Keeping Up with the Butlers

Weekend AT HOME!!!

2012-02-19T23:39:00.001-05:00

I feel like every weekend I am writing about where we traveled to lately. Not that I am not appreciative of having the opportunity to be with extended family, but I have to say I am happy to write about this weekend AT HOME! I think it was just what we all were needing, and we definitely made the most of it despite Daddy being on call!

Playing in the tent with Daddy… even got to have a special popcorn treat! Jordan fits right in with the boys- she loved the popcorn Murray gave her!

Friday night we celebrated Murray & Adam’s birthdays. The little boys helped the bigger boys blow our their candles.

Saturday morning we watched a special Jake & the Never Land Pirates movie and then headed to Krispy Kreme for some yummy doughnuts! Murray helped Cole with his messy hands…

Happy kiddos!

First time Cole has willingly worn the Krispy Kreme hat. Haha.

Murray had to go in for a surgery around lunchtime so the rest of us headed to the mall for a picnic by the fountain.

Jordan did eat more than her Disney princess.

Daddy got home right as everyone woke up from naps so we headed out for a fun trip to the carwash. Cole was SO excited! Sissy was pretty into it too although she is pretty much into anything as long as she can chew on a straw!

We even treated ourselves to a yummy sushi dinner and a redbox. Today we were able to hang out with friends for lunch after church and also for dinner after class tonight. I know it probably seems like a not a big deal weekend, but we really enjoyed all the little things and just being together! We should be heading to Huntingdon next weekend to meet our new nephew. We are awaiting that phone call any day now and are so excited for Joseph, Megan, & Easton! Come on Baby Harlon!!!

SNOW!

2012-02-17T23:43:00.001-05:00

We FINALLY got enough snow to go play in outside. It still was a pretty puny amount, but Cole was so excited anyway. We all got bundled up and headed out. Jordan was a trooper and really seemed to like it. She was a little confused by her hands being inside her warm outfit, but she crawled around the backyard quite happily. Cole had a blast making snow angels, throwing snowballs, going down the snow slide, drawing in the snow, etc. You name it, he did it- with the exception of a snowman… like I said still a pretty puny snow. Our one problem was that I couldn’t find his gloves so they were a little frustrating to him, but he was a pretty good sport about it. Here are some pictures and videos from our fun snow day!

Jordan’s first experience with snow.

Snow slide!

Making tracks… we even found some squirrel and bunny tracks. He thought that was pretty cool!

Hitting Momma with a snow ball… remember- the gloves were quite frustrating.

Snow angel time!

“Is this how he did that mom?”

Random picture I know, but I love how poofy he looks!

Cutest boy I know!

Writing in the snow. This was such a sweet moment… He started out saying C-O-L-E and then started mumbling something I couldn’t really make out. Then he stood up and proudly said, “There… Cole & Daddy. Perfect.” We definitely missed having our daddy home to play in the snow with us.

We are hoping for at least one more good snow so that we can try out our sled and play with Daddy… especially now that Daddy got Cole new gloves!

Valentine’s Day

2012-02-17T00:18:00.001-05:00

We had a good Valentine’s Day at our house. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but a nice night at home together was totally what we needed! Murray made teriyaki chicken for dinner- so yummy- and after the kids went to bed (a little early ), we watched a chick flick… guess who picked? We kept it pretty simple with gifts this year and just exchanged cards. It really was a great day of just having fun and celebrating our family’s love.

Cole was extra excited because he got 2 Valentine’s Day packages. One from Mimi & PopPop and one from Great-Grandmama Sara. He really took his time going through the boxes and was so happy about each gift! It helps that they sent all of his favorite things… gummies, Lightning McQueen, Little Einsteins, smarties, Barney…

Jordan was mostly excited about the smarties wrappers that Cole kept leaving lying around… Not so happy when I would take them from her. Haha.

Couple of short videos of him opening a couple things…

Cole participated in a little picture taking with us too while Jordan was napping.

Bloopers from my attempted cute Valentine picture photo shoot… Now you realize how great the picture at the top of the post really is. Haha.

She Loves Me…

2012-02-13T16:17:00.001-05:00

We went to Memphis this past weekend to watch my baby sister in her first play. Neesha is in 7th grade this year and tried out for the 7th-12th grade musical “She Loves Me.” She was the only 7th grader to make it! She was so cute up there and stage! She actually played several roles… a customer, café patron, nurse, and caroler. She remembered all her parts, sang well, and danced great! Here are some cute pictures of her in costume…

Me, Murray, Kelsey, & Smith were REALLY excited to see the play!

And a short video of the very end of the play…

I really think we may have the star in the making! Great job Neesh!!!

Of course we definitely made time for some fun with everyone else too! Cole helped decorate Daddy & Justin’s birthday cake.

There may have been a few fingerprints in the icing…

Sissy showing off her new silly smile and great crawling abilities! She is everywhere now and proud of it!

~~Lexi walking Cole~~… Cole walking Lexi.

Cole is still timid of Lexi sometimes, but Jordan has NO fear of her at all & actually couldn’t get enough of her! Good thing Lexi is so gentle and laid back!

Cole taught Great Mimi how to hide in a cave & be a bear…

He was a little too scary for Sissy so he had to go show her he was a sweet bear. She still wasn’t sure what she thought about him after that loud growl!

Cole also had fun with Great Papaw… He thought this was so funny!

Jordan even made it up the slippery stairs!

And here is a video of her putting her paci in (I think this is SO cute!) and waving bye-bye!

Jordan loves her Aunt Neesha!

We really had a wonderful weekend and a great time with everyone! Thanks for giving us an awesome reason to come Neesha!

February Fun!

2012-02-11T17:13:00.001-05:00

I have gotten so behind in posts! Sometimes I feel like I go through a drought with nothing really to post about. Doesn’t happen often though since I have the world’s cutest, funniest kids. Haha. The past couple weeks have definitely NOT been a drought. I have posted often, and I still am going to do a “catch-up” post. We have had abnormally warm weather so we have made the most of it playing in the backyard and even making a trip to the zoo! Jordan LOVES the swing! I think she would stay in it all day!

Cole has gotten baseball fever! Granted we had to use a soccer ball, but he didn’t care. We have since gotten a better ball and bat set to play with.

I had the cutest video of Cole hitting the ball and running the “bases” Murray had set up. The best part was when he jumped on home plate and did a victory dance. Here is where you use your imagination because somehow (to my extreme disappointment) I have deleted it from my camera and computer.

Attempting a big girl cup… right now we just enjoy ~~chewing~~ gumming it more than anything.

Resting up after all our fun play time.

The animals were really active at the zoo when we went. I guess they were enjoying the cooler weather!

Cole wasn’t quite sure what he thought about the baby polar bear… it was a little too noisy in his opinion.

My 3 monkeys checking out the monkeys…

The funny part about this is that Murray says “Roar,” and the lion did. Even the king of beasts listens to my husband. Me on the other hand…

“Momma… Those giraffes are SO tall!!!”

Murray showed Cole the spiders and scorpions so then he had to show me and Baby Sissy.

Cole helped Jordan ride the rhino for the first time too and showed her all the best spots. (Murray was hiding on the other side- I wasn’t that bad of a mom…)

Daddy tickles the best!

Trying to enjoy some dessert… Murray thought it was funny. I thought it was pretty typical.

Murray and I got to go out to celebrate his 29th birthday! Thanks Jay & Lucille for taking such good care of our kiddos!

Superbowl Sunday and ready for the big game! Especially since we got NEW boots from our best buddy Ethan! He is so proud of them.

Random pictures but so cute! Love them holding sweet hands…

And Murray is such a good daddy and husband. Cole kept having bad nightmares the other night so Murray slept with him on the couch so he wouldn’t be scared and so I would actually get some sleep. They were so cute all snuggled up the next morning that I couldn’t resist a picture.

Sorry for the crazy assortment, but I’m now caught up… until after this weekend with my family in Memphis.

9 Months Old!

2012-02-07T17:31:00.001-05:00

I really almost tear up writing the title to this post! Some of you probably think I am crazy… it’s ok. I think that with Cole I always rushed his growing up. Not that he is all the way grown or that I haven’t cherished each step of the way, but each month was a new milestone, and he would start doing this next, and this next, etc. Now looking back, I realize how short of a time they are babies. Even though I LOVE where Cole is and that he can express himself so well, make me laugh like no other (except maybe his Daddy), and definitely has his own big personality, I miss those baby times. So… I guess with Jordan, realizing she is 3/4 of the way to 1 year old, I just realize those baby times are fleeting! Ok… enough emotional stuff about me and on to the good stuff- my sweet girl!

For the stats:

Length- 27 in (5%)

Weight- 16 lb (24%)

Head- 16 3/4 (10%)

As you can tell, she is our petite little girl! Funny though because she definitely has the rolls despite her low percentages on the growth curve!

I feel like each month brings on more personality and more changes, but this past one has brought on several milestones! She is pretty much sleeping through the night now (8-5 or 6 and back to sleep till 8). Hallelujah!!! We also had to lower her crib back down because she is getting more and more active. She has gotten pretty good at pulling up into my lap and even turned around in her carseat one time (she wasn’t buckled in yet) and was standing in it looking over the back when I turned back around to her. Needless to say, we didn’t want to hear a thud in the middle of the night. Haha.

She has started eating a little table food here and there. Mostly cheerios (SHE LOVES THEM!), these rice cake things, crackers, and pizza crust. I have also tried bananas, but she isn’t much a fan of those yet. She is doing better with her baby food too which I am so thankful for. She is still pretty picky about what she likes and doesn’t like, but she will at least open her mouth for me now.

One of the biggest and most exciting changes is that she is finally mobile! Still working out some kinks, but she can get to whatever she wants! And boy is she proud when she gets there! Here she is crawling a little bit and demonstrating the “jump” for you. Watch for that “I did it Momma!” smile at the end too!

Little bit more organized crawling. So proud of our big girl!

This has begun a whole new chapter of messes, but it is just so nice to be able to set her in the floor again without her crying that I will pick up toy food and puzzles all day long and never say a word about it- until my next post.

Close-up of her “busted” look. Too cute!

I have already mentioned in other posts that she has become quite the flirt. She goes automatically to the church nursery now so that she won’t distract everyone behind us with her “flirting.” She has also started waving hi & bye-bye, and today she pulled the blanket up over her face to play peek-a-boo all by herself! She will look at me, Murray, and Cole when asked “Where’s Momma? Daddy? Cole?” She loves to look at touch and feel books or lift-the-flap books right now. Her favorite activity by far is still watching other kids play- particularly her big brother. She just smiles and squeals!

We have noticed lately too that she is going to be a little singer like her brother. Anytime we are holding her and singing, she will start making noises right along with us. I promise she is trying to sing too, and it is so sweet! She loves bath time, and I really have to hang onto her tight before she gets in because, as soon as she hears that water start, she is wiggling and straining toward that tub! Here are a couple pictures from a rare bubble bath- even more of a treat! Cole kept putting the bubbles on her head, but she didn’t mind one bit.

As you can tell, we love this precious girl just a little bit. Murray has obviously loved her from the beginning, but Jordan has definitely tightened him around her little finger the last couple months. To say he is smitten is an understatement. I love watching him melt when he gets home and she waves her arms and squeals for him and then snuggles into him once he picks her up. All his stress is wiped away! There is truth to the phrase “Daddy’s girl”… at least in our house! Cole and Jordan have the sweetest relationship too. Not to say that they don’t get frustrated with each other- especially now that she is into his toys- but overall they are great. He loves to talk to her, kiss her, and make her smile. She loves to play with him, touch him (sometimes a cause of frustration for our little touch me not- haha), and laugh at him. And it goes without saying how my heart swells when I think about Jordan and Cole both. I truly can’t even put my feelings into words except to say “Thank God for his precious blessings!”

Truly Humbled

2012-02-06T17:13:00.001-05:00

Yesterday on the way to church, Cole started talking to us about his fingers. He was holding all of them up and pointing to the one closest to the middle said, “This is Jesus, and these are ALL the children. Jesus Christ came to the world and loved all the children.” We of course told him he was right and that Jesus loved him. Then he said, “See my hands? My hands are just like Jesus’ hands!” Emotional mommy was starting to tear up at this point. Around this time we pull into the parking lot. Cole got really excited… I mean really excited and said, “We’re here! Is Jesus going to be here?” I told him that Jesus was always at church. Then he said, “Can I see him?!?!” uh…. Murray to the rescue, “Cole, Jesus lives in our hearts. He lives in your heart so he is with you all the time.” I truly wish you could have seen Cole’s face. I thought he had been excited before when we pulled into the parking lot. His eyes were big as saucers, his smile across his whole face! You know I was crying by now. Haha.

So… where was my mind on the way to church- Did I forget anything, was I going to have enough milk for Jordan’s bottle, we can’t hit this light or we won’t make it on time? Do I realize that my hands are like Jesus’ hands? Do I follow through and act that way- serving others, healing others’ hurts, leading others to Heaven? Am I ever so excited to pull into the parking lot? Am I longing to see Jesus when I get to church? Do I live with the daily joy and comfort that Jesus lives in me?

As if God wasn’t touching my heart enough through Cole, we had- for me- a service that led to a lot of self-examination and confession. I thought I was safe once I left church, but we went to lunch with some of our good friends Brian and Nicole afterwards. Audrey- their 6 year old- led the sweetest, most heartfelt prayer thanking God for the church building so that we could have a place to go worship him, serve people, and learn from His word, and this wasn’t just recited from memory or repeated from her parents’ prayer. Granted her parents are wonderful and very intentional about teaching their children and helping them have a true relationship with God, but still… what 6 year old prays that way?

It’s times like these that I truly understand the scriptures that say we need to become like little children if we want to enter Heaven. I pray that God continues to work on my heart, thank him for lessons learned, and ask him to continue to bless Cole and Audrey with hearts so pure and in love with him.

I’ve Been Tagged

2012-02-04T23:01:00.001-05:00

First Things First, The Rules:
You must post the rules.
Post eleven facts about yourself on the blog post.
Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
Tag eleven people and link them on your post.
Let them know you've tagged them!

Eleven FUN Facts:

1. I drink a large McDonald’s coke (in a foam cup per request) almost every night.

2. I can’t watch scary movies (or scary tv shows) because I have VERY vivid nightmares. Just not worth it!

3. My favorite chapstick is Lip Smackers Strawberry Kiwi, and I won’t wear anything else.

4. I tell my husband things are wrong with my feet- even though they aren’t- just so he will mess with them. He’s a podiatrist so it works.

5. I really don’t like the toilet paper to pull from the bottom, but we have had it that way in our house for a while now because it is harder for Cole to undo the whole roll as quickly as if it pulls from the top.

6. I LOVE to sleep… I think I could take a nap at any moment. Maybe it has to do with 2 little ones 22 months apart, still getting up at night with Jordan, or maybe it’s just in my DNA to need sleep.

7. I played 2 sports in college- volleyball & tennis.

8. I’m a nurse turned stay-at-home mom. Most people who know me now don’t even know I have ever been a nurse, but I did love my NICU babies at work!

9. My favorite stress relief is running… my next favorite is chocolate. Good thing my first one cancels out the effects of my second.

10. I become “delirious” when I get really tired. I will laugh at anything. Murray loves these times.

11. I love picking out cards. Finding the perfect card for somebody makes my day.

Jacqueline’s Eleven Questions:

1. Tea or coffee? Which and why? Iced or hot? Neither to be completely honest… I do not like coffee or tea. I will take a Coke (see above) any time though!

2. What is your favorite age of children? {This isn't implying you don't like other ages, but what is the stage/age that you just relish and delight in}? Why? This is so hard! Each stage seems to get better and better. I am loving the age Cole is right now (2 1/2) because of his ever-changing personality, desire for independence, brain that is soaking up SO much, and sense of humor. I have to say too though that baby snuggles are one of my VERY favorite things!

3. Do you prefer to text or to call? Depends, but probably text mostly. Hard to find the time to have an actual phone conversation with my 2 babies. Plus besides Murray or grandparents… nobody really wants to hear all the racket in the background.

4. What do you consider your greatest personality trait? Trustworthiness

5. What's your favorite snack for TV watching? Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream

6. Would you rather read the book or watch the movie? Read the book, but let’s be honest… not much time for book reading or movie watching these days. Although redbox helps!

7. If you could describe your college experience in one word, what would it be? A blessing- met my amazing husband!

8. When it comes to Valentine's Day, would you classify yourself as one with high expectations, or more it's-just-another-day beliefs? Explain. I’m not really an over-the-top kinda girl when it comes to Valentine’s Day. I do like to have a nice night out (around Valentine’s Day) with Murray, but I don’t need it to be anything extra special. Although Murray proposed to me on Valentine’s Day, and that was pretty stinking awesome!

9. If you could eliminate one part of your daily routine, and not completely rock your world, you would stop doing what? Daily- dishes, Weekly- laundry

10. If you could go back and tell your High School self one thing, what would it be? Their clique is not a big deal… who cares what they think.

11. What is your favorite month of the year, and why? July… I love the warm weather, being able to be outside, and playing at the lake doesn’t hurt either!

My Eleven Questions:

1. What would your dream vacation be?

2. If you had a whole day with no electronics… what would you do?

3. What is your favorite meal… what you would ask for on your birthday?

4. What makes you feel closest to God?

5. What do you do to keep your feet warm at night? (Mine are ALWAYS freezing!)

6. Pepsi or Coke? Why?

7. Name one thing in nature that makes you happy every time you see it.

8. What’s the most physically challenging thing you have ever done?

9. What is the best gift you have ever received?

10. What’s your idea of a great date?

11. Warm or cold weather? Why?

I TAG:

1. Amanda

2. Audra

3. Kacie

4. Kelsey

5. Adrienne

6. Lydia

7. Katie

8. Liz

9. Mallorie

10. Carla

11. Jennifer

Visiting Friends & Family

2012-02-02T13:28:00.001-05:00

We had the last minute opportunity to travel to Huntingdon this past weekend. We were excited it worked out because our brother and sister-in-law are due to have a sweet baby boy mid-February, and there was a diaper poker party for them. Murray got to go to the party and hang out with the guys while me and the kiddos spent some quality time at Mimi’s with the girls & Easton. I had to share a few quick clips of Cole in the car. Both Cole & Jordan are wonderful travelers for as little as they are, but Cole was getting a little antsy towards the end of the ride. Luckily our Veggie Tales CD saved the day and put him in a good mood. Here he is singing in his best Veggie Tale voice…

Getting sillier…

Pretty delirious now… Luckily we were really close at this point.

Another highlight to the weekend besides the party for Joseph & Harlon was that we were able to see our friends Walker, Liz, Davis, & soon to be here Baby Emmy. They drove over, and we all went to a place called Little Monkeys that has every kind of bouncy imaginable. Very fun! They boys were so excited to see each other, and the adults enjoyed catching up some too! Happy to see Mrs. Liz!

Ready… Set…

Go!!!

Cole parting the Red Sea! The next time down, he made his Mimi take him. I don’t blame him! Those are some big boys!

We tried for a posed picture, but Davis started slipping down the side of the bouncy… this was our best shot. Haha. Poor guy!

We love & miss our sweet buddy!

Before we left, Murray taught the boys how to blow the air up their shirts… it was pretty comical!

My sweet girl!

Davis is going to be a really sweet big brother. He just smiled and was so gentle with Jordan.

To top off a great weekend, we also celebrated Murray’s birthday a little early with all of his extended family! The boys were more than happy to help open presents.

Getting spoiled by the great-grandmas.

Family shot!

Jordan was so funny with her Uncle Joseph all weekend! She was the biggest flirt! Anytime he would look her direction or try to talk to her, she would bury her face into whoever was holding her. When he would start to walk away after a few minutes, she would lean towards him and make a noise to get his attention back on her. We seriously may have our hands full with this one if she is already this good at flirting and not even a year old… poor Murray may have a stroke!

Finally giving up the “hard to get” game for some sugars!

As you can tell, we didn’t slow down much while we were there, but we definitely made the most of our time there. Looking forward to our next trip back when we can meet Baby Harlon!!!

Blessed

2012-01-31T13:49:00.001-05:00

I don’t talk about it often enough, but I am so incredibly grateful to have the blessing of being able to stay home with my babies. Yes, it can be hard, frustrating, and draining. Yes, I am always at work and rarely get a break. Yes, sometimes I think I’m going to go crazy if I have to watch one more Elmo’s world, listen to one more kid CD in the car, or play cars for one more second. HOWEVER, I wouldn’t trade my job for any other job in the world! I love being a stay at home mommy, and I thank God for allowing that to be possible.

One of the best parts of my “job” that has been on my mind lately is how great it is to be able to make my kids happy. Sometimes it’s with something big like a trip to ChickFilA (ice cream and all) or All About Kids, but more often than not, the biggest smiles come from the simple things. Here are some of their favorite things recently:

Cole- creating tents/caves, eating a sucker, hearing “Down By the Bay” on his Raffi CD in the car, seeing ducks swimming in a creek near our house, getting to go on walks, doing the hot dog dance at the end of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, eating anything chocolate, and playing with my hair

Jordan- BEING PICKED UP & HELD!!!, playing with a straw, messing with my earrings/rings/eyelashes (I know that last one is strange, but she loves to), watching the occasional Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode, and having me sing her song to her (Baby Jordan, Baby Jordan, I love you, I love you, I love you very much, I love you very much, Yes I do, Yes I do- to the tune of Where is Thumbkin)

Man I love these 2 little boogers so much it is crazy! Thanking God daily for the blessing of being their momma and praying for his wisdom and guidance as Murray and I try to raise them to be Godly adults who delight in Him.

Always something with Cole!

2012-01-25T13:42:00.001-05:00

Need I say more than- They learn it young…

2 funny stories…

First as we were going out to the car this morning, Cole turns around and yells down the sidewalk “Bye Monsters!” He walks up the very small slope in our driveway and turns again to yell “You can’t get me. I’m climbing up my mountain!” Seriously love his imagination!

In the car on the way back home Cole tells me from the backseat “Mommy, my sister- Baby Jordan (in case I didn’t know who she was I guess)- needs a snack to eat from my big, big chest buttons.” I asked “She does?” To which he said “Yeah. (He made smacking noises.) She did a good job eating.” What a mess!

Fun with Family & Friends

2012-01-24T23:00:00.001-05:00

We have had a lot of fun times over the past week or so. We have made the most of our days home with family and our days out with friends. Here’s the proof!

My prayer is that, despite the brother/sister quarrels that are sure to come, they will always have this pure love and adoration for each other! I mean… look at them!

My big girl! (No she did not pull up… she was placed here, but still!)

I have to say… I was pretty creative with this tent, AND they played in it for a long time! Points for me!

I’m sure y’all get tired of videos of Cole making Jordan laugh, but I love hearing her precious laugh and watching Cole get so excited to make his sissy happy… so here’s another one.

We met up at All About Kids with our friends Carla & Josh who have moved away. Cole was excited to play with Rylee and again, and I was excited to see their baby boy who is already getting so big! Sara got to bring Gracie too so the three of them had a big time! I had a tough time getting pictures because these 3 were EVERYWHERE!

We continued the fun with lunch at Wendy’s… Yes we were brave to let three 2 year olds sit alone at a table by themselves. Trust me I paid for it, and lesson was learned. They just looked so cute when we started out.

And just a reminder that life with a 2 year old is not always funny stories and sweet smiles… yes those are tons of Cheerios he has poured out all over himself, his carseat, and the back of my car… just because. Gotta love that little booger though!

Weekend with Nonny & Poppy!

2012-01-24T22:37:00.001-05:00

We had the special treat of having Nonny & Poppy come in town for the weekend (a week and a half ago… I’ve been slacking). Cole & Jordan soaked up the playtime and extra attention, Murray and I had a date night, and I think my parents had a pretty good time too! Here are some pictures from our weekend…

Snuggle time is the best. Cole doesn’t slow down often so we all cherish the fact that he wakes up slow!

We even got to play in the snow a little bit. It wasn’t much but it was fun to draw in!

Saturday night was our big night out, and we headed to Chuck E. Cheese! Cole was so excited to play the games with Nonny & Poppy…

Jordan was excited to try pizza crust for the first time… definitely a fan! Maybe we will just skip baby food. Haha.

Picking out his prize… such a tough decision!

Thanks Nonny & Poppy for making the trip, spending the time, and spoiling our kids! Lots of good memories were made that’s for sure. Can’t wait till we see you again. Love you!

Cole the Comedian

2012-01-14T21:45:00.001-05:00

This isn’t the funny part, but I had to show off my smart little boy. I’m biased, but what 2 year old knows 10 letters of the alphabet?!?!

And here are a few funny things that he has said lately…

We were playing in our “barn” when he peeked out and said “Oh no! There are bad guys out there!” I told him it was ok and to just stay in the barn so they wouldn’t get us. He quickly told me, “It’s ok. The cow is going to poot on them.” He stuck the cow’s bottom out from under the blanket, made a poot noise, and said “They’re dead now.” I promise that we do not encourage that kinda stuff, but somehow I think ALL little boys learn about it and think it’s so funny.

He is really flexible. I mean really flexible. The other day he came up to me and was very concerned. He said, “Mommy, I have something on my back.” He was reaching back with his right arm and grabbing his right shoulder blade. Haha. He felt much better once I told him that it was just part of his shoulder.

He isn’t always the easiest at bedtime. The other night Murray left his room after a lengthy bedtime routine. As he sat down on the couch beside me, we hear “Don’t leave me. Daddy, don’t leave me. I thought you were my friend.” Dagger to the heart! Seriously shouldn’t be able to do such good guilt trips this early!

My parents are in town this weekend. They got here late last night after Cole was asleep. We didn’t tell him they were coming because we didn’t want him too excited to go to bed. Like I said, bedtimes have been tough lately. Anyway, this morning my dad went to get him when he woke up. We were all expecting pure joy and excitement when he saw who was here… instead Cole told on us! First thing he told Poppy was, “My Daddy said, if I didn’t sleep like a big boy and if I came out of my room, I would get a spanking.”

Check back later for some fun pictures from this weekend with Nonny & Poppy!

Playtime!

2012-01-13T21:30:00.001-05:00

We have had crazy weather lately… snow flurries, warm sunshine, back to snow flurries. We are enjoying all of it, but mostly only going outside for the warm sunshine. Here are some pictures and videos from our playtime outside on warm days and inside on cold days!

Aren’t they just the cutest things?

We love the little playground down the street from our house. Cole is always so proud that he can do it all- all by himself!

One afternoon that Daddy was home, it was still light enough and warm enough for us to play outside in our front yard. We had a big time. Jordan especially loved having her activity table outside so she could be more independent!

She gets around the table with no trouble now!

Cole and Daddy had a big game of frisbee!

“Killing” the tree… such a boy!

The victory dance that turned into Raffi’s “Down by the Bay.” Silly boy!

Since the weather has turned cold again, we have been having fun inside with books, matching games, tents/caves, etc…

Who needs to crawl, when you can sprint! Definitely going to be an athlete!

This is one reason that I love Murray so much… he walks in the door from work and immediately finds a cave and becomes a bear with Cole. Such a great daddy!

Cole and Murray invented a race track/ramp for all his cars.

I’m not as creative as the boys usually, but I’m a great “boat” motor…

I love playing with my kiddos and seeing the things Cole comes up with and Jordan learns to do. Such a blessing to be their Mommy!

8 Months Old!

2012-01-10T08:57:00.001-05:00

Yes, it’s true. Our baby girl is 3/4 of a year old. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by. She is still pretty as ever, and her personality is really blossoming. I love seeing all the changes, but I am REALLY glad that she is still my little cuddle bug. It makes me feel like she’s still more “baby” than she probably really is. I weighed her the other day (granted probably not super accurate), and she is just shy of 18 pounds. She definitely has some cute little rolls, but over all I think she is pretty petite. We will see where she is on the growth curve next month at her 9 month check.

Like I said, her little personality is showing up more and more every day. She is still definitely our laid back child, but she is getting more insistent about what she wants and how quick she wants it. She lets you know with some pretty good screaming if you are not listening. For the most part though she is pretty content as long as people are around. She likes to be with others that’s for sure. I’m pretty sure Cole is her favorite still. Here are a couple cute videos of Daddy helping Jordan “get” Cole.

She really is just much more into playing in general. She wants a toy to play with… usually something very similar to whatever Cole has. How does it start so young? It is really fun to watch them play together though. As you can see, we are very much in the “put everything in my mouth” stage. Still no teeth though…

Her babbling has picked up so much in the last week or so, and we are loving hearing the dadadas and all the other noises she comes up with. In fact, she went to the nursery for the first time this past Sunday morning because she was too busy chatting it up with everyone around her. Haha. One of my favorite things that she does right now is blow kisses. She doesn’t use her hand, but she has learned to smack her lips. It’s hilarious to get her going back and forth with me. Unfortunately she has been a little camera shy with the babbling and the kissing. Every time I pull out the camera, she quits. Don’t worry… I can be pretty persistent. I will get a video of them sooner or later!

Also, luckily she likes to be outside as much as her big brother! I have a feeling we will be spending many days outside when it warms up because we are already out there every semi-warm day we get!

We have definitely mastered pat-pat-patting, and Cole loves getting her to do it. She is so proud of herself too. Very cute.

Here are just some sweet pictures from last Sunday when they were dressed up for church.

You do have to keep an eye on this chick though because she is a tv hawk… if it’s on, she’s watching it! Now, as you can see in this picture, sometimes I take advantage of it, but I seriously do have to make sure that she isn’t watching too much! Getting zoned into the tv comes through pretty strong from both sides genetically though so I’m not too surprised!

And I know I said this last post, but she is days away from crawling. I am honestly pretty shocked it hasn’t happened yet, but I know it will be soon. She gets that belly way off the ground, rocks, and lunges forward. She can get to things she wants, but it just takes a really long time. Once she learns how to move those arms, it’s gonna be all over. Cole better watch out! She loves to stand now too. We can hold her fingers, and she really does all the work herself. I’m too nervous to try to get her to stand up at the couch or anything though because our hardwood floors are hard!

She also is finally doing much better with baby food. I really hate to even say it for fear of jinxing myself, but she is. Now she is a little diva and wants it warmed up, but she will eat it. Sweet potatoes are by far her favorite! She eats 2-3 size 2 tubs a day. It definitely helped her eating habits when we got her over double ear infections. We are hoping she is going to get luckier than her brother in the ear department, but we will see. As far as sleeping through the night goes… that is still a work in progress for sure. Some nights are better than others, but apparently she just really loves cuddling with me during the night. One day I’ll get a full night’s sleep again. I’m sure of it.

I’ll end with a funny picture. I looked back to check on her in the car, and she was hanging on for dear life. I guess she was nervous about my driving skills. I will defend myself and say that I was at a stoplight when I took the picture with my phone. I’m really not as reckless as she might lead you to believe.

Last Post of 2011

2011-12-31T22:50:00.001-05:00

Well… sadly, Cole’s hair playing tendency turned into a extremely tight hair twirling habit. So tight that he was pulling out his hair, and it was getting thin. We were afraid he was going to make a bald spot so we decided our only choice was to cut his hair short. We decided to have a hair-cutting party with some of our best buddies here to make it more exciting. Cole was pumped and so proud of his “big boy” haircut!

Cleaning all that hair off!

He looks so different but is still such a cutie!

Sweet friends already! Jordan and Andee are so cute together!

Jordan is getting better at walking around her play table. She is very proud. Also, Cole has invented a baby rollercoaster for Jordan… don’t think she is going to be afraid of much by the looks of this! She loves it every time. So silly!

This weekend we are celebrating the New Year with Mimi! She came to visit, and we are LOVING it! She and Cole are having a blast and the weather has even been nice enough for some play time outside. Mims is wonderful, and we love her so much!

2011 has been a year to remember that is for sure! Two of the top things for me have been watching Cole grow up so much and adding Jordan to our family. 2012 is going to be full of changes too, but we are looking forward to what God has in store for our family and making many more wonderful memories together! Praying God’s richest blessings on you and yours!

Over the River & Through the Woods…

2011-12-31T22:30:00.001-05:00

To Grandmothers’ houses we go! We headed to TN to celebrate Christmas with both sides of the family. It was wonderful to get to be with everyone this year.

First up was Poppy & Nonny’s house… We had a great Christmas Eve dinner and had fun exchanging ~~one~~ two presents! The kids were so sweet and in such happy moods.

After the gift exchange, out came the gingerbread houses… this was pretty hilarious to watch. Everyone was proud of their house- whether they should have been or not. Haha.

Christmas morning waiting to go see what Santa brought.

Her first ring!

Love it!

That night my mom’s side of the family all came over to celebrate. It was so nice to get to see everybody and show off our cute kids.

Dad making momma laugh… After 30+ years, he’s still got it.

The next morning we were off to Huntingdon…

We started off at Mimi & PopPop’s house. Cole was so excited about all his presents, but the mask/cape and tent were by far the favorites. The fact that Easton also had a mask and cape and came up with all sorts of fun games to play in the tent might have had something to do with it.

That night we went to Murray’s Grandma Sara’s. He was the only “bigger” kid there so he was center of attention, and he took advantage!

Jordan got a little attention too though- don’t worry!

Sunday morning we went to church and of course had a family photo shoot…

This one CRACKS me up! Looks like Cole is about to attack Jordan.

That night we headed to Murray’s Grandma Marilyn and Granddaddy Howard’s… our last Christmas celebration! Jordan wore her party dress!

If you can’t tell, we celebrated Christmas to the fullest. We also came home with WAY too much stuff. Haha. Seriously though, the best part of the holiday was getting to spend time with family that we love so much. What a blessing! Hope everyone else had a very merry Christmas too!

Christmas Morning!

2011-12-31T17:22:00.001-05:00

Warning… lots of videos! You may or may not want to watch all of these, but I couldn’t narrow them down anymore. Believe it or not, I cut out a lot!

We had a very exciting Christmas morning. Cole was a little overwhelmed at first I think, but he got over that quick enough! He was so funny because the only thing he ever said when we asked him what he wanted from Santa was a little toy dog like his cousin Maddox has. Notice in this video what he gets most excited about… He still says that the dog is his favorite toy. Haha. Maybe Santa will learn a lesson next year.

Checking out his stocking…

Realizing Santa ate all the cookies!

He made LOTS of coffee for Daddy and a lot of hot dogs and hamburgers too. We were really thankful for the extra food that Aunt Kelsey and Uncle Smith got him for Christmas (post to come)!

Thanking Santa… This one is really funny!

It really worked out perfect because Cole was up for a while and then Sissy woke up so we were able to focus on them each a little separately. Again, overwhelmed I think, but she seemed to really like all that Santa brought her.

Cole & Jordan exchanged presents this year. Cole helped pick out Jordan’s. She might have had a little help with Cole’s. Looking forward to them doing this each year!

Our best attempt at a Christmas Morning family photo…

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Eve…

2011-12-30T22:13:00.001-05:00

Making cookies for Santa… Cole had a LOT of fun with the sprinkles!!!

Cole and Daddy were the icing experts!

Gotta have a taste test…

Yummy Mexican Christmas Eve dinner.

And since we weren’t going to have any real snow, we had red water and bubble “snow!”

Working on his letter to Santa…

Again… testing the cookies- specifically the icing!

Cute babies in cute Christmas pajamas!

The loot! I think they were definitely on Santa’s good list!!!

Stay tuned for Christmas morning excitement!!!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

2011-12-30T21:59:00.001-05:00

We had the best trip to Naples, FL for our anniversary. It was definitely just what we needed, and we enjoyed every minute. You know it’s been a good trip when you feel refreshed and ready to come back home at the end of it. Missing our sweet babies might have had a little to do with that, but it really was the perfect getaway.

Here are a few pictures of the house we stayed in. It was wonderful, and we were definitely spoiled!

Our own heated pool and hot tub!

Dinner our first night at a restaurant called Pinchers. It was right on the bay which was pretty cool. It was also part of place called Tin City that had several little shops to walk around.

After dinner, Murray challenged me to a tackiest outfit contest… It was close (especially with that nasty alligator claw necklace), but he said I won.

On our actual anniversary, we decided to brave the Everglades and headed south to go on a kayak tour. I don’t know why I didn’t think about how scary this actually was before we got there, but being that close to BIG alligators in a tiny kayak was a little unnerving- especially since my previous kayaking experience didn’t leave me with much confidence in my kayak skills! It worked out fine though… we saw a lot of cool things, didn’t get eaten by alligators, and were still on good terms when it was over. I will say that Murray was pretty funny because anytime we came near an alligator, he would tell me to put my paddle in the boat and just let him do it. Haha.

We got back in time to nap, clean up, and head out to an incredible steak restaurant! It was so delicious and such a great way to end our night and 5 years of marriage together! They even went to the trouble to have white roses there for me like my wedding bouquet! JK, but I told myself that anyway.

Isn’t he so cute?!?!

Random, AMAZING sand castle on the side of the road.

We went down to visit the Naples Pier. It was such a cool place and wonderful weather!

We saw dolphins…

pelicans catching fish…

and a random guy who must have thought he was in Jersey (check out that hair!)…

Like I said before, it was a wonderful trip and just enough time away. It did help a little bit that we needed to get back to watch Cole play Toddler Jesus in the nativity play at church Sunday morning! He did so good and looked so cute!

Thanks again to my sweet Momma for taking such good care of our kiddos so that we could relax and not worry about them!

Also BIG thank you for having Cole potty trained when we came back… I was just kidding when I put that in a previous post, but it came true! Cole has been in big boy underwear for over 2 weeks now!!! I had asked Mom to talk to him a lot about being Toddler Jesus so he would be ready for Sunday, and they apparently talked about how he would have used the potty and not a diaper like Baby Jesus. Cole decided that he needed to use the potty and wear big boy underwear then. So thank you Momma & thank you to those in charge of the church play who asked him to be Toddler Jesus… it changed our lives more than you can imagine! Haha.

Such a nice Santa!

2011-12-20T16:11:00.001-05:00

Santa knows that we will be out of town for the real Christmas Eve this year so he is making a special trip to our house! He is coming tonight, and we are SO excited!

Even Sissy is being a sweet girl to Jingle Bell Elmo in hopes that Santa might bring something special to her!

I have a feeling that our sweet boy and girl will definitely have been on the top of Santa’s nice list! Looking forward to all the fun leading up to it and the excitement of Christmas morning tomorrow!

5 Years Ago Today…

2011-12-16T11:04:00.001-05:00

I got to dress up and feel like a princess, be surrounded by wonderful friends and family, eat delicious food, receive thoughtful gifts and words of advice, and most importantly say “I DO!” to my best friend in the whole world! What a seriously incredible blessing of a day!

Hard to believe we have been married for five years, but I guess when I really think about all the places we have been and things we have done, it makes sense. We have lived in Chicago, survived crazy snowstorms (& even walked to McDonalds for hot fudge sundaes in one), learned to take care of tiny, sick babies, loved our dog like a child, figured out how to live on a budget, become a doctor (crazy that he is Dr. Butler!!!), moved to Louisville, had the smartest and most precious baby boy ever, become homeowners, made amazing friends, been challenged and grown spiritually, made it through tough call days/weeks/months , had the prettiest and most special baby girl ever, and SO much more that I am leaving out.

More important than all the places we have been, friends we have made, things we have done, we are truly more in love with each other and happier than ever. Not to say that we don’t annoy each other sometimes or are always patient or that things have been easy the entire time, but we are committed to trying to serve each other better every day, to love each other more deeply every day, and to keep laughing with each other all the time.

I have been blessed beyond measure with this amazing Christian man I call my husband, and I truly thank God for him MANY times daily.

To celebrate our anniversary, we were supposed to go snowskiing in Snowshoe, WV, but due to the crazy warm weather there, we had to cancel our trip the day before we were supposed to leave. We didn’t know where we would go or what we would do instead, but once again God provided for us so, with less than 24 hours notice, we swapped out our snow gear for bathing suits and are spending our anniversary in NAPLES, FL!!! We are pumped about this trip and acted like silly kids all morning in the airport! Special thanks to my mom for keeping our sweet babies for us, to Murray’s attending for so graciously offering his house to us when he heard about our previous plans being cancelled, and to my dad for the frequent flyer points that are getting us there. Definitely will be following up when we get home with a post full of stories and pictures of our fun, but for now, I’m going to enjoy my kid-free, adult-only time with my wonderful husband!!!

PS- Jordan: You are so close to crawling forward, and, even though I will be really excited and proud of you, you will be in some trouble if you start in these 3 days that I am gone!!!

Cole: You are more than welcome to be potty-trained when I come back. You will not be in trouble AT ALL for that!!!

Pre-Christmas Fun!

2011-12-15T15:07:00.001-05:00

We have been having so much fun getting ready for Christmas this year! Cole is at a really fun age, and even though he doesn’t totally understand it all, he is really enjoying everything! Daddy showed him the best way to look at the Christmas tree… I have found him under there several times since!

We made a gingerbread house too. Love the cheesy smiles!

He was very particular about what went where!

Rudolph?

It’s far from perfect, but Cole is one proud little boy!

Louisville has a huge underground cave not far from our house. I really don’t know it’s purpose the rest of the year, but at Christmas time it is home to Lights Under Louisville. We decided to check it out this year, and it couldn’t have been a bigger hit. They did an excellent job, and Cole LOVED it! He is still asking to see more Christmas lights!

On our way he was pretty excited so we got a few cute videos of him singing Jingle Bells and Rudolph and talking about going to see the lights.

Sissy enjoyed it too, but this was pretty much her expression the whole time! Haha.

Best attempt at a family shot… oh well, captures the true trip!

I’m telling you… really into it! He kept going on about whatever we were looking at and at the end said “It’s awesome!” So funny!

We also got to see two of our big buddies in their preschool Christmas program! Max & Jackson did so great (top right & bottom left)!

Definitely looks like trouble!!!

Mostly we have just had a great time being together as a family. After all that is by far the best thing about the holiday season!

We cannot get enough of this precious laugh!

Cole knows the Big Red Barn story by heart. I tried to get him to read it to Jordan, but this is the closest we could come. He can do the whole book, but I cut it off when he started getting really silly.

Our silly little backwards crawler!

Murray always does this weird thing with his undershirts where he pulls the neck up and makes the circle of the neck be around his face. He becomes a silly monster and chases Cole all around the house. The other day Cole came in the kitchen so proud and said “Look Mommy. I’m look like Daddy!” The shirt isn’t quite like Murray, but the effect is! Such funny boys!

Learning to Pat, Pat, Pat!

And this is what happens when I leave them home alone with Daddy!

Cole Stories :)

2011-12-12T22:37:00.001-05:00

As always Cole has said MANY things lately that have cracked us up. I try to write them down as soon as they happen so I don’t forget, but I can never get them all. Here are a few of the ones I do remember.

Over Thanksgiving, we were trying to get Cole to eat some pot roast. He is pretty picky about his meats, and it often takes a lot of coaxing. I thought good old peer pressure would work so I said, “Look at Easton! He is eating his meat. It’s his favorite.” Cole looks at me and very matter-of-factly says, “Well, it’s not my favorite.”

Jordan figured out how to really squeal lately. She does it most often when she is excited- even though it might sound like she is anything but. Haha. The other day I was doing dishes while Cole and Jordan were playing in his room. She started squealing, and Cole came running in the kitchen. He said (very upset), “Mommy, Baby Jordan’s talking ugly to me!”

After I picked him up from bible class one night, he sighed really loudly. I said, “What is it baby?” He said, “Bible class is hard work.” Where does he come up with this stuff?

Murray was rocking him before bed the other night and singing him some songs. After a couple, Cole asked for one more drink of water. They got him some water, and Murray started singing again. He didn’t realize it, but he started singing one of the same songs again. Cole said, “Wait Daddy, you almost forgot. Don’t sing that again.”

Cole loves to eat the raisins from my cereal each morning. One morning he was pretty engrossed in Little Einsteins so he didn’t realize I had put several out for him. When I got his attention and told him there were several raisins for him, he looked up at me and said, “Oh cool.” 2 going on 15.

I have a serious addiction… to large McDonald’s cokes in their foam cups. Cole loves to have sips of mine, and I really have to watch him or he will drink it all! The other day I pulled up to the drive-thru and before I ordered, Cole said, “I need a large Coke for me Momma.” Haha… no way!!!

Cole was eating animal crackers in the car and held one up saying, “Look Momma- it’s a ak. It’s a ak Momma.” After a minute I realized he was saying “yak.” Shocked that he even knew that animal, I asked him, “Where did you learn about a yak?” He very quickly told me, “From my Puter.” (computer) He has one of those leapfrog computers that says “A is for alligator.” Apparently it also says “Y is for yak.”

Cole singing Old McDonald…

Cole singing God Is So Good… (His Veggie Tale cd says “So good to Cole & me” if you are wondering where that came from.”

The games he and Daddy come up with…

7 Months & Growing!

2011-12-07T23:21:00.001-05:00

Baby Girl is getting so BIG! I think I start every monthly update that way, but it’s true! I would say the biggest changes this month are her mobility and her eating.

Much to her frustration sometimes, she still is not crawling forward (occasionally does lunge forward though) but can cross the room in a second scooting backward. Murray calls her his little lobster since they crawl backward. Haha. She is up on all fours and rocking, but moving forward instead of backward just hasn’t clicked.

The other day I had to finish up something in the kitchen so I left Jordan in her carseat (not buckled in) in the middle of the living room watching tv with Cole. Up until this point, she has always sat there perfectly content. This time however I came back in to check on them and had a slight moment of panic when she was no where in the room. I said- Cole, where’s Sissy? He said- In there. I walked around the corner, and she grinned up at me from inside the bathroom. For those of you who don’t know our house at all, that’s crazy! Not only did she get out of the carseat by herself, she scooted backward out of the living room, through the hallway, and into the bathroom. Silly girl!

She has finally been eating better too. We switched to actual baby food cereal instead of the boxed rice cereal that I was mixing up, and it seems to have done the trick. Guess she has a picky palate. So far this month we have introduced and she eats rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. The greens come next so we will see how that goes. For now, she eats baby food 2-3 times a day. She still really has to be interested to eat, but, if you catch her when she is hungry, you won’t be able to shovel it in fast enough!

She and Cole have become even bigger buddies lately. He has been so sweet sharing toys with her, and she has had so much fun ~~chewing on them~~ playing with them. She gives him the best smiles and watches his every move! Now that she can sit up so well, it is fun to watch them sitting together and playing. Cole has to watch her little hands though because she is grabbing for him if he comes close enough! Mommy also has to watch because there have already been several drinks/bowls knocked over by those quick fingers!

It was really nice out the other day so we stopped by a park to play for a while. Jordan got to swing for the first time, and she LOVED it! I mean she laughed, squealed, and smiled the entire time. I really think she would have sat in that swing all day long. I finally got her out, but I see lots of swinging in our future! (Please ignore the missing sock… those things never stay on!)

And finally, did you know she was already driving?!?! Not really of course, but it will happen soon enough. For now, just seeing her big enough to sit up in a grocery cart is crazy enough for me! Sidenote- check out Cole shifting gears in this picture… he is so funny!

Jordan really is the easiest baby! If only she slept through the night, I would say she was perfect. She is pretty close though. Her smiles and sweet voice melt our hearts, and we are loving every minute we get with this precious little girl! Happy 7 Months Sissy!

It’s the Happiest Season of All!

2011-12-06T19:10:00.001-05:00

I have definitely been slacking on our blog lately, but it is obvious around our house at least that the holidays are upon us! We have been busy, busy (not much time for blogging), but it has been so much fun! Cole is really into Christmas this year, and we have truly become little kids ourselves watching his excitement. Everywhere we go he repeats over and over “There’s another Christmas (tree, wreath, etc.). They’re EVERYWHERE!” And on the word “everywhere” he waves his arms in a “He’s got the whole world in his hands” motion. So cute! He loves our Christmas tree and plays with a different ornament everyday. We had to put all the delicate ones way up high because they are fair game at the bottom.

He had so much fun decorating the tree too- even if he pretty much hung all the ornaments on the same 2 or 3 branches. Haha.

He is loving finding our Elf on a Shelf every morning and usually gets a good laugh out of the places he chooses to watch us from. Our singing Rudolph will probably need 5 sets of batteries by the time we pack him back up, but he is bringing a lot of joy to Cole and to Jordan! She loves the lights on the trees and the stuffed toys… obviously a little young for most of it this year, but all smiles nonetheless.

Cole is still slightly hesitant about Santa Claus, but we were able to coax him into sitting beside him for a picture. Ice cream is the bribe of choice these days.

We were able to go with some friends to a Christmas festival last weekend, and Cole had great time watching Santa pull up in the sleigh, eating a candy cane (SO sticky that he couldn’t even throw it away… it kept sticking to his hands when he tried to drop it), and getting his face painted.

We also were able to see a live nativity scene there, and it was really neat for him to get a visual of the story that we have told him so many times. He was so excited when he saw the angel and the bright star and kept saying “It’s the star high in the sky where Baby Jesus is.” Funny what sticks out in a story to these little ones!

And, I definitely haven’t minded getting to dress them up in the cutest Christmas outfits! They have looked adorable if I can brag a little bit.

We have been so blessed this year, and I don’t know what Santa has up his sleeves to put under our Christmas tree, but I can guarantee that there won’t be any gifts sweeter or more precious than these 2!

Gobble Gobble!!!

2011-11-28T17:00:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and definitely were reminded how very much we have to be grateful for! We were able to spend several days in Huntingdon with Murray’s family, and it was such a treat to have time to see a lot of family, make great memories, and rest a little too! Hope you are in a picture-looking mood!

Hanging out and killing time before Daddy got home and we loaded up the car. Cole got a little silly and insisted Jordan be silly too.

Made it to Huntingdon and the snuggling began!

Girl after her Momma’s own heart!

Jordan and Uncle Thomas had a lot of fun playing in the floor and checking each other out.

She even got to wear his cap and felt pretty good about herself!

More snuggle time!

Cole played and played! He loved having so much attention and so many fun playmates!

My 3 turkeys on Thanksgiving!

Just had to give some praise to Mrs. Sara for raising 2 boys who do all the clean-up after meals. Need to figure out how to instill that in Cole!

Mrs. Sara also showed us this picture of Mr. Walter as a baby. I definitely see some similarities there!

The boys cashed out after our Thanksgiving meal…

Unfortunately not all of them (or at least not for very long) because there was more playing to do!

Don’t worry though… he didn’t let them stay asleep too long!

Meal after meal, party after party, this girlie was a hit!

And Mrs. Jenn may finally have a little girl to play with and dress up, but there is also a whole new gang of wild little boys running around too!

Jordan getting her Thanksgiving meal… She is finally starting to seem to like it.

We are so thankful to have such a loving extended family. We are so incredibly blessed! Love you all!

Crackin’ us up…

2011-11-21T15:12:00.001-05:00

First some funny Cole stories…

The other day he fell and got “hurt.” When I picked him up to comfort him, he reached to run his fingers through my hair. This particular day, I had worn my hair in a flipped ponytail… you know where it’s kinda like a bun. Anyway, he immediately said “No momma. I don’t want a silly ponytail. I want a swinging ponytail.” I will really miss the hair-playing days!

He got a Veggie Tales CD from Mimi the other day in the mail, and he loves it. He asked to listen to it and quickly told me it was his favorite. He also informed me that Junior (the little asparagus that sings some of the songs on the CD) is a very good singer.

He knocked some of the clothes I had been folding over the other day, and when I said “Cole, why did you do that, bud? I had been working hard on those.” He said “I’m sorry Mom. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.” Too big!

Twice now he has rather loudly pointed out interesting facts about people we are around. “Momma, that boy has earrings like you. That’s silly.” or (about a guy with dredlocks) “That boy has crazy hair Momma.” I mean, what do you say?

He also got very excited at ChickFilA the other day when a man came in wearing a cowboy hat. He insisted that we go see the cowboy’s horses. I kept trying to quietly explain that the man had left the horses at the barn. I guess we were overheard because the guy came over and informed me that he really did have 2 horses out in a trailer in the parking lot if I wanted to take him to see them. Thank goodness!

Lately whenever I tell him that we are going to see a friend, he will say “Will (for example) is far away. He is calling me. He is saying- Cole, come here. I miss you! I wanna see you!”

For church Sunday, I put Cole in a striped polo. He said “I have stripes Momma. I’m a zebra!”

Jordan is also developing quite the personality too. I LOVE her little laugh. Here are a couple cute videos.

I don’t know why, but for some reason we kept on playing with the kids even though it was way past bedtime last night. Things got wild and crazy… bibs even became Superhero capes! It was actually Cole’s idea and pretty funny! I think this picture of the two of them may become one of my all-time favorites!

Daddy squeezed in some tickle time…

And Sissy worked hard on crawling! Such determination!

And here are a few random bath pictures because Jordan was sitting up playing for the first time. And because I just think bathtime pictures are too cute.

Hate the tub got in the way of this one. Love their smiles.

Sticking dinosaurs to the tub wall is serious business!

Cutie Patooties!

Last few days…

2011-11-19T15:02:00.001-05:00

Cole has been singing God is so Good all the time lately, and I think it is the sweetest. However, EVERY time I pull the camera out, he stops. I thought I had him the other day when I was videoing behind his back, but he decided to get silly at the end. I still had to post the video though because of what he says when he catches me with the camera. Too funny!

We brought down the activity table for Jordan, and I think her smile says it all. She really likes it which is really great for me. Now if I can just figure out a way to keep Cole out of it. Haha.

Cole, Jordan, and I headed up to Indianapolis to visit my grandparents and some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins for the day on Thursday. It was fun watching everyone with the kids because they have both changed quite a bit since we were last with everyone.

Jordan was all dolled up, and I love her little smile in this picture.

My cousins 2 kids came over to play with Cole, and the three of them had a blast! Definitely need to get them together more. Ainsley is the oldest and therefore decided that she was “the boss” of the two boys. Haha.

It’s such a blessing for my kids to have young great-grandparents. On both sides of the family, Cole and Jordan have great grandparents that get down in the floor and have fun with them! What awesome memories!

And this little girlie is going to be crawling in no time. She is up on all fours with that belly way off the ground! Once she figures out how to push forward instead of backward, there will be no stopping her!

Play Time!

2011-11-15T11:18:00.001-05:00

My kiddos are getting so big! Look at Jordan sitting up and playing if you don’t believe me! She is spinning the rollers, pulling the handles, and loving it! And by the way… is she not the cutest baby girl ever?!?!

Even after a really long day at work, Daddy is the best playmate and SO much fun! We are so blessed that he is ours, and WE LOVE HIM! (Pretty impressive running with crocs on too by the way!)

Love our playground down the street!

Cole has no fear these days… He is all over the place and trying new things all the time.

Cole thought it was funny for Jordan to wear his shoes. Only because it was his idea… Haha.

So let me preface these two pictures by saying that I had left Jordan in the middle of Cole’s rug with a plastic dinosaur. I went to do some dishes and heard her squealing with excitement. I go to find her, and she had worked her way out into the hallway to Cole’s sword. She was SO proud of herself. So what if she scooted backwards the whole way to get there.

Finally- Jordan’s 6 month stats…

Weight- 14 lb 14 oz (25%)

Height- 25.5 in (30%)

Head- 16.5 in (25%)

She makes it so tough…

2011-11-13T17:04:00.001-05:00

to get a cute picture… Not really! Haha. She couldn’t be an easier subject!

I took about 20 that were all great so then I started videoing her so you could see firsthand how tough my job is. Ignore my crazy voice… it is pretty much the only requirement to make her smile.

And a couple more sweet family moments…

Everyday life…

2011-11-11T14:22:00.001-05:00

These pictures don’t really have much of a theme or anything. Just some I have taken over the last few days that I wanted to share. Love my two sweet babies. I seriously think I could take pictures of them nonstop because I think everything they do is so great… I know you are all thinking that I really kinda do that already, but you get my point.

I guess a lot of these kinda add onto my 6 month post for Jordan. Like I said, getting so big everyday. She doesn’t get bottles that often, but she definitely knows what they are! You put one within sight, and she will just about jump outta your arms to grab it. I really don’t let her hold it by herself much yet because it makes her seem to big- even though she obviously can . Haha.

Told ya we were going to be sitting up all the way in no time… she’s a pro!

Watching a little tv for a second… no sitting back and relaxing for this girlie!

Had to take a picture of her like this because this is how Cole always slept. Arms and knees tucked under, and that cute little bottom up in the air. Love it!

WE LOVE CHEETOS! Hahaha!

All snuggled up! This cold weather makes for some warm, cozy, and super cute clothes!

She loves him so much. She wants to get her hands on him any chance she gets… Too bad he can be somewhat of a touch-me-not when cuddling is not his idea! This is just like me & Kels when we were little. She always wanted to snuggle, and I didn’t want her to touch me. Haha. Poor little sisters! Sorry Kelsey!!!

I just can’t believe she is big enough to sit up and play with toys.

Warning: This video is probably not entertaining for anyone else, but I was enjoying watching her figure the spinning ball out and wanted to remember it. Cole is cute trying to teach her how too.

Half a Year… Already?!?!

2011-11-07T21:33:00.001-05:00

Jordan is 6 months old today, and it is quite truthfully blowing my mind! Cole seemed to grow up so quickly, but the time since Jordan was born has flown by even faster. I could go on and on because we are so incredibly in love with this sweet little girl! She is so laid back, so happy, and such a true joy. Don’t get me wrong, she is quickly becoming a little “diva” as Murray calls her, and I think is going to have a temper that gives most anyone a run for their money. We wouldn’t want a pushover though would we?

She is getting really good at sitting if she can brace herself on her hands, but she is also doing much better about sitting up like a big girl too. I think we will be checking that off the skills list any day now. She also is SO close to scooting. She pulls those knees up, pushes up on her hands, and moves backward… so frustrating for this little girl, but she keeps on trying. She has become an expert roller though, and there isn’t much she can’t get to if she really wants it despite not having the scooting down quite yet.

She has the sweetest little voice and is quite the conversationalist. Especially to her big brother or to herself in the mirror. Haha. Cole’s voice was always much deeper than hers, and we think that her babbling and squeals are just the cutest things! We are still quite hooked on our paci. I kept thinking she was going to be a finger or thumb sucker, but I think she may be a paci girl after all.

A few more recent things are that when you go to get her out of her carseat, she will move her arms to get them out of her straps and then totally reaches up for you to pick her up. Smart girl! She also has started “hugging” and “kissing” me when I pick her up. It’s like she is SO excited that you came and got her that she latches on so tight and buries her face in your neck/shoulder and then she will look up at you and put her big open mouth right on your neck/face/whatever she can get to first. I don’t know if it’s her true purpose, but nobody could prove otherwise so I say it is. She has also become annoyingly good at pulling off her socks and her headbands. They are never in place when I go to get her out of the carseat. I know she doesn’t understand why I keep putting covers over her favorite toys (her toes), but it is starting to get pretty chilly outside!

Rice cereal is not progressing as much as I had hoped, but it will come. She is growing and doing well so I’m not stressing about it. I remember wishing I hadn’t started as early with Cole because once they get good at it, you can’t go back, and honestly it’s just one more thing to add into our crazy schedule. Haha.

Here is her first wagon ride. She loved it! She is every bit as content outside as her big brother has always been. And sitting across from him in the wagon didn’t hurt either. She could watch him for hours.

I know I am probably forgetting things, but I’ll just post them later. I will have to update you on her stats after her 6 month check-up that’s still a week off anyway.

Overall each day brings new changes and more personality. We are loving watching her grow and getting to know our sweet little girl. God is so good and has blessed us with kids that we could not love more!

Become like Children…

2011-11-07T20:07:00.001-05:00

Cole teaches me daily why Jesus said we should be more like little children. Here are a couple reasons from just today…

Cole singing to Baby Sissy aka Teddy. Totally started this with no prompting from me. Love that he knows, loves, and chooses to sing “bible” songs, but my prayer is that his love for Jesus becomes stronger and more real with each day.

Secondly this was his prayer today…

“Dear God, Thank you for my mommy. Thank you for my triangle sandwich. Thank you for all our food. Thank you for Jesus. I love him soooo much. In Jesus Name, Amen”

Secondly this was his prayer today…

“Dear God, Thank you for my mommy. Thank you for my triangle sandwich. Thank you for all our food. Thank you for Jesus. I love him soooo much. In Jesus Name, Amen”

Fall Fun!

2011-11-07T19:03:00.001-05:00

We have been enjoying all aspects of this season! We started out with Halloween and are now loving playing outside in the leaves and cooler weather. Here are some videos and pictures of our fun.

Cole LOVED handing out candy. We had to really work to convince him to put his costume on and go trick or treating himself!

I even had to move his supper over to the door because he couldn’t risk missing any trick or treaters by sitting at the table! He also was VERY specific about what candy he handed out. He avoided the fireballs because they “are too hot” and would hold up candy asking the kids “like this kind guys?” Such a sweet boy!

Sissy was excited about all the activity too!

Once we did talk him into trick or treating, he was ALL ABOUT IT! He loved going from house to house and just kept saying, “Can I get more candy daddy?” At every house he would say “Trick or Treat” and then after getting candy “Thank you. Happy Halloween!” It was so cute!

Sissy is our little trooper! She is happy to be outside and tags along most anywhere without a fuss. We didn’t dress her back up as Abby on actual Halloween, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t mind.

Daddy has also gotten to be home a lot in the late afternoons which we have LOVED! He and Cole did a great job raking up all our leaves and an even better job playing in them!

Snuggle time before bed! Not sure anything else beats it!

Cole is a really great policeman and always catches the bad guys and locks them up!

We had such pretty weather today and enjoyed a nice walk around the block! Both my kids love being outside which suits me just fine!

10 years later…

2011-11-07T18:43:00.001-05:00

Crazy that we had my 10 year high school reunion a couple weekends ago. It was really fun to catch up with old friends and see new spouses and babies! Most everyone looks about the same so no real surprises. I had a hand in planning it so I’m slightly biased, but I feel like everything went really well and that everyone had a fun time. Special thanks to my parents and Kelsey for helping out with the kiddos and even taking an extra one, two, or three back to their house a few times throughout the weekend!

Friday night we all went to Harding’s Homecoming Game. We blew the other team away, but to be honest, this picture of the scoreboard at the end of the game is about as much of the game as I saw. I was busy socializing… guess some things never change. Cole was really excited about the game. We had him practice saying “Go Lions!” Once we had been there a little while, he said “Momma, there are no lions here.” Haha. He did like watching them kick, throw, and run the football though.

All decked out in football gear for the game!

The cupcakes in the reunion tent.

Taylor sported his letter jacket! It was great!

Meeting back up with our spouses and babies after the game. The babies got too chilly, and the boys had to watch the end of the World Series Game 7. Murray was the only happy guy in the room!

Our school tour/picnic Saturday.

Shipman wore his Senior Jersey for our kickball tournament.

We played Harding class of 2001 vs. the rest. There were lots of funny moments in the game, but this was by far the best! Murray (didn’t really) chunked the ball at Meridith who went sliding into first and ended up earning herself the trophy!

Dinner Saturday night!

Yearbooks from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade!

Hit songs from our senior year…

Our senior picture nametags…

We had a little over a third of our graduating class come to the reunion plus their significant others. It was a great turnout.

Me & the other class officers/party planners!

Class of 2001 (minus a few!)

It was a lot of fun but a lot of work, and I can honestly say I’m glad it will be another 10 years before we do it again. Haha.