said she knew her "daddy" well! She knew how frugal he was and it was only best to die "FREE" in her favorite spot called home! :) Seriously, glad all in all that we didn't have to pay the bucks and make the choice to end her time with us. It was her time to go. You don't have to agree, but I do believe we will see our fluffy white little,Abbey one day again. Or as the famous poem talks about it on "Rainbow Bridge!"
RIP Abbey Girl! You will be missed :)

Here is information on the virus that dogs can get. We are still not sure if this is what she had, but allot of these symptoms were similar.

What is Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis?

It is a possibly fatal disease which can strike any dog at any time. There is no known cause for it other than some speculation that it could be a virus, or parasite. It could also be caused by allergies, a change in diet, stress and many other reasons.
How do I know if my dog has it?
The signs are blood in the dog's vomit and bloody diarrhea. However, in Abbey's case, she showed no clear signs of blood in her vomit till the end, but she was puking allot. So watch closely. If you suspect that there is even the smallest amount of blood, rush your dog to the vet.
Is it curable?
Most of the cases of HGE have been cured. The most important thing is to recognize the signs early and act quickly. There is only about a 10-15% chance of fatality with treatment. That's WITH treatment. Without treatment, fatality is almost guaranteed. There is also a 10-15% chance of HGE recurring in your dog once they've had it. So again, it takes dedication and diligence to spot it and get your dog to the vet.
What's the treatment?
Hospitalization is a must. The vet will administer an IV with fluids, antibiotics and sometimes potassium. There is also a possibility of a blood transfusion in cases that need it.

Happy 4th Birthday, BIG BOY, Parker!

2011-08-30T21:05:00.001-04:00

Sat.8/20,Parker officially turned 4! Where did our baby boy go? I still remember the day we saw him for the first time,and we were filled w an overflowing bucket of love for him!
He has been the best boy for us to work on as parents(and we are so thankful for his patience w us.)We are thrilled to announce that two days before his birthday,he told us that he had to go poop in the potty!!!!!!!!WHAT!??? "He said the words, I need to go poop!?"
It was like a birthday present for us,from Him! A whole week has passed since his birthday, and it has been a daily routine for him to go potty &"poopy" ALL on his OWN! We are so proud of him! We have had quite the "poopy"dances around here w our BIG 4year old!We are so proud of our Parkeroo,and looking forward to a new year of adventures, lessons&blessings from the Lord!
Happy 4th Birthday,Parker!We love you.
(His 4th birthday video isn't done yet, but,I will post when it is:)

Ice-cream cake for the REAL birthday :)

Grinning away on the morning of his first day of 4yr old pre-school!~

Walking in with Ne-Ne....

Parker and his teacher, Mrs. Sandy

Kaden & NeNe enjoying breakfast @ Whistlestop

We have been a busy family the last 3 weeks! Preparing for the big 4thd birthday (party, WESTERN STYLE), his first day of school *(8/22), Parker's first season playing Tee-Ball- officially began on the 20th. And to top all of this~we just ended a two week visit with NeNe. We have had a house full of adventure and I have been absolutely spoiled with her assistance. She is like my second mom and somewhat of a let down, when we have to take her back to the Air-port :( BUT, I am grateful to God for the two precious weeks we have had with her. Here are some sweet photos of Parker's birthday. We had a special guest come to the party this year! His Name is "Woody" from Toy Story! Have you heard of him? We LOVE Woody in our house and I think MOST of the guests enjoyed his visit too. Some were thrilled,some were mesmerized, and some were absolutely petrified! (You will see below).
More photos to come and enjoy the video at the end of Parker in action on his scooter :)

He was greeting our guests till the "real" Woody arrived!

He came and handed out the kids goody bags :)

Parker having a "you've got a friend in me" chat with Woody!

Woody with the Jesse girl :)

Weigh In Wed Update & White Water memories

2011-08-10T17:01:00.000-04:00

I am down another 2. 4 pounds...so almost 13 pounds! I have officially averaged about 2 pounds a week. I didn't lose anything last week, but was down almost 2 pounds today! I am finally starting to get into a great workout habit (and of course a few bumps that keep me off my goal);Kaden had a small virus last week, and I was SO bummed I had to miss Spin class on Monday. I really have been trying HARD not to eat anything after 8 PM but sometimes it is difficult. Which is more the reason, I need to get my body in bed by 10 or 10:30 at the latest,so I am not hungry and tempted to eat any more.Hopefully next week I will be down 3 pounds! :) 17 more to go for that 30lb goal.

This summer has been a memorable adventure~White Water! I was SO nervous about purchasing season passes.I was dreading going there on a weekly basis (with out Mike's assistance) since K is my "menace" and BUSY, and then keeping up with Parker's interest, and of course, all the prep to get there etc.... But it has been a perfect investment of entertainment for the boys! (And a great time to socialize for me with other moms!) It became a weekly routine and a great way to wear the boys out for some good needed down time for me in the afternoons {wink}We went about 7 times and we could have gone a ton more. However, I was good for 1 or maybe 2 trips a week :) Just about every week we met up with other friends (who also had passes), or took guests in with our vouchers. We are looking forward to going a couple more times this summer. This is the last week that the park is open during the week. It will only be open on the weekends now through the middle of Sept. If you live in GA and are looking for a great activity to do with your family, get a Season Pass! If you go 2x it is totally paid for!

Here is Parker at White Water, with little Ava.

We have loved getting to know her from Church and she is one precious girl!

Parker saying his "good-bye" and going in for the "kiss" on Ava's forehead!

It was a moment to be captured...but I missed the kiss! LOL

Beach Bum Baby!! How cute is he!!? This is our neighbor and buddy Kai! We were so happy he finally got to come and join us. I LOVE this photo for him :) He is the most lovable boy with all his rolls. I just want to kiss him in this photo.

And aside from White Water....here are two recent photos of Kaden. He just turned 19 months and I am so smitten with his curls, he is getting cuter by the minute. He rode his first pony last week! (We were at the grand opening of a frozen yogurt place) and they were giving pony rides! He was so confident and begging to ride it! :) So, we finally gave in and put him on it.

And here is our most recent shot of him! 19 months old! :)

I better get busy and work on Parker's 4 year old video. I can't believe he will be 4 in 10 days! WOW!!! Time has flown by as we have been having a blast all summer at White Water :)

The Shooey Monster

2011-08-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

We have a story to share with you (at the bottom) But have to share my heart and a frustration as a parent first-and please don't judge us for playing games mentally with our almost "4 year old!" Just sharing a little creativity that sparked last night out of daddy's mind-and actually hoping that this "made up story" will click, & WORK with our little P! Hopefully this story will help other parents struggling with a pre-schooler refusing to "poop in the toilet!"
We began potty training P over a year and 1/2 ago. He took about 4 months to actually get it-go accident free etc. But we kept pressing on! However, we have yet to be "trained" and confident to "get the shooey in the toilet"-for about a year he would go at night in his diaper (around the age of 2 and 1/2), then we moved to pull-ups and he would purposely wait till evening to go. We started telling him big boys go in the toilet, started making charts, giving rewards when we he would go #2 in the toilet! He purposely did not care about the negative or the positive...and started holding it in for some weeks up to 5 or 6 days. His Pediatrician had us start him on Miralax and told us to keep a watch of his diet, pick our battles and don't stress over it (He is 3 not 4). She also informed us that It is VERY common for boys to take longer with potty training, then girls. Some boys are 4 or 5 before they get it! I really started to think -with our strong willed, cute little red-head, that he will be graduating in a diaper!!!)
After the arrival of Kaden (our 2nd son), my instant prayer was "Lord, please don't let this one battle with pooping in the toilet too!!!" How awful of an instant prayer? Right? But that was my mind in the early days with our newborn and P being 28month old. (We purposely did not even potty train P till after Kaden arrived. K was about 4 months old before we introduced potty training to P. I finally was getting some sleep and had a bit more time to commit to train P).
Well, fast forward 18 months of beginning the whole potty training world to P and we have successfully been going potty and yet one big problem...He absolutely WILL NOT go #2 (or Shooey, or poopy) in the toilet! He doesn't care if it is underwear, no underwear, a pull-up, just being in the backyard etc...as long as it is NOT sitting on the toilet he will go! (He also believes that we don't have to go every day). He thinks he has done it a few times and he doesn't need to do it again. We messed up BIG TIME on this explanation! So, now we are working with his mind and trying to brainwash him with some facts that we are hoping will stick. We are desperate for some help! If we get to his 4 year check up and he is still refusing to go, then the Pediatrician will take the next step (and I am sure refer him to a Child Psychologist!!??!) Really frustrating! So, what have we done over the summer with him? We have done the positive and negative! If you go then this?!!! Because you did not come tell us then this?! (He doesn't care!!!!) Neither approach has worked! We have bought $20.00 sticker books, offered to buy him games on the IPAD, nothing matters. An outright constant fear to go. Neither approach is working.
We try a method for 2 weeks..and no change! We switch the method and see no change. The day he did go for Joy, he actually came up to me-and said his tummy hurt (cause it had been 6 days) and he had pooped last week in the back yard and got in trouble....So, he came to me and said he had to go! He plain has not cared, this summer about it.
Maturity?!! Apparently so! I am really starting to think he will be 5 before he gets this step to potty training. I really think, we could put him in a room for 3 weeks with nothing, and as long as he could stay in there and not have to poop in the toilet he would be happy!
We have told him that if he goes #2 in the toilet he can go see Woody again (at Disney World)! His response, "No, I don't want to go see Woody!" I don't want to poop!" I already went poop for Aunt Joy!" Complete shock!!! (We are offering him a trip to Disney and he won't budge).
Back in May, he sat for 20 minutes on the toilet and Joy faithfully coached him and talked about how easy it is and got him to do it. ("In his mind-he should never have to do it again!") I have stressed to my friends..."We clearly have the most strong willed child to potty train!" They all want to cure it and have even offered their home and play dates with their kids as incentives! It doesn't matter to him.
I have thrown my hands up and given up! But I can't give up. I am his mom and it is our job to parent and be models. So, I am not discussing it and leaving the responsibility in his hands. But then if I do, it is sometimes 5 days before he goes, and I see a change in his behavior for NOT being regular.
He watches his friends go and when it is time for him to try, he runs or avoids the discussion. Being an educator, I know it is SO important to build a child up and praise them for who they are and all they have accomplished. We have had SO many talks with him about the fact that he is never afraid to go tee-tee in the potty. And he says, but I am afraid to "poop"! Well, we need to ask Jesus to help you not be afraid! We pray and talk about Jesus being bigger then ALL our problems. And this is something we need to do EVERYDAY, just like we eat everyday, our food has to come out of our body! (You get it??! Right? Or do I need to educate ALL of you too?)
Well, yesterday, he deliberately went in his pants and tried to hide it from me! I was so sad, that he did not come and tell me that he had to go. So, he had to sit in his room after we cleaned up and he read books. Daddy got home later and we told him what happened. Here is the creative Shooey Monster Story that sparked last night! (Praying it works)
All of a sudden, Daddy said, "Parker if you do it again in your pants-it is going to have to sit in your room and it will turn into a(Poop) Shooey Monster!" The only way it doesn't turn into a monster is if you push it out in the toilet water!" That's the only thing that won't let it come alive. You can't push it out in other water! You have to sit on the toilet and make it go down the drain. It can't come alive!"
P's response, "No I don't want it to get me!"
(Our response....OK then push it away in the toilet!")
Holding on for dear life that this story will stick with him!
....I am sure he will be curious now and actually wait to see if it really happens. I hope the "fear" makes him be a big boy and sit on the toilet!
Prayers appreciated and advice if you have experience with a boy (specifically) who may have battled this!! Thanks so much.

Cloth Diaper...WINNER!

2011-07-30T11:01:00.000-04:00

This was ALOT of fun and I wish we could give a diaper to all our entries. But there is only one winner, and that winner (as you can tell from the photo) is Sharon Eldridge,commented ;"Cloth diapers were all we used when I had my boys, but I have seen how much they have improved." Congratulations! I hope this diaper goes to good use for you.Sharon, please contact me and let me know your address so I can get it off to you. :)

There is a special sale going on at Nurtured (buy 5 cloth diapers get a 6th one free)!
So check out their site if you are thinking about this route.And of course it is my sister's business (so I am a little bias) but love passing on fabulous deals. On their FB page they made a note: (FYI, still trying to turn this into to a valid online code. If you add this in the comments, we can adjust your order.) So just mention the FB add (Buy 5 get 6th free and they will give you the deal). It is always a great deal when you can get one free with any cloth diapering company.
Thanks all for entering. I am sure we will have another give-a-way soon. I think I will have to have something special for mommies next time. Be watching~
Have a great weekend :)

Cloth Diaper Baby... FREE Give-a-way!

2011-07-24T22:10:00.002-04:00

We have just begun a new world of cloth diapering! My sister Jolyn, and her husband, bought an Organic Baby Business, Nurtured, in Canada back in the Spring. Jolyn and I met up in April and I got a day worth of diapers from her (we started with 4). I/ we slowly got "trained" on this journey. (A day for us is about 4 with our 18 month old :). I really LIKED them. But about 3 years ago I was not so open to them....

When I was pregnant with Parker (2007), Mike wanted us to use them. His boss and his family used them, and he heard about the great save over time it was. BUT, I wasn't ready for something else new on top of being a first time mom. I was NOT familiar with them at all. :(

Two years later, the cloth diaper discussion came up again through Joy. She told me she was going to use them after the birth of her second baby. I was rooting for her, and told her to tell me how it goes. But still wasn't to sold on it.
And then the third time it came up when my sister bought their store. So, it was really rooted in my mind, and I started seeing how easy it was to use them with my exposure to Joy's little boy. So, Mike and I invested in a week of diapers from my sister.
Here we are three years later and we LOVE them.(Mike loves that I make it easy for him. I wash them and fill the liners for him). The velcro tabs today are so awesome compared to the old fashioned "pin diapers" :)

Here is one amazing way to save over $50.00 a month on your grocery/toiletries bill;

The cost of an average diaper (before coupons) is 25.5¢.
Thus the average child will cost about $1,600 to diaper for two years in disposable diapers, or about $66 a month.
If you would like to read about some other interesting facts on why choosing cloth diapers check out this website -http://www.realdiauerassociation.org/diaperfacts.php
To invest in cloth diapers it is about $200-$300 up front, but when you look at the long term investment, it is HUGE! :)

Thanks Joy and Jolyn, for exposing us to Cloth Diapers :)
No turning back now :)
SO it is time to give you a chance to try a cloth diaper out!

How about a give-a-way?! :)
I have a black/white (Eiffel Tower) ChelseyPerry (Bum Genius) Cloth Diaper to give away...and I know you will love it :) http://www.bumgenius.com/bg4-artist.php

Here is how to enter, and you can get up to 3 entries;

Leave a comment why you would love the diaper.
Post the give-a-way on your website or blog and you can get a second entry by leaving the website where you posted it.
You can get a third entry by becoming a follower of my blog if you are not a follower already (and leave another comment that you are a new follower:)

I will have a random drawing on Friday, and winner will be announced on Saturday AM.
Ready-Set- GO!!!!
Good Luck :)

Weigh In Wed & White Water FUN

2011-07-14T16:11:00.000-04:00

BLAH :( Down 1.4 lbs. But that is 1.4 lbs less to total 30 loss and closer to getting it off. So that officially makes me at 8 lbs down...22 to go! Trying to get back into the swing of life now that we are back. Oh 22lbs- that feels like an eternity. And I KNOW W I cut out ALL carbs it would all be off...Ijust cant seem to leave out ALL carbs. I think body still needs some.I will have to keep motivating myself. I think I am jumping back into the consistency of Weightwatchers online. I love tracking it all on line. I know there are some other great websites out there too. One great thing about Mike's job is that they pay the full membership of W.Watchers. It is part of their Healthy Life Balance program for employees and family members. How great is that? Have to go to weekly classes and it is a great motivator on top of all other accountability. I know it works. I lost 17lbs last time I did it (and I was only 10 weeks in and got Preggo with Kaden) oh to wonder of the total loss if there was not a distraction in the journey?! Still cooking healthy and not really doing bad with choices. Just a week of little loss. Some weeks this happens. Heres to hoping 3 lbs off next Wed!

Yesterday, I took the boys to the local Water Park (White Water). Parker and I have seasons passes. It is a HUGE savings to have seasons passes. One visit is $40.00 (per person) and then parking is another $13.00! I got the parking pass for $30.00 (and it is almost paid for....used it 2x already). We took our sweet friends, Liz, Kayleigh & Caroline. We had a blast....and the kids wore themselves out. It is so fun to go with a friend and have playmates for the boys. Hopefully this weekend we will get to take daddy. Mike is taking a 4 day weekend after a long week of work (and he needs a break);he just wrapped up another quarter of closing...(in the world of finance @ GE) but it only happens 4x a year so I am grateful that most weeks we see him and we don't have those crazy hours. Therefore,we need some fun family time. Why not go spend a day at White Water?! It is alot of work to keep up with Kaden....but I consider the times I am there my workout for the day, after I lift him 50+x carry 30+times from sections of the park or push him 15+ times in the stroller. You see I get a good workout for sure! Not to mention sweating some in the "HOTLANTA" weather too! HAHA!
Kaden is my water boy. AND HE LOVES the pools. He is testing out the thrills of slides. Some of the water slides, he is scared. But most of Buccaneer Bay (Kid land) he LOVES. Parker is not so much a "Nemo". Although P is warming up to swimming and the Spring Swimming lessons helped a ton! But consistency,and going back and forcing him to swim alone, and slide alone is working. However he has fallen in love with 4 slides at Buccaneer Bay and goes down them about 50 +time. He is a happy boy to say the least. I always know where I can find him.
Here are some sweet photos of our visit.

Looking forward to finally taking Mike, so he can see the boys in action.

Parker Family History Tour (Ny Visit Part 3)

2011-07-10T19:49:00.001-04:00

On the 4th of July we spent the morning touring around Marathon, NY and getting some History on Mom Riese's family. Brian has been doing some heavy research on family names for their little boy. We visited where Mom Riese's father (Ludlow Parker) grew up.
We also got to visit the grave sites of her parents, (Ludlow & Doris Parker)

(We also visited Uncle Moose (AKA Uncle David)...he passed away in Feb of 2005. This was my first time to see his tombstone. His service was beautiful and he lived a life to the fullest serving the Lord, but we sure do miss him. We got to attend his burial service-and to see his gravesite was extra special. I wish the boys could have met him and for that have known Grandma Parker. I never got to meet Grandpa Parker *(Ludlow) but I have sure loved hearing stories about him. There is a beautiful Moose on (Uncle David's tombstone) but our shadows are in the photo :)

Here are Grandma Parker's Parents (The Kings) /(Mike's Great Grandparents)

Here are Grandpa Parker's Parents (Great Grandparents- to Mike)

And here are the Great-Great-Grandparents (George & Carrie)

And here is Susan Parker (I Think she is a Great-Great-Great) for Mike!?

Following Susan we got all the way to the first Parker relative of hers that landed in Marathon, NY...WILSON PARKER Born in 1776!!! (I believe this is Great-Great-Great-Great for Mike and make that 5 Greats for the boys :)

And that name happens to be our little Parker (but backwards). Our Parker is actually Parker Wilson (named after Mom' Riese's maiden name (Parker) and Wilson (after my mom's maiden name). How cool is that??! We had NO Clue that Wilson was actually a family name on Mike's side!
So this is Mike's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandpa (Who was born in 1776 and died on March 21, 1839)! So how far back can you trace your family history. I have to say it was very inspiring to hear stories of Grandma Parker's family and just see names of family members! I even ran across some Wilson gravesites and saw a "Clark" gravesite on our tour.... I wonder?

As Brian & Courtney have been looking at some names he decided to do a research of Family History. And possibly choose a name on his side for a middle name for their little guy.We found out Ludlow was actually named after his Mom (Sarah's) maiden name. It all makes sense now. So, we give allot of credit to Brian for actually tracing back to this Great-great-great-great-great Grandfather for Mike and the boys.

Please forgive me Mom R if I goofed on the order here.
We did capture a photo of Parker with Brian, Phil &Dad Riese at his father's grave site. Vernon Riese (Passed away in 1969) and though we did not know him, it was still special to see his grave site and hear special stories.

Dad Riese was only 14 years old when his father passed away. :(

Hope you enjoyed our walk down history on the Parker side. May have not meant much to you-but this is special for the boys to have one day. I am greatful for all the time Brian and Mom have invested to trace back to these special relatives.

Courtney's Baby Shower (NY Visit Part 2)

2011-07-10T17:05:00.000-04:00

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-15Baby Boy Riese is a sweet little blessing to the WHOLE Riese family. He has been prayed for, for over 2 years. We have walked a journey with Uncle Brian and Aunt Courtney, and have watched them loose 3 precious babies before he was formed.

To be honest, I don't think I could have been in their shoes. It is something that God had planned for them and it has made them a very strong and special couple. Their love and desire to be parents has been evident from the start. No doubt-they will be phenomenal parents. There are so many unknowns about the little one's personality, but they are willing to love and accept him as he comes. We know he will rock their world....after all-he is a RIese and they are Precious! :) I am not bias at all to having a Riese baby but we can't wait to see how he looks compared to Parker & Kaden. I hope you will join us in prayer as they prepare and embark upon Parenthood. Thank You for the many prayers that many have you have already bestowed upon them. This little guy is a miracle and we can't wait for his arrival.
It was a joy to throw a shower for Courtney and Baby Boy. My Mother-in-law, Miracle, Cousin Rachel & I all put it together. It was great and the food was awesome. We did an ABC theme shower, since Courtney is a Kindergarten teacher.

She loved it but I think the most touching part of the shower was the baby blessing bank. We got a special turtle bank for the baby's nursery. We had everyone put a penny in the bank and wish a blessing upon the baby boy, It brought tears to all our eyes. I got it on video and hope that he knows how much he was prayed for before he was born. "Baby Boy-We are so excited to meet you and want you to know how much we all love you. Now promise to sleep ALOT for Mommy, and never cry except when you are hungry or tired!"
HAHA (We all know that only a few babies out there are like that) but I hope they get a baby that is like this :)
Enjoy the sweet photos of the shower...We will keep you posted upon his arrival.

Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

(I can't take credit for carving this baby! My Sister-in-law Miracle is SO talented and did an amazing job with all the decor and much more) How Cute is this?

Ok! I can take credit for this yummy treat! We made Red Velvet Cake Pops and dipped them in White Chocolate and drizzled baby blue chocolate on them....*shower was on July 3, so they had a patriotic look :)

(Courtney with all her hostesses :) *Mom R. Me, Courtney, Miracle & Rachel)

A nice touch for the mommy to be....White Roses and Blue Hydrangea!

It was a beautiful shower and so sweet to have many friends and family come out and shower Courtney and Brian with many,many gifts and love!

Thank You all for helping us throw a great Shower :)

Our Visit to NY (Part 1)

2011-07-10T16:10:00.000-04:00

Here are the photos of our trip to NY! I must say the flight was smooth. Kaden got a double ear infection THE DAY BEFORE we left (I am NOT joking) BUT we caught it this time and did NOT end up in the E.R. Boys slept like bears at NeNe & PaPa's house, and we made tons of memories. But of course the whole purpose of our trip was NeNe's 60th Birthday and Aunt Courtney's Baby shower. It was a joy to be there for both milestones.
Mike had considered flying in for 36 hours but the times to travel and his intense work schedule would not allow. We missed him dearly. I must say that the family got burned out playing Baseball with Parker. NeNe got Parker a plastic baseball bat and that thing did not leave his side. It managed to stay at NeNe's house (since we couldn't bring it on the airplane) but we have to get one for here now :( It is in his blood...and I must say that boy has an ARM...Look out Major League Baseball-Parker is in training :)
Kaden ended up bonding with NeNe and for that we are grateful for. He didn't know them that well. He got to sleep every night at NeNe & CowBoy's house. Parker and me stayed at some family friends *(who are not living in their home for the summer); they run the church camp near by (BaYouCa) and Uncle Brian & Aunt Courtney stayed in the guest room. So, Parker, Me, Uncle Phil & Aunt Mir-Mir (Miracle) all had a sleepover at the Warner's house. The nights were late but worth it.
Big family news as I stated earilier was the upcoming arrival of Riese Baby #4. Uncle Phil & Aunt Miracle are expecting their first baby on Kaden's Birthday :) What an honor and sweet little blessing this will be. We are all praying for a little girl, but ultimately a healthy baby! They find out the middle of August the baby's gender and we are so excited.
Here are some of our highlights...the Boys LOVED going over to camp and hanging out with Cousins Deanna & Rieley.
(Parker staying entertained on the plane )

Swimming in the Camp BaYouCa Pool with their cousins (Summer Lifeguards)

Assistant Lifeguard for the Day- Lifeguard Parker :)

The Boys LOVED riding in the go cart :)

Parker & NeNe spinning the lettuce that came straight from the garden.

Kaden bonding with PaPa (Cowboy).
On Sunday Night, July 3, the Parker family had a big cookout and bonfire at Cousin Chad & Rachel's house. It was fun to have Aunt Jackie & Uncle Milo come up (the Newly weds in the family :)
Aunt Jackie getting acquainted with Kaden:)

Chad playing BASEBALL with Parker and his little girl, Alina)

The boys with Uncle Phil & Aunt Mir-Mir

Here they are...The soon to be mommy & Daddy with Baby Boy Riese in the belly:) We are so excited to meet the little guy @ Christmas time (due to arrive Sept. 25th).

Plan B! Smores on the grill! Fire was to big and hot to let the little kids near-so we roasted marshmallows on the grill :)

Kaden in his glory....he LOVED cousin Casey's horn and the lights on his truck "Whee!"

Parker eating his first Smore with NeNe...he liked it till it got messy-then he was done!
This concludes part 1 of our trip....now time to do part 2...the Baby Shower!

Enjoy all the photos :)

9 Years & Weigh in Wed

2011-07-07T18:24:00.000-04:00

Mike and I celebrated 9 years of marriage on the 29th of June. Unfortunately, I was in NY visiting my in-law family for a very special Baby Shower. So, we will be celebrating our anniversary later. I am so grateful to God for the blessed 9 years we have had. Blessed more then we deserve. Grrateful for the years we have learned to lean on each other through thick & thin. And looking forward to our future that only God holds the key to. Praying we will continue to grow more in him together as we embark upon many more years to come. We are looking forward to celebrating our big 10th next year! -More thoughts to come when we finally get to go out and celebrate.

The boys and I had an absolute blast and they loved seeing their aunts and uncles, and spending tons of time with NeNe & PaPa (a.k.a-Cowboy). Mike was working (it was closing at GE) so hopefully next time we go up he will be with us.

I love this photo of my mother in law with the boys when we first arrived.

So many more great highlights to come and precious photos of the baby shower.

It was SO awesome the be there for Courtney and I can't wait to meet our little nephew at Christmas. We got more exciting news-Mike's youngest brother and sister-in-law are expecting their first baby on Kaden's Birthday! (That would be Baby Phil, to many of you. He is going to be a daddy! :) YIPPEE! Hoping for a girl :) We will keep you posted.

Weigh In Wednesday Update:

I weighed myself the day we left, (so it was actuallyTuesday) and I was down another 2.4 pounds:)

I will take it. I weighed myself when we got back and didn't loose since the 28th. (But of course I was ever so tempted with the good ol' birthday cake, baby shower cake and the family chocolate chip cookies!)

So almost 8 pounds since the end of May.

Back to reality it is for me~

It was fun to be away and pictures to come. Our stuff is still in the suitcase. I hate that I have not touched it-but we have only been home 1 day. That will have to get all unpacked tomorrow. We decided to spend the afternoon with friends and it was well invested time and relaxing for me. Summer days are so precious and I love wearing the boys out at the pool!

Weigh In Wed!

2011-06-22T13:01:00.000-04:00

That's right! I am officially logging my weight loss progress on my blog. I am on a mission to be down 30 lbs by my birthday (mid October),and for sure by our 10th Anniversary, June 2012. Along time ago I told Mike I needed a good motivation and was feeling frumpy and not happy with my body. He came home from his trip to Brazil and had a great motivator for me! I was shocked and excited and insulted all at 1x. (But I wasn't-I was actually thankful that he was aware of my frustration with this stagnate weight loss) and not going anywhere!
Here is the challenge- I have a BIG sweet tooth which has slowed my weight loss down! However, I am determined! I am finding "healthier" sweets to eat and making this weight loss happen. I have done Weight Watchers (in the past) and that works and I am still following much of it. But I am making this a "life" change. It's not a new diet. As my friend, Lorelei, shared from her Body Boot Camp Weight Loss Program....The first 3 letters in Diet are D. I. E....and it is so true! We are so sad to be kept away from all those foods we love, but the "diet" won't allow. I really believe God wants us to eat everything in moderation, but to ultimately take care of our bodies and be aware of our portion control. I think I should have lived in Bible times. Only Fruits and vegetables, fish (which I can't stand), and of course homemade bread....but no such thing as ice-cream, cookies (you get it)??! Therefore, I am making more conscious choices on all that we eat. I have no problem cooking from scratch. I am sad that to be healthy it cost more, but it is SO worth it. I find it a battle about 2x a week in my mind "If I eat this brownie then I have to run 3 miles to burn it off and then do some additional workout!" I usually only give in once to that. And the other times I pat myself on the back for walking away from the brownie. I need to keep working on my sweet tooth! I am the first to admit that it is my number one weakness. I am sure if I completely cut out all carbs and NO sugar of any kind I would drop it all in 2 months- But I am losing it a little bit slower, and watching my carb intake and enjoying my life with the boys and taking care of this body.
Here is the Motivation (PRIZE)-Mike and I will officially celebrate 9 years of Marriage next Wed. This time next year, I am hoping to be back to the original size 6/8 that I was when we first met AND if I lose it all He will take me to ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is right-he came home from Brazil, handed me a book on Italy and said here ya go! We can go when you get down 30 lbs & and also celebrate our 10th Anniversary!!
It has been a passion of both of ours to go there! We have never been away from the boys (except for a 24 hour get-a-way last June) and we need to do this for our Marriage and I need a BIG motivator! As much as I dislike his business trips with GE...the air miles are banking up fast! Looks like there will be enough air miles for this trip next year. We have many other dreams but this is something we need to do for us. I hope it does not seem selfish or a waste of money (and thankfully we should be debt free by then)-and so it will really be a 3 fold trip, (10th Anniversary, debt free and Jenn's weight loss)!
It seems impossible right now to get to two of these goals, my weight loss and completely being debt free! But I am trying really hard to be more driven and make it happen FAST!
I am so thankful for Mike, loving me (for me and never being critical of my baby belly etc) and loving me for me & great friends running with me(Samantha & Joy),and Lorelei for getting me signed up at the YMCA almost 3 years ago! Still going there regularly and taking classes! :)
I have finally found some classes at the YMCA that are working :) Monday nights-Spin, Wed night-Zumba & Thursday night- (my least favorite) Total Body boot camp....(It is GOOD)!~ I have that love/hate relationship with that class. And on top of the classes I also make sure to run or work out on the eliptical and do 4-6 miles a week. So, no excuses why I can't get this weight off by October, Right?!
So now I am adding some cyber accountability! Just being real and hoping to encourage some other mommies out there. My friend Laura and I are both on a mission to be down to our goals by October. (We are both October babies) Want to join us??
Hop on over and pass her on a note of encouragement...she is doing awesome and has cut our all sweets! (I need to be like her-she is my biggest inspiration) We went to college together and had a blast being suitemates my sophmore year! I think She and I will have to have a celebration some time when we reach our goals :)
I weighed in today and I was down 3 pounds since last Wed. I am thrilled!
Since I started this new workout plan and healthier food intake-I am down 6.4 lbs.
So, only 23.6 lbs to go by October.
Thank you to all my sweet friends for helping me and keeping me motivated.
Italy 2012 Here I come....(30 lbs lighter :)

Kaden's First Haircut

2011-06-21T13:43:00.001-04:00

Kaden was looking oh so pretty! He had curls that were beautiful, and hair long enough on the top for me to put a ponytail in. Ok, not such a good match for little boy hair . Therefore, it was time to cut his curly hair.

We have accepted our first borns red (a.k.a-orange hair) and now we are accepting and falling in love with our second borns curly, blond hair! Amazed at how God forms each one of these children so different in looks &complete opposite in more ways then one but have the same parents :) WOW! Love them both so much and so blessed to be their mommy & daddy.

Kaden's first haircut was at a local barber shop that gives babies their first hair cut FREE! (That was all daddy needed to hear for me to get it cut!)

We had her cut about 1 inch off the top and just under 1/2 inch on the back of his curls.

He was SO good. Kaden is known as our 110% active child, but for his haircut he stayed put! Completely shocked!~I was SO proud of him. We had a few tears,but the sucker was a great distraction.

Kaden with Miss Kelli who did a great job cutting his hair :)

(He was getting tired by now, and not into taking any photos.)

I can't believe he will be 18 months old next Wed!

WOW!

Sweet Summer Strawberry Jam

2011-06-12T17:09:00.000-04:00

Summer time is here and the strawberries are in full season!

It's time to make Mom Riese's Strawberry Jam!
(a.k.a Sure Jell Freezer Jam). I am just keeping the tradition alive and following the same recipe she made for years. Mike and his brothers grew up with this yummy homemade jam, and he still loves it just as much today. He does not have a sweet tooth, but he sure does when it comes to homemade jam! He is so simple to please and with Father's Day next Sunday, this sure makes a sweet,simple and in-expensive gift for him. (He knows he is getting it and excited to come back from his business trip to some home-made jam :)This also makes great little gifts to give away, even at Christmas- (since you can freeze this jam).
Sure Jell Strawberry Jam is easy to follow in as little as 30 minutes.
Strawberry Jam Ingredients
Makes;(5-6 small 8oz jars or 3 large ones):
* 2 containers of Strawberries (or 2 cups of finely chopped berries)
*3&1/2 Cups of Sugar
(recipe calls for 4C-but I do 3&1/2 & chop up another 1/2 cup berries)
(There are boxes of Sure jell for Low Sugar and No Sugar recipes).
*3/4 C.Water
*1 pkg of Sure Jell Pectin
Follow the directions for Fast and Quick Strawberry Jam
I love this recipe because, it will freeze up to 1 year.
What are some things you love to make that you only make in the summer time?
Can't wait for the jam to set and eat it on some good ol' toast in the morning :)

Memories, milestones, & memorable moments in May

2011-06-06T22:32:00.000-04:00

May was a big month for us.
Alot of teachable moments for us all, lots of memories cherished and it ended the spring season.
I had a blast last Friday, with Joy and another friend, Pam at the Outlets! We shopped away,sweated away (in the car that had NO AC) and of course talked away! We agreed it has to be an annual trip around the same time. It was SO refreshing and we came back renewed and revived LOL -It's amazing what retail therapy can do for stay at home moms!
Today was our first visit at the neighborhood pool.
Kaden was devastated when it was time to go! I have a fish that hates to be out of the water. I will have to capture him at his best next time we go down to the pool .

Here are some of the highlights and memories from the month-
(Extended)Family-The end of the month, the boys and I will be flying up to my in-laws for a very special visit. There is a very special little boy arriving the end of September into the family. This little boy has been prayed for, dreamed for, hoped for and is a MIRACLE to the family. Mike's older brother and sister-in law are expecting their first baby ,(4th child) on 9/25.

Here is a recent photo of me and Courtney (back in Jan at a family wedding)

They have 3 babies in heaven,and have embarked upon a road that not many travel and so few understand. I must say that Mike and I have NEVER been in their shoes but we traveled this road with them and we felt so helpless but hopeful in the Lord! I am so tickled to be a part of this celebration and help host a shower for my SISTER-in-Law. (I do LOVE her just like one of my own). I know Brian and Courtney would covet your prayers through the rest of their pregnancy with their baby boy. His name will be announced when he is boy...so I have been calling him "Little Peanut!" (And I had a little fun shopping for him recently too :)
God has heard our prayers, (and he has always heard our prayers, but it hurt to see God take those 3 little ones home) and he is once again blessing us all with another baby to enjoy soon in the Riese family. Please pray for me as I embark upon ANOTHER journey to fly ALONE with the boys! I am looking forward to the visit (once we arrive). Mike has closing for work, so he will not be able to go home.

*And I must make a special note...I have been training and got all registered to run the Peach Tree (Atlanta's 10K on July 4th) BUT I am skipping it and passing my number onto Joy, since I will be in NY for this big celebration! The Peach Tree 10K will always be here every 4th of July, but this baby shower is a one in a lifetime opportunity! :)

Financial Celebration- We have been on the Dave Ramsey Plan since 2006. BD (Before Dave), we were swimming in college debt and credit card debt. So, we no longer have any credit card debt, and just this month we no longer have any more college debt for me to pay! Now we are just onto paying off Mike's student loans! It is a big relief!! Now that is behind us, we found out 3 months ago that we need to put in a good chunk of money on the exterior of our home (ASAP-siding, painting and we need a whole new front door re-built) we had some issues with termite damage...so we emptied our emergency fund and got a new installation of Termidor done on our home. Now we are back to re-building our emergency fund and saving a ton of money! So, we have NO big summer plans BUT we are making a BIG exception for the trip to NY! It really is something I felt strongly about being home for. I knew in my heart that logically it was not right with our plan and financial situation to go home, but emotionally I was feeling a tug to go. I AM the FREE SPIRIT, People-pleaser, and hate NO for an answer and I hate saying NO to people. Mike is the financial geek (in D.Ramsey terms and the frugal one in our marriage) So, really this was a rough-rough journey. Mike and I talked and we have moved some of our finances around and we have a new plan for the rest of the year financially. However, it sets us back a bit with our plan for the work on the house, but I/ we are just praying that God will be honored by this decision. I must say that I was tickled to get 2 plane tickets for $420 for all 3 of us to fly. So, I am praying that I do not get "punished" with all these "obstacles" on our trip! I really want it to be a blessing and memory for the boys and praying that we can meet our financial goals sooner then planned! Will you please pray with us? We are trying to be good stewards of what God has given to us and also trying to get rid of this debt.
I am also thankful for our Treadmill selling. I just decided to sell somethings and make some money to pay for the flights :) It is so hard to live like no one else so we can live like no one else later-BUT it was the happiest feeling in the world to know that my college debt is paid off. However, most of the credit-goes to Mike for punching the numbers all the time and keeping us working toward our goal. No, it has not been easy-and I get off track and then I get back on and now I am motivated...to keep going! We don't like this financial baggage- One more year and Mike's will officially be paid off :)

FUNNY-Teachable moment with the boys-
Parker has never been a biter but 2 weeks ago, out of the blue, he bit Kaden on the knee! I was shocked and I was not going to have that kind of behavior. So, I bit Parker back on the hand to show him how it feels (and I know that some parents do not agree with it) but I knew it was what I needed to do. So, he immediately cried and said "Mommy, that hurt I need a new hand!" (I turned away and laughed) I turned back toward him and said well, "Kaden needs a new knee!" He said "Yeah! Can we go get them!?" (LOL) It was a very teachable moment and we sang "o be careful what you do with your mouth" then we discussed that Jesus only gives us 1 body part each and we never, ever should hurt someone elses body like that!
I think it has clicked with him *(I hope).I am so amazed at how young the sinful nauture begins in these children and I feel so overwhelmed at times about the vast responsibility to teach the boys right from wrong. I know that I can not catch every wrong doing, and some moments my reaction has been "unacceptable" but I pray that Parker and Kaden will learn discernment and be kind natured boys.

Friends-We got to celebrate Kayleigh and Caroline's birthday just a couple of weeks ago and a few other special friends birthdays! Caroline is now 2 & Kayleigh will be 4 in July. It was a fun night and special to celebrate both of the girls. The boys LOVED playing on the BIG jumpee and on their trampolene!
We love them so much and LOVE seeing them when we can. :)

A month of memories,milestones& moments I/we will never forget.
Here's to wishing all a fun and fabulous SUMMER! :)

Last Day of school- "When he was 3"

2011-05-19T22:59:00.000-04:00

He went 3 days a week and was taught by two very special teachers, Ms. Clare and Ms. Kelley. We are so grateful for the Lord hand selecting each of them for him. He LOVED walking into the classroom and saying "I'm Back!" He had a way of "lighting" up the room the moment he walked in.

What a comfort it was to have him love his class and LOVED his teachers! He loved learning new things each month and most of all he was taught from a Biblical foundation! As parents with no family in town, it is a blessing to have BHBC and the opportunity to send our "boys" there for Mom's morning out and Pre-school.

Parker (First day of 3 Year Pre-school)

(Parker today (May 19th) celebrating apparently that it's the last day :)

Kaden will enter Mom's Morning Out after he is 2~(fall 2012). He gets one more year home with mommy :)

I am so proud of our little man Parker.

Yesterday he was a little boy and today he is growing up into a big boy and quite the charmer!

Some of his BIG 3 Year accomplishments this year; writing his name, numbers & letters, color recognition, monthly Bible Verses, traffic signals, new songs, and the big one this year....overcoming the fear of going "pooey" in the toilet!!! Yippee HE finally did it all on his own! I was worried he would be 10 before he would.

Hats off to another great year of growth!
We ended the year with a special carnival for just the 3year old's today (4's went yesterday, and 5's go tomorrow), with jumpies, cotton candy, popcorn, bubbles, games, snowcones and a picnic lunch with the class and other 3's classes on the lawn. It really was a neat way to end the year!

Miss Clare and Miss Kelley were very tickled to get their gifts today (Cake Pops) and I was a happy mommy today to receive his "All About Me" book today.

It is a neat collection of the year and his growth!

I really can't believe he will be in 4 year old Pre-school next year!

His next adventure... a trip to NY to visit NeNe and PaPa.

We are looking forward to a fun summer and a break from the crazy schedule of getting off to school :)

Cake Pops

2011-05-19T21:35:00.000-04:00

I got creative for the end of the year teacher gifts. As a teacher, it was always special to get some "unique" gifts at the end of the year. Now it is truly a joy to give back to Parker's teachers who have made a huge impact upon his life. Therefore, they deserve a little extra appreciation from us. So this year my creativity was "sparked" for that "unique" gift- thanks to Starbucks for inspiring me to whip up some Cake Pops!

Joy wanted to do something for Trey's teachers as well so I encouraged her to embark upon this "cake pop" journey with me. So, we split up the list, went off to hunt down our needed items and baked away. Then we dipped and decorated together :)

We are thrilled with the success of them and the flavor is out of this world!
Want to try one?
I may be onto something new in my life!!
...Watch out Starbucks,these taste better :)

Flavors: German Chocolate, Strawberry Angel food, Brownie Cream & Red Velvet.
The cake pops were presented in these darling tin cans we found at Target :)

A day off from my full time job.....

2011-05-15T20:50:00.000-04:00

It was a real joy to celebrate another special Mother's Day with Mike and our two sweet boys. I am amazed that God has chosen for me to be a mom. Being a mom has a vast responsibility! The definition of MOM with all it's requirements is somewhat overwhelming but some days rewarding!
I do not say that in a negative way at all. However, I treasure my opportunity to just stay home and be MOM. But, I do not know how Mom's do it in the career world full time? I completely respect each one's convictions but right now-I need to be home. Some days I miss the classroom but I really am grateful to God that I can just be home and "teach" our boys.
So, how much value and worth is a full time mom?
Check out this article for the full breakdown on a mother's worth (click on the back button to see all the roles for what a mom does)....

If you were to put a price on all the roles of "mom" per year here is an idea:

cook ($27,000)
maid ($20,000)
laundry service ($20,000)
Psychologist($76,000)
TOTAL VALUE OF A FULL TIME MOM =$143,000

But I think our real reward will one day be in heaven.
However, I love the Psychologist role-all those teachable moments and moments we don't love so much (the lecture or time out in Target or at Chic-fil-a) are worth over $38.00 an hour! I do not want to get money for being a mom, but it is sure nice to feel appreciated and have some time off occassionally. WOW, if you are full time MOM you are worth $115,000 a year! Give yourself a pat on the back. If you are working mom, you are worth an additional $65,000 (something to be proud of :)!
As Mike would say,I get so caught up in the stress and full load of being MOM, (24/7)~I rarely sit back and enjoy the little joys! (Sigh) I am trying to relish the moments better and not get so worked up about the small things. As many of you know, we don't have family in town, so rarely do I get a full day off!(But then again? What full time Mom does?) Now that we have 2 kids, I have a greater appreciation for "Mother's Day" and the "holiday" that it is :) It is starting to become a favorite holiday of mine. This is the one day a year that I must say, Mike goes ALL out to make sure I am pampered, appreciated, and treated like a "queen." Not having family in town, he knows how tireing it gets and I know he feels like he has 2 jobs-but he NEVER complains about it,and makes sure I get my breaks! :)
(I do not deserve MIKE-he is a gem and has been such a blessing to me :)
He took me out to dinner and a movie (without the boys on Saturday night). Sunday we spent the whole day as a family. A trip to Starbucks, church, my favorite BBQ and spending the day as a family :) Mike had to leave for Brazil on Mother's Night. He made sure to get the most of the day spent at home. The night ended with my favorite ice-cream sandwiches....Chocolate Mint Skinny Cows! It was so sweet to eat my favorite ice-cream dessert with Parker. I am so blessed.

(This is a hilarious photo and the best we got....Kaden is being Kaden and Parker, (DOES NOT want to take a photo)

(Mother's Day Luncheon; I had another sweet time with Parker at his pre-school.) I am so in love with this little boy (even when he is SO strong willed). Photo can not show it, but he just started getting freckles!!! :)

(Heart Attack on a plate! (AKA=Ooh-La-La) from a famous restaurant in downtown Acworth! It was my Mommy night out meal. I was running it off the next morning :)
Mike always is looking for a "gift" idea for Mother's day-but I gave a big hint that my biggest desire this year was a day off! (I do not say that in a negative way, or to say I do not appreciate or LOVE being MOM (24/7), but there is something special about a big upcoming "day off"!)
I come back refreshed and renewed. If you have family in town and get breaks frequently, cherish it! I am trying to focus all of my time on the boys. BUT, I fail many days, as I get impatient and stressed. But I am so glad that each day is a NEW day. ~~I think my 7 years of teaching and creating lesson plans set a standard for my expectation of "mommy-hood" ERASE!!!! ERASE!!!!~~ I have learned that there are NO lesson plans in the world of "MOM", but it is still good to have a set schedule for general routines. However, I have had to BE FLEXIBLE and most of all be a role-model! (That is so humbling and I fail so much). I want our boys to grow up with a love and desire to serve the Lord, respect authority, and be a gentleman :)
Since there are NO days off and NO weekends in the world of MOM, my wish was granted. That longing for an end in sight, a day off, something to look forward too-NO "kid" responsibilities etc. was given to me by Mike and the boys. Mike took an upcoming Friday off and gave me some $$ for some shopping (for ME???!) I guess I shop for the boys so much, I don't do much for myself anymore.
I think I have convinced Joy to go with me. (Anybody else want to join us?) Looks like we will be going, Friday, May27th around 10AM!) THANK YOU, Mike! Good luck :) But, I already know me....I will be leaving Mike a schedule, I will be calling in and YES, I will miss them :) But, I will try not to feel guilty when I am away for the day.
"MOM, before I became a mom, I never grasped why you always wanted a quiet house and NO gifts! It all makes sense now!" Mom always said that all she wanted for Mother's day was "a cup of tea, a quiet house and time to read (uninterrupted)!" WOW-two kids later...I get it!
My mother and my mother-in-law have taught me SO much about being a mom, comforted my heart during frustration or failure and laughed with me during milestones accomplished or just memorable moments with the boys. (And they often remind me in moments that I don't find funny-that I will one day laugh!:) THANK YOU both for being a Proverbs 31 role model! I could not be where I am today without both of you in my life.
I have come to accept that it is important for me to have that alone time as a mom. So, May 27th is coming and I can't wait. Some day when I have many hours and moments "Off" I will be wishing these days and moments back.
So, what do you do for yourself on a weekly basis to get time "off" for yourself?
I know that many of you have similar situations like me-and I would love your ideas, besides the obvious (Trip to target, working out at the Y) :)
I would not get this day off if it were not for our two sweet boys. I have to share a cute video of Parker singing his version of the "A,B,C's"-He does not say "L,m,n,o,p"-instead it comes out "I'm a little P!" It is priceless and THIS is why I LOVE staying home and capturing these moments.
Blessed Mommy :)

Highlights of Chicago & MI

2011-05-07T22:49:00.000-04:00

OK, we have been home for almost 3 weeks-and on April 21, I started drafting this blog! Here it is May 7 and Ugh! I finally have had the time to sit down, upload photos, debrief our trip and finally publish.

I love that we got to visit my family. But there are some "not so good" moments that always occur while we are away-and as my mom says, "it will make me laugh SOMEDAY" -so I better blog about them for now. 'Cause I don't laugh in most of my stressful moments when we are away OR HOME for that matter! Oh, the joys of being a parent. :)

There was so much that occurred and so much to remember. But not one part of our 10 days makes me regret going. You can not put a price on being together with family, and it is treasured much more when distance separates us. :)
So, I collaborated all our "peak" moments and put them into a top 10 list.
10."GATE-PASS" The whole reason this trip was "somewhat" successful, is all because of the gate pass we got Mike. (Well the prayers from all of you and family was what really made it a success.) But if you have to travel alone with small children you need to call the airline and add a "Gate Pass" for your spouse or 1 family member to assist you all the way through the airport. I could not have done this flying trip with both of the boys and no assistance from Mike or my dad. What a huge blessing it was.
I am the first to admit: 1.NO, the flight was not relaxing for me
2.No, I do not recommend flying with a 15 month old who is ACTIVE,
3.NO I do not like changing a poopy diaper on a plane in the bathroom,
4.NO, I do not like having to ask for assistance from strangers for help with the boys.
5 BUT I LOVE having that Gate Pass and we may just do it again (but hopefully not for a while!)
THANK YOU-Air Tran.
(FYI: You can not walk up the day of travel and get a gate pass, it has to be scheduled ahead of time).

9-Trip to the ER...you know when we go away that somebody always gets sick! Well,Kaden didn't sleep the whole first night....he was coming down with double ear infections. Our second day in Chicago he spiked a fever (101)and my dad and I took him to the local ER. By the time we arrived his fever had spiked to102.3. Dr. Diagnosis=Double Ear Infection & Upper Respiratory. Poor little guy was miserable :( I have to give a shout out to the Alexian Medical Staff from the hospital. We got in and out in 45 min!!! Unheard of for a trip to the ER?!!

We were VERY Impressed. I cringed that we had to miss a family cook-out, but I am so glad we had Kaden seen.

8-Chocolate & Chi Tea-that was my sanity for those sleepless nights. My dad and sister learned fast what to order me from Starbucks "Chi tea late with non-fat milk! Amazing how little things make the day much better when you are away :)

7.-Birthday Celebrations, My mom's official birthday fell on Easter this year. We really wanted to be in MI for the special day, but changed plans to attend my Great Uncles Service. We made sure to celebrate my mom's birthday one week early & Ordered her, her favorite cake from a local bakery! Cake was gone by the end of the night...it was GOOD! :) We made it even extra special and celebrated with our long time family friends, since our "2nd Mom" has the same birthday as our mom.

6-Friends! I had a great visit with a great friend from College, Jen and her kids. They drove an hour to come and see us and we had a blast hanging out at my sisters house. It was amazing that it had been 10 years since we had seen each other, but good ol' FB has kept us in touch. Jen's kids were adorable and the girls played great with Parker. Her youngest little boy, Maverick is just about 5 weeks older then Kaden, but go figure-he looks like he is months older in the photo. It is always a tradition when we are home to get together with Family friends..The Hutchins. And I love catching up with Becky and seeing
Mom :).

5. Sisters-I had a sweet time visiting in Chicago with ALL my sisters in Chicago & bonding with 2 of the three in MI. We even got lucky one night and had a Sister only dinner...and splurged with face masks and just relaxed with some good ol'chocolate! :) I always wonder what life would be like if we all lived near each other? :)

4.Kodak Moments-we took so many photos while we were away...but these are some of my favorites. I am so thankful for Modern Technology and being able to capture these moments.

(holding the newest addition to the Clark family, Graham :)

3, Uncle Richard-My heart sank, when I heard that Great Uncle Richard was not going to make it around the end of March. He was SO precious to the Wilson family and he was the glue that kept us all connected. Even though distance kept us apart, it was still so fun to get duplicate Christmas Cards from him, have calls from him once in a while and have that "grandfatherly" care from him. My grandpa and Great Uncle Richard had a rough upbringing and I am amazed that they did not let history repeat it self. They left us so many stories for us to cherish forever. It was an honor to be at his memorial service and then able to attend his Internment service. He served in World War II and I was speechless and in awe of the tribute that was given to him that day. I always get chills when I see military men and women folding the precious red/white/blue and then presenting it to the family. My Aunt Mary was given the flag and I know she will cherish it forever. All of us Wilson girls got bracelets to wear (from my mom and Aunt) as a sweet memory of Uncle Richard's love to us (and they have a little heart on them). You are deeply missed Uncle Richard-Thank You for the beautiful legacy,financial example,godly wisdom,advice, and most of all your love and care to our family. :)

2. Sleep (on vacation)-Kaden was cutting 4 teeth while we were away (on top of getting over his infection) so he did not sleep the greatest :( Unfortunately, most of the family was affected by a screaming 1 year old when the Motrin wore off nightly (eek) but thankfully, near the end of the week-we all started getting some sleep...and the Hallway closet that we had Kaden sleep in was perfect :) He needed a private room to be in and get accustomed too LOL (It was not working sleeping in the same room as mama :)

1. My Family, THANK YOU for all the love and hospitality while we were away!

A shout out to my awesome Brother-in-law,Eric for getting us rooms (suites) at the hotel. It was so much more "homey" for the long weekend. My parents aged a bit more with the activeness in Kaden (but it was a blast to be with them for 10 days). And the week in MI could not have been more fun for Parker and Kaden, with a special shout out to my Sister, Jodi, brother-in-law John and Grace and Josh for putting up with us for the week and allowing us a blast on the family "farm!"

Ok, I have finally debriefed and now I can't believe it...my mother-in-law is begging me to get on a plane and fly up with the boys the end of June for a family baby shower!!!
Hmmm?? I wonder if Mike is going to go for this trip.
FYI- that sleepless night in the hotel, Mike's cell phone was flooded with me venting via-text message. Again, I can't say it enough-if you have to fly alone with small kids, get a gate pass for a member in your family to help you~Thanks again to Mike and my Dad for making the trip much, much easier. We will keep you posted on the next trip :)

(I must say that part of my delay has been issues with blogger photo upload.) Anyone else struggling with this??! So annoyed :(

finally home in daddys arms

2011-05-07T15:11:00.000-04:00

Easter Photos 2011

2011-04-06T15:42:00.000-04:00

The Photos are in and we are thrilled!

THANK YOU JasonPendley for an awesome photo shoot :)

I stated in my last post-but I will be state it again-look which one is all into touching the bunnies!
LOL
Happy Easter :)

Spring has sprung...

2011-04-02T23:19:00.000-04:00

and it is officially time for our annual Easter photos!
I have made it a tradition (that I must keep up with) to take the boys for Easter photos (And we get a pose with an Easter animal).
I love the spring and I love the Easter Holiday.
It means NEW Beginnings and of course the New Life in Christ :)
Parker's first Easter he posed with a grey bunny. His second Easter he got to meet a baby lamb named Liam.
Last year it was Kaden's first Easter, and let's just say there were not just tears but lots of them. Parker was paranoid of the rabbits and Kaden wanted a nap :( but they posed with two bunnies).
This year we had our good friend and photographer Jason Pendley, take the photos of the boys with once again two furry, cute little bunnies!
We are happy to report that there were NO tears and he got some great shots~"Yippee!"
Parker was hesitant and kept afar distance from the bunnies. However,Kaden, could not get enough of those little bunnies. (ie; attacking them, pulling them up by their ear, picking their fur....poor baby bunnies :(
These two boys are like night and day and keep me laughing :)
I am looking forward to the photos and can't wait to post them.
Here are some fun snapshots I got after (as we were watching some other friends get their photos done).

The boy has no fear and was in LOVE with these bunnies :)

(Escaping from the attacks of Kaden :)

As Easter means new life and beginnings we are excited to share that we have some "new beginnings" officially in our house....Kaden is walking! He has taken a few steps the last couple of weeks, but the confidence has arrived and he took off tonight.He took over a dozen steps tonight. He is like a little robot with his hands out in front of him and walking so proudly:)
The neat thing is that Joy& David came over to visit since her parents were in town.We all witnessed before our very eyes Kaden in action! We just watched and cheered :) It was so sweet! He may be our second born, but the excitement and overwhelming joy all surfaced again for Mike and me, like it did the day Parker took his first steps:)
We are SO proud and excited for this "OH NO"-new chapter of his life.
EEEK..watch out Kaden is walking!
Happy Early Easter to all :)

THANK YOU,Jason Pendley for a fun and memorable day of Easter photos with the boys!

Share
|

Memorable March Moments

2011-03-29T17:55:00.000-04:00

March is coming to an end and we have done ALOT this past month!
Here are some of our highlights:
Parker had 3 birthday parties this month.
Parker was invited by three friends this month to help celebrate their 3rd birthdays. They ALL had their parties at the local Gymnastics Academy. We surely had no problem looking for entertainment on the weekends.

Happy Birthday to Charlotte, Emily and Sailer! Parker had a blast at all 3 of your parties :)

Mike just turned 31 and we had a simple celebration and good' ol Chocolate Mint Cupcakes from our sweet friend, Cynthia! (Mike and I just went out this past weekend with our good friends, Rick and Lorelei for a long awaited date and we celebrated his birthday).

The middle of the month I had a date with Parker and took him to NCCS (where I used to teach) to see their Spring Musical-Beauty & The Beast! He LOVED it and so did all of our sweet friends that joined us.

Kayleigh and her friend, Reese (dancing in the aisles as Belle sings)

(Parker, Kayleigh and Reese-we also had Reese Allen and Marlee with us too:)

(Me and "Sweet Caroline")

Most days he wakes up and "ROARS" at me and says "I am the beast,I am going to get you!" And I say-"No! Where did the sweet beast go?" I constantly remind him of the nice, sweet, beast at the end of the show! He is all boy but deep down he is so sweet and very lovable all around (even the stubborness:)
We LOVED having Kayleigh Bugg join us (her dad and Caroline too).Liz got sick the night before and was unable to attend. So, Daddy stepped right up and made a night of memories for Kayleigh :) I know she LOVED it and Parker LOVED having her there!
Kaden has taken a few steps this month and we are working daily to make it more then 2 or 3. It looks like he is completely following in Parker's footsteps...Parker was 15 months when he officially walked. Today, Kaden is officially 15months! I am blown away...where did our little baby boy go? I feel like a broken record most days...."Kaden, NO-NO!" Kaden,No-NO!" that is because I am constantly chasing him away from the toilets, we tend to forgot to shut the door, or get him out of the cupboards! Never dull around here.
I took him this AM for his check up and he has slowed down for sure. He is 27.1lbs and 30&3/4 inches. 50% in each category!

He is quite a charmer and loved by all-especially at Birthday parties :)

Please keep my family in your prayers. My Great Uncle Richard passed away last week. He has been precious to our family, and most of all he filled the gap as "Grandpa" the last 25 years since my grandpa (his one and only sibling) passed away. So, we will miss Great Uncle Richard and are forever grateful for all his love and care to our family. He always made us laugh at Christmas time- the past 3 years we have gotten two cards from him, one was always signed "Love, Uncle Richard" and the other was always signed, "Merry Christmas-Dick Wilson!" We got double the Christmas Blessings :) We will miss those cards. He made a special effort to make it to all of our weddings and was a trooper for our wedding since it was in June and was well over 90degrees that weekend. Uncle Richard would have turned 89 this July. He loved the Lord and certainly is no longer suffering. He had congestive heart failure and also came down with pneumonia the last couple of weeks. So, we are rejoicing that he is with the Lord and comfortable. Therefore, the boys and I will be flying into Chicago the 2nd weekend in April for his memorial service. We will be spending the weekend with my mom's side of the family and staying in a hotel. Once the weekend events are over we will be driving to MI, and staying with my family for a full week. It's been 1 year since I have been home and 2 years since Parker has been in MI. I am really praying for a sweet visit with my mom's family and really looking forward to the "break" from normal life and just getting away to see the family. We had originally planned to go up to MI the last weekend in the month for Easter, and would miss seeing my sister, Jolyn and her family (who just moved to Nova Scotia). But now I will get to see ALL of my sisters. God always has better plans and I am happy that he worked it all out for me and the boys to be home for a good stay.
I covet your prayers for the boys to adjust and adapt to our weekend schedule and the 10 days away. They are both great sleepers once they get settled. I really need prayers for my 2 hour direct flight. (First flight going there is into Chicago then coming home we will be flying out of Flint,MI) It will be Kaden's first time flying and of course ...2 hours straight on my lap! EEEEK!! I think Parker will be fine since he loves playing the IPAD and is easily entertained by technical devices.
Looking forward to April's Adventures :)

March Madness :)

2011-03-10T22:07:00.000-05:00

March~ Really...Wow! Oh joy...March Madness is coming! March is a "mad" month for us. We always get zapped with illness. Poor little Parker was so ill last year with his double ear infections. It went on to long. I had just gotten over a bug. Well, here we are one year later and the bug is back. Buzz, buzz, the bug zapped Kaden really bad. He has had both ends really bad for 3 days. I got it Wed. I am hoping that Mike and Parker stay well
When we don't have illness attacking us, we keep busy. Always bigger adventures each month. Never dull around here. However, I still cherish the days that there is NOTHING going on and we can just stay home and be :)

Parker is officially 3 and 1/2 and all done with his 2-3 hour naps. I usually have a day or two each week that I catch him trying to snooze at around 4 pm and I quickly wake him up and find a good distraction. If he does fall asleep-we pay a big price at night...ugg! He had a whole week off of school for winter break so we made a special trip to see Kayleigh Bugg and Caroline. Parker was thrilled to go to Kayleigh's house and play with her trains :) We always have an awesome time with them and it was so much fun to see the girls. We are happy that they didn't move to far away.

(Parker had fun with the paint outdoors-and enjoyed painting Kaden's head)

(Dr. Parker, checking out Caroline's heart)

(Kaden was in awe a little too much of Carolines hair-she loved it as you can see..NOT!)

Parker just had his first dentist visit and he made it through! I tried back in Jan to have him get a cleaning with our family dentist. But he was scared and we chose not to go through and traumatize him. So, I took him to a local Pediatric Dentist! LOVE Brookstone Pediatrics :) Crazy thing is that they now recommend 1 year old vists?! So, I scheduled Kaden to go at 15 months. Might as well de-sensitize him now so he can have a full and thorough cleaning by 3.

(this lasted about 2 minutes and we ended up doing the exam with Mommy)

Kaden is officially 14 months and just inches away from walking. It is really nice not having to carry around a 30 lb 1year old...However, it was so nice when he would stay in one place. Now, I can not keep up with him~ he is mesmerized with the toilets, trashcans, mommy's computer mouse, basically anything that he is NOT to be in! -If it is breakable he is for sure to break it-and if it can not be broken...he will find a way to break it. He is full of life and keeps me on my toes :) I love him so much and saying "NO-NO" to those irresistible blue eyes is hard!

I just ran another 5K with Joy and a couple of other friends! This was my third race. It was Joy's first 5K and it was so much fun to be apart of it with her. Lots of training just to get your body to run 3 miles straight...but then comes a 10K in July! More training, motivation, perseverance and hard work for a one hour race!? YUP! It is all worth it even though I have a love/hate relationship with running. I love the good changes that it makes on my body when I consistently keep it up.It's a great stress reliever. However, I hate that some days it is harder to run the distance. It is a mind over matter for sure :) But it is SO nice to have some good running buddies to help me press on! Just like life is a constant race to finish strong and serve the Lord it is the same in the races.I always want to do better then my last time and I never want to stop. I hope to keep it up.

Mike is forever the same godly, loving, supportive, PATIENT, fun, husband and daddy! I am so blessed and shocked at 9 years of all that he has accomplished. But the growth and the man he has become over the years has truly impressed me. He is aging and maturing but one thing is for sure... he will never outgrow his love and excitement for his SU Orange Men! He is about to enter the zone...."March Madness"!
Hilarious how it is always around his birthday....March 15th:)

Let's go Orange :)
We will let you know how they do!
Let us know if you want in on the Bracket Contest :)

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T10:38:00.000-05:00

Free greeting card personalized with Smilebox

Parker's Valentines Party with Daddy

2011-02-10T22:22:00.000-05:00

Parker has had a great year in 3 year old pre-school.
We have seen him develop a deeper vocabulary, better listening skills, create new friendships, learn more about God and sing some new songs. But there is something sweeter about cherishing some of these pre-school moments on paper and those precious projects! I can't keep every paper that comes home, but there are some "musts!"
This week we got a special "must!"
Tuesday morning, they had "Donuts with Daddy" thirty minutes before school started. Unfortuantely, Parker wasn't able to attend with daddy. Mike was out of town for work-so the teacher sent home two donuts for them to enjoy later :)
To prepare for their little event they made some special ties for daddy to wear,created some cards and special valentine crafts. One special card for Daddy, I could not stop laughing at!
Parker's perspective of his daddy was recorded well when he verbally responded back to his teacher with the following answers;
My Dad's Name is ______MIKE______. (CORRECT!) (He hears mommy say it enough!)
My Dad is __3___ years old. (ALMOST-CORRECT just add 0 to that 3 Parker ;)
My Dad's favorite thing to do is to work.
(INCORRECT! But Daddy's favorite thing to do beside playing with his boys or watching sports is "to work the BUDGET" LOL-Well we have to teach him more about the hard worker that daddy is and how he has been a great provider for us all :)
My favorite thing to do with my dad is play puzzles. (CORRECT! That is an understatement! Computer puzzles or puzzles on the floor...Parker LOVES his puzzles!)

I am saving this "must" card for his box of keepsakes :)

Mike was able to rearrange his work schedule for Parker's Valentine Party. He was the only daddy there BUT Parker LOVED having him there!

Mike,
Thanks for being a phenomenal daddy to Parker and Kaden and an awesome & loving husband to me!
We are all proud of you and the hard work you do to provide for us.
I know it meant the world to Parker to have you at his party.
XO
Happy Valentines Day,
Parker, Kaden and Me :)

13 months later...

2011-02-01T23:27:00.000-05:00

Our sweet baby boy, Kaden is officially 13 months and outgrowing the "baby" world! He has become a sweet,strong-willed (oh to much like big brother),giggly, fast, happy, big blue-eyed toddler!
He is not a red-head but a blond?! Hmm, are we ever going to have a brown-haired or for that matter, brown eyed child? He resembles my side of the family, and he is definitely a "MaMa's Boy" 110%!
He cries for me if I am out of his sight. Kaden pitches the biggest fit "like the world is going to end" when I drop him off at MOPs or the church nursery.
(I think he is SO much like his mom-apparently I acted the same way around this age...YIKES!)
And in just a few short years, he will not have a care or cry for me?!
I love our sweet baby boy more and more!
Rewind 1 year ago....Winter 2010-
It took me awhile to bond with Kaden right after he was born! I must say that I never have once taken for granted the blessing and privilege from God to be a mom. I know that there are many women out there, longing to be mommies and would have done anything to have been in my/our shoes 1 year ago. But I am just reflecting my heart and being straight-forward and deep down honest.
I was completely overwhelmed at the care and demands Kaden required from the moment we brought him home-I was trying to figure out his different cries and felt like a failure as a mother, when he was unhappy. Above all that, I was overwhelmed with my time having to be split from him and Parker. And of course I was struck back that he came 3 weeks early! So I had a load of STRESS that was unbearable. This was our baby that screamed anytime I put him in the infant seat carrier and often took 3-4 attempts before he was content in it (making my preparation MUCH longer to get out the door). He had horrible reflux. Thankfully he slept and was not a severe case of "colic" that often is associated with reflux. However, laundry was a complete discouragement! BUT I loved him unconditionally and didn't care that I went through 3-4 shirts a day. Some days all he wanted was for me to hold him, and I couldn't get lunch till maybe 3:00 (which was usually when both boys were asleep). I couldn't wait for him to grow up more and become a "happy" baby~ I am so amazed that we survived and I think it was adrenaline and above all the grace of God that got me through those first 4 months! I had no sleep the first 4 months and all he wanted to do was eat. I often felt alone and wondered how I would make it to his first birthday? No family to rescue me while daddy was at work? But, at the right moments God brought the needed help and support along the way through friends and calls from my family!
Within those first 4 months we had him dedicated at church and Kaden was presented with a bible and a plaque with the meaning of his name. How encouraging it was for me at that season of life we were in, that I was longing for "peace" for him as a baby/ and his name means "peacemaker!" I was seeking to have peace and harmony in our home...and it was right before my eyes. I was focused on the "discouragements" and not looking at the gift that God gave us!
I pray he WILL live up to his name and be a peacemaker to all.

I am thrilled to fast-forward from the winter of 2010 and announce what a peaceful little boy he has become 13 months later !

I would never trade those sleepless nights for the lessons that God taught me and the special bond I DID develop with Kaden. However, I am SO much more LOVING the sleep-filled nights this winter compared to last! :)

What an amazing peace a mama can offer when there is a full night of "peaceful" sleep!

We have loved watching him embark upon new journeys each month and celebrated some special occasions too. One very special occasion being his first trip/visit to New York to meet daddy's family.

We went to visit Mike's family last month for his Aunt's wedding.

It was priceless to watch the family interact and fall in love with him.{wink}

I was able to capture a special bond with him and Uncle Dan "worshipping" in church.

It was Kaden's first time to sit in church and hear the music. He LOVED the music and what made it even better, Uncle Dan is a Music Minister in OH. "A boy after his own heart!"

We love the little peacemaker he has become!
I thank the Lord for the blessing he is to our family; and the lessons and peace we have had the past 13 months :)

Share
|

Parker's 2011 Valentine Day Card

2011-01-25T16:32:00.001-05:00

Orange Uglad Valentine's Day Card

Create personalized greeting cards and invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Snowmaggedon 2011

2011-01-20T18:58:00.000-05:00

Snowmaggedon 2011 visited us the 2nd week of January.
Many of my friends on FB were calling our Winter Snow/Ice Storm Snowmaggedon! It was an intense winter storm that dropped 4-9 inches of snow in our metro area. Once the snow finished, it was time for some sleet and freezing rain! So, that is why we got SNOWED IN for 3 whole days! Remember, we live in the South and these storms are rare. Therefore, little equipment (all of 11 PLOW trucks) is far from able to clear the MANY roads in GA to be out on icy roads and temperatures below 30 degrees.

Mike NEVER stays home for work, and he stayed home for 3 days. Our driveway was a sheet of ice and we got 7 & 1/2 inches of snow (with ice on top).

We did not leave for 3 and 1/2 days! It was a lot of fun to be "snowed" in and talk with many of local friends on SKYPE and family far away! However, by day 3 we were beyond ready to get out of our neighborhood!

Parker was not too excited about sledding on a trash-can lid. I am sure it would have been more fun if friends were able to play-BUT he loved having daddy home to "play trains!"

Maybe we will have to invest in a real snow saucer now for 2012...since we have had snow hit us the last 2 years now?! HA
Here is a photo of our snow storm Last year...

(Parker in the Snow 2010)

I can't wait to see the snowstorm for 2012! HA

Baby Kaden is 1! at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-01-08T00:42:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! Here is a review of 2010 in photos and videos of our baby boy Kaden, who officially turned 1 on 12.28.10! What a blessing he has been to our family. Looking forward to a new year of adventures with our family!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Kaden!

2010-12-28T23:12:00.000-05:00

Today is the day...Baby Kaden is officially one! {sigh..tear}

I feel like just last month I was sitting in Tri-Age waiting for the verdict to see if I was going to have this baby before the end of the year.

Here is Kaden's birthday story and a sweet reflection of mommy's denial and daddy's joy that our baby was coming on 12.28.09!
(If you don't want all the details...then just skip to the bottom).
I have posted a video of the birthday boy eating his first Ice-Cream Cake! It is hilarious!)

The beginning of December, 2009, I was overwhelmed with the fact that I was "supposedly" going to have a c-section about 2 and 1/2 weeks after Christmas. I had no energy and really didn't want to put up any Christmas decorations! Well, I got up the bare minimum up and decorated to make it fun for our then 2 year old, Parker. What I didn't realize is that the "braxton" hicks that I was having on a more "regular basis" were regular consistent contractions...and I was ignoring them till after the holidays!
The Tuesday before Christmas, I was totally struck back! I was already 2cm and 70% effaced...I was at the beginning stages of labor and I was only 36 weeks along. My OB told me that this baby would not make it to the first of the year! I was in denial...We had a plan...this baby was coming by C-Section Jan. 13th! I sort of packed my bags. (But I was fighting God to just get us through Christmas). But I really didn't want my baby before the 1st of the year! However, Daddy DID! Daddy wanted a big Tax break and of course have the baby fall on the old insurance plan!  I really think Mike had a big talk with God! Mike was thrilled that I was having more and more "contractions" on a regular basis as the month came to an end! Well, we made it through Christmas and I was thrilled Baby stayed in.
Well just two days later I was miserable. Sunday night, December 27, I awoke at 4AM with contractions every 3-8 minutes. I refused to call my Doctor... I could NOT possibly be in labor? So instead, I got in the tub and tried to relax. I still had 3 weeks to go. I dealt with the pain till my office opened at 9AM and just asked if I could come in! I got a call back within 15 min and my OB insisted on me heading to the Hospital. I of course had to be convinced by the nurse to go to the hospital! I had to get Parker situated. I had to call Mike and get him home from work! *(Yeah, he went to work...that morning...I let him go!) We made it to Kennestone by noon and we sat in Tri-age for 5 hours! I was begging to go home and had SO much to do. After all, I had been having contractions on and off for almost 1 month. My OB put me on Tributilin to try and stop the contractions...but nothing worked. This baby (and we didn't know if Kaden was a boy or a girl) was coming out tonight! I thought I could make it another week. Ha! I didn't win that battle. At 5:30 PM on December 28th, 2009, Kaden arrived via c-section. I was thrilled my OB worked it out to be there!

So, December 28th officially became Kaden's birthday and so we celebrate our sweet boy today and each year to come just 3 days after Christmas! God DID answer my prayer for this baby to have a birthday any day besides Christmas. It was SO worth it to have him before the end of the year. It was ALL God's perfect timing~My in-laws came down (because my mother in law had a week off since she was a teacher), so they were able to assist us with Parker for the week!~ and for that we are truly grateful!

The year has been a long one with many illnesses, sleepless nights at the beginning, getting Kaden beyond his Reflux and adjusting to life as a family of four and balancing our everday responsiblities! BUT it has been so rewarding to have him as a part of our family! His laugh lights up the room, his smile melts our hearts, his love for Parker and just the fact that he LOVES his mama makes me melt and Parker's love for him is precious! It is truly a joy to be his mommy and daddy and we are so honored that God has chosen Kaden for our family! We pray that one day you will come to know the Lord, Kaden and know how much he loves you and how much we love you!

Here is a sweet video of us singing "Happy Birthday" to Kaden and he is checking out his FootBall Ice-Cream Cake. (We have a tradition to eat Ice-Cream Cake on the real birthdays around here!)
Let's just say -He LOVED it!

Video (Part 1)

Attacking the cake video...(Part 2)

We had a fun day celebrating Kaden. NeNe flew in for Christmas and Kaden's special birthday! So, we met Daddy for lunch! Tonight for dinner, NeNe, made homemade Maple Turkey Burgers and ended the night with a Carvel-Football Ice-Cream Cake! So fun to have celebrated our boy all day today!

WOW-What is this??!!?

(Yummy-I love it on my face...I wonder how good it really is?!)

(Not enough...I need to pick up the whole thing)

(Now this is GOOD and I LOVE it!)

Happy 1st Birthday Kaden A.K.A ("Sweet Pea, Chunk of Love, Tank, Mommy's boy, Baby Kaden),
Daddy, Mommy and Parker love you!

Share
|

Rough month...Disney get-a-way!

2010-12-19T22:35:00.000-05:00

The week before Thanksgiving we began with a handful of illnesses. We totaled 19 days of illness and it got to be discouraging for me! I had many sleepless nights and I vented to my mom many mornings over texting at the yuckY 3am! I am the first to count my blessings that God has given us 2 sweet boys. However, there are moments in the midst of non stop illness that you have to mentally look hard for some joy. There is no such thing as a day off when you are a S.A.H.M! I am so thankful for other friends who are in this role and choose to give "breaks" to me! It has been a huge joy to have Joy and David finally here. They live about 2 miles from us and have jumped in to help me and Mike often. We had, pink eye, ear infections, hives, colds, asthma flare up and Strep throat all in 19 days time frame. About 2 months before Thanksgiving, Mike signed up to play in Orlando for a softball tournament. We agreed in Sept.that we'd make a family trip out of it. Little did we know that it would be so needed. However, the week before we went, I doubted that we would make it. Parker was SO sick w his strep. Thankfully, I found the energy to pack for us all and we made it. It was the first time for me, Parker and Kaden to go to Magic Kingdom! 33 years old and I finally made it to the most Magical place on earth! We had perfect weather, happy boys and 9 hours of complete fun. Parker lit up when we ran into Woody from Toy story! He was excited to see the characters all over but seeing Woody and being able to ride on a real train was the icing on his cake! I have tons of photos. Not only have we been I'll..but so has my computer.It has a virus and a friend is fixing it. So, when I get it back I will upload photos from our trip.
God really knew we needed the trip. It was a great trial for an upcoming drive we will be making in Jan to NY to attend Mike's auntS wedding. The boys did great...thanks to our spacious van, a DVD player and a mommy that could sit in the back and entertain while daddy drove! Memories for sure...we will cherish! I know in 5 years I will laugh at the rough month we had, but seriously....no more illnesses for the rest of 2010! We hope you all have a Merry Christmas...and stay warm!

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-04T16:27:00.001-05:00

With Love Blue Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Christmas Card 2010~50 FREE CARDS SHUTTERFLY DEAL

2010-11-30T17:38:00.000-05:00

December First has arrived and that means our mailbox will soon be greeted with MANY cards from our beloved family and friends. I am really thinking about investing in a Christmas card wreath because we get SO many cards each year, I think we got over 50 cards last year. Ever since Mike and I were married, we have faithfully mailed out 50+ cards. (If you are not on our list and would like one...sign up now! I don’t want to leave you out :)

Blogging Mama's, don’t miss out the deal for 2010! This year, Shutterfly is giving 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers! That is right-you can save some cash for some extra gifts this year and get really nice cards thanks to Shutterfly! Once you have signed up, they will contact you via email and share the steps with you to get you in on this great deal. Now, that is the way to start off the Christmas spirit and make this blogging mama SO excited to have some extra cash still in our holiday budget! Yippee!
.....Ha-Ha! One problem! The family photos?? Now, what to do for our 2010 cards? Mike LOVES going out and posing for that perfect Christmas card photo ... (NOT)! I actually am in love with some of these cards and thinking I may stick with one of these this year, because after all-a posed photo is not as exciting as candid right?
Here is my #1 Favorite (Monogrammed B/W candid) that I think we MAY do! I am a HUGE Fan of monogramming...and this allows me to pick 4 favorites of our boys and of course place 2 all time favorites of our whole family! What do you think?

And of course....they offer great add ons like these matching address labels....so cute!

Here is my #2 pick.....The traditional POSED FAMILY PHOTO
(IF I force all 4 of us to go out for that POSED photo of us currently!)
I love the striking poinsettia/paisley look at the bottom! (I am in the red mood today :)

And my #3 favorite is 2010 chcolate brown monogrammed collage! I love all the photos in color...and I love the color brown! I think this is elegant and I love the year displayed on the card.

We will see what really comes during Christmas card order time for me! Ha-ha (I always stress myself out and get those matchy-matchy coordinating outfits...for that perfect card!) But we have over 1,000 photos on the computer and we did have family photos taken in August, thanks to Jason Pendley, who did an AWESOME JOB!! Mike, you may be lucky this year and not have to get all dressed up for cards after all! LOL

This December is a big milestone for us, since Kaden, will be turning 1! So, I have allot on my mind for his first birthday and of course the Christmas to-do-lists! Therefore, I am in love with this 1st Birthday announcement for our little guy!

You must check out some of the great calendars you can make for the grandparents! Such a great gift if you are not sure what else to get the precious grandparents!
Don't forget to check out the deal for 50 free cards if you are a blogging mama!
What do you think?
Care to weigh in on which card I shall pick for our family?
Please share your thoughts and do let me know your address so you can see which one we end up choosing! {wink}
Happy December to all :)

Share
|

THANKSGIVING Acrostic 2010

2010-11-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
My time as a SAHM was completely captured the whole two weeks before the holiday. I had two sick little boys, and 1 sick daddy. I was not able to get on here and post some daily things that I wanted to post. I was really getting discouraged and had a rough two weeks. I was getting worried that we would not be celebrating Thanksgiving at all.
Parker and Kaden both landed in the Pediatrician's office the Wed. before Thanksgiving with ear infections. Poor Kaden was really sick. It was his first ever and it was VICIOUS. He had (DOUBLE) ear infections and ended up on two antibiotics before we saw any improvement and drop in a HIGH fever. All of that caused me to go with LITTLE SLEEP for about 72 hours. Rest seemed like an eternity away when I was coping with him. I must not forget one other detail ;Parker was getting over Pink Eye from the weekend before and Mike was coming down with a 24 hour bug! To top it all, the Thursday before Thanksgiving-I got a 12 hour bug or had a mild case of food poisoning-causing Mike to re-arrange his work schedule that AM. Hallelujah! We survived and we are well! We had a beautiful Thanksgiving with some friends from our church small group. It was a joy to have a break from cooking this year. We missed celebrating with Mike's family but we hope to be together next year with them for Christmas.
So, I am finally getting to post my Thankfulness in a unique way.
I have not done this in a LONG time, but it was fun to do and I need to do this yearly!
(Christy has a great ABC Thanksgiving List and it motivated me to share this way.(Since I didn't get to do my top ten list).
So here is my acrostic for THANKSGIVING-from my view as a S.A.H.M....

T-Time spent with the Lord and his word and being home with my boys=Priceless
H-Hugs and happy giggles from Parker & Kaden, and Hershey Kisses
A-Amazing Husband who loves me, accepts me and appreciates me for all my flaws and goes above and beyond to be the best husband for me and daddy to our boys! (So much more I could say here).
N-Nap time (no other comment needed here)!?
K-Kids-Parker our favorite red-headed 3 year old & Kaden our newest addition and beautiful blue- eyed boy
S-Starbucks Vanilla Chai Tea Latte with non-fat skim milk (a therapy drink this year :)
G-Girls Night Outs...(SO AWESOME to have them when I can get them).
I-Incredible parents (my parents & in-laws) doubly blessed
V-Valuable friends who take the time for me, our family and help us out when we really need it
I-Internet-My connection with so many dear and far away; I am forever grateful for the support it brings to connect with so many!
N-New Beginnings; No day is ever a repeat of the "rough days" as a S.A.H.M. and God's word reminds me of this sweet promise- Lamentations 3:22-23 "Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
G-God! His love, strength and most of all salvation for me...I could not be the wife, and Mom today if I didn't have him!
What would your THANKSGIVING Acrostic say?
Can't wait to read your acrostics!
Happy Thanksgiving to all :)

Share
|

10 Days till Thanksgiving...

2010-11-15T15:44:00.000-05:00

So here is the countdown for my top 10 list:
#10
Today, I am SO thankful for a great night of sleep.
We have NOT seen that in a long while!
Rough weekend~
Kaden is cutting tooth number 7 and 8 and has an awful cough=not a happy 10 and 1/2 month old!
Parker has been battling a 5 or 6 AM wake up with the NEW time change and just got diagnosed with PINK EYE yesterday =a miserable 3 year old!
So, NO sleep on Saturday night was a long day on Sunday!
Last night everyone SLEPT ALL night...thanks to GREAT Urgent care that got us in and out in 1 hour, medicine for Parker's eye and albuteral (brathing treatment medicine for Kaden).
All of this allowed us to get the boys in bed at a decent time and we all slept till 7:15 AM!
YIPPEE
So happy for ALL the nights we have no events and get great sleep.

Share
|

Trick or Treat...SU Style

2010-11-02T16:45:00.000-04:00

This was Kaden's first "Halloween" and I had all these great ideas of what I wanted to dress him up as. Since he was called our little "sweet pea" when I was pregnant with him, I thought it would be cute to order this!

Or even order this,when I was considering Parker to be "Peter Pan" with his red hair.

But Parker doesn't know Peter Pan and a baby Pirate was not fitting for Kaden.

So, as the end of October neared Mike came up with Parker's costume and together we decided on Kaden's. Daddy actually WON the vote!

Parker LOVED it and I was thrilled with the $10.00 expense total...Thanks Target! All we had to buy was Kaden's costume. We had EVERYTHING for Parker!

And yes, the helmet is an original SU that Mike collected at Camp BaYouCa in the Skit Night Costume Box when he was a counselor, about 10 years ago! LOL
And a very fitting costume for our "chunk of love" or shall we say Quarter Back, Kaden!
Kaden was Parker's Football!

Shockingly the SU Football team is doing well!

What a great year to have the boys dress up for SU!

Mike and I were both brought up in homes where we were taught to unabashedly and boldly create an alternative that is positive and uplifting~we were taught to recognize the good over evil and the triumph of God over Satan.

Therefore, we choose carefully how we participate in the holiday's and make sure that we are bringing glory to God. I think we can provide an environment that also makes room for heaps of fun while using the day as a “teachable moment” to celebrate God’s protection, provision and purpose for our lives.

Therefore, it was fun weekend with the family as we enjoyed the fall fun with neighbors and close friends. The Ashworth's joined us as well as the Langhan's. The kids LOVED spending the night at our local Fall Fest in the neighborhood, and getting the treats at the door. It was Trey's first time to Trick or Treat, and I am still not sure if he had more fun getting candy or ringing the "button" on the houses to get the candy?

Charlotte-the Sweet Cupcake

(Parker chatting with his Pirate buddy-Trey)

(Joy snuggling with Jonathan the Giraffe!-So sweet :)

Mommy and Daddy with the boys

A little highlight of the weekend was seeing Baby Kai all dressed up as a little pumpkin! Parker got to meet him at the neighborhood festival and he just starred at him. He was taking it all in :) ...Such a little miracle and so happy Kai got home from the Hospital o celebrate the day with his family!

Looking forward to the next two months as we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas!

So much to be thankful for and grateful to God for his gift to us all.

Daddy's Boy and Mommy's Boy

2010-10-28T22:27:00.000-04:00

Parker is our Daddy's boy.
He has grown very attached since baby Kaden arrived). The past few weeks Parker has been saying some of the funniest things -and a couple sayings are worth "blogging" about. He sure knows how to melt my heart and make me and his daddy laugh!
Wednesday morning when Mike was leaving-Parker insisted on doing his morning ritual;

walk daddy out to the car in the garage
wait for daddy to start the car and help him shut the door then...
Parker gives him a kiss (through the window) and then I walk Parker back inside.

But that morning I was upstairs with Kaden and unavailable.However, I heard their conversation and it made me laugh so hard my stomach was hurting!
Mike said good bye and Parker was saying "Bye Dad! ~Go Make Some Money!" Have a good day! Go make some money! O.K!?
HILARIOUS!!
I am so glad that Parker has caught on to daddy's job-he makes some money! :)
Another funny thing we are laughing at these days is Parker's confusion with "Pun-kins" and Snowmen!
Yup-two completely different seasons yet one determined three year old mind made up! Pumpkins are called "snowman!" And if you try and correct him HE WINS the discussion. Or we have a major meltdown, with the full red-head temperamental fit included! Trust me here,even his pre-school teachers are tuned in at pre-school on this one. Pumpkins are his favorite color, orange, and his favorite shape-circle. But we have one small confusion..."NOT PUN-KINS-"THEY ARE SNOWMAN!"

We live in GA and I am still trying to figure out this one??!
LOL... I guess he loved making a snowman with the Hoeyes in March. He saw snowmen only on the lawns. So, now "pun-kins" are on the lawns therefore, they are "orange snowman!"

Our Mommy's Boy is Baby Kaden.

I am sure it has alot to do with the boys birth order and favoring a particular parent. But, it is great for us that each of the boys prefers a specific parent. Makes the night-time load easier for us both.
Kaden is such a charmer and has me wrapped around his finger He has just begun the "separation anxiety" phase. The night time fits have begun at bed time. And I am not budging...but he is our baby. So, I budge a little. However, he is a great sleeper and napper (when I am not on the run from errands while P is at pre-school).
We are so excited that he is officially 10 months old today! It has been a fun journey in deed! Especially the last two months...and the photos can explain well. He is fascinated with any new looking object, but some how he has a deep longing and desire to bond with the dog food and water dish.

Guess we don't need to get him much for his birthday? LOL
We love you baby Kaden-Happy 10months :)

(...taken with my phone camera..not the clearest...but maybe the cutest yet of our chunk of love)
We are so smitten and love them both!

Grateful to God for both of our sweet boys :)
AND a sneak peak at our little "trick-or-treater's" this year ....(again another photo from my phone)

Go "Orange!" (Our football player and our football baby!)

thirty something?

2010-10-24T22:55:00.000-04:00

That's right? Last week I turned "thirty-something" and life has been BUSY in my thirties! (And I thought being a teacher was tough....!)

I hear that "life begins at 30!" In alot of ways I can agree.

My immediate family is still being established but DID begin in my 30's. I am so grateful for another year that God allowed me to have with my family. In many ways-I survived my first year as a mommy of two kids.

I have many days that I want to run back into the classroom of 20+ third graders and have a break from the boys! Teaching a class of third graders is much easier some days then being a SAHM.

LIFE BEFORE my boys as a teacher:

I had scheduled breaks
I had an Aid
I never had to get the kids dressed or bathed for class
they all were doing the same task (ok 98% of class was doing the same thing)
I had a begin and end to my teaching day
I had weekends off!

Life AFTER my boys as a SAHM~

No such thing as a scheduled break when you are a SAHM -
3-4 days a week I can usually get a "scheduled" break and get them both down for a nap.
I have an AID -her name is Abbey (she is a DOG)~ BUT...She cleans up the floor for me after lunch time. You should consider a small dog if you have young children. They come in handy.
Unfortunately, I have to get the boys dressed daily and I love it-bath time Daddy steps in THANK GOODNESS!
Usually the boys are doing different things-some day they will be doing the same thing? Right?
SAHM-is 24/7 and I am thankful when I can have a window of time from daddy to myself.
Weekends don't exist as a SAHM-BUT weekends are relaxing for me! Daddy is home and we usually take 1 of the days each to "sleep in" while the other takes care of the boys!

Yup, hardest job ever is being a SAHM~ BUT-I love it. I don't want to go back to my teaching world right now. Though, some days I am easily enticed too. I must say that this is my life in my "thirties-something" and I love it even though I LONG for the breaks by myself! I often find myself singing, Isaiah 40:31-because some of my days are SO long and I have nothing left of me. But that is when I need to wait upon the Lord, run to him for strength and he will renew it EACH day for me! I can NOT do this "MOM" thing alone~ NOPE! I know that the time I have alone with my Lord is so vital to my overall outlook on my day. And it is so tempting to just stay in bed a few extra minutes. BUT, I love those moments (that I can get SOME mornings-when the house is quiet and I can be alone and get in that shower, spend some time in the word and make a high protein breakfast). This does not always happen each morning. So, I am cherishing the mornings and moments I can get alone! I know that in about 5 years it will be a norm to have some children that understand what it means to give mommy "alone" time. But right now, they need me-I cherish it and I appreciate a loving husband who understands me and my breaking points. I have seen a bigger picture now that I am a mom and have seen what really matters most and that is time with my family and capturing it all. But I LOVE it when I get time to myself and have some time with my friends too...you know...GNO! It makes me a better mom when I can get some down time with my girls :)

Me and Pam :)

Some of my sweet friends took the time out from their families to celebrate with me.
Thanks for a fun night and looking forward to our next night out!

(I have been very lucky to celebrate many birthdays with Joy~ She came to visit me 5 years ago for my birthday (and that was the weekend she met her hubby) so fun to have one of my closest friends living in town :)

Sweet friends from my MOPS group who loved to come out for a break...and we love to go out and celebrate birthdays! (Great excuse to get out and have down time!:)

Lorelei and me...taken on 10.12 and baby Kai arrived 1 week later!
(I will post soon about his arrival! Such an awesome joy to have him here!)

Me and Samantha :)

Grateful to God for my sweet friends and three of the greatest gifts ever...my hubby and two sweet boys!

Sisters and Cousins Weekend

2010-10-07T23:42:00.000-04:00

Aunt Julie and Cousin Jack came for a special visit last weekend.

This was Kaden's first time to meet Jack. (And Jack loved holding "HER") All weekend, Kaden was "HER! It was HILARIOUS to hear him talk to Kaden.

Satuday Julie and I bonded at a wedding she was the make-up artist for!

Cousin Jack was never in the original plan for the weekend visit. But, the week before they arrived-some plans changed with my brother-in-law's job. So Jack got a last minute EXPENSIVE FLIGHT to GA with mommy! (I actually had a voucher left with Delta so they were able to use it to bite a "little" chunk out of the pricey flight!)

They arrived Thursday night and Friday morning we ventured off with the boys to a local Dairy Farm.

Isn't that just what you would do with two 3 year olds and a 9 month old?

We loved the time and even got a hay-ride to see some cows out in the pasture!

Kaden's first time with the pumpkins!

Julie is a professional Make-Up Artist and one of her clients was getting married 45 minutes from us. Hence the main reason for her trip to GA. Most of her jobs are local, but this one she took since I lived so close. So, I got to be her personal assistant for the wedding. Julie always takes an assistant to prep her brushes and clean the tools between the clients. I have never been to work with any of my sisters, and now I can say I have! It was a blast! I loved meeting the bride, her family and bridal party. ~~As shy of a girl I am~~ -I did not enjoy myself at all! I LOVED being the assistant for the day and Julie would say I "talked the day away" to all. My best wishes to Susan and her husband in their new life together.

(Setting it all up...including her AIR BRUSH!)

She is top notch makeup artist!

Sister of the bride (whom we thought looked alot like Reese Witherspoon)

Julie and her friend Jen the Photographer for the wedding!

Special thanks to Mike, who watched Parker, Kaden AND Jack from 8:30-4 that Saturday, while we went to the wedding. I don't know to many dad's that will take on this role too often! Do You? I love my husband! :)

Parker and Jack are only 4 months apart and they just clicked. They had their moments but LOVED being boys, playing "ball", puzzles and most of all got entertained at times with Jack's IPAD! *(Yup my 3 &1/2 year old nephew has an IPAD!)
Sunday we had a fun lunch at Steak and Shake before they departed home.

We put the boys at one table and sisters and baby(s) at another. He-He!

Julie and Rob are expecting Baby #2 in December. Baby Graham is due the week after Christmas. I sent her home with plenty of baby clothes from Cousin Kaden. Julie could not get enough of sweet "Mr. Chunk of Love"! She was in awe of how chubby Kaden had gotten since seeing him in April!

I LOVE this photo of them.

and this one too....

We hope to make it home the first of the year to meet baby Graham, spend more time on Jack's IPAD and play with cousin Jack (and Grace and Josh too!) .
So glad for a fun weekend and even more thrilled that the last minute plans involved Jack!

Parker misses him a ton and can't wait to see cousin "Jack & Jill Went up the hill" again!

The whole week before Jack arrived -Parker was calling him that :)
Sweet memories as sisters and cousins we will always remember!

Nine Months and crawling

2010-09-29T00:09:00.000-04:00

(9 month old...and a close view of 2 of the 5 teeth)

Kaden took 3 army crawls today and I was laughing. (I will post a video tomorrow of it. I did not capture it on video, soon to come.)

He has 4 teeth and has been working on difficult #5coming! However, he is still SO happy and has been a great trooper for being the 2nd child. Thank goodness for teething tablets, they have been a life saver for him. Parker hated them! I am not sure what we did with Parker, besides tylenol and motrin? It is already a blur to me. LOL

All of this teething is NOTHING compared to his first 3 months and the continuous vomit from his reflux. He was in so much misery with his reflux and wanted to eat all the time. So, this is so mild compared to the first 3 months. That seems like 1 year ago to me! He has out grown it and has not had an episode in about 1 month. I no longer have him wearing bibs. YEAH for another big milestone....no more reflux! We have gone almost 3 weeks with NO zantac medicine either. :)

Wed. we will go see Dr.McGee for his well checkup and I am sure he is 25 pounds.

I knew he was going to be a big baby when he was just 1 month old and had already gained 3 pounds. He is indeed our chunk of love!

We love him so much and can't believe we are only 3 months away from celebrating his first birthday! I am thinking football theme for his first birthday. It is so fitting for him! We did baseball theme for Parker. So, we will consider Kaden our MVP for his 1st birthday :)

(Kaden chilling with Caroline at Mc.Donalds)

(Trying to decide which block to get his teeth on next!)

(Spatula baby! Spatula's are great gadets for a teething baby!)

( Posing in a special bib that NeNe got him for his first Halloween!)

Trying on Big Brother's outfit!( Parker wore this outfit to Uncle Phil and Aunt Miracle's wedding, when he was 9 months old! It was much more loose and fit Parker better at 9 months-then Kaden. BUT I got it on him for a few photos.)

Parker-9 months old (May 2008)
Happy 9 months Baby, Kaden!

Love ,

Mommy, Daddy and Parker

"Crazy Love"

2010-09-21T20:41:00.000-04:00

Thursday, marks the first day of fall and it is 90 degrees today! EEK...it has been SO humid and as much as I have enjoyed the southern weather, I am SO ready for fall weather! Fall is my favorite season for many reasons. It is no longer sweltering hot, it's comfortable weather, and everything is so colorful outside.

All the colors of the fall indeed are like a beautiful mosaic or even better put,"October is a symphony of permanence and change!" I appreciate the seasonal changes and I think God brings them before us to remind us that we need to have a time of "harvesting" in our own lives and replenish our souls.
Our church is going though the book, "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. It is so fitting to be reading it at this time of year. I get so busy and caught up with all that is going on, and shamefully I'll admit that I do not sit back enough and take the time be in "awe" of my God! God has been apart of my life since I was itty -bitty. I have loved him from a very young age and accepted him as my Savior when I was 6. I really did not grasp who he was to me until I was in high school. My love grew for God in a a more intimate way when I attended college. During my four years at Baptist Bible College, I came to appreciate his plan for my life, his purpose for me and prepared to serve him in Christian Education. Since that decision and being in Christian Education for seven years, my life has been established and settled very comfortably!
I have been given food, shelter, and a great home.
I have been blessed with an awesome husband.
I  have been given the opportunity to stay home with our two sweet boys whom I love and adore.
So all this= a good comfortable thing called "LIFE!"
That deep love and appreciation for God that was once radiant during high school, college and even the first few years of marriage, has been put on the back burner. I've allowed other things to take first priority.
Society has become "FAST" paced and there is no such thing in life as the "SLOW" pace. I have really been striving to make it a daily habit to appreciate WHO God is to me, and even more then that~ humbled that I AM a child of His! My daily priorities and purpose all need to start with him and admiring Him. I take the time to do my quiet time with the Lord, but my mind starts running and I am not always in "awe" of this amazing God who is in "awe" of me! Even more then that-he loves me unconditionally.
That's why I LOVE Crazy Love! I need it as a refresher especially at this seasonal time. I actually bought the book when it first came out and read the first 4 chapters and then of course ....life got busy and I put it aside. But this time we are doing it in small groups with our church. I am not putting it aside. Our Pastor is doing a series at church along with this book and I highly recommend it!
Here is a background of the book;
The God of the universe is crazy about you! His love is the most powerful thing in the world and He wants to give it to you, so you can live for Him. If you have made a commitment to follow Christ, then read Crazy Love to be reminded and challenged in your walk. Sharing from his own life struggles and sacrifices, author Francis Chan issues a call for selfless, Christ-like living. Let the love you have received from God impact your life like never before.
I was reminded of a song we used to sing in Youth Group and Lake Ann Baptist Camp-
“Casual Christian”

       by
DeGarmo & key

I don’t want to be,
I don’t want to be a casual Christian
I don’t want to live,
I don't want to live a lukewarm life.
Because I want to light up the night
With an everlasting light
I don’t want to live the casual christian life.

I am excited to continue this "Crazy Love" series and praying that my heart does not become "lukewarm" in this busy life!  My youth pastor always said to us; "In everything you do, do it with eternal values in view" (Pastor John Cousins). The only things that matter on my list are the things that are making an impact for eternity!  Here's to my soul being " a symphony of permanence and change" for Him!

Share
|

8 Months old

2010-09-10T18:00:00.000-04:00

Kaden is 8 and 1/2 months old and looks like a big boy with 4 teeth! We were swamped the end of Aug. with a shower for Aunt LaLa and enjoying NeNe's visit, so I am just now getting back to "life" and keeping our blog world/family updated.

Kaden is ready to crawl and trying to figure out how to move his hands with his rocking body. He gets up and in position, rocks back and forth and then down; and then back up and gets the legs to move backwards but he still has not figured out how to move forward.

Here is the most recent video of him crawling and me talking away to him (I hate listening to myself...urr)!

He is still trying to get the crawling down but he has the food part all figured out! Kaden has made it very clear that he would prefer table food (nibblers) over pureed baby food. When NeNe was feeding him dinner a couple of weeks ago, she gave him a cracker. When she took the cracker away to feed him "dinner" he screamed and had a tantrum and would not eat the food. As soon as she gave him the cracker back, he stopped crying instantaneously! “Yup,strong willed and knows what he wants in deed, he must get that from his father!”

Our scale broke but I think he is 24 or 25 pounds. He is just a big cuddle of love and has officially outgrown the infant seat. {sigh}The infant seat goes up to 30 pounds, but he is very long and the feet hanging out was a clear indication that it was time for Parker's Britax toddler seat. So, we got Parker a new seat for his birthday and Kaden got "promoted" to the next level. Kaden loves the car seat and Parker LOVES his Graco Nautilus-especially the personal cup holder.

Kaden's getting more and more character and still giggles and lights up when Parker is around.

We are rejoicing each day for our sweet Baby Kaden.

We are so grateful for his health and happy little heart.

Happy 8 Months, Baby Kaden :)

Yipee! Parker is 3! at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-09-06T22:23:00.001-04:00

Here is Parker's 3 year video-finally!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Birthday Photos and 3 year video

2010-08-31T17:11:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos of Parker's birthday and the video of his 3rd year is almost done! It has taken me a long month to finish! I have been SWAMPED and so much to catch up on! Many more posts to come. :)

Parker LOVES getting mail (and it is fun to get presents from Grammy and Grandpa in the mail!)

Airplane theme cake and cloud cupcakes!

Organized Chaos with 16 kids under 5! A definite job that is a calling!

Baby brother, Kaden LOVED playing with Jonathan while the bigger kids played with bigger things!

It Rocks to be 3 when you can have a ball at Gymboree!

Happy 3rd Birthday..Parkeroo!

2010-08-20T23:10:00.000-04:00

Today, Parker turned 3.
We no longer have a little boy but now a big boy!~
This was the first year that he knew it was his birthday and was excited to celebrate.
We had a party for him at Gymboree! He went to a party at Gymboree in May, and loved it. So, this year we decided to host it outside of the home (and it was a great break for me).
NeNe came down from NewYork to spend the time with Parker and Kaden. She was a tremendous help to us and took care of Kaden for the majority of the party.
We are so excited to have a new chapter to begin with our sweet boy.
I am almost done with his 3 year old video! Come back soon to check it out and photos from the party!
Thank you to all of our friends, and family who helped make this day SO special for him. We love you all and appreciate all the love and support you showed Parker.
It was a great 3rd Birthday!
Tonight at Bed , he said "Mommy I had a great birthday!"
Jenn, Mike, Parker & Kaden :)

3 year old pre-school

2010-08-12T16:31:00.000-04:00

Our first baby boy is....
No longer a baby,

No longer in diapers,

No longer a toddler,

No longer needing a BIG 4 hour "Parker" nap, (just an hour a day),

NOW, our first born is a BIG 3 year old (officially on 8/20)...

Ready for PRESCHOOL!

{Sigh}
Such big milestones we have crossed already-and now it is time for preschool.
Tuesday, Parker will start 3 year old Pre-school. (I really wanted to put Parker in school 2 days a week, but daddy talked me into the 3 days a week program.)
It was only $15.00 more a month to have him go 3 days. So, I decided to take advantage of it. Not having family in town will really be a help to me with that extra day.

We had a wonderful experience last year at Burnt Hickory and we are looking forward to another great year.

So, here we go!

Parker got to meet his teachers today, Mrs. Clare (Teacher) and Mrs. Kelly (Aid)! They are both awesome! Mrs. Clare (the one with long grey hair has been teaching for 28 years). She is a mother of four children and a grandma of 5! I have no problem leaving our sweet, spirited, litte, red- head in her care!

He no longer will have 15 minutes of learning Circle time...
He now will also have learning time AND Music, Spanish and Computers!
One of the requirements for 3 year old Preschool is to be fully potty trained!
(Only read below if you really care about life with a 3 year old and the adventures of Potty-training!)
They have to do EVERYTHING on their own. He has been working since April-and is fully trained(with going #1) His teacher thinks he is fine to enter!
I am amazed that he always waits till it is bed time to do #2 in his pull-up! So, I don't think we have to worry about #2 at school, BUT we are working really hard on that part! Most of the kiddos just hold it till they are home! (So amazing to me)-His teacher is thrilled that we know his routine! She has seen it all and experienced it all. One of the boys (Last year) would come out "Naked" and ask for help to get dressed after going potty. Oh my-I hope Parker remembers to keep his pants and undies down by his ankles. Potty training also includes getting dressed! We have worked SO hard to tell him we don't need to be "naked" to go potty! (He started out learning that way). It seriously can wear you out potty training! Today, I had him go in the classroom and he did great. I just had to show him how to use the motion censored paper towel roll! (Ok-he may get carried away with that later:)
This summer he had some fun learning how to go potty (and he started learning how to get the sensation when he was outside...so hopefully he does not ask his teachers to go potty outside! {YIKES} I don't think he will, since they have all the kids go potty before they out to the playground. BUT he is a boy and they do have adventurous minds!
Here's to a new year of adventure!
Parker, we love you and hope you have a great year in 3 year old Preschool!
We are praying for you to learn more about Jesus, be a friend to all and gain some new friends too!

Kaden's Latest Adventures

2010-08-06T23:10:00.000-04:00

Kaden turned 7 months last week!

He is growing like a weed and I don't see him as a baby so much now as currently seeing a sweet, happy, blue-eyed little boy!
There is still lots of chubs and baby rolls to enjoy-but he has the cutest little personality.

His giggles is what gets all to fall in love with him. Of course, big brother has helped bring out ALOT of his personality just by being the entertainer. What baby needs toys, when you have an older, red-headed, energetic, outgoing, nearly 3 year old brother?
When Kaden was sick 2 weeks ago,he got weighed. And since his 6 month visit he has gained 2 lbs. He is 21.9 pounds! I have a feeling this kid will be close to 30lbs at his first birthday. However, he is just now getting more mobile, and I think he will be crawling possibly before summer ends!

He has discovered his toes, his hands( and he can hold his bottle now :) our faces, big brothers entertainment, and his newest discovery...cheerios!

And anything else mommy puts on his tray...

(Here is Kaden eating cheerios for the first time!)

(*Thanks to Caroline for loaning us her Bumbo Seat-makes life easier on mommy!)

He LOVES FOOD ! He is our second born so, I am more daring to try things a bit earlier with him :)
Needless to say, we have one happy-chubby little baby.

As I have been watching Kaden, I am thinking he is going to be a very compliant, laid back kid. He just takes it all in. I am sure he is thinking about pay back time soon to big brother.
We are in awe of this sweet little blessing from God. It is so amazing to see the vast difference in Kaden and Parker. However, the love for our boys is unmeasurable! We can already see their personalities so different and each one requiring love in special ways.
We continue to thank God for allowing us to parent our boys!
We love you baby Kaden and can't believe you are closer to 1 now!
XO
Mommy and Daddy

And any moment it looks like we will have a crawling boy...
Tonight we caught him trying to get up on all 4's-so I captured it on video.
(It was close to bath/bed time so he was a bit fussy, but he is one determined little boy. Gotta catch up to big brother!)

Sick Bay

2010-07-25T21:41:00.000-04:00

The boys have been bit by a bad virus. Our sweet baby Kaden got it first.

Kaden woke up Friday at 1AM and was fussing on and off. So, I went in to check on him and he was burning up. He had a temp of 103! Not a calming moment for me. I get worried when they are over 102. My nephew was rushed to the ER with a seizure due to a high fever-so I am very cautious with my boys and fevers! Therefore, my mind raced and worried and kept me up for most of the night. Kaden went back to sleep at 3AM and slept till 8. I called the Pediatrician later in the morning and they wanted to see Kaden, since it was such a high fever for a 6 month old. Mike was only working 1/2 day-and that was a huge help to me. Parker was getting a low grade fever by the afternoon. So, we took P to the Dr too! We had both boys checked at the same time. Parker had a fire red throat and K's was red too, so they each required strep tests! They were negative and so the Dr. diagnose= a wicked virus acting like strep!

Dr. wanted to do one more test on Kaden to make sure it was just a virus. He got a catheter to double check that K did not have any other infection. Not a fun moment for mommy to see baby in pain as they were trying to get a urine sample...and it took a while since he had not been drinking a ton! After 2 hours at the Dr. we decided that we all needed some ice-cream!

So, we took Parker to McDonalds and got him the new smoothie! He loved it and I was glad he drank it. I knew it would be a long weekend-and we would have to keep up on the meds! Kaden is a baby that is great about soothing himself to sleep but this weekend he has needed lots of extra TLC.

(Sound asleep in mommy's arms)

So, I got lots of extra love and cuddles with him. This weekend he only did 8 oz of formula daily! He had little interest in baby food and maybe did 5 or 6 bites of it. He and Parker have just slept a ton and have had NO appetite. I am always worried about dehydration. I got K to drink Apple juice this weekend. He took it and I was glad.

Parker came down with the 103 fever today and he was really out of if ALL morning!

He woke up at 10 am with a HIGH fever and rosy red cheeks.

He stayed on the couch for 2 hours and I found him at 12:30 like this....

It appears to be a 24-48 hour virus. Kaden's fever was gone last night and Parker still has about 101.
Please say a prayer for us, and pray that Mommy and Daddy stay well!

I had to have something adventurous for me this weekend since I was HOME with sick babies. So, I decided to make a yummy lunch for daddy and me. I made Coconut Crusted Chicken Tenders.
We loved them and it only took me 10 minutes to prep ~my kind of meal for being a busy mommy!

I am so glad that Mike was home ALL weekend to help me and hoping that the boys are much better soon.
I am really, really, really looking forward to August!
Tapping my red slippers...and dreaming of a great month next month!
Seriously ~it can only get better! Right?
"Only a few more day of July,
Only a few more days of July,
Only a few more days of July!"