The Beard Report

2012 a month late!

2012-01-31T20:00:00.005-05:00

I have been a slacker on our blog, so here's to a new year!

We just returned from a magical week in Disney World with my parents. We had great weather, good food, and lots of fun! We love going and seeing the kids enjoy it. Each time is different and as they grow they are able to do new things and enjoy new things. Connor is still into the characters and also can ride all the rides. He tried the Rockin Roller Coaster with us this year and loved it! Macy still enjoys the characters and she is just at 40in as was able to ride Splash Mountain, Tower of terror, Kali river rapids and a few others and loved them all!!! We all had a great time and we can't wait to go again!! There are more pictures up on facebook but here are a few of our favorites!

1st day of Kindergarten

2011-08-11T09:26:00.006-04:00

Today was Connor's first day of Kindergarten at Daisy Elementary. I can't believe my baby boy is already old enough to start school. It was a hard day to send him off, but I know he will have fun and learn lots of new things! I am so proud of him and the little guy he is! God has blessed me so much with him!

Beach break

2011-07-14T22:07:00.005-04:00

Connor, Macy, Nanny and I went to the beach this past week for a few days. We had a fun, relaxing time, just what I needed! The kids had a blast playing in the pool and mom and I enjoyed a peaceful walk on the beach. The kids are already talking about going next year again!

Father's Day Weekend

2011-06-23T21:52:00.004-04:00

We had a great day celebrating the Father's in our lives. We had a nice morning at church, then a nice lunch and even better nap time!! Later we went out to my parents house for some ice cream and fishing! It was a great day spent together remembering the men we are blessed with in our lives.

Our Preschool graduate

2011-05-17T21:40:00.002-04:00

Tonight Connor graduated from preschool at Dallas Bay Baptist Church. We are so proud to be his parents and are so blessed that God choose us for this role! He is a tender hearted, sensitive, thoughtful, rambunctious, loud, trying at times, smart & much loved little guy!! My heart overflows with love for him and look forward to watching him grow into the person God made him to be. Connor, Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know and we are so proud of you!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T16:34:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!! I am so blessed to be the mother of these two precious kids! I have been blessed to be the daughter to one amazing women who has taught me so much about life & love. I am the person I am today because of my mom and I am so thankful she has loved me through all my ups and downs in life!! :)

Last week Michael and I spent 4 1/2 days in Cancun at an all inclusive. It was an amazing, fun & relaxing time. We are so thankful to the Harpers, Masters & Graus for an amazing time and memories that will last a lifetime! Here are a few pictures of the fun we had!

Soccer Girl

2011-04-09T17:33:00.002-04:00

Let the soccer season begin!! Macy is playing for the first time this year. She is doing pretty good for her age!! Our Saturday morning are spent at the soccer fields now and we are enjoying it!!

Spring Soccer has started!

2011-03-20T17:08:00.002-04:00

Connor is playing soccer again this season and started the season off right with a goal in his first game! He seems to really enjoy it, especially spending time with some friends on his team too! Macy starts in April and we are looking forward to seeing how she does too!! Looking forward to seeing them both in action!

Sleep Over

2011-01-08T16:55:00.003-05:00

Last night we had our first sleep-over with our good friends Ty and Marley. The kids have all known each other since they were born, so it was more like having family over. They were all so excited and did better than I imagined! Granted they stayed up till almost 11 pm talking in their rooms....but I guess that is part of the fun!! The boys enjoyed playing Star Wars together and the girls enjoyed playing dolls! I love that they are all so close and so thankful for great friends! I look forward to many more of these in the years to come!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-27T21:20:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Santa Claus is coming to town......

2010-12-16T21:01:00.003-05:00

To keep up the tradition from last year we went to see Santa with the Harpers again! The kids had a great time and we were all so proud of the girls!! I can't believe Christmas is next week!

Disney and Macy's 3rd birthday!

2010-12-01T20:45:00.002-05:00

We went to Disney World Nov 12-20 with my parents and had a MAGICAL time. While we were there we celebrated Macy's 3rd birthday (Nov 15). I can't believe our baby girl is 3 already. She had a great birthday week with the princesses and the rides! Connor was tall enough to ride the "big" rides this year and it was so fun experiencing new things with them both! We all had a great time and I am ready to go again!! I put up more pictures on facebook!

My baby boy is 5!!!!

2010-10-28T20:10:00.006-04:00

Happy 5th birthday to my baby boy!! I can't believe it's been 5 years ago since he blessed our lives. What a blessing he has been to our family. I am so thankful that God choose us to be his parents and bless us with this sweet, tender hearted little guy! He had a full day celebrating today. First at his school is was their fall party so he got to wear his costume that he was really excited about. Also at school it was his day to have show and tell and be the line leader, this was not planned but just fell on his actual birthday!! What a lucky guy! Then after naps, Michael came home a little early from work and we took a trip to Toys R Us for a special treat and then had dinner at his favorite place Ci-Ci's Pizza!! Nanny and Poppy stopped by too later in the evening!! Now we have his party to look forward to on Saturday!!

My little pumpkins

2010-10-21T20:37:00.002-04:00

I love fall activities! This past Saturday after a morning of soccer we spent the afternoon at the house hanging out. Macy finally learned to pedal her big girl bike and she is really enjoying being able to ride with Connor (who still amazes us with his quick learning without training wheels).

Then we carved our pumpkins for our Halloween decorations! The kids really enjoyed doing this and it was a beautiful day hanging outside together.

Macy showing off the finished product, Connor was anxious to ride his bike again!! :) I love my family!

Our first camping trip

2010-10-12T15:27:00.005-04:00

This past weekend we went camping in South Carolina at Table Rock State Park with the Masters family. It was our first time camping and we had a great time. We really appreciate the invite and all the supplies from the Masters to make this a fun weekend! The kids loved sleeping in the tent, having a fire, riding bikes, playing with new friends, and as Connor said "being a family"!! We look forward to the next time!!

The whole gang minus Greyson hanging out by the fire.

On Saturday we went for a hike. Everyone had a good time except for our little princess, who was crying that her legs were burning/broke before we even got to the trail head! Despite her crying we were able to hike 0.5 miles into the trail, the big kids really enjoyed the view, bugs and being outside.

If you cry enough, your daddy will carry you back ;)

Mount LeConte

2010-09-22T09:13:00.004-04:00

After a fun day at Dollywood, Michael and the kids dropped me off in Pigeon Forge with Paula and Colleen (2 friends from work) to stay until Tuesday. On Monday we woke up early and started our adventurous hike to the top of Mt. LeConte. It was about a 12 mile walk round trip, with beautiful views the whole way. It took us 3 hours and 21 minutes to reach to top where we spent a little over 2 hours enjoying the scenery and the whole day was 8hr and 28 minutes. I have never done anything like this before and was a little nervous to be stepping out of my comfort zone, but I surprised myself and made it! My calves are still reminding me that I might of overdone it but it was a great day!! The weather was beautiful and we were in the shade for most of the trail. We were surprised that we didn't see any wildlife during our hike, we saw one red squirrel and a big fly and that was it! The trail wasn't crowded but there was enough people on it to make you feel comfortable knowing people were around. We got to see the Llama's bringing the supplies up to the cabin and that was so cool! This hike is something I will never forget and I am so thankful for friends that believed in me enough to invite me along!! Here is a slide show of our hike.

Dollywood

2010-09-22T09:05:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday we drove up to Pigeon Forge and spent the day in Dollywood with the Wilsons. They had season passes and got to "bring a friend free" and we were lucky enough to be those friends!! We really appreciate that and had a great time!! Macy said as we were leaving "when are we going back to Hollywood?"!! Here are some pictures from our fun day!

Look! No training wheels!!

2010-09-18T20:18:00.002-04:00

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Connor wanted to try riding his bike without his training wheels so we gave it a try. Michael worked with him for a little bit on gaining confidence and it wasn't long before he was doing it on his own!! He was so proud of himself and we were too! He mastered turning and catching himself when he does loose balance. We still need to work on the take off, but he will get it!! As exciting as it is, the reality of him growing up hits me and as much as I want to I can't stop it from happening. I love this boy and am so thankful for him!! Way to go Connor!!

Soccer Mom

2010-09-11T10:50:00.004-04:00

Well today was our first experience with sports with the kids. Connor signed up to play soccer this fall and luckily his good friend Owen is playing with him. I was a little nervous to see how he would act on the field: would he listen, would he actually move or would he stand on the side lines with his hands in his mouth and pout???! Thankfully it was a good start for all of us! He was excited to go, listened to the coach and ran his little heart out! It was so much fun and he actually liked it!! He still has a little to learn about the game like who his teammates are and which goal he is aiming for but at 4 we think he did a great job!!! I am excited to be his Soccer Mom!! :)

His cheerleader was a little grouchy!

Friends and Family Time

2010-09-06T12:10:00.003-04:00

I am so glad to feel fall in the air!!! I wish this weather would stay like this forever! We actually got the kids out for a hike today and that is a big deal for ours! As Connor said "Today was a good day." Here are a few picture of our latest outings......

Our pretty girl Macy before church one morning.

Last weekend me and the kids went to celebrate Annalee's 2nd birthday at a pool party. It was so much fun and we enjoyed helping her celebrate!

Annalee's sweet brother Boone enjoyed the party too!

Today we went for our first hike as a family, it was really fun. We didn't make it all the way to the blue hole, but we will try again next time! Connor really enjoyed it and Macy did okay for the most of it!! She got a little tired on the way back and all we heard was "I want to go to my car".....but overall it was a great family fun morning! We look forward to doing it again soon.

Fun in the sun and back to school!

2010-08-17T14:46:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago we went to Muscle Shoals, AL with the Harpers for a fun getaway! The kids love going to hotels and especially ones with fun pools! We appreciate the Harpers inviting us to tag along on Josh's work trip, we had a great time!! All 4 kids really enjoyed the water slide and so did the adults too! Connor is doing a great job with his swimming and Macy has improved each time we go (she still has a long way to go...but getting her face wet is a big deal!).

Today was the kid's first day of preschool at our church, DBBC. Connor has been going there for the past 2 years and loves it. He has learned a lot each year he has been there and I know he will have another great year. I just can't believe it will be his last year in the preschool department though...okay moving on before the tears start! This is Macy's first year to go and we are all so excited to see her reactions! Last year she cried when we dropped Connor off because I wasn't leaving her too & this year she is crying because I am leaving her. Oh this girl really knows how to work me! I know she will have a good year and I am sure the tears stop as soon as I leave the parking lot, but it is still hard! They both had a great first day, but it was weird having a day to myself. I went to the gym then home and all morning I would have moments of panic thinking I have left one somewhere! Here are the kids before we left this morning!

Can you tell by that look that things were going down hill?! Oh Macy......

On the way to their classrooms!

Weekend activites

2010-07-31T11:16:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was the Dragon Boat Races that benefited the hospital. I rowed with my work team and it was so much fun!! Macy went with me to be our cheerleader and she had fun despite the heat! My parents and the Anthony's came to cheer us on also and took her home when they left. It was a long, hot day but it was for a great cause and our team did really well for our first time! Michael and Connor spent the day in Huntsville for a Star Wars exhibit at the Space and Rocket Center! They both had so much fun and it was a good father/son day!

Starting yesterday I have a 6 day stretch off from work and almost each day is planned with fun outings! To start my mini vacation on Friday morning we met Kathy, Ty, Marley, Heather and Annalee at Pump it Up for some jumping fun! The kids had a fun time and it was nice to catch up with friends! Then last night Ty had a baseball game for his friends to celebrate his Good Behavior and that was a blast! The kids have been talking about playing baseball and we weren't really sure they even knew what it was, so this gave them the chance to "play" it before we signed them up! All the kids did so good and we had a great time watching them! Then the Harpers had us all over for a wonderful dinner and water fun for the kids!! Thanks for a fun evening Harpers and thanks to Ty for working so hard on being good and I know he will keep it up! :) Here are some pictures from the ball game!

Latest Happenings in our family

2010-07-11T16:50:00.005-04:00

On June 24 my brother and his wife had a precious baby girl Maggie. Here she is with her daddy and a family picture with Big brother Vance!

Macy already loves Maggie and was so sweet to her when we visited them. Here is Poppy with his 2 granddaughters.

We had a fun 4th of July hanging around the neighborhood. We had a fun dinner with neighbors and then shot some fireworks. The kids enjoyed it and Macy didn't cry this year which is a big improvement!

This weekend we grandmother sat for my grandmother at my parents house while they were out of town. It was like a mini vacation for us. We enjoyed fishing each night, although the kids got bored with it real quick!

The Harpers came out one night to see us and we had a great time fishing and eating with them....we still owe them ice cream though!

VBS and Popcorn Maker

2010-06-12T18:50:00.004-04:00

We had a great week at VBS this week. Connor was in a room full of boys and it was a wild room but they had fun!! This was Macy's first year to attend officially and she had a blast!! It was a great week and we are blessed to have a wonderful preschool department at our church

The kids tie dyed shirts before VBS started and then they all wore them on the last day!

The last time we were in Mississippi we bought a popcorn maker for $4 from Hudson's Salvage (our favorite store!). Tonight we used it for the first time! The kids enjoyed watching the popcorn pop and helping make it!! Fun family times.

Update in pictures!

2010-05-19T15:03:00.005-04:00

Here is what we have been up to lately!

We pulled up our shrubs a few weeks ago and planted flowers in our front yard. The kids loved helping plant them and watering them. Here are a few cute pictures of them outside with the flowers!

Michael's roses!

I had a wonderful Mother's Day! I am so blessed with my mom and my 2 babies! God has truly blessed me.

Connor was really proud of the flower he planted for me in the flower pot he decorated at school! I love it too!!

Connor has been in Razaroo this year and has really enjoyed it. They had an end of the year program last Friday with a theme of "Rock Star"! It was so cute and Connor really lite up while he was doing his stunts!

We have been working on potty training with Macy and I can honestly say that it has gone well...as soon as she decided to do it!! I have been pushing my desire on her for quite some time, but she woke up a few Mondays ago and decided she was ready and it took about 2 weeks to get it! :) She is really proud of herself and her underwear!! :)

Because we sometimes forget about our first child Toby!! :)

Today we had a fun time playing in the water . The kids have been so ready for summer, they love being in water! So we got out the pools, sprinklers and water guns and had a fun morning!

It's May already.....time to update!

2010-05-01T15:01:00.005-04:00

I can't believe it's May already. April was a fun and busy month. While Michael was in Talledega for the race the kids, my mom and myself went to Pigeon Forge for some shopping and swimming fun! The kids loved the pool and it was so fun to see them pick up from where they left off last summer. They are looking forward to our Mississippi trip when they can go swimming again!!

Lase week Cononr's MDO program had a spring program and the kids were so cute. Each class recited a poem on stage and they were all so sweet! Connor has really enjoyed his time at MDO and the friends he has made there. Here are a few pictures of his class on stage and then in the classroom.

He has been so blessed with his teachers each year and especially this year! Here he is with his friend Owen and their teachers Mrs. Sherree and Mrs. Tiffany!

Today we had a baby shower for my brother Todd and his wife Amy. They are expecting their second child a baby girl in June! We are so excited for them and the Big Brother Vance!! We can't wait to meet her!

Macy helped celebrate the party for her soon to be new cousin and had a great time!

Easter egg hunt at church

2010-04-03T13:51:00.003-04:00

Today we went to our church's Easter Egg hunt. Thankfully the rain held off and the kids had a great time hunting Easter eggs and seeing the live animals. Macy did really well as this was her first year to really hunt for the eggs! She had a minor melt down when she stepped in poop but recovered and was able to press on and find her some eggs!! Connor had fun seeing all the animals and did really well finding eggs! Here are a few pictures of our morning!

Heading to the Easter egg hunt! Connor got a little tired of holding his basket....so he got creative!

Cheese!

Macy holding a baby chick and Connor petting a rabbit.

Ready.....set....GO!!!!!

Easter Bunny & Fun

2010-04-01T21:15:00.006-04:00

Tonight we met Kathy, Ty and Marley at Northgate for a visit to the Easter Bunny!! Macy told me that she wasn't going to cry this time, but well a picture doesn't lie!! I thought the kids looked adorable in their Easter outfits and it was so good to see them all together!

Aren't they just precious!?

Then after the traumatic visit for the girls we took a picnic dinner to the park and played for awhile! It was a great ending to a beautiful day!

I just love to see those smiles!!

Going back to my college days

2010-03-09T14:22:00.007-05:00

This weekend I met up with my college roommate and good friend Lori and her daughter Bradleigh for a quick visit and shopping! It is always nice to visit with them and catch up on life. Connor and Macy got to see where I went to college too and that was neat seeing them on the campus I used to live on. I love my family, but being on campus made me a little sad that those days are over (not necessarily the studying part!). It was great weekend!

What we do on a snowy day!

2010-03-02T11:13:00.003-05:00

March 2 and we are still getting snow! It is really pretty today, the biggest snowflakes I have seen but I am ready for spring already! We took Connor to MDO this morning only to be called an hour later to come pick him up since the schools were closing! So now we are home and trying to entertain ourselves inside! Here are a few pictures of what we do on a snowy day! Hope you are having fun too!!

Macy in the snow before we went to get Connor

Cinderella Macy & Jedi Connor (he is using the force on me!)
I love their imagination and how they play!

Happy Birthday Michael!

2010-02-11T20:32:00.003-05:00

Today is Michael's 34th birthday! We celebrated by making him a cake, going to eat at Ichiban, and watching the Survivor premier!!! Connor was really excited to get his dad some Star Wars lego sets so that he could play with them!!! Happy birthday Michael we love you and are thankful for you!!

This month has flown by!

2010-01-30T08:38:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it is already the end of January. Here are a few pictures of what we have been doing this month!

Enjoying some family game fun!

Macy finally let me paint her toe nails and she loves it!!! She had been scared to let me do it before....but now she is all about it!! Wants to change the color every day!

Connor's school (MDO) had a Winter Program. It was so cute even though Connor got a touch of the stage fright! He really enjoys his school!

What a beautiful snow fall we had! Once the situation of my kids and parents being stuck in the snow somewhere between our house and theirs got resolved, Michael and I were able to enjoy the snow!

Elmo!

2010-01-18T13:39:00.003-05:00

On Saturday Macy and I had a mother/daughter outing to see Elmo Live! We had a great time just the girls being together. Macy did really well during the show and seemed to really enjoy herself. She is such a sweet girl and is usually just happy being anywhere! There was no "I want to buy this" or "I want that" and let me tell you what a change that was!! I am so thankful to God for both of my children and the special times I get to spend with them. Macy I loved spending the afternoon with you and I look forward to many more special times we will share!

Snow

2010-01-12T15:31:00.004-05:00

A fun snow day! Connor and Macy were really excited to see the snow and go play out in it. Connor really wanted to make a snow man, but we didn't get enough snow for that, we barely could make snow balls! They enjoyed it anyway and would of stayed out all day....but mommy got cold! We have a touch of the cabin fever and I am glad to have things back to normal this week! Connor has started back to his MDO program and I am looking forward to working tomorrow! Hope you are all staying warm!

Macy's ABC's

2010-01-03T18:15:00.003-05:00

Here is a silly Macy singing her ABC's that she has just learned in the past few days. She sings it over and over and over and usually very loudly! We are so proud of her! Of course when I go to video her she starts acting silly! Enjoy!

Macy's room makeover

2009-12-28T12:33:00.003-05:00

Well I finally did it (after much debate), we converted Macy's crib to a big girl bed! We felt like Macy was getting ready but were a little scared of actually doing it! She had started to cry when we put her down at night and wanted us to lay with her which was impossible with the crib. My mom had gotten her bedding and it was killing me to have it just sitting in her closet too so that was another push to do it. Michael wanted to wait until after the holidays, so the day after Christmas we took it down. We got the convertible crib down and discovered that you had to have special rails to fit it that cost way more than I was willing to spend. So thankfully my dad was able to get a regular frame to fit the head board. Until we we able to get it fixed she slept on the crib mattress on the floor for a few nights! Here are some pictures of our progression!

This is how I found her the first night. Yes she is asleep using the mattress as a pillow! She sleeps with her hand over her face too! Looks like she was putting on lipstick before falling asleep!

The second night it took her a little longer to get to sleep, but eventually she went. I found her once curled up in the rocking chair trying to sleep and put her back to bed where she stayed!

Today Poppy brought over her bed!! She was very excited and is presently taking a nap in it....I hope! Thanks Poppy for fixing my bed!

I need to find a bed skirt to match and we will be in business!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T16:01:00.008-05:00

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas!! We had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends this season. Santa was good to us all this year, and we are probably going to have to rent a storage unit to house all these toys!!! Connor got a Batman cave and Macy got a Princess Vanity. They were both really into opening gifts this year and it was so much fun watching them enjoy it all! We went to my parents for Christmas eve and had Christmas with my parents, Todd, Amy and Vance. Then we were at home for Christmas day. Here are a few pictures from our Christmas fun!

Christmas Eve at my parents house:

Don't you love the expressions!!

Christmas morning at our house!

Boys and their electronics!! Connor playing with his Leapster and my dad looking at my new Ipod Touch!!

Birthday party, First Hair cut and Christmas tree!

2009-12-20T20:15:00.006-05:00

This past Friday we went to Ty's and Marley's birthday party! Marley turned 2 on Friday and Ty turned 4 on Saturday. The kids and I had a great time and we were so happy to help them celebrate their special days! We are so proud of them both and love the friendship that we all share. Happy Birthday Ty & Marley!

On Friday afternoon I took Macy to get her 1st official haircut! Her hair was starting to become a mullet, and even though we do live in Soddy it was out of control!! I was pleasantly surprised at how well she did. Connor got his cut first and she watched him and then it was her turn and she just jumped right up in the chair! Here is a before and after from the back, I think it turned out so cute!

This weekend we also got a special delivery from Gran & Granpapa (Michael's parents). They sent us a fun and festive Christmas tree!! The kids absolutely love it!! Connor wanted it in his room, and we thought that was a perfect place for it! Thank you so much Gran & Granpapa for the tree, we have really enjoyed it!

The Reason for the Season

2009-12-16T21:02:00.003-05:00

I have been finding myself very stressed/anxious/overwhelmed lately with the holidays quickly approaching and not feeling ready. I have been working a lot lately (yes can you believe it!) and therefore shopping has been delayed, plus I find it very hard to buy for Michael. He would like to disagree, but he is very hard to buy for. But anyway I have been trying to remind myself to not get overwhelmed and really take in the Reason for the Season. My kids have really taken a liking to Baby Jesus and love playing with their nativity set and go crazy whenever they see one anywhere! I love this fact and love that some of the things we do for them are sinking in! Well today my dad sent me some pictures of the kids playing at their house today while I was working and it just melted my heart and reminded me to not forget the real gift this season, Jesus! It may take a 2 & 4 year old to remind me, but I am so glad they did! If you are feeling like I am during the hectic times, I hope this helps remind you too!
Here they are getting their "robes" on to be the Wise Men.....

Here they are bowing before Baby Jesus in the manger......

A closer picture of the nativity that they set up on the presents under the tree!!!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2009-12-05T22:02:00.004-05:00

What a beautiful morning we had, waking up to the snow falling and on the ground! We had signed up for the "Families on the Run" today with Families First. I had been planning on running the 5K while Michael pushed the kids in the Santa Stroll. However a few days ago I pulled a muscle in my back exercising and then it was so cold this morning that I decided to stroll along with the family! I am not giving up on my goal to do a 5K though.....one day! We had a great time spending the morning together walking downtown in the snow! After our stroll we had a good breakfast and then the kids did a "Kiddie K"! It was a fun family outing!

After we got home the kids enjoyed playing in the snow at our house too!

Dollywood & Thankgiving lunch at Connor's school

2009-11-24T14:58:00.006-05:00

This past Saturday we drove up to Pigeon Forge to spend the day at Dollywood with Josh, Kathy, Ty & Marley. We appreciate them sharing their buy one get one free tickets with us so we could enjoy a fun day on a smaller budget, wish we could of got the same deal on food for the day too!! The kids had a great time but we adults had a hard time not comparing it to our recent Disney trip and let me tell you there is no comparison! But we had a great time and are so thankful for good friends.

The kids were really excited about seeing Baby Jesus and we were glad they had a manger scene for them to see Him! I am not sure how this got started but after telling Connor of the shows we were going to see all he talked about was seeing Baby Jesus so of course that is what Macy said all day too!! Luckily Ty & Marley were also very excited to see Baby Jesus as well!! Gotta love what kids say and do!

Today at Connor's MDO they had a Thanksgiving luncheon for the preschoolers and their families. Michael, Macy and I were excited to go eat lunch with him. We didn't know it but the classes each did a little Thanksgiving song or poem. It was all so cute and we were so proud of Connor! He loves his class and we are so thankful we are able to send him to a place that he loves.

Connor's class did the 1 little, 2 little Indians song.

Enjoying a tasty lunch!

Our baby is 2

2009-11-15T20:06:00.008-05:00

I can't believe our baby is 2 years old today. Macy is a wonderful completion to our family. She brings us so much laughter and love every day. She has developed her own little personality and attitude to go with it! She spent her birthday morning at Nanny & Poppy's house (we were in Atlanta for the weekend for the Masters baby shower which was so much fun). We had a barbeque lunch when we got back into town with cake and presents too! I think she understood what today was about but even if she didn't she sure did love all the attention and gifts!! God has blessed our family with our 2 beautiful children.

Her new bicycle from Nanny & Poppy that she loves!

Catch up from Last week:

Last Week Connor had a morning play date with his friend Ty. They had so much fun hanging out together and we are so thankful that Kathy drove all the way out here to drop him off for awhile. The boys enjoyed playing with Connor's new boats, and I think I know what Santa can get Ty!! To get out some energy they had a soft sword fight in the backyard which was lots of fun to watch. Their expressions in the pictures are priceless, they were really getting into it!

Party time!!

2009-11-06T12:28:00.003-05:00

Since the kids birthdays are only 2 weeks apart and they have most of the same friends we decided to do a joint party this year at Pump it Up!! It was so much fun not only for the kids but the adults too!! We had an hour of jumping fun and then cake and ice cream time! The kids were spoiled with the gifts people brought and they have been nonstop playing since last night! We really appreciate everyone coming out and helping the kids celebrate their special days! We are so blessed by great friends and family. Here are a few pictures of the evening and there are more in the album to the left!!

The Birthday Boy & Birthday Girl getting ready to go!

Connor's 4th birthday October 28
Macy's 2nd birthday November 15

Michael enjoying the slide with Macy & Connor!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T22:37:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween! We had a fun night of trick-or-treating starting off by going to see Vance and then Nanny & Poppy. Then we headed over to our church with Heather & Landon for the Fall festival fun. We ended the evening back at our house enjoying the trick-or-treating fun. Our little Jedi Connor and Macy Duck had a fun time and we hope you did too!!

Happy 4th Birthday Connor!

2009-10-28T13:50:00.002-04:00

I can't believe Connor is 4 already, where has the time gone? We are so blessed and thankful for our handsome little guy! We started off the day with a birthday donut and opening the gift from Gran & Granpapa! He loves his new Star Wars helmet and has been wearing it all morning, thanks so much!

When I asked Connor what he wanted to do on his birthday he said go to Chuck-E-Cheese and play, so that is what we did! Nanny, Poppy & GG met us over there too and it was a fun time. We were about the only people there so they kids were able to play.

We picked up pizza and headed home to meet Michael for a birthday lunch, cake and present time. Here are a few pictures from the day. Connor had a great day and got some fun new toys that he is really excited about. I am so lucky to be this precious boys "mommy" and I am thankful for each day that we all have together. We look forward to many more years of celebrating your life Connor! We love you!

Fun last weekend as a 3 year old!

2009-10-25T20:31:00.006-04:00

I can't believe that next week we are going to have a 4 year old little boy! Where has the time gone? Well before I start getting teary eyed I better move on! This was his last weekend as a 3 year old and what fun it was! We started the weekend off on Friday by having a great dinner with the Olivers at Ichiban (sorry no pics of that!) and then doing some family shopping at Toys R Us and Wal-mart!

On Saturday we went to Sam's 4th birthday party which was pirate themed! They painted treasure chests, bounced, at cake and enjoyed playing with the swords they gave Sam! It was fun day and we are so glad we were able to help him celebrate his big day!

Then today we went up to Signal Mountain to have an early Halloween party with the Harpers! We had the kids in their costumes and it was so much fun seeing them all together dressed up! We had a great dinner and fun time hanging out with them and appreciate them letting us crash their Sunday evening.
In case you can't tell Connor is a Jedi and Macy is a duck!

Here is the Jedi and Ty the cowboy!!

This is Marley Moo not to be confused with Marley Mo!!

There was a street closed off on Signal and they had a little are for story telling that the kids enjoyed.

Praise!

2009-10-20T14:18:00.005-04:00

We are so thankful for all of our blessings and today reminded us how blessed we truly are! Macy was diagnosed in Aug 2008 with kidney reflux and has been on daily antibiotics since then to prevent further UTIs. She has done well since her diagnosis and hasn't had any recurrent UTI's during this time (praise God!). Today we went to have her retested to see if she had grown out of this yet. We both knew that most likely she wouldn't have since most cases we hear about take several years to heal, but we had hope and prayers. The testing process isn't the most comfortable thing, but Macy did pretty good. She cried a lot but didn't fight it too much, having pa pa (pacy) and her blanket helped too (more things to be thankful for!). Anyway we are thrilled to say that Macy has outgrown her kidney reflux!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes when I was watching the xray machine, I kept waiting to see it and then thought maybe she has but didn't want to get too excited till I heard it from the radiologist. We are still waiting to talk to her pediatrician, but we are looking at stopping her meds and no more testing hopefully!!! Now we can start that potty training process that we have been dreading!! :)

Thank you to all our family and friends that prayed for Macy today, we are blessed with your friendship. Here are some latest pictures of the kids from our lazy weekend! I couldn't get Connor to smile right, but I love the pic of Macy looking up to him. She does love her big brother!

Magical times in Disney

2009-10-08T21:28:00.003-04:00

We spent the last few days in Disney World with our friends Josh, Kathy, Ty & Marley. It was so much fun going with another family who's kids are the same age to experience the magic of Disney! We appreciate them asking us to join them even though they may think twice before asking us again!! :) We were going non-stop for the 4 days that we were there, but all the kids were troopers and did really well. I think the adults were more worn out by the end of the trip. The last day the Harpers went to a water park and we went to the Magic Kingdom so we didn't see them, but Connor and Macy asked all day where they were. What a special trip with special memories created! Here are a few picture, but of course there are more in the Disney album!

We had so much fun riding rides & seeing characters at all the parks.

Connor was hoping to be picked for the Star Tours Jedi Training session and he was! It was so much fun watching him on stage learning to be a Jedi and fighting Darth Vader!

The boys got to stay out late one night with Kathy and I to see the spectromagic parade. They were very excited.

The girls waiting patiently to greet the Princesses.

Open house at Connor's MDO

2009-09-24T20:46:00.006-04:00

Tonight we went to Connor's MDO Open House. It was nice to see his classroom, other than just dropping/picking him up each time. We got to see what they were working on and some of his art work. He was really proud of what he had done. His teachers are the best and Connor loves going to MDO on Tue/Thurs. He is learning so much and having a blast. We are thankful for DBBC MDO program.

Connor and his friend Owen!

Parents relaxing getaway!

2009-09-17T10:07:00.005-04:00

We went to Cancun with the Grau's and the Harper's for 5 relaxing & kid free days. We stayed at an all inclusive resort the Excellence Riviera Cancun which was amazing. We had such a good time with friends just hanging out by the pool all day and then having wonderful dinners at night. There were several restaurants and we tried to eat at all of them, even if that meant having more than one a night! :) It was so nice to put our wallets in the safe and not worry about money while we were there. The girls had a great experience at the Mille Spa which was amazing..there are no words to describe what an awesome experience it was. We had wonderful hour massages and then an hour in the Marine Wellness area that ended in a neck/head massage by the pool. I am still amazed at how relaxed I still am! We are so grateful to my parents who kept the kids for us while we were gone. We thought the kids would really be ready to see us but Connor asked if he could stay longer with my parents! :) There are more pictures in the Cancun album.

This was our view!

Me, Kathy & Mandy before our spa experience.

Michael, Josh and Eric before dinner

Me, Mandy & Kathy before dinner

There were iguanas everywhere.

She loves her 'Nonnor"

2009-09-04T14:33:00.004-04:00

To say that Macy loves her big brother is an understatement. In the past few months we have really seen this bond grow, especially now that she is more verbal! "Nonnor" as she calls him is her world! She loves to be with him and when she isn't, he is ALL we hear about!! As soon as she wakes up she is asking for him and if he is still sleeping she does everything she can to wake him up! I do love the fact that they love each other (Connor could take her or leave her sometimes though) but I also want Macy to be her own person and enjoy doing things not just because Connor is doing them! Don't get me wrong, they do have their sibling rivalry moments also! I pray that they stay close throughout their lives and always know they have a friend in each other.

Connor started MDO "school" last week and he is already loving it! He was very excited to be in Mrs. Sherri & Mrs. Tiffany's class this year. He loves it and looks forward to going on Tue & Thurs. I am so glad that he is learning so much and having a good time while he is there. It is amazing what a difference a year makes! I was fortunate enough to be off work both days that he went to school, so Macy and I got to take him. I tried to explain to her that she wasn't staying and that Connor was going to "school". We left him in his classroom and she started to walk up the hall to her Sunday school room and say "me, me". I kept telling her that we were going to hang out together today while Connor stayed and school. Of course she is just 21 months old and that wasn't working! So off I went to our car with a crying little princess. All day she asked for Nonnor and said he was playing. I thought maybe the first day was just going to be rough because it was all new to her......but no such luck. For 2 weeks now every time we leave him she is in tears because she can't stay and play and because he isn't with her. Oh the drama of this girl!! The pictures are of Connor's first day back to school and the pitiful girl I got to spend the day with while he was there! :)

Splash beach trip!

2009-08-22T10:25:00.004-04:00

We had a great time this past week in Panama City Beach with our friend Tommy, Heather & Annalee. We stayed at the Splash resort, which was nice but we had some issues in our condo that were a little frustrating, but overall it was a great trip. All the kids loved the water and got along well. Michael and Connor are not big fans of the beach sand but they were troopers and didn't complain too much! It was so nice to spend family time without distractions of tv, phones, work, etc. Plus to be with some good friends just tops the trip off! Here are a few pictures of our trip and if you want to see more go to the Splash beach trip album to the left!

Connor loves swimming!

We saw a lot of this face this week!! :)

Tommy's turtle sand creation!

Enjoying the splash zone.

Our Family

Tommy, Heather & Annalee Hammond

While we were there Connor faced his fears and started to jump into the pool from the edge! He used to not like to get his face wet....but he is over that! We were so proud of him!! Here is a video of him in action!

DBBC night at the zoo!

2009-08-15T09:38:00.006-04:00

We had so much fun last night at the zoo for Connor's preschool kickoff party! Our church's preschool dept. rented the zoo for all the kids and families to enjoy. Connor and Macy had a great time. Connor is looking forward to starting his "school" after we get back from the beach.

Owen, Macy, Connor & Olivia at the zoo. Owen Beck & Connor are going to be in the same class. Owen's dad and I grew up together and our families were good friends all my life, so it is neat to see our kids in "school" together too!

We are so excited that Connor is going to be in Mrs. Tiffany & Mrs. Sherri's class!

Michael and the kids got a free carousel ride! They all loved it!

Here are a few pictures I found on my camera that I thought were cute!

Macy and I went to celebrate Annalee's 1st birthday a few weekends ago. I can't believe she is already one!! We look forward to a fun week at the beach with her family!!

Wilderness Fun

2009-08-10T21:05:00.005-04:00

Yesterday morning Connor, Heather, Landon & I headed up to Pigeon Forge to take advantage of the tax free shopping weekend and to check out the new indoor/outdoor water park hotel the Wilderness at the Smokey's. It was lots of fun and I highly recommend going there. The water parks are great for all ages, even Macy would of had fun! The boys were wore out but had a great time. I was so proud of Connor for trying new things, he went down a big slide with me on a tub and liked it! We hope to go back again soon and take Michael and Macy with us this time. Right before we left today Connor somehow fell and busted his lip pretty good. A life guard saw him crying and holding his mouth and so they had to fill out a incident report, which made him cry more because he was afraid they were going to do something to him. Luckily he is alright, just has a black/blue lip. There are several lifeguards there too, so we always felt safe with the kids in the water. Enjoy the pictures!

Here is a video of Connor's favorite thing to do. If he did this once he did it 500 times!

Jump for Joy & Zoo trip

2009-07-24T17:06:00.002-04:00

The kids have really enjoyed our "jumping thing" this summer. Macy is starting to be able to jump and play in it with Connor. They had a blast the other day playing together! It was a great investment and great way to expend some of their energy!

Yesterday after I worked for a few hours we met Heather & Annalee at the zoo. We had a great time seeing the animals and spending time with friends. Thanks so much for inviting us and getting us in for free!! We look forward to more fun times coming up at the beach!!

A full weekend of celebrations!

2009-07-12T19:36:00.006-04:00

As Michael likes to say I don't have a "birthday", I usually have a birthday week!! I don't see what is wrong with that, do you?! This year, do to the recession, I only had a birthday weekend and it was so much fun! We started off the celebration on Friday night at my parents house. My mom cooked a wonderful steak dinner and had my favorite cookie cake for dessert. It was nice to spend the evening with my parents and my brother & his family. Thanks again mom & dad for a wonderful evening.

On Saturday night we met the Harpers at Taco Mac. I had been craving wings and it has been a long time since I had some. So I treated myself, hey it's my birthday weekend right!? Thanks guys for eating there again just for me! They were very tasty and I think the boys (Ty & Connor that is) enjoyed the cheese dip too! After a good dinner we headed down to the Aquarium front to let the kids play in the water area. They all had so much fun and it was fun watching them. Macy gets a little carried away in water and has no fear...there were 2 moments were she had "close calls". I hope the Harpers weren't too embarrassed being with this loud mom....I will be better in Mexico! :) Thanks again for a wonderful evening.

Today is Toby' 6th birthday. After naps today we took him to PetCo to get him a new toy and treat. He usually doesn't get to go with us, but this is his special day. The kids enjoyed him being with us and he enjoyed it too! Tomorrow is my actual birthday and I am looking forward to spending a day of shopping with my mom, kid free thanks to my dad!!

There are more pictures of this fun birthday weekend in the album.

July 4th Celebrations

2009-07-05T13:58:00.004-04:00

Happy 4th of July! We had a great time celebrating with family & friends. We spent most of the day in our house hoping that the kids would get out of their "stinky" attitudes. I finished painting our playset outside, and it was great to have some time to myself and take out my frustration on the paint brush instead of some kids (and ask Michael I have a big blister to prove it!). After naps we headed out to my parents house to have dinner. We were planning on going out on the boat, but due to some mechanical issues we enjoyed eating at their dock instead! It all worked out for the best and we still had a great time. After dinner we headed back home to do some fireworks with our neighbors. Macy didn't make it that long, but Connor had a great time. Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July celebration too. God Bless the U.S.A!

Pool Fun

2009-07-03T15:36:00.003-04:00

Thanks Kathy, Ty & Marley for a fun morning at the pool. We really appreciate you getting us a pass and inviting us up. We had a great time and hope to do it again real soon!! Connor & Macy really enjoyed having friends to swim with. It wore my kiddos out and that is always nice!!

A picture worthy day

2009-07-01T20:12:00.004-04:00

We haven't been doing much lately due to sickness and grouchiness (myself included!). Macy ran a fever all weekend and I ended up taking her to the dr. on Saturday to only be told it was a virus, which I am glad she didn't have anything worse, but I do get tired of those viruses! She is also teething....ever so slowly so who knows what is really going on with little missy. Connor had a follow up eye dr appointment on Tuesday and we were glad to get a good report. Although it was a rough day in the behavior area while we waited over an hour in the office. It was one of those days that I felt like all the other parents in the waiting room were staring at me with that "my kids would never act like that or do you not have any control over those kids?" look. I am sure I was just being paranoid...or was I!? So needless to say we have been staying close to home this week! Tonight we let the kids go out and play in the sprinkler and they had a blast. Macy loves water, no matter where it is! We are still trying to learn how to use our new camera so here are a few pictures that we took. I am sure it will take time to figure all the buttons out, but so far we are impressed with what we capture. Even Michael enjoys taking pictures now and that is a BIG deal!! Hope you enjoy!

She will follow her big brother anywhere, even if it is the middle of the road!

Connor having fun running through the sprinkler.

Our favorite picture of the evening. And no we don't usually let them play in the street!

Connor sword fighting his dad!

Silly girl.

Caught them both in action trying to "jump"!

Sweet moments

No day is complete without a little "time out" pout!!

Double Celebration weekend

2009-06-21T20:30:00.007-04:00

Today is our 6th wedding anniversary. What an amazing 6 years it has been. I am so lucky to be married to my best friend and a wonderful father too. We had a "date" night last night and went to Table 2 to celebrate. We had an agreement that we weren't doing presents.....but Michael doesn't listen very well. He really pulled a surprise on me and even now I still can't believe it. He got me a Nikon digital SLR camera. We haven't even talked about getting one but he knows how much I like to take pictures. It has taken me 2 days to get over the shock of it all.....I don't do well with surprises or big purchases. It is nice to be spoiled sometimes though and I am sure that I will grow to LOVE it! I have already enjoyed the new pictures I have taken with it! I have a lot to learn and even after reading the manual twice I am still not quite sure what I am doing sometimes! So if anyone that reads my blog has any suggestions or advice I would appreciate any help!

Today is also Father's Day! Connor and Macy are blessed with a wonderful dad. Happy Father's day to all the dads in our lives especially my dad, Michael's dad (who we missed seeing) and my brother Todd. After church we enjoyed a lazy Sunday afternoon at home. Connor had made some crafts for his dad and we made him a photo collage for his office at work. After naps we headed out to my parents house to enjoy Father's Day with my dad and my brother & family. It was nice to see my family again and the kids had a great time playing together. I am blessed with a wonderful dad who does so much for me and my family. It is neat to see my big brother in his role as dad also. Vance is a lucky boy too! Of course I took several pictures of our day with my new camera....so if you want you can check them out in the album Father's Day!

Crocodile Dock

2009-06-19T13:28:00.006-04:00

This week was VBS at our church. We had a HUGE turn out with over 150 preschoolers and around 150-200 children (K-5th grade) attending. I volunteered to "help" during this week so that Macy could attend and get more quality time in the nursery area so that maybe she wouldn't be so tore up each Sunday when we leave her! I ended up being in a class of 4th graders and we averaged between 17-22 kids each day! Wow is all I can say! I never questioned my calling to be a nurse, but this week really validated that education was not my calling! I do love kids don't get me wrong!

Connor was excited about this week and did so well. I was worried since it wasn't his same class as MDO and new teachers, but he adjusted well and even got to see some of his friends from MDO. He did great seeing me during the day too and it was so much fun to see him in his room. I am so grateful that I was able to share this week with him and get to see him learn more about God and how much he loves him. What a blessing.

Macy did well too. Even though she was just in the workers kids nursery area, she had a good time. The first day was rough for her and the workers, but through the week each day got better. By the end of the week she actually played in her room instead of crying! She enjoyed going to Ms. Dawn's office at the end of the day for a sticker reward!

It was a wonderful week and I hope all the kids felt God's love and learned how much he loves us all. I was unable to get pictures through the week, but did manage to slip away today to take pictures of the kids in their classrooms.
Connor class getting ready for craft time:

This cracked me up. They brought a box of cheerios into Macy's room and all the kids were sitting around it eating! Notice who's hand was got in the box!! :) That girl loves her food!

A report on all 3 kids!

2009-06-15T15:35:00.005-04:00

Connor and I went to the Creative Discovery Museum to have breakfast & play with Curious George on Saturday morning. We had a great time with Ty, Kathy, Lula & Tessa. It was very crowded and I was a little overwhelmed but Connor seemed to have a great time. He didn't get to play in all the areas so I am sure I will be going back soon!

Toby (my oldest child who has 4 legs!) had a play date with our friends' dog Sully. We were a little hesitant about this but they did great and chased each other a lot. Toby got tired of him being there after awhile, but over all they did great. I am sure they will play again sometime!

Macy is 19 months old today! I can't believe how my babies are growing.....I am really having some "baby" blues lately and just trying to enjoy each day with them. We started VBS this week and I am teaching so Macy gets to go too. They said she cried on/off for most of the day. She kept saying "pay" (play) and "nonnor" (Connor) when I picked her up. She would rather be in the bigger kids rooms playing than in the baby room. I guess I didn't realize how much she does play with older toys with Connor. I love to see them together and playing though. Maybe being there all week will help. Connor had a great time and I am sure he is glad his little sister wasn't in his room! :)

Fun gathering at the beach!

2009-06-11T14:03:00.005-04:00

This past week the kids, Nana & I went down to Panama City Beach to meet up with Lori (my college roommate) and her family. We got to meet her precious daughter Bradleigh who is 8 months old already. Connor & Macy enjoyed having a "baby" around to play with and they all seemed to enjoy each other. It was great to see Lori again too, it had been awhile since we saw each other. We had such a great college experience together and I really enjoy keeping up and enjoying motherhood together now too, we've come along way! :) Here are a few pictures from the trip. There are more in the album Panama City Beach Juno 09!

We got to enjoy the beach and had beautiful weather for the 2 days that we were there. Connor enjoyed the beach more but still didn't want to get in the waves. He is still swimming really good in the pool and enjoyed the time we spent there. Macy was cracking us up, she fell in love with the sand. She would lay in it and make sand angels, she was covered head to toe! She also liked being in the pool, but wanted to drink it more than swim!

Bob the Builder: Can we fix it? Yes we can!

2009-06-05T17:00:00.003-04:00

Last night Kathy and I took our boys to see Bob the Builder. Connor & Ty have been looking forward to seeing him for awhile. We met for dinner at Firehouse Subs and the boys really liked seeing all the firehouse stuff and sharing all their Bob accessories! Then we headed downtown for the show. We had seats up in the balcony but were able to move down to the orchestra level and both the boys got to sit on the end for a great view of Bob and friends! It was a good show and a special time for us moms and our boys! Thanks Kathy & Ty for a fun night out!

Latest Happenings around here

2009-06-02T14:53:00.002-04:00

We took Connor to a movie last weekend for his 2nd time in a theater. He wanted to see Monster vs. Aliens. We didn't realize how expensive movies are these days and it was in 3D so there were no discounts. Michael about had a heart attack when they told us the price. It will be awhile till we go back, but we did enjoy ourselves. We were the only 3 people in the theater and Connor did so great. He actually sat still the entire time and kept his 3D glasses on. It was a cute movie and Connor seemed to like it too.

Here are the kids before we left for church a few weeks ago. Michael got them dressed and they looked so cute! Michael usually does the church dressing, but some days are better than others! No he does a good job and I appreciate the help on a busy morning. Connor had a belt on and was so proud. Macy was proud of her dress and bow too! She is starting to keep her bows in more now and it is a good thing since her hair is coming in crazy!

On Memorial day we had a nice relaxing day at home. The kids enjoyed playing together in our "pool". It was a nice relaxing day to be together. Michael had to work for part of the day, but was home early to spend some time with us.

Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather!

Macy 18 months & Connor's last day of MDO

2009-05-21T13:59:00.004-04:00

I can't believe the it is almost the end of May already. This month is flying by. Macy turned 18 months of the 15th. We were suppose to go for a doc. appointment but due to some insurance issues we will have to delay that...our pediatrician just wanted to make sure she is walking since she wasn't at 15 months! She is definitely walking and on the go all the time! She loves to play outside, unlike her brother. She is starting to say more words...some are more clear than others but we are getting somewhere. She loves to eat popsicles with Connor, even though it is a really big mess afterwards. She makes us laugh with some of her expressions and actions, but she does have a little mischievous side to her that comes out too! Here are some latest pictures of her.

Our baby girl is 18 months old!

Enjoying popsicles on the porch.

Today was Connor last day of Mother's Day Out for the year. What a wonderful experience this was for him. He as done so well and learned so much. When we started the year he would cry when I would leave him. Now he walks right in and hardly looks back, there is still some hesitation but what a difference. He has learned a lot too, more than he would with me I am sure! He had wonderful teachers and made friends with his classmates. Today for the last day they had a carnival for the kids. Michael and I went to help out and watch Connor enjoy it too. Here are some pictures of Connor at his carnival. Enjoy!

Today was a day that I was thankful again for Michael's job, Connor was so excited that his dad was there too & talked about it on the way home. Since Michael has been home and not traveling we have seen a change in Connor too, a good one. So we know that we did the right thing in the job change.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T20:17:00.005-04:00

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day. I sure did! The kids made me a hand print picture and Connor colored me a "special" picture that he was really proud of. It was all so sweet. I am so blessed with two wonderful children and so proud to be their mom. Here are a few pictures before we headed off to church.

Connor proudly showing his present off!

My parents and brother & his family came over for tonight and we had a wonderful dinner. Michael grilled us steak & chicken kabobs, corn on the cobb, asparagus, shrimp & Lobster tails! It was all delicious & I am so blessed with a wonderful husband & cook! Here are a few shots from our evening.

My brother Todd, my mom & me

Amy, Vance & Todd

My mom and her 3 grandkids: Vance, Macy & Connor

Connor took this picture-can't you tell by the angle! :)

I am so blessed with a wonderful mother that I love so much and don't know what I would do without her. Thanks mom for all that you do for me and my family!

Fun days

2009-05-03T18:46:00.006-04:00

Michael was off last week for a few days with the kids and they enjoyed spending some time outside in our blowup jumper & swinging. I think they were just glad to be doing something new for a change & being with their dad alone! The video is of Macy swinging, she usually laughs/giggles the whole time and it is so cute. This girl loves to be outside.

Even though it was raining this weekend we found things to do to entertain the kids. We had gotten a bike from a friend that needed a little repair and we had finally gotten around to doing it and so we decided to let Connor have it this weekend. He rode one in Toys R Us and I was surprised at how well he did so we figured it was time to upgrade from the Tricycle to the big boy bike. He was so proud and did a great job, even if it was just in our garage! I can't wait to take him to the park and let him try it out more. Macy enjoyed watching him and soon she will be riding the tricycle. Hope you all enjoyed this rainy weekend. I am thankful for all this rain and pray it washes some of this pollen away so I can go outside and enjoy some more fun with the kids soon!

Day out with Thomas & Ty's race

2009-04-26T20:14:00.004-04:00

On Friday, the kids and I met up with Kathy, Ty & Marley for a day out with Thomas the tank engine. We had a great time seeing Thomas & all the fun activities around him. Luckily the boys never questioned us when we told them that we couldn't ride him because he was "booked" the day we went (hey it was just as fun and free!). After we had all the Thomas we could take, we enjoyed a nice lunch at Jason's deli to top off our outing! It was a fun day!

Marley & Macy enjoyed seeing him too.

Our sweet boys.

On Saturday Ty was in his first race at Chester Frost Park so we went to cheer him on. He had to run and ride his bike and he did so good! It was so much fun watching him and watching the proud parents on the side line too. We enjoyed hanging out with Ty's family, grandparents and Aunt/Uncle. Thanks for letting us join the fun, we had a great time.

Marley must of had something really important to share with Connor & Macy!

Go Ty!

There are more pictures in the Day out with Thomas album.

Weekend at Disney!

2009-04-21T16:05:00.003-04:00

We had a great time this past weekend at Disney. We were so glad that Michael was able to come down and meet us for the Disney fun! We stayed at the Pop Century Hotel, which we weren't' real impressed with but we have been spoiled staying at the Contemporary & Polynesian the past 2 times. We got to the park on Friday afternoon and stayed till after the Spectromagic parade. After taking the kids back for bed, Michael and I went back to the park till 3am! Some friends were there with us also so we had a great time riding ride with no lines, just wish it wasn't that late! We went to back to the Magic Kingdom & Epcot on Saturday and then to Hollywood Studios on Sunday. We had a great time and wish we could of stayed longer, but we had to get back to real life. The kids had a great time and so did the big kids. There are some pictures in the Disney album for your enjoyment!

Connor got to ride the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster for the first time!

All the kids waiting for SpectroMagic! Michael, Morgan, Emily & Sarah King with Macy & Connor

Papa, Macy & Nana with Minnie Mouse

Our family outside Epcot.

Last day at the beach.

2009-04-16T21:23:00.005-04:00

Today is our last day at the beach. We had a great day of swimming and hanging out with friends. Connor did so well swimming today and was so proud of himself. Macy has been extra cranky today & I hope we have a tooth soon. Connor got sick on the way to dinner tonight, but seems to be feeling better now. Hopefully it was just a one time deal. We are headed to Disney in the morning to meet up with Michael. Hopefully everyone will be feeling the "magic" tomorrow!

2009-04-15T21:42:00.006-04:00

We had another fun day on the beach with Barbara, Lisa & her kids today. Connor got in the water this time and had a good time playing in the sand. Macy has warmed up to the idea of the sand and even had some sand flavored Cheetos for a snack today! She has loved walking everywhere, she makes her rounds at the condo complex.

We went to the Loggerhead Marine Life Center today in Juno beach. It is a place where they take rescued turtle for rehabilitation and medical care. We got to see some turtles being cared for and read about their stories. The kids really enjoyed seeing the turtles, and so did we. Enjoy the pictures!

Jupiter Beach, FL

2009-04-14T14:34:00.004-04:00

Today we spent some time on the beach with my mom's good friend Barbara and her daughter & grand kids. Connor actually enjoyed playing in the sand this year, but was ready to go back to our condo not long after being there. But he stuck it out for a few hours! He still refuses to get anywhere near the ocean water though, the waves scare him. Hopefully he will get over that soon.

Macy cried for the first part of our outing, but eventually warmed up the the idea of all that sand! She wanted to walk but didn't want her feet to touch the sand......not sure how we could of solved that problem for her. Right before we left she did walk a few steps to the chair she was wanting to sit in!

I addes some more pics to the album too!

We have arrived!

2009-04-14T11:51:00.002-04:00

On Sunday after church the kids, my parents & I started our journey to Jupiter beach,FL. After a long drive in the car with 2 kids we finally made it!! Actually the kids did well in the car and are excited to be at the beach finally! Macy isn't real impressed with the sand, but we aren't real impressed with her attitude lately either! Thank goodness for grandparents is all I have to say about that! :) We miss Michael but are excited that he is going to be joining us at the end of our week in Orlando!! There are a few picture in the Jupiter, FL album if you want to check them out! We'll update soon.

Easter Egg Hunt at church

2009-04-11T14:30:00.004-04:00

This morning we took the kids to our church to do an Easter Egg hunt. They both had a great time, even though it was cold. They got to see real baby chicks & a bunny rabbit. They had stations set up for the kids to make a picture of Jesus' empty tomb, dye Easter eggs & make goodie bags of treats. It was a fun morning. I put more picture in the Easter 2009 album if you want to see all of our Easter activities! :)

Easter party & Dying Easter Eggs

2009-04-10T21:06:00.003-04:00

On Thursday Connor had his Easter party at MDO. He was so excited about going and thankfully one of his teachers took pictures. I love to see what he is like when I am not around and by the pictures it looked like he was behaving! Here are pictures of Connor's class doing an Easter egg hunt & then the Easter bunny visiting their classroom.

Tonight we decided to dye some Easter eggs. Connor was really into it this year and actually got his hands dirty dipping the eggs. For those of you that know him well, he never has been a kid who likes to get dirty!

Macy was not at all impressed with the Easter eggs.
She does smile every once & awhile! :) She loves her blankies and likes to carry them around while she walks. I don't know where she gets that from.....

Reunion with long time friends

2009-04-05T21:12:00.003-04:00

Today I got to see some long time friends of my family that I haven't seen in a very long time. Our three families have been friends ever since we all lived in Huntsville, way before I was born! All of us kids grew up together and have so many special memories of each other. Part of the Hill family lives in Huntsville still and the other part lives in Maryland and stopped by here on their way back to Huntsville for Spring Break. The Becks/Jacksons live here too, but unfortunately we don't get to see them all that often. It was so nice to get together and see each other again and let our kids play together. Thanks so much everyone for a wonderful time! There are more pictures in the album Reunion with friends. Thanks to Harry for some great pictures too. Even though Macy has been a little "trying" this weekend with teething, she had a great time playing today.

Kathy, Nelda (my mom) & LaWanda have been friends for many many years.

The kids: me & my brother Todd; sisters Melissa & Patricia; and Bryan & Brandy Beck

Connor having fun climbing around!

Macy enjoying herself too.

Hop on over to the mall.

2009-03-27T13:02:00.005-04:00

We met Kathy, Ty & Marley at the mall today for a playdate at the playground. The kids had a great time playing together. As an added treat we walked down to see the Easter bunny and they let the kids sit in his lap and let us take pictures with our camera, which is great & free! The boys loved seeing him and I think Connor would of stayed in his lap all day! The girls liked him from a distance and not so much up close! I am not sure if it was more traumatic for the girls or the Easter bunny! I just love the pictures we got today, hope you enjoy them too. Thanks for a fun day guys! There are more pictures in the album "visit to the Easter bunny".

Even though the girls are not enjoying this at all, I love this picture!

New Job, "Exciting" playdate picnic & new scooter!

2009-03-19T21:03:00.006-04:00

A lot has been going on at our house that I thought I would share. Michael accepted a new job yesterday and we are SO excited. It was a long confusing, roller coaster ride to get here but we couldn't be happier. He will be working less than a mile from our house at Soddy Daisy Health care center as the Rehab Manager. He worked there before and is looking forward to working with them again. We are excited that he will be home and no more traveling, well for work that is! The kids were very excited when we told them that daddy wasn't going to be going to his "hotel" anymore!

Today the kids and I we were looking forward to a playdate at the River park with Heather and Annalee. I decided to go get my allergy shot before going so we could get back in time for naps. While we were waiting for Heather to get there, we had a little picnic and Connor played on the playground. Long story short by the time Heather arrived I was starting to itch all over, cough, wheeze and just not feel good. I decided to head back to my allergist office and by the time I got there I had hives on my arms and my airway was closing off more. They have me a shot of Epi, and several oral drugs that helped the situation. The kids did great while we were there. My parents came to get them while I was there and all I can say is thank God for grandparents. The saying is true that until you are a parent yourself you don't really appreciate all that your parents do for you. I am so blessed with my parents and all they do for me and the kids.

Michael came home from work today and brought Connor a surprise. He found this scooter for cheap and knew Connor would love it! Our neighbor kids have something similar to this and always talks about theirs. He did pretty good on it for the first time. He was so proud!

Fun times in Black Mountain, NC

2009-03-16T13:59:00.004-04:00

Michael and I spent the weekend in a cabin with some good friends & no kids this past weekend. We had a great time relaxing, having grown up conversations, eating, shopping and soaking in the hot tub. Thanks Kathy, Josh, Tessa & Anthony for a great weekend, we hope to do it again soon! Connor and Macy had a great time with Nanny & Poppy too. They went to the aquarium one day and then went to the Bakers house for dinner another day and got to see some baby chickens & dogs. Here are some pictures from our trip.

The girls on our way out on a shopping trip!

Me & Michael out for dinner.

Anthony & Tessa

Josh & Kathy

The whole group before leaving on Sunday.

Weekend getaway

2009-03-09T15:33:00.003-04:00

This past weekend my mom, the kids and I all went to Pigeon Forge for a weekend away. Michael had gone to Atlanta with a friend for the race. We had a great time shopping, playing in the pool, going out to eat and riding some rides. Connor was really good while we were gone, but Macy was a little hard to handle at times (I think she is trying to get some more teeth). Next time we are sending her to the race with daddy! :) Here are a few pictures from our weekend trip!

O Happy Day!!

2009-03-04T19:05:00.005-05:00

It only took 15 1/2 months, but she has finally done it!!! We are all so proud of her. She still has a ways to go...but it's a start and that is better than nothing!

Diagnosis: Lazy

2009-02-26T17:52:00.002-05:00

Macy went to her 15month well check-up today and we got a clean bill of health. Her kidney reflux won't be retested until she is 2 years old, so we are still on a daily dose of antibiotics until then. I did happen to mention to him that she still wasn't walking :)! So after some assessment he diagnosed her with being Lazy!! She has the ability, just not the will!! I guess we will still work on that! She weighed 21.4 pounds (25%); Height was 30 5/8 inches (50%) and her head circumference was 48 1/2cm (95%) - no laughter please. Usually we wouldn't go back until she was 2, but he was concerned enough about the walking that he wants to see her at 18months. This laziness is starting to cost us some money. But she is worth it!! :)

New shoes; New haircut!

2009-02-25T13:29:00.002-05:00

Since we didn't go to Mississippi with Michael this time we have been finding things to do while he is gone. So Macy and I went shopping and Connor got a new haircut!! :)

It was hard to get a good picture of it but it looks cute in person.

Macy got some new shoes from Striderite from her Nanny (along with some new outfit too)! We were so excited to find them on sale. She is still not walking, yes that is correct. We are hoping these shoes will be the miracle we have been looking; but they look cute on her anyway! She goes for her 15month check up tomorrow and I am anxious to see what Dr. Wiley suggests. Deep down I enjoy her still being baby like though, so I am not really that worried.

Welcome baby Jackson!

2009-02-22T13:31:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine, Elaine & Lamar adopted a baby boy from Vietnam. They went to get him 2 weeks ago and this past Friday they finally came home with him! There were several of us that met them at the airport for this special day. She works with me and he is a principal in Ringgold. Jackson Than Brown is a precious baby who is already so loved! It was great to see him in person. Here are a few shots I got before my camera battery died.

A few TCTCH friends waiting for him! He finally arrived!

He loved looking at the balloons! We are so happy for you guys and look forward to watching him grow!!

Valentines Weekend

2009-02-16T10:30:00.005-05:00

We had a fun weekend just hanging out as a family! Connor had a Valentines party at his school on Thursday and had a great time. The kids enjoyed all their treat this weekend, especially the singing balloons! I got a beautiful bouquet of Tulips (my favorite flower) from Michael. He also cooked us all a wonderful steak dinner. Here are a few snapshots of our weekend!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-02-11T21:08:00.004-05:00

Happy birthday daddy! We enjoyed having Michael home today and spending some time with him while he was suppose to be working!! We had a wonderful dinner at my mom's house also. Here are the kids after Michael opened his presents, I didn't make him get in the picture since he hates having his picture made! We love you daddy and are blessed to have you in our lives! Happy birthday!!

New pictures

2009-02-09T20:47:00.005-05:00

There is not much excitement around the Beard household so we thought we would just post some new pictures of the kids! We are really enjoying this weather we have had the past few days and are ready for springtime!! Michael has been traveling a lot lately due to some "issues" at work and we will be glad when he is home later this week. His birthday is on Wednesday so we look forward to celebrating with him. Enjoy the new pictures!

The kids love their bath time and have so much fun splashing around!!

My sweet angels. Connor went over to sit with Macy and said "mom take our picture!" it was so sweet! They really do love each other and I love when they show it!

This picture really shows Macy's personality! She has started to stand for a few second on her own and is babbling a lot more. She loves playing on the couch and has developed quite the temper-who knows where she gets that from!!!

Connor has a new found love for eating apples whole. I have always cut them up out of habit for him and the other day he got one and started to eat it whole and loved it. I think he eats an apple a day now! :) Again he was eating this apple and asked me to take his picture! Makes me so proud!

Our little photographer!

2009-02-03T16:02:00.003-05:00

Connor got a digital camera for Christmas and has been taking quite a few pictures. Michael says it like having our own little paparazzi here! I love to see what he finds picture worthy. I put a few of his pictures in the album "Pictures by Connor". If you would like to see happenings at our house from Connor's view then check them out!! Hope you enjoy!
Of course he wants to be in some of them too! :)

Girls shopping weekend!

2009-01-25T20:54:00.003-05:00

This weekend my friend Kathy & I went to Atlanta for a mom's getaway/shopping trip! We had a wonderful time & got some great deals & some not so great deals but great finds! :) On Saturday we went to Dawsonville outlets, then headed to our hotel and after a great time at the managers reception we headed to North Point mall & dinner at Cheesecake Factory (yum yum!). Then on Sunday we went to Ikea before heading home! I am so glad we were able to do this, I think we both needed it! We appreciate our husbands keeping the kids for us so we could go enjoy ourselves! Thans Kathy for a great time & for being a great friend.

My biggest find of the weekend was a big boy bed spread for Connor's room at PBK's. He is in love with Star Wars these days thanks to his dad & I found him some Star Wars sheets that coordinated with the spread I found! Thanks Nana for helping fund these great finds! Connor was so excited to get this and I enjoyed seeing the happiness in his face. He was so excited to go to bed tonight & I got a cute picture of him sleeping in his new bedding with his Jedi Mickey! Precious memories! Enjoy the pictures!

Priceless!!

Snow

2009-01-19T20:00:00.003-05:00

It has been freezing here lately and we had a few days/moments of snow! Connor loved playing in it as it fell. It never stuck so we couldn't really enjoy snow but he made the best of it! Macy liked it too, but wasn't too crazy about the cold weather! Here are a few pics of the snow falling in our backyard. You have to look closely to see it! :) Hope you are all staying warm!

Pump it up!

2009-01-11T19:33:00.004-05:00

We had a great time at Landon's 4th birthday party at Pump it up! It was a great place for the kids to run some energy off & the adults too! They let anyone play on them & I am not sure who had more fun!

Macy had a ball and would throw a fit to slide again!

It was amazing how much braver Connor has gotten on them in just the past few months. He used to not like to do the big slides, but he was going on everything. I think it helped him having us go too, but unlike usual he didn't have to have us right there! Michael and Connor really liked the one that was a like a Gladiator arena!

Happy birthday Landon & thanks for inviting us, we had a blast!!
There are more pictures in the Jan album!

Happy Birthday Nanny!

2009-01-08T08:57:00.003-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday. We all went out to eat last night to celebrate & had a great time. Here is a picture of her with all 3 of her grandchildren: Vance, Connor & Macy!

Happy Birthday Nanny! We hope you have a great day! We love you!

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-01T16:51:00.006-05:00

We wish you all a happy New Year! May this year bring you happiness & love! God has blessed our family this past year and we look forward to what 2009 holds for us all.

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T21:01:00.008-05:00

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas! We have so much to be thankful for & are so blessed with wonderful family & friends.

We usually spend Christmas Eve with my side of the family, but my brother had to work. My parents came over and we all went to the candlelight service at our church and then had a nice dinner & a few gifts!!

We are all looking forward to seeing what Santa brings us in the morning!

Birthday parties & Gingerbread house

2008-12-22T10:51:00.005-05:00

We had a great time celebrating Ty's 3rd birthday with him on Friday! I can't believe how fast all our kids are growing up.

Kathy & I found these dressed from PBK and got them for our girls and a few extra for gifts! They all looked so cute in them!

Connor also decorated his first Gingerbread house. He did a great job, but it was hard keeping him from eating all the candy decorations!! And Macy enjoyed a squirt or two of the icing!! Not great parenting tips, but they had fun!! :)

Christmas lights

2008-12-18T20:49:00.003-05:00

If anyone in the Chattanooga area is wanting a good place to go see Christmas lights, we highly recommend the house in Ringgold of 2A. We were thinking about going to Rock City, but didn't want to pay the $15/person and heard about this house (thanks Heather!). We are so glad we found it. They let you walk through the yard and have tons of lights and decorations. Also you can go into their garage where they have a lot of musical Christmas items. The kids loved it and the best part it was free!! The owners were so nice. We will definitely do this again! Here are some pictures.

Breakfast with Angels & Visiting Santa

2008-12-13T13:21:00.006-05:00

We have had a very busy, but fun Saturday. We started off the day going to Breakfast with Angels at our church where we had breakfast, listened to the Christmas story and decorated cookies! After that we headed over to the mall to visit Santa!!! We were all anxious to see how they would both do this year. Connor walked right up to him, sat on his lap and told him he wanted some cowboy boots for Christmas!! It was so cute! Then Michael put Macy on his lap, and well, we'll let the pictures speak for themselves! There are more in the December album too!

We want to also wish my dad (Poppy) a very Happy Birthday today!! We love you!

Progress

2008-12-09T21:19:00.004-05:00

In the last few weeks Macy has made some progress on her walking skills. She pushes her lion and stoller around the house. She is getting the hang of it now and can move pretty fast. I have a feeling it won't be long until she lets go and is gone! She has started to say bye-bye and wave also! It is so cute. She loves to play with Connor and will follow him around the house trying to play with him!

Happy birthday Vance & Soddy Daisy Parade

2008-12-09T18:28:00.003-05:00

On Dec. 5th my nephew Vance turned 2! We celebrated at the zoo with him and we had a great time!! The kids got a guided tour of the zoo and were able to see some animals up close and personal. It was a lot of fun. Next time I will make sure I don't stay near the bunny rabbits for an extended time, since I am highly allergic to them.....lesson learned the hard way! :) We hope you had a great birthday Vance and we enjoyed celebrating with you!

We went to the Soddy Christmas parade this past Sunday and had a great time. Nana went with us, despite the cold weather to watch the parade. Kathy and Ty met us there too and we had great time being with them. The kids got tons of candy and were able to see several of their favorite things: fire trucks, bulldozers, cement trucks, cranes & Santa Clause. Macy was actually waving at Santa....we'll see how she does when we go to sit on his lap!!

There are more pictures in the Dec. album.