ALL Things Boys...

Upward Soccer

2012-10-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

Early this year, we signed Holden up to play soccer on the Upward Soccer team affiliated with our church and he loved it! I never imagined how cute it would be to watch your child run up and down the field in a group of kids fighting over the ball! Holden tired of that soon since the kids were a bit older than he was (he had just turned 4 and some of the kids were at least 5 1/2), so he became the star goalie of his team! He really kicked the ball out with such force, it was such a treat to watch his determination to make sure the other team didn't get a goal!

Holden's ready for his first game! He insisted on tucking in his shirt.

I love this picture of the three of them sitting on the bench. Rhys just HAD to have a jersey like Holden's and loved to play with him on the sidelines when Holden wasn't playing, or after the game.

Skipping back to the goal!

He took his goalie position seriously.

The game was probably going on during this discussion! Ha!

Rhys wants to be just like his brother! The Bob the Builder boots are what makes this outfit. Who knew they could double as soccer cleats!

After the game, Rhys always wanted to get on the field to play!

I think we'll have to see if we can sign Rhys up one year early for the team! He loved watching Holden play this year! We'll see!!!

I can't wait for the Upward soccer season again! It was so much fun to watch. Holden asks all the time when will it start next year, so I'm glad to know that he really enjoyed it.

Next up...the End of the Year Celebration at the preschool!

I'm back!!

2012-10-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how long it's been since I last posted. I really have thought about it every day and then somehow have had to do something else. The pictures are piling up, which means a longer time at the computer, so I'm going to put things in smaller posts so as not to be too overwhelming!

Can you believe the boys have all grown an INCH since I last posted in April? Now it's the middle of October!! Time is slipping through my fingers! We had such a busy summer, then school started, now Halloween coming up, and from there it all snowballs to the end of the year with Thanksgiving and Christmas preparation. I don't sound stressed do I? Ha!

I will fill you in slowly...Here goes.

Holden's 4th birthday party in March! It was a baseball party complete with a borrowed bounce house from a good friend, a cookout with hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, snacks, a beautiful baseball birthday cake, and lots of friends to celebrate with! Holden had such a good time and the weather was perfect!

I love these shirts! We got them a day after the party, but even though Rhys doesn't look so happy, they both loved them! Ha!

My friend, Shandra, did Holden's cake and it turned out wonderfully and SO good, too!

I can't believe looking back at Holden's birthday pictures, how much he is growing. He is 4 1/2 now! Wow. He is such an amazing little boy. Thinking of Holden and what stands out the most now in his life is his inquisitive mind. He is precious. He asks the deepest questions about life, our bodies and how they work, nature...everything. He is so creative with his imagination whether it be drawn on paper or acted out as a character. He loves learning how to read and picks up words and numbers so easily. He challenges himself and will stop at nothing until he achieves his goal, which is such a good quality. He has a deep love of sharks and ocean life! He has already asked for a shark for Christmas! Holden loves his friends and family so much. At such a young age, he understands the support we all give each other that is so important! He is a crazy little boy on top of all of that and LOVES to play outside, is stubborn to no end, and loves to bug his brothers, (but at the same time loves them dearly)! We love you so much, Holden.

I will post again soon! I hope everyone is having a very happy fall season!

Happy Easter! (One week later)

2012-04-15T05:00:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how fast time flies. I can't believe it's half way through April already! We all had a wonderful, relaxing Easter here. The boys enjoyed egg hunts and couldn't wait for the Easter Bunny to come! It was a lot like their anticipation for Santa! Holden is at such a fun age, starting to understand more and more about the holiday. Chase could hardly sleep the night before the Easter Bunny came after we set out carrots and peppers to munch on! Rhys was cute with no clue as to what was going on, following his brothers around taking hints to pick up hidden eggs here and there!
Here are some pictures that we captured from one of the egg hunts the week before Easter:

Before they got started collecting eggs, I leaned down and told Holden to search for the golden egg. After the hunt was over, I saw his basket was only filled with yellow Easter eggs! He is just so precious!

On Easter morning, Chase began the basket hunt by finding a metallic egg in the house that led him to another clue outside! After leading the boys around the yard by metallic eggs with clues, the Easter baskets were found at the picnic table in the backyard! They were filled with goodies and the boys were ecstatic! Later, we found out that the Easter Bunny had also hidden more eggs and had a great Easter egg hunt to follow!

Here is Chase reading the second clue to the hidden baskets!

His beloved bunny! Holden loves stuffed animals.

And Rhys has a passion for Tootsie Pops! How did the Easter Bunny know?

Yes! Chase is checking out the Tech Decks he found in his basket!

Superhero tattoos!

Finding eggs!

It was a nice, relaxing day that involved lots of playing outside, a wonderful Easter dinner, and a family bike ride to end. We can only hope every Easter is as nice as this one was.
Hope your Easter was wonderful!
Next...Holden's Bday party! I really need to catch up!

Catching Up! 1st...our Chapel Hill Trip

2012-03-28T14:03:00.003-07:00

It has been such a busy couple of months! I have let so much time go by that I'm going to be recapping on things from February! I really do need to keep up with posting pictures and what we're doing as we're all getting more into our activities!

There is so much to write about...our trip to Chapel Hill for our first UNC Basketball game, Holden's Upward Soccer program, Chase's new love of skateboarding, Holden's 4th Baseball Birthday party on March 17th and I can't wait to fill you in on his reading and his obsession with sharks! Yes, Holden is reading, and he was starting before he was 4!! Rhys's new thing is that he has to wear a belt to school every day that he calls either his "seatbelt" or his "tool belt!" He fixes everything, from his ottoman to his glider, to his toys. He always knows the exact location of his favorite hammer.

Let's start with our trip to Chapel Hill for the UNC vs. Clemson game on February 18th. As always, I'm looking for fun things to do as a family and since our alumni colleges are hours away, we decided to become UNC fans! I was very excited to see the campus as I had heard such great things about it. We loved it and we can't wait to go back to explore more and to see more games, that is, as the boys get older (more on that in a minute.) To start, we stayed at the Sienna Hotel, which is a beautiful and had the most amazing breakfasts! The boys really enjoyed staying all in one room, of course, and they were wild the majority of the time we were in there, morning and night. Thank goodness they didn't have a pool, or at least, I never asked about one!

Anyway, the game was to be at 4 pm on Saturday, so the boys got in a quick nap and we got them up for what we would find would be the most talked about event of the weekend, the bus ride to the game. Holden was in my lap, so you can't see his excitement here.

The college kids and fans in all their blue and white were definitely a sight! We got off the bus and after we found our way around the coliseum, we sat in our seats, taking it all in.

The people, the court, the snacks...Trip # 1, Greg got popcorn and water. 15 minutes later (Trip # 2) Holden, Rhys and I got cotton candy and walked for 30 minutes, Trip #3 (after sitting for 10 minutes in our seats), I took the kids AGAIN to get pretzels. Thankfully, a security guard saw how miserably hot the boys and I were and told us we could sit outside while we ate. I was losing track of time, but as we went back again to our seats, Holden decided to stay with Greg and Chase. Rhys and I went back down to the concessions to walk around and to visit all the other miserable parents and grandparents with their blue and white little ones. As we returned (I am totally spent at this point), there were only 10 minutes left to the game!!

Chase couldn't have had a better day! He had an awesome time! It was worth all of the time roaming around the coliseum to see him enjoy the game so much with his dad!

"Whoo hoo it's over! Let's get out of here!"

Waiting for the bus ride back to our car.

Holden looks so hot, sweaty, and tired! This is the bus ride back.

Before anyone reads this and asks why the heck Greg didn't take the boys for one of the long trips, he did want to, but I took them instead because I wanted him to enjoy the game with Chase! These tickets were for Greg's birthday, and it's the first basketball game Chase has ever been to. Being able to spend the time with Chase is a rarity and Greg couldn't have been happier either, bonding over sports! They both thoroughly enjoyed it, which was nice to see. Now we know Holden and Rhys might have to be a little bigger to have the patience to sit and enjoy! Ha! We learned the hard way, that's for sure!

On Sunday, we went to the Chapel Hill Children's Museum which was much more their pace. Thank goodness. They had a wonderful time!

So all in all, we had a great time exploring Chapel Hill, staying in a luxury hotel, experiencing the UNC coliseum concessions for me, and the basketball game for Greg and Chase! Ha!

What's really funny is that a few days after getting home, we were at the Village Cafe, our local favorite restaurant, and a UNC game was on TV. Guess who were the loudest fans, cheering on the players (like they knew what was going on) to make a basket? Hmmm.

And, when Holden's teacher asked him what he did over the weekend, he answered, "I rode a bus and stayed at a hotel," he answered. Unbelievable!

I'll be back soon to blog more very soon! I hope everyone has had a great month!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

I realize I am probably one of 10 people in this world who's favorite holiday is Valentine's Day! It always has been, believe it or not, and it began when I was a little girl making homemade cards for my parents and friends. I don't decorate a lot for the holiday or go over board, which takes a lot of pressure off (we're still cleaning up Christmas stuff- AUGH!) It is perfect, in my opinion, for a little bit of warm celebration of love during the cold month of February, not to mention I have the excuse to add bits of girlish flare for a few days in this house full of testosterone!
Today, Holden had a Valentine's Day party and I signed up to make the class cupcakes. I'm not the best at photographing food, but here is what I came up with...

Strawberry Yogurt Cupcakes

...and they were SO yummy! I usually like to make things from scratch, but when it comes to time saving, these are great and came from my Betty Crocker Ultimate Cake Mix cookbook. It's the best cookbook ever to make quick, great tasting cakes!

Here's the recipe!

Holden had a great time at his Valentine's Day party! He screamed to me every Valentine he received and who it was from when the teachers were passing them out, he was so excited! Here's a little peek at the two 3 year classes together... Holden's next to the window with Samantha.

When I arrived at the preschool, Rhys and his classmates, Owen and Kian, were headed out for a winter walk with Nana Bonnie. Owen and Kian were being strolled by Bonnie and behind her was Rhys, strolling his Hippo and a doll. He was SO cute wearing his dinosaur hat and he looked surprised and happy to see me, but strolled on by, unshaken, as I told him I was going to Holden's class for a party! He is so funny! Good for him! He wasn't going to allow me to mess up his day at school by getting him out of his routine. After being in Holden's class for a little while, I did go down to Rhys's classroom to visit and help with their cupcakes! = )

I hope everyone's Valentine's Day has been fabulous and have enjoyed spreading a little love on this freezing February day!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Beautiful Birthday

2012-02-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

My mom (aka Nana) came to visit last week and we celebrated her 60th birthday! It was a wonderful visit as always! On the morning of her birthday, Greg was post call at the hospital and the boys were at school, so I took her to Topsail and had a glorious birthday walk. I captured a great picture on my iPhone. I'm so glad she was able to spend the day with us before heading back to WV.

Happy Birthday!

So Proud

2012-01-28T04:17:00.000-08:00

I've already touched on how intelligent Chase is and this year, in the 4th grade, he is continuing to shine! He has always been a great student, but this year, his interest in science has really taken off. This is his first year doing the science fair at school. Months ago, he came home to his mom's house, with the topic of bridge building. His project ended up being called, "Bridge Breakers," which focused on the strength and durability of various bridges we encounter in every day life. He tested each bridge, built with popsicle sticks, with plate weights and his project was one of 4 chosen to participate in the Onslow County Science fair on January 18th. Already so proud, we toted Holden and Rhys to Jacksonville, NC to participate in the action and to see Chase present his project.
At the end of the evening, they announced the winners to advance to the Regional competition. They called Chase's name first to receive the first award!!!!! The look of pride on Chase's face was priceless. It was wonderful to have experienced it. He was one of the 10 to be chosen out of 82 projects. Just amazing!
So...on February 11th, he heads to Wilmington to compete at regionals for the state competition! We have been sure to tell him how proud we are of him regardless if he wins or not, he has worked so hard. However, I'm sure this award is the first of many to come!

Oh- and might I continue bragging that he recently tested at the college Freshman level for reading. Wow!

So proud.

Wish him luck for the Regional competition!

Lullaby Luxe

2012-01-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

Last year, Greg got me a sewing/embroidery machine for Christmas with the thought that I might not use it. It has been the best gift I've ever gotten! With the use of the machine, I fell in love with fabrics as well! One thing led to another and I started making simple baby bibs and burp cloths with chenille backing.

The name of my small company is, "Lullaby Luxe Baby Designs." I've bought a domain, but have yet to complete a website that I'm hoping will be simple and elegant like the burp cloths and bibs themselves. It would be wonderful to have a site up in the next couple of months. Recently, a friend of mine who has a store in Surf City called, "Decorate Your Soul," is now selling my items, which is exciting!
Here are a few pictures of what I've been up to the last 5 months...

Greg got a picture of me in action last September.

I also love monogramming these as well!

If anyone is interested before I have my website up...
Bibs- $15
Burp Cloths- $15
Bib/Burp Set- $30
Monogramming- + $3 per item
Email me or post a comment and I'll get back to you!

All Bundled Up

2012-01-18T13:33:00.000-08:00

We haven't had too many cold days this winter, but one day Nana and I decided to take a walk and Rhys wanted to come! Here he is being the little ham that he is...

The Little Monster! He's definitely got a huge personality.

Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium

2012-01-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

Probably the biggest highlight of the holidays was our week with Greg. He actually had a week off after Christmas and we really enjoyed having him home instead of working! We laid around the house, went out to eat, and went to the aquarium. Chase was with his mom seeing his grandparents and family in Virginia, so he wasn't able to come with us, unfortunately! We hope to take him there next time because we had such a good time!

Here are some of the pictures...

You wouldn't think a catfish would be really exciting, but this guy was great to talk to! The boys spent a lot of time making faces and laughing at him. Ha!

Holden amazed by the sharks.

What a great picture Greg caught! Scary!

The otters were a favorite as well! They were so cute swimming in the water and cuddling up to each other on the rocks. The boys would squeal when they would swim past them!

This is the best picture Greg took all day! It's absolutely hilarious and horrible of me! Rhys is reaching out to touch a horseshoe crab and my purse almost fell into the tank!!

What a fun day! We'll be visiting again soon!

A Busy Christmas

2012-01-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

What a busy holiday! Here are some pictures to recap on the festivities!

Here are "The Decorations" I worked so hard on. I decided to take pictures so it's faster to put them up this coming Christmas! How's that for preparation? I have no idea why we didn't take a picture of the Christmas tree, but I will make sure of it this year!

Dining Room.

Foyer.

Staircase.

Living room.

This was our 3rd visit to see Santa at the Cotton Exchange downtown in Wilmington. He is absolutely wonderful...he is THE Santa and always makes you leave having chills. We have had to explain to the boys that other Santa's are just "helpers" and this guy is the real deal. And I'm not kidding. Even Nana got tears in her eyes. He talked with the boys for at least 10 minutes, maybe more, about how their year has been, what they would like for Christmas, and with mention of the most important thing to remember, that it is Jesus's birthday.

Chase knows Santa here well and walked up quickly, but shyly. I love this picture as Santa takes his hand. He asked for a "PS3 and video games."

Holden took a little bit to get warmed up to him, but got the courage to sit in his lap after a few minutes and loved telling him that he wanted a "Lego Bumblebee from Transformers and a Lego Optimus Prime from Transformers."

Rhys wasn't so enthused about sitting in Santa's lap here, but did actually calm down a bit as Santa talked to him. He did say clearly that he wanted a "big hammer." Ha!

We didn't get a great picture with all of them smiling, but I think I like the pictures of them interacting with him best anyway.

Holden had a Christmas party at school and they did a skit and had a party. Holden is the wise man to the far left!

Holden and his friend, Samantha.

We went to the candlelight service at church and then came home and decorated cookies for Santa!

Rhys worked so hard!

Chase's creation!

Holden is concentrating very hard!

Here is our Santa plate ready to be put on the mantel with milk and notes to Santa. Of course we always put out carrots for the reindeer, too!

I am sorry to say that we did not get pictures of Christmas morning. Just a little bit of video and that's it! I don't know why, as we always do get a few pictures! Next Christmas...

To end...

I love this picture of Rhys asleep on Nana. He clung to her the whole time she was visiting and even cried for her in the middle of the night when she left. He is definitely in love!

Coming up, our Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium trip!

A New Year and Catching Up

2012-01-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

First, Happy New Year! We had a whirlwind of a Christmas and New Year and it's finally starting to settle down a little...just a little! So now I am finally able to sit down and go back and post some pictures of our events through the holidays. I'll probably separate these posts as we have Rhys's birthday, Christmas, and the Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium to cover!

First...

I can't believe our little boy has turned 2 years old! Rhys kept saying he was turning 4, but I'm sure that came from Holden announcing he will be turning 4 in a few months. He had a Mighty Machines birthday party on December 17th and he had such a great time!

We got a 3D cake that was absolutely amazing! I ordered a construction site that had a crane with a wrecking ball into a building and a dump truck filled with oreos and bricks! The whole thing was edible and really good!

Some pictures from the party...

Rhys, our handsome 2 year old!

Adorable Holden. He did great with all of the attention given to Rhys, I might add.

Our friends, Katie and Matt, with their daughter, Ella.

Our friend, Anne, with Jack. Jack is one of Holden's best friends.

Getting ready for the cake. He was getting shy!

Singing, "Happy Birthday!"

Blowing out the 2 year candle!

Of course, we had a to light the candle again and let Holden blow it out, too! To be expected.

A happy boy among his presents.

Rhys with Nana. "Don't even think about it...this is my cake!"

Rhys and Daddy

Our friends, Chris and Pete.

Greg with friends, David and Ladd.

I love this picture! Holden with friends, Miles and Jackson.

Rhys, Holden, and Chase playing with Rhys's toys after the party.

Next, a post of our Christmas. I hope to get up to date in a couple of days!

We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that you're having a great start to the new year!

The Early Bird

2011-12-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

I am so tired. All day I have been listing things I need to be doing...putting up Christmas decorations, cleaning, doing laundry, putting away toys, even making the bed. It's days like this I feel like we've got 20 children. The culprit...

...THIS guy. Rhys William Woodfill.

Today he woke up at 5 AM...and this picture was taken at 5:15. Hmmm. Lately, this is a late day. Greg and I take turns in the mornings to get up with him and Greg has the magic to get him to "sleep in" until 6. However, with me, he screams and screams in the rocker until I give in to go downstairs with him. We sit on the couch, we draw, he plays with his tools, he even looks at magazines with me as I drink my coffee. I try to bore him to death with adult talk, but I think he enjoys it.

So as you wake up at a normal hour of the morning if you have little ones that actually sleep, your little ones are all grown up, or you don't have all the craziness of little ones, think of us and be thankful of your sleep. We've already been awake for hours!

Brotherly Love

2011-11-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

It has been a great month, and what a wonderful time to be so THANKFUL for our boys to get along. We've witnessed more laughing than crying together these days and it makes us so happy! Here are some adorable examples...

Holden is helping Rhys put on his shoes to go to school.

"Reading" magazines together behind the kitchen table.

Enjoying bath time together!

Headed to preschool together!

Starting early morning rock bands together!

Sharing rain boots, a current favorite activity!

Sneaking dad's scrub hats together!

Rhys - 23 months

Holden- 3 yrs 8 mos.

* Driving to preschool yesterday, Holden told me, "I like Rhys, Mom." I told them how wonderful it was that they had each other and that they will likely be best friends as they grow up. Rhys leans around the side of his car seat and lovingly says to Holden, "I love you, Holden." Holden looked down acting shy. After a minute, he said, "I love you, too, Rhys." My heart was so big that morning and I keep going over those few minutes so I can memorize it forever. Too soon, I will be looking in the rear view mirror at two teenage boys. Time goes by so fast. I am so thankful for these moments, all of them, the crazy and the calm, as these wild and crazy boys make us want to pull our hair out and eat them up from their infectious adorableness at the exact. same. time. I am so thankful to be their mom.*

Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

We had a great time getting dressed up and going trick or treating! Two months ago (Yes...2 months ago...) Holden decided he wanted to go as Obi Wan Kenobi during his Star Wars craze. And after we dressed up as a family last year, he didn't even question if we were going to be participants this year. He decided Greg was going to be Darth Vader, I was going to be Princess Leia, and Rhys was going to be Yoda. It's amazing how fast we agreed to the idea!

I was able to bribe Rhys with a sucker to get his costume on, but the Yoda ears were a no go.

We went to our friend's house for a cookout beforehand and I was able to capture this...

It didn't take long for Greg to get into character. He looks like a natural...minutes earlier, he was driving home from work! Just the look in his eyes scream he's, "good gone bad!" Scary.

It didn't take long for the boys to catch on to the process! Holden was especially good at running up to the doors yelling Trick or Treat, which was so cute!

This house was a scary one and Holden ran up past the older kids who had stopped feet ahead of him and wasn't afraid at all. He laughed at their masks and skeletons and played with their fake hand. Rhys didn't like the idea, but quickly warmed up when he saw they had suckers!

Now don't we all look so naturally happy to be dressed up? Greg's seriousness about his role was really the treat of the night and I needed a reward for wearing those darn buns of hair for hours- they were so terribly uncomfortable- but it was fun! And we tell ourselves it's all for the kids! Holden and Rhys are pretty lucky to have such willing parents! They had a great night getting lots of candy and seeing other people's outfits!

I'm guessing this is the last year we'll be dressing up in themed costumes all together because as Rhys gets older and starts to get his own ideas, I'm sure he's not going to agree to Holden's ideas for Halloween, even if he likes them! I'm sure one of us will be dressing up like a nail or a hammer as Rhys dresses up as a carpenter...just a guess! = )

Hope y'all had a great Halloween!

ALL Things Boys...and Libby

2011-11-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

"Having children of your own is joyous, but when you are trusted and chosen to be Godparents... it is joy of a different kind."

It is such a high honor that Greg and I were asked by our dear friends, Kray and Mark, to be the Godparents of their daughter, Elizabeth (Libby) Davis Luxbacher. Another friend, Emily Sarver, is also a Godmother, who we had the pleasure of meeting at her christening this past weekend in Blacksburg, VA.

Mom, Kray, (Mark was upstairs in the church at the time), Emily holding Libby, me, and Greg

Kray and Libby

* I met Kray when my family moved to Bluefield, WV in 1989. Prior to meeting her at school, I remember seeing a little girl with a big bow in her hair watching us move in from the hedges of her Granma's backyard and wondering who she was. Little did I know that that little girl would be my best friend and the longest friend I would ever have. We were inseparable growing up from 5th grade through graduation in high school and maintained our friendship through college, medical school, and grad school. Now Kray, an engineering professor at Virginia Tech, and her husband Mark, also a mining engineer, have settled in Blacksburg with their adorable little boy, Will, who is Holden's age, and now beautiful Libby, who is 4 months old. It is so amazing to be able to watch our kids play together and start a new generation of friendships. Greg and I are so thankful to have such wonderful friends.*

It was such a beautiful christening and Libby is the most amazing little baby girl! We are so lucky and thrilled to be her Godparents...to love and support her throughout her life. What a wonderful gift.

A Parent's Dream

2011-10-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we went to Target to search for some fun Halloween decorations. Well, whoever invented Pumpkin Push Ins is brilliant! I could honestly be a spokesperson for these things! You have no clue how much happiness (from both parties) a few pieces of plastic stuck into a pumpkin can create until you experience this awesome purchase! Naturally, Holden chose Ironman and Rhys unexpectedly chose Cookie Monster, calling him Elmo. Maybe we need to watch more Sesame Street...

Here is what took us 2 clean minutes to create 10 days of pure JOY!

Halloween Countdown...9 days!!!

Sprint to the Finish!

2011-10-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Today, we got up early, ate breakfast, chugged some coffee, packed some snacks, pumped up the double Bob's tires, then loaded the boys in the car to head to the First Bank Oktoberfest 5K run that was to be held at Brunswick Forest in Leland, NC (we decided on that one instead of the Ocean Isle Fun Run). It was a gorgeous morning, a crisp 46 degrees when we got in the car, with the sun rising bright as we drove. 45 minutes later, we checked in and got at the rear of the runners with our wide load, ready to run! Chase was really excited! This would be our second race in a month and he was ready to try to beat his time at the Poplar Grove Race- 44 minutes 15 seconds. Holden and Rhys were excited, too, to participate this time!

Greg gives a pep talk to Holden and Rhys...the Coaches!

Ready to Run!!

Starting out strong...

Reaching a stride...

Looks like Holden is ready to jump out! Really, he was dying to run the whole time!

Only a mile to go!...

Even the beginning of the race was better for Chase than the last. His confidence had grown from last time as he knew what to expect. He reached a good stride, then ran the majority of the way only walking less than 100 yards to catch his breath! Greg and I knew he had beat his time already from the last race and we commented throughout the race, how GREAT he was doing! And really, he was loving it, which was so fun to see!

Greg ran ahead and I made a landmark that was 100 yards away from the finish line! When we reached the mark, we sprinted as fast as we could!! Greg got this great picture of us finishing!

32:30 was on the timer. 11 minutes 45 seconds better than the Poplar Grove race! Wow!

Adorable Rhys watching people finish.

And Holden, the future runner!!

Feeling good afterwards, we waited for the awards to be announced.

And...as he had hoped, Chase won his first running award! With a huge age group of competitors (Ages 1-15), Chase won 5th place!!! He won a mug stating that he was a 5K Award Winner! We all are SO PROUD!

Mike's Farm

2011-10-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Greg and I took the boys to Mike's Farm! We had such a good time on the 1/2 mile hayride to the pumpkin patch! We intended to try to eat at the restaurant that we have heard great things about, but it was pretty busy so we settled for ice cream! Here are some pictures of our fun trip...

Waiting in line for the hayride, Rhys and Holden found a cute tractor!

After the farm, we got ice cream!

Rhys insisted on the kiddie table!

Rhys and his hippo. He was so tired from trip, he fell asleep immediately after the ice cream. Funny how he sleeps with Hippo clenched in his teeth!

Attaining the Impossible

2011-10-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

It's never been too much of a challenge for me to reach for my dreams.

College...Check

Medical school...Check

Getting married...Check

Having children...Check

Raising children...Check

And there's more to come, I'm sure.

I've done a lot of things in my life.

To begin, I've climbed aboard a Japanese school bus full of children I couldn't understand when I was 6 years old, promising to take me to a trusted place unknown to me...

I've went to camp for several summers growing up bravely learning to rock climb, rappel, and kayak...

I've gone away to college and joined the crew team that taught me the discipline and grueling nature of competitive sports by doing 5 am, 2 hour, workouts every morning with afternoons as well...

I applied to medical school 2 years in a row knowing I would continue to work towards my goal of being a doctor...

I made the careful and thoughtful decision to not continue with residency so I could be home with our boys...

All of these things have taken courage, self esteem, and the belief I have in myself to attain these dreams and desires.

I mark yesterday, October 10, 2011 as very, very important. Because at this age, after being told for years and years that I could and I didn't believe it...I for some reason, after being told again...I made my Papaw and Mawmaw Stella's English Muffin Bread. And I made it well!

I don't know if other people do this- accomplish many things in life, but never dream of trying to recreate their grandparents recipes until they feel a different kind of confidence. I've kind of graduated a very internal, special kind of graduation. In a way I feel more grown up and I believe in myself in more ways than I used to. Not only did I go and find the most wonderful husband and have the most beautiful kids, I am caring to take care of them and me...well. It's a kind of "settling in", a comfort that bonds us deeper as a family.

Bread can do this. At least this English Muffin Bread can. Everyone in my family knows it. Knows it's smell, it's texture, the way butter melts right into it. They know the comfort it gives you when you see it on the table. It makes us think of family. A full table of family. And...mostly...a wonderful memory of Papaw.

I am so happy, because unbeknownst to them, our boys will have a taste of what I always have loved so much about being at Papaw and Stella's house and maybe they, too, can make it one day for their kids.

WonderFall

2011-10-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

The humidity is gone and in it's place are cool fall mornings. There are pumpkins for sale, decorating stores and restaurants, and adorned with mums and pansies. Plans of Halloween are starting to be made and kids are gearing up for Trick or Treating...

As I've already stated, we love this season. With the boys in school, I have had the pleasure of planting pots and our window boxes with fall flowers.

In celebration of the season, I've also become addicted to making pumpkin butter and spoiled us with Pumpkin Lattes. Really- these are such simple and wonderful recipes...

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/10/pumpkin-butter.html

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/10/skinny-pumpkin-spiced-latte.html

I've blogged about the pumpkin patch already, but the other day I was able to get more pictures before I got the boys from school. They have really loved coming here almost every day after school! It's a magical place here among the large oak trees.

And here...Holden begged me to rake our front yard leaves into a pile so he and Rhys could jump into them! Ha! This is the saddest, most pathetic pile of leaves ever, but they LOVED it! That's what we get for living in North Carolina! As you can see, our trees' leaves went straight from green to brown! We can't wait for our trip to Blacksburg, VA at the end of the month to hopefully spot some colorful leaves!

Hope you're having as great of a fall season as we are!!

The Pumpkins Are Here!

2011-10-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Yay! This weekend the pumpkins were delivered to the church! It is our favorite time playing around the pumpkins after preschool and I have the chance to pick out some through the weeks before Halloween. Last year, we ended up with so many, our house looked much like the cover of this month's Southern Living (or so I wish.) I was happy today to get a cute picture of Holden and Rhys enjoying their first look at the patch!

Happy Fall Y'all!

A Runner is Born

2011-09-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

This morning, Greg, Chase, and I ran the Poplar Grove 5K. It was Chase's very first race and he had such a good time! We are so proud of him for running the majority of the way let alone finishing 3 miles that he has never run before!

Before the race...

After the race...

He is now setting his sights on winning a medal! That means lots of running with the double Bob stroller for us! = ) The next race is the Ocean Isle Fun Run in October, so we'll see!!

And...They're Off to School!

2011-09-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it. The summer went by so fast this year! We were so busy with swim lessons, summer camp, days at the beach, and play dates, that the school year snuck up on us!! I can't say I'm totally disappointed. It is my favorite time of year when back- to- school signs start popping up everywhere. The weather starts getting cooler (unless you live here in NC where it's still in the 90's), you can hear the occasional crow cawing hinting of the fall season ahead, planting ideas of pumpkins, falling leaves, chilly evenings, football, and blooming mums. I love it! The beginning of the school year means "new beginnings" with the start of new school supplies. It has always meant more to me than New Years, when I am at my highest stress level amongst birthdays and Christmas.

This year, Chase starts the 4th grade! He's nine years old (going on 13), and we can hardly believe how fast he is growing. He could not be a better brother and role model for Holden and Rhys. He is so smart, kind, funny, and handsome! He already has made new friends in his class and is loving school!

Holden is in the 3 year class in preschool and was SO excited to get going Wednesday morning! This is his third year in preschool and his confidence shone as he walked in to his new class with Mrs. Sonya. He immediately sat down at the table next to a new little boy and starting coloring after giving Rhys and I a hug goodbye! He didn't flinch as I walked out of the classroom! He loves his new class!

As Holden holds up 3 fingers to show which preschool class he is starting this year, I love seeing Rhys in this picture as he tries to process what Holden is doing and begin to imitate him. I tried to get Rhys to hold up one finger, but since Holden was holding up 3, that wasn't going to happen! = )

Sweet Rhys is beginning his 1st year at the preschool with Nana Bonnie. He was so excited to be a part of the action! Now that he has a backpack like Holden, he thinks he is so big! That morning, he followed Holden's instructions as to how to get ready for school, walked into Holden's class to say goodbye, and then walked into Bonnie's class without hesitation. He happily played while I said my goodbyes and didn't even care when I left the classroom! I couldn't believe it, but I knew it would be different the next day as he caught on to the program! That morning, the only time he cried was when he caught sight of Holden. I was told Holden came over to give him a hug which warms my heart! This is how their lives will be throughout school, two school years apart! How nice to be able to see each other!

Now with the boys in preschool 4 days a week and an extra hour on Mondays and Tuesdays for Lunch Bunch, I am planning what to do with my valuable time alone! I have a list of things, such as cleaning out closets and organizing our desk, as well as enjoying the time by working in the yard, sewing, doing yoga, and walking! On Wednesday, I met a friend of mine, Katie, for coffee and we spent 3 hours talking! Wonderful!! Yesterday, I took a walk and I felt naked without a stroller. It was great, however, I missed pointing out birds and flowers and it brought tears to my eyes. The first couple of weeks may be nice to have alone time, but I will quickly miss my little men more and more.

The school year is a wonderful time, but it does take some adjustment! I'll post more as the weeks progress!

A First

2011-08-13T08:55:00.001-07:00

It has finally happened. Holden and Rhys were sitting on the couch together this morning and Holden asked Rhys to sit on his lap to watch cartoons. I cried. I was just mentioning to Greg yesterday about the difficulty of their ages, their fighting, and about how exhausted we are. But...seeing this...how can I complain for a second?

Priceless.