Happy 5th Birthday to three of my greatest blessings

! I love these kiddos more than I could have ever imagined. Excited to celebrate turning five with them at the Mickey party tomorrow

October 2015

A year gone by in a flash, filled with wonderful memories I want to remember forever. Aug 2014- Sept 2015 has been a year filled with a family trip to the mountains, gymnastics, soccer, t-ball, lots of swimming and a surprise trip to Disney world. I have once again let too much time go by between posts, but better late than never. Following our summer beach trip last year, kids began Kings Kids school and loved it. They were in Mrs. Amanda's class and had so much fun learning and meeting new friends. Braden, Brooks and Kate showed off their athletic sides with soccer with daddy as assistant coach.  Halloween was fun with Braden as Michangelo Ninja Turtle, Brooks as Superman and Kate as Ariel. As the Christmas season approached, we planned to go on Polar Express Train with Pops and Losi. Kids were very excited to ride on the train and see Santa. We were loaded on train awaiting our departure when Braden fell limp into my arms and began having a seizure. After the scariest 10 minutes of my life, Braden began coming to and we were taken by ambulance to Vandy children's hospital. At Vandy, they determined Braden had experienced an afebrile seizure due to a sudden spike in temperature. He was stable and discharged that same evening. At follow up appt with our pediatrician we discovered Braden had the flu which was likely cause of fever spike and seizure. Scary times I will never forget. Times like this in life help me remember what is truly important in this life. After the flu ran rampant through our house (we all fell victim to flu of 2014) we had a wonderful Christmas, blessed more than we deserved.  With the start of 2015 came fun times with playing in the snow. Kids continued at Kings Kids and Braden and Kate wanted to play soccer again in the spring (Brooks preferred to be on the sidelines with a book:). Soccer in the 4 y/o league was a little more intense than we had seen the previous fall with Kate losing interest and Braden showing a new timid side. As summer approached, Braden and Brooks tried out T-ball with Pops and Daddy as their coaches. They had fun and learned a few basics about the game. The kids took swim lessons with Mr. Rick and after a rough start (literally screaming for mommy to help and me having to walk away) the kids did great and by end of the week were swimming with no floaties! Summer continued with lots of swimming and a fun trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains with the Cox family. The kids returned to Kings Kids this fall for their last year of preschool before they begin Kindergarden next year.  They are in Mrs. Heathers class and learning so much to get ready for "the big school". Kate resumed gymnastics, but has had to stop with casts being put on both of her feet (for 8wks!) to try to break her from her habit of toe walking. 4 days in cast so far and she is doing great, such a trooper with not even a single complaint so far. The most fun we have had this year would have to be our trip to Disney world. We surprised the kids with a day to Magic Kingdom and a breakfast with Mickey and friends. It was an exhausting day, but so much fun seeing the kids faces light up with excitement. Hard to believe the holidays are just around the corner again. Kids have decided on Halloween costumes for this year with Kate wanting to be Aurora from Sleeping Beauty (her all time favorite princess), Braden wants to be the Hulk and Brooks wants to be David (David and Goliath). Kate loves all things pink, Princess anything and Barbie's. Braden loves sports, helping his daddy and Ninja Turtles. Brooks loves anything Bible related (esp David and Daniel), books and is great at creative play.  They all love swimming, riding their bikes and playing on iPads.

So, I am not much of a blogger...but I do want to remember these precious days as they go by so fast! Already July! Where has this year gone? As I am writing this, we are on our way home from a fun family weekend in Gulf Shores. So far the drive home has,thankfully, been much less eventful than the drive down. I will just say that 2 hrs into the trip 2 of the kids had peed on side of the road, 2 had urinated in an empty bottle in vehicle(I know, don't judge me please:), one missed the bottle and peed on mommy, Brooks was shirtless after spilling juice all over him 5 minutes after getting into car, Braden had no pants on after getting urine on them and I had been in Chick fila 2x for additional potty breaks! Whew! Makes me exhausted just remembering it! I just kept laughing and reminding Travis that these are "memories"...right? Right. These are the best days of our lives!
Since my last post, kids have finished up their first year of MDO at MTSU. They will begin Kings Kids next month for a longer day, still 2 days a WK, MDO/preschool program. Savannah Moss has been a great help with the kids so far this year, stepping in when Ms. Barbara couldn't return. We will really miss her next month when she leaves for college!
We are so glad to be done with diapers and potty training! Excited this expensive and messy phase is behind us...now we just need to work on boys aim:)
The kids all started a gymnastics class in the spring that they really enjoyed! We are taking a break now and have signed them up for soccer next month. Not sure how it will go, but hopefully they will enjoy it!
Quick update on everyone...
Braden- 38 in tall, 35lbs and still All Boy! He is very much a daddy's boy who is as rough as any boy. Loves to wrestle and has recently shown a competitive side with any kind of physical activity. He still likes Thomas and trains and when asked what he wants to be when he grows up he responds "Thomas". Despite his rough side, he is still my most sensitive child.
Brooks-37 in tall, 30 lbs lover of all Books! This child Loves to read and play with iPad. He knows how to turn the charm (& whining) on and off to suit his needs, I mean wants, and has a "sad/pouty" face that is nearly impossible to discipline. He says he wants to be a Preacher when he grows up and still loves his Bible stories.
Kate- 39 in tall,33 lbs. She is still a "princess", but has recently added ballerina to her list of what she wants to be. She still loves her Teddy and babies and shows more of a mothering side(to the boys) everyday. She can beat both of her brothers at a race and colors the prettiest picture these days, working so hard to stay in the lines. She is terrified of bugs during the day, but loves to catch fireflies at night.
Travis and I had a great trip to NYC in February, doing the typical touristy attractions while Freezing to death! The family also took a weekend trip to Chattanooga with the Cox family to see a baseball game and the aquarium.
The past couple days at the beach have been great. Life gets so busy at home and it is so fun to let it all go a few days and have some much needed family time.
I am excited to finish the summer with more pool days, VBS and the arrival of my nephew, Charlie!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Thanksgiving and Christmas have now come and gone, but not without some great memories with our wonderful family.  Thanksgiving began in Tullahoma at Aunt Donna's house with my dad's family then concluded back in Murfreesboro at Pops and Losi's house. We have been so blessed this year and are thankful that we get to celebrate the day with all of our family.

Christmas, again, was a bit of a whirlwind. By the weeks end, we had attended 6 different Christmas' with family and added more toys than we deserve to our home! Kids were totally into Santa and Mr. Elf this year, finding Mr. Elf "Lucky" was first priority upon waking each morning.  All the kids wanted a bike this year, in typical fashion, Brooks wanted a "Noah" bike (eventually we talked him into a green bike bc we had no luck finding any kind of Noah bike), Braden wanted an orange bike and of course a Princess bike for Miss Kate.  Santa came through and they all got bikes, along with other toys to add to the clutter of our home:)  Brooks got more Noah/Bible books than I can count, Braden loaded up on more Thomas trains for his set and Kate added to her princess and baby doll collection.  I got a new camera, so maybe I will do a better about updating pics on the blog....but doubtful:) 2013 has been a WONDERFUL, CRAZY, BUSY year...looking forward to 2014!

Happy 3rd birthday!!!

Three years ago today, my life was blessed so much more than I deserve! I have enjoyed every exhausting, crazy, hilarious moment of the past 3 years and would not change it for the world! Braden, Brooks and Kate- you have brought so much joy and love to my life and I love you all more than you will ever know! Happy Birthday! I love you!
The kids birthday party theme this year was a ' three ring circus' , so very appropriate and fitting for us these days. Despite a cough and some runny noses, kids had a great party and have now filled the house with more toys-time to clean out!!!`

Fall, Football, Family and Fun

As summer comes to an end, I am looking forward to my favorite time of the year, when the leaves change, football fans are in full force and the holiday season is just around the corner.  Our summer was good, filled with lots of time outside on the kids new swing set, riding toys, and swimming. In the midst of all this fun, we did have a good 2 wks of illness in June which included pink eye going through all 3 kids and myself (all at different times spread over 2 wks of course) and a respiratory infection.  All this illness, ironically, began on my 30th birthday, confirming the stigma that comes with this birthday milestone...."everything downhill after 30!"...Surely Not! Thankfully, by the time the busyness of July hit,we were all well. The kids completed their first session of swim lessons this summer with Ms. Sue. They did well and had a great time swimming with Travis and I nearly every day for 2 wks (yes, Travis and I had to be in pool with them for this class since they are so young....Travis was very happy when this session was done!) . VBS was also in July, with focus on Fruits of the Spirit. The kids loved VBS and were so excited each night about going to Bible class. We were all pretty exhausted by the time July ended, but I am thankful we were able to do so much! August has consisted of a couple weekend trips for Travis and I, so the kids have had lots of time with grandparents lately.  I am so very thankful and grateful for wonderful parents and in laws who love my children and are willing/want to keep them to allow Travis and I some kid free time every once in a while. On a whim, I also decided to switch kids bed from crib to toddler bed a couple wks back. I had been putting this off out of total fear of the havoc it would wreak on our bed and nap time routines, but they love their big boy/girl beds and have transitioned much better than I ever expected. They actually follow my rule of " no one gets out of bed until mommy comes to get them" (for now anyways). Brooks' latest thing is to go sit in his bed and read his Bible story book. The first time he asked to do this, my heart melted. He is such a sweet, funny little boy, who is so much like his daddy in so many ways...he needs his quiet alone time too. Not much quiet time around our house these days....Brooks just needs to escape every now and then. Braden is obsessed, i mean really obsessed with the color orange right now.  I have no idea how or why this love for the color orange came about, but I do know that he will ONLY wear the orange PJ's, ONLY eat off of the orange plate with the (broken) orange fork, and wear orange shorts and an orange shirt most days of the week ( at home only, I have to put my foot down before letting him leave the house looking like a giant orange!) I am hoping this love for orange will fade soon, but it has been a good 2 months so far and I see no sign of it fading at this point. Kate is really into princesses and dolls these days and tells me regularly that she is saving her piggyback money to go to Disney world....she came up with this all on her own! She really wants to go see the "princess castle" at Disney world and visit Mickey and Minnie's house:) Oh, the mind of a child, so innocent, sweet, fun-loving, imaginative. I want to hold onto these childhood thoughts as long as possible.
In the upcoming weeks, kids will begin SCHOOL! Ok, not really school, actually it is called an infant/toddler class for a few hrs 2 days/wk, but to the kids it is School:) They are so excited to start this class in a couple wks and mention going to school at least daily now. I am excited for them because I know they will LOVE it, but am kinda sad my babies are growing up. My babies,that oh so quickly correct me these days when I call them "my baby." " I am not a baby, I am a big boy/girl" is the response I hear every time and every time my response in return "As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be".

May 14, 2013~ 30 months old

What a slacker I have been with my posts this year! Between work and kids, 2013 has been pretty busy so far! We recently took kids to the beach for the first time. We had a great trip and enjoyed the quick getaway with friends Drew and Becca Cox. The kids loved the sand, the water and playing with their friends Kinslee and Colton. I was pretty worried about the 7.5 hr drive to Gulf Shores, but we managed. The ride down went pretty well....not so well on way back home. I am pretty sure I climbed from the front seat to the back,to tend to one of the kids, 500 times....well, at least 30 or so! Overall, it was a grat trip and I look forward to the next time we are able to take them to the beach! Easter and Mothers Day have come and gone. The kids had a lot more fun with egg hunt this year and loved getting their treats in the eggs! They are understanding more these days and were pretty excited about Easter Bunny bring them a basket of goodies.
Quick individual update:
Kate: pretty much potty trained for past couple of months, but still has occasional accidents. Loves to play with her kitchen, watch TV....Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and princess, play outside and read. Just tonight I heard her singing and realized she was singing the books of the New Testament-so proud, but pretty sure Gigi gets credit for this one:). Her new favorite saying..."You're my best friend" is so sweet, but watch out bc she will change her mind on her best friend before you know it!

Brooks: started using potty this week and is doing Great! No accidents all day today:) he will do whatever it takes to get a Treat! He still puts up the biggest fight about resting and would rather go ByeBye than stay home any day of the week. He may be my social butterfly as he even cries at times when we are pulling in neighborhood bc he knows we are almost home. I try not to take offense to the fact that my 2 year old hates being/returning home. He LOVES playing outside hitting the ball and "riding his bike" (tricycle).  His adorable smile and sweet facial expressions can still melt my heart.he still likes to be held more than the other 2. I try not to give in all the time, but know this will not last much longer so am enjoying holding. And cuddling with him while I can.

Braden: still so sweet,yet so strong! The 2 year old boys' strength really amazes (and kinda scares) me sometimes! He loves to wrestle with his daddy and climb and jump on anything he can find....boys will be boys! He has a pretty good arm on him, so i have learned to watch out if he has the ball! He also loves playing ball with daddy and is getting a little better at catching.  He doesnt quite get the potty thing yet, but is willing to sit on the potty in attempt to get a treat-no treats thus far, but hopefully he will catch on soon. His latest saying is "Nevermind" in response to a question he does not want to answer. He still loves his elephants and sleeps with them every night. He likes "BIG trucks", puzzles and my iPad.
 We have just ordered a playset for backyard which should be up soon. I know the kids will love this and I look forward to summer and being able to get out of house a little more. Plan to do swim lessons this summer as well, so we will see how that goes!

Terrible...I mean Terrific- TWO's x3!

At 3 months into our "2's" , I am truly learning all of the challenges that come with toddlers. Thankfully, with these challenges come some of the most wonderful, hilarious, sweetest moments we have experienced so far. Once we are able to recover from a COMPLETE meltdown over getting an orange bowl instead of blue one OR watching Thomas the Train instead of Mickey Mouse clubhouse OR insisting on having the ball your brother has-even though you have the exact same ball in your hand; we have wonderful moments of playing hide and seek,sitting down and reading a book, singing Jesus loves me, dancing around the house with momma, wrestling with daddy, hearing the kids say their prayers and/or playing our new game "pop pop pig" (named by the kids:). I love hearing them sing songs (favorites at the moment-Jesus loves me, twinkle twinkle, baa baa black sheep) and "read" their books to themselves. Their personalities continue to emerge daily, with Braden being my tough/rough yet timid and reserved child. He still loves to sleep and is not much of a morning person.  He loves to color and is definitely a "lefty".  Kate- a very much so girly girl who loves her babies and stuffed animals. She has recently learned her letters and is able to name every letter and numbers 1-10! She likes to correct her brothers and I think will be "motherly" to them as they go through this toddler phase.  Brooks is still pretty much fearless.  Unfortunately, he is still pretty clumsy, so clumsy and fearless= accident waiting to happen!  Luckily, the little guy is pretty tough and handles the many bumps,bruises and scratches he has suffered very well. Brooks new saying this wk "Thank you sooo much" is just adorable.  He still likes to get up earlier than the other two most mornings and eat a bowl of Cheerios in mommy and daddy's bed while I get ready for work. Love these little kids more than words can express! I want slow time down and always remember this time when my babies are such sweet innocent children.
2013 is moving right on by and I can hardly believe Feb is already almost over! I have been pretty busy the past few wks working on some things for the house.  I got a crazy idea to redo/paint our dining room furniture and move it into kitchen. I am very pleased with how well it all turned out and  think it fits well in our kitchen area.  Next project will be to refurnish my now empty dining room then I will tackle the kids rooms. I am learning that a house is a constant 'work in progress' and is never done, so no reason to rush....it will get done when it gets done:)