Field Trips

Life has been crazy the last month or so and overly crazy the last couple of weeks... so everyone hang on tight as I try to catch up on all my blogging. Although we did not get very many good pictures of either of our field trips, hopefully you will still get "the picture".  Thanks Julie for remembering your camera!  Our first trip took us to the wild and crazy Greenville zoo. Ok, so if you are not familiar with the Greenville zoo it is definitely not wild and crazy but it is the perfect size with good selection of animals for toddlers.

Our little monkeys checking out the monkeys 

Hello Joey, the only one we could get to look at the camera

Sweet girls checking out the UGLY snakes

The best part of the zoo is the amazing playground right outside. We finished our tour of the zoo with some play time and lunch. The following week we took another field trip to the Happy Cow Creamery.  We had been talking about farms and were excited to get the chance to see a working farm up close.  

Anna Grace, Chase, Lillian, Joey, and Titus

Behind the kiddo's are the "Happy Cows".  We boarded a tractor and took a tour of the farm learning all about grass. Yes you heard me right, 15 minutes on a tractor with squirmy toddlers hearing farmer Tom talk about grass.  It was very interesting and I really enjoyed it but was very much over the kiddo's heads as far as information.  It has been a good learning/teaching tool that we have come back to several times though.  Overall it is a very good educational tour.  After the tractor ride we were able to see the milking stables and learn how they milk the cows and how it goes to be bottled. 

Titus and Anna Grace on the Tractor

Chase and Joey on the tractor

It was a very fun morning and an excellent learning experiencing for all of us. As farmer Tom said "Happy Cows do not come from California", they are right here in South Carolina. 

Happy Birthday

Yesterday was my 29th birthday! And yes, I really turned 29. Not that perpetual 29th birthday that most people get stuck on.  It was an angelic day of sitting around being pampered with my feet up.  Ok, so maybe the angels weren't singing and well with 2 kids maybe I didn't get to put my feet up much but it was a wonderful day.  Kevin called throughout the day and sang happy birthday and then would get Chase on the phone and remind him to tell me happy birthday.  So sweet!  A dear friend brought me breakfast and coffee and the kids played.  I received lots of happy birthday wishes and phone calls and felt much love.  I allowed Chase to not take a nap and we snuggled on the couch and watched a movie.  Kevin brought me one of my favorite foods for dinner...

All the yummy flavors

Yep you guessed it, Wild Wings chicken wings.  Sorry for the ugly bones picture but we were too hungry to wait for pictures. And then with Chase's persistent urging we had a new favorite of mine...

A sweet cream and butterfinger icecream cake from Marble Slab.  Sweet cream and butterfinger is my favorite combination from marble slab so Kevin figured that he couldn't go wrong with that in a cake.  Then I, well actually Chase, opened my cards and present.  Thank you everyone for the sweet cards.  Kevin, with some helpful hints from a friend got me a beautiful Charm bracelet with charms for each of the kids, mothers day, and our anniversary date. 

Thank you to everyone who made my day very special!

Riding Lessons

Chase got a Plasma car for Christmas from his Grammie and Papaw. For me it is a blast from the past; newer, modified version of the Roller Racer. You remember the thing you sat on with handles that your feet rested on and you just wiggled and it would go. I know I remember mine and I loved it! Well, it has taken a while for Chase to get the hang of it. We were told that you just have to show him and he would pick it up. So in a grand effort first Aunt Steph tried to show him....

And then with a little help from Chase Daddy worked on giving him lessons....

Then he started to get the hang of it (with a little help from the driveway)....

And I think he finally got it...

 Well almost. Point is he is getting the hang of it. (insert a Chase translation - he says "watch out ant"... so sweet he is concerned about squashing the ants on the driveway). It will hopefully be a good toy for him to ride during the winter in the basement of whatever house we get in Detroit.  One and a half weeks until we leave.

Taking time to Stop

My sweet little girl is getting so big.  As I watched her playing in her big brothers cozy coupe car I had visions of that commercial where the dad is giving driving instructions to the little girl sitting in the drivers seat of the car and she looks like she is about 6 years old. Then they come back to her and she is really a teenager but the dad still sees her as his little girl.  Leah is already 7 months old and I know that if I blink she will be that teenager driving away in my car.  God really spoke to my heart in that moment and reminded me of how quickly time goes by and helped me evaluate how I am spending my time. Things have been really crazy around here with the move and I realized I have not invested as much time in my children lately as I should be. Sometimes we just need to slow down and remember what is really important in life. 

She really is a good driver... for 7 months :)

Potty Training?

 Parenting is the greatest adventure I have ever been on in my life.  It is full of smiles, laughter, successes, failures, heartaches, headaches, joys, triumphs, embarrassments, and the list goes on in an endless fashion. Potty training has been one of the most frustrating stages we have ventured through thus far with Chase.  We started early with him, around 20 months against the Doctors recommendations because we did not want two children in diapers at the same time.  He did really well to start with... then really took a turn for the worst... and then once Leah was born we threw up our hands in surrender and put him back in diapers due to lack of energy to fight.  Then to our surprise HE decided HE wanted to wear underwear and has been ever since!  Now the funny part of this story is that I am one of THOSE moms who lets her child pee anywhere if it means that he is going potty and staying dry.  He has peed in just about every parking lot in Anderson County, all up and down interstate 85 on they way to Charlotte, and if we have spent any amount of time at your house he has probably peed in your yard!  Now he is usually good about letting me know that he is about to go potty before he does it.... unless his friend Joey is over.  Then of course it is more fun to do things together and of course they have each others permission, so why do we need Mommy's? Right?  So I turn around for one minute and this is what I find....

Hey at least they are going potty right... Now as long as they only do this in my back yard and not at the public park or somewhere else.... hummmm....

Happy Anniversary

  Today marks 6 amazing years being married to the most wonderful, loving, passionate man.  We were married on April 9th 2005 and the day was really perfect.  We have been blessed greatly over the last 6 years and never imagined that we could love each other more than the day we were married. But it is funny how you grow and change and how God stretches you.  Now we look at each other and not only do we have a greater love for one another as husband and wife but we have two of the most beautiful children in the world and we have this enormous amount of love for them. Now we also have grown to love each other as Mommy and Daddy to our adorable monsters :).  As I watch Kevin with the kids it is amazing to feel as much love as I do.  I will let the following pictures tell the story of our last several years of anniversaries. 

Prom 2000 - Right around when we started dating

Kevin proposed on the beach at my Grandparents Christmas of 2003

 

Our first anniversary we rented a house for the weekend in the mountains of North Carolina.  We went white water rafting on the river behind us in the picture. 

 Our 2nd anniversary Kevin surprised me and drove me into the mountains to find different waterfalls and to explore the Highlands.  Afterward he drove me to Chateau Elan for the night.

For our 3rd anniversary we boarded the Mariner of the Seas for a cruise.  This trip we also call our baby moon because it would be our last trip before kids... I was 4 months pregnant.

And surprise, surprise our 4th anniversary we do not have any pictures being our 1st after Chase was born but marriage lesson #1 - YOU NEED TIME WITHOUT THE KIDS. Chase was 6 months old and he spent the weekend with his grandparents in Charlotte while we had a staycation (aka - vacation where you stay at home).  THANK YOU for awesome grandparents!

Finally anniversary number 5 we took off to the beautiful coast of Jamaica. This was also what we call baby moon #2... I was 5 months pregnant!

This year we opted for another staycation and our kiddo's are having a wonderful time with their grandparents in Charlotte.  We of course are mostly working on getting things ready to leave in 3 weeks (YIKES!) but will enjoy a nice dinner tonight.  Happy Anniversary to the best man in the world! 

Ride with me

Sunday was such a beautiful day!  I am so happy to see the sunshine and feel its glorious heat. Isn't it amazing how the sun and its warmth can just make you feel so good?!  Well yesterday was the day Kevin has been waiting for to get the boat on the water and make sure she is running good before we take her to Michigan.  Chase has been working hard all winter with his Daddy helping with the routine maintenance of  boat and was very ready to get her on the water as well. 

Chase was an excellent driver and I think like his Daddy he has a "need for speed"... God help us when he gets to driving age!!  While the Boys had fun on the boat the Girls got to enjoy an afternoon at home.  It was a fun day for all of us and now the boat itself is ready for its big move.... now we just have to get everything else ready :)