Some Kind of Wonderful

Henry Arrives!!!

2011-05-23T20:39:00.001-07:00

On May 2nd at 7:56 a.m. Henry Fletcher arrived!!! He was healthy, screaming and already making his mama and daddy proud!!!

Yes, the scale is correct. Henry weighed in at 9 pounds 3.4 ounces and was 21 inches long.

The girls love him. Despite the tear in this picture, Ellie Jane always wants to hold "her Henry".

I just love little baby feet. So, because I love them so, I took a picture of Henry's feet.

This is Henry at two weeks old. I am certain he is contemplating something truly profound.

Mary Paul is still a great big sister. She is gentle and loving. She is also a big help to me because she can go get me things when I need them. Plus she and Ellie Jane play so well together.

I am truly a blessed woman. I have been given such a gift in my family. I am excited to see what the days ahead bring!!

Bath, Chalk and Posing

2011-02-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

Despite the cold weather, we are trying to have our best to have fun. We are playing in the bathtub...with goggles. Ellie Jane did not want our help putting the goggles on...hence the crooked effect.

We had one beautiful day when we could play outside with sidewalk chalk. The girls had so much fun just not being indoors!!

Here, Mary Paul wanted to pose. She was making all kinds of crazy faces and wanted me to keep taking pictures. She is definately a ham!!

The Prodigal Blogger Returns

2011-01-11T18:30:00.001-08:00

It's been...awhile...since my last post. Sorry to those 3 or 4 people who keep up with us through this blog!! We had a super busy Christmas season, Christmas at our house, in Atlanta and at the river house. Following Christmas, we've had quite a bit of snow. The girls are wonderful. Ellie Jane has a big personality and Mary Paul is always saying funny things. Also, Ellie Jane has started hitting. Nice. Bryan is well and work is keeping him busy. As always, I'm busy with the girls. I've just entered my 6th month of pregnancy and we can't wait to meet our son!!! First though, we need to think of name.

Mary Paul (in the chair) waited so patiently for Ellie Jane to wake up Christmas morning.

We ended up having to go and actually wake EJ up....can't you tell?

Mary Paul opening a present. Her Santa present was a ball with a handle that you can sit on and bounce. She loved it!!! Her words were..."Look!!! Santa remembered!!"

Ellie Jane got a baby Cabbage Patch doll and some doll accessories from Santa. She also is pleased with her Santa present!!

Mary Paul gave Ellie Jane a plush Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales...Ellie is obsessed with Veggie Tales. And no, this pack-n-play was not made for Ellie Jane, but for her baby doll.

Every trip to Atlanta involves making pancakes, almost every morning, with Grandaddy. The girls love to "help" and I think Grandaddy likes it too.

Please note, they are making snowman pancakes. The girls were thrilled.

Mary Paul on Christmas morning. She was very excited to open her presents and to give presents.

Who cares about the presents....you know that boxes are the most fun.

At the river house, we had a blast with my side of the family. Mary Paul got to swing with Andi.

Ellie Jane got to swing by herself for the first time....and thought she was big stuff.

G-mama and Pop got to spend quality time with all of their grandchildren when they let the couples go out on a date night!!!

Mary Paul loved her Santa present and did a great job of sharing with all of her cousins.

Mary Paul on yet another Christmas morning...this time with powdered donuts on her lips. Gotta love a donut on Christmas morning.

Don't be alarmed, Ellie Jane's feet are not that big....she just likes to wear my shoes. In this case, my new slippers.

My sister, Ashley, and her family had this slide for their kids (Landon and Addi) and they out grew. Ellie Jane has always been in love with this slide...so they wrapped it up for her for Christmas. It has been a huge hit!!!

Mary Paul, just another of our daily presents!!!

About a thousand birds flew past our house the other day. I had to take a picture of it.

Bryan getting ready to de-snow the car.

Ellie Jane in the snow!!! She had mixed emotions about it. She mainly wanted to be held or have you standing very close to her.

Mary Paul loves the snow and more importantly, she loves sledding.

Here she comes!!! Watch out for the blur of speed...it's Mary Paul.

As usual, my very large kid always gets in on the fun!!! We truly have a good life.

Really...Just A Lot of Pictures

2010-08-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been busy doing everyday things. Playing, running errands, eating snacks, doing arts and crafts, watching movies, baking, cleaning, whining, crying, doing chores, going to church, paying bills, playing on playgrounds and being with friends takes up our weeks. The girls are good friends and keep us entertained. They are 3 1/2 and 18 months. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed. Thanks for keeping up with us and enjoy the pictures!!

Fun Dip and Bowling

2010-07-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Why do my kids' tongues look like this? I'll tell you.....
I let them eat that amazing confection known as Fun Dip...sugar sticks and basically...Kool-Aid. Lick the sugar stick and dip it in the flavor of your choice...or more than one flavor.

Proudly display your Kool-Aid sugar stick goodness to the camera....then lick it off.

Sometimes, you can try to lick the Kool-Aid out of the bowl, but you usually just end up with Kool-Aid on your chin.

But, you're still happy because, hey, it's Kool-Aid.

Occasionally, a plane may fly over head and distract you from the sugary deliciousness of Fun Dip.

Once it passes, though, you can go straight back to enjoying your treat.

We also went bowling last week. It was a blast. We took our shoes off and lined them up.

Then we put on our rented bowling shoes... so exciting.

We picked out a bowling ball that weighed eight pounds and put in on the ball return.

Mary Paul was so excited she could not stand it.

She used a ramp or she would push the ball down the lane...and wait for it to hit some pins. The gutters were filled with bumpers, so no gutter balls for little kids.

The final score? Mary Paul bowled an amazing 107. Ellie Jane ate a lot popcorn and had a blast.

All About Ellie Jane

2010-06-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

Mary Paul, being the oldest has had several posts that were all about her. Now, it's Ellie Jane's time. Ellie Jane is fabulous. She is fifteen months old. She is very active and a goofball. Ellie Jane loves to make you laugh and she loves to do daring things, such as be thrown very high up into the air. She is fearless and will walk straight into a pool if I'm not quick enough. She has several words and can do about six different animal sounds. She's a great eater and can put away food like no body's business. Ellie Jane gives great hugs and big kisses. She loves to snuggle and read books. She loves to dance and prefers her music loud. While very much a mama's girl, she is getting much better about going to other people. Her hair gets lighter everyday, and if possible, her eyes get more and more blue. She has fantastic dimples and crazy hair. She is beautiful, healthy and loving. She is our sweet blessing, Ellie Jane.

Mother of the Year

2010-04-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's official, I was voted mother of the year. I'm not joking I thought you might like to know what it takes to garner this prestigious award that, as the name would lead you to believe, only is presented once a year. Recipients of Mother of the Year (a.k.a. MOY) always keep a close eye on their kids. They do this so their youngest child cannot play in the toilet. Since their child could not play in the toilet there's no way a contact case would wind up in the toilet. There would be no screams of delight as the MOY flushed the 18 feet of toilet paper that the sweet one year old pulled off the roll down the toilet. A MOY would never hear her eldest tell her aunt that "it's okay. My mommy let's me eat things off the floor." When taking a road trip a MOY always packs nutritious meals to eat outside in the sunshine. She never goes by a drive thru, then proceed to rip the food up into bite size pieces and place the pieces in a snack cup. She would never hand said cup to her one year old just so the MOY doesn't have to stop. She also wouldn't forget to pack a travel cup for her oldest. A MOY keeps a clean house and never needs to feel embarrassed at the state of her window sills and curtains when the window guys come to install new windows. When shopping at Lowe's to buy needed items for her garden (because all MOYs have green thumbs) he would not buy pre-fertilized dirt and bagged compost. Why? Because this Mother of the Year has been getting her soil ready since winter and creating her own compost. I read Martha Stewart, so of course I know how to do this stuff. Since MOYs don't buy 50 pound bags of dirt, they don't have to remember to lift with their legs not with their back. Being so prepared means that real MOYs do not load five 50 pound bags into the back of their car while trying to hold onto the cart in which her two beautiful children are sitting so nicely...they really were sitting nicely. This being the truth, upon removing the last bag and putting it in the car, this MOY would not turn around to see the cart rolling away across the parking lot which is a downward slope. I would not hear the car parked beside me honking to let me know my children are making their escape. But if it did happen, a MOY would catch the buggy before anyone, or anything was damaged. In this case, the cart never rolled away because I didn't buy ready made dirt at Lowe's therefore I certainly did not save a cart with a clapping, smiling one year old and a happy three year old who just had a blast rolling across the parking lot....nor did I mention my recent Mother of the Year award to the good samaritan couple who honked their horn. If you would like to be nominated for Mother of the Year please let me know why you should be given this auspicious award.

How to Eat a Banana, Ellie Jane Style

2010-04-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Ellie Jane loves to eat. She loves it. She eats everything and relishes every bite. Please, let Ellie Jane show you how to eat a banana and enjoy every bite.

1. Get a good grip on the banana (two hands is suggested) and make sure the whole banana is in your mouth.
2. Make sure you get a really big bite. No, it does not matter that you only have two teeth. More teeth would help, but two teeth is completely adequate.

3. This is more of a tip. If you only have two teeth, make sure to chew in the front of your mouth. Choking is not an option.

4. Chew as long as it takes. Enjoy all the delicious flavor of the banana.

5. After swallowing, repeat the process. Continue with the process until the whole banana is gone.

6. When all the banana is gone, you can try and lick the peel, but it doesn't taste nearly as good as the actual banana.

Dramatic B&W

2010-03-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

I've been following a photography website called I Heart Faces. Each week they have a different theme and ask people to enter photographs that fit the theme. This week the theme is dramatic black and white. I love this picture. It's my daughter's first birthday from a few weeks ago. I think this is dramatic for a few reasons. One, it reminds me of an old Hollywood headshot with Lauren Bacall or something. Two, I think it's a dramatic way to present an event that is usually done in a cute fashion. I like the lighting and the angle. The way the light makes the icing look like it's becoming part of her face makes it so she is truly one with her cake! Of course I love her expression and her eyes. It's like she's thinking, "Hmm...I cannot believe I get to eat as much cake as I want." I've only had a DSLR for a year so I welcome any advice!!

Ellie Jane's First Birthday Party

2010-03-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

Well, on Tuesday, our sweet Ellie Jane will turn one. Crazy. We had her big birthday party on Saturday. It was a springtime party complete with butterflies hanging from the ceiling. Being the fatastic eater that she is, Ellie Jane downed her cake with great abandon. Ellie Jane is a sweet, loving girl with a great laugh and lots of hugs to offer. She is such an important part of our family and we thank God everyday for the blessings He has entrusted to us; the blessings of our girls. Happy Birthday, Ellie Jane!!!

Updates...

2010-02-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

We have finally had some sunny days!!! Yea!!! Hello Sun, we've missed you. We all went out to the field and the girls got to play. Everyone is doing fine. We are gearing up for Ellie Jane's first birthday...I cannot believe it. Enjoy the photos!! Me getting a special Ellie Jane kiss. She gives spontaneous kisses all the time.

Me and the girls...we could not get a picture with both of them looking.

Another one of me with the girls. It was a beautiful day.

Daisy...enough said.

Mary Paul sporting the shades and the Charlie Brown shirt.

I bought this car at a consignment sale and the girls love it!!

Ellie Jane taking a turn. She loves to stand up in the car.

Our version of the "Left Behind" series. What happened to Mary Paul?

Ellie Jane and Daddy. She is getting so big. I love her laugh, her smile and everything about her.

Bryan's not to shabby either.

Life Is Good

2010-01-29T21:05:00.000-08:00

It's snowing here. Mary Paul has taken to lining playfood up on the stairs and loving Lucky Charms cereal. Ellie Jane is happy, pulls up, crawls, loves toys and eats all the time. I am blessed and Bryan cannot believe his good fortune to have three beautiful women in his life.

If You're Happy And You Know It....Laugh!

2010-01-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

Some of you might remember this post ....well, the laughter continues at this house and Bonkos is apparently making a comeback!!! I promise to post some pictures next time!!!

Look What We Can Do!

2009-12-27T20:53:00.001-08:00

For Christmas I got a Flip Video and love it!! I've finally made some movies of the girls and wanted to show off some of their skills!!!

First of all...Ellie Jane started really crawling, not just inchworming, Sunday!!

The second video is of me and Mary Paul singing our duet...please ignore the off-key adult and focus on the incredibly cute, talented kid on said adult's lap.

A Hodge Podge

2009-12-20T19:55:00.001-08:00

Well, needless to say...I have been bereft in updating the blog. Sorry. Instead of trying to explain everything that we've been up to...I'm doing a quick peek of how busy we've been (which is quite busy). First, we went to Atlanta for Bryan's mom's birthday and Thanksgiving with both families. While there we got pictures made with Santa...and rode The Pink Pig. Mary Paul loved Priscilla the Pig. We played at Aunt Beth's house for a few days before heading to Grandmommy and Grandaddy's house.

Ellie Jane did her impression of Jerry Lee Lewis.
Then we went to Palmetto for Thanksgiving and hung out with family. We played on the playground... And got love from Ellie Jane.

Once we got home we made a gingerbread house...during which...

Mary Paul ate way more icing then she was supposed to. When I got on to her she said, "I know, but it tastes so good."

We have played in front of the Christmas tree... Slept in very odd positions...

and had a party for Mary Paul who turned three years old!!!

Then Mommy attempted to take pictures for our Christmas card....
over and over again...
but finally was able to get these last three which will appear on the Thornton Family Christmas card. We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!!

Halloween Cupcakes

2009-10-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

We made cupcakes. Mary Paul helped mix the batter and... of course...lick the the beaters.Ellie Jane got in on the beater action...just without the batter.

The next step was to put the muffin cups in the muffin tin.

Then we carefully filled each cup with delicious cupcake batter.

See..they are all filled.

Then we just had to wait. We looked cool........

playing in our fort.

After some serious decorating...we had....voila!!!! Cupcakes!!!!

Pumpkin Patch with the Thornton

2009-10-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

We had a fun trip to the pumpkin patch with the Thornton side of the family. We had a blast and so much fun watching all the cousins playing together!!! Ellie Jane is not certain if she likes being squished in the wagon.

Mary Paul has shocked Claire...who knows what she has done this time.

Bryan with Ellie Jane. She loves when he plays with her feet.

They look so alike in this picture...in my opinion.

My sweet Ellie Jane...lost among the pumpkins.

Mary Paul...it is so difficult trying to get a good picture of this girl because she never slows down.

How to Eat a Doughnut

2009-10-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is a public service announcement from Mary Paul. She felt it was time to show the world the correct way to eat a doughnut and enjoy it to its fullest.

Step 1. Use two hands to hold the doughnut, open wide and slowly take the first bite.
Step 2. Make sure to lick all the powder off of your lips so you can enjoy the delicious sweetness.

Step 3. Chew slowly and thoroughly so you do not choke.

Step 4. Rotate the doughnut so that you are taking bites in a counterclockwise direction.

Step 5. It's most important to eat the outside of the doughnut then the inside of the doughnut.

Step 6. Lick your fingers. Who cares if polite society says licking your fingers is rude.

First Days at the Beach

2009-10-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying our time in Seaside. We've gone to the playground where Ellie Jane had snuggle time with Daddy. Mary Paul ran around...a lot and expressed her feelings of unworthiness at this wonderful trip.

Mary Paul is super excited to be learning how to "surf just like Daddy". Have you ever seen such joy?

Ellie Jane, despite the smirk she is giving me, loves the ocean and cannot get enough of being in the water. Yes, we have another waterbaby.

Being at the beach makes Ellie Jane quite hungry and keys are pretty tasty.

As you can see, being at the beach makes Ellie Jane a very happy seven month old girl.

Bryan loves the ocean so much and I cannot tell you how happy I am that all his girls can share his joys.

There is nothing better than ending your day with the sun, knowing everyone is happy, healthy and ready for bed!!!

The Thornton Hair Salon

2009-09-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well, as many of you know it's been raining here in the south...a lot. Here is what we've been doing to entertain ourselves. I pulled out the rollers we borrowed from Samantha and curled my hair. Mary Paul wanted in on the action. So we rolled her hair.

Then she went into the bathroom to admire her reflection...and play with her toothbrush.After that she felt ready for some pictures with her mama who also had curly hair, but only on the ends so you can't tell in this picture.

Oh, how I love my sweet Mary Paul.

Later, I decided to take some pictures of my girls together, especially since Ellie Jane is sitting up!!!

Not only is Ellie Jane sitting up, she is laying on her side, rolling all around and....

pushing up on her arms so she can always show off her killer hairdo...which is too short to roll.

My girls have lots of fun together...

They are smiley and Ellie Jane loves to be held by her big sister...

most of the time.

Not Me Monday

2009-09-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

I wrote this post for a "Not Me Monday" a couple weeks ago but now I finally have the opportunity to share it with the world!!!
I'll have new pictures next time when the computer that has my pictures on it is fixed. Until then I wanted to reassure everyone (when I say that I really mean myself) that I have in no way lost my mind and that I am a good mom.No, I have not lost my mind. I am always organized and together...you know that. I mean, Mary Paul was just recently potty trained so there's no way I forgot to pack an extra pair of panties when I took her to the doctor on Friday to see about a little chest cold. Since I didn't forget the spare pair of panties it did not matter when she pooped her pants as soon as we got there. I just pulled those extra undies out of my diaper bag because there is no way my little girl is going commando. No way. Also, being so prepared, I just put the dirty undies in a plastic bag, not an empty wipes bag. That would make it too difficult to to take out the dirty panties and result in having to throw said panties away.You know I have things under control, so on Saturday I didn't drive the kids, in their pajamas at noon, to get Chick-fil-A. Because you know me, you know that my kids nutrition is important therefore my youngest, sweet Ellie Jane, would never be constipated. It would not be possible that on Sunday my baby is pooping butter bean size poop that rolls around. Since she's not constipated, that rolling poop would never roll out of the diaper as I pick it up and into Ellie Jane's hair and proceed to get squished into her sweet baby hair. I give baths to make my kids smell good, not because they have poop squished in their hair. I'm too good for that.Finally, because I am on the ball, I would never go into Target, leaving the car unlocked with the keys on the dash in plain sight. As I mentioned before, healthy eating is important to me so I would never just get lunch at the Target snack bar because I always have lots of food at home from which to choose. My kids are always well behaved in public because I have taught them well (I mean, my husband is a deacon). So when I unbuckled Ellie Jane in her carseat it was just so she could stretch, not because she was having a fit. And I certainly remembered to buckle her back so I didn't find her sliding out of her carseat when I arrived home after the 4 mile drive from Target. Not me...I'm cool, calm and collected.

Happenings

2009-09-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

This will be a short post with lots of pictures. My mom is engaged and we are all excited for her!! Ellie Jane love to play on her tummy and loves, loves, loves toys. I have some pictures of Mary Paul's stages of misery and some of the girls in the backyard with Bryan. What a blessed life I lead. My mom's engagement ring. Ellie Jane loves her Fischer-Price telephone.

These picturesare documenting Mary Paul's stages of grief and misery. She is quite dramatic. She was upset because of something like...we had to get dressed.

We had our annual girls' weekend. Ellie Jane got to come and had we all had a blast.

Bryan and the girls spent some time in the backyard and I got to take some pictures. In one of the pictures I think Ellie Jane looks a lot like Bryan in one of the pictures.

Of course I haven't lost my mind...I'm a great mom

2009-08-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'll have new pictures next time when the computer that has my pictures on it is fixed. Until then I wanted to reassure everyone (when I say that I really mean myself) that I have in no way lost my mind and that I am a good mom.

No, I have not lost my mind. I am always organized and together...you know that. I mean, Mary Paul was just recently potty trained so there's no way I forgot to pack an extra pair of panties when I took her to the doctor on Friday to see about a little chest cold. Since I didn't forget the spare pair of panties it did not matter when she pooped her pants as soon as we got there. I just pulled those extra undies out of my diaper bag because there is no way my little girl is going commando. No way. Also, being so prepared, I just put the dirty undies in a plastic bag, not an empty wipes bag. That would make it too difficult to to take out the dirty panties and result in having to throw said panties away.

You know I have things under control, so on Saturday I didn't drive the kids, in their pajamas at noon, to get Chick-fil-A. Because you know me, you know that my kids nutrition is important therefore my youngest, sweet Ellie Jane, would never be constipated. It would not be possible that on Sunday my baby is pooping butter bean size poop that rolls around. Since she's not constipated, that rolling poop would never roll out of the diaper as I pick it up and into Ellie Jane's hair and proceed to get squished into her sweet baby hair. I give baths to make my kids smell good, not because they have poop squished in their hair. I'm too good for that.

Finally, because I am on the ball, I would never go into Target, leaving the car unlocked with the keys on the dash in plain sight. As I mentioned before, healthy eating is important to me so I would never just get lunch at the Target snack bar because I always have lots of food at home from which to choose. My kids are always well behaved in public because I have taught them well (I mean, my husband is a deacon). So when I unbuckled Ellie Jane in her carseat it was just so she could stretch, not because she was having a fit. And I certainly remembered to buckle her back so I didn't find her sliding out of her carseat when I arrived home after the 4 mile drive from Target. Not me...I'm cool, calm and collected.

What Have We Been Up To?

2009-07-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

We have been busy. We went on vacation with my family for a week, had a 4th of July party and everyday life. I attempted to attend a consignment sale with the girls...bad idea. That place was full of crazy moms with huge baskets full of clothes. I made to the costumes and let Mary Paul pick out a few for dress up. She chose piglet, a frilly yellow dress and her favorite, a cheerleading outfit. She is into twirling and the cheerleading skirt does not disappoint. Ellie Jane now loves her activity center. She also is downing baby oatmeal and pears. She has quite the appetite!!! Ellie Jane also has abs of steel and loves to hold her legs up and chew on her feet. Life is good. Despite her tears, Ellie Jane did like her oatmeal and did a great job eating .

Ellie Jane loves her activity center. She can turn around and manipulate the toys.

This is Ellie Jane's superman pose. Note the abs of steel...perhaps she's doing pilates.

No, that is not a third hand...just Ellie Jane chewing on her toes.

Mary Paul's new favorite game is hide and seek. The only problem is she yells, "I'm under the bed." or "I'm behind the chair." We're working on the concept. She loves to play this game with Daddy.

Here is Mary Paul in her cheerleading outfit. She had been twirling for quite sometime and was feeling tired.

The yellow dress. Byan's word for it was "garish". Oh, well, she likes it.

Seagrove Beach with the Thorntons

2009-07-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

We went to Seagrove Beach a couple weeks ago with Bryan's family and had a blast!!! The girls loved the beach and both did very well on the road trip. We had such a nice time and loved being with our family!!! Thanks Mr. Mike and Ms. Cari for planning such a great week!!!!

Vicks Vapor Rub

2009-06-28T20:09:00.001-07:00

Can you blieve how big the girls are getting? Apparently Ellie Jane is very heavy and uncertain about whether or not Mary Paul can hold her..she can probably see the strain on Mary Paul's face. We went to the beach last week (pictures to come) but while I was getting ready Mary Paul decided to rub an entire tub of Baby Vick's Vapor Rub all over herself during naptime. She was the greasiest thing I've ever seen. It took almost an entire week to get her hair back to normal.

Happenings...

2009-05-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

All is well in the Thornton household. I've been enjoying my two daughters so much!!! Ellie Jane spends most of the day awake. She loves to lie down and play on her activity mat. She is also very smiley!!! The only things Ellie Jane does not currently enjoy are dirty diapers and being hungry. Mary Paul continues to amaze me with how much she knows and can do. She currently loves to play Memory, High-Ho-Cheery-O and Candy Land. The other night at dinner, it started pouring down rain, but the sun was still shining. So, I jumped up, grabbed Mary Paul from the dinner table and ran outside to play in the rain on the deck. We had a blast and hopefully, made a memory. It was one of those moments when I felt like a great mom!!! Enjoy the pictures of the girls!!!

The Smiles of Ellie Jane

2009-05-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

Ellie Jane smiles often these days. She has many different smiles and I was able to capture some of them!!! You'll be able to see why she brings us so much joy!!!

A Smile, A Redneck Bathroom and Two Birthdays

2009-05-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy!!! Things in our home have been breaking, Ellie Jane is starting to smile and we went to two birthday parties. Below you can see the first picture we have of Ellie Jane smiling. Her smiles are getting much bigger and are occurring much more often. Our air conditioner was out of coolant so we had no air for several days (while it was in the high 80s) and then our toilet broke in the guest bathroom. Who knew a toilet tank could get a crack in it. How does that happen. I came home to find my bathroom looking like this. How redneck can you get? Needless to say, we have a new toilet and the bathtub is empty.

Landon turns, count the candles, five!!! We had a great party with lots of fun. I just focused on pictures of Landon since he was the birthday boy!!!

Claire, my sister-in-law's daughter, turned 1 year old. Crazy. We had a great birthday in Atlanta and loved seeing family. Bryan's Aunt Debby drove up from Valdosta to meet all the Thornton grandgirls. This was their first time to meet Aunt Debby, and they loved her!!!

Daughters/We Picture This

2009-04-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

These are pictures I took over our Easter trip this year. I took the pictures with a Canon Rebel XS, which I'd had less than 24 hours...my first DSLR!! I'm excited to learn from the We Picture This blog!!! This is my newest daughter at 4 weeks old. I cannot believe we drove 7.5 hours with a four week old, but she was great. This is Ellie Jane stretching out after a diaper change. I love her eyes and am excited to see her personality unfold.

My oldest, Mary Paul, riding on Daddy's shoulders. I love her eyes and the lighting on Bryan's face. I also love how comfortable she is sitting so high up. She has total trust that Daddy won't drop her.

My girls. I love Ellie Jane's tongue and how Mary Paul is smiling behind her. She is giving her a kiss.

Fun Pictures

2009-04-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Just some pictures of my girls!!!

I Got A New Camera, a Beach Trip, and Daughters Photo Entry!!!

2009-04-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

We Picture This Photo/ Daughters This is a picture my husband and two year old daughter, Mary Paul. It was taken over Easter while at the beach. I love the image of fathers and daughters so I chose this picture. I love MP's yes and the lighting on Brian's face. These are some of the first pictures I took with my new camera, a Canon Rebel XS. This is my first non-point and shoot so I am excited about learning how to use it!!!

This picture is of Mary Paul and my (at the time 4 and a half week old) daughter Ellie Jane. I love how you can only see part of MP's face, but it is so full of mischief. I also really like how alert Ellie Jane is and her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth. It's hard to see that cute little mouth, but if you click on the picture it should get bigger.

Our Easter Trip

Bryan surprised me with money to buy a new camera. My old one, just a point and shoot, was getting slow and I had talked about buying a newer camera. I had no idea he would get me my first DSLR (I hope I got that acronym correct, I also mess it up). Anyway, I've posted an absurd amount of pictures from our annual Easter beach trip, including a visit with Nana and Joe. I cannot wait to learn more about my camera and how to use it to its best advantage!!! With such wonderful subjects, I know I'll have fun!!! The first two pictures I'm entering in a blog photo contest. They have wonderful pictures on this blog!!! The blog is called We Picture This. Check it out and enjoy!!!

The Many Faces of Mary Paul and an Egg Hunt

2009-04-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

We are doing fine here in the Thornton house!!! Below are some pictures of what we've been up to. Mary Paul is into making faces for different emotions and will make them on command. Mary Paul's scared face.

Mary Paul's surprised face.
Mary Paul's stinker face. She can also do sad and angry.

Ellie Jane being more and more awake. She is getting bigger and will 4 weeks old tomorrow!!!

Mary Paul after the egg hunt at church.

Looking for some eggs. She found a lot!!! There were also a lot to find.

Daddy and Ellie Jane enjoyed watching the action.

Me and the girls.

Daddy and his girls.

Daddy kissing Ellie Jane.

The whole time, Mary Paul was screaming, "I got Daddy!!!"

Coloring her Easter eggs. Mary Paul had a blast and I was proud to attempt this feat with a newborn.

Mary Paul loves, loves, loves books. She also loves to read to Ellie Jane.

Some Pictures of Ellie Jane

2009-03-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Ellie Jane!!! She is two weeks old today. She is finally waking up a little bit at a time, even though the pictures are of her sleeping. I cannot believe how opposite Ellie Jane is from Mary Paul at this age. She is already making certain that her daddy and I recognize that she is Ellie Jane, her own person. Mary Paul is doing great and is a wonderful big sister. A couple funny stories about Mary Paul. While playing on some steps (unsturdy steps made out of paving stones) Bryan and I tried to hold her hands before she fell and she said, and I quote, "Um, guys, you don't need to hold my hands." Last week she was upstairs with Bryan's mom and tod her she was going to sing a song and started to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". Then she stopped and said, "Oh, sorry. I forgot my microphone." Then she proceeded to go pick an imaginary microphone up, hold it to her mouth and sing. Gotta love that girl!!! Next time I will have pictures of both girls.

Let me Introduce...Ellie Jane!!!

2009-03-14T16:50:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our sweet Ellie Jane!!! Ellie Jane arrived Monday morning at 7:53 a.m. She weighed 8 pounds and 12 ounces and was 20 inches long. She is healthy, beautiful, sweet, cuddly, everything a newborn should be. Mary Paul has been a great big sister. She shares her blankie with Ellie Jane and is makes statements of what we could do to make Ellie Jane not cry. For example, I think you need to change her diaper, I think she needs a paci, I think she wants to color. I am feeling great and healing nicely. My doctor even let me go home a day early instead of making me stay the standard three days following a c-section. All of our family was able to be with us, which means more than they'll ever know. Plus my mom got to stay the week and we look forward to having Bryan's mom come help next week. Thank you all for your prayers for our sweet girl. She is truly a blessing!!!Our new addition, Ellie Jane!!!

Getting warmed up in the OR after being born.

Nothing like a good swaddle!!!

Mary Paul holding her new baby sister, Ellie Jane (following a trip with Daddy to the Krispy Kreme).

Daddy with his girls. I love this shot.

I am ready to hold Ellie Jane.

My beautiful,beautiful girls.

Having a rest with Daddy. I have some pictures like this of Mary Paul with Bryan, I love them.

Mary Paul's Special Day

2009-03-05T20:10:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday, Bryan took the morning off work and we took Mary Paul for a special day. We started off at "Jump Zone", one of those places with big blow up things that they climb and slide down. She had so much fun!!! The best part was that they expect parents to go with their children, so Bryan had as much fun as Mary Paul!!! She is getting so big, climbing by herself and going down these huge slides with no fear. Then we took her to Chuckie Cheese's for lunch. She liked it okay, but not a ton...which makes me completely happy!!! I think she's still a little young for what Chuckie Cheese's has to offer. We are very excited for Monday to get here and to meet Ellie Jane!!! Mary Paul will be a great big sister!!!

Just Taking Some Pictures

2009-02-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

These are just a few pictures I took over the last few days of Mary Paul. She is getting so big and as always is so much fun. She gets excited when we talk about Ellie Jane, who will be here two weeks from today!!! I am nervous about having two kids, but hopefully I'll do okay. Enjoy the pictures of Mary Paul!!!

Mary Paul is Getting Bigger

2009-02-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Mary Paul is getting so big and so smart and so contrary. She argues with everything. For example, while drinking apple juice I said, "How's your apple juice, Mary Paul?" Her response was, "No. I'm not drinking apple juice." When I told her she couldn't lick the play-dough, her response was , "But I have to lick the play-dough." Last week, for the first time ever, I just left a buggy full of items and walked out of the store. Despite the fact she is entering her terrible twos, when I am not exasperated, she cracks me up. She came out of her room this morning wearing a hat, shoes and a "coat" (her blankie around her shoulders). She danced all over the room. She also is loving to tell stories and has the vocabulary to do it. A final funny story that occurred after I left the previously mentioned cart of groceries.

Me: Mary Paul, today we need to go to Target and Publix.
MP: No. I don't want to go to Publix.
Me: Well, we have to go to Publix to get the rest of the food the ladies retreat.
MP: (Sigh) You don't eat ladies for treats.

Playing dress up with whatever she can find. It was 8:15 in the morning so we were still in our pajamas.

Please Pray

2009-01-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

Please pray for our dear friends, the Tuleys. Bryan and Jeff were in each others' weddings. They are sweet family going through a difficult time. Thank you all.

www.thetuleys.blogspot.com

Big Christmas Post

2009-01-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas!!! We were gone for two weeks. We had our family Christmas the Monday before the 25th. As requested, Mary Paul received a globe and some mittens along with a train table. Bryan loved his XBOX 360. We left the next day for Atlanta. We had wonderful time with Bryan's family and got to spend Tuesday through Friday with them. We drove home Friday afternoon, washed clothes, repacked and left Saturday morning for West Virginia. It was a long 10 hour drive but worth it for the family time we got o have with my family. Bryan got to snowboard every day and had a blast. He also got to spend a lot of time with fellow snowboarders Andi and John. Mary Paul had fun playing with her cousins. I, unfortunately couldn't do many outdoor winter activities, being 30 weeks pregnant, but my sisters and mom took good care of me and played a lot of board games. Those of you who know me, know I love games. We loved the snow, but Mary Paul hated the cold wind. I think she prefers the beach to the snowy mountains. Enjoy the monster post of pictures, but hey it was a two week Christmas.

So, believe it or not, this was not posed. Mary Paul loved this snowman and carried him around the house.

The requested globe. She loves it. She likes to spin it and ask, "Where does ____ live?"

Mary Paul loved playing with Claire. An besides Brian and Beth, Claire really only loved playing with Mary Paul

This looks like she's saying, "Gag me with a spoon." I just caught her mid move though.

Mary Paul and my other big kid had so much fun playing in the snow together.

An Incredibly Busy Weekend

2008-12-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

So...Mary Paul is two years old!!! I cannot believe we have had the honor of such a blessing!!! We had a great time at her party. As you can see, the girl loves her sweets. This past weekend we went to Knoxville to spend some Christmas time with my family. Then we went to Gatlinburg to spend the evening. I ended the weekend with our church Christmas party. This year I organized a Christmas pageant. It went very well. Mary Paul was an angel, literally.

It snowed in Nashville, again, and we took Mary Paul out, late (meaning past her bed time) so she could play in the snow at night.

Waiting to paint pottery after a long drive to Knoxville. We made a reindeer plate with her hand prints.

Ashley with an very creepy wax Nicholas Cage at some random Hollywood car museum. Wax figures creep me out.

Can you guess what color sucker Mary Paul picked? I think it was red. I could be wrong though.

Mary Paul was a great angel. She loved wearing the wings. She did a great job walking and sitting/standing in her place.

Thanksgiving and the Pink Pig

2008-12-04T19:26:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. We got to see both sides of our family. We spent the first part of our week with Bryan's family. During that time we went and rode the Pink Pig for the first time. She started off happy, but as you can see got quite upset as we waited. Once her turn to ride came around, she was a happy camper again. Then we went to my side of the family and got to see all my aunts and uncles. Finally, we spent a nice weekend with mom that was very relaxing. We are busy getting ready for Christmas now and can't wait for Santa to make his appearance at our home!!! Also, enjoy the video of Mary Paul singing "Jesus Loves Me."

Tidbits

2008-11-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to a birthday party. Mary Paul had a great time. It was at a local playground, which she loved. There was a huge dinosaur cake with green icing. In other news, we made Mary Paul's crib into a toddler bed. She had her first nap today and is sleeping in it as I write. She did play a lot during her nap time, but tonight has gone straight to bed. Also, a note of interest, we were at Bass Pro Shop last night and found out that they have a Santa Claus this year. The one here is great. Anyway, the set up is, of course, more rugged, but with trains, two games and a coloring station. Mary Paul saw him, ran up, climbed in his lap and proceeded to ask Santa for a globe. The best part is, the picture is free! You can order more, but every first picture is free. I'm sure we'll take Mary Paul in a pretty dress for another picture, maybe a different Santa, but it was a great surprise!!!

2008-10-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend a couple at church had a cookout and a couple of things set up for the kids to do. They do this every year and and the kids wear their costumes. Not being so crafty, I just bought a costume. But, Mary Paul loves it...she is Alice in Wonderland. I am hoping to get better pictures tomorrow. We also carved two pumpkins and roasted the seeds, yummy!!! In other news...we are having a girl!!! She is perfect and everything looks great!!! Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween!!!

Just An Update

2008-10-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some updated pictures of Mary Paul. I hope you enjoy them. She is getting more fun everyday. Friday in the grocery store there was a very stressed out mother being really mean toward her children. Not just firm, but loud and mean. Anyway, as we passed them, Mary Paul said, "Mama, she's being rude. She's being rude." Thankfully the mother did not hear as she was still yelling at her children. Here are a few phrases she's said over the past few days that have made me laugh. "What's the problem, Mom?" "I'm a genius." "I'm soaking wet. I'm so happy." "I have a booger in my mouth." Mary Paul brings us such joy!!!

Mary Paul is making her "stinker face". She does it on command. It is so funny.

Magic Moments

2008-10-02T19:36:00.001-07:00

We've been fine. Not much has been going on. The other day I gave Daisy a bath out front. I let Mary Paul play with the hose for about half an hour. She loved it. A few nights later I made homemade chocolate ice cream. We invited some friends over to enjoy it with us. Needless to say, Mary Paul and their son loved the ice cream. It was everywhere. So, we pulled out the hose again and let them play on the deck in the hose. I went and got the shampoo, stripped Mary Paul down and bathed her on the deck. Then I got warm towels fresh from the dryer and the kids snuggled up with their dads while we talked in the dark with only candle light. It was a great night. I know Mary Paul won't remember it, but I will. I felt like such a good mom, like my mom, doing something random but fun like that. I hope as my kids grow older that I will always be able to create special moments for them. Moments they can look back on as adults and remember with a little bit of magic. I have magic memories that exist only because of my parents. So, as you enjoy the pictures of my daughter, I am wondering, do you have any "magic" moments? Mary Paul the organizer. Like mother like daughter.

News

2008-09-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

I know it's hard to imagine life getting much better then this...but come the first week of March, we'll be adding a little brother or sister to our family!!! I guess I'll have to change the name of our blog!!!

A Hike and Bathtub Trouble

2008-08-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening Bryan and I took Mary Paul to a local park and hiked around the lake. Mary Paul did great, walking about 1.5 miles of the 3 mile hike. Needless to say she slept wonderfully. As usual we had a bath before bed, she was exceptionally filthy after our hike. She had an episode in the tub which she'll tell you about in the video. Mary Paul keeps our lives very busy and full of fun. You never know what she's going to say. Sunday, in the car with me, unprompted, Mary Paul said, "I love Daddy so much. Get a balloon at Publix."

Bryan's Ultimate Tower of Blocks, that Daisy's tail demolished shortly after this picture.

Why We Don't Buy Dog Beds

2008-08-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

Daisy, obviously is very pleased with herself. Daisy can destroy a bed in like 6 seconds flat. We even bought one of the indestructible beds from Orvis that has a lifetime warranty, she put a hole in it within 5 minutes. We kept it for 2 1/2 years and then got our money back after Daisy destroyed one whole side of the supposedly amazing bed.

Gotta love pink cowboy boots. They are still too big, but I had to try them on her. She was hilarious walking around in them.

This picture makes me think of how she'll look on her first day of kindergarten. I can't believe how grown up my little Mary Paul is getting.

Can You Guess Her Favorite Verse?

2008-07-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

We've been busy at the Thornton home. We spent several days in Atlanta with my family during the passing of my GG. During that time, Bryan was out of town so Mary Paul, Daisy and I were solo. Since we've been back, it's not been too crazy, but very hot!!! These are just some pictures of Mary Paul in our first tent. She had a blast reading underneath it. Daddy even squeezed in to share some special moments. Just a note to any other tent makers...don't use a duvet cover...they're heavy.

This video was taken just after Mary Paul did a perfect rendition of "If You're Happy and You Know It" with me. So I thought I'd get it on film. She is distracted by her book, which she realizes has been signed by the author. I am wondering if you can guess which verse is her favorite. Enjoy!!!

A Third Look At A Weekend

2008-07-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

Well, both my sisters posted about the same weekend. It's interesting all the different pictures we have of the same events. Ashley and the little kids came over for a few days. We went to the science museum and decorated cookies. Landon loved decorating the cookies and asked continually if he could eat a cookie. Addi was so much fun at the science museum...I think she had the most fun out of all three of the kids. We all had a blast at Samantha and Dave's house. We loved spending time with G-mama and getting to see how big Kaori has gotten. I've tried to group the pictures. There are a lot of pictures

I think we should all be a little envious of the lashes on the wonderful children.

Off to Aunt Samatha and Uncle Dave's house. Mary Paul loved the pool as did Landon.

Some pictures of Samantha, Dave and Kaori. She is so sweet and such a happy baby. Dave and Samantha are wonderful parents.

All the kids (and the adults) love the swing. It goes super high and Bryan is by far the best swing pusher....I'm so proud.

Seacrest Trip

2008-06-23T19:54:00.001-07:00

This past week we went to Seacrest Beach, Florida!!! It's right near Destin. We went with my husband's family and had a blast!!! Mary Paul loved the sand and the water. We had wonderful family time, good food, and great weather. I am always so grateful that Mary Paul has the opportunity to really know her family. On this trip she got to be with her Granddaddy, Grandmommy, Great Aunt Randi, Great Uncle Ed, Aunt Beth, Uncle Brian and Baby Claire. I also got the chance to take some pictures of Mary Paul on the beach and posted several of the ones I liked.

Hiking

2008-06-12T20:29:00.001-07:00

I took Mary Paul on a hike at a local park here that has a lake and several trails. So, despite the 90 degree heat, I put Mary Paul in the pack and took a 3 mile walk around the lake. She loved it!!! Her favorite thing to do was touch tree trunks and leaves. We saw a lot of wildlife: a deer in the lake, a huge turtle right beside the trail, a humming bird, and a salamander in the middle of the trail. It was a good time, but needless to say I was pretty nasty after lugging 30 pounds (Mary Paul, a camera, water, food, wallet, etc.) around a lake. To cool down we drank our drinks and ate granola bars. As an aside, the pack ( a hand-me-down from some friends) has been great. Not only can we use it for hikes, I have also used it when I cut the grass. I highly recommend having one.

John Visits

2008-06-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

My wonderful nephew, John, came to visit us on Sunday and stayed until Wednesday!!! We just love having John at our home. We went to the Opryland Hotel and walked around. Believe it or not, I have never walked around Opryland. It is pretty amazing. John said he will stay there before he dies. Then we walked over the Gibson store at the outlet mall. The next day, we just went to music stores that John wanted to look around in. He is a great musician, playing guitar, drums and keyboard. Mary Paul was great. For dinner last night we went to Peter's for sushi...delicious!!! No, John is not in a jungle, just the Opryland Hotel.

John was great with Mary Paul, pushing the stroller and getting her our of the car when I never even asked him to. Mary Paul called him Big John.

Mary Paul finger-painted for the first time. I found a cheap canvas at Big Lots and she had a blast. Paint was everywhere. I am wondering if the Museum of Modern Art would be interested in our budding talent.

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend was a blast! My whole family, minus Mike who was on call, was in Atlanta from Saturday through Monday. Wonderful!!! We had a large family get together and got to see old friends. The kids had a blast. A funny story that my husband witnessed and I missed. My 24 year old cousin, Wes, comes up to me and tells how hilarious he thinks Mary Paul. I agree, of course, but out of curiosity ask why, did she do something? So, music was playing in the backyard...show tunes (not unusual for my family) when AC/DC's shook me all night long came on. Mary Paul ran over to the sound system, turned it up and started dancing.
Snuggling with Uncle Bryan.

Mom's big pool was not yet ready for the season so I brought this great buy from Babies R'Us. It was a hit!!!

My cousin Mandi's little girl Taylor and her husband Jeremy. Taylor is has tons of personality.

Handsome Will. He and Mary Paul got to play a lot this weekend and were funny to watch together.

Samantha, Courtney, me and Ashley. It is so fun, and a little strange, to see all us grown up and being parents.

Someone loved their cupcake.

I thought this was a funny picture of Mary Paul, and Kaori is relaxing in the sun.

Late Mother's Day Post

2008-05-27T09:22:00.001-07:00

This is a belated Mother's Day post. Bryan was out of town on Mother's Day, but sent me two dozen roses from him and Mary Paul. They were beautiful. I just thought I'd make sure to show off what my husband and my sweet girl did for me on Mother's Day.

First Ponytail

2008-05-21T20:13:00.001-07:00

Before....

After...

Mary Paul can wear a ponytail!!! She probably could for a while now...but I am just now getting ambitious. We have also done pigtails...which also look fabulous. Unfortunately, Mary Paul does not always like for me to put her hair up in these new do's and asks for a hairbow.

Spring Pictures

2008-05-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

My mom came up Sunday for Mother's Day and stayed through Tuesday. We had such a great visit. I took her to the Frist for the Monet-Dali exhibit, plus an exhibit of Tiffany lamps. Then we ate at Arnold's. Yum!! Next, my mom watched Mary Paul while I got my haircut. When I got back, we packed up Mary Paul and went to the Ag Center so I could take some pictures of my girl and my mom. It was so nice having my mom there to talk to Mary Paul so she could be still for more than 2 seconds. My mom took a couple of me with Mary Paul as well. Here are some, or a lot, of my favorites!!!

Claire Has Arrived...Yes Post Number Two

2008-05-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well...my newest niece, Claire Elizabeth, arrived early Tuesday morning. She came in weighing 6 pounds 12 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. Mom and Dad are doing well and she is precious!!!

Fun Pictures

2008-05-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

These are just some funny pictures I have taken recently. Mary Paul is reaching such a fun age. She has so much personality and so much to say. Yesterday in Target she pulled a shirt from the rack and said, "Cute. Buy it?" That's my girl!!! Here, she climbed, with a book, onto her rocking dog.

Suggling with Daddy while he plays with one of

their favorite toys, the Iphone.

Taking self-portraits...very early in the morning.

My mom got her this doll for Christmas and she loves it.

Notice the hairbows she asked my to put in her hair.

The petting zoo at the Franklin Art Festival. She loved the animals.

Kaori at the festival.

Some New Pictures

2008-04-20T11:48:00.001-07:00

These are just a few pictures of Mary Paul. She loves to play in the car. She also has learned to twirl in the past few weeks. She is so much fun and has so much personality. Bryan received a shipment of computers for work and Mary Paul had a blast in the packing peanuts. Notice she sinks lower and lower.

Kaori is Home

2008-04-16T09:47:00.001-07:00

So I know this is late. Sorry. My husband has been using both the laptop and the desktop for work so I have not been able to update my blog. So...here it is...late but still just as fun!!! Kaori arrived home safely and we were all excited to meet her. I made shirts, Ashley made posters, and we all took pictures!!! Kaori is doing well at home and Samantha and Dave are, of course, wonderful parents!!! Enjoy the pictures of sweet Kaori!!!

Easter at the Beach

2008-03-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Every year for Easter Bryan and I go to the beach with friends from church. We go down around Grayton beach. We usually stay in Seagrove or Seacrest beach. We had a blast. Mary Paul loved, loved, loved the beach (she is our child). I thought she would like to play in the sand and maybe be a little afraid of the water. She loved the ocean this summer, but being older I thought she might all of a sudden be afraid. Not the case. We had to watch her like a hawk because she would take off for the water. Even when she fell face first into the waves, she got back up and ran straight into the water. She would cry if she saw the beach and couldn't go down to it to play. When we left she said, "Bye-bye beach." We had a great house right on the beach and had a wonderful time with our friends. We were able to have dinner with Bryan's grandmother and Joe. The weather was wonderful, 75 and sunny everyday!!! Bryan was able to have a lot of playtime in the waves. We can't wait to go back next year!!!

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we had an egg hunt at church. Mary Paul loved it!!! Here are just a few pictures. We actually spent Easter at the beach. We go every year. I'll be posting some pictures from this year's trip next!!!

Bonkos...

2008-03-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night Mary Paul and I brought our Baja Burrito home for dinner because we were tired after church. Daddy stayed and ate at Baja. Mary Paul was so tired that she became delirious. She was squirming and kicking on the changing table and I asked her if she was going bonkos. I have never used that word. Mary Paul laughed so hard I started laughing. Needless to say, the putting on of pjs went very quickly and the laughter continued long enough for me to video tape it. I don't know why it took me so long to figure out to turn the light on so you can see her. Sorry, for the darkness, but enjoy the laughter!!!

Snow in February

2008-02-27T12:31:00.001-08:00

The first exciting news I have is that...I am aunt for the 5th time!!! My sister Samantha and her husband, Dave, just found out they have a baby girl!!! We cannot wait to meet her. Check out her blog for details!!! The second exciting thing is that we had some more snow today. So, I bundled Mary Paul up in tights, a fleece onsie, gloves, hat, big coat and too big Keds. She had a blast walking around on the deck. I took some pictures and posted most of the ones with Bryan because I thought they were so sweet. Mary Paul is talking more and more. She loves to "sing" to you and then clap for herself. She also answers the phone and says "hewoah". She is so much fun!!!

I thought this was funny...

2008-02-24T19:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I thought this was so funny. It's a commercial I saw last during the Oscars. I thought the kid's face was great and when the dad joins in, I laughed out loud. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwkZHSbvBIY

Let them eat cake...even if they're sick

2008-02-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

Mary Paul has had a little cold this week. She's been sleeping a lot and getting a very crusty nose. Despite the fact she hasn't felt well, her appetite has not been affected. And, as we all know, cake can make anything better.

I wish I could sit like this sometimes when I am enjoying a good meal...no shame!!!

Second Post and a Second Birthday

2008-02-10T19:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to Knoxville to celebrate Addi's second birthday. Ashley had everything decorated so sweetly and Addi looked beautiful!!! We had a wonderful time and I cannot believe that Addi is two years old!!!

Updates

2008-02-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

These are just some recent pictures I've taken of Mary Paul. As you can see she is doing yoga under our chairs and loves hairbows. She pulls them off and asks me to put them in her hair. She loves them.

Dancing with the Stars

2008-02-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

Mary Paul is a dancer. It's funny because I am not...but I dance with her all the time. She loves to dance in the car, in the bath, to toys that make music and she loves, loves, loves Regina Spektor. My birthday is on Sunday (I'll be 29) and I got one of the music birthday cards from my sister-in-law, because she knows I love those cards. Well, Mary Paul loves them too and apparently is a Hansen fan.

Houston, we have a talker...

2008-02-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know me, it should come as no surprise that my daughter is a talker. She is opinionated and also speaks with a lot of hand and head motions. It is so funny to hear her little voice talking. I can't wait to hear what she's going to say. Also, her new favorite things (besides trying to eat with utensils) is her white blanket and her "car" blanket. Her car blanket is one I made that we keep in the car and stroller. It has taggies and minky material so its super soft and she loves to finger the taggies. Her white blanket came from her Great Aunt Debby and Uncle Randy. She has always loved it but now she likes to carry it around, hugging it and calling it baby. Now, when she is grumpy or seems sleepy I just ask her if she wants to take a nap with her blanket. She says, "Yea" walks to her crib, holds up her arms and says, "Up." She then laughs and smiles as she snuggles with her "baby." Here's hoping the white blanket always holds that kind of power!!! She also loves to sit in her crib, snuggle with her blanket and read. Last night she did that for 40 minutes while I made dinner. Of course, I took a picture.

Hanging Around

2008-01-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the weather was beautiful. On Saturday Bryan, Mary Paul, Daisy and I went out to the big field behind the church up the street. I really like the pictures of Bryan with Mary Paul. As you can see, Daisy is feeling much better...despite the fact that tonight she actually pulled a loose sock off of Mary Paul's foot and ate it. In other news, a stomach bug has hit our home, at least it has hit Bryan and Mary Paul. I, as usual, do not get sick and therefore must take care of all the invalids. It has not been pretty. Mary Paul is on the mend while Bryan is just beginning. Here's hoping it doesn't last too long.

Eight Things About My Kid

2008-01-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Courtney tagged us...here are eight things about Mary Paul.

1) My first word was not Dada, or Mama...it was Daisy.

2) I love to wrestle with my mama and daddy. I scream and head dive into them.

3) Sometimes, when I wake up from a really good sleep...my hair is a cross between Donald Trump and Albert Einstein.

4) When not walking, I love to sit down and get up. I will sit on Mama's legs, the floor, a small chair, or as you can see, a ball.

5) I am a good eater. I will eat anything, and I love, love, love milk. I drink a gallon a week all by myself.

6) I can squat for hours.

7) I love, love, love my baths.

8) I love books. They are my favorite toys. I also love to read to anyone who will listen.

Now I tag Landon and Addi, Nina and Ethan, and Taylor.

A Huge Christmas Post!!!

2008-01-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

Wow!!! We had such a busy holiday. Mary Paul and I slept in three different houses in one week. Plus, our dog, yes...Daisy the Wonder Dog, had to have emergency surgery because a sock that she ate got stuck in her stomach. We started our Christmas the Saturday night before Christmas. My mom was able to come up and join us. Daisy had her surgery at 2:30 am Sunday morning...so we were very tired when we got to church. Mary Paul and I then went to Atlanta with my mom who was kind enough to drop us off at my in-laws. Bryan and a very pitiful, 30 staples in her stomach, Daisy joined us on Monday. We had a great time seeing everyone. Aunt Beth and Uncle Brian made a delicious Christmas Eve dinner and then we all got together again on Christmas day. It was wonderful to see the whole family!!! Bryan headed back home with Daisy and I stayed in Atlanta with my mom before we left for Knoxville to have Christmas with my family. That was a crazy, fun, busy time. I wished I had taken more pictures. With 7 adults, 6 cars, 5 children, 4 bedrooms, 3 dogs, 2 1/2 baths and a partridge in a pair tree...it was a wonderful time.

Mary Paul's Snowflake First Birthday-2nd Post of the Night

2007-12-09T19:20:00.001-08:00

Mary Paul is 1 year old!!!! We had a Snowflake Winter Wonderland Party!!! Despite the tear in the first picture, Mary Paul was a huge ham and loved every bit of attention she received!!! She also blew out her candle all by herself (we've been practicing and she now tries to blow out all the Christmas lights). You can't tell by the pictures, but we had snowflakes everywhere... hanging above the table, in the breakfast area, on the bookshelves and the curtains. Mary Paul had a special hat made by my sister, Ashley. She loved her cake and 3-D cookies; and we loved having so much of our family around us for this special day!!! As usual I loved being able to plan an event All in all, it was a great success. We are all tired though and ready for a good night's sleep. Can't wait to see what the next year brings!!!

Thanksgiving

2007-12-09T18:50:00.000-08:00

Okay...so better late than never...right??? Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving!!! Plus one of Mary Paul with crazy static hair!!! I'll do my best to "caption" each picture. Crazy Static Hair
I'm trying to climb into the fireplace.

Elves all around the North Pole are wondering where I got my tights.

Whoa!! I look good!!!

I can't wait till my real birthday!!! I love cake and cake loves me!!!

All Aboard!!!

Landon cannot believe his luck...a real train!!!

Which picture will be on our Christmas card???

And the winner is....

This one!!!

Why I Love Costco

2007-11-16T12:53:00.001-08:00

Thursday night my husband and I ventured out into the cold night with the soul purpose of renewing our membership at Costco. We are not "buy in bulk" people, but we do love a good deal and Costco has them. Great deals on Pelligrino, furniture, shop towels, the occasional pillow and the amazing tunnel world pictured below. How much did this amazing toy of tarp, plastic tubing, nylon, velcro and covered springs cost???? $39.99? $49.99? No, folks, this guaranteed child pleasing toy rang up, with tax, a mere $20. 67 (or close to that...it was under $21.00). Not only did I find this amazing toy (that folds up and fits inside two bags that can easily be stored inside any closet on any shelf) I also found Christmas presents for my youngest niece and nephew. Mary Paul loves "Tunnel Land" and so does Daisy, who runs through the tunnels with great joy and abandon. All in all, a great purchase and a great night of family fun.

Will's Party (Post #2 for the day!!!)

2007-10-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

When we got back from Knoxville, Mary Paul and I went to Will's first birthday party!!! Bryan, flying in from Hawaii, met us there after his flight landed. We had a great time. Will and Mary Paul are a month a part to the day, so it is always fun to get them together. Plus, I got to see my in-laws who are Courtney's aunt and uncle!!! The petting zoo was fun depsite the fact that Mary Paul wasn't sure if she liked the turkey. She did love the cow though.

Knoxville and a Red Room

2007-10-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to Knoxville to see my sisters. I spent the night at Ashley's and Samantha came over Thursday night and stayed as well. On Friday we painted Ashley's sunroom red (a huge improvement) as an anniversary present. It was amazing that we got it all done with three kids under the age of four around us. Needless to say it was chaotic!!! We also went to see my newphew John perform during halftime Friday night. He also recieved his special order guitar that he's been saving a long time for!!! On Thursday we got to play outside and it was beautiful. I took tons of pictures and these are just some of the ones I liked. The picture of "bowling pins" are just some squash I made to look like bowling pins. I got the idea from Martha Stewart and adapted it to fit my skill level. I thought they turned out pretty good. The "bowling balls" are just small pie pumpkins. Landon and Addi loved knocking them down. Mary Paul loved the swing and I loved watching her swing...all in all... a great weekend!!!

Gearing up for Halloween and other things...

2007-10-22T11:13:00.001-07:00

Well, of course we are getting ready for Halloween. If you couldn't tell, Mary Paul is a pumpkin. She also has decided that she likes to take the path of greatest resistance, through the table, not around it. She can squeeze through anything!!! She's done great in costume, not pulling it off or anything. I love, love, love the tights. The top picture is Mary Paul with some of our friends at the nursing home. We've been visiting the nursing once a week since Mary Paul was about 3 months old. Mary Paul loves the attention and the residents are so enjoyable. These are two ladies we see pretty much every week. It's neat because they are watching Mary Paul grow up. They were so excited to see her in her Halloween costume!!! It's amazing the people we've met at the nursing home: a former NICU nurse who spent time in Alaska working with the Inuits, a college level voice teacher, a pianist who graduated from Julliard, the man who started AGAPE in Tennessee and so many more!!! If you are a stay at home mom I highly recommend doing something like this once a week, once a month, whenever you can. If you come to my nursing home on Fridays at 2:30...you get ice cream!!!

2007-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, Fall is here, and for those of you who know me, it's time to decorate!!! I love decorating for all the holidays and/or seasons. This means that come fall my house is full of gourds, mums, decorative pumpkins, indian corn, Halloween ghosts, seasonal dish towels, anything. Anyone who lives near me and wants some beautiful gourds, the kind you see in Martha Stewart magazines, I have the place for you!! Head on down to Maxwell Bros., one on Nolensville across from Lowe's and one on Old Hickory (where it turns into Bell Rd.). They also have fresh produce, beautiful mums and more types of gourds then you can imagine. Plus, they sell most of them by the pound so you get a great deal!!! It's family owned and the orignial Maxwell is who Henry C. Maxwell Elementary school was named for. I was also recently told that he had a big part in the integration of schools here. Here are some pictures of Mary Paul displaying just a few of our precious gourds. Also, we got Daisy a new bed and Mary Paul loves it as much as Daisy does...maybe when the time comes, we won't need a toddler bed...

Evening at the Park

2007-10-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

We went to the park last Friday night with some friends from church. We all ate dinner and let our kids play. It was great fun. I got to throw a football around, Bryan and I inadvertently took a 1 mile walk, and Mary Paul got worn out from swinging. All in all, a very enjoyable evening!!

Happenings at Home

2007-09-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since our last post. Mary Paul is growing bigger everyday and learning new things all the time. She has been pulling up to a stand on things for awhile now, but is now cruising around holding onto furniture like a pro!! She also climbs on top of any piece of furniture that she can. She can sit on her knees and has learned to clap. She now claps between bites during her meal times. Mary Paul is also an avid pointer. She points at everything and everyone. She occasionally does the double point at you. When she sees Daisy, she points at her (of course) and says something that sounds very close to Daisy. She continues to love bath time and make spitting noises with her mouth. My family was in town this past weekend so it was full of sisters, mom, cousins, brother-in-laws and fun. Today, Daisy chewed up a dirty diaper that had belonged to a cousin.

Weekend at the Lake

2007-09-10T07:07:00.001-07:00

This past weekend my friend Kelly invited us to her family's lake house on Tim's Ford Lake. It was beautiful!!! We had great weather, great company, great food and conversation. Mary Paul had so much fun playing in the kiddie pool and sitting in the middle of this huge round float!! Bryan and I had fun on the jet skis and tubing....but I think the award for Most Fun Had During a Lake Weekend goes to....Daisy the Wonder Dog!!! She loves the water and played and played and played all weekend. The dog who never tires got off of her bed for breakfast Sunday morning (we got home late Saturday night), ate and then went right back to sleep.

Where Pacifiers Go to Die

2007-08-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

I lose pacifiers all the time. For the last two weeks I've been using only 1 pacifier because it is the only one I could find. Then on Wednesday, I couldn't find that one either. I was getting ready to drive to Knoxville and the pacifier would be crucial in helping Mary Paul fall asleep in the car. Since learning how to stand up, Mary Paul can often be found standing in her crib with her pacifier 4 feet in front of her on the floor, where she threw it (she'll either be a softball player or a quarterback). I decided to look behind her crib. As you can see I located the secret pacifier graveyard. The previously mentioned pacifier was discovered in her crib hiding in a blanket.

2007-08-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend my husband ran in the 2007 Nike Hood to Coast Relay. This is a relay race that starts at the top of Mt. Hood in Oregon and ends at the coast in Seaside, Oregon. He was on a team with, I think, 11 other people. They took turns running legs of the race. Bryan ran 3 legs from 8-10 miles each. He might have a couple hours in between each leg to sleep or eat. During the race, there is always someone from your team running. There were 12,000 runners this year, so about 1200 teams. Nike actually flew in 70 pro teams to compete. Bryan's team did very well, finishing in about 24 hours. They were like the 130th team to finish, so pretty good out of 12oo teams. All proceeds went to the American Cancer Society. Since Nike sponsered the race, he got a pretty cool T-shirt. Mary Paul and I missed having him here with us, but were glad he got to participate in the relay. The team he ran with has invited him to run again next year. Mary Paul is excited about that because she'd like another medal to play with.

Long Time No Post

2007-08-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

I've been very busy these past few weeks and have had no time to post. Mary Paul is growing and doing new things all the time. Nap time is not so nappy anymore since she has learned how to stand in her crib. She still loves books and is crawling all over the place. We went to Atlanta for a girls' weekend with my mom and sisters and had a blast. Popsicles, cookie cake and a fairy outfit were among the highlights. We also had a visit with Aunt Beth, Uncle Brian and Grandaddy and Grandmommy. Whew!!! It's nice to be back home and rest up.

Time To Baby Proof

2007-08-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Mary Paul is officially mobile. She has been dragging herself around on her stomach by her elbows...like a low military crawl. Now she is crawling. It is time to baby proof our home. I guess I'll ask my sister Samantha for advice on that since she and Dave just finished getting their house ready. I don't think Daisy has any idea what she is now in for...or maybe she does. As a side note, I knew I had a squeaky voice, but I had no idea it was this squeaky.

Funny Video

2007-07-31T14:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you know, but I am a good friend of Courtney's and I married her cousin, so we are now related!!! Our babies are exactly a month a part, to the day, Will is 4 weeks older than Mary Paul. This video was taken at a wedding about a month ago. It is so funny. I am so excited that I learned how to upload videos to my blog!!!

I also have some good pictures of Mary Paul, who is almost crawling and loves, loves, loves books. She loves to look at them and turn the pages. She rarely attempts to eat them. Maybe she'll be a reader. She also is a huge poser for the camera. On Sunday I took Mary Paul hiking at Percy Warner with a friend. She loved riding in the pack, but I must say that after three miles in 92 degree heat with 25 pounds on my back...I was hot and sweaty. Mary Paul loved the ride though!!