Christmas

It was wonderful. We enjoyed a great Christmas Eve service at FBCW and then had dinner at Chick-Fil-A. Next year I need to make a mental note that nothing is open on Christmas Eve evening. After we got home the kids got to open one present from mom and dad. It was Christmas pajamas. I love the kids to have matching Pj's for Christmas morning.

christmas morning was exciting. Sydney was the most excited ever. She woke us up at 5:45am and we told her to go back to bed. She came back at 7:10 and we made her wait until 7:30 before waking her brother and sister up. What a joy to see those little faces light up.

Baking

Today was baking day. The kids and I made Gingerbread cookies, fudge, blond brownies, peanutbutter bars, and peppermint patty brownies. It was fun and the kids did really well. I have baked at the holidays in years.

Tagged

I was tagged. I was suppose to post the 4th picture from my fourth folder. Here it is. It is our neighbor, Ella. The guys had the older kids are the bmx track and I had Ella and Addison at the park playing. I think this is from last spring.

Now I am tagging Laura, Wendy, Heidi, and Melanie. You have to post the 4th picture from your 4th folder. Good luck.

The Biltmore

The Biltmore was fun. Sydney enjoyed it the most, of course. Unfortunately Addison caught a cold and was a little grumpy on Saturday. She would only let me carry her so my arms were numb by the time we left the house. After the house we toured the gardens and winery and then we headed back to the hotel to let the kids swim. We ate dinner at a really cool restaurant downtown Asheville then back to the hotel for some more swimming. It was a nice weekend get away.

Finally Friday

The last of the school parties is today and I am finished. The kids have enjoyed all the fun activities at school this week. Today Ethan is having PJ day and watching the Polar Express movie. Sydney is having her party. After school today we are headed for the Biltmore in NC. The kids are excited to stay in a hotel with an indoor pool and to see the largest home in America.

A combination post

I have missed posting about several events that have happened lately. This have been busy since the holidays began. Last weekend Jay's company had a kids party which was fun. Sydney and Ethan have been attending it for years and this was the first year Sydney was bored. It was so sad to see that she had outgrown the little games and prizes they give. At least Ethan and Addison had a good time.

That evening we enjoyed an adults only dinner with 4 other couples at a restaurant called the Oceanaire. Every good. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Saturday the 13th Sydney and I went to see her friend Hannah in the Nutcracker. We had a really good time and enjoyed a nice dinner together.

This week we have been busy with parties. Addison had a playdate Monday with several of her friends. Her friend Alli wouldn't stay in the picture so it is just Addison and Ella.

Pancakes

Usually every Saturday morning I make pancakes for breakfast. The kids love it. Today he hit an all time high he ate 10 pancakes. Let me say they are not huge pancakes but they are not silver dollar ones either. How am I going to be able to feed him when he is a teenager.

Black Friday

I can not remember a time when I went shopping on Black Friday but this year my neighbor, Karen and I left the house at 5am. We started at Walmart and ended at the mall and we were even home by 8:30am. I think I might like this Black Friday thing.

Thanksgiving

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving day with friends. We started the morning off by watching the Macy's Day Parade then we headed to Featherstones for lunch. It was so good. After lunch the kids played in the park until we went to Kelly's house for more social time. That evening we watched the lighting of the Macy's Christmas Tree. It was a nice day and I think we will continue this tradition next year.
I just love not having to cook or clean.

Pink Pig

We(Wendy and I) took the kids Monday to ride the Pink Pig at Lenox and see Santa Claus. We had a blast. We ate lunch and then did a little showing. This is a new tradition of ours that the kids seem to really enjoy. If you get a chance take your kids this year they will love it.

Twilight Review

The big review. I give it a 3 stars out of 5. If I hadn't seen it yet I would wait until it was out on video. Of course having read the books makes it harder because books are always so much better than the movie. Let me hear your reviews.

Twilight

I am so addicted. I just finished the last book today so now I can clean my house again. Me and several friends are heading to the movie tonight and I am excited. I will give my personal review tomorrow.

A girl and her dog

I thought this was a sweet moment. I guess Cody is definitely part of the family and here to stay.

Books

I love to read. I have been reading a lot Terri Bloodstock's books lately. She is a wonderful christian author. But last week my friend turned me on to a new series by Stephanie Meyer. It is a vampire series so I thought ugh but was nice and tried the book away. I can't put it down. There are four books in the series and they are wonderful. The kind of book your mind gets lost in. So today I am heading to the outlets in Calhoun for some fresh air and mind and eye rest. I am sure I will continue with my reading tonight.

The first book in the series is called Twilight and they really are most read books.

October

The weather changed to fall and he have been enjoying a lot of time outside. I think too much. Nothing has gotten done inside. Oh Well. I am sure the mess will still be there when the weather changes to cold again.

Halloween was the highlight of the month. The kids were so excited and Addison even did some trick or treating this year. She loved it and keeps asking to go again. I actually already purchased her costume the other day at Kroger. They were having a huge clearance and the price was unbeatable.

Now on to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Where's fall

I think we missed fall in Georgia. One day we were wearing Capri's and shorts and the next we are in sweaters and jackets. Something happened to the nice cool days of jeans and short sleeves. Come back fall.

What a week

It has been a busy week around here and with a new dog a new routine. The first couple of nights Cody was home were rough. He wasn't use to us or his new home and woke me up several times but once he settled in things calmed down. He is doing great now and even slept until 7:30am this morning. Thank goodness. The kids are loving him and sometimes he has to go to his home to escape. (I wish I could fit in his home-haha).

We had a nice visit this week with Jay's neice Rachel. She won Ethan's heart by playing football with him and his friends. He can't wait until she visits again.

Today we finally got our pumpkins. Ethan and Addison chose to put faces on there pumpkins.

Sydney wants to carve hers and of course she is over at a friends house and tonight all the girls are going to a Haunted House. It will be her first time going to one and I hope she doesn't get to scared.

What a weekend

I think I need a break from my weekend. It was tiring. We started Friday off with a visit to the doctors. Sydney had a virus. She spent Friday night in my room while we had neighbors over for dinner. Luckily by Saturday she was feeling better and was able to attend her last cheerleading event. After cheerleading Jay dropped me and the girls off at Cici's pizza(Sydney's cheerleading party) while he took Ethan to his last football game. Once that was over we headed home for a quick rest before joining the Lazar's at Cagles Dairy farm for an adventure through the corn maize. The older kids (Evan, Sarah, Sydney, and Ethan) went through the maize by themselves. Ella and Addison stayed with us parents and did a great job of walking through the maize.

Sunday was church and then we went to the other side of town to add a new addition to our family. The kids were thrilled. Hopefully they stay that way.

It is a Bichon Frise puppy. He is 8 week old and right now his name is Cody.

Sunday

We enjoyed a nice outing today after church. We headed to our favorite apple store in Ellijay to get some fresh picked apples. After taste testing all the different kinds we decided to go with a bag of Golden delicious and a bag of Fuji. We also snuck in some apple bread and apple cider. Yummy! This evening after dinner we used our carmel apple kit and made apples. Addison really enjoyed the sprinkles. She had them all over her and the kitchen floor.

Next weekend in we are going to the pumpkin patch.

Fall

I just love fall. I love the leaves changing colors, the cooler temperatures, and Halloween. Our neighbors love to decorate for Halloween and go all out. They win the best house on the block award(from me ). They stared putting up some of their decorations yesterday and they are cool. My kids love watching there house come alive this time of year. I think we might have to hit walmart and see if we can find some cool decorations.

We have noticed today the cooler temperatures are finally getting to Georgia. The kids were all complaining on the way to the bus this morning about how cold they were. Trust me they were dressed for the weather. As soon as we got home I bundled Addison up under a warm blanket and she is chilling on the couch. I am going to get a cup of warm coffee and start my day.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

The Weekend

We started Saturday off with football and cheerleading. Ethan got two touch downs this weekend. He is really enjoying football. Sydney did a great job cheering and Addison enjoyed playing in the dirt. She was so dirty I had to wash her with wet ones and change her clothes before she could get in the car. But she had fun. Granny and Papa Tom were able to come and watch the kids games. That was a treat.

Sunday we went to the North Georgia State Fair. It was fun but not as much fun as I remember as a child. It was really hot out Sunday and we were sweltering in the sun. Ethan has been asking me for a long time when he would get to ride a ferris wheel so he finally got to ride a ferris wheel. Addison really enjoyed riding some of the little rides and she also enjoyed seeing all the animals. Sydney thought the animals smelled horrible and couldn't wait to get away from them. She is so funny. Unfortunately I forgot the camera so I don't have pictures to share.

Saturday- Football Day

Saturday at our house has turned into football day. Ethan is playing flag football and Sydney is cheering. They are both having a blast and doing a great job. This Saturday Ethan played a running back position and ran the ball the whole length of the field for a touchdown and then he scored an extra point for his team. GO Ethan. He is so athletic.

Ethan taking the hand off

Sydney Cheering

Addison and Ethan watching Sydney cheer

Fall Break

Last week was the kids fall break from school. I just love our school systems calendar. It is so nice to have some breaks when most families are in school and the vacation spots are not as crowded.

We decided to vacation in Hilton Head, SC at a Disney property there. It was wonderful. The property was really pretty and Disney had some great activities for the kids. Hilton Head is a really nice island and very family oriented. They have bike paths all over the Island and we were able to ride our bikes places. The beach was nice but nothing like Destin. The water was mucky and the sand was brown. It did have the lowest tide I have ever seen which was really interesting. We also found some really great shells and sand dollars. I think we will definitely be visiting Hilton Head again.

New PJ'S

Addison and I had some errands to run today and in the process we went to Babies R US. While there Addison found a Dora nightgown and matching slippers. I put her new nightgown on her after her bath this evening and she is loving it. Ethan noticed she had slippers on and he ran and got his. Kids are so cute.

Labor day weekend

We started the weekend with a grill out with Granny and Papa Tom. We enjoyed Hamburgers and apple pie. Sunday we enjoyed a fire pit with all of our neighbors. The kids enjoyed roasting marshmallows while the adults enjoyed winding down. On Monday we spent the day together as a family and did some hiking. It has been a long time since we went hiking. Jay and I use to hike and mountain bike quite a bit before kids but haven't done much since they came along. We were hoping that maybe Addison would be old enough to enjoy it and actually hike some. She did an amazing job and walked almost the whole time. We did have to carry her out but she was tired and had missed her nap. After our hike we checked out the local lake and it was really nice. We had a great time together. I think we will start doing more hiking together.

Exciting morning

This morning was an exciting morning. Sydney got an award at school called the shining star. It means she shows good citizenship ect.... The ceremony was in the cafeteria at school and afterwards they served a few snacks and drinks. It was nice. Way to go Sydney.

Ethan's birthday party

Saturday we celebrated Ethan's birthday with his friends. We had his party at the bowling alley which was a blast. The kids all bowled really well and I was impressed. Tuesday is Ethan's actual birthday and he will be 6 years old. My baby boy is growing up fast.

Sunday Morning

Sunday morning we had biscuits for breakfast which gave us the opportunity to try my preserves. The kids didn't like them at all but Jay and I did. I am not sure that they taste the same as my grandmothers but they were good.

Another Friday!

We long for Friday all week and now it is finally here and it will be over before I can blink.
It is a beautiful day here and Addison had a few friends over to play this morning.
I am sure once school is out the kids will spend all afternoon outside playing expect for Sydney. She is home sick today. Two weeks into school and she is already catching things. Poor kid she spends so much time sick. I think I might hit the health food store next week and see if they have any remedies. I will listen to any suggestions anyone has.

Strawberry Fig Preserves

What a title but that is what I am doing today is making homemade Strawberry fig preserves. My grandmother use to make them for me all the time and they were my favorite. Luckily I got her recipe before she passed away and I am trying my hand at it today. I have to say how much I admire ladies that can and make things homemade. It is a lot of work and if you know me well you know I am all about purchasing the item already made. This is really out of my boundaries. I sure hope they turn out good. I will let you know.

End of the week

The kids had another good week at school.
Ethan had some exciting changes. Apparently they had too many 1st grade classes so they distributed his class into all the other classes. What that means is Ethan got a new teacher and new classmates. We went in Tuesday morning early to meet his new teacher and the new kids in his class. He has adjusted just fine and has already made several friends. Yesterday he had his first spelling test and got a 100. yeah Ethan!! He also was tested this week in reading and is in the 71% for all first graders. His reading level is 1.1 to 2.1. This is really good for my little man that has been behind on reading. We worked really hard over the summer and I was still worried when school started that he would be behind but he is right on target. I am so excited for him.
Sydney has meet several good friends in her class already and is going to a slumber party tonight. She has been doing well in class so far. She had a math test yesterday so I am waiting on that grade to come home. Math is her worst subject.
Addison is enjoying being at home alone. She has started fighting me on naps though. She still needs them but it is a struggle to get her down. Once she is asleep she will sleep for up to 2 hrs. I am hoping it is a phase and will pass.

Monday

We had a good first week of school and we are moving on to week two. Addison and I are actually getting back into our old routine. We made it to the gym and to get a shake today. (yeah)

Sydney enjoyed her birthday weekend. I took her and two friends to American Girl Saturday for lunch. The food was actually good and the dolls even got to sit at the table with us. After lunch Sydney picked out her birthday gift from the American girl store. Once we got home we had ice cream cake and the girls played. They both slept over and stayed until lunch Sunday.

Thursday

I have fallen off the posting charts. Once you get behind it is hard to catch up. It is like scrap booking which I finally gave up this year. With three kids I just couldn't keep up with all the pictures and entries.

I never use to understand how people with multiple kids couldn't get things done but now I do. Like is always busy but definitely worth it.

The kids last week of summer was spent at the pool, park, Chuck E Cheese, rock climbing, and the beach. We ended the week with a little block party. It was great.

The kids are enjoying school so far but we are still adjusting and trying to get back into a routine.

I think Addison has enjoyed some quite time this week. I took her to the pool today and we had fun. She is so brave just wanting to swim and jump it.

Busy Week

We have had an extremely busy week this past week. I wanted to end the summer for the kids on a high note. I will have to catch up on my post and pictures next week when the older two are back in school.

Pirate kids

Yesterday our neighbor took us to a really cool play center called Pirates Cove. It has several inflatables and a huge playground and sand box indoors. The kids had the most fun playing. We stayed all afternoon. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so I have no pictures to show. I am going to be putting the camera in my purse to make sure I have it with me at all times.

Addison's birthday

I can't believe my baby is 2 years old already. Time goes by so fast the older we get. I remember I didn't think I would ever turn 16 and now it won't be long and my kids will be turning 16. Time is precious.

For Addison's actual birthday we took her to eat a Jim Bob's and then to Learning Express to pick a toy.(Doctors kit) She also received a really cute pink chair for her room but it is still in the den because she sits in it all the time. Sunday we are going to have the neighborhood kids over for cake and ice cream. Of course if you know Addison you know she is having a Dora cake. She is all about Dora.

Aquarium

We enjoyed the day Tuesday at the Atlanta Aquarium. When we first arrived the aquarium was empty but by 11:00am it became very busy. Luckily we were finished seeing everything by 12:30 and headed to our favorite pizza place. (Felinis in Buckhead) We love to sit outside and watch the cars and people go by plus the pizza is really really good. After pizza Sydney went home with Granny to spend a couple of days.

Visiting

The kids and I left here last Tuesday and went to visit Grandma and Grandpa. While we were there we were able to go to Steve and Barry's. I have been wanting to check out the Sara Jessica Parker line. The store was really big and filled with all kinds of clothes. I would not go out of my way to go there again but if it was convenient would stop in. The kids spent a lot of time swimming in the pool. After a couple of days it was time to head home; of course the kids didn't want to leave. We will have to go visit again soon.

Another Terrific 4th of July

We started the day off at the Woodstock parade. This year is election year so the parade was longer and the kids got more candy. They were excited. After the parade Jay and a few of the neighbors took the older kids swimming. Once they got home it was time to prepare for the grill out. He had 6 families come over to grill out and then we did fireworks. Which the kids just love. We are a neighborhood that does fireworks several times a month so everyone expects our 4th fireworks to be really good. I have to say I think we lived up to the expectation last night.

Playing Baby

Sydney likes to play baby with Addison. Sometimes Addison is really cooperative and sometimes she isn't. This was a cooperative day.

Whitewater

Yesterday Jay took the day off of work and we took the kids to Whitewater. It was a lot of fun but something I definitely couldn't have done alone. Sydney and Ethan loved all the water slides. I had to beg Sydney to not go down the cliff hanger. She went on the one at Lake Lanier Islands last year and that was enough for me. For those of you who don't know what the the cliff hanger is it is a ninety foot drop on a water slide. It is a little scary to watch your little girl go down the slide and actually come off the slide for part of the ride. Not to mention I am scared of heights and that is way to high for me.
Ethan loved the water slides but he is much more cautious and stays on the easy rides.
Addison loved the kiddie area. Unfortunately I forgot the camera so there are no pictures to share.
I think next year we might get season passes with some of our neighbors.

Friday-Ethan comes home today

We are so excited Ethan comes home today. He has a big surprise in the garage. Jay bought him a new bike yesterday. It is a 20" diamondback. I can't wait to see Ethan's face. He has been wanting a new bike for a while now.

Today is Sydney's last day of camp and she said she had some special treats coming home this afternoon. Can't wait to see them. Plus we are are going shopping after camp for her some clothes.

Addison is enjoying her last quiet day. we ran a few errands this morning now we are going to play. Addison loves Dora. I am inserting a picture of her watching Dora and wearing her Dora pjs.

Camp, Grannies, and Playtime

Sydney has been attending camp this week at KSU. They have kids camps at the continuing education building during the summer. She is taking a creative confections class. She has really been enjoying it. They have made homemade icing and have been learning to decorate with it. Yesterday she made a gingerbread house.

Ethan left Tuesday and has been spending the week with his Granny and Papa Tom. He has had many adventures and we can't wait for him to come home.

Addison had enjoyed some quiet time a come, a play date and some pool time.

Pool time

We have been spending a lot of time at the pool this summer. We usually go in the morning and then leave around 1pm. Most of our neighbors join us so the kids have a blast playing. Addison loves playing in the baby pool but after a while wants to join the big kids in the pool. Thank goodness Sydney is old enough this year to play with her in the big pool. Of course I am always close by.
Ethan has really improved on his swimming this year. He is taking lessons again but he can swim across the swallow end of the pool. His swim instructor is starting to teach him strokes.






Addison had to copy her big brother and lay her towel out just like his. Nothing like a 2 year old getting a tan.

An evening outside

The weather has been so nice in the evening that after dinner I have been letting the kids go outside to play. Ella and Addison had a great time doing each others hair with bubbles. They took the bubble blower apart and used the left over bubbles to fix their hair. Needless to say they both need a bath that night.

A day at the lake

We had a great morning at the beach lake with our friends. The kids loved playing in the water and the toddlers loved playing in the sand. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and then headed home for nap time. All the kids were exhausted. Afterwards we enjoyed an evening of hamburgers and ice cream with several neighbors. It was a women and kids evening.

A weekend in the mountains

We spent the weekend in the mountains and had a blast. We went tubing down the river. It was a slow ride sincce the river was really low. Ethan and Sydney had a blast. Addison was not so happy about it but you start there is no turning back. After the river we spend some time helping Granny pick Cherries off the Cherry trees in her yard. Sydney probably ate as many as she picked.




On Saturday Jay and Tom took Sydney and Ethan fishing on Warwoman while Julia and I headed into town. We enjoyed exploring some shops and then headed to the flea market. It was definately a flea market. After lunch we all went to Jay's aunts house and the kids did some fishing in her pond. Sydney and Ethan both caught several fish.
Later in the day we headed over the the Goats on the roof store. It was a interesting tourist trap. The kids enjoyed seeing the goats and they were able to feed them. On the way home Saturday evening we started planning out next trip and some of the things we would like to do.

Some cute and fun pictures

Addison is so funny. She passed over the barbies and dolls to play with Ethan's pirate set. Her favorite piece is the sword.

Ethan loves to go to the BMX track. He loves the excitement of the hills. He decided last time that he is finally ready for a bigger bike. Jay and I have been trying to talk him into a bigger bike for months now so in the next couple of weeks we will be getting him a new bike. We might also sign him up to race BMX. We are still talking about that.

Unfortunately I don't have any recent good pictures of Sydney. She is always busy with friends or doing her thing. I will have to try to get some cute pictures of her soon.