Taylor Happenings...

Projects, Furniture, and Diploma

2012-02-08T17:52:00.003-05:00

Another post of randomness and happenings...

Look what was shipped to me yesterday!!! It's officially, official! :) I did find out that I have to take one more (ugh) test to finalize the Principal certification in SC, but this one is supposed to be easier (and two hours shorter) than the one I have already taken. I go take that on March 10th. After that, hopefully I'll be totally done with all this....until it's time to interview (GULP, GULP!!!)!!!

Well, we finally (and I say that lightly because we have gone to buy furniture several times but the shape of our living room makes it difficult for the pieces we wanted)got new furniture, and as you can see it made us totally rearrange the way we had the living room set up! We're still trying to get used to it (and I am still on the hunt for laptop/drink holder things since we had to do away with the end table for this to fit)....I do LOVE that all four of us can sit TOGETHER all bunched up!!! It's quite comfy!!! :)

Here's Austin's 3-D Ocean Floor Project (made with bendaroos)! He did a great job, and he actually did do most of this completely by himself! :) Though I must say, I am glad it DONE!!! (and, yes, I have thought about saving this one for when Logan gets to 5th grade...but I really WON'T!!!)

CSE Skate Night

2012-02-01T17:04:00.004-05:00

CSE had it's first ever Family Skate Night yesterday! What a great turnout we had!
Here's a picture of both our boys just before we were leaving. Yes, that is sweat all over Austin. Our genius child skated with his hoodie on the whole time. They both had a great time skating with friends!
So, glad Kristin took a picture of me and Logan. I'm usually the one behind the camera (as you can see it in my hand)! First time I had been on skates in a LONG time! Proud to say I didn't fall once!

On a totally different note...all around us (in our school district, at our school, and even friends/football family) it seems the tragedy of death keeps slapping us in the face! :( It's a brutal, harsh reality that life is totally precious and unpredicatable! I pray for the affected families with a heavy heart, and I squeeze my own family in MUCH tighter!!! Love, love, love my boys (all three of them!!!)!!!!

Christmas in January

2012-01-14T23:51:00.002-05:00

We celebrated our last official Christmas of the year today, or really, should I call it the first one of the year since it's technically a new year already!?! :) We held off on this one because we went out of town for this one, and we wanted everyone to be able to come! Jadain LOVED showing of her room (okay, really her entire house) off...which was precious! All the kids (cousins) had a blast playing together! Dinner/lunch was yummy, and the car ride home prompted a stop at Dunkin Doughnuts (YUMMY!!!!). It was a nice afternoon spent with family...some that we don't see very often! All the cousins that were there! :)
Three cutie patooties...Logan, Cara, and Jadain!
Austin and Brantlee...LOVE watching them grow up together! Much bigger than the picture in the car (Haylee, I know you know the one I am talking about!)!!! :)

Poker Face on New Year's Day!?!

2012-01-14T23:41:00.004-05:00

EVERY New Year's Day we go to Kathy and George's house to spend the day, eat, and watch football (it was a tradition started "BS"...Before Steph, but one we all have come to enjoy!). This year was a tad bit different...no college bowl games (thanks to a weird schedule for them all to be played during the week) AND Zack was sick! So, it was just the four of us and Grandmother and Pa-paw! We ate, lounged, and played....poker! It was the boys' first time playing. It had it's ups and downs... smiles when they were winning, and "grumps" when they weren't! They both came out the winners, though! We didn't stay quite as late, either, because Roger had to work that night...but it was a good family day (laziness, good food, and good times!). Austin at a "winning moment!"
Pa-paw going, "hmmmmmm?"
Daddy whistling "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers!
Austin with his winnings!
And, Logan with his!

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-14T23:31:00.003-05:00

So, this New Year's Eve was quite busy! The morning started out with finding out Brantlee was at the hospital having tests run- and very quickly after that being prepped for surgery to have her appendix removed! POOR THING!!! Next on the agenda, was the Potter Christmas...a visit to see Brantlee (and to go get her a REAL chocolate milkshake from Rush's)...and, of course, FIREWORKS! Roger & Bruce put on quite the show! Here are a few pics from the night! It's a bit hard to capture fireworks as they explode overhead!
Logan went and got his new bike helmet on for protection...LOL!
Austin holding onto Trooper to help keep him from being scared!
Logan sitting by the one he got to help light (yes, this Momma was quivering inside, but his Daddy was really the one doing it)!
And, this was our box before we started...Mr. Bruce had one of his own! They get a REALLY good deal from a guy that works with Roger! Our neighbors all come to watch the light show! :)

Hope everyone has a gret 2012!!! We plan too!

Logan's First Bike Ride

2011-12-26T21:54:00.003-05:00

It rained most of yesterday- not hard like it's supposed to do all day tomorrow, but enough it kept us inside. But, today was beautiful out, and we took full advantage!! Here's Logan on his new orange bike!!! He loves it! Wednesday when the sun comes back out, we'll be out on it again! :)

Oh, and of course, Trooper came for his first walk down the street!

It's hard to believe our little man is actually SIX years old- real six, not "fake six" as he calls it (since we do the half birthday celebration in the summer). Here are a few current "Logan Facts:"
* Has started kindergarten at Carolina Springs (where I teach)

*Is READING the emergent level books and phonemicaly sounding out most all words!!! (WOW!)

*LOVES: Legos, Pirates of the Carribean, Star Wars, Watching the "Wild Kratz" on PBS

*Still likes to cuddle when he's ready for bed and will still randomly say "I love you!"

* Has graduated to being able to play in the front yard with the neighborhood kids (of course, with his big brother helping to watch)

*Still idolizes his big brother, Austin

*LOVES playing video games with his Daddy (especially the Lego games, Skylanders, and Halo Wars)

*Likes to text on my phone (to Gam-ma, Aunt Haylee, and Brantlee

*LOVES having a new puppy, but he wishes he wasn't so much work

*Has Lost his first tooth recently

*Tries to turn his "grow button" ON when we tease him that we've turned it off (I'll have to get a video of this!!!)

*And, much, much more....I'm his Momma and could go on FOREVER about him! Love him to pieces and can't believe he's as big as he is! Happy birthday, Logan!

Gardner Christmas

2011-12-26T21:30:00.005-05:00

If you are reading this blog, then you probably already know that my family does so many different Christmas things we could pass off as Jewish with EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS (insert Adam Sandler song here...LOL!). Our Christmas celebrations began the Friday we got out of school! That evening we all had dinner at Mom and Dad's wih Stevey and Boni! It was fun hanging out with everyone! Here's one of my favorite shots from the night! :)

Then on Sunday we had another Gardner Christmas(my side of the family again) at Rikki and Mike's house! My Granddaddy even came! It was a good mix of Christmas and Thanksgiving (due to the dinner we had!) at the same time! Gam-ma played Santa! Enjoy the pictures!!! :)

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Everyone was happy with all their new goodies...complete with Waffle House Hashbrowns (yummy!!!)! It was good being around everyone together with good times!!! Both my boys got their much longed after, Skylanders (thanks, Uncle Mike!)! Logan loves his Ninjas from Gam-ma and Granddaddy! He's been in his "own ninja mode" with them! Austin's skyscraper building kit is a little tricky, but we WILL master it! :) LOVE my family!!!

LOVE his facial expressions!!!

SKYLANDERS!!!!!!!!! Wahoo!!!

Gam-ma LOVES her cardinals! Someone did good!!!

Here we are with Granddaddy!

There have been many "baby steps" taken this year within my family! I hope that continues and turns into an even bigger step next year!!! Love you all!!! :)

Taylor Christmas

2011-12-26T13:19:00.005-05:00

We celebrated Christmas with the Taylor side of the family the first Saturday we were out of school (Dec. 17th), but I haven't had a chance to post about it yet! It was a great day, as always! Here are LOTS of pictures from the day!!!

This picture slideshow personalized with Smilebox

EVERYONE was happy and had a great time!!! The boys got their 3DS as they had asked for, and we got our blender (and a gift card to Lowes to help get our paint for the walls!!!) We'll be back there to hang out (as tradition!) on the 1st!!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:10:00.003-05:00

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What a fantastic day it has been! There wasn't much sleep gotten last night (despite the boys conking out by 9:30 and us in bed before 11) so we are all TIRED!!! Bree and Trooper didn't want to sleep last night, Austin woke up at Midnight thinking it was morning already (and again about 30 minutes later), and having an almost 6 year old plucked in the bed between us made it quite difficult to sleep!

However, the day has been great, and the smiles on theboys faces makes it ALL worth it a thousand times over!!! Here are some of the pictures from today! Hope you all enjoyed making good memories today too!!! Merry Christmas!!! (We still have two more to go....)

These pictures were included in the slideshow, but when I print out my blog, the slideshow won't print...so, these are for printing later! Some of my favorites: You KNOW they like what they opened when they do this...

We save the stockings for last!

Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T21:00:00.003-05:00

All preparations have been made for the big day tomorrow!!! I've made a ton of food (breakfast, snacks, and dinner) ahead of time so tomorrow will be more relaxing! The boys got to open their traditional PJ present, the Santa Key has been put out, reindeer food has been spread on the lawn, and cookies and hot chocolate (with a note that milk is in the fridge) are laid out for Santa! Now, both boys are snug in our bed...trying to go to sleep!!! Wonder how long it will take them to actually start snoozing!?! I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Christmas!!!

Our New Furry Family Member...Meet Trooper!

2011-12-24T20:11:00.003-05:00

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The boys have been wanting a new puppy, and we didn't have the time for one until things slowed down a bit and I finished school! It took a little research and time to determine what type of dog we wanted to add to our family. We've been spoiled because Bree, our 12 year old Springer Spaniel, has been such a good dog!!! We knew we had to get a puppy that was allergy-friendly since Logan is allergic to dogs. We pretty quickly decided on a miniature schnauzer. The hunt to find one that would be ready to come to our home just before Chrismas (that wasn't too far away distance wise)took a little time. We were lucky enough to find a wonderful breeder in Chester, SC. Cindy was great! She kept us in the loop about Trooper the entire time, and she even sent us weekly photos! We looked forward to emails ever Tuesday! So, we drove about an hour and half on Tuesday to get our new little guy! He has been just wonderful! We think he is just adorable!!! We're attempting to crate train him, though it's a slow process. For now he follows us around EVERYWHERE like a little shadow, loves to cuddle, and pretty much reminds me of a newbon baby...wakes up for a bit (wide open) and then naps. I'm trying to get him to understand we don't have to wake up at 5 on th weekends...LOL! Not sure who is loving the Christmas present more...me or the boys!?!

WAY Too Long Since the Last Post

2011-12-23T22:03:00.007-05:00

Wow! So much has happened since the last time I had the time to post, but the good news is, I never let up on the camera/picture taking!!! The BIGGEST news is that I have officially FINISHED all my school work! I do have one more thing to do in January, but it is just an oral interview! I am so very glad that all that school work is behind me! I MUST give ~~huge~~ GIGANTIC praise to all three of my guys!!! The last 22 months was quite hard and I spent lots of time on the laptop, and they were all very patient and supportive! I couldn't have done all I did without their support and love!!! We are all glad to get OUR lives back together! Maybe now I can keep up with the laundry! Now, onto the "other happenings" from the past month....many of them are pretty big news and milestones too!

Logan lost his first tooth!!!
Here's how pitiful he was when it happened (until he realized that meant the Tooth Fairy would come soon)...

So, it wasn't actually loose until he and Austin were playing, and it got pulled loose! And, then our determined little child wiggled and wiggled it until it came out.

He was quite excited. Since it wasn't ready to come out when it did, it will probably take quite a while to grow in. I do have a cute video of him when it came out too!

Austin had his performance with the District Chorus (and the Lexington Choral Society). They sounded really good! I have a short video to post, but I think it will only let me post one video at a time.

I have much more to blog! We have had three Christmas Events already, we've seen Santa, and we have gotten TROOPER, our new furry family member- a black, miniature schnauzer! He is just precious!!! I'll have to do a whole post just about him! Stay tuned for more.....

A Little More Thanksgiving....and a Start to Christmas!

2011-11-28T18:21:00.004-05:00

As promised, Here are some more shots from Thanksgiving!

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After Thanksgiving I shopped on Friday (EARLY) with Katelee and Austin...yes, Austin BEGGED to come with us! Surprisingly, I think he had fun! I didn't get to shop for the boys at all since he was with me, but that was still okay! :) Saturday we put up the tree and Christmas decorations! I know we JUST had Thanksgiving, but to me, Thanksgiving just gets me RIGHT in the Christmas spirit! I LOVE Christmas time!!! I love seeing everyone's decorations, the music, the good moods, and hearing all the excitement from all the kiddos!!! Honestly, as much time and effort that go into decorating, it really should be enjoyed all month! (The next photos are in backwards order, but I don't have time to fix them now)
Our Elf on the Shelf...aka "Fred" is out and already moving around. He apparently had a crash landing the first night, and this morning he was latched onto Austin's bank! Wonder where else he will go!?! The boys look for him as SOON as they wake up each morning!

The FINISHED product! It was quite an ordeal with the lights this year. We always do a fake tree because I like to put it up the Saturday after Thanksgiving...and, I don't like the way a real tree smells, the daily watering that comes with it, and the dried/falling needles! I got pricked to many times at my Meemaw & Poppa's growing up!
Austin tries to get the angel up!
Logan gets hoisted to put the angel up on top!
The boys LOVE going in the attic with their Daddy to get all the "stuff" down...this part FREAKS me out, but they are careful and look forward to it EVERY year!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2011-11-24T21:41:00.003-05:00

I have MUCH to be thankful for, but these two pictures help show what I am MOST thanksful for!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all my guys!!!

I have many more photos from today (and lots more to say), but I wanted to get this up tonight before I went to bed!!! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!!

Odds and Ends...

2011-11-12T17:16:00.000-05:00

Some odds and ends from this month....

Last weekend we headed out to Batesburg for a night of playing games with the boys at Roger's parents' house! We see them out and about at the boys' games, etc., but we (Roger and I...the boys have!!!) had not been to their house since New Years! GOSH! It was long overdue...we have just been so darned busy, and Kathy & George stay on the go with golf too!!! You can see Logan digging into dinner making his own plate (before anyone else knew it was all ready) before we played games! It was a much needed family time for us and the boys...with all my school work and Roger's change in position (AND HOURS!!!!) theboys NEEDED a night just for them!

Last night Logan and I went to Family Movie Night at CSE! Twice a year our school hosts a movie night, and I think it is GREAT they do this!!! There was a HUGE turnout for this one...featuring Cars 2! Though we stayed and "watched" the entire thing, I could not tell you ONE thing about it! We got surrounded by lots of friends and my students (which Logan LOVED)! Hope we can make it to the one in the Spring too!

While we were at movie night, Austin was hanging out with friends at Bailey's birthday! Here's a picture they let me snap when I picked the boys up! Check out the fat lip Austin got while there.... OUCH!!! He and Bailey clonked heads while playing football! Looks like her head might be harder than is...LOL!

Trick-or-Treating

2011-11-06T19:20:00.004-05:00

Well, we had another successful night of trick-or-treating! Austin decided at the last minute to join in (yay!!! Mom didn't like the idea of him not going this year!)! So, we had a Darth Vadar (no surprise there) and ~~an Indian~~ Crazy Horse (thank goodness for Pioneer/Indian Day last month for school)! I have never been a homemade costume kind of mom...not for boys! I could never pull off the stuff they have wanted to be! Nights like these remind me of why I love our neighbors! We all meet in front of our houses, and we trick-or-treat up and down our street as a group! FUN TIMES! They get PLENTY of candy from our wonderful friends and neighbors, and we get back home early enough to hand out candy to other trick-or-treaters! Now, if I can make myself stay out of all the chocolate!
One to show the height difference, of course!
Dad doing the "candy check" when we got home!
Some of our neighbors!!!

Scarecrow Parade

2011-10-31T21:50:00.003-04:00

Logan and me (with a snippet of Bella saying she thinks I am #1...ha!)
Crazy eyes!
LOVE this little keepsake! SO TRUE!!!
Walking in the hallway!
In the morning still ALL put together!

Most teachers have some sort of plan for "what to do" on these crazy holidays ON A SCHOOL DAY, and our kindergarten teachers have it figured out for sure! Today Logan got to dress up like a scarecrow, and mid-afternoon the entire grade level goes on a parade around the school. I lucked up and was able to eat lunch with Logan today, watch his scarecrow parade, and go in his classroom for part of his ~~party~~ celebration! It's certainly a great perk of being a teacher at the same school with your kiddos! His HANDMADE costume was certainly not easy to make for a non-sewer like me, but I think it turned out to be pretty cute! The face paint was there this morning, but by mid-afternoon my cute scarecrow looked somewhat like a homeless child (ha!). Regardless, his little face LIT up when he walked around the school and he saw Roger and I (both there!) to watch him! His class led the parade, and HE was the line leader today (DOUBLE YAY!). Fun times, for sure!!! I can't believe our "baby" is already over two months into kindergarten! Where does the time go??? The Halloween post will have to wait until tomorrow...bedtime!

Family Fun at the Fair

2011-10-23T16:00:00.007-04:00

The good 'ole SC State Fair! Roger really dispises this place (but he was a trooper and tagged along because he knew the boys and I would have fun), but I LOVE it. I know I shouldn't...it's dirty, crowded, and filled with Walmartians (aka those crazy looking people you see all over Walmart), but I have so many fun memories from here! Growing up my Granddaddy used to take us to the fair. We'd get out of school early (big gasp, I know!), and we'd meet him nearby at "Red's" house (was that his name???) and go. Not really sure why we met at that guy's house now that I am thinking about it because that man didn't come with us...but anyway! The smells of all the yummy foods (all of them!) and riding all the rides was a highlight of the year for us growing up! We always had fun, and we always walked out of there with cotton candy! So, I guess I like going now because it was always a good time when I was little. We don't go every year now, in fact, we haven't gone since Logan was 10 months old and Austin was 5 (NOT that they are deprived...we've done Carowinds, Six Flags, Bush Gardens, or Disney each year). So, it was time for a visit to the fair! And, I am glad Logan got well wnough for us to go (he's been sick the past couple of days...in fact, we even got a phone call from a DHEC nurse concerned....but it turned out not to be anything more than his usual allergy/coughs/Upper Respiratory/Ear Infection and NOT pertussis!!! YAY!). Here's a few shots from our family fun at the fair...

All my guys walking in!

The first "ride" we did, and I had to do it with Logan for him to be able to do it. The climb to the top was no joke! Boy, I'm out of shape! As you can tell from the picture, we're all smiles and they loved it!

Logan was very happy he could DRIVE these bumper cars after not being big enough to ride the ones at Carowinds this summer!

Austin LOVES most all rides and has a very high tolerance for craziness! He smiled the entire time on this one, and he even tried waving as he flew by each time...too muc spinning for me to catch him with the camera!

This was the BEST $10 spent all day! Riding on the elephant made both boys SMILE from ear to ear! How many people can say they actually have riden on an elephant???

Even though the straw is party covering Logan's face, this is one of my favorite pictures of them from today. They both wanted one of these slushy things from the minute they saw them, but we said they had to wait until we were on our way out to get one so we didn't get stuck holding it ourselves. They chose this over cotton candy, candy apples, and elephant ears...they do not take after their momma in this department!!!

Shortly after this shot we made our way out. We detoured to get some fried mushrooms (ALWAYS a favorite!). We also caved into the fried "junk food" assortments by trying a Candy Combo (snickers, reese cup, and oreos). I thought the snickers was YUMMY (but way too rich to eat more than a couple bites), but I wasn't impressed with the Reese Cup (surprising because they are normally one of my favorite candies). Austin and Roger both said the Oreos were good! While we nibbled, we watched the Elephant Encounter show right at the gate. It was actually quite good and very informative about the two different types of elephants (so the teacher in me was impressed). We had a good family day of fun together here and then headed over to Aunt Rikki's for Robert's birthday party next....which will bring me to my next blog post!

A Little....

2011-10-19T16:55:00.009-04:00

A little bouncing (but NO flipping!)!

A little riding (with a friend from school, Hannah)!

A little spinning...or too much if you ask Austin (Warning: riding this over and over again WITHOUT getting off is NOT a good idea!)!

A little BINGO!

Okay...a LOT of BINGO (at least for Grandmother)!

A little cotton candy...what carnival would be complete without THAT?

Last Saturday we all headed out to the Michelin Family Appreciation Day to help celebrate their 30th anniversary! The boys had a blast!!! As you can see they did "a little" of everything....lots more than I posted! After fitting the "real fair" in this week sometime, we'll be set on rides and fair like settings....until we go back to Disney THIS summer! :)

Last Football Game this Season

2011-10-16T20:44:00.008-04:00

Here is Austin with a couple of teammates from his previous team Sully and Noah!

What a long season it has been! From the draft and not getting on the team we were hoping for to struggling in EVERY game. Austin made HUGE improvements in his ability this year! He got to play in various positions (even center some!), and it did give him some sort of better understanding of the game! He gave it his all, and he won "his battles" mostly! Very proud of HIS season, and I'm already looking forward to watching him play next season!!!

Perhaps Austin's BIGGEST fan (it would be real close with me)!

Granddaddy's schedule matched the game schedule today, and he got to come watch!

Grandmother and Pa-Paw, of course, came to watch their "biggen!"

Katelee got to come to this game! Logan insisted on balancing out her Carolina shirt by beng in the picture in his Clemson jersey! :)

Kamy and Caleb even came to this game!

Soccer Time...Logan!

2011-10-09T00:35:00.008-04:00

So, the last post was ALL about football and Austin. This one is all about soccer and Logan! He truly loves playing and has improved so much since last season! He's fast, aggressive, and has scored (and assisted goals) already! He's very excited about being the one bringing snacks for tomorrow's game (really today's since it's after midnight)! I love watching him play! He's all about some thumbs up and smiles when he does something he's proud of! Enjoy some pictures from the first two games (random order).

My favorite one of the season so far! :)

Logan's turn to kick it in...Corner Kick!

Making sure the other team's guy is covered! :)

Dribbling up field! Go, Logan, Go!!!

Here's his "serious gametime face!"

Here's a shot from before the game started! Love his little laugh!

Football ... Our Fall LIFE!

2011-10-01T19:21:00.011-04:00

That's Austin right in the middle of the picture...blocking!

Here's a snapshot with Uncle Mike! He hasn't missed a game, AND he records them all...edits (with slow motion playback features)...and posts to our team site HE created!!! Yay!!!

Logan swiped his Daddy's glasses on the sidelines! He thinks he's cute....oh, wait, he REALLY is! :)

Pictures like these help show their size difference! MOST of the time they are really good to each other (though neither of them would admit that to other people).

No clue what he's thinking here, but I thought it was a cute expression!

Double teaming an opponent!

Remembering 9-11 (in Clemson)

2011-09-11T18:08:00.012-04:00

I can still remember EXACTLY where I was ten years ago when I watched the tragedies of 9-11 unfold before my eyes. Austin was just a month old. I'd gotten up to feed him, and turned on the Today show when live reports broke in of the first plane crash into one of the twin towers. I called my mom to tell her to turn on the tv to see what had just happened (no one knew why or what exactly had happened at that point), and literally as we were on the phone watching together the second plane came in and crashed into the other tower (which sent the message of this being intentional)...VERY scary! That day changed so very much for so many people! And, it has meant a lifetime of an ongoing battle/war for what my own children know. I feel SO grateful for all the soldiers and their families that have sacrificed everything for us to remain safe and free here in the United States! This weekend there have been LOTS of ceremonies to help everyone remember...even at the Clemson game!

A twenty-one gun salute ceremony for a fallen soldier! LOTS of tearful eyes in the stadium! This certainly made me think of some friends of ours, Kay and Brent (and Noah and Brittany and Logan), who lost their son not too long ago! Their strength continues to amaze me!!!!!

Part of the half time show....They did an excellent job!!!! Everyone was SO quiet while they marched!!!

Heading into the game...(THANKS a MILLION to Bruce and Caroline for giving us their tickets!!!!!)! We had a blast!

Showing off his tatoo!

Austin enjoying a "Tiger Float"...vanilla ice cream, orange fanta, and purple/orange spinkles on top (thinking you could make a USC version with red fanta and black sprinkles...good for the USC/Clemson game!)

My three TIGER fans! :) Love 'em to pieces!

Very fitting to see the red, white, and blue balloons be released (mixed with the Clemson orange) beside the Memorial Stadium sign for today's game!!!! The balloon release is always one of my favorite parts of the game! So pretty!

Logan watching the balloons rise higher and HIGHER...I must admit, I watch 'em too! Austin kept his eye on ONE, white balloon as long as he could.

The balloons a little higher up!

Logan entertained himself with the Flip Camera towards the end of the game! NO telling what is on that thing at the moment!

Labor Day Weekend with GREAT Friends!

2011-09-05T11:04:00.011-04:00

It had been almost TWO years since the last time we were able to get together with our VERY good friends!!! Busy schedules and my school work finally allowed a break this past weekend, and we made the trip to Raleigh to see them (they came here last time!)! It was a MUCH needed break and visit! I'm sure everyone has at least one of these type friends...it doesn't matter how long it's been between the last visit, it feels like Christmas Eve when you are driving to get there just from the excitement! Then, when you are together, even though you are tired, you just don't want to go to bed because there's just too much to say, do, catch up on!!! We're already looking forward to or next visit in just a couple months!!!

Some of the BEST kids I know! I'm still amazed at how well they all get along and play each tme we are together! It REALLY helps they are about the same age and have the same interests! Logan and Austin have both said they wished they lived right next door!!! US TOO!

Two HAPPY couples!!!! SO GLAD we are both where we are! :)

Gosh, we LOVE this family!!!! It had been TOO long since our last visit! We've already planned our next one to ensure that doesn't happen again!!! And, next time, we'll get to meet Baby Eli!!!!! (Michelle, I PROMISE not to steal him!!!)

Clint, Dakota, and Roger...I still can't get over how "big" Kota has gotten!!! So proud of all he's accomplished!

This was outside near Brasa's! Austin said, "I didn't know those things really existed! I thought they were just in movies like Superman and Underdog!" LOL!

The things our boys do for their Mommas! None of them really LIKE taking pictures,but they know they don't really have a choice! :) (Kyler, Ryan, Logan, and Austin)

Silly shot! What boys DON'T like to do these?

Labor Day Dinner Fit for a King!!!!

2011-09-05T10:19:00.006-04:00

Oh-My-Goodness....is about what sums up this place!!! This was one of the BEST dinners we have ever eaten, and the way it's served makes it quite an experience for everyone you are with! I don't know if we have a Brasa's in SC,but if we do I HIGHLY recommend going!!! It's truly like "Meat Heaven" and before going I really was thinking that ALL my boys were going to LOVE this place (and it would just be ok for me). There are two buffets FULL of authentic Brasillian Foods that you help yourselves to....now, keep in mind, this is NOT like a Ryans...on the buffets there are appetizers, salads, and sides. You start out fixing a plate of "stuff" from the buffets, and when you are ready for them to start serving you the meats, you FLIP YOUR ROCK! What a fun thing for the boys! Each person has a rock at their seat. When they come out with the fire roasted meats on the large skewers if you wanted what they had, you would flip your rock to the green side and to the red side if you didn't want it (13 different types!!!!).

From the buffet...my favorite soup was the cold Pineapple, Mango, and Passion Fruit soup (almost tasted like a yummy breakfast drink). Logan liked it too! Other favorites were the Shrimp Croquettes, Fried Bananas, some sort of sauteed mushrooms, mashed potatoes with cheese and scallions, and a sweet/dill spiced carrot...oh, and chocolate drizzled strawberries!!! I wish I had taken a picture of the buffet because it was beautiful (complete with big banana leaves for all the food to be presented on)!!!

I feel a little silly going on and on about our dinner, but it was so good and unlike ANY place we've been to! Each table has a waitress and various meat servers that come around. When they come out, they present you with what they have. If you want it, the slice you some to sample (and you grab it wth these cute little tongs that are also at your setting) moving around the table to each person. If you want more, you just tell them. With 13 different meats coming out (pretty constantly unless you flip your rock to red) there wasn't a whole lot of getting more at first because you wanted to save room for tasting it all! I will not be able to remember all of them, but I'll try: Picanha (one of my favs.!), Bacon Wrapped Chicken, Bacon Wrapped Filet, NY Strip, Garlic Beef Tenderloin, Pork Tenderloin, Sausage, Parmesean Crusted Chicken (my absolute favorite!), Ribs, chicken legs, Leg of Lamb, Chicken hearts, and I can't remember the other two but I think they were some sort of beef. I didn't try EVERYTHING because I got too stuffed, and there was only one thing that I would NEVER eat (though some at our table really liked them!!!)...chicken hearts...BLECK!!!!!!!!!! I was gagging at the thought and REALLY had to not look! All the meats that come out look magazine picture worthy and are steaming hot and juicy with that fire grilled crust (not burnt anywhere though)...YUM! I am STILL full and we ate almost 15 hours ago! Ha! Almost forgot the most delicious chocolate cake and cheesecake for dessert (only had two bites because I couldn't fit anymore in my stomach though I would have liked too!). I'm thinking this really is how kings would eat! Being served right at their table with samples of all the BEST foos, and if they wanted more they just said so....and it literally would appear by your side (hot, ready, delicious) again and again. Oh, almost forgot (again) the grilled, whole pineapple sprinkled with cinnamon...YUMMY too! (Austin's fav.!) Certainly something we will try to make at home! Can you tell how much weenjoyed our dinner????? If you have one near you (or are ever near one someplace else), GO!!!!

Austin was more excited about coming here on the way in than Logan, but once we got inside and got started wth dinner Logan's excitement GREW!!! He loved being able to use the "big boy" knife, and he was loving the food so much he said when he grows up he's going to build his house next door to this place so he can come eat here every day! LOL!

Not the 'best shot' of one of our meat servers, but the best one I could get (without missing out on all the YUMMY food they were bringing out!).

I am not one to try new things when we go out to places, and there are FOR SURE some things that I just will NOT eat (ever), but Brasa's offered a great atmosphere, a fun-filled dinner, and literally the BEST dinner we might have ever had!!! It is nota get you in the door and out place! You linger and chat between food coming...not somewhere you would go often, but somewhere you should go if you want a wonderful dinner experience (especially if you have company in town that have never been!). You will NOT be disppointed, and you will NOT be hingry again for a VERY LONG TIME!!!!!!!!

First Day of Kindergarten and 5th Grade

2011-08-18T17:30:00.008-04:00

Logan was SOOOOO excited about coming to kindergarten at CSE yesterday!!!! He came home after it and told Roger "This was ths was the BEST day of my life!" Pure cuteness! Looking to a FABULOUS year!!!!!!!!!

Ready for 5th grade, excited about his teachers, and glad to have LOTS of friends in his class (advanced math)!!! Can't believe it's my last year with him at my school....gulp!!!!!

My two FAVORITE students at CSE....and YES, I am allowed to say that about THESE two!!!

Me and my little man (taken by Austin)...SO happy to have him at CSE with me this year too! The ONLY year I will have them BOTH at the same school!

Me and my "biggin" (taken by Logan)! Gosh, where does the time go??? I really DO remember bringing him home from the hospital and it seems like just yesterday!

Totally different note.....but too cute NOT to share! This is what the cabinet looked like AFTER Logan helped put all the groceries away! Love my little man!!! We had a mini-lesson soon after this was taken. :)

My Classroom

2011-08-12T23:55:00.009-04:00

So, this post isn't necessarily about our family, but it has taken their support and help to make all this possible (and some of my followers on hee don't have FB to see it there)! I love getting everything JUST right, and OF COURSE, everything has to be cute (AND functional!!!!)! The list of things to do is never ending, but I truly do love it (this time of year...even though it is hard to get up early again!).

This isn't a shot of the entire hall display, but a great quote that I put out there with it! :)

Here's looking over at my literacy library! :) One of my favorite spots in the room!!!

One of my boards! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this clip chart!!!! Goes great with PBS Models! Here's a link to the ebook! Here's another site with good info about it too!

A DIY Project I got from this teacher's blog! I LOVE them!!!!

CAFE....Something I will be incorporating this year (with help!)! Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, Expand Vocabulary

Sportsarama 2011

2011-08-12T23:49:00.003-04:00

The BEFORE Picture.....
This year Sportsarama was held ALL the way OUT at Swansea High School. Even though it's only a fifteen minute running clock for this "game," I LOVE watching the games Austin plays. He played starting offense and starting defense (so most of this game!)! They have their first "real" game on Wednesday (the FIRST day of school...you can tell the person that makes the schedules is NOT in a "teacher family")! Can't wait to see how he does in the REAL thing!!!! Go Bull Dawgs!!!

The AFTER Picture....

Austin LOVES showing off his "war wounds" when he gets them. Though I will say, when he actually "gets" them, he gets MAD and plays much more aggressive! :)

Logan's Writing Stories!

2011-08-07T11:59:00.004-04:00

Logan sat and drew this picture on the dry erase board, and as he drew it he kept adding details to it (while telling us all about it as he drew). I told him when he starts school this year, he'll get to draw pictures and then write a story to go with it, and that he needs to make sure he tries to write all those awesome details to make a GOOD story!!! So, he said, I'll just do it now! Of cousre, as he sat, he said..."How do you spell once upon a time there was a..." And, I told him to try to listen to what sounds he hears and write what he can all by himself.....and he DID!!!! This is what he came up with! He used a SWEET TART to space out his words (since he's a lefty, his finger doesn't work well as the spacer). Not bad for someone going into kindergarten!!!! :)

It says: "Once upon a time, there was a fisherman...."

More Pictures from Austin's Party!

2011-08-07T11:46:00.002-04:00

Free slideshow personalized with Smilebox

I know with a ten year old you don't quite have as many landmark milestones as with little ones, but here a few things Austin is doing now....
*He'll be in the advanced math class this year (5th grade)!
*He's in EAGLES (gifted program at school)!
*Playing football (third year...not with the same coach this year, but so far he's starting BOTH ways! Playing LEFT GUARD on Offense, and LEFT END on Defense)!
*Barely plays with ANY toys (the few times he does, he is really just humoring his brother!)....all video games, electronic stuff!
*He's beginning to sit and watch "our" shows with us. I was doing schoolwork on the laptop the other night while Austin and Roger watched Big Brother, and I stopped to listen to a conversation they were having about the show (like Roger was talking to me)! He also likes CSI!
*NO fear of any rides/rollercoasters! Our crazy child rode EVERYTHING at Carowinds this summer (The Terminator, the Cobra, etc...all of them!)!
*I can no longer buy his clothes from the KID side of the stores!!! Sniff,sniff!!!! I feel totally lost when I am shopping for him!!!
*He's a GREAT big brother (most of the time!!!!)!!!! And, Logan LOVES him to pieces!
*Still wants ME to put him to bed EVERY night and say his "lay mes!"
*Likes to spend the night out (but still not very often,and not to everywhere!).
*Is still excited and wants to start school, but ONLY to see all his friends!
*Swims like a fish!
*Has lost most of his front baby teeth (and they are grown back in)!

Can't believe time has gone by THIS fast!!!! Happy birthday, Austin, we LOVE you!!!!

Arggggg....Austin's First Double Digit B-Day!!!

2011-08-07T10:53:00.008-04:00

Austin wanted to have a pirate themed party (really so he could do something with gold coins). We gave out these CUTE lolly pops in the place of goody bags!!! SO glad I have discovered the Lolly Pop Lady!!!! We'll be using her TONS!

UGH!!! My camera lens fogged up when we walked out the house! I wiped off the back but didn't wipe the lens! DUH! Oh well, you can still get the gist of it! Can't believe how big Austin is getting!!!!

Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!....First time I EVER made his cake (and it's an ice cream cake)! It turned out QUITE yummy!!!!

Here they all are giving me their "pirate sounds" before they ran to get the coins!

Who knew having a coin "hunt" would be so MUCH fun!?! They had a blast and did it at least three times!!!

Can't believe Austin will be 10 (on Monday)!!! Time SERIOUSLY does fly by when you have your own kids. It seems like such a short time ago that HE was doing all the things Logan is now doing!!!

Here's Austin with some of his best friends! Avery, Aidan, and Keller!

An "Unpictured," LOVE my Life Post

2011-07-31T12:25:00.004-04:00

I don't post too often without pictures. In fact, this might be "numero dos" in that department! Just feeling a bit sentimental and wanted to write (something meaningful, and fun to me...NOT a paper, Case Study, or Major Assessment)! I've just returned from my 2nd (and LAST!!!!) residency in MN. Can I just tell you...I do NOT envy people that have to travel for work! I am certainly not one of "those people" that needs a break away from my family! I HATE being away from them, and I'm pretty sure they didn't like it either! My boys were pitiful, and this weekend with them has been good (minus the fact Roger hasn't been off with us!). We've eaten at Sumos, taken a trip to Gamestop, shopped for all their school supplies, and played Just Dance for Kids!!! Logan has played in the rain and taken over my lap (that he barely fits in anymore...sniff, sniff!). Last night I stayed up until midnight watching "Wild Animal Repo" with Austin. I just love that my almost double digit aged child wants to hang out watching tv with me, and he still tells me "I'm glad you're home!" Roger and I talk ALL the time about how lucky and blessed we are!!! You always hear people say how much you have to "work at" relationships to make them work...and, that is just NOT how we see it! We JUST work...it's not hard or complicated, it's not work, it's not even much compromise...I consider ourselves VERY lucky because I don't think it's that way for enough other people. But, it is what I want for both my boys!!!

My family has been enduring me doing A LOT of work over the past year and half, and I couldn't have done as well as I have without their support and help!!! This summer is almost over (gulp!!! so much to do!!!!), and though I don't like seeing summer come to a close, I am just looking forward to December when I finish my degree, and I can go back to JUST being a wife, a mommy, and a teacher! I am already looking forward to next summer...when I can enjoy every minute of it with my boys (all THREE of them!!!). We're sort of beginning a new chapter this year...Roger is going to be transitioning to a DAY SHIFT job (still not exactly sure when), Logan will be at school with me, and I'll be finishing ALL this school stuff!!!!!!!!!!! I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out how all this good stuff is happening at once!?! Roger has rotated at Michelin since we met over twelve years ago, and I can't wait for him to be home with us EVERY night and EVERY weekend!!!! I am so very excited to have BOTH my boys at school with me this year (better be the only year they are at the same school!)! Not taking him to Mom and Dad's will give me back an hour EVERY morning and OVER an hour EVERY afternoon/evening, as well!!! (Don't worry, Mom, we'll schedule dinners!!!)That gives me back over ten hours of time every week!!! WOW! And, finishing this degree, well, I can't even calculate the hours that will give me back each week (mostly of sleep, work out time, and sitting/cuddling on the couch watching mindless tv shows!)!!!

So, I know this sounds like "Charlie Brown's Teacher" to some of you....but, I wanted to get all my "I LOVE my life and family" thoughts out! My family means the world to me! I love being with them, and I am SO looking forward to our new chapter! The previous chapters have been incredible, and I know the rest will continue to get better!!!!! Stay tuned..... LOTS of things coming up....Austin's 10th b-day (where does the time go!?!), football, 1st day of school, soccer, and just the random things of our life that happen!!!

Carowinds Smilebox

2011-07-16T23:53:00.000-04:00

Another photo slideshow by Smilebox

Here's most of what we did in the two days!!! :)

Day 2 @ Carowinds

2011-07-16T12:35:00.014-04:00

If you see this crowd.....RUN the other direction! ha ha! Just kidding!!!! Everyone except Grandmother and Pa-paw in this picture!

Austin had to pose at the stateline on our way in (with Caleb)! He thought it was pretty cool to go back and forth between the two states!

Here's Logan attempting to be in BOTH states at the same time! You can see what Austin's thinking...ha!

I still can't get over the weather in JULY!!! It was in the lower 70's all day, off and on drizzle (nothing heavy enough to stop any rides...yay!), and at times chilly enough to give you chill bumps! MUCH better than the scortching hot temperatures we are used to (just three days before we had a heat index of 113!).

This (obviously) isn't one of the bigger rollercoaster but a favorite! No lines meant repeated riding!

The guys took a break from rides while we waited for Austin & Grandmother. Logan was a good shot!

Austin and Grandmother rode "The Cobra" (which turned out not to be one of Austin's favorites). He says the frontward part isn't too bad, but the backward part makes you LITERALLY feel like you are going to fall out.

Our two boys with Grandmother and Pa-paw (in front of Pa-paw's signature ride!)! :)

We all had a really good time!!! MUCH better that a video game or toy! This is going to a trip to remember...afterall, Pa-paw rode a rollercoaster (even bigger than than the last one...WOW!!!!)! Maybe we'll make it a yearly thing and change up the location each year! Thank-you, Grandmother & Pa-paw!!!

(Maybe a Smilebox to follow bc I have LOTS more photos to share!)

A Trip to Carowinds (Day 1)

2011-07-16T12:10:00.005-04:00

Instead of getting "regular birthday" presents for the kids, Kathy & George decided to take them all to Carowinds (all of us) for two days! The weather was quite SURPRISING for the middle of July. Day 1 was sunny and warm enough to do the water park, but not so hot it was unbearrable! Perfect weather day!!!! I don't have many pictures from our first Day at Carowinds because we spent the majority of this day at Boomerang Bay, the waterpark. We have never done that waterpark before. There's enough there to do for about half the day (we were in there from about 11:30 until around 5ish), and the boys had a blast! Logan was tall enough to do the lazy river, the green "family" slide, the "pink slide" (which he LOVED!!!!), and a smaller version of one (which he hated because he ripped his toenail off). His FAVORITE part of the day was spent in the LARGE wave pool. Austin, of course, could do it all! He did the BIG, body pipe slide...and was NOT a fan! He said it was "HORRIBLE" and hurt/scratched his back, and banged his head. He and Caleb were the only ones to do that slide, and the quote of the day had to be Caleb when he came off that slide..."It was TERRIBLE!!!! THAT THING IS A DEATH TRAP!"

One thing I like about Carowinds is the way they measure the kids (if you take them over there) for their height, and they put an armband on the kids. This eliminates having to be measured at each ride. You can see Logan trying to stretch out to meet the height he was wanting. We only had one issue with a ride "not complying," but next time we know what to do!

All four Taylor grandkids...Kamy, Caleb, Austin, and Logan...on the way in!

Logan and Pa-paw pausing for a picture with a Snoopy. Logan is really not into "character things" at all (unless it's Power Rangers or Star Wars related). I still think the only reason he stopped to pose for me is because I said, "with Pa-paw!"

When we were done with the waterpark, we went to check in at the hotel, changed clothes, and headed back to Carowinds around 8. In the two hours the park was still open, they actually got to ride LOTS!!! There were practically NO lines at anything! It was wonderful!!!!! The craziest ride of the night was Austin riding the Intimidator with his Uncle Zack (Picture to come soon)! We watched the firework display before heading out and crashing at the hotel! Gotta get ready for Day 2....

A Slideshow with MORE Photos!

2011-07-11T13:11:00.002-04:00

Free slideshow created with Smilebox

(There's another post below this with more details/descriptions about Logan's Fake 6 Party!)

Logan, Bogan.....my Doodlebug! You amaze me EVERYday with the things you can do! From the day you were born (the BEST Christmas present ever!!!) we knew you were very different from your brother! Your little brain NEVER stops working! You constantly ask questions and explain things out loud all the time...commercials, shows, games, and even when you are building and playing with your toys! Star Wars has been a HUGE interest for you for about 2 and half years already! You LOVE anything that has to do with Star Wars! You're beginning to like Pokemon and Bakugan some too, but secretly, I think that's just because you know your brother will do those things with you. You are always on the go (your feet never stopped moving throughout your entire baseball season), but you had a wonderful schol year with Mrs. Merri! You have awesome manners (always saying "yes, ma'am/sir," "please," "excuse me...with a giggle", and "thank you"), and you LOVE to cuddle (mostly when you are tired). Every night when it's bed time, you always ask if I can come cuddle with you to watch ONE show! I will miss this all too soon! You are vey strong willed at times, and if Austin does something that makes you mad, you usually let him know pretty quickly (you've been known to say, "I don't care if I'm in trouble, he deserved it!"). You're growing like a weed! The very beginning of June you had me mark on the wall how tall you were, and a month later we stood you beside that very same mark (last week) and already you are over an inch taller! :( You press your "grow button...meeeeep, meeeep,meeep!!!" all the time to tease me and your dad (I'll have to record a video of that to post later!)!!! You are super smart too! I love to watch you count/add things. You do this thing with your fingers and touch your chin, but it works! You can do problems like 9+8 (anything 10+10 and below) and get them right! You can count to over thirty nine by yourself (and can even recognize the numbers in print too. You know the different coins by name AND value(you know the nickel is worth 5 cents bc it's like you, you call the dime a "shrunken Austin" bc it's worth 10). You are very close to reading on your own! You can sound out words when you see them in print, and if you want to write a word, you can sound it out and write it by yourself and get very close to the real spelling! I've probably already posted this at some point, but in May you wrote C-A-T-R-P-L-R (for caterpillar)! Pretty good for a five year old not in kindergarten yet! Which, by the way, is coming very soon! I am SO exctied you'll be at CSE with me and Austin this year (though Gam-ma will have withdrawals, I am SURE!!!)! You swim like a fish (and want to do it ALL the time),and you're even diving in! Your newest accomplishment you love in the pool is your ability to swim towards the bottom of the pool to retrieve things (in the shallow end). You LOVE playing video games with your Dad (Halo Wars and any Lego game he'll play)!!! I joke to you all the time about "stealing him from me!" You still randomly come up to us and say, "I love you!" (with a big squeeze, hug, and cuddle!)...which we love and think is so sweet! Wow...didn't mean to write so much here! Just wanted to write a few of the things you are doing right now! You boys just grow up TOO FAST!!! And, I want to be able to look back and remember it ALL! Love you bunches, Logan!!!!

Logan's 'Fake 6' Birthday

2011-07-11T12:02:00.011-04:00

Happy 'Fake 6' Birthday, Logan! :)

Most everyone knows since Logan's REAL birthday is ON Christmas Day (like mine too!), we have his party around his half birthday. It's so much easier on everyone else to be able to come, and it eliminates him getting everything ALL in one day. Christmas and birthdays tend to run together when they are, well, together! This lets him celebrate his birthday and be the STAR totally in the spotlight as you should be on YOUR birthday! Here a few of the "better" shots of the day! I'll post a smilebox in a separate post because there really are just too many pictures to share one at a time! May the Force be with you!!! Ha ha!

Welcome to the "Dark Side!" Here's Logan with a group of his friends!

OH MY WORD!!!! The Merritts hit a GRAND SLAM in Logan's ballpark!!! Mr. Jesse hooked Logan up with a huge box filled with Star Wars "stuff!" Then, later he gave him ANOTHER box FULL of Lego Star Wars stuff! It was too much, really, but it was also AWESOME! Not sure who was smiling more...the Merritts or Logan! Logan (and even Austin) have been playing with all this stuff BUNCHES already!

Logan LOVES any Lego game that comes out! He's been asking for the Pirates of the Carribean Lego since May. He has begged and begged, and I can not even tell you how many times he has emptied his piggy bank out (even grouping his coins into dollar piles to count...he already knows it takes 4 quarters to make a dollar) to see if he has enough of his own money!

What would a Star Wars Party be without some light saber/clone trooper blaster action be!?! They were all running around with something! Watch out!

Austin is trying to get all his plates (I mean, craters) out to work his strategy to cross over! Bree knows what is normally ON the plates, and she's thinking, "WOW! He's going to put a plate down here for me!?!" LOL Sorry, Bree, nothing is on it!

I love the excitement you can see Logan display after his team "won" the game! The other team was at a disadvantage because they had Cara, but of course, everyone got prizes (so no one cared!).

The Fireworks...

2011-07-05T00:50:00.011-04:00

With the ground being wet, the guys set everything up in the back of the Tahoe! There were lots of BIG things to shoot off this year! Here are all the guys getting it all ready! I just wish everyone else around here would stop shooting around 10 like us!!! I think the fireworks have just stopped around here! Poor Bree...she hates this night!

Austin is our little pyromaniac! One of the first ones to get a sparkler!And, here's one of my favorite pictures from today! Logan loves doing sparklers! Complete in his Clemson PJs!

Here's a shot of the crowd at our house ready to watch! (minus the "bigger boys" that were closer) Notice, I have set up all the chairs as far back as I could get them!

These are the best I could get (between hiding out...LOL!)! I'm not a huge fan of being close to where fireworks are being shot off. The "unknown" of what they do is a little scary to me. The quote of the night was, "Do you want to live or die!?!" And, yes, I said that to my five year old in a panic. Glad I could make some people laugh!
It was another fun-filled 4th of July spent with family and friends! The kids had a blast!!! Hope everyone else has had a wonderful day as well!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-05T00:06:00.008-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!!! Sometimes it's a good bit of work to get everything ready, but it's all worth it! I love being home for the 4th, and watching my boys have fun trumps all! Here are the pictures from the first part of the day...the rest will have to come tomorrow!

My favorite three guys! Love them to PIECES!!!

The boys with Pa-paw in the pool

The "normal one" for me....

And, for the kids...gotta have a silly shot!

Pretty enough to take a picture of! :) Got the idea from a friend of mine...Thanks, Missy!

Gotta have the Stars & Stripes popsicles from Dairy Queen on the 4th!

The Georgia Aquarium

2011-07-04T23:44:00.010-04:00

We could see the Aquarium from the hotel window, and once the boys saw it that became the (for sure) plan for Sunday before driving back home. Apparently, that was the same plan for about 10,000 other people too! It was SUPER crowded, and required lots of patience and waiting to enjoy it. It really is a great aquarium, but if you ever plan on going, I recommend it NOT being a Sunday! (There was still a HUGE line to get in when we were leaving late in the afternoon). They had lots of things that other aquariums don't have, and the exhibits are well spaced out in the various sections they have. The BIG tank with the whale sharks, grouper (HUGE), Giant Manta Rays, and all the other fish/shark was quite impressive! If you are a certified scuba diver, you can even do that there! Here are a couple of my favorite shots from the day...

My boys have learned by now, that there are times when they just HAVE to pose for their Momma! A quick smile helps get it over with more quickly!

Whale Sharks!

Beautiful tanks!!!!

This was OUR view a good part of the day...watching our boys glaring into the tanks!

Sea otters...one of Austins favorite things to watch! These guys were very activeand playful!!! They swam, jumped off the rocks and did little tricks in the water, and even a few tricks with the trainer out of the water!

LOTS of different touch tanks to explore too! Stingrays, horseshoe crab, shrimp, sea urchins, star fish, hermit crabs, etc...

This was one of my favorite parts of the Aquarium! Of course, I love penguins anyway because I teach a unit on them! The really cool thing about this exhibit, is they have a big crawl through space that has different parts to get up close to the penguins in! There's a tube that the penguins swim in all around you, and then at the end before getting out, there are two pop up spots that you can stand and put your head in and the penguin are all right there beside you (it's closed in). Very neat!!!

The Braves Game

2011-07-04T23:20:00.012-04:00

Warning, Warning, Warning....this post has lots of pictures because there were just too many to pick only a couple! I like the Smileboxes, but when I print out this blog (one day) I don't think the Smileboxes will print.

We aren't taking a "big" family vacation this year...so, we're trying to do a couple smaller things that are fun, but don't take a huge chunk of time. With me trying to finish up school and get all my hours in for my field experiences there really just isn't much time. We did Clemson the first weekend of summer, and this weekend we went to Atlanta. We went to a Braves game (Logan's first...which we can't believe! We used to go at least once a year!) and to the Georgia Aquarium! We even stayed at our favorite Atlanta hotel, the Westin. It was a much needed mini family vacation, and SO much fun! We got to see David Ross hit a GRAND SLAM (which made them win the game), a really good firework show, and really neat animals at the (overcrowded) aquarium...I'll do a seperate post about that! :) Here's all about our Braves game! It's, for sure, we need to start doing every year, again!

Only in the south...a watermelon seed spitting contest! I should have taken a picture of the mat they had to spit it on because it was cute!

On the way in...

In the stands...watching the game! I love Logan's expressions in most photos! You can tell he doesn't want to stop watching what's going on, and LOTS of times his little eyes are darting to the side!

Logan and his Daddy! :) Logan had LOTS of fun makng noise and cheering the Braves on! He was embarassing Austin a little at one point, and Austin told him not to be so loud....Logan quickly told him, "We're not inside, Austin, so I can use an outside voice!" The lady behind us thought that he was so cute when he said that that she repeated the story to her mom, and then Logan felt like that was permission to keep being loud (smiling, of course!).

Since it was 4th of July weekend, they did a BIG fireworks show after the game! It was pretty good! I felt like I was at Disney!

A quick shot AFTER the game! :)

Here are the boys checking out the "night view" from the hotel windows after getting back from the game! They spotted the Hard Rock Cafe across the street and decided they were hungry...so, we went (yes! After 11 pm!!!)!

Guess Who Learned to Cut the Grass!?!

2011-06-29T15:07:00.007-04:00

So, Austin (and his friend, Keller) have this vision of starting a plant watering/lawn cutting business to earn money for things they want (aka...new games!). When they first approached me with this idea, they said they would charge like $4.50 an hour (and asked if that was a good price). Once I put that into perspective for them saying it takes about 2 hours to do a whole yard, and that they would get $9 for the yard at that price, they QUICKLY raised their prices! LOL! This whole idea is a little funny because NEITHER of them have EVER cut the grass before! But, they don't think it's that difficult of a job.....we'll see how this business kicks off! ;) So, Austin ASKED if he could PLEASE cut our grass today to prove he could do it.....Ask and you shall receive, right?

So, here's Roger walking him around the yard showing him what to do...

Here's Roger talking him through what to do before letting go!

Taking the lead alone with Dad keeping a close distance, just in case...

And, finally, ALL by himself! Wow...amazing how fast they grow up! As I sit (in our air conditioned house...I do have clothes going in the washer and dryer!) Roger is outside with the weed eater, and Austin is cutting the grass! I am SURE Roger is VERY glad to have some help out there! I'm not so sure Austin is loving the idea (anymore), but I love seeing them out there working together!!! Though I must admit, I never thought I'd be blogging about cutting grass! It's a big milestone for him though...just like sitting up and walking for the first time. When they get his age (ALMOST double digits!), the milestones look a little different!

Since beginning this post....I must add, Austin has changed his mind....and says it is NOT (NOT!!!!!) fun to cut the grass, and he also adds it is HOT out there!!!

Just the Beginning of OUR Summer!

2011-06-27T20:24:00.008-04:00

So, the boys decided to pass some time by playing with Play-Doh (okay, really Logan wanted to play, drug it all out, and then convinced Austin to play for a while too!), and I was pretty impressed with Austin's little concoction (sp?). I don't think I could make a little flower like this out of Play-Doh! Could you?

Of course, if I take of picture of Austin's work, I must follow with a picture of Logan's! He made sure I took a picture of his work too! Not sure what it was, and he couldn't tell me either....but he was having fun playing with all the Play-Doh, and he was in HEAVEN that his brother agreed to play with him for a bit! :) Such good brothers (when they want to be!)! All joking aside...they really have gotten along great this summer (hoping I don't jinx that now!). Logan has finally reached the age he's not COMPLETELY annoying to his big brother. Austin has even let Logan go with him across the street to play with all the neighborhood kids (there is another little brother Logan's age), at least twice now, without even being annoyed about it! They play Bakugan and Pokemon together, and though it sounds like they are speaking a foreign language to me, but they are completely understanding each other!

When we got to Caleb's party, Austin didn't really want to bowl (because he said he's not really that good at it). The first game he and Logan actually tied with a score of 79, but the 2nd game (once Austin got a little mad and competitive) Austin scored 100. He was quite proud of himself! He even got three spares! Random ODD fact (and posted as a dare from Austin cause he really doesn't believe I will)...Austin wishes he could poop like a Hippo! sk him to tell you about this next time you see him!*

Logan loves bowling, but he seems to be the competitive one! "It's on like Donkey Kong, Austin!" is what he kept saying! :) Wonder who he gets that from!?!

All four of the Taylor "grandkids" pause for a quick picture at Caleb's party!

You'd think with it being summer I would have more pictures and things to blog about, but my summer just officially started last Thursday. We went to Monkey Joes on Friday (and I forgot my Camera...ugh!), and tomorrow is a pool day FOR SURE! So, now that my summer has begun, you'll see some more frequent posts! Yay!!!! We're going to a Braves game next Saturday...it will be Logan's first one (I can't believe we haven't gone in five years! We used to go at least once a year!!!). And, of course, we'll have 4th of July pics. on Monday! I LOVE summer!!!!!

Austin & Dabo

2011-06-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

Here's the proof picture of Austin with Dabo at "the rock!"

Clemson Football Camp - Day 1

2011-06-16T19:44:00.011-04:00

Well, I posted the Football Camp Days backwards....oops...but I am SO glad we sent Austin to the Clemson Football Camp! The set up was great, and he learned A LOT!!! I'm very impressed with how it was run, and I'm pretty sure it will become a yearly thing (as long as Austin wants to go!)!!!

The coach towards the left with his back to the camera is Dabo. He was VERY hands on the entire camp! GREAT role model for the kids!!!

Sometimes you learn the hard way...The boys got to eat whatever they wanted in the dining hall (and as much). The first day for lunch Austin ate pizza, ice cream, and soda! Then, he didn't feel too well when he came back out to practice (really just his head was hurting). He didn't eat like that again the rest of camp! :) After I went over and talked to him in the first aid tent, the trainer asked Austin if he was ready to go back out. He replied, "No, but my mom is making me!" Such a mean mom, LOL!

Logan and Aliza Grace had plenty to do to keep themselves occupied!

Can you tell how happy Logan is? He truly just enjoys being there! Roger likes being there with the boys too, and I think, he's happy to be wearing me down on team selection...LOL!

The Tiger Paw...all a-glow! It really is a beautiful campus! And, the atmosphere and people are great! I must admit, after spending two completely different weekends up there now, it's rubbing off on me! Seeing both my boys get so excited about being there has a little to do with it too!

We got to see highlights and stats of previous and current Clemson players! The boys all loved being on the hill for the showing!

Logan watched very closely in awe! He was loving it!

After the player highlight film went over, Dabo announced,"Now, let's watch some future Clemson players!" I am hoping we can get a copy of the film. Austin was only on it for about a second (where you could actually tell it was him), but it was still neat! ALL the boys LOVED seeing themselves on the jumbotron!!!

Leaving my "biggen" overnight for the first time when it wasn't with family or close by friends. He was SO excited to be sleeping in the "REAL dorms!" :)

Clemson Football Camp - Day 2

2011-06-16T19:20:00.010-04:00

Before seeing the itinerary of the camp, I thought Day 2 would be a little work and wrapping up around noon....WRONG! They had the campers up at 7:15, ate breakfast, and got right back to drills and practice! They had a lunch break, and then a trip to "the hill" to rub THE rock and take a photo with Coach Dabo! Then, it was right back to the field for another round of practice/games. An approaching storm threatened the last few minutes of camp, but we all got out before the down pour! We even made it out of Here are a few pics from Day 2:

Here's Austin doing one of the drills. He's on the right!

Logan had fun playing on all the equipment when the boys weren't using it! :)

It was quite warm this weekend! Austin decided to use some of the water to cool off during a break!

Coach Brooks took a couple "breaks" to mess with Logan both days. He teased Logan about being alligator bait and wanting his beef jerky (Logan did share!). Then, while rough housing him later, Logan took off his hat and was going for his hair to defend himself...it was GREAT to have the coaches interact with everyone!

Austin and Avery back in the dorm after packing up! Both of them are still smiling at the end of the camp! LOTS of work + LOTS of fun = wanting to go back next year

Headed home! Day 2 brought about a wrapped ankle for Austin. Nothing was "really" wrong with it...just a little sore! That's some brightly colored ankle wrap!

Looks like we'll be going back next year! It was a GREAT camp, and I highly recommend it to anyone that has a child considering football camp! I loved the format, the intensity, and the small group attention and personalization! The coaches were fabulous! Hope Austin learned the true meaning of "All In" while he was there with Dabo!

Grandmother's Fried Chicken...YUMMY

2011-06-02T21:30:00.006-04:00

"Like my chicken fried...." (song blasting in my head) One of my most favorite meals of ALL time is my grandmother's fried chicken, mashed "taters," corn, and her homemade buttermilk biscuits. Uncle Colon requested it, and she cooked it. It was every bit as good as it looks!!!! YUMMY!!!!

Here are my boys with "the other Grandmother" as Logan calls her. One of the sweetest ladies on the planet! :) Love her to pieces!

Here's a family snapshot with Uncle Colon. I got to see him in December when I went out to San Diego, but the rest of my family didn't get to come. Not a great look for me (I had been at Field Day ALL day with my kiddos), but still not a bad picture!

Here are the boys with Uncle Colon! It was fun hearing about stories from when my dad (and his brothers) were growing up!!! He had them eating feather soup and watching out for "Crazy Jack" in the basement....LOL!

2011-06-02T20:25:00.005-04:00

I took Logan to school with me one morning last week to get in the butterfly tent with my kiddos. They were pretty active the morning I took him (not calm like the previous day) and kept flying crazy all around him. You can see from this photo he wasn't loving being in there with them. But, you know me and my camera HAD to get a picture....ha!

Both our boys LOVE roller skating! We went a couple weekends ago to help celebrate Avery's birthday! Austin took a pretty big fall at the end, but nothing broken! Phew! Roger literally carried him off that floor (NO way I could have done that!)

Here's ONE example of our child with NO FEAR! :) Logan has really taken off with his swimming this year already! He's diving (the rolling in way), swimming under water (really well!), and letting Roger throw him across the pool (coming up saying, "Again!").

Austin's Awards Day & Logan's Trophy

2011-06-02T19:59:00.004-04:00

Austin's Awards Day was last Friday (and, again, THANKS to Mrs. Jeffcoat for watching my class so I could go!). I am a proud Momma! We've been lucky that Austin has always done well in school. He likes to please (yay!), and so far, he's been successful! Though he really doesn't have a choice...ha! There was one S.Studies test that he didn't do well on this year, and after a talk with mom (and the threat of the DS being taken away) and some studying (and, yes, 4th grade caused some of that for him!!!) he made a 100 on the next S.Studies test! Just helps prove with effort things are ALWAYS better for school work! :) Can't believe our Austin will be in 5th grade next year. I already know I'll need some tissues at the 5th grade "graduation" next year. There's just something about your child leaving the school you've always been at WITH him. Though I already know CSMS is wonderful!

Here are Logan and Rex showing off their cute trophies!

T-ball is cute to watch for about the first inning of the first game, and after that, it's really only cute when your child (or your child's friends) are hitting or fielding the ball. Logan has been begging us to let him play baseball for the past two years, and we finally thought he was ready this year. He loved the hitting part, but waiting for the WHOLE other team to hit was no fun for him! He liked practices better than games (because practices were mostly hitting and small group activities). Not sure he'll want to play baseball next season. When I tried to remind him that HE was the one that begged to play, his response was, "Well, why didn't ya tell me it was 'bo-wing'!?!" I love baseball (since I played softball, I actually understand it!)! So, hopefully he'll want to play again in the future (perhaps I can convince him to play when he can do coaches pitch). He's already talking about soccer (again). :)

Family Graduation Pictures

2011-05-21T15:05:00.012-04:00

Here are the four of us! Austin was even a proud big brother and told Logan how cute he looked! I LOVE how happy we all are when we are together!!! I am sure there will be MANY more proud moments for me to talk about in the future, or at least there BETTER be!!!!

Grandmother with two of her boys. Pa-paw was with Uncle Steve at Aunt Rene's surgery and HATED to miss this! We COMPLETELY understand and are praying for Aunt Rene's recovery!

Gam-ma and Granddaddy are sure going to miss seeing him almost everyday! Wouldn't know what to do without my Momma and Daddy!!! They have both kept our boys while we work, and Momma has even taken him to and from school on the days she's had him. BEST "daycare" ever...though they let him do ALL kinds of stuff I was NEVER allowed to do! :)

Uncle Mike from the OTHER side of a camera! :)

Uncle Zach loves his little buddy!

Lakin came to celebrate with us too!

Me and My Little Man...SO glad he'll be at school with me next year!!!

Logan and Roger (aka Dad!)...I KNOW Roger will miss his "Daddy Days" as we call them (the days in the middle of the week when he's off and gets to spend time with Logan. In the last ten years he's always had one of the boys home with him on those days off, but not after this summer! :(

Classmate and Friend Graduation Pictures

2011-05-21T14:54:00.007-04:00

Logan and Brian

Logan, Arden, Abby, Kaitlyn, and Hannah in their classroom

I don't think there was a day that Logan came home and didn't talk about something he did at school with Daniel, Cole, or LJ! Mrs. Merri confirmed for us (before the ceremony) that Logan was the opposite of his brother in the friends department...not that Austin didn't have friends, they were just MOSTLY ALL girls!
Logan and Daniel

Arden, Chase, and Logan...Chase is one of Logan's friends that he talked about QUITE a bit!

Logan's Pre-School Graduation

2011-05-21T14:30:00.006-04:00

Here's our little graduate! I can't believe he's already five years old. He amazes me with what he can do, and he CRACKS me up with his personality. I wouldn't say he's "reading" yet, but he's VERY close!!! He can read words, and he sounds things out very well phonetically! He still loves to be read to (and insists on our bedtime story....or two or three) EVERY night! He's been picking one of their children's Bibles to read from. So, we've been reading a different story each night. He really seems to like to write (SO the opposite of Austin!!!), and he will ask how to spell things all the time. When I have him write the sounds he hears, I am amazed! He wrote C-A-T-R-P-I-L-R the other day for caterpillar! BIG SMILE from me on that one!!! He seems to really like math too! He's on an adding kick these days, and gets it right most every time. Today on the way to his game, he was even doing three numbers together! His teacher says is quite sure of himself, and she sees NO side of ANY trouble with him at school (which amazes us bc he's out little handful at times). I couldn't be happier with how this year has gone!!! Logan has a proud Momma and Daddy, FOR SURE!!!

Thanks, Uncle Mike!!! You can see he's very happy to have money he can go spend!!! :)

Pastor Tommy LOVES all the kiddos at SBP! Austin has his wife as one of his teachers this year (yay!), and we would see them both at the White Knoll football games when we went. Pastor Tommy would always give Logan a hard time about his Clemson attire (at school or the games!). He does a great job looking after all the kids there too!

Mrs. Merri taught both the boys' 4K Class, and I am truly AMAZED at what she teaches all her kids in only 3 hours! Both of them would come home and rattle off amazing things for a four year old to know. Austin was more than prepared for kindergarten, and Logan is now beyond ready too. I told her after she taught Austin that she could retire until after she had our little one. Now, she's finished teaching our little one so she has my permission to retire when she's ready. :) I highly recommend Springdale Baptist Preschool to ANYone looking for a great place to enroll their child!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2011-05-08T19:15:00.005-04:00

Here are my two little heart and souls (My "big one" had to work!)...I've spent a wonderful day with my two boys! We started out going to a "surprise" for them; which turned out to be a movie, African Cats! Austin had been wanting to see it. It was good, and even had a Mommy Theme going for it! So, it ended up being a great movie for today! After the movie, we headed over to the mall. Logan got to walk without holding my hand (sniff, sniff)...though he'd grab it out of habit (SMILE!). They each got to pick out some clothes for themselves (without too much input from Mom). They had fun doing this! Austin chose to shop in American Eagle...NOT a KID store! :( And, Logan went to Gymboree! Once leaving the mall, we stopped at Cracker Barrell to eat (their pick!), and of course, you can't go there without shopping in their store too! Once coming home, they enjoyed some time in the pool. I think they've had a WONDERFUL day, and I KNOW I have!!! So, traditionally Mother's Day is all about the Momma, right!?! I wanted to let my boys know that I appreciate them for everything they are!!! So, I turned the tables today and celebrated them!!! One day, they'll be big enough to take me out, but for today...just being with them and watching them have fun was the best thing I could have asked for!!! Love them both with ALL my heart!!!

Austin-Boston, My Snoodle...I can't believe you'll be turning double digits this year!!! You make me and your dad VERY proud!!! You are an awesome son, brother, student, and athlete! You have taught me SO much about being a mom! In fact, you have sort of been like the "guinea pig" for us since you are our first born! Hope we haven't let you down! :) I think by the way you are turning out, we haven't done too bad! I LOVE how you still want me to tuck you in and say your "lay-me's" every night! I LOVE how I still get a hug (most days) as you leave my classroom to go to yours. I LOVE our little "singing time" in the car as we drive to get Logan. I LOVE everything about you!!! I hope as you grow up even more, you still talk to me and your dad as much as you do now! Love you to Pluto and Back!

Logan-Bogan, My Doodlebug....You are SO very different than your brother! You are our little daredevil, and at times it scares me to death! Other times, it makes me proud because you aren't afraid to try new things! You mimic a song from Yo Gabba Gabba (a show I dispise), "Try it, You'll like it!" You are growing up WAY TOO FAST for my liking!!! You aren't quite little anymore, but you still like to cuddle when you are tired! We'll take it as long as we can get it! You have done so well in your pre-school class with Mrs. Merri! Can't believe your "graduation" is coming up in a couple of weeks! We really like watching you play t-ball and hope you'll continue with it next season!!! I love how you randomly say the sweetest things...out of the blue! I love you to Pluto and back, too!!!

The Big Mo with the Barnetts

2011-05-08T18:47:00.007-04:00

At our baseball game earlier in the day, Gavin mentioned they were going to the Big Mo later on that day, and Austin sort of invited us to go with them. :) We packed up our dinner, drinks, and some snacks...along with some toys and things to keep them occupied before the movie started at dark. Rio was the first movie, and Hop was the second movie. Rio was REALLY good! It had lots of funny parts in it- even for the adults! It had the Ice Age/Toy Story humor! If you've never been to the Big Mo out in Monetta, SC, you REALLY should go! It's only about 30 minutes from Lexington, and a GREAT time for everyone!!!!

The younger kids took our car hostage! I had packed LOTS for them to do before the movie! This is Logan and Rex!

The bigger kids took the Barnett "car" hostage! Here's Austin and Riley!

I took this one right before waking them up and leaving. All three of the boys conked out within the first 30 minutes of the second movie (Hop). By this point in the night, I was chilly and tired and beyond ready to be home in my bed. This was the first time we'd ever stayed for the second movie, and this is a testiment of why. Though I wasn't crazy about the 2nd movie, driving home I couldn't help but think of what a great night it had been...even though both my boys were passed out in the back seat!!! SO glad we went!!!

Easter Afternoon

2011-04-30T16:58:00.010-04:00

Here's Austin in action...jumping in the COLD pool! The water temperature was only 72degrees. They had to swim before Caleb and Kamy got here because Caleb is in his cast.

Here's Logan with his goggles on! He was the first to jump all the way in- quite quickly, I might add!

My first attempt at making Fried Green Tomatoes...the tomatoes weren't quite green enough for my liking (or Roger's). They were okay, and I look forward to the next time...just hope they are little more tangy! All the other food was YUMMY! We grilled burgers, had MY homemade potato salad, a few dips, and chips! Watermelon and strawberry shortcake followed for dessert. Not the typical ham Easter lunch but still very good!!!

It's funny how they all seemed to rush around together, afraid that someone else was going to find "the" egg! Kamy seemed to be the "big" winner with the total amount of money she found! Nonetheless, they all seemed happy with what they got out of the eggs!

All of the Taylor Grandkids! Austin, Caleb, Kamryn, and Logan
They all had a blast playing together and hunting eggs! They got along GREAT!

Here's a testiment that the hammock WILL flip you over if you aren't careful! I won't disclose exactly who is in this picture, but if you were hear, you KNOW! :) Of course, I had to take a picture before anyone helped this person up...ha ha!

Easter Morning!

2011-04-26T22:45:00.005-04:00

Here are the boys checking out their basket of goodies! Always fun to wake up to a sweet surprise!

Logan spotted this egg about three seconds before Austin. Then, they both were reaching for it! Austin was a nice big brother, and helped Logan get it! The Easter Bunny hid some in tough spots!

These things bring back memories of my childhood Easters. I think I got JACKS in my Easter basket every year when I was little, and the boys got them this year. Logan has really enjoyed them, and he and I have played them a good bit. He makes me play the "real" way, but since he can't bounce the ball, swoop up the jacks, and catch the ball all in the same move HE gets to play by "his rules!" Which is him bouncing the ball away from him and swooping up jacks until it rolls back over to him. It's really cute to watch. These rubber ones seem harder to pick up than the metal ones I remember (or, it could be I am just out of practice)!

*I have a video clip of Logan telling the Easter story with the resurrection eggs he made at school. I'll have to post it later though because for some reason it won't go right now. So, it's coming soon along with the second part of our day! Hope you all enjoyed your Easter!

Dying Eggs

2011-04-23T21:55:00.007-04:00

Before we dyed our eggs today, we got to go help Hannah celebrate her 2nd birthday! The kids had a blast (all of them!). Logan seemed like a pro at hunting eggs! And, Austin was such a great sport letting only the little kids hunt (and pointing the eggs out to the younger ones that needed some help). I have such good kids!!! This is one of my favorite shots from there! How long before they quit liking each other (ha!)??? Hopefully never!!!!!!!!!!

Here is Logan's little hand! Watching him lay on the couch the other day, we realized he now fills up the entire couch all by himself! I remember when his little, baby self didn't even fill one cushion! :( He can also reach things that are on top of the mantle (in the back)! Guess our little man isn't a toddler anymore...really, it won't be much longer, and he won't even be a pre-schooler! When did that happen?!? Time goes by so quickly...especially when you see your little ones growing up too fast! We've ALWAYS only wanted to have two children, and we ALWAYS wanted to have two boys...but it's a good thing we can't have anymore because realizing we aren't going to have a little one around the house is kind of sad. Don't get me wrong; I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE watching them do all the things they are now both doing! Seeing them grow up is a blast! I just know that before I know it, they'll be grown and ready to move out....but I still have at least eight more years before even one of them can move out! And, I'll treasure EVERY moment!

Here they are hard at work!

Both boys with their finished products! Now, to leave them out for the Easter Bunny to hide!

Hammock Time!!!

2011-04-22T19:44:00.005-04:00

The boys have been wanting a Hammock since last year. So, as an Easter present for them, we finally got one. It came last night, and Roger told the boys he'd put it together for them today (not knowing it was going to rain all day). We didn't let that stop us! Roger built it in our living room, and we'll move it outside tomorrow (when it's not raining). We've all enjoyed it at some point today. It's pretty comfy! It will be a nice addition out by the pool (which is about ready to swim in...just need the water temp. to get higher!)!

Austin has already called dibs for sleeping in the hammock tonight! Think he likes it?

Logan has been having fun on the hammock since Roger finished putting it together!

The boys (so far) have enjoyed it together too!

Strawberry Picking!!!

2011-04-19T11:33:00.008-04:00

Me and my boys!!!! We started out our day pretty early by heading out to The FARM to pick some strawberries! We tried our hand at this last year, but we came on a "bad" day. This time it was a huge success!!! We met Katie and Hannah there, and all the kids (and even the adults) had fun! I got LOTS of great pictures! Too many to post on here! I may do a Smilebox later, but I hesitate doing that too often because when I finally do print out my blog into a book, the smilebox's won't print out...so, for now, here are a few of the good ones that help showcase each one of my boys! I highly recommend going to do this to everyone! The timing is perfect! The strawberries are so sweet and juicy, and the weather is perfect ot be out in! They told us today they hope this crop will last through the first of June! That gives us time to go back when we just have to have the perfect strawberry again!

Heading out into the field to begin the picking!

Hard at work! Amazingly they worked well together the entire time...pointing out "GOOD" ones to each other!

Austin had to make sure the strawberries were "safe" to put in our buckets! "Mmmmmmm! These are SO good!!!!"

I think Logan ate as many as he put in his bucket! It's really a good thing they don't make you pay for the ones you eat! :) Those are such a SWEET, JUICY bonus of picking yourself!!!!

Both my boys were quite proud of their filled buckets! Of course, they are filled with ONLY the perfect strawberries!!!

We managaed to get a shot of the three (Hannah, Austin, and Logan) of them before we left! I am really glad we went on a "picking day" this year! Last year over Spring Break, we attempted to go, but it wasn't a picking day. So, we headed to The Farmer's Shed instead. We still had a good time, but this year was certainly better! I look forward to it again next year (or later this year because the strawberries are SO good we just might have to go back!)!!!

STAY TUNED to see how the boys' lemonade stand goes.....

Easter Cookies (Round 1)

2011-04-18T22:19:00.007-04:00

Spring Break is, of course, a much needed time...but I know the week will go by too quickly! I'm trying to pack in as much as I can with the boys (and still get some relaxing time at home too!). Today began with my MRI (which hopefully will have some results tomorrow) followed by lunch with the boys and Haylee's crew! Then, it was off to Michaels (they have some good stuff on sale this week!) in search of meringue powder and then to the pool store. We got all stocked up on chemicals for the summer, or at least, for most of it! The water will "chemically" be ready for the boys after tomorrow, and I think it's still too cold to get in, but they are determined to get in that pool before we go back to school. We'll see how blue their lips turn! :) Once we got home, we began our first attempt at Easter Cookies with Royal Icing! They came out pretty good, especially for our first time doing it!

Here's Logan tasting his finished product!

Logan decided to taste his cookie icing as soon as he finished decorating it (hence the finger smear)! He did a good job decorating!

Austin's cookies are more swirled all over! His cookies look neat too!

Austin tearing into his cookie creation! He dripped icing all over Bree's head when he initially picked his cookie up (because he didn't let his dry). I should have taken THAT picture!

This was the first one I made. I didn't make too many cookies tonight since Easter is still a ways off. We just wanted to practice working with the Royal Icing. It dries pretty quickly (even with adding the glycerin), but the colors are so bright! And, I like how it actually dries on the cookie! We'll certainly be making more later this week! I have a chocolate sugar cookie recipe that I can't wait to try!!! Tomorrow morning we'll be out at The Patch picking strawberries! Can't wait!!! I LOVE spending time with my boys!

Chuck E Cheese and More...

2011-04-16T21:43:00.007-04:00

Here are my two boys yesterday at the start of our break together! LOVE them!!! Can't wait to spend the next 8 days with them!!! So much to do!

So, First Day of Spring Break and we all woke up pretty early anyway...which is sort of annoying, but at least it was without the help of alarms! Logan decided to get himself dressed right away all by himself, and this is how he came out of his room. Notice the pajama top (and he did NOT sleep in it last night)! Cuteness! And, no, I didn't let him leave the house like this (though he argued that his shirt was NOT pajamas and wanted to!). :) He'll thank me one day!

Logan got a little help from Dad! To quote Logan, "This was the BEST family day today!" A little rain never hurt anyone! It just changed our plans a tad! We've actually "owed" Logan a trip to Chuck E Cheese's for quite a while, and we just haven't had time to go! It is always fun as a mom to watch the boys having fun! I can't imagine that Austin will humor his little brother too many times as we go there. I'm sure it will change over to Frankie's Fun Park before too much longer! We have to go back to Chuck E Cheese's sometime because we still have a TON of tokens left! :)

Winning the "extra bonus" for more tickets ALWAYS puts a smile on Austin's face!!!

We tried to fly the kite Mrs. Merri gave Logan today too! I didn't think it was possible to be too windy to fly a kite, but THAT seemed to be the case today. We had fun trying none-the-less (is that one word?)!

Katelee's Prom

2011-04-16T21:11:00.006-04:00

So, Flashing back to my prom for a brief second....here's Katelee with me! How little she was! And, How fast time has flown by!!!

Here I am with her now that she's growing up! So pretty!

Here's my little man giving her a quick kiss! Before we know it, it'll be time for his prom!

Times to Remember in the Future!

2011-04-03T11:20:00.004-04:00

Austin and Logan posing for a quick picture...I have a gazillion pictures of the the boys (and I can never have too many!), and most of the ones with Logan in them he's not looking at the camera unless he's tricked into it. He's always so busy with what he's doing, and he has a hard time with "not" doing it for the mili-second it takes to take the pictures.

I love being a mom more than anything else, and this week for one of the first times I had to go with my gut and make a decision about letting one of them do something I wasn't really all that comfortable with. It was only over a birthday party, but I knew there were going to be other people there I don't think are good influences, I didn't know know the parents, and there didn't seem to be a clear plan for what the kids would be doing...I chose to stick with my gut, and I am so glad I did. This time Austin wasn't even upset or mad that I didn't let him go (Phew! God has blessed us with such great kids!!!), and I did have a back up plan...we packed in the weekend with fun, and we let Avery spend the night (his first since his diagnosis)! I'd say I passed my first "nursing" over night, and the weekend has been a success! We still have most of the day left today...soccer later and of course, more pics out in this beautiful weather! It's going to be a great day!

(Griffin, Logan, Eddie, LJ, Daniel, Cole) It seems like just yesterday when Austin was in 4K with Mrs. Merri at Springdale Baptist Preschool. But, he's grown like a weed and is about as big as me! Now, Logan is there (and not even for much longer) and loving it! We went to LJ's birthday party yesterday. LJ is one of Logan's best little friends from school. After talking with his mom it's good to know that LJ talks about Logan as much as Logan talks about LJ. We plan to get the boys together this summer!
While the "little brothers" play in their t-ball games, Austin and Riley provide entertainment for us...but more importantly for themselves! They were fully aware I was recording them for this, and they even asked for me to start over once! We'll be able to hang onto this video for bribery later in their future! And, we'll also probably get a little teary-eyed when they are grown and we miss these days!
I take lots of pictures at Logan's games, and today was no different. However, I also took a video shot today of the handshake after the game! I want to capture every minute I can of my boys and all they do! I want to leave nothing to chance when it comes to memories later in life...or now, for that matter!

BUSY, but GREAT weekend!!!

2011-03-20T19:38:00.008-04:00

My favorite guys!!!!

Wow, what a weekend it has been! It started off Friday with Roger and I having a "date night" without the boys. That doesn't happen too often. We are quite different than most people I know because we like to do things with the boys and not get away from them. I attribute a big part of that to a rotating schedule. Roger is only off two weekends a month and sometimes those weekends are followed by weeks where we don't get to see him during the week. So, we really do treasure and need that time together as a family! :) That and the fact I can't believe how much they have grown already, and I don't want to look back and wish we had done things differently! You just can't go wrong with planning family time! It makes me sad to think of how fast time is flying by! If I could freeze time, this might be the age I would do it at! Austin is somewhat independent, but still doesn't think we're (too) annoying. And, Logan is starting to do lots on his own, and he's so easy to make happy!

Saturday morning started off at the t-ball field! I am loving being back at the baseball field. The "t-ballers" are just so cute...especially ours!

We left Logan's game and went STRAIGHT to Great Wolf Lodge for a mini-vacation with our boys! We were there for about 24 hours total, and we packed in a TON of things to do! The water park was what we started with! Both boys LOVED the water slides..all of them! Austin's favorite was the Tornado one, and Logan's favorite was the wave pool (though he liked the slides too!). I didn't get many pictures (okay, not really ANY) of the boys in the waterpark because you get SOAKED!!! Yes, mom and dad had to join in on the "fun!" Roger kept reminding me that all this was MY idea, and I will take all the credit he'll give me! Though I know he had just as much fun with the boys as I did!

The waterpark was followed by checking out the room, dinner, a little MagiQuest, a magic show, and ice cream. Then, two sleepy boys drifted off to sleep watching Harry Potter...READY to wake up early and start all over again!

I have TONS of pictures (too many to put on here right now!). If you have ever considered going to Great Wolf Lodge, keep it on your plan book! The boys had a blast!!! But, be prepared to be tired when you are done. As I sit here posting this, both boys are rough housing in our room and Roger and I are sitting on the couch feeling ready for bed already! I loved seeing their faces light up with excitement with EVERYTHING they did! What a great weekend!!!! Oh, yeah, we left there and went straight to a soccer game before coming home! Busy weekend for sure...but one we'll ALL remember as a GREAT one! :)

Random...(Soccer, Bree, and Total Room)

2011-03-13T21:09:00.007-04:00

Who knew soccer involved some karate moves!?! LOL! The team looked like a whole new team today! Practice is really paying off! Austin scored a goal today!!! Yay! He's really playing well this season! It was a beautiful day to be outside!!!

Austin and Bree...he sure loves his dog! :) (And, she loves him too!)

She "ain't what she used to be," but still a good dog! We've had Bree for almost 12 years now, and she's starting to act her age. Seems like every 5 minutes she wants to go out...only to bark at the door to come right back in! I really think she's completely deaf because she doesn't respond to sounds anymore (so much for my guard dog!). I've been thinking of what kind of puppy we should get next (maybe Christmas time or next summer) when I finish school and have time for a new puppy. Whatever we get has to allergy friendly for Logan, and not a diva-type dog (for me)! Bree is going to be tough to beat!

I tried to get a picture of Bree and the boys, but you can see how that turned out. She was not wanting to sit still, and Logan kept trying to make sure she was doing what she was supposed to! So, this was as good as I could get (for now)!

The new rug! So, I like this color blue and thought about painting the walls that color, but I didn't want the house to start looking like an Easter Egg (the dining room will be a sage green color). So, I have decided to use this blue in accents (the rug, new pillows for the couch, etc.), and when we paint the living room walls they will be a khaki color similiar to what's also in the rug. What 'cha think?

The living room (whole view) shot! I still smile when I walk into the house and see our floors! I am SO glad we went ahead and did them! It makes a huge difference in the house!

Before and After...Floors

2011-03-08T20:30:00.010-05:00

Can I just say, "I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our new floors!" They make such a difference in the house, and it's looking more and more like "our" house! I have all these ideas in my head of what I want to do to the house, and it's just getting to be the time when we do some of them. I couldn't be happier with the floors! The company (and installers) that put the floors in were FABULOUS, and I highly recommend them to ANYONE even thinking of getting hardwood floors! See what you think....

Looking beyond the living room....

The front door...we had them take up the hardwood that was already there so when you walk in from the front door all the hardwood you see is the same! :)

The fireplace (duh! Like you can't tell what it is!)

The view from when you walk in the front door! What a difference!!!

Now, the big dilema is furniture. The odd shape of our living room...the openess to other rooms, not having "good" walls to anchor furniture to, and the placement of the fireplace make where and what furniture to have an issue. Since we've lived here we've only had two love seats in the living room, and it's worked okay. We went tonight to look at a sectional, but our room just won't cooperate for the pieces I want! So, it's back to the drawing board. For now, we're sticking with the furniture we've got and getting a rug (next project hunt!). I'm not going to stress about the furniture, for now, I am just going to enjoy our new floors!!!

First Baseball Game (Scrimmage)

2011-03-05T20:37:00.011-05:00

Well, just as I remembered from when Austin played at this age...t-ball is so cute to watch! Logan, for some reason, kept bypassing home plate and going back to first as he ran the bases. On his third round of hitting (after Roger and I explained what he needed to do), he slid in the foul area in front of home plate, got up, and continued on to first! PRECIOUS! He didn't manage to stop any actual ball (not too many came in only his direction), but he moved after every one of them! We have practice on Monday (and should get uniforms). Logan is loving it so far!!!! Fun times ahead!
Before the game, Logan was all relaxed up against the fence...not nervous at all! I captured his little feet all propped up, and just love the simpleness of this shot! He's getting big too fast!!!

Is it time to start yet? He was so excited to be in the dugout. Their team took the field first. He played 2nd base first, then the outfield, and then the pitcher's mound. He never stopped moving the entire game! His little feet were just a going!

Ready to play ball!

Group shot before we take the field!

Notice the dirty pants from when he slid? The coach told them all to run all the bases hard, and when you get home...SLIDE and GET DIRTY! They were all excited at that rule!

Refueling in the dugout! This is hard work!

He was TRYING! The other guy was there to help out!

Love when they all come off the field FULL of smiles! Of course, they were running to get snacks! :)

First Soccer Game of the Season

2011-02-27T21:51:00.005-05:00

Our two boys...Love them to pieces!!!

Here's my "first favorite" picture from my new camera! I'm loving it! So, remember my post last time? Yeah, the one without pictures....that WON'T be happening anytime soon! I'll be snapping away every chance I get! Logan has his first t-ball practice tomorrow. Hmmmm....sounds like a photo opp. to me!

Today Austin had his first game of the season. They've only had a total of three practices, and not everyone has been to all the practices (Austin included). I am hoping after today, we look a little better! Today didn't go so well as a team, but Austin did pretty good at goalie! The weather was GREAT for watching soccer! All of us have pink faces because I didn't think of sunscreen for just an hour of being out there! Guess what I'll be packing for next week!?!

It's Been Too Long...

2011-02-24T19:55:00.002-05:00

Goodness, gracious! It's been too long since I posted! I've been crazy busy (and I should be working on my school stuff right now, but I needed a break)! We have had lots going on since the last post! The flu has struck!!!! First it got Roger (last week), then Logan came down with it (earlier this week), and then Austin caught it yesterday. The flu is just plain awful, and I am keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed that this time next week I haven't caught it! Really, I don't have time for it. Aside from the flu....I will be doing my last hours at the high school tomorrow! That will be a huge relief because then I won't have to juggle being at a different school anymore! Surprisingly, I didn't completely hate the high school level! I learned lots! On top of me bouncing around, the boys have begun their spring sports! Austin is playing soccer. He has his first game (this season) on Sunday, and we're hoping he will be well enough to go! Logan has his first t-ball practice on Monday (he missed the team's actual first one this past Monday). In addition to all that we're going to be replacing our floors very soon. We're hoping to schedule them to come do the floors March 7th-9th (Roger will already be off those days). We've been in the house for six years, and it's finally time to "make it ours." We decided when we moved in to wait to do all the "color painting" and taking up the carpet until it NEEDED to be done. It's time.....We've already picked the flooring out, and they have come out and measured everything...now it's just a matter of scheduling. It'll be in soon! I'll take before and after photos to post! No pictures to post this time (the camera is at school), but I will post some next time! I usually don't post without pictures, but I felt I've been neglecting ths blog and NEEDED to update! Next month Roger and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary! We'll have a "date night," and then we have a family trip to Great Wolf Lodge planned for that weekend! The boys are EXCITED!!!! Until the next time....

A Stuck Child

2011-01-15T13:29:00.006-05:00

So, the other night the two boys were upstairs watching their shows...or should I say, Austin's shows. Logan said something he shouldn't have, Austin was going to tell on him (unless Logan gave him a dollar)...seriously, where do they come up with this stuff!?! Anyway, Logan went in his room because he thought he was going to be in trouble and didn't want to talk about it. When I went to talk to him, his door was locked (another no-no)...Logan claimed it was stuck, and he couldn't open it, "weally!" So, I got the little thing that can pick the locks, and it really wouldn't turn and un-lock! So, Roger had to take the door knob off, and then pry the middle thing apart to get in (good thing he was home!!!).

Once we got in, the reason the lock was stuck became clear...

Scotch tape all over the lock! It was hard to keep a straight face while talking to him about the whole incident after this! And, of course, I had to take pics!

On a different note, last night me and the boys went to Sumo's with the Scholl Family to celebrate Joey's birthday! Dinner was yummy (as always), and we all had fun! Happy birthday, Joe-Joe!

Snow Day #2

2011-01-11T14:08:00.009-05:00

Here's what happens in the south...ICE! After all our beautiful snow, we got lots of freezing rain/sleet! So today, there is not much "snow" to play in...just lots of ice (and now some slush). The temperatures tonight are supposed to be really cold (I think like 18 degrees) so it will al re-freeze again tonight! Not sure what that will mean for school tomorrow, but whatever happens with school this week, it will undoubtedly be the craziest school week I have ever had! I'm loving my time at home with my boys though (and, this could not have fallen more perfect with Roger's schedule because he's been off with us!!!)!!! Here a few pictures from today (notice: NO Roger in any photos...he is NOT a fan of the white stuff!):

Logan was light enough he could lay on the ice and pull himself around (without sinking through). He looked like a little penguin tobagganing around. He thought this was lots of FUN!

Bree stayed right near the boys! She had a really hard time walking on the ice today. Every once in a while, she'd slip and "wipe out!" She wouldn't go in the house though! Silly dog!

Brotherly love...Austin asked Logan to hold a big chunk of ice so he could break it. You can see how well that worked out!?!

Austin giving his little brother a shove down the hill!

Austin's turn to slide down!!!

Logan and Me

More Snow!!! "Rarely Happens", Huh?

2011-01-10T10:56:00.006-05:00

Okay, so this RARELY happens in SC, right!?! But, funny how in less than two weeks we've gotten it twice! This time we have over five inches!!! It's the good, powdery snow at the moment (in fact, too powdery to roll into snowballs or snowmen)! It started snowing around midnight and was still coming down hard this morning at 8! However, all this snow is being followed by LOTS of freezing rain/sleet. The roads are covered (which also doesn't usually happen). Roger's normal 7-minute drive from work took about 40 minutes this morning, and his Jeep took a spin going down hill(in 4 wheel drive). When he says "Stay off the roads!" You know it's bad! I still can't believe Michelin is still operating, but how would it look for a snow tire making company to close due to snow...that would for sure end up on a competetor commercial! They are allowing people to call in if they feel they can't make it, and they are just running what they can!

On a different note, School has been cancelled for today (and looks like it might be cancelled again tomorrow if the weather does what it is predicted to do...and maybe even delayed on Wednesday!?!)! This week was already a short week for us anyway. Thursday is a half day (due to exams and end of the nine weeks), and Friday is a Teacher In-Service Day. On top of that, Monday is a holiday! Wow....craziest week of my teaching career for sure. AND, I have a student teacher that was supposed to have her first day. Looks like one her craziest teaching weeks will be her first!

I plan to enjoy my boys and the snow/ice mix we have (and are continuing to get!)! Snowmen are in our future, and we will sled/slide down the hill in the backyard from the pool!!! So, I will have more pics to share later! I hope everyone enjoys our time off (might as well make the best of it!!!), and pray all that have to travel (and/or work) in this weather stay safe (including Mom, Dad, and Katelee tomorrow as they go to MUSC again for more testing/follow up from last surgery...BIG prayers for you, Kate!!!! Me and the man upstairs had a big talk about you, and I know he was listening! Love you)!!!

A Few Pics from My Trip

2011-01-08T13:18:00.010-05:00

Looking to the right of my hotel room...

Looking out straight from my room...

Looking to the left from my hotel room...

Well, one of the things I have to do for school is complete two residencies. I have just experienced the first one of those in San Diego! The worst part of the whole thing was leaving the boys and Roger, but they survived! I actually learned a GREAT deal in all the sessions I had to go to! And, meeting all the people in my group was also great! Our flights were great, and having Uncle Mike with me in the airports was wonderful because he knew the routine and got us through quick! The city, itself, was beautiful!!! We did have rain one day (and chilly wind!!!), but other than that, the weather was great (even at the end of December), and being so close to Uncle Colon (Aunt Sue, and Greg) gave us a chance to visit with them! Uncle Mike was able to go out and site-see while I was in class, and we'd enjoy dinner and shopping at Sea Port Village in the evenings! Our last day there, we got to tour the city since our plane didn't leave until that night. We even took a break and went to a movie! We enjoyed a yummy dinner before heading to the airport (and, being a southern girl, I ate Chicken Fried Chicken...even out there!)! It was a great trip, but I missed my boys bunches!!! Here are a few pictures...

The night view from the room!

I loved these trees! They were all around the park at Sea Port Village! I think every city should have a nice park like this one!!!

Uncle Colon, Uncle Mike, Greg, and me

Uncle Colon, Aunt Sue, Greg, and me

It really was a good trip! My next residency is schedule for the end of July in Minneapolis. I don't have family there! But, I enjoyed the people in my group (there are only 13 of us), and all that I learned...so, hopefully the next one will be good too!

Almost a White Christmas

2011-01-08T13:05:00.007-05:00

Well, no snow on Christmas, but we got the next best thing...snow the day after Christmas! We woke up to a white covered ground and snowflakes still falling hard from the sky! It actually continued to snow pretty much through the afternoon (about 2 o'clock)!!! The temperatures stayed cold enough that the snow on the ground stayed through Wednesday! Since I was flying out the next morning (the 27th), the snow made me a little worried (okay, a little MORE worried) about my trip, but it made for a GREAT day before I had to leave!!! I love watching the boys play out in the snow! Since I grew up here, and didn't have too much of the white stuff myself, I love when it snows!!!
Here's our house covered with snow! Beautiful site (for a couple days!)!!!

Austin had fun having snowball fights with all his friends!

Logan had a blast making snow angels! He had me help him get us each time so he wouldn't mess them up!

Both our boys stopped to appease me for a quick picture! We were on the way in for some hot chocolate! :)

Here's a picture I took of the boys and some of the neighbors! I was waiting for them all to throw the snowballs at me as soon as I took the picture, but amazingly, they didn't!

Christmas Day

2011-01-08T12:49:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas!!! The boys were very happy with Santa this year!
Austin got a 32 inch flat screen for his room! Santa's made Dad jealous!

Logan got LOTS of things this year! His favorites have been all his Star Wars Lego things, his Nerf Stampede Gun, and his BeyBlades! (and, video games!)

Logan and Caralee had fun with the Kung Zhu stuff Christmas night!

We all went to bed after a wonderful, wonderful day hoping to wake up to snow...a white Christmas in Lexington??? Well.....

It Was the Night Before Christmas....

2010-12-24T22:04:00.005-05:00

Since the first year we've had Austin, we've continued a Christmas tradition that Roger had growing up of the kids getting to open ONE present on Christmas Eve. It's not a present they get to choose...it's a particuliar present, and every year it's ALWAYS the same thing.....

New Pajamas!!!!

I must admit, when Roger "said" we were going to do this I remember thinking, "oh boy, how fun!?! (in a sarcastic sort of way)" But, I LOVE shopping for their matching PJ's every year, and of course, I LOVE that on Christmas morning they are wearing something new and cute! I usually go with a Christmas theme PJ, but this year, since we took a surprise trip (and since Austin is kind of out growing the "cutesy" PJ's) I went with.....
Clemson Pajamas!!!! I know, it was hard for me to buy them knowing that ALL their Christmas morning pictures would be taken in them, but it made both my boys (and their dad) very happy! I am sure all my Clemson friends are proud of me!

Now, the Santa key is out.... And,
The reindeer food has been sprinkled on the lawn!!!

Now, it's time for us to go finish our last traditions before bed...put out the milk and cookies, and then, put the boys to bed in OUR room! We ALL sleep together (boys on the floor in sleeping bags) this night so they can't sneak in the living room without us! So, Merry Christmas to ALL and to all a goodnight!

Christmas #3 (The Taylor Christmas)

2010-12-24T21:51:00.008-05:00

That's OUR boys!!! I can't believe they are growing so fast! Time is flying by. Sometimes I wish I could keep them this age FOREVER! I'm soaking in every minute I can! I think they are so darn cute, and I love them to pieces!!!
Golf Cart fun!
Our boys with Grandmother
Our boys with Pa-Paw
The boys got their XBOX 360 Kinnect! Happy, Happy, Happy!!! I have to admit that I wasn't really into getting another game system, but since playing the XBOX Kinnect and watching them play....it is AWESOME. YOU really are the controller (just you and your body). There is lots of movement, and it is fun to play (and even to watch)!
Here's Pa-paw & Grandmother with ALL the grandkids!

The Taylor Christmas was fun for all! I think everyone had a great day! As you can see, they were ALL smiles!!!

Tis the Season to Celebrate!

2010-12-24T21:38:00.006-05:00

Most of you know how large my family is. I'm the oldest of six, and my mom is one of thirteen (yes, you read that right!). To get in seeing everyone, exchanging gifts, and celebrating we have LOTS of different celebrations. It almost feels like we use the "eight crazy nights" part of Hannakua (sp?) but for Christmas! I love it though! This year has been a little different because we are trying to fit it all in before my trip...so, here's what we've been up to so far! Here's Christmas #1 & #2...

Our night wouldn't be complete without Cara doing "Cheesetouch" to us all!

I can buy at least TWENTY slushies now!!!

Logan was super happy to get the Boba Fett Star Wars ships!!!

Here are all the cousins from my side of the family (minus Jadain)! What a crazy bunch!

Our first Christmas celebration was actually at my grandmother's house. And, for some reason, I don't think I took any pictures so I will have to get those from Uncle Mike. It was a good night! I got to be in the kitchen and cook with my grandmother!!! And, her dinner was SOOOOO yummy! Nothing else is like it! The kids enjoyed being there, and we all had fun laughing with Zach...it "depends" why! LOL!

Lights at the Zoo!

2010-12-19T22:35:00.007-05:00

Goodness, Gracious! We've been very busy! I can't believe Christmas is in less than a week! I have most everything bought, but haven't even started to wrap! I am SO glad Christmas Break has begun! The first week of it will be my favorite, though, because I will be HERE! I leave for San Diego on the 27th and don't return until the 31st for school. Roger and the boys will be staying here! I am not too happy to go, but it's a requirement for school. And, the boys will be occupied with all their new toys! Here's what we have been up to this month so far....

Austin and one of his teachers, Mrs. Stewart!
At our school PTO meeting each grade level participated in some way. Austin's grade level sang the Twelve Days of Christmas (Island Style). :) He was so nervous about being on the stage in front of everyone, but did great!

Last weekend we went to the Marionette Theater to see The Snow Queen for Taryn's birthday. It was actually really good. It's a neat place to go! Logan had a blast!

Silly Picture of all four kids (Austin, Logan, Avery, and Aliza Grace) from tonight at Lights at the Zoo. It was quite chilly and kind of crowded (but manageable), but we had fun! I love seeing all the lights!!! Not too many animals were out and about, but the zoo does a great job with the lights! Helps get you in the holiday spirit!

Our Two Boys! Love them to pieces!!!

The visit with Santa...they think they have him fooled, but Fred (our elf) has been filling him in! Fred even Toilet Papered Austin's room today!

Me and Logan

Me and Austin

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!

Catching Up

2010-11-28T15:18:00.008-05:00

Goodness Gracious! I've been very busy and have been not so good at posting! However, I HAVE still been taking pictures so in this post I will try to update on what we've been up to!

As promised after the last post, here's Logan showing off his "bobblehead" soccer trophy! To celebrate their season the team went to McDonalds to let the kids play and eat ice cream! They had a blast! He told his coach that he would be playing baseball in the Spring....we shall see! :)

How many people throw out their Christmas Tree and forget about that teeny, tiny detail??? At least one...Roger went up in the attic to get everything down so me and the boys could decorate our tree Wednesday night while he was at work to find (drum roll.....) decorations and NO tree. THEN, I remembered that I got rid of our other one because it was really too small for our tall ceilings! So, the boys and I went and bought another one. I must say, it looks MUCH better than our other one! We've never had our tree up before Thanksgiving, but since we were doing Thanksgiving Day at Gam-ma and Granddaddy's and the day after at Grandmother and Pa-paw's it was better for us to do it Wednesday. Might turn into "the" day we do it! :)

My Pecan Pie...I have never been one to like pecan pie, but I saw one cooked on the cooking channel and it looked so good! So good, that I had to find the recipe and try it out! It was very easy to make and VERY good! I should have taken a picture if it before we ate it...sliced with the vanilla ice cream on top and MY homemade caramel sauce drizzled over the top too! It was really good, and the first pie to be completely gone! :) I also made cummin roasted carrots, corn with fresh herbs, and cheddar and chive filled crescent twists...it was all very good!

Mom made all the rest of the food, and Dad carved the turkey! It was all good!

I finished off Thanksgiving with a night of shopping (beginning about 10:30 and ending about 7 Friday morning!)! Got almost EVERYTHING we needed! Now, got to wrap it all!!! The excitment of each morning for the boys is finding where "Fred" (our Elf on the Shelf) is hiding!!! Until the next post....I hope everyone is enjoys the month of December!!! Christmas will be here before we know it!

SO Proud Of OUR Wolverine!!!

2010-11-06T16:36:00.005-04:00

Here's a picture of Austin with Coach Wooten today! They had their end of season team party at the gym this morning, and I must say that Coach Wooten (and his son) gave Austin such a nice compliment today! Their team had an awesome season and ended up coming in 2nd place! And, today at the party Coach Wooten shared a conversation that he had with his own son... He had asked Woods who he thought was the best player on the team, and he said AUSTIN. When Coach Wooten asked him why he said that, his response was because Austin always has a good attitude, he's always smiling, and he always plays his best (then Coach added that when HE makes Austin mad he plays even harder...LOL!)!!! He didn't give a big speech about each child on the team, but the fact that he shared that with everyone about OUR Wolverine made us VERY PROUD parents! I had no idea that he'd bring me to tears at a football party! It is awesome to hear such kind words about your own child come from someone else, and that it isn't just pure talent that gets you recognized!!! Way to go Austin, and THANKS Coach Wooten (and Woods!)!!! We love you, Austin!!!

Here's a picture of Austin with a couple of his friends, Aidan and Austin B.! They played each other Thursday night in the Championship game. They got 1st place, and we got 2nd place! Not too shabby.....glad they can all joke around with each other and still be friends afterwards!

Here's a picture of Austin, Parker, and Christian! Parker was on the team last year, and Christian joined us this year! What great boys!

Austin's showing off his cupcake (with his number on it....go #56!)! Then, he was a nice big brother and gave it to Logan to eat! What a sweetie (when he wants to be!!!)

I can't believe he's in 4th grade already, and I can't believe that two years into the football season has converted me over to a "real" football fan! I have been learning the game as he plays, and I look forward to watching him even at practices! He is a sweetie! He's funny, he's smart (just got straight A's AGAIN on his report card), and I love him more than I can put into words!!! He'll always be my "Snoodle!"

A Busy Halloween Weekend...

2010-11-02T15:19:00.010-04:00

We started off our busy weekend at White Knoll's last home football game. We've enjoyed going to lots of them this season! We manage to sit near the Scholl's every game! The boys thought they were hot stuff tonight because we let them stand at the fence for part of the game! We're going to Lexington to watch them play each other this week!

Then, early Saturday morning Austin's team had their first playoff game, and of course, we had to play Avery's team right away! It was a great game for both teams, but Austin's team won. The score was 32-26! You can see how excited Austin was!

I know this picture doesn't show any action, but something about seeing his name on his jersey makes me like it! Our next game is Tuesday.

Austin and Avery at Aliza Grace's birthday party...still friends after the game! ;)

Logan dressed up as the Red Power Ranger for Aliza Grace's bowling costume party!

Then, Saturday night we had a Halloween party for all of us to go to! The Young's threw a great party! The highlight of the night was the haunted hay ride in the back yard and the toilet paper mummy game (aka toilet paper fight)! We all had fun!

We ended our weekend on Sunday by celebrating "real" Halloween with our neighbors! Here's a glimpse of our two little ninjas before we headed out...

Here's a view from I saw most of the night...

And, this is a group photo of most of our neighborhood kids gathered together for a quick picture. The funny part about this house is when they all knocked on the door, they opened and said, "TRICK!" and shut the door really quick! Of course they opened it right back up and gave out candy. The kids didn't know what to do at first! ;)

So, as you can see, we had a very fun-filled, BUSY weekend! But, I loved every minute of it because we were ALL together! Roger is still working days for a couple more weeks, and I can tell you it's long enough for us to all get used to it!!! I have a feeling the weeks ahead will continue to fly by, and before you know it I will be posting about Thanksgiving and Christmas! Wow....better start my shopping!

Fall Fun in the Corn Maze

2010-10-17T20:33:00.002-04:00

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Avoiding the hussle and bussle of the fair we headed out to Sease Farm with the Merritt Family to GET LOST, literally! Roger missed out due to working (though Jesse now knows why he didn't mind missing out...LOL!) The weather was fabulous...a little breezy with clear, star-filled skies! We got there just after dinner time, and the kids had a blast playing in all the smaller mazes! They enjoyed the tire maze, the "marshmallow" maze, the tube swings, the TALL, bumpy tube slide, the corn table (this was neat and would be fun for a playground!), the sand pile, the tractors, and feeding the goats...all that before tackling the BIG corn maze.

The kids were excited when we started out in the corn maze (by this time it was completely dark). They took turns holding the flags and flashlights, and all of them walked on their own. We were smart enough to take a picture of the map at the entrance with the camera (just in case we needed it), and Mr. Jesse was our guide! He did quite well leading us through the maze. We only went the wrong way a couple of times. About halfway through the maze most of the kids were ready to be out and done...Logan kept saying, "Can't we just go out now?" We made it out of the entire, 7 acre maze in one hour and 10 minutes! With 5 kids, I don't think that's too bad! We had fun...all of us...even with an encounter with the "Corn Hobbit" and the many trips to the port-a-potties in the beginning. If you've never gone to the Corn Maze, it's worth a trip! Good family fun and memories...not something you need to do every year, but fun when you do!

Clemson Surprise!

2010-10-04T15:34:00.003-04:00

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Anyone that knows me, KNOWS that I don't do spontaneous! This weekend is about as close as I have come...about Tuesday last week I decided to surprise the boys with a weekend to Clemson for the game! Little did I know that it was Homecoming weekend and a sold out game...ha! So, it caused a little scrambling and lots of help from some great friends (THANKS again, Allisons and Anneauxs!)It all worked out BEAUTIFULLY, and we had a great time!

Allison helped us find tickets (and they were AWESOME seats!!!), and the Anneauxs' let us use one of their hotel rooms...which had a hidden BONUS! The team stays at the hotel we stayed at, and a little birdie told us how to meet them and get signatures/pictures! Boy, did that tip pay off HUGE! We got to meet Dabo (and his boys) and LOTS of players! We had them all to ourselves! The boys were LOVING it!!! You all know that I am the only non-Clemson fan in our house, but after this weekend I could see how I may be converted! Dabo was SO nice!!! He didn't rush off, and he spent a few minutes talking to the boys! He even told them he hoped they had a good day tomorrow! Of course, we offered the same type day for him! ;) AND, the players were all great too! Almost all of them were stopping to sign the boys' hats, and a couple of them went up to drop off their stuff and CAME BACK DOWN!!! They were all SO nice!!!

Tailgating with the Anneauxs' (and friends...including the Allisons) before the game was fun! The boys had an absolute blast, and we did too! The game was fun too, even though the Tiger's lost, and yes, I really did want them to win! I even wore orange! ;) Our seats were really good, and we got to see lots! I think this is one of the memories we helped create that our boys will remember for a long time!

What did I learn from this experience??? Spontaneous isn't too bad, and I guess being a Tiger fan isn't too bad either! (Dabo and the team's generosity rubbed off on me!!!)

Odds and Ends...

2010-09-19T11:01:00.005-04:00

Our Little Athletes...

We actually had a day last week when both boys had to be iniform at the same time. Austin had football pictures last Sunday, and Logan had his first game of the season. So, of course, I took this opportunity for a photo opp in the back yard before we left (in separate cars to different fields...which we are not big fans of, by the way!)! I think they are both quite handsome in their jerseys!!! Wish they could stay this age forever!

Logan is SO very proud of his "Tiger shirts" so I just had to show him off! Turns out that I am the only Gamecock fan in my house (for now)! He loves telling everyone that the Tigers are the best, and he even teases Pastor Tommy at his school!

Last week at school we had our Grandparents Breakfast at school, and "Grandmother and Pa-Paw" came to eat with Austin! Here's the picture I took, and our wonderful principal, Dr. B, brought me a framed copy of the one he took! I love being at CSE!

We've been extremely busy, but the weather is finally turning cooler so all the practices/games we're going to are about to get even better! We're planning a trip to Atlanta the beginning of October (shhh...it's a surprise to the boys), and I can't wait! I still want to find a day to go to the mountains with them this Fall too! We want to go apple picking and hiking before it gets too cold! I love being in the mountains when the leaves are all changing colors! So...LOTS more planned for family fun!!! We LOVE our boys and being with them!

Logan's First Day of Pre-School

2010-09-10T23:27:00.009-04:00

Our Cutie, All Ready to GO!

I know I should have posted this a little earlier in the week, but I couldn't make myself do it Tuesday (his first day) because I was one of THOSE moms that seemed to have a little "eye drainage" after dropping him off! He was SO cute, and I just can't believe that our "baby" is already at this point!!! He's loving it so far, though actually getting up in the mornings has been a little tough on him! His school doesn't actually start until 8:30, but I still have to get him up and ready and take him to Mom's house so I can get to school on time....so, he's actually getting up at 5:45, getting dressed, and then goes back to sleep in the car and at Mom's until it's time!

He's earned green tickets (YEAH!) all the days so far!!! The first day he was very excited to tell us he learned ALL about the number zero and it is NOTHING!!! (Ha! Like it was a huge discovery!) He's already learned 2 songs that he sings to us, the country we live in (maybe I should get him to teach my 2nd graders!), the flags colors, and they are counting to 15 this week (though he counts beyond that already)! He's really proud to tell people it's a school night for him too now, and he's made some friends already!
We're SO glad he's enjoying it!!!

Soccer also started for him this week, and his first game is Sunday (QUICK, huh???)! He is also excited about that and the fact that he suggested they be called the Woverines (like his big brother's team) and ALL the boys voted for that team name! He's also very lucky to have blue jerseys AGAIN! ;) We're hoping he scores in a game this season!

Here are a few pictures from Tuesday...what a cutie!!!
Logan and me...then Logan needed to use the camera too...

Austin and me (not bad...taken by a 4 yr old!)

NO first day of school would be complete without a favorite breakfast (from Waffle House, of course!)!

Ouchie Dude....

2010-09-02T21:26:00.003-04:00

Logan's back "reacting" to the 24 sticks...

So, we've known for a couple years that Logan is allergic to ants, and today we had our first allergy doctor appointment to determine if an epi-pen is needed before he starts school on Tuesday!!! Roger and I were SO proud of how well he handled the apointment. I have to say that after just having his 4 yr old shots about three weeks ago all of us were nervous about this one. Dr. Markum's nurse was great (and he was too)! Since he's younger, they actually have this little contraption that allows them to do 8 sticks at a time...so three rounds of that and the sticking was done! No tears, but it sure looked like he wanted too! A few of his "sticks" reacted pretty quickly, and no scratching was allowed. We distracted him with toys and a new Tom and Jerry on the iPod (thanks, Aunt Haylee!)! All in all, a pretty decent visit!

We did learn about all Logan's allergies....

Ants (a given...we already knew that)! However, no epi-pen needed so far! He's never had hives or trouble breathing as a result of the bites so it's one we still have to give bendryl for immediately and watch, but no other action needed thus far there!

Pine (pollen and pine straw, etc)! This proves the suspected pollen allergy that caused the sneezing and runny nose (and the Claritin everyday from late Feb. to June).

Mold (one of the more severe reactions)...2 types (Alternaria...an outside type very common in summer/fall AND Aspergillus a type found all over)!

And, last but not least... DOGS! Yes, I said DOGS!!! Our first reaction was, great...we've had Bree for 11 years....what do we do about this!?! Dr. Markum reassured us that as long as she's not on the furniture (which she's not except Austin's bed), we vaccuum lots, and he doesn't mess with her too much (or other dogs that aren't allergen friendly) taking a daily dose of Claritin or Zyrtec should make the allergy tolerable without complications. Afterall, he's lived with her his entire life!

And, really, that's the course of treatment right now....daily Claritin or Zyrtec (prob. Claritin bc they have a chewable for his age and Zyrtec doesn't) should keep all of his allergies controllable, and we go back to him in a year to re-evaluate, and of course call if anything changes or happens before then! We're very thankful no shots are needed now and no epi-pen!!!

On a Different Note....Pre-School Orientation...

We had Logan's Pre-School Orientation tonight! He got to meet his teacher (Mrs. Merri, the one Austin had...FABULOUS!) and see his classroom! The only thing he's telling people about it so far is (and with huge excitement), "My school has cookies and lemonade!!!" and then, eventually he'll tell you about the kitchen and the blocks...he's excited about going Tuesday, anyway! I have taken the morning off so I can take him that morning! He can't wait to sport his Star Wars book bag! I'll have pictures of that next week!

Wow! What a day!!!!

We've Begun the 180 Day Count Down Again!

2010-08-21T17:10:00.002-04:00

Well, we've begun another school year! I can't believe our big guy is in the Fourth Grade this year! (sniff, sniff) He had to move off my hall this year...He's already loving BOTH his teachers! He likes that he gets to change classrooms halfway through the day.

Logan got to come to my school this week for the 4K screening (Thursday). It was scheduled during my planning time so I got to meet him and Roger for it! They took him in the room, and we stayed out in the hallway to fill out the papers. I, of course, peeked in the window and he seemed to be doing great! They came out with him about 25 minutes later, and we thought he was done...until we saw the tears! We still aren't sure what made him upset (he said he had a tummyache), but he did go back in (with Daddy too!) and finished. The teacher testing him told Roger that Logan was the only kid to get ALL the rhyming words right! So....WAHOO for him there, but AHHHH that means he won't get to come to my school with me! We got the bittersweet phone call on Friday afternoon saying, "While it was a pleasure to meet Logan, he scored too high to qualify for our 4K program..."

Really, I knew the chances of him getting in based on scores was VERY slim because he is smart (if I say so myself), but I was REALLY hoping he'd be able to come to save me an HOUR of time every morning!!! So, looks like another year of waking up before 5 AM for me....but, on the flip side of that....this means he gets to go to Springdale and be in Mrs. Merri's class!!!! YEAH! She was WONDERFUL with Austin, and I can't wait to help jump start Logan's education there in the same way! We have Orientation on September 2nd...after Logan's allergy doctor appointment (which we are NOT looking forward to either!!!).

This morning we also had the remainder of Austin's first football game. We actually started it on Tuesday, and part way through the 2nd Quarter the bottom fell out the sky, or maybe I should say the rain was exploded out by the EXTREME lightning....so we had to continue the game this morning! Austin's team won 18-6 (with the 2nd and 3rd string mostly playing today)! Go Wolverines!!!

This time I have pictures I have been taking for the posts, but I left my camera in my classroom....ugh! I am soon going to invest in a better camera for home, and then I can just leave the other one at school! So, no pictures to post this time...but I will try to get on here again this week to put some on here! We've been REALLY busy with football and school, but so far, so good!!!!!

Sportsarama

2010-08-10T23:55:00.007-04:00

Lining up on the field for the first play!

Just a quick post a few pictures from Sportsarama tonight! Austin did pretty good! They played Batesburg-Leesville, and the game ended 0-0! It was only a short 15 minute running clock game, but we had the ball LOTS of the time! Looks to be a promising season for the team and for Austin! Go Wolverines!!! I'll take more "real" pictures at his next game on Tuesday, but here are a couple! Oh, he's #56!

Hard to tell where he is, but since I took the picture I know he's on the left side of the picture, but on the right helping to double team the other team's guy!

A sweaty picture after the game!

We look forward to seeing "whole, real" games very soon!!! Yeah, Austin!!! Good job!

Austin's 9th B-Day (pictures to follow soon)

2010-08-07T22:33:00.004-04:00

Our Proud Birthday Boy!!!
Today had to be one of the easiest parties ever, but also one where all the kids seem to have blast and got along great! The only bad thing about an August b-day is the heat, but since the kids were all in the pool they didn't even notice! I can't believe I have to admit this, (and I feel TERRIBLE) but I didn't use my camera today at all...which is so UNLIKE me!!! However, there are plenty pictures (and even video) thanks to Uncle Mike!!! I wasn't feeling 100% so I let Uncle Mike fill in for me!

Austin truly has had a wonderful birthday! He's loving his guitar, and we went to Walmart this evening for him to be able to spend some of his gift cards/money. I have to say I was impressed he didn't want everything in sight! He decided on a Wii game, a PS3 game, and a Discovery Channel Dinosaur Movie for now, and he wants to save the rest for later! Smart boy!!! Funny how when it's THEIR money they spend they seem to understand the value much better than when it's our money we spend!Logan (amazingly) did well on our trip too understanding that it was Austin's b-day, and he only asked to put stuff on his "wish list!" (Phew!)

We teased Austin about being "Fake 9" because he was the one that started the "Fake 5" thing for Logan, but he turns "Real 9" tomorrow...wow! My oh my, how he's grown up so quickly! I seriously do remember when he was in my belly, and it really doesn't seem all that long ago!

We're into my last week of summer (sniff, sniff), and it's already busy with "stuff" and even me going to work a couple of days this week. The thing I dread the most for this week is Logan's well visit (complete with shotssss...uh-oh!). He says he's going to try to be brave so he can get a surprise! One of the things we are looking forward to the most is Austin's Sportsarama on Tuesday! They are having it at White Knoll High School, and he's so excited to play on that field!!! I'll take pictures of him in uniform this week and post a picture of that (along with some b-day photos too once I get them!). Thanks to everyone that helped us celebrate (including those of you that couldn't make it but still thought about him/us!!!)!!!

Guitar Strumming....

2010-07-23T21:07:00.009-04:00

This butterfly was huge and hung around the lantana for quite a while! It let us all get so close and didn't even to seem to care we were watching him! Thought I'd share a picture of it!

So, it's been a pretty slow week, and I don't mean slow as in we haven't had much going on....I mean, slow as in recooperating from our long Disney trip. I think we have JUST gotten back into some of our "normal" routines. The cabinets/refrigerator are re-stocked with groceries, we've seen lots of the people we missed while we were gone, I'm right back in full force with my school work, and Roger's back at work (BOO!)...so "our normal" has begun again! Oh, and...Austin has started football this week! I am proud to say that he actually looks pretty good out there this year! Him playing last year has certainly helped him for this year! He even likes it more because of what he knows! Hopefully it will be a very good season for him! His first game is August 10th (Sportarama)!

Another exciting tidbit for this week is Austin got his guitar yesterday. He decided earlier in the summer that he really wanted to learn to play and wanted one for his birthday. After playing with different kinds and having a few informal lessons on them all he decided he liked the acoustic guitars best. So, we went yesterday and had him fitted for one, and decided to go ahead and get it for him and not make him wait. His birthday isn't for a couple weeks, but we thought it would be better for him to have it now so he'd have more time this summer to learn and get used to playing it. He's loving it so far! He's also going to begin piano lessons when school starts. It will give him something to do while he waits for me to finish things up in my classroom, and it will help with reading music. Maybe with these instruments I can avoid squeaking and squaking of others when band is offered (fingers crossed!)!

The boys with Karah, a cousin, at Aunt Rene and Uncle Steve's house!

I can't believe summer is coming to an end! I know I say this every year, but it seems to fly by so quickly! I already have plans to go work in my classroom next week. I sure am going to enjoy every last minute we have! I love this time with my boys! Teaching is the best "Mommy job" in the world. I'd love to be able to stay home with my boys all the time, but I think I have the next best thing!

Disney World...Priceless Vacation

2010-07-12T21:52:00.002-04:00

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We have had a fabulous time down here in Orlando, FL! We left last Tuesday morning and are still here! We have at least 2 more days to do parks...maybe 3! We started out at Magic Kingdom! Logan loved Thunder Mountain and the Goofy Rollercoaster! Austin got sick (from overheating), but once he recovered he LOVED Space Mountain! The next day we went to Animal Kingdom (one of Austin's favorites). Logan (and Roger) got SOAKED on the Kali Rapids Ride, and Austin was in heaven all day with all the animals (and Everest Expedition...neat coaster!)!!! The third day we headed to Sea World. Lots of shows and a few rides, but neat! The fourth day we headed to Epcot. It was probably our best day so far! Logan could ride everything there so we didn't have to split up or make either of them wait on the other! Soarin was neat, and Test Track was even cooler! Yesterday we went to Hollywood Studios (formally known as MGM). There aren't too many rides there (lots of shows), but Logan got to see the Power Rangers and we all rode Tower of Terror! Austin's favorite there was the Rockin Rollin Roller Coaster (I have to admit, it was neat!!!)! Logan's favorite was being a Padawan on the Star Wars show up on stage. Today we headed back to Sea World to finish up what we didn't get to the first day, and Austin got brave enough to ride Kracken and Manta. I rode Kraken with him, but Grandmother had to ride Manta. Logan had fun on the Shamu rollercoaster. The dolphin and whale show was my favorite! Kathy and George are heading back home tomorrow morning so we'll finish out our trip with just us. We're going back to Magic Kingdom tomorrow, and then who knows!?! The boys have had a complete, wonderful, BLAST! And, we've enjoyed every minute of watching them! I will say that we are worn out, and I am not quite sure how we (or they) are still going, but we are! We'll need a vacation from our vacation when we get home! :)

4th of July

2010-07-05T00:24:00.004-04:00

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Happy 4th of July, Everyone!!! I wanted to be sure to get these pictures on here before we leave for Disney (Tuesday)!!! We spent the day poolside with family and then finished off the night with friends for the best (and loudest) firework display we've had here! Everyone had a great time! The kids all got along wonderfully, and even the adults had fun swimming! The Beaufort Stew, Corn Dip, Fruit Salad, and Homemade Peach Ice Cream were all FABULOUS! I could eat like that everyday!!! I hope everyone else had a fantastic day!!!! I'm not sure if I will post while we are down in Florida...we'll have to wait and see, but I will FOR SURE post pictures when we get back! Both the boys (and Roger and I) are excited about our trip! We're doing all of Disney and Sea World!!! Logan wants to meet Goofy, and Austin wants to ride the Everest ride (they were almost finished building it the last time we were there)! We'll all have a great time, I am sure!!!