The ♥ of a Hartman

My Little Valentines!

2012-02-22T22:06:00.004-05:00

It has been a crazy, busy, and exciting time around our house these last few weeks, and I am JUST NOW getting to post pictures of my cuties from Valentine's Day! We all came down with a stomach bug at different times, and I am so glad that it is over with, and that we are all finally starting to feel better! Valentine's Day was pretty low key for us this year. James has been so busy with work, so we didn't see him at all. The kids and I hung out and ate dinner, and I got a few cute pictures of them.

Here is the card I made James- courtesy of Pinterest! ;-)

The next night, James came home and we made pizza with the kids and went out for ice cream afterwards.

I think Addisyn ate more cheese than she actually put on the pizza...

Me and my sweet girl!

Love my family of 4! <3

Our Trip to Atlanta

2012-02-11T16:58:00.002-05:00

I have been so busy with things at school and home that I have not yet had time to blog our trip to Atlanta for Kairi's birthday. We always get together with everyone on the Hartman side of the family in January for Kairi's birthday. It is always a blast to get all of Grandpa's grand kids and kids together and spend time laughing and playing!

Kairi's party was ADORABLE! Mae did an awesome job on the Strawberry Shortcake theme. Everything was handmade by Mae- she is craftier than she gives herself credit for!!!

After playing, the kids went out back to do the pinata.

Inside was a map that lead them on hunt for treasure. (How cute is that???)

The treasure was inside the tent! PJ got his very own tent (for Christmas from Uncle John, Aunt Mae, Kairi and Alex, and Addisyn got an adorable butterfly pillow pet)

Kairi opening her presents:

Of course there were strawberry shortcakes!!! DELISH!

Cake time!

Watching a movie with Uncle Joe:

After bath, the tent came inside and the big kids camped in it!

On Sunday we headed to the park for some more playtime before heading home.

Grandpa with all 4 of his grand kids!

Father and sons!

Brothers!!!

Thanks so much for a super fun weekend, John and Mae!!! We love you!

Happy Trails Ranch

2012-01-24T23:08:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, we went to our friend Ethan's 4th birthday party at Happy Trails Ranch. We had never been there before and it was SO.MUCH.FUN!!!! It was great to hang out with good friends, and watch our kids laugh and play!

First they all got to feed the horses.

Then they watched the cat do some tricks.

Next we headed out of the barn and the kids jumped on the back of the tractor to watch the poodles do some tricks.

Jumping over the fence.

Look at this sweet face!

... and this one!

The poodle can even jump rope!

After she did all of her tricks, the kids got to pet her.

Next they were off for a tractor ride.

When they came back, it was time to ride the horses. Here is the birthday boy Ethan deciding which horse he wanted to ride first.

SO HAPPY!

My little man... He LOVED IT!

Waiting patiently to ride the other horse.

Take ya for a ride on my big, blue tractor.....

Of course the kids worked up an appetite. They enjoyed Chik-fil-a for lunch, and of course some yummy cake!

This last one of my two just melts my heart....

Thanks, Christy and Mark, for inviting us to celebrate Ethan's special day!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

My brother and sister-in-law had a big New Year's Eve party this year. (It is also Stephanie's birthday on the 31st- but she doesn't like anyone to make a fuss over it.)
Everyone had so much fun, and it was the perfect way to end our trip down South!

My oldest friends!!!

Breakin' it down on the dance floor!

CHEESE!

Black eyed peas on New Year's Day!!!

Happy New Year to all of my family and friends! I hope 2012 is the best year yet!!!!

xoxo

PJ's 1st Duck Hunt

2011-12-30T02:09:00.000-05:00

The day after Christmas, Ryan and James took Brady and to our family cabin (that we have had since I was in 1st grade) in Okeechobee. My dad and some of his buddies were there, too! James took the "old" camera with him to get some pictures from the trip, so I wanted to share them!

Ready to get in Uncle Ry's truck...

We're here!!!!

Checking out the lake house!

Airboat ride:

Fishing...

Time to get up and fish some more!!!

Ready for another airboat ride...

Going through the locks...

On the levy...

Cutie pies!

Picnic on the levy...

Hanging out watching cartoons with Papa- ready to get some rest to go hunting EARLY in the morning!

Pre- duck hunt breakfast of champions?!?

Love this...

Going through the locks...

Happy boy!!!!

I think it is safe to say that PJ LOVED his first trip to the lake house! Thank you Daddy, Papa, and Uncle Ry!!!!

Merry Christmas (2011) to All...

2011-12-27T21:24:00.000-05:00

SANTA CLAUS CAME!!!!!!!!!!

When everyone was done opening their gifts, I noticed a big bag that said, "Hartman Family". I also noticed that it was in James' writing! I was totally shocked that he surprised me with a new camera- the one I have been wanting for.ever. I charged it up, and the next set of pictures, and the pictures in (most) posts after this one are from my awesome new toy!!!!

The girls in their adorable outfits!

My dad, Lisa, Rob and Shaun came over and we did gifts with them. My dad wanted to see the chimney that Santa came through, so he and Addisyn went and had a look:

Opening gifts from Papa & Mowisa:

Our new ornament!

The rest of the day was spent playing outside until the sun went down...

...and just enjoying being together...

Taking a break from cooking Christmas dinner...

Love my big brother...

Time to EAT!

Our yummy Christmas meal!

After dinner, we had a fire out back, and the kids got to eat the gingerbread house they made with Papa earlier in the week.

It was a WONDERFUL Christmas!!!!

...and to ALL a GOOD night!

*** These next pictures were from the day after Christmas... I didn't have a post to put them in, and they were too cute not to share!

Playing peek-a-boo with Landyn...

Thank you so much to my brother and sister-in-law for welcoming us into their home at Christmas time. We love that our kids can all wake up together on Christmas morning, and we love spending time with you all during the holidays!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas- The 2011 version

2011-12-26T17:08:00.000-05:00

We headed down South after I got out of school on the 21st! The days leading up to Christmas Eve/Day were packed full of shopping, planning, decorating, prepping.... (you know the drill...)
On Christmas Eve, we headed to Nanny's house for dinner and gifts for the kids.

Addisyn opening her present- a picnic basket!

PJ opening his present- a HUGE Optimus Prime!

Addisyn wanted to help Landyn open his present...

...by climbing ON TOP of it!

Addisyn with Aunt Sissy:

Love my babies!

My Family of 4!

Hunter and Savannah- Aren't they gorgeous?!?

After all the fun at Nanny's, we headed back to the house to get the kids bathed and settled for bed. We continued our tradition of listening to Twas the Night Before Christmas with my Dad reading it to all of us via Facetime on the iPad. (Gotta love technology, huh?)

A quick Christmas Eve picture by the tree, and it was off to put 7 kids to bed, where we hoped sugar plum fairies would start dancing QUICKLY in their heads...

The stockings were hung:

The gifts were under the tree:

And now we wait for Santa....

These Mamas worked HARD!

Merry Christmas Eve!!!!

December Fun times 7!

2011-12-19T00:19:00.000-05:00

Here are 7 random things from December that we enjoyed this year...

#1- Jingles, our crazy scout elf...

#2- Class parties...

#3- Christmas gifts with our best friends...

#4- A new swingset... (Thank you, Papa and Mowisa!!!)

#5- Building Rice Krispy houses...

#6- Cute winter hats...

#7- 7years of wedded bliss!!!

Tribute to our Troops

2011-12-17T23:06:00.000-05:00

We took the kids to see the infamous lights in Southwood. They were AMAZING! Unfortunately, the traffic was so bad that it took us close to an hour of waiting to actually get in front of the house, so the kids fell asleep. I recorded it so that I could show them later! Enjoy!

Elf Night at Dorothy B. Oven

2011-12-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

We decided to take the kids to Elf Night at Dorothy B. Oven Park again this year. We have gone to see the lights every year since PJ was born. Last year it was CRAZY busy, but against my better judgement I decided to try again since Addisyn is a bit older. This year wasn't nearly as bad (or cold) and the kids really seemed to enjoy it!
I, of course, wanted them to pose for pictures... PJ was almost too cooperative because he asked to take a picture near just about every decoration. Addisyn was a bit distracted...

For our Uncles...

You can't tell in this picture, but there was snow!

Enjoying hot chocolate and cookies...

The line to see Santa was RIDICULOUSLY long, so we didn't even attempt to wait in it. Although the park is packed, this is a fun tradition we have started with the kids, and we can't wait to go next year!!!

Addisyn- 18 months!!!

2011-12-13T21:39:00.000-05:00

How in the world can Addisyn be 1 1/2?????? Today was her well check-up, so I waited to post this until I had her updated stats.
* She weighs 26.8 lbs, and is 31 in. tall. (At her 15 month visit, she was 24 lbs. 1.5 oz. and 29 1/2 in.)
*She is currently in the 80th percentile for weight, and the 26th percentile for height
*She currently wears a size 4 diaper and is wearing 12-18 month clothes and size 5 shoes. She is showing a bit of interest in potty training- mostly by saying "peepee" or "potty" and grabbing her diaper. Occasionally she will run to the bathroom and want to sit on the potty for a few minutes. She has yet to actually go.
*She eats just about everything, and I can't think of 1 thing that she really dislikes
*She sleeps through the night but every now and then, on a rare occasion, will wake up screaming. She goes to bed around 8, and wakes up between 7:30-8. (even if she goes to bed late :/ )
*She runs everywhere, climbs everywhere, and is in.to.every.thing.
*She plays nice most of the time, but has been biting her friends at daycare... and on occasion Mommy and PJ. This is a new thing for me, because PJ didn't bite. I am hoping this phase will end quicker than it came. She also swats at PJ (and probably her daycare friends, too) if she wants something, or if someone tries to take something she has.
*She is definitely in a Mommy stage, although she still goes to Daddy (as long as I'm not around). She does not like men, and tends to run the other way and wrap herself around my legs if a man is approaching.
*She loves her pow pow (pacifier) in the car and at bed time. She also loves when I rock her and sing the "Rocky Do" song. I sometimes catch her singing it to her baby dolls.
*She says all kinds of things, and can put words together. Some things I hear the most lately are: have it, stroll (stroller), happened? (what happened), saw-wee (sorry), Milt (milk), water, snack, more please, PJ, are you? (where are you?), No (gotta love that), Betsy, her daycare friends' names: Toby (Koby), Lijah (Elijah), Addey (Adley), Rachel, (I have heard her say Madison before, too, although I can't remember how she says it) no bite (insert name here), play outside, shoesies, Up-e-down (when she wants to be picked up or put down), hold you, peep-eye (peekaboo), when she sees a baby, she says- "Hiiiiii baby", Reesey (our dog), get down
I know there are a ton more, but those are the ones that stick out right now.
*She adores her big brother. She wants to do everything he does, and be everywhere he is. It is so cute!

Here are some more recent pictures of her:

Before I know it, she will be 2! Slow down, baby girl!

A Big Boy Bed for a Newly Big Boy!

2011-12-13T20:47:00.002-05:00

Let me start this post by giving PJ's 4 year check-up stats since he had his well check-up this afternoon, and I already included almost everything he is up to in his birthday post yesterday:
*He is 40 lbs. and 41 3/4 in. long. He is in the 80th percentile for weight, and the 79th percentile for height. *He has been completely potty trained for about a year, and at night time for about 6 months. Night time is what took the longest for him, but now that he gets to wear big boy underwear like Daddy, he hasn't turned back.
*He wears a 4T, but can still wear a good bit of 3T stuff. He wears a size 10 shoe.
*He eats everything, and definitely has his mommy's sweet tooth.

Now on to the big boy bed...

Yesterday was PJ's actual birthday, and we started off the day with a surprise... his BIG boy bed! Sunday night we told him that he could camp out in Mommy and Daddy's room, and he thought nothing of it. He came out a couple of times, but after some convincing, he finally fell asleep. James quickly got to work converting his crib into a full size bed, while I got the new bedding in the washing machine and began preparations in the playroom for his second surprise. Once everything was done, we got the bed made, and all set up for the big reveal!

While I finished reorganizing the playroom, James got to work on the next project- building the new play kitchen! Once he finished, we got it all set up in it's new spot!

I woke up SO excited to show PJ his surprise! I grabbed his hand and we walked toward his room.(quickly so he didn't spot the new kitchen since I wanted both kids to see it together) We got about to the door and he said, "Cool bed! Where is my surprise?" He had NO idea it was HIS! I told him it was his new bed, and his face lit up, and he ran and ~~hopped~~ asked for us to pick him up and put him on it!

Since it was a bit earlier than he needed to be up, he snuggled under the covers to watch cartoons until James was done getting ready for work.

He spent the day at school, and when I got off work, I rushed to get Addisyn and then headed to his school to do cupcakes with his class.

Everyone in his class sang to him, and he loved every little minute of it!

When we left his school, we headed home to see the next surprise....

Addisyn refused to take her eyes off of it to take a picture, which was no surprise to me!

Here she is heating up pizza in the microwave.. lol

...and getting some coffee ready for Mommy...

...and filling up her water cup...

We played for a bit longer, until James got home, and then we got ready to go eat at Chik-Fil-A as requested by the birthday boy. We decided we would go to the one at the mall because PJ wanted to see Santa... no such luck there because it was bring your dog night, and the line was too long. PJ was upset because he wanted to tell Santa it was his birthday. I assured him that Santa already knew, and that we would come back in a few days to see him.

After we ate, we took the kids to play at the playground for a bit, and ended our birthday celebration with some ice cream.

On the way home, PJ asked if he could just go straight to bed and not take a bath. I thought my ears had deceived me!!! Let's hope that going to bed at night will continue to be this easy!!! ;-)
After he got his bath, (OF COURSE I MADE HIM TAKE A BATH! A day at school and the mall playground?!?! No way he was getting in his new bed without one! ;-) ) he settled into bed and let his sister check out his new digs!

Once Addisyn was in bed, I snuggled up with him for a few minutes and we talked about his day.
Me: Did you have a good birthday?
PJ: Yes! It was cool!
Me: What was your favorite part?
PJ: When you came to school with my cupcakes and everyone sang to me! What was your favorite part Mommy?
Me: Watching you smile, and spending time together as a family.
PJ: I liked that, too, Mommy.
<3

Sweet dreams, my big boy.

My Baby Boy is 4!!!

2011-12-12T01:31:00.001-05:00

Seems like just yesterday I was pregnant and posing in front of the Christmas tree, waiting on our baby boy to arrive!

In a blink of an eye, you were in my arms.

The time has flown by way too fast, and I am certain that it will continue to do so...

I really wanted to start this post out by sharing a picture from each birthday up until now, especially since I haven't done a good job at blogging each party.

The day he was born- 12/12/07- 5:08 pm- He weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. You can see more about the day he was born here.

1st Birthday party- We celebrated in Disney at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. We had a small Winnie the Pooh themed party with our family the next day at the hotel.

2nd Birthday- We had a monkey themed party at our old house in Woodville.

3rd Birthday- We had a Cars themed party at Ollie Wallies Fun Center- one of our favorite places to go, which is now closed.

4th Birthday- We had a Transformer themed party at our new house in Buck Lake. You can see the post for this party here.

These days, PJ loves everything Transformer. He is big into doing things as a family. He adores his sister, and she adores him. He loves playing with his classmates at The Preschool at Evening Rose. He is in the Preschool classroom, and will start VPK in the Fall. His teacher, Ms. Arielle, is the BEST! He talks about her all the time, and she has taught him so much. He loves playing with his cousins and friends outside of school. He loves to be outdoors, but also enjoys snuggling up on the couch to watch a movie. He can count to twenty, and further if you help him at each ten (thirty, forty, fifty). He is also counting in Spanish, and recognizes most letters. We have been working on sounds, too. He knows how to spell and write PJ, and he can spell Patrick with a little bit of help. He can tell you his full name, his address, and the city and state he lives in. When you try to tell him about something we are going to be doing another day, he runs through the whole day for you... ( I go to sleep, wake up, go to school, you pick me up, and then we go to Disney!) He loves singing and dancing, and his dance moves are pretty interesting, to say the least!

Betsy, one of my dearest friends, gave me the idea (which she got from someone else) to ask the same 20 questions every year on his birthday. I thought it was such a great idea, because it gives a true picture of exactly who he is and what he loves during this stage.
Here are his answers:

1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Bumblebee the Transformer and Optimus Prime
3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples
4. What is your favorite tv show? Spongebob
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? pizza
6. What is your favorite outfit? Cars movie pajamas
7. What is your favorite game? Mario and Weegee (Luigi)
8. What is your favorite snack? Cheez-Its
9. What is your favorite animal? Tiger (LOL)
10. What is your favorite song? "Life is a Highway"- from Cars the movie
11. What is your favorite book? The Elf on the Shelf
12. Who is your best friend? Brady, Layci, and Daddy
13. What is your favorite movie? Cars
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play cars
15. What is your favorite drink? Juice box
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Tigger
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Chick-fil-A
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Be a Dad like my Daddy (how SWEET is that?!?)

Thank you, Betsy, for getting these great shots of PJ!

My sweet PJ,
Before you were born, I dreamed of what it would be like to have a child, a son. You have far exceeded any expectation that I ever had. You bring me constant joy. We have laughed, cried, danced, sang, and spun in circles until we fell dizzy to the floor. It is obvious to everyone who meets you, that you are a lovable little man who is full of life. I hope you never lose the spark you have in your eyes, or your amazement at the world around you. I love how you always wonder why and ask questions. You will always be my baby boy, no matter how "bigger and bigger like Daddy" you get. Always remember how much you love your baby sister, and continue to protect her and love her (even when you think you may not like her at all), just like you have until now. No matter what you do, you will always make me proud. In 4 years, you have taught me the true meaning of what living life to the fullest is all about! I try to better myself everyday because of you.

Rocky-Do, my sweet baby boy. I love you to the moon and back!

Love, Mommy <3

PJ Trans4med!!!

2011-12-10T01:30:00.000-05:00

Today we had a Transformers themed 4th Birthday party for PJ at our house. Most everything was handmade, blue, red, silver (Optimus Prine) and yellow & black (Bumblebee). Thank you so much to several friends for helping with the special touches for his party- Betsy for helping make the tissue paper pom poms (Anyone who reads her blog knows how ADORABLE they were for Sarah's baby shower!), Lashay for helping to make the play-doh and hanging Transformer decorations, Kendal for helping with the banner, and Robin for the streamers, plates, napkins, and the goodie bags full of Transformers stuff for the kids!
We are so grateful for everyone that came to help our big boy celebrate, and missed everyone who couldn't make it! Here are the pictures from his fun day!

The birthday boy!

Food and decorations:

PJ's BIG cupcake :-)

James worked so hard to try to get the kids' new swingset from Papa and Mowisa ready, but couldn't quite get it done in time! The kids enjoyed the bounce house instead!

Optimus Prime made by Daddy! The kids could climb inside and "drive" it.

Handmade Play-Doh favors and Transformer goodie bags!

PJ requested all of these things... cheese, chips, gummy worms, pretzels, Goldfish, fruit, pizza... The only thing we didn't have that he wanted was french fries!

Cake bites made by The Cuppy Cake! They were SO YUMMY!

The Oak Ridge girls...

Pinata time!

Getting ready to sing to my big boy!

Loved watching his face when everyone sang to him! Right after we lit the candles, he said, "Now you sing to me!!!"

Presents! He was so good about listening to me read the cards or who it was from first.

Opening his present from Mommy & Daddy... an iPod touch. Love the fact that there are so many educational games and books and most are FREE!

Our family of 4:

Me and my little man... Can't believe he is FOUR!!!

After the party was over, and everyone left, I asked him what his favorite part was... He said, "The yata (pinata) with my friends, cupcakes, and everyone singing to me." After he finished telling me all about it, he said, "Mommy, what was your favorite part?" I told him how I loved watching the smile on his face while everyone sang to him.

Oh how I love that boy!!! :-)

Thank you so much to everyone who came to help celebrate with our family! Trans4mation COMPLETE!

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas!

2011-12-06T18:25:00.000-05:00

This year we traveled to Orlando for a visit to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! (Thank you, Mimi!) The last time we went, PJ was 1, and slept through most of it. I knew this time would be different since he is (almost) 4.
We arrived on Friday late afternoon to meet Ryan, Stephanie, Mimi, Savannah, Brady, Layci, and Landyn at the Polynesian Resort where we were all staying. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

You could see the castle from the balcony of our room!!!!

Once we got all settled in, we took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom.

The way they light everything up at Christmas is AMAZING!!!

PJ and Layci- (PJ is checking out the snow on Main Street)

My sweet girl's first trip to Disney and she LOVED it!

Me and Steph in front of the castle!

We headed straight for some rides that all the kids could go on. Our first was the Haunted House, which I didn't get any pictures on!

We also rode Peter Pan and It's a Small World. Check out Addisyn's face... Love it!

Beautiful Layci!

PJ and Daddy sat in the front of the boat with Savannah and her friend Ashley.

Next we took all the kids on the carousel-

Then it was time to find something to eat in Tomorrowland.

We tried to get to get a family photo with the castle in the background, but this guys got in our way!

The kids got to sit outside and watch the firework show after they ate dinner.

Ryan took Brady and Savannah on Space Mountain, and look who we found!

PJ was so excited, but refused to get close to him!

After they were all finished, we walked toward the go-carts.

Addisyn stared at the cards going around and around...

So Daddy decided he would take her!

I couldn't get a good picture of it, but she fell sound asleep on Daddy before they finished! It was SO CUTE!

We bundled her up and got her in the stroller where she slept the rest of the night!

Unfortunately we missed the parade, and we were only able to catch Santa (which is really who they all wanted to see anyway.) We were still pretty disappointed that we missed it.

Next, it was off to Frontierville, where we enjoyed turkey legs and churros.

It was getting super late, so we started to make our way towards the exit although none of us wanted to leave yet! We stopped at one of the stores to get a few Christmas ornaments.

Here is another beautiful picture of the castle:

Ryan and Landyn:

LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!!!

We got back on the monorail and headed back to the resort. Everyone was exhausted!

The next morning, I woke up to a loud thump. followed by James screaming and Addisyn screaming... I jumped out of bed, only to find my sweet girl like this...

She was walking around carrying her cereal and tripped. She wouldn't let the cereal go, and didn't put her hands out, so she landed face first into the door jam. It was obvious she needed stitches, so off my mom and I took her to Florida Hospital's Urgent Care. We were there for about 4 hours, and Addisyn got 3 stitches. :-( Definitely never going to forget her first trip to Disney!

After we got back, we all loaded back up on the monorail and headed to the Grand Floridian to check out their Christmas decorations. The gingerbread house is made of REAL gingerbread! It smelled so GOOD!

We got back in our cars and drove to downtown Disney to walk around the marketplace. We had fun walking, shopping, playing, and eating!

My brother-in-law Joe, who lives in Orlando, met us there, too.

All the kids got their faces painted-

That night my mom made reservations at our resort to see the Spirit of Aloha dinner show. The kids had a blast and the food was delicious. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of it.
We all packed up the next day and hung out at the beach at the resort before heading home! Take a look at the view!!!

Thank you for such an awesome trip, Mom! It is memories like these, and time with our family, that means so much!!!

Atlanta

2011-12-06T01:31:00.001-05:00

We traveled to Atlanta in November to celebrate Alex's 1st birthday. The kids had a blast playing. On Sunday, we decided to go to the Imagine! Children's Museum. It was one of the coolest places I had ever been! There were so many awesome exhibits- Fundamentally Food- teaches them how food gets from the farm to the grocery store and then home where it is cooked; Once Upon a Time- where fairy tales come to life; A paint wall; Learning all about how pulleys and levers make things move; A treehouse with a pond outside where the kids got to fish... I could go on and on! The best part about it is that everything is completely hands on! It was hard to get the kids to leave! Definitely a place I recommend going to see if you are ever in Atlanta!!!

Addisyn's 1st Birthday Party

2011-12-06T00:14:00.000-05:00

It has been over 6 months since we had Addisyn's 1st Birthday party, but I HAD to create a separate post for her special day! Betsy got some great pictures at the party, and so I will let the pictures do the talking... It was a beautiful day for a beautiful girl...

Back to Blogging...

2011-12-05T23:58:00.000-05:00

With a full time job teaching, and 2 very active kids, sometimes I ~~forget~~ don't get to do things that I LOVE to do. Posting about our daily life is definitely one of those things that falls by the wayside when life just gets too busy. So, I have decided that I need to get back to blogging. I am one of those people that feels like if I do something, I need to do it all... post everything, including every picture, all while giving lots of description. I have realized that it isn't about that... These memories I choose to capture and write about should be just that. A way to keep memories and remember the day to day things. Something for my kids to look back on when they are older. So here I go... Bare with me as I update everything that has been going on from June- now.

PJ- He is almost 4 years old! I cannot believe how fast time is flying! He LOVES going to school everyday, but if he had a choice, he would stay with me. He loves all thing boy- and is in a Transformer stage. He adores his sister (most of the time). Sometimes he talks in such a grown up way, that I forget he is a little boy. Our conversations on the ride home from school now include questions from him like, "Mommy, how was your day? What did you do?" Also, when we talk about something that we are going to do in a few days, he always has to go through all of the steps until he gets to that day... "So, Mommy, we are going to go to sleep, wake up, go to school, come home, and then leave to go to Brady's house???" So bittersweet that he is growing up so fast!

Addisyn- She is 18 months and W-I-L-D!!! She gets into EVERYTHING... And I mean Ev.eRy.Thing! She does silly little things that make us all laugh. She adores her big brother, and is definitely in a "Mommy" phase. Lately, she will just say, "MA! MOM! MOM! MA!!" until I answer her. She talks very well for her age... most often times giving complete sentences. She is sassy, too. If she doesn't want to do something, she will say "Nope!" A word we hear often around here is "WATER!" You would think that she lived in the desert, and was dying of thirst! She tells us that she loves us, can say her cousins names, loves talking about her friends at day care (especially "Li-jah") She has recently started to climb out of her pack n play, and also has received her first stitches. (more on that in another post) There is a song that my family used to sing to me when I was little, that I sing to my kids while rocking them... "Rocky Do, I love you, Rocky Do, my baby." At night, she will ask me to "Rocky Do", and just the other night I caught her in the glider with her "baby doll" singing the song. LOVE IT!

As siblings, PJ and Addisyn continue to melt my heart! Every once in a while I will catch them holding hands in the car, laying down on the carpet to watch a cartoon together, or sneaking in little hugs and kisses. I know that this will be short lived, and eventually they will fight and argue, but for now, I am enjoying every sweet little moment of it!

As for James and I- we have both been on a weight loss journey together since the end of summer. James started in June and has lost 50 lbs. He looks like a totally different person! I started at the end of July (after Addisyn completely weaned herself from nursing) and have lost just under 40 lbs. I ran my 1st 5k on Veteran's Day- 11/11/11- in honor of my Dad and my 2 brothers. It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to be able to run... and now I can! I am getting healthy for my family, I have more energy than I have ever had before, and am becoming someone that my daughter can look up to in terms of her body/eating habits. Now when they see me put my iPod on, they both run towards the treadmill! My next goal is to run the 10k at Springtime Tallahassee.

Right before Thanksgiving break I was also given the honor of being chosen Campus Teacher of the Year! What a humbling experience that has been... I have no words to describe how it feels other than to say I am truly honored...

So my life is crazy busy, but it is definitely a life I love to live!

Now here are some pictures to get you caught up on how much we ALL have changed since June...

Pictures from Addisyn's 1st birthday photo shoot, taken by my dear friend Betsy:

I turned 30 and we celebrated with a Hibachi dinner....

The rest of the summer we spent having some fun in the sun. PJ continued swimming lessons, and by the last one, he could jump in, turn around and swim to the wall unassisted!

We played in the backyard....

Went to Daytona to watch Savannah compete in her Dance Nationals...

And in the Fall, PJ played his first season of soccer...

In September, we went to Panama City Beach to cash in the trip James won on the radio...

Had a super fun Halloween, complete with visits to the Pumpkin Patch, our first time going to a Trunk or Treat, and trick or treating in our neighborhood with friends... (Thank you, again, to Betsy for the Pumpkin Patch pictures, and the pictures from Trick-or-treating!)

Everything else is pretty recent, so I will post separately about each of them! Hope you enjoyed catching up, and that you will continue to read future posts! :-)

Addisyn's First Haircut

2011-11-30T20:05:00.000-05:00

So I've been taking PJ to Rinse & Repeat, and he LOVES IT! I decided at this last appointment that it would be time to get Addisyn's hair ~~cut~~ trimmed. You can't even really tell the difference, but I have to post the pictures nonetheless. Let me first say, though, that not one single tear was shed! She sat in the chair like a big girl and ate her raisins the WHOLE time!

BEFORE:

THE FIRST CUT:

AFTER:

1 Beautiful Year...

2011-06-02T15:48:00.000-04:00

Addisyn,

My, my, my, how things have changed in this last year that has seemed to fly by at a crazy speed. I can truly say that you have been such a blessing to our family. Everyone who sees you, smiles... And you smile right back, baby girl. You make the world a brighter place and I couldn't imagine my life without you. You love your big brother PJ so much. You follow him everywhere he goes and try to do big things like he does. We all think it is adorable, but PJ doesn't always. Right now you are walking like crazy everywhere and have been for the last month or so. You say words like "Mama", "Dada", "Bay-bay" (baby), "Bye-Bye", "Uh-oh" and "Hiiiiiiiii". You love drinking water from a sippy cup and don't seem to prefer any one type more than another. One of your favorite games is to open your drawers and pull out as many clothes as you can. You sometimes like to do the same thing in your brother's room. You still nurse 3 to 4 times per day. I don't mind it one bit. It is the time during the day that is just for us. I can tell you are not ready to give it up quite yet because you flop your whole body to the side and get yourself into position. In the morning, after you nurse, you sit up and scream, "dadaaaaaa" because you are ready to get some snuggles from him. When he gets home in the afternoon, you walk as fast as you can with your arms out for him to pick you up. It brings him so much joy (and me, too). You will eat just about anything. (sometimes things that you are not supposed to) You love dolls, and teddy bears, and any type of stuffed animal. When you see one, you pick it up and hug and kiss it! When you hear music, you start "dancing". It is usually you moving your upper body back and forth with your arms at shoulder level. Too adorable... and I know that it will soon change to something different. You love it when I sing songs to you, and you often clap your hands. You give kisses all the time, and some of my favorite moments are when you cuddle up in my lap and lay your head down.

Everything about you is beautiful, sweet baby girl. I love you to the moon and back, forever and a day.

Happy 1st Birthday, my angel.

Wee-Ball Awards

2011-05-26T15:29:00.001-04:00

The first season of Weeball seemed to fly by so fast!!! PJ really enjoyed playing, making some new friends and learning the rules of the game. After the season was over, they had an awards ceremony/dinner to get all of the familes of the team together. PJ could not WAIT to get his trophy!

Great season, Angels!!! We can't wait until next season!

PJ's 1st Weeball Game

2011-04-03T22:05:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, PJ had his 1st weeball game! He was so excited to go play with his new friends. Friday night he got to practice wearing his uniform because they took individual and team pictures. He did really good, and I can't wait to see how they came out!

We had to be at the field bright and early by 8:45 on Saturday morning... but PJ was excited and ready to go!

He met up with his team and they sat in their batting order in the dugout.

His team played outfield first. Here he is, out on the field, sporting #18 for his Aunt Sissy!

He was so excited to run after the ball when the other team hit it, and eventually threw it immediately to first base instead of hopping around with it!

At one point, he saw another player from the other team with the same bat as him, and freaked out because he thought it was his... The coach showed him his bat and let him sit in the dugout for a few minutes to calm down...

Finally it was his team's turn to bat and he waited paitently for his turn.

Of course in Weeball, there is no winning team. All of the kids get to hit and score a run, but it is still SO CUTE to watch all of these little 3 and 4 year olds play a sport! After all of the kids go to hit and run the bases, they lined up and gave the other team and coaches high fives!

Finally, they got in a huddle for a "1,2,3 GO ANGELS!"

For some more pictures of his 1st game, click here.

10 months

2011-04-03T21:42:00.001-04:00

Can hardly believe that 10 months has come and gone since Addisyn was born! It seems like just yesterday that I was in the hospital, counting down the days on bedrest until I would get to meet her and be home with my family of four. She is such a complete joy. I can't quite remember what life was like without these 2 amazing kids that I have. I feel more complete and whole than I have ever felt. I am nothing short of lucky to be a wife to my amazing husband James, and mom to PJ and Addisyn.

Here are some new things that my sweet girl is up to:

* pulling up on EVERYTHING ( including her brother, dogs, PJ's movable ride-on toys, etc.)

* cruising around while holding on to the couch, table, her brother, etc....

* pulling up on her walker toy and walking with it, or (PJ's favorite) pulling up on his four wheeler and walking while he pushes

* giving kisses

* she has 4 teeth

* eats 3 meals per day, and LOVES spaghetti

* she is VERY vocal, and often *squeals* and screams in delight

* she likes to play in the toy kitchen and take toys out of the toy bin one by one (her brother helps her clean them up)

I can't believe it is almost time to start planning her 1st birthday!

Modeling a dress by Simply Sophy

Random Thoughts...

2011-03-29T21:32:00.000-04:00

So the rest of Spring Break was lots of fun! PJ and Addisyn spent most of his time playing with their cousins. And hanging out with family...

I helped my sister-in-law get some things done around the house in preparation for this little guy who is still growing...

His name is Landyn Alexander! (How cute is that?!?!)

We also spent time at CSCA where my nieces and nephews go to school... playing on the playground each day....

... and making pit stops to Yogurtland for an afternoon snack...
(PJ is sitting in Layci's carseat)

On Thursday, PJ, Addisyn and I visited my mom's school. We talked to her students for a bit during their Math lesson and then PJ got to play on the playground with them after lunch. They all LOVED playing with him. Notice how the crowd keeps getting bigger and bigger as they are playing ball!

Of course while the students were playing with PJ, my mom and Jennifer (her teammate) took turns loving on Addisyn!

During the week, we also go the final things ordered and purchased for Stephanie's baby shower which was on the 26th. It was BEAUTIFUL and I think she really enjoyed herself. Here are just a few pictures of some of the details/food...

The Crepe Maker... DELICIOUS!

Now we are back home and getting back into th swing of things... I am missing my family like crazy already. It is SO hard to be so far away from them!
Unfortunately, Addisyn is sick again with another set of double ear infections, and bronchiolitis. She is back on antibiotics, steroids, and breathing treatments. I am ready for her to feel better!!!

She is starting to pull up on EVERYTHING- including things that are not so sturdy.

She also enjoyed her firs taste of real spaghetti. She seemed to enjoy it, and wasn't AS messy as I thought she would be!

So excited for some fun things that are coming up just around the corner...
- PJ's first Weeball game
- Betsy's baby shower & due date
- Landyn's due date
- Meredith and Pete's wedding
- Addisyn's 1st birthday
- SUMMER BREAK!!!

(And now you see why the title of this post was "Random Thoughts")

Soon...

2011-03-22T15:53:00.000-04:00

... You will be able to run free and bounce and jump and play with the big kids.... (too) soon.