Blog Worthy Moments

Alaina turns 1 year old - Scott turns . . .

2012-02-11T17:42:00.001-05:00

We have 3 birthdays in our house in the span of 11 days . . . this is the first year I've had to figure out the logistics of celebrating all three, since it is Alaina's FIRST BIRTHDAY! We ended up deciding to do all three celebrations in one weekend sweep. It seemed to work this year! First, we had Ethan's party with his friends on Saturday, Jan. 28th (a little before his actual birthday on Feb. 3rd, but it allowed for the most family members to be present). (See below post).

Then on Sunday, we celebrated Scott's and Alaina's. Scott turned 36 on Jan. 23rd, and Alaina turned 1 on Jan. 31st. Scott said he didn't mind sharing his celebration day with his little girl. So, we went to an early dinner to a restaurant in Greenville that Scott wanted to go to, Smoke on the Water - very yummy! Then we all came back to our house for cake and presents. That's when we presented Alaina with her 1 year old birthday cake.

I struggled a little about not doing a big 1 year old birthday party for her, as I had done for both of our boys when they turned 1. But the logistics of planning that out, just didn't work out this year, due to other things already planned on different weekends, etc. So, I just decided that it was OKAY to celebrate her with our family only. We took plenty of pictures, so she will always remember that we did remember her. I think that is the main thing I've learned this year with having three kids. I can't do everything EXACTLY the same, in the EXACT same way for EACH child. And I don't need to. Each child is different, each stage of life is different, and sometimes LIFE just doesn't allow you to do things in the exact perfect, planned out way that you may have in your head (or my head, rather.) I have learned to be much more flexible this year, at least I would like to think. There's always room for more growth of course. But for now, I am so thankful for a little girl to love and have the privilege of raising. It is definitely different than raising boys, I've already learned. Both are very special, but just different. There is SO much more to learn. I'm thankful for a chance to be a mother to a little girl. I didn't really ever think I needed or even wanted to have a little girl, I was fine either way. But now that she's come into our lives, she is just such a sweet, sweet blessing we never knew we were missing out on!

Happy Birthday to our precious Lainey girl!

Ethan's 8th Birthday Bowling Party

2012-02-11T16:30:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Ethan's 8th Birthday with his friends and a bowling party. It was a fun time for all! Pizza, Arcade Games, Cake, Presents, and Bowling! I can't reminisce too long, or I become teary eyed that I actually have a child who is 8 years old, but I am so thankful for Ethan. Just a QUICK look back to a time when we were SO YOUNG (haha!)

He is such a caring, helpful, smart, friendly, outgoing, social, talented, . . . the list could go on. God has definitely blessed me to have my oldest child be Ethan. I love him so much and couldn't imagine my life without him as our son! Happy Birthday to Ethan on 02-03-12!

Click below to see more pictures from the party.

https://plus.google.com/photos/108817934195676835920/albums/5703295777601742689

Family Pictures 01-14-12

2012-02-11T15:47:00.002-05:00

We went and had family pictures taken with our family and Scott's parents. I thought we ended up getting quite a lot of good ones. I'm thankful for photographers that work well with children. :-) It takes so much planning to get family pictures made, so we don't get them done as often as I'd like to. But I had fun picking out all of our outfits in blue and yellow color schemes for these photos.

All About Alaina 2012 Questionnaire (almost 1 yr)

2012-01-22T11:16:00.001-05:00

Alaina will turn 1 year old on Jan. 31st . . . how in the world has it already been an entire year?? (The year reflections are for another post hopefully.) But I am looking forward to her answers on this Questionnaire next year, when perhaps she will say a little more than "Dada Dada Dada" for everyone in her family . . . She calls Daddy "Dada", she calls me "Dada", she calls Ethan and Caleb "Dada." She will imitate other sounds you make, like "Lala" and "Mama", . . . but won't associate "Mama" with me yet. :-) For now, here is a picture of our Lainey girl in all her sweetness!

All About Caleb 2012 Questionnaire (5 1/2 yrs)

2012-01-22T11:06:00.005-05:00

This is All About Caleb . . . as answered by Caleb when he is 5 1/2 years old. (I think it's funny that both he and Ethan got tired of answering the questions at the same time, when I asked them what their favorite pajamas were! :-)

Favorite book: Five Tumbling Tigers

Favorite movie: Hero Factory and Elf on the Shelf

Favorite tv show: Wild Krats

Favorite song: none

Best friend: Elijah and Charlie and Hayden

Favorite place to go: Monkey Joes

Favorite food: Hot dogs

Favorite dessert: Doughnuts

Favorite thing to do: Go to Monkey Joes

Favorite toy: Star Hero Factories

Favorite holiday: Christmas and Easter

Favorite outfit: none

Favorite color: Blue, Red, & Green

Favorite drink: Sprite and Root Beer

Favorite thing at the park: Going on the playground with Elijah

What do you want to be when you grow up: A Dad

What do you love: DSI and DS's

Favorite vegetable: none

Favorite fruit: pears

Favorite pizza: Pepperoni, Cheese, & Sausage, and all of them actually

Favorite pajamas: Can we finish the rest of the ?s later?

Favorite place to eat: Pizza Hut

Favorite thing to do at school: P.E.

What is your favorite thing about where we live: Watching shows

All About Ethan 2012 Questionnaire (almost 8 yrs)

2012-01-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

I got the idea from my friend, Kyndra, to do a yearly Questionnaire of your kids each year, but have never taken the time to do it until now. I finally did them this morning. I hope I can remember to do this each year . . . I think it will be fun to look back through the years to see how their answers have changed and how they've grown.

So, this is All About Ethan . . . as answered by Ethan when he is almost 8 years old (birthday February 3rd):

Favorite book: Star Wars

Favorite movie: Can't decide

Favorite tv show: Wild Krats

Favorite song: Never Gonna Be as Big as Jesus (Audio Adrenaline)

Best friend: Alaina, Charlie, Caleb, Khalil, Daniel

Favorite place to go: Jason's Deli

Favorite food: Macaroni & Cheese

Favorite dessert: Doughnuts and Brownies

Favorite thing to do: Go on the computer

Favorite toy: Ninjago, Hero Factory, Bionicle Stars, and Star Wars

Favorite holiday: Christmas

Favorite outfit: A Clone Wars Shirt

Favorite color: Red

Favorite drink: Root Beer

Favorite thing at the park: Playing Episodes, Tag, Hide & Go Seek Tag

What do you want to be when you grow up: I don't know yet

What do you love: Alaina, Mommy, Daddy, Caleb, Ethan

Favorite vegetable: Broccoli

Favorite fruit: Grapes

Favorite pizza: Cheese

Favorite pajamas: How much longer? - Lego Star Wars

Favorite place to eat: Jason's Deli

Favorite thing to do at school: P.E.

What is your favorite thing about where we live: I get a baby sister.

Just around the house

2012-01-12T23:19:00.002-05:00

It's been hard to get back in our routine after the holiday break . . . at least it has been for me. We have Wednesday nights at church where Scott and I teach mission friends and I help with 5 year old choir, but other than that, our evenings are pretty uneventful around the house. I really like the time to just hang out with our family and not have to rush off to sports practice or other commitments. The kids were having some fun in the ever popular clothes baskets one night:

Alaina has been having fun crawling around with her sippy cup hanging out of her mouth. I'm not sure if she's got the hang of getting any liquid out of it, but she sure does like to chew on it!

Even though we've been enjoying our evenings in at home, I am ready for Spring and for it to stay light out later. How much longer do we have? I think a while . . .

Just TOO Cute!

2011-12-21T00:21:00.001-05:00

I know I'm biased . . . but aren't they all JUST TOO CUTE?! :-)

Merry Christmas E-Card from our family to yours!

2011-12-20T23:30:00.001-05:00

This ecard generated with Smilebox

Revised Immunization Schedule 2011

2011-12-20T22:19:00.000-05:00

I had to take Alaina today for an immunization appointment, and the nurse asked if it was okay if she shared my revised immunization schedule with other parents who were interested. I told her that was fine because I know a lot of parents out there want a slower schedule, so that not so much is going into their bodies at once. It is hard to find any alternate schedules now that take into account all of the newer vaccines and combination shots. Even from the time I had my son in 2006 to the time I had my daughter in 2011 things had changed a lot. So, I studied the current 2011 immunization schedule from the CDC and revised things after my daughter had her 2 month shots so that she wouldn't be getting so much in her body all at once. I went over it with my family doctor, and he agreed that the schedule would be fine to follow. If I would've been more on top of things before her 2 month old check up, I probably would've spread out those ones a little bit too, but I didn't make the revised schedule until after that appointment. I thought I would put the schedule up on my blog in case any other parents out there were looking for an alternative slower schedule to use with their children too. Note that my child doesn't have to have all of the immunizations completed until she enters school at age 5 because she doesn't attend daycare, but if any of your children do attend daycare, you can always get a religious exemption for your state or get a doctor's note from your doctor if they agree, letting the daycare know when the next scheduled immunization is, or what your child's "catch up" schedule is. I have so much more peace of mind knowing that I'm putting as little of the vaccinations into my child's body at one time as I can, but yet still aiming to have her fully vaccinated by the start of kindergarten. On my schedule, she doesn't get the first Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine until age 2 and the first MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot until age 3. I highlighted the shots that have the different vaccinations combined in the one shot. My doctor uses GSK products, so the shot names are in parentheses for those products. Hope this helps some parents out there looking for an alternate vaccination schedule!

Birth

2 mos

4 mos

6 mos (finish ones due at 4 mos)

8 mos (start ones due at 6 mos)

10 mos (finish ones due at 6 mos)

Hepatitis B

Diphtheria

Tetanus

Pertussis

Inactivated Poliovirus

(Pediarix)

Rotavirus

(Rotarix)

Haemophilus influenzae type b

(Hib)

Pneumococcal

(PCV)

12 mos

15 mos

18 mos

2 yrs (24 mos)

3 yrs

4 yrs

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

Pneumococcal (PCV)

Dipththeria

Varicella

Measles, Mumps, Rubella

Varicella

Hepatitis A (Havrix)

Tetanus

Hepatitis A (Havrix)

(MMR)

Diphtheria

Pertussis

Tetanus

(Infanrix)

Pertussis

Inactivated

Poliovirus

5 yrs

Measles, Mumps, Rubella

(MMR)

(Kinrix)

Our Christmas Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-13T22:31:00.000-05:00

So we are a little behind on getting started with the whole "Elf on the Shelf" thing . . . I think the fad started around here last year or the year before, but we didn't really plan to do it just because we had enough family traditions we liked to do and to keep up with. But then this past weekend, there was the Elf on the Shelf movie on t.v., and we decided to record it for our kids and if we liked it, thought we would show it to them. Well, it was a really cute movie, and I thought it focused on a happy meaning of Christmas . . . Christmas is for forgiving, for believing. Our boys really enjoyed the show and mentioned that they wondered if they were going to get an elf. So, my husband who really gets into Christmas and Christmas traditions, more than myself, decided that it would be fun if we could find one to add to our traditions. Well, with it being the 12th of the month already, many stores were sold out of them. But we finally found one at Hallmark and got it last night.

We were still kind of struggling with how to present it to the kids. Even though they had seen the movie, we have always been careful about presenting the other things of Christmas, such as Santa, elves, rudolph, etc. as fun things, but not the most important things. As Christians, we believe the REAL reason for Christmas is to celebrate Jesus' birth. We are not against our kids enjoying believing in Santa though, and allow them to have fun with it. But with presenting our new elf, we wanted to make sure the focus was not on whether or not they were doing good or bad for the elf to report back to Santa in fear of not getting as many presents if they were bad, but we wanted to send a different message. So, we decided to replace the book that comes with the elf with our own letter.

We planned it perfectly, and it could not have gone any better . . . the boys were back in the bedroom getting their pajamas on with Scott, I quietly went outside and got the elf and put it on our front porch, then rang the doorbell and ran back inside and made it back into the chair I was finishing Christmas cards in, just as the boys had seen me before they left the room to put on their pajamas. So, when they came out of the room, we all followed them to the door. When they opened the door, they were so surprised to see the Elf on the Shelf sitting there. Just earlier, they had been outside and came in saying that they had seen a red light blinking in the sky. They wondered if it was Rudolph or maybe some of the other little elves flying around. It really was so cute when they started guessing that maybe Rudolph or the other elves brought it and rang the doorbell. We brought it inside, and when they opened it, this is the letter they found from their elf:

Hi Kids!

Thanks for welcoming me into your home. I’m excited to be here. I think you’ve heard of me and my friends, and how we like to come live with you before Christmas to watch over you and see what kinds of great things you are doing. I do fly up to the North Pole to talk to Santa each night too, but don’t be afraid; I’m not trying to catch you doing anything wrong. Just the opposite . . . I’m trying to catch you doing all the right things! It’s always encouraging when we make the right choices, isn’t it? We feel better about ourselves, we know that we’ve pleased our Mommies and Daddies, and most importantly we know that we’ve pleased Jesus.

Did you know that Santa is a servant of Jesus just like you are? Santa wants to please Jesus just like you do, and one of the ways he does that is by bringing gifts to all the boys and girls at Christmas time. You may think that Santa only brings gifts to the good little boys and girls, but that’s not always true. Sometimes he brings gifts just to let a child know that he or she is loved and treasured just for being who they are. That’s the way that Jesus looks at each of you too, did you know that?

Jesus was born on Christmas as part of God’s plan. The Bible teaches us that later Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that we may receive the free gift of salvation through Him. We don’t have to do something right all the time to receive Jesus’ free gift. We just have to believe in Him and accept Him into our hearts and lives and trust Him to be our Savior. When we do decide to trust in Jesus as our Savior and accept Him as our free gift, we automatically want to do good things to please Jesus because we love Him so much. But we can’t do everything right 100% of the time, can we? Jesus understands that we all make mistakes, and that is called sin. But the important thing is that when we do sin, that we realize that we’ve done something wrong and that we ask Jesus to forgive us. Jesus will forgive you every time, did you know that? He gives you a clean start to each day, if you just pray to Him and ask Him! Isn’t that amazing?

So, I hope that you will think about how much Jesus loves you this Christmas, and that He is the REAL reason that we celebrate Christmas time! It’s always fun to visit my family that Santa sends me to during Christmas time and I love being able to report back to Santa each night that the kids in the family are doing their best to please Jesus with their actions and words every day. So, I hope that you’ll have a fun time looking for me each morning when you wake up! You never know where I might be hiding next!

Oh yeah, and don’t forget to name me. I need a special name that only you kids can give to me. I can’t wait to see what name you come up with for me.

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Your Christmas Elf

So, it was a fun night at our house . . . the boys named their elf Zippy . . . I wonder where Zippy will be hiding in the morning? :-)

November's Already Come and Gone

2011-12-04T21:28:00.001-05:00

Time goes faster and faster and faster . . . I can't seem to keep up lately with blogging. November has already come and gone, and the Christmas season is in full swing already. It's hard for me to even remember all that we did during the month. Early in November Alaina and I took a girls trip up to Baltimore, Maryland to attend my sister, Megan's baby shower. She is expecting her first, a baby boy due December 31st. It was a lot of fun spending time with my sisters and mom.

Another exciting thing is that we had Alaina dedicated at church. It was so nice that both of her grandparents got to be there for her special day. And it was so fun to dress her up in her pretty purple dress and flower headband.

Then we took a Thanksgiving trip to Williamsburg, Virginia to visit with my family. We enjoyed four straight days with our family, which was so fun and doesn't happen nearly enough. We went on walks back behind my parents' house and the golf course in their neighborhood, only to find a huge dirt hill that the boys just loved to climb up.

Caleb and Ethan also enjoyed finding and collecting golf balls that golfers had hit off the golf course.

Playing football with Daddy and Uncle Mike was also a huge hit during the weekend!

We finished the weekend off with a trip to see Santa. We got this picture in before Alaina started crying once she realized she was with someone strange she didn't know.

Serena and Wendy with Santa.

All the grandkids.

And now, onto December! Until I have another moment to blog again . . .

End of October

2011-10-27T23:26:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's already the end of October. Once again another month that has flown by! Some highlights from the month . . .
Alaina got to visit an apple farm and pumpkin patch for the first time! My mom took her one day with some friends of ours while the boys were in school and I was at work. She got some cute pics to show us!

We got a trampoline for a great deal off of craigslist for our back yard! I had a trampoline growing up, so it is neat to see our kids enjoying one now. I even have tried it a little myself!

Ethan and Caleb got to spend an afternoon at Camp Croft with my parents last weekend after the soccer games, and Ethan even tried kayaking with my Dad! We were so proud of him! I love his adventurous, unafraid personality!

Also, last Friday I went with the boys on what I called a "mommy field trip." I was off work for the day, and the boys were out of school for a teacher work day, so we went along with a group of other mommies and kids, most of whom homeschool their kids, but they didn't mind that we joined them. We went to a plantation called Walnut Grove. We learned about toys that kids played with back in the 1700s, toured the Moore family's house which is still set up from that era, and the boys even got to make their own toy! It was a fun time, especially the hay stack they found to play in on the property at the end!

Caleb also went on a field trip with his 5K class to an orchard, and got to bring home a bag of apples and this cute pumpkin! I didn't get to chaperone this time, so he was upset about that, but he did well after he got to school and stopped crying. He let me take his picture with his pumpkin that he picked out.

And Alaina is crawling all over the place still, has pulled up on things once or twice by herself, but is still trying to master getting up to her feet every time. She is keeping us on our toes with her curiosity around the house, but for the most part, she is just such an easy going baby. We got a new camera for an early Christmas present to ourselves, so I am enjoying learning more about it and having fun taking lots of pictures of our kiddos!

That's all for the update on what we've been up to in October. Until next time!

Upward Soccer 2011

2011-10-03T22:51:00.005-04:00

In the Fall, our weekends are scheduled according to Upward Soccer games. This is Ethan's 4th year playing and Caleb's 1st year playing.

So, it takes a little planning to get to two games each Saturday, and with a baby's schedule added in, it can be a little hectic!

But we are enjoying every moment of it. Ethan still loves the game so much, and is really improving a lot on his skills this year.

Caleb was a little unsure the first game of getting out there, but once he did he went after the ball, and has played with a lot of determination ever since.

Alaina is still such a great baby . . . and just recently started crawling a little before turning 8 months old!

I feel like I don't have a moment to breathe these days with working part time, getting home in time to help with homework time for both boys, then evening activities, and caring for Alaina. The busyness just doesn't end! But I am so thankful for my family.

Pictures from Ethan's Baptism

2011-09-24T00:10:00.002-04:00

He had that bright smile on his face all day! So sweet and special . . .

Ethan and Daddy before his Baptism

Ethan and Mr. Greg (Children's Pastor)

Mama Brisken and Ethan

Saying that "Yes" he has accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior

Buried with Jesus in death . . .

. . . And raised up to walk in newness of life

Alaina having a little fun with Daddy and Mommy after the service. :-)

What a special day to remember! We are so proud of Ethan and the decision he has made to trust in Jesus.

Ethan's Baptism

2011-09-11T17:04:00.000-04:00

Today was a very special day for Ethan - he got baptized this morning in church! He has now publicly professed his belief and trust in Jesus as his savior, and followed Him in the waters of baptism. We are so proud of you, Ethan, and thankful that you want to tell other people about Jesus!

Although Ethan doesn't yet know what happened on September 11, 2001, before he was born, it was a terrible day in our country where many people lost their lives. We are saddened to remember this, but thankful that we have a happy memory of this day in our family. The interesting thing is that 3 years ago, on September 11th, Ethan asked Jesus into his heart as a 4 1/2 year old. Ethan's special decision on Sept. 11, 2008

It's amazing how in the past 3 years Ethan has grown and matured in his relationship with Jesus. We know and count on him continuing that walk in the years to come!

Happy 5th Birthday to Caleb!

2011-09-03T20:14:00.000-04:00

This past Tuesday, August 30th, was Caleb's 5th Birthday. It is hard to believe that he is already 5 years old! The Saturday before, he had an outdoor water party, as he has for the past 2 years also, only this year he got to use his new awesome water slide we bought him for his party. He and all his friends had a great time and we had beautiful weather! I was so busy running around that I didn't even take any pictures myself on my camera, so I must get some from my mom and mom-in-law soon, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to blog about him on his special day. Here is one pic I have from a friend at the party:

What can I say about Caleb? For one, he is a blessing to our lives. Although he has challenged us as parents with his personality and preferences, we wouldn't change a thing about him! He is so spirited and strong willed, which I'm sure will take him far one day in his life as an adult! :-) Caleb started kindergarten this year, and we are so proud of him. He is learning so many things, and always wants to do his best at everything, a bit of a perfectionist I think. He is growing more mature every day, and notices things in the world that a lot of us don't. As our "middle child" I don't ever want to forget or pass him by. He has valid things to say and things to teach us. So often in our busy, daily lives it is easy to "miss" him and all the things that God is teaching us through him. He makes us laugh, he makes us pull our hair out, he is so sweet at times, he strives to be the "bestest friend" (as he says) to his big brother, whom he looks up to and admires so much. And he is growing into a wonderful big brother himself to Alaina, learning how to be empathetic and helpful to her needs as well. But most of all, we are thankful for who CALEB is himself, all on his own. God made him perfectly and we thank Him for allowing us to be part of his life for the past 5 years. We look forward to a lifetime with him! We love you Caleb.

Alaina and her musical talents

2011-08-26T16:50:00.002-04:00

We have noticed a lot lately that Alaina is enjoying music . . . dancing to it, playing it herself. Maybe we have a little piano player on our hands??

First Day of School 2011

2011-08-18T22:10:00.002-04:00

I can't believe we're almost finished with the first week of school now as I type this. Although it has been a little rough getting used to the early bedtime and early to rise routine, the boys are doing very well considering. It's hard for me to wake up at 6:30 am too! So far, both boys seem to be liking their teachers for kindergarten and 2nd grade.

Getting ready to leave on the first day of school with their new dinosaur lunch boxes!

Ethan at his new desk (first time with storage underneath!) in Mrs. Pepper's class

Saying goodbye to each other before Caleb goes down to his class (Caleb wasn't too happy about saying goodbye to his big bro)

Caleb went right in to Mrs. Meeks' class and found his seat and started working on his coloring. No tears at all (from him), I am so proud!

And I agreed to let them ride the bus home on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (they only ride with kids up through 3rd grade, but I was still a little nervous). But they did great so far! The bus gets home earlier than I can get them home when I left work to go pick them up in carpool line. They are still a car rider on Tuesdays and Thursdays when Mama Brisken enjoys getting to pick them up.

Here comes the bus, as I nervously wait for them on the first day!

Waiting for the bus driver to motion them across.

They are home safe and sound, and said they liked riding the bus. :( It's hard letting go!

Hard homework hasn't started for either of them, so that will be a whole new challenge to have TWO working on homework at the same time. Hopefully Ethan can work a little more independently this year, so I will be free to help Caleb with his, and attend to Alaina as needed. It actually seems like things are working a little better in the mornings with both kids having to be up and ready early for school. They seem to feed off of each others excitement . . . at least during this first week! Now, if only I could get them to not be TOO EXCITED and wake Alaina up at 6:30 too. One of the downfalls of baby's bedroom being right outside the kitchen. But we are managing! I like for her to sleep until 8 or 8:30 like she normally does! And boy has Alaina been missing her brothers this week during the daytime while they are at school. Her smile when she saw them after they got home the first day says it all!

To end the first day of school, we celebrated a little by blowing up Caleb's new slide that we got for him for his birthday party that he'll be having with his friends in a couple weeks. It was a hit! Great end to the day!

Alaina's 6 month photos with her brothers

2011-08-18T21:44:00.001-04:00

I meant to take Alaina back to get her pictures taken before now, but as it goes I never got to it. But since she turned 6 months, I thought it would be good to go and get some taken of her and some with her brothers before school started. I was happy with how they turned out! I couldn't pick just one. . .

Routine With Three

2011-08-01T22:54:00.000-04:00

I think we are really starting to get into our family routine with three children. Alaina turned 6 months old yesterday, and up until the last couple weeks, I would probably say that life with three children is really hard. But I think that it is finally becoming our normal. I really can't believe that Lainey has been with us for 6 months, she still seems so new to me. But she is growing and changing so much! Just yesterday, I finally introduced some solid food to her, oatmeal, and she seemed to do pretty well. I know I could've started her as early as 4 months, but I really wasn't in a hurry. I tried starting Ethan earlier, and remember he wasn't quite ready, so I held off a little later with Caleb and Alaina. Now, onto a new stage of solid foods! I have to say though, I can't really remember how exactly to introduce all the foods. I am such a "by the book" person, so I will have to look it up. But even so, I can also "go with the flow" pretty well . . . maybe it's a third child kind of laid back feeling. I know it will all work out!

Ethan and Caleb are also growing up so much! In just two weeks, Ethan will start 2nd grade and Caleb will start 5-K kindergarten. They have both asked me to ride the bus home in the afternoons. It is a big step for me to agree to this, as it only indicates to me that they are growing up and becoming more independent. After much prayer and consideration and talking to the school about the details, I have decided I will let them try it. We will see how it goes. Their elementary school only goes up to 3rd grade, so they will only be riding the bus with kids one year older than Ethan, so that makes me feel a little more at ease. Plus they will have each other to sit with. It should save me a lot of time in carpool, as their school is so big, that normally they don't even get into my car until after 2:30 (and their school dismisses at 2:15), and their bus drop off time is scheduled to be at 2:33, so they will get home earlier. Plus with Alaina napping in the afternoon, we won't have to disrupt her nap schedule to load her up in her carseat to go pick up the boys. So, I am hoping it will all work out. Still a little nervous for them and for me to let go a little . . .

In the Fall, Ethan and Caleb will also be playing Upward Soccer. We will go to evaluations the week that school starts. Ethan is so excited to start again, as this will be his 4th year playing. This will be Caleb's first year, so I hope he enjoys it too! Once the games start, our Saturdays will be a little busier with having two games to attend each morning, but at least they are at the same fields, so we should be able to work it out.

We recently moved the boys' room up to the bonus room. (We seem to always be rearranging something in our house! :-) They have more room up there to play, and since Alaina will probably be moving around soon on her own, it will help to have a place where the boys and their friends can play with their toys that have tiny pieces without the fear of Alaina picking them up and putting them in her mouth. Already getting prepared for crawling, although I'm not in any hurry for her to start!

(Visiting with cousin, Melissa and Cameron in Ohio)

(Me and my kiddos with my Grandma Watson in Ohio)

I didn't think we would travel as much as we did, especially with a new baby, but she's so easy going that most trips didn't seem to be much different than before she came along (other than packing all the baby stuff again!). We went to Ohio for a family reunion, and I really appreciated the legacy that I have in my family. Family is so important, and I'm thankful to have such a good one. Next weekend we will take one last trip to visit my parents' house in Williamsburg, VA. Looking forward to a fun trip and weekend!

As summer comes to a close, I am thankful for all that we've gotten to do, as well as for the more relaxed schedule we've been able to have this summer. And as this post seems to be one of my usual updates of a little rambling here and a little rambling there, I will close with saying that I just love my husband! Our routine with three definitely wouldn't be feeling normal yet, if I didn't have such a great partner and friend to help me make this become our new normal!

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-11T00:15:00.000-04:00

This year my sisters and their families came to visit in SC for the 4th of July weekend. It was so great having everyone here. I enjoyed shopping trips with each of my sisters, kid free, which was so fun! It really makes me wish that we all lived closer.

Oh, and did I mention that my youngest sister, Megan, is expecting her first baby with her husband, Mike? The news is official now, so I can share it here . . . she is 14 weeks in this picture above, due Dec. 31st, 2011 I think. So exciting!

On Sunday night we had a cook out with everyone, then watched fireworks at the end of my parents' driveway that their neighbors were shooting. It was just as good as any professional show without the crowds or driving or traffic. Just perfect! Plus the two babies, Alaina and Serena, as well as Wendy were already sleeping soundly in bed in the house before the fireworks started, so that was an added plus to staying at home to watch them. I always get a little sad the week after everyone leaves, but I can look forward to seeing everyone again in just another week from now when we meet again in Ohio for the Watson (my Mom's side of the family) reunion. Looking forward to that already.

It's so fun that the cousins are getting old enough to play together now! (Wendy, Serena, Ethan, Alaina, Caleb - L to R)

Megan and Mike

Wendy, Stacy, Zach, Serena

Dad and Mom

Our family of 5

The girls

The guys

Happy 4th of July!

(Thanks to Sharon, my mother in law, for once again capturing these great photo shots! I love them all!)

Best of the Beach

2011-06-29T00:46:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful time at the beach, and of course TONS of photos to choose from. My mother in law is such a great photographer, so most of these photos are hers. But here is a compilation of some of my favorite photos from our week at the beach.

Ethan & Caleb boogie boarding

2011-06-21T20:53:00.000-04:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zsYzprv0vY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I am so proud of how Ethan & Caleb both got out on the waves and were unafraid to boogie board, jump, and swim!

Blog Worthy Moments

Alaina turns 1 year old - Scott turns . . .

Ethan's 8th Birthday Bowling Party

Family Pictures 01-14-12

All About Alaina 2012 Questionnaire (almost 1 yr)

All About Caleb 2012 Questionnaire (5 1/2 yrs)

All About Ethan 2012 Questionnaire (almost 8 yrs)

Just around the house

Just TOO Cute!

Merry Christmas E-Card from our family to yours!

Revised Immunization Schedule 2011

Our Christmas Elf on the Shelf

November's Already Come and Gone

End of October

Upward Soccer 2011

Pictures from Ethan's Baptism

Ethan's Baptism

Happy 5th Birthday to Caleb!

Alaina and her musical talents

First Day of School 2011

Alaina's 6 month photos with her brothers

Routine With Three

4th of July Weekend

Best of the Beach

More Boogie Boarding Videos from the beach

Ethan & Caleb boogie boarding