The Canevari Tales

Turkey Shirts

2009-11-14T15:46:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Amy showed me some Turkey Shirts on Etsy and we decided to see if we could copy them! What started out as a great idea, kinda fizzled with the first shirt (the legs were a disaster and even our attempts to fix them didn't turn out so hot!!), but then gained intensity as I continued making them. The final four shirts turned out great and I am super excited about
them! I also made my first dress for Lilly and while it's hard to see, please notice her monogrammed initials...that also gave us a scare this morning!!!

You can't see them, but there are two pockets on the front!

The first shirt...hopefully it won't make a public debut!

The bottom wording says: Give Thanks to the Lord (so
she could wear it to school yesterday!!)

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T20:56:00.005-04:00

Back by popular demand!! We've been rather absent lately. Blame it on the coupons or a busy schedule, but either way, I've just not felt motivated to update the blog!! But of course the Nana made a request, so I had to oblige her!!

Tonight we took the kids Trick or Treating! It would have been a real treat if the weather had cooperated, but alas it was HOT!!! The kids looked adorable in their custom made Pirate outfits (thanks to Jackie) but by the end, Gage was in just his diaper (a long sleeve shirt, vest, and pants were just too hot). We made it out till just after dark and then it was home for showers and bed!!!

First Day Of School!

2009-08-25T15:11:00.003-04:00

Lilly started Pre-K yesterday at Lakeview Christian. She was so excited to go, however, we had a little trouble getting out the door on time! Seems we got rather use to our slow and leisurely pace this summer! Nevertheless, we got there before the bell rang and Lilly was off before I could say goodbye! She knows most of the kids in her class (through school last year and church) and was the Line Leader the FIRST day!! Mrs. Hartman is her teacher and has been teaching Pre-K for over 20 years. It's a true honor to have her since she's taught almost all of the other Canevari grandkids.

Gage was also excited about Lilly's classroom. There are lots of things to touch. He likes climbing up on the little chairs (and then on to the table if I'm not quick enough to catch him!!!).

When I picked her up, she didn't want to leave. Guess that's a good sign! And of course Mrs. Hartman said that she did very well and set a good example for the other kids!! She makes her momma proud!!!

Trip to WPB

2009-07-20T17:47:00.005-04:00

If I don't post these pics, Nana might just stop reading our blog!!

We went to WPB a couple of weekend ago. It was a complete whirlwind of a trip with so many activities that even I was exhausted. But did it wear out the little ones? Of course NOT!!! In fact, Gage was at full speed the entire weekend and completely overwhelmed Nana who is use to Alivia who is communicates with words or sign language and place peacefully with her toys (unlike Gage who likes to grunt for everything and throws toys as soon as he touches them!!).

In these photos you will see that we watched a turtle be released in Juno Beach. It was such a neat experience and we had a great spot to watch it swim away!! We also spent some good quality time with Poppy and Nana and we also went to the beach. I am ashamed to admit it, but it was Gage's first time to the beach. He absolutely loved it and as soon as I put him in the sand he took off for the water. Of course he was a little surprised when he tasted that salty water, but that didn't stop him nor the waves!!
All in all, we had a great trip!!

Father's Day

2009-07-03T17:07:00.005-04:00

Father's Day was pretty uneventful for us, but I think Carl still enjoyed it! Lilly had spent a couple of days with Nana in West Palm so Carl went to pick her up in Okeechobee Sunday morning. Of course they did a little shopping while they were over there and didn't get home till close to noon.

Shortly after getting home Lilly jumped into the pool where she, Gage, and Carl spent some time swimming. Lilly and Carl even had lunch in the pool!!

Silly Pics

2009-06-25T20:00:00.003-04:00

This summer Lilly has really improved on her swimming. She's swimming all over the pool and has lost her fear of the "deep end." This week she started swim lessons and has been doing great!! Gage has also become a fan of the pool although he doesn't go in nearly as much as Lilly. He would rather be held then go in a floaty which always proves to be fun!!

In these pictures Lilly decided to style Gage's hair by using her wet hands!! As long as he's got food in his hands, he doesn't care what she does to him!!

Lilly's Graduation

2009-06-17T15:52:00.005-04:00

Mrs. Merlo

Lilly and Paisley

Lilly and Haley

Tristan & Lilly

It's hard to believe that an entire school year has already flown by. I can still remember the knots I had in my stomach as I drove Lilly to her first day of school. And then the anticipation as I went to pick her up!

Thankfully Lilly was blessed with a very nice and good teacher, Mrs. Merlo. Lilly grew very attached to Mrs. Merlo and on several occasions there were tears when having to leave her for the day (including the last day of school). Throughout the year we have been amazed at what Lilly has learned and we are so very proud of her!!

Although Lilly's class didn't have a formal graduation (like the 4 year olds) they did receive certificates and participated in a little performance of songs! She did a great job and it was so cute watching all the little kids. I am so glad we got it on video because it will be something worth showing them when they're in high school (it could possibly be blackmail material!!).

Gage's Party

2009-06-03T11:10:00.005-04:00

A little late in posting these, but here they are!! We had a wonderful First Birthday Party for Gage. Lots of friends and family came (missed a few family members, though!!) and it was a good time. Gage was quite funny with his cake. Not so sure at first, but then Lilly helped get into the cake and once he started eating he wouldn't stop!! Ever since he's been loving him some sweets!!

Mother's Day Dinner

2009-05-22T22:21:00.004-04:00

Lilly had a great idea for Mother's Day...taking Mommy to her favorite restaurant! She was totally unpromped when she suggested going for chips and salsa at Don Jose's. We went there with Gene, Jackie, Lou, Jen, Anthony, Kassie, and Louie. And of course the kids had a great time and it was so nice to have childcare!!

Birthday Boy

2009-05-01T15:37:00.005-04:00

It's hard to believe that Gage will be ONE on May 2nd. Truly, where has the time gone? Gage has been such a wonderful blessing in our lives. He has brought us so much joy and laughter and our lives wouldn't be the same without him. Of course I am rather sad that my baby is growing up quickly, but at the same time I am also anxious for him to start hitting some milestones!!

Here are a few things that Gage is doing/enjoying these days!

1. He likes to throw his hands up in the air when asked, "How big is Gage?" He even likes to do it at meal time even when not asked (seems he's already an attention getter!).

2. He will blow kisses, but uses the back of his hand and hasn't figured out how to move his hand away from his mouth...still cute though!

3. He is rather independent and enjoys crawling ALL over the house and making messes wherever he goes. Currently he's into beads. He likes to put as many necklaces as he can on and then drags them around the house. If it's something he can put around his neck or over his head, he'll do it!

4. He has just discovered the kitchen cabinets and likes to open and close them. I am sure it's only a matter of time before my pots and pans are his new favorite toys!

5. He also enjoys shutting doors. You'll know where he's at because he'll crawl into a room and immediately shut the door. Usually he'll start to fuss once he wants out. I've started putting towels over the doors so he can't shut them which really aggravates him!

6. He really enjoys the pool and bath. He'll splash the entire time and just laugh.

7. He's very much into electronics and loves the phone and tv remote. You can't talk on the phone and hold him at the same time...the power struggle is just too much!

8. He hasn't caught up to Alivia in the talking department, but does say Momma and Dadda and calls Lilly "Ma" (which she absolute hates and will say to him "I'm NOT your mommy"). He does, however, chat up a storm and it's only a matter of time until I will be wishing for a quiet newborn again!

9. Gage continues to be a Momma's boy which I am learning to enjoy! Thankfully he's doing better going to the nursery, however, the gym nursery is another story.

10. And finally, Gage is about out of the baby food stage (hurray!!!!). He'll eat his veggies, but only if it's blended with regular food. He's enjoyed everything I've given him which is pretty much what we're eating for dinner. It's been a new adventure and I am so excited not be making baby food every week!!!

Here are a few pics of the little guy. I'm uploading from two computers so be patient!!

5 days before becoming a family of four!

Our Little Man only an hour old!

Siblings meeting for the first time:)

More pics to come...shortly!!!

Gage Update

2009-04-09T16:27:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe that our Little Man will be turning ONE on May 2nd. This year has flown by and I wanted to highlight some recent pics of him so that in the coming years I could remember him as the Little Man!!

I just love when he sticks his little feet out of the crib!

Chewing on some pizza crust...he loved it!

Enjoying the swing at the park. He didn't want to get out!

All smiles with Nana!

We went to the park for Lilly's birthday and of course the Nuk had to come along!
I try to only let him have it in the car and in the crib. He snuck it out of the car on this day!

We are working on putting pavers on the back porch and of course it got a little
dirty. On this day Pop Pop wanted Gage to get in the hole Carl created to fix our
pool leak. He wasn't so crazy about the mud, but enjoyed sitting with Pop Pop
and chewing on the brick paver!

Lilly Belle Is FOUR!

2009-04-01T22:55:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe that our little girl is no longer "little." Yesterday Lilly turned 4 and it nearly broke my heart. Where has the time gone?!?! We are currently in West Palm Beach for Spring Break, so Lilly spent her birthday with my family. Over the weekend Lilly went to the Miami Zoo with Poppy and Nana (and even rode the train halfway with Nana). They had a good time, but since she's been to the WPB Zoo so much, she preferred pressing all the buttons! The highlight of the trip was seeing Diego, although Lilly commented that he didn't "talk" to her!!

When it's all said and done, Lilly will have FOUR birthday celebrations this year. It started last week with a mini class party, followed by dinner and a Carvel Ice Cream cake in WPB, next will be the Canevari celebration on the 11th followed by the All Girl Pool Party. Gee, must be nice!!! I think she's taking it all in stride and enjoys all the cake (that's my girl)!!!!

Weekend Guests

2009-03-07T15:01:00.004-05:00

Two weekends ago (yes, I know I have been very behind in posting...too busy trying to get all the great deals at the stores!!) Nathan, Amy and Alivia came for a visit. It was so wonderful to have them here. Not only is it rare that we get visitors, but it's been entirely too long since Amy (and Nathan!!) lived in the state of Florida. So it's so nice having them only 1.5 hours away!!

While Nathan, Carl and Lilly headed to the hunting lease for Saturday evening and Sunday, Amy and I tackled my very disorganized, disheveled and completely out of control house!!! Amy is a pro at organizing and pitching and she also has an eye for decorating. So, with little babies in toe we set off to make my house look good! And while we didn't tackle everything, we still managed to get a lot accomplished and wore ourselves out in the process!!

Here are a few pics from the weekend!

Gage and Alivia really enjoyed all the toys and it
kept them distracted...for a little while!

Uncle Awesome (a.k.a. Nathan) caught a gator in our pond and Carl insisted on
having the kids take a pic with him. I was in the background totally distraught.
Please notice how the gator has his head going towards Gage...YIKES!!

Poor Alivia will always think her cousins

are country hicks!!

Carl introduced Amy and I to a wonderful power
tool and we feel in love. Because it was sooo easy
to use, we were able to hang lots of things...including
my favorite old windows that have been down for FOUR years!

Amy had the idea to frame some old material
from my couch pillows. I love all things rustic
and country so these frames worked out well. It's
rather feminine and country, but Carl was okay with it.

Like he had a choice!!

I've Been Tagged

2009-02-23T20:51:00.003-05:00

I've seen this fun activity on other blogs, but hadn't been tagged. So when my friend, Rebekah tagged me, I was quite pleased! So, the objective is to find my 6th picture folder and find the 6th picture and post it. Not sure what I will find, but here we go!!

Oh my, if this doesn't scream REDNECK! This is a picture from January 2002. As you can tell Carl was proud of his kill. The sad thing is that if this were today, Lilly would be right next to him!

Alright, I will pass along the fun to my friends Donna & Katie and sister, Amy!

FREE Coupons

2009-02-16T20:26:00.003-05:00

For those friends of mine that are just getting into the Couponing World, here is a great way to stockpile some coupons...for free! My friend, the eBay Selling Coach (a.k.a. Suzanne) is offering lots of free coupons and all you have to do is leave a comment on her blog (click on "blog")!

And for those interested in selling on eBay, her blog is super helpful as well as her very helpful eBooks!

Old & New Friends!

2009-02-14T13:18:00.005-05:00

Last weekend Lilly, Gage and I traveled to Lake Wales to see my Pen pal, Betsey Langford. Betsey and I have been corresponding since we were 10 years old. Betsey is from OH (her parents have a winter home in Lake Wales) and we met through a mutual friend and have stayed in touch over the past 20 years! We have seen eachother periodically over the years, but it's been 3 years since our last get together (due to having babies). The last time we saw eachother Carson was about 3 months old and I was pregnant with Lilly.

I was excited to see Betsey and her kids and was curious how the kids would do together. Thankfully after warming up to eachother, Carson and Lilly really hit it off. They played board games together and enjoyed the (fake) Parrot on the front porch and especially liked the pool. We stayed for a couple of hours and as we were driving off, Lilly told me she was going to miss her new friends!

Betsey and I decided that our girls would start corresponding with eachother. I think Lilly will really enjoy it because she loves getting mail!! Perhaps they will become good friends as well:)

Money Saving Blogs

2009-02-09T22:14:00.004-05:00

As some of you know I have recently become addicted to couponing. I discovered this new world several months ago and thankfully also found some great blogs that taught me along the way. From day one I have been completely amazed by the women who own these blogs. Their blogs are super helpful and have helped me learn how to save all kinds of money. Because I have found them so valuable, I have added my favorite blogs to the right hand side column (and I follow quite a few)!

Now I have to do a little bragging (and hopefully convince you that couponing really does work!!). Last month I spent $310 on groceries, but I saved $205!!! Yep, can you believe it? It's all from following the blogs, shopping the sales and clipping coupons! Plus, I am able to get FREE items each week from either CVS or Walgreens. I don't think we'll need toothpaste or shampoo for a couple of years!! Of course if it's something we don't use, I just put it in my "donate pile." I figure it's the least I can do!!

Little Man Is Crawling!

2009-02-08T22:31:00.002-05:00

Last week Gage hit the crawling milestone! He took his time to start crawling which was just fine with me!! Each day he craws a little farther and explores a new area. He also likes to lay on his belly and spin himself in circles...it's rather funny! The only problem is that I am having to vacuum almost daily. It's amazing how dirty the floors get!

Little Man also got his 8th tooth. It's hard to believe since Lilly got her first tooth at 9 months. He has also started saying "Momma" in addition to "Dadda" and often says something close to "yum yum" when he eats!

He has also graduated to eating some meats and has done really well with them. He continues to be a great eater although he wants nothing to do with his Puffs. We are working on that, though!

He goes to the Doctor this week for his 9 month check-up. I'll update more after that appointment!

A Day In The Life Of Mommy!

2009-02-05T22:01:00.005-05:00

This past Saturday I encountered a sequence of events that I just had to write about. While it was happening I grabbed the camera because I knew I would need proof of all of the events!

Saturday was a rather laid back, but chilly morning. The day before I had purchased some tomatoes and since we were out of tomato soup, I decided that I would find a recipe and try to make it myself. The recipe was Roasted Tomato Soup and so I set to work preparing the tomatoes to roast them. All was well until it was time to blend all the ingredients. Since I didn't have the handheld blender (that the recipe called for!) I decided just to put in my blender. Now I realize that I shouldn't put hot items in the blender, but I wasn't thinking about that on this particular day. As you can imagine, I found a quick mess on my hands...pics below will tell the tale!

Of course Lilly came in all distraught with the mess and even helped me clean it up! The unfortunate thing, though, is that the soup was a flop. I was missing some of the ingredients and it really tasted bad, even though Lilly attempted to still eat it!

After cleaning up the mess (minus my shirt), I got Gage in bed and started to make Lilly's lunch. I had just put her grilled cheese sandwich on the stove and had gone to the bathroom when I heared Gage crying (he had already fallen asleep at this point). I knew something was up so I checked on him. What I found was an utter mess. All 8oz. of food were all over his face, hair, clothes and bed. This is what was left when I picked him up!

I did my best to clean him up and took his clothes off. I wrapped him in a blanket and grabbed his towel and wash cloth. Since the sink was full of dirty dishes I decided to bath him in our sink. On the way to the bathroom I smelt a burning smell and rushed into the kitchen to find a very burned sandwich:(
At this point I thought to myself, "What else could happen" and that's when Gage threw up again! Thankfully I had him facing away from me so it hit the floor.

So I whisked him off to the sink which he absolutely hated. I couldn't get him cleaned fast enough. Thankfully I got him dressed and back to bed just in time to get Lilly off to bed, my shirt changed and the kitchen cleaned up. And yes, I dumped all 5 cups of tomato soup and even got Gage's clothes washed! As soon as I was done, I got into bed with Lilly and took what I believed was a well deserved nap!!

The little man prior to the early afternoon events!

Kate & Jeremy's Wedding

2009-01-30T13:47:00.003-05:00

Kate and Jeremy tied the knot on Sunday and it was absolutely beautiful. It all came together so well and I was so proud to be a part of it!! Unfortunately I was too busy to take any pictures, but my uncle took some on dad's camera and my sister has them posted here!

After the wedding Lilly came home and crashed (since she missed her nap she fell asleep at 6:30 and didn't get up until 3am when Gage woke us both up, but then slept till 7:30!!) but before going to sleep she told Carl, "I am so happy I was in Kate's wedding." Lilly also made a new friend, Ruby, who was also in the wedding (they walked down together). They were so cute together and it was a blessing that they met because Lilly didn't want to wear the tutu or curl her hair until she realized RUBY was doing it!!

Once the official pics are up, I will post a link to the site. I know they will be amazing. Regina did such an awesome job!!

Kate & Jeremy are off to Mexico and both Amy and I are jealous. We are ready for a mini vacay too!!

GO GATORS!!!

2009-01-16T16:01:00.004-05:00

I know this post is a little late, but you've already heard my computer excuse!!

Last week the kids and I got dressed in our Gator Pride outfits in anticipation of the BIG game!! I thought we looked so cute...especially the kids!! We had fun wearing them and Lilly even stayed up a little later than usual to watch some of the game (mostly she played while we watched the game!!). The next morning Lilly say her friend, Greer (who is also a Gator fan), and she said, "Greer, Greer, we won!" How cute!!

Future Gator football player and cheerleader!!

I just love Lilly's expression in this one!

Our new Bird Dog "Tebow" (a.k.a Bobo)!!!

It's Been A While!!

2009-01-14T12:31:00.003-05:00

Aren't you sick of the Santa pictures already?? I know I am, but my hands are tied right now. My old computer crashed on me (thankfully I can still access my pictures) and I have been working from the computer in the office. Since I am hoping to fix the laptop, I haven't wanted to upload new pics to any other computer. But since Carl hasn't even taken the laptop out of the house to be looked at, I might need to upload them soon!!

As an update, I took Gage to a Pediatric Neurologist yesterday to see about his tremors. Thankfully mom and Amy went with me to take notes and help ask/answer questions. After asking a lot of questions and examining Gage, the Doctor determined that the tremors are more than likely a Tic and also an unconscious way his body shows excitement. He said that as long as they don't get any worse and he keeps on hitting all of the developmental milestones, that Gage would be fine. Of course it was a tremendous relief to us. So we will continue to keep a close eye on him and see how it goes!!

I also wanted to wish Aunt Amy a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We were in West Palm this weekend so we were able to celebrate it with her, but I still wanted to say it again:) Hope it's a great one!!!! Enjoy it because next year you hit the {BIG} 30!!!!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T17:29:00.004-05:00

We wish all of our friends, family (and loyal readers!!) a VERY Merry Christmas. May it be a day filled with love, laughter and good times!

Here a few pics of a our visit to see Santa. Unfortunately they aren't that great because Santa was late and then we had to take the pictures over due to technical difficulties (the first round were much better!). Oh well, at least we have the pictures and the memories!!

Cousin Alivia!

It was impossible to get one good pic of them all!

School Christmas Party

2008-12-22T14:23:00.003-05:00

Lilly's class had a Christmas party on Friday and like a bad mommy, I completely forgot the camera. Thankfully other good mommies brought there's and I thought I would post a few that I just received.

Below is Lilly's friend, Tristen (who I think could be her twin!). I just love his facial expressions in the pics. I am sure one day they will have a good laugh at these!!

Oh and this just in...Gage is getting more teeth. He's been working on two more teeth on top and one just broke through yesterday. And then today I was cleaning his face after feeding him baby food and noticed that another tooth (that I hadn't even seen) has broken through on the bottom. I am afraid with all these teeth that nursing will be coming to an end:(

Lilly ran back up to Santa to tell him "thank you!"

An Early Present...For Mommy!!

2008-12-14T21:25:00.002-05:00

I never thought I would be excited about a vacuum, but yesterday Carl brought home a Dyson vacuum as an early Christmas present. If he had done this when we were first married I wouldn't have been as excited, but seeing as I've been wanting one for quite some time, I was VERY excited (and surprised)!!!

I tried it out today and it was great. I wish Carl was around to take a picture because I really felt like a redneck mama. Gage was on the hip while I was vacuuming...he wasn't so keen on the noise!!