The Slaugh Family

Soccer

2011-02-23T21:16:00.004-05:00

Do you think he is a future soccer star? This is his first time kicking the ball!

Going to the Cabin

2011-02-23T20:56:00.020-05:00

Our friend's rented a cabin for the weekend and invited us to go with them. The cabin was awesome and perfect for our families! The weather was great and the kids had a blast with each other! The cabin had 4 bedrooms, a pool table/air hockey table, hot tub, a huge deck with rocking chairs, a fire pit and was just amazing!

The kids having chocolate fondue!

Our friend's brought their dog Gary and Carson LOVED Gary. My poor kids that love dogs (well not Hailey) will probably never have a dog... at least not any time soon!

Happy 30th Birthday Kristan!
Getting ready to go fishing! Brad loved it even though they didn't catch anything!
Smores time!

Yes we did smores int he fireplace. It was too windy that night... so the fireplace worked great!

Hot tubin!! The kids could not get enough of the hot tub! Carson loved it too!

Here's some pictures of the cabin!

The kids after a dip in the hot tub!

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-23T20:55:00.005-05:00

Brad has a girl in his class who he thinks is BEAUTIFUL! You would laugh if you heard him talking about her and he has since the first day of school. He can barely talk to her because she is so beautiful! He says that he knows that she loves him too because of the way they look at each other! Are we in trouble with him or what?!? We were at target looking at Valentine's and he saw a chocolate rose that he had to get for her! He was so excited to give it to her. She have him a small box of chocolates. So sweet!

This year we had a little Valentine's party for the kids! We decorated cookies, ate pizza, passed out valentines, decorated mailboxes and cups and of course a pinata! The kids had a great time and it was fun to catch up with some friends!

That night our friends Kristan and Craig come over and made us cheese fondue and homemade pizza! It was delicious and great company! Valentine's Day is not my favorite holiday... but I love any reason to get together!!

Blizzard of 2011

2011-01-12T18:15:00.007-05:00

Of course I left all of the kids snow clothes in Utah and we get a huge storm here in Georgia! We never get snow! Before the storm even started, school was canceled the next day, and a code white was called at work. Luckily I got out of work just in time. It started snowing around 10:30pm, and when I left work at 11:40pm there was probably 4 inches already! It was slow to get home... but I made it! So happy I wasn't stuck at work and thankful to all the nurses that were! The kids have had so much fun in the snow! So now we are going on the 4th day of school being canceled and we got about 6 inches of snow. In Utah, they would not have even blinked an eye, but here, we probably have 6 snow plows for the whole state! The freeways are now getting plowed, but all the side roads and subdivisions are aweful! It melts to slush during the day, and the roads are an ice rink at night! It's crazy! Brad hasn't been to school since December 13th. He's had strep twice in that time, we were in Utah, a snow day from the ice storm when we left, and now day 4 of school canceled! Hoping they can go back on Friday! I have cleaned out lots of closets, bedrooms, gone through clothes, the medicine cabinet, updated my blog (finally) and had lots of junk food! It's been a great having a break and just being stuck at home... but now I'm ready to get back out!

Carson LOVES playing in the snow! Once in a while his gloves would fall off (or he would pull them off) and he would start screaming once his hands got in the snow! So I would warm up his hands in mine and put the gloves back on and he would just go on playing for another 15-20 minutes until it would happen again! He threw a fit when it was time to go inside! He's such a silly boy!

Tubing

2011-01-12T18:09:00.010-05:00

One of our favorite things to do is go tubing when we are in Utah. Our only day to go was our second to last day! It just way too cold or it was snowing every other day! It was a great day to go and we had tons of fun! The best part is that you don't have to walk up the hill... they pull you up on your tub! AWESOME!

Brad's favorite thing from last year was riding the little snow mobile. He couldn't wait to do it again!

The next day we packed up all of our stuff and headed home! It was bitter/sweet! Good to be home but too far away from family! We were sad that the fun had to end! I lucked out again on the flight... the benadryl worked like a charm and Brad and Hailey were great! Hope we can head back soon!

Last Few Days

2011-01-12T18:04:00.008-05:00

Our last few days was fun with the family! I wish that I had more time to see everyone and do more... it just never seems like enough time!

Grand America

2011-01-12T18:00:00.009-05:00

Grand America had a fun activity where you walk around the hotel looking in the hotel shops and finding the letters of the alphabet. Some windows were better then others, but it was fun. It was a lot of writing and Hailey finished early, but Brad held through all the way! At the end we went to their bakery and got a treat! The best part of it all was that it was FREE!!

Good Bye 2010

2011-01-12T17:54:00.006-05:00

2010 had it's up and downs for sure! I have a lot to be thankful for! I hope that 2011 is a little better though! To celebrate the end of the year, I went to Rodizio Grill for dinner with my Dad, Mom, Nate, Shannon, Kim and Nancy! And Kylie watched the kids! Thanks girl! It was great to have some adult converstation and to get out!

After dinner we came home, celebrated early with the kids and put them to bed! We watched Inception which I loved and just hung out! It was a great New Years excpet for the fact that Mike was thousands of miles away!

Great Grandma's Birthday!

2011-01-12T17:38:00.005-05:00

Somehow I had saved up enough PTO at work to stay in Utah through New Years! It was fabulous! My Grandma's birthday is on New Years Eve, so it was fun to see her on her Birthday! We took her to Cowboy Grub! The kids were upset that no one was there to decorate her house (One of our traditions with birthdays), so we settled and got her some balloons! Happy Birthday Great Grandma!
Carson eating a lemon!

More Utah

2011-01-12T17:24:00.010-05:00

Mike was only able to stay a few days so he could get back to work, but we had a great time with him. We had a nice, relaxing weekend!

Kylie had fun with Hailey... she painted her nails, did her hair and her make-up!

Blake had to leave early because of the storm that was coming in! Wish we could have seem him longer... it never seems long enough! Love ya Blakie!!

Shannon is Nate AND Brad's girlfriend! Make sure you get is straight! :) Her turtle Molly was up at my parents quite a bit! The kids loved the turtle! Carson loved her so much that he ate her poop! GROSS!! Luckily he survived! Brad like to feed her the worms. Another GROSS! But we love Shannon and Molly and hope they stick around!

Mike's parents gave the kids a gift card to build-a-bear! We haven't ever been there! It was fun and the kids LOVED it! Brad got a Star Wars bear named Snow Flake and Hailey got a Purple Dog named Cupcake!!

Christmas Dinner

2011-01-12T17:08:00.006-05:00

What is vacation and Christmas without food?!? That is something we difinatly did not go without this year! Christmas Dinner was great! Thanks Mom, Dad and Grandma for the great grub! And for the great company!

My Dad is the dish man! He did so many dishes and trash pickups it was rediculous!

Christmas Morning

2011-01-12T16:57:00.014-05:00

I thought this year was going to be a light Christmas... boy was I wrong! My kids got absolutly spoiled by our families! As did we! It seems like it just keeps getting better and better every year as the kids get older. They get so excited and it's fun to see their faces! Uncle Nate really spoiled them this year! My borther Blake also made it to Utah this year! We hadn't seen him for two years! It was great having the whole family their this year! We are truely blessed by all the people around us who thought about our family! I go my Christmas present a couple of weeks early... Mike starting his job! WAHOO!!

And of course the Justin Beiber Plunger!!!

Christmas Eve

2011-01-12T16:49:00.005-05:00

Here's the kids ready for Christmas Eve Dinner all dressed in Red! It's the color they wanted to wear!

My parents get the kids Christmas PJ's every year! The kids love them! Christmas PJ's is one of my favorite traditions!

After the kids went to bed, we played our traditional game! Mike and I scored this year! All those gift cards came in handy! We kind of got a late start to the night and I hadn't done any wrapping... so I was up way too late that night... 4am was not my goal time, but at least it all got done by morning!

An Elf named Jingle

2011-01-12T16:41:00.004-05:00

We have an elf named Jingle that comes to our house. He come after Thanksgiving and watches the kids. Every night he goes back to the North Pole to give Santa a report. Then he come back and hides somewhere else the next day. Sometimes he brings treats and notes. And you can't touch him, or his magic will leave. I never had an elf growing up, and I think it is a big thing here in the south. But if there isn't an elf, you will get one because the kids will come home from school asking about it and wanting to know why their isn't an elf???

Anyway... our elf usually doesn't make a mess... but one night he toilet papered the bathroom and left the kids these silly headbands!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-01-12T16:35:00.007-05:00

We were wanting to do gingerbread houses... but we just hadn't had time yet. Luckily my Aunt Nancy come to the rescue. She had some leftover houses that the kids could decorate! So we crashed their party to come decorate! The kids of course loved it and had fun playing with lots of kids there. Carson just ran around with the kids like he was at home! Thanks Squire Family! :)

Lisonbee Christmas Party

2011-01-12T16:27:00.009-05:00

I haven't been to a Lisonbee Christmas Party in who knows how long!!! It's been at least 10 years! This year we were able to make it! It was great to see all my cousins! I think it had a pretty good turn out! And it was great to see all of their cute kids! I think my grandpa told me he has 47 great grandkids! Crazy! I wish I could have talked to everyone more... but chasing Carson around kept me busy! The kids had a great time! There was a pinata, we played bingo, and Santa came and brought them a present! They thought it was pretty cool! Carson kept trying to steal everyone's presents... he wanted to play with all of them! And he actually sat on Santa's lap this time!

Tabernacle Christmas Program

2011-01-12T16:21:00.005-05:00

To get tickets to the Tabernacle Chrismas Program is done by lottery. None of us got tickets excpet my brother. So my brother Derek, his girlfriend, Kylie and me were able to go. The choir was great, David Archuleta was awesome and it was a great night! We got their early thinking we could get something to eat first... but that was out of the question! I think every other person had the same thought! So we went and got inline instead and got great seats!

Kylie and I did some crazy walking that night in the freezing cold trying to get to the train... somehow we made it back home! My parent's watched the kids so I was able to go! Thanks Mom and Dad!

We kept telling Kylie to put her head up! HA HA! Now that she's seen the picture I think she'll agree! Love ya girl!

Going to UTAH!

2011-01-12T16:16:00.004-05:00

We were lucky enough to go out to Utah again this Christmas. My dad was able to get us some tickets! Thanks again Dad!!! I had to work like crazy before we left, so packing what a nightmare. I completely overpacked because I didn't know what I already had and didn't. But I don't think I forgot anything! :) The kids did pretty good on the flight. Actually... they did great! Benedryl is my best friend for Carson on the flight. He slept the entire time! Our flight got out of Atlanta just in time for an ice storm to come in. I'm so glad we left when we did!

My brother Derek hadn't seen my kids for two years... so it was good to see him again and they could get to know their Uncle!

Lake Lanier Islands

2011-01-12T15:57:00.011-05:00

It seems like one of our traditions is to go up to Lake Lanier Islands and have breakfast with Santa. It's a good, cheap breakfast, the kids are free, and they can go see Santa whenever and how ever many times they want to. Carson wanted nothing to do with Santa this year, and I wasn't going to make him. I really didn't want a picture of him screaming on Santa's lap. What's the point of that!

Afterwards I tried to get some pics of the kids in their Chrsitmas outfits. Carson really didn't want anything to do with that either. But it is gorgeous up there!

Grandma and Grandpa come visit

2011-01-11T13:06:00.004-05:00

My parents came to visit in November! It was great to see them! It had been way too long! They spoiled me rotten. They took us out to dinner for my birthday, we went to the movies and had lots of fun! It was short, but fun! My mom got sick the day they were leaving and then had to stay an extra day before heading off to Puerto Rico! It wasn't good that she was sick, but great we got to see them an extra day and go swimming in their hotel pool! :) Come back soon! We miss you guys!

Fall

2011-01-11T13:02:00.006-05:00

Brad doesn't just sit around... he's always finding something to do! Raking leaves is one of his favorites... and Carson loved helping him! One of my favorite things aout georgia... notice they are in short sleeves and no jackets!

Twins

2011-01-11T12:59:00.002-05:00

One day I picked up Hailey and her friend Reese from school and they were wearing the same thing! They were so silly about it!

Carson is also in trouble with these two girls around! The girls have decided that they are going to be police women and drive in the same car together when they grow up! Silly girls!

Disney Quest and Dave

2011-01-11T12:53:00.005-05:00

Our tickets came with either a water park or Disney Quest. We chose Disney Quest. It's at Downtown Disney and has tons of games! The kids loved getting to play whatever then wanted!

After we played for a few hours, we drove to Tampa to go see Mike's good friend Dave, Dave's mom, brother and sister. It has been a long time since we'd seen them! It was good to catch up! Then we started to long drive home! It was a great trip!

DISNEY DAY 2

2011-01-11T12:23:00.011-05:00

The second day was much different from the first. It was GREAT having my dad their with us, but it was way more crowded. We still had a lot of fun!

Around lunch time it started raining.... not just raining... but POURING!! I wouldn't have minded if we didn't have a baby and a stroller, but we did! So we tried waiting it out inside. Mike took Carson on the merry-go-round for about an hour! I was surprised Mike lasted that long on it... but Carson was in heaven!

My dad started getting sick and the rain wasn't letting up, so we braved it and left. We got soaking wet, but it was fun running in the rain! Of course when we left it stopped raining, but we needed to get my dad back and needed to get dry!

Getting to and from the park isn't that easy. You have to drive there, then get on the monorail and then walk in. We decided to go back for the parade and fireworks. My dad was nice enough to keep Carson for us. It took forever to get back to the park, but we got to see the awesome parade and fireworks show!

It was a great day and the kids were exhausted! Can't wait to go back again! Disney knows how to make it all magical!

DISNEY WORLD

2011-01-11T11:52:00.023-05:00

We decided to do a presentation at the hotel so we could get discount Disney Tickets. So thank you to Marriott and my parents for making it possible for us to go! We have never been to Disney World before... so it was an exciting day! Waiting for the car!

I was recommended to read a book about what rides to go on and in what order. So our first stop was Dumbo. We stood in line for about 20 minutes and it was the longest line we stood in. Since the park closed at 7 for the Halloween Party, the park was empty! It was a perfect day!

We of course had to see as many characters as possible. Some lines were just way to long... but we got to see a lot! I made signature books for the kids to use!

We got to go on all the rides we wanted to and multiple times! Since we had a baby, they have a swap program where I could take the kids on a ride, and then Mike could take them! It was awesome! Between the swap program, fast passes and it not being crowded... it was perfect!

One of the best things we did was have a stroller for Carson and then we rented one for Brad and Hailey to ride in! We did so much walking that they would have been so tired and then could eat and drink while we are walking! BEST thing we did!

Mike took a few bites, got grossed out and through it out!

The favorite rides were Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain. I think we went on each of them at least 4 times!

Orlando Day 2

2011-01-11T11:21:00.019-05:00

Our second day there we hit up Downtown Disney. It had a bunch of shops, restaurants and lots to see! The Lego store was one of the favorites! Carson LOVED the dogs... he freaked out when we had to leave.

Since is was Halloween, the kids got their faces painted.

We also went to the Rain Forest Cafe with my Dad! We sat right next to an elephant. It was a fun place to eat!

That night the kids went trick or treating at the hotel! How many kids gets to go trick or treating at Starbucks?!? The hotel had a Halloween Party for all the kids with a pinata, cake and games. I surprised Hailey with a Snow White costume that I had got a steal of a deal on at the Disney Store so she didn't have to squeeze into her Minnie costume again!

That night we also tried to go back to Downtown Disney... can we say nightmare! You could not even walk... it was CRAZY! And I was not about to stand in line for 20 minutes for smarites!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Orlando Day 1

2011-01-11T11:14:00.005-05:00

My dad had a conference in Orlando, so we decided to drive down and meet him! We hadn't seen him since Christmas, so it was great to see him! The first day my dad needed to catch up on some sleep! Instead of flying from Hawaii to home for a few days, he flew from Hawaii to Orlando... so not only is that a LONG flight, he got delayed in LA. Yes I owe my dad big!
Mike went to go see one of his old friends Dave, so me and the kids hit up the pool! The pool even had a sand area for the kids with toys in it! Carson loved the kiddie pool since he was just learning how to walk. The kids went down the water slide a few times too. That night we ate at one of the hotel restaurants.

Trunk or Treat

2011-01-11T11:06:00.005-05:00

We love our wards Trunk or Treat! It's at a tree farm of one of the members of our old ward. They have a bon fire, chili cookoff, hay rides, costume contest and of course the trunk or treating! Hailey wanted to be Minnie Mouse... so I sqeezed her into her costume from when she was two! Brad was Spiderman from last year, and my friend had the cutest Dumbo costume for Carson. I can't believe he actually kept it on!

Happy Birthday Mike!

2011-01-11T10:26:00.008-05:00

Since Mike has been out of a job, one of the good things is that we get to go do things together. On his birthday we were able to spend the whole day together and go to the pumpkin patch when it's not crazy busy! The kids love the BIG pumpkins and the hay ride is always fun! Casrson loved crawling around in the hay. I don't think the kids are old enough for a corn maze... so maybe in a few years! The drive to the pumpkin patch was beautiful with all the fall colors.

Attempting to get a picture of the kids! HA!!

That night we went to "The Fire Place" as my kids call it... aka Kani House. Happy Birthday MIKEY!

Toy Story 3 on Ice

2011-01-11T10:21:00.005-05:00

One of our friends could not use their tickets to Toy Story 3 on Ice, so they gave them to us! I couldn't believe it! We were in need of a family day out and had a blast!

Cumming Fair

2011-01-11T10:14:00.006-05:00

One of our favorite things to do is to go to the Cumming Fair. Back in October we were able to go! Since I work at the hospital, we get to go for free. All the rides are free and everything! It's great! Some of our friends met us there and we had a lot of kids together! They had a blast! We all linked arms and you should have seen the looks we got! But the kids had a blast!

Dawnelle's FIRST funnel cake ever!

Kev's Wedding

2011-01-11T10:00:00.008-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend we headed back up to Delaware for Mike's brother's wedding. They got married in the Washington DC temple and the reception was at Mike's parent's house. It was beautiful! Mike's mom did an amazing job! Of course the bride was beautiful and they are a great couple! All of the grandkids had matching outfits and looked really cute together! Brad caught the garter... his face was classic!! The kids LOVED the wedding and had so much fun with their cousins!

Get new shoes!!!

2010-09-23T20:49:00.003-04:00

I am all signed up for the Women's Half Marathon on Saturday... there is just a change of plans. About a month and a half ago my leg started hurting. It got to the point that I haven't been able to run! I thought I will just rest it, ice and take Motrin. After a few weeks and it wasn't getting better, I thought I'd better go see a doctor. I went to a sports medicine doctor and he did x-rays and then did an MRI of my legs. I end up having a stress fracture in my left leg and stress syndrome in my right leg. My right leg hasn't been bothering me at all, but my left doesn't feel so great! So I've been in a boot for the last two weeks and have another 4 weeks to go! I have a bone stimulator too, so hopefully it will heal soon! I won't be able to run for 3 months!!! Pretty much I got it from increasing my mileage in running, not getting new shoes, and then he said walking on the hospital floor at work all played a part in it! At least I can still walk, still work and surgery isn't an option. Just time! So I am out the $100+ dollars for the half marathon, but I'm excited to have a whole weekend home without work!

Here is a picture from my MRI! The bright white spot on my bone is where the problem is!

Campin

2010-09-23T20:40:00.005-04:00

Last weekend we went on the ward campout at Lake Lanier! The campsites were perfect... flat area for a tent, table, grill, fire pit and ELECTIRCAL HOOKUPS! They had great food and there were lots of great people there! We had smores and then the kids watched a movie under the stars and had a blast with all their friends! I didn't get very many pictures! Carson didn't want to go to sleep, so I went home with him for the night while Mike stayed with Brad and Hailey! With an airmattress, blankets, pillows and a fan, it can't be that rough! But I appreciate sleeping in my own bed that night! I ended up taking Carson to the Dr. in the morning because a cut on his finger was infected pretty good, and he ended up having a ear infection too! Probably why he's been kind of fussy this last week! My poor baby! But he's doing great now!

Batter Up!

2010-09-23T20:31:00.005-04:00

Brad is playing coach pitch/tee ball this fall! I think he was a little unsure at first, but now he is loving it! It is so cute watching the games! Whenever a kid hits the ball, all the parents are yelling for them to run! One of the boys ran to the dug out instead of to 1st base last week! But he still made it to first base okay because they over threw the ball past the first baseman! It's fun to watch him figure out how the game works! It has a HUGE difference from the 1st game to the 2nd game! We'll see how the game goes this Saturday. Brad got to hit twice last week, made it all the way around the bases both times, and he got a boy out on 3rd base. He was pretty excited after the game!

Say Cheese!

2010-09-09T20:43:00.003-04:00

Mike's brother got married last weekend. When we were at the luncheon on Friday, Carson was being hilarious. He would start whining or crying and I would say to him "say cheese," and he would squint his eyes and give a big ol smile! If I was taking his picture and then started to walk away, he would starting whining and I would put up the camara to take a picture and he would immediatly start laughing, squinting his eyes and smiling again! He did this over and over again! The video doesn't show it as great as it was. I think my other video was too long, so it wouldn't upload! Love my little Carson!!

First Day of Preschool!

2010-09-09T20:34:00.003-04:00

Hailey has finally started preschool! She is going somewhere new this year! A friend of mine started a preschool at her house. She used to teach Kindergarten and has taught preschool before! She is an amazing person and Hailey is so excited to go! There are are 6 kids and we go to church with them all! She goes 3 days a week and is LOVING it! And she LOVES taking her Dora backpack!

Hailey's Cast

2010-09-09T20:16:00.003-04:00

Hailey had her cast on for 3 weeks! She didn't want anyone to write on it! She wanted it to stay "pretty!" Crazy girl! Finally on the last night she asked me to write her name on it! She was scared to get it off, and she cried once it was off saying she wanted it back on! It took her a few days to start using it again, but she's doing great with it now!

Kindergarten Day!

2010-08-09T23:01:00.009-04:00

Today Brad had his first day of Kindergarten!!! He has been so excited! He couldn't go to sleep last night because he couldn't wait! This morning he got ready really fast and couldn't wait to put on his backpack and get out the door! I told him he had to eat breakfast and he just wanted a string cheese! Crazy kid! I made him have a bagel and some milk too! He only had a few bites and wanted to go wait for the bus! Of course it's August so it's humid even early in the morning... so my camera fogged up when we walked outside!

School here starts WAY TOO EARLY! The bus comes at 6:53am! Yes... AM! And most people here take the bus! It's completely different then out west! The school is maybe a mile away, but everyone takes the bus! School starts at 7:40 and he gets home at 2:40! So this is our new life! I am going to miss my sleep! It will be early to bed for sure!

Brad's teacher is Mrs. Friday! He had a great first day! There are 4 other girls at our bus stop and it's right in front of our house which is great! It was crazy all the emotions that come when you send your child off! Is he going to be okay? What if someone is mean to him? Is he going to get to his class okay? And on and on and on!I almost cried putting him on the bus... but he was so excited that I think that distracted me! He only had good thinks say about it! I had him take a lunch the first day, but tomorrow he wants to buy lunch! WOW! I can't believe how much he's growing up!

Brad picked out his shirt for the first day and of course Carson had to match! I love my boys!

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

2010-08-09T07:34:00.014-04:00

I seriously can not believe my baby is 1! How can the time go by so fast? Carson is one amazing boy! He can make anyone smile and is ALWAYS smiling! He obviously loves food since he weighs a good 25 lbs!!! He is loving crawling around and getting into everything! He loves being outside and being on the swing! He now has an opinion of what he wants and doesn't want to do! It's great! He has two teeth on the bottom, 4 on the top and one molar! He LOVES his blanket and binkie! He doesn't like to be held to be put to sleep... he just wants his bed and blanket! He watches everything Brad and Hailey do! I can't imagine how empty this past year would have been without him! He has an amazing love for life!

We did woke up and had our traditional breakfast together! Luckily the kids approved of the decorations! HA! Since Mike doesn't have a job, we just spent the day hanging out together! We had a great afternoon!

It's my birthday I can cry if I want to!!!

Since I worked so much last week, I was exhausted after about 4pm, so his cake didn't get made! But we celebrated again this weekend! We all sang to him and he didn't know what to think at first... and then realized he didn't like it! He just sat and stared at everyone, and then after we were done singing and it was time for him to dig in, he cried and cried and wanted nothing to do with his cake! It was pretty funny! We tried again tonight since he still had his whole cake and started crying the second I put it in front of him! It was hilarious! So the poor boy is scared for life from his first birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET BOY! I look forward to all the future birthdays with you! Hopefully next year you won't cry at your cake!

Carson's favorite place!

2010-08-02T23:21:00.005-04:00

I can usually find Carson in the laundry room if I can't find him, but he now has a new favorite place. If you turn on the shower and turn your back while it's warming up, you might have a visitor in the shower! I think the kid has a radar for the shower being turned on! Clothes on or off... he's there! It's his new favorite thing! Even after I take him out and get him dressed, if I'm not watching him carefully, he'll be right back in getting all wet from the floor again! He is a crazy boy!

The THUMB!

2010-08-02T23:08:00.005-04:00

Last week we went to breakfast and Hailey got her thumb smashed in the bathroom door! I was outside with Carson and I heard her scream outside! It was a really heavy door and it was shut completely. It was really swollen and after awhile she didn't seem in too much pain as long as she didn't move it. She wouldn't use it, and I knew I was going to be working the next day, so I decided to take her to the Dr. They of course sent us to get x-rays and the radiologist said they couldn't tell if it was broken or not because of all the swelling. The next day our pediatrician called and said that if it wasn't significantly better, to take her to an ortho. So a couple days later that's where we ended up! And it was indeed broken! So she got a bright pink cast with sparkles! It seems pretty big for just a thumb! Luckily she wasn't in pain for the few days before we went. We had it in a splint and she seemed fine as along as no one touched it! It was $50 for a waterproof cast and I think that is worth every penny! So she will still be able to swim and take a shower! YEAH! So for the next 3 weeks, this is her new accessory! She doesn't want anyone to write on it. Maybe by the end she will!

Two of her friends have broken their legs, and I always said 3 is the charm. Luckily it wasn't a leg, but what kind of luck is that! 3 kids in a cast at the same time! Seriously lock your kids up in a room filled with bubble wrap!

Favorite things to do!

2010-08-02T22:52:00.003-04:00

Here are my kids favorite things!
Brad- riding his four wheeler
Hailey- riding in anything with Carson.... wagon, stroller, etc... She loves Costco and Sam's Club since she can ride in the cart next to Carson
Carson- doing anything with Brad and Hailey and being outside!

So here they are all combined into one! Brad was so good to make sure he wasn't going too fast! Hailey watched Carson so close and made sure he was safe! And Carson just loved it! I love seeing my kids watch out for each other!

Medieval Times

2010-08-02T22:47:00.007-04:00

We were lucky and had the chance to go to Medieval Times a few weeks ago! The kids LOVED it! Of course we got suckered into buying them a glow wand and a glow sword! The food was not the best, but the entertainment was great! Better then what we were expecting! Condsidering how late is starts and how many hours we were there, the kids did great! My kids have asked to go back several time since! Maybe next year!

Crawling along!

2010-08-02T22:22:00.005-04:00

Carson is crawling and into EVEYTHING!!!

The place that I find him the most is in the dark laundry room! Just sittin there! He is so much fun! So far he hasn't gotten into Brad and Hailey's stuff too much... but I'm sure that is to come soon! He is still just as happy as can be! He's pulling himself up so I'm hoping he'll be walking soon... and hopefully loosing a little weight! 25lbs is quite the load to carry around!

Missin our Auntie!

2010-08-02T22:16:00.004-04:00

We had a good 3 weeks with Kylie! Wish she could have stayed longer to play! We went to the pool a ton, went to the indoor waterpark, the outlets, the mall, sleepovers, babysitting, eating BBQ and going to the movies! But she was off to see her friends in Cali and go the the Justin Beiber concert! Ahhhh!

Lake Lanier Islands!

2010-08-02T22:07:00.002-04:00

On Kylie's last day in Georgia, we went to Lake Lanier Islands. It's a water park not too far from our house. It was our first time there! It was great! Hailey wasn't tall enough to go on any of the slides, but I snuck her onto one of them that we were on the same tube. Since that was the only one she could go on, we went down it about 20 times! Brad went down all the other ones with Kylie! I couldn't believe he didn't get scared to go down some of them! I think I will for sure get a season pass next year!

4th of July

2010-08-02T21:59:00.009-04:00

We had so much fun while Kylie was here to visit! At the same time, Mike's mom, dad, sister and her family came down to visit over the 4th of July! We went swimming over at Mike's sisters pool, and then we came back to our house. The church that is right behind our house had a big celebration going on. They had the big slides, cotton candy, popcorn, drinks, face painting, etc... And since we live right behind it, we went back and watched the fireworks from our yard. The kids had a great time with their cousins!

A PINKALICIOUS PARTY!!

2010-07-03T10:04:00.016-04:00

Hailey LOVES the book Pinkalicious! Her favorite color is pink... so we had a Pinkalicious birthday party! In the book, the girl eats too many pink cupcakes and turns pink. To go back to normal, she had to eat green food. So we had lots of pink and a little bit of green at the party! We had pink marshmellows, pink cotton candy, pink taffy, strawberries, pink waffer cookies, raspberry lemonade and of coarse pink cupcakes! We had a little green.... green grapes, green apples and green cotton candy!

I made all the girls tutu's and magic wands. I think they all looked pretty cute! My mom made this cute cupcake shirt for Hailey. Thanks mom! It was perfect! Hailey wanted to dance at her party to "All the single ladies," so we danced to that and a couple other songs! The kids got really into it!

The kids decorated their own pink cupcake. Even the boys got in on the fun and wanted the pink.

We sang happy birthday and then enjoyed the strawberry cupcakes!

We played pin the cherry on the cupcake! It was fun to see what the kids did when they couldn't see anything!

Here is the result! They did pretty good.... except the random one over by the window!

The kids counldn't wait to do the pinata! Of course we had to have a cupcake one!

The kids waiting in line to do the pinata! Hailey went first since it is her birthday and of course she pulled the string for all the candy to come out. I quickly pushed it back in and let all the kids have a turn!

Even Carson enjoyed a little cotton candy!

At the end we played duck duck goose. It was completely silent in the room. I don't know if they were that into the game, or if they were too into their candy from the pinata!

The kids all got to take home an individual cupcake! They all seemed really excited about it!

Kylie was a HUGE help at the party! I don't know what I would have done without her there! Thanks girl!

K Y L I E

2010-07-03T09:59:00.002-04:00

Kylie is here to visit for 3 weeks! YEAH!! We only have 2 left, but it has been fun! We've missed Kylie being around! The other night just Kylie and I went out and had tons of fun! We went to the mall and to get dessert. It was a fun night!

Hailey's 4th Birthday!

2010-07-01T21:18:00.012-04:00

Hailey had her birthday last week and is now 4! We started the day off with the arrival of Kylie! There was never a question in Hailey's mind that Kylie wasn't going to be there for her birthday, so it was good that she really came! We started off the day with breakfast together. She wanted pancakes, bacon and chocolate milk, so that's what we had! She LOVES babies and pushing her stroller, so it was only appropriate to get her a stroller since all of hers have broken. She LOVES it! And she loves her cup with her name on it!

We were trying to decide what to do for the day. We were going to go to Mike's sister's pool, and then they invited us to go out on the boat with them. It was a lot of fun to be with the cousins! The kids had fun tubing and Brad and Kylie did the knee board! Carson loved swimming in the lake and he crashed out for a while on the boat!

That night we went to Red Robin for dinner. Hailey wanted to go a couple of weeks ago and I told her maybe for her birthday... so she remembered that! After dinner the kids ran around on a grassy area at the Avenues then came home and went to bed! She had a great day! Now to plan her party for the next week!

For you DAD!

2010-06-28T01:25:00.002-04:00

I am really bad about updating my blog, and after so long my dad gets on me about it! So here it is so far Dad... just for you! Miss you tons!!!

Beach'n It!

2010-06-28T00:48:00.030-04:00

This year we were able to head down to Destin, FL with some friends for a week! Since we had pretty much paid for it before Mike lost his job, we still went! We were so worried about the beaches being closed from the oil, but look below and you won't see a drop of oil! It was beautiful! We did this same trip two years ago with the same people and had so much fun, we did it again! Our good friends the Bramwells even flew out from California to joy us again! It was awesome to see them again! And for a whole week! Now to get them back to Georgia!

The beach wouldn't be complete without Mike catching something... crabs! The kids loved looking at them and the crabs were fighting! Ross finally gave in and set the crabs free!

We stayed at a different house and it had an amazing pool! It was perfect for all the kids and it was right across from our house which was nice! Both of my kids took off while we were there in swimming. Brad is now diving down to almost 6 feet to get the dive sticks. Hailey is now loving going under the water... but she totally swims girlie... the way she moves her legs and arms! It's great! There is no question that she is a girlie girl!

We had to go to The Track and ride the rides! That was a highlight for sure!

These boys are going to be trouble together when they are older! :)

I took my kids out one night to try to get some pictures... it was a nightmare! These were the only halfway descent ones!

We went out another night and it was much easier! Set them down and immediatly got the picture! WAHOO! That's more like it!

That last night we went to Baytowne Wharf. It is a great place to go with families! They have so much to do there. Brad did the trampline thing. Of course he loved it... we tried to get him to do a flip, but I think he got scared! Destin has always been one of my favorite places to go, and it for sure still is!

Slippin and a Sliden

2010-06-28T00:45:00.003-04:00

Our friends have a hill in their backyard and they made a slip n slide down it! My kids thought is was awesome... much better then our little one. It makes our seem so tiny now! Water activities are always the best in this hot, humid summer weather!

Another ROAD TRIP!

2010-06-28T00:15:00.014-04:00

A month after we went to Ryan's homecoming, we did the 12 hour drive up to Delaware this time. This drive wasn't as fun for me, because I was soooo sick driving up there! It was HORRIBLE! But luckily it was a 24 hour bug and I did better the rest of the trip! Anyway... we went up this time for our cousin Megan's baptism. All of family was there that weekend! Mike's brother Kevin actually got engaged while we were there... so a wedding in September is planned! We got to play with all the cousins, celebrate Ryan's 5th birthday, go swimming, see our friends, go to Lancaster, PA and help with a going away party for the Winn's. Bruce and Nancy Winn are heading out to Utah to be the Mission President of the Salt Lake Mission. They are AWESOME people and will be amazing out there! But I know that all of the people in Delaware will miss them for those 3 years!

The girls at the Winn's Party! Lindsay and Hailey have become the best of friends! They have so much fun together! Hailey loves going to play with her cousin Lindsay!

My camera died at Ryan's birthday party, so this is all I got! Carson ate 2 pieces of pizza, watermelon, a juice box and had a cupcake! Don't think that he is letting any of that food in his bib go to waste!

This is our attempt to get the 3 kiddos together! Jenna, Luke and Carson are all within 6 weeks of each other. Carson is the only one not moving around at this point, so he just sat their smiling for the camera while the other two had better things to be doing!

He is not excited about this at all!!! Love it!

And we FIANLLY got one!

Jenna and Carson. Their marriage has already been arranged! :)

On our way home we stopped at the Washington DC temple so the kids could see it!

Homecoming!

2010-06-27T14:04:00.013-04:00

We had the oppurtunity at the end of April to go up to Delaware when Mike's brother came home from his mission to Mexico. We got to spend some time with some cousin's, celebrate our cousin Megan's 8th birthday, make smores in the backyard, and no trip would be complete without Mike and Brad mowing the lawn.

We went to the airport to pick up Uncle Ryan! We had posters and balloons for him! And we had all of his favorite foods for dinner that night! I'm sure that all the kids were so much bigger to Ryan! It was great to see him get off the plane and here some stories from Mexico.

We weren't in a huge hurry to get home... one of the perks of Mike not having a job! Just looking at the positive, so we stopped at his sister Kristi's house in West Virginia. Carl has been building a barn in their backyard and now she was able to bring her horse to her house! The kids loved seeing and touching the horse. They have a great house on a lot of land. We love going there!

Camping!

2010-06-27T13:53:00.006-04:00

We went on our first family camping trip! We went up to a Lake Hartwell which is on the Georgia, South Carolina border. I was surprised how great the kids did! We all had a ton of fun and the kids slept great! We had great food and great company... so it might just happen again! My idea of camping would be the Marriott, but it wasn't as bad as what I was expecting. It did help that there were showers and bathrooms! :) And one night was probably good for me at this point! The kids brought their bikes, got to fish and ride in a little boat. They watched a movie under the stars and had smores!

It wouldn't be complete without a picture of Carson with food/eating food/in his high chair with a BIG smile!

Brad's Preschool Graduation!

2010-05-18T22:11:00.008-04:00

Last week we had Brad's preschool graduation. I'm embarassed to say, but I did have to hold back the tears more then once! He's been at Lord of Life for the last 3 years and has had a wonderful experience there. Kindergarten starts August 9th! I can't believe it! I am sad that he is going to be gone all day long! And probably more sad that I will be losing sleep as we will have to get up around 6am! A BIG thank you to Miss Nikki, Miss Gretchen and Miss Stephanie for all that they taught Brad this last year! They were a great example and did so many fun things this year. Brad has had a lot of the same kids in his class over the past 3 years! I'm sad that now they will all be going to different schools.

Another half? I must be crazy!

2010-05-18T22:04:00.002-04:00

So a bunch of my friends are going to run a half marathon in September! I thought about doing it, and then thought about not doing it. But this weekend I was at the beach and ran almost 4 miles! I must say that the chocolate crossant at the end of 2 miles was good motivation, but I was able to make it back which is amazing! I have only run at the most 1 1/2 miles since I had Carson. It feels so good when you accompish something that you didn't think you could do! I was super slow, but I did it and that's all that matters at this point! You have to start somewhere! I also learned that I need some new shoes desperatly if I am going to be training! I haven't gotten new shoes since I ran the half marathon in Nashville 2 years ago! So as long a a certain someone's wedding doesn't interfere, another half marathon is in my future. I have amazing friends that cheer me on and inspire me!

A fun day in the sun!

2010-05-18T21:48:00.005-04:00

Today was Brad's field day at school! They had a bounce house that of course all the kids LOVED! They played with chalk, lots of snacks, games and water balloons! I went to help, but ended up as a warm body watching the kids play! Brad had some AMAZING teachers this year! They won't be back next year and that makes me so sad that Hailey won't have them!

After the field day, I took Brad, Hailey and some of their friends to the water fountains in Suwanee! I love going there with the kids! They have so much fun and it was great today because we were the only ones there most of the time! My kids are fish, so they love anything that has to do with water! I feel so lucky that my kids have so many great friends! It truly is a blessing to have had them at church, school and play dates together! They have become best friends and care so much for each other! It is so fun to hear what they talk about to each other. One day a couple of weeks ago I went to the temple with some of my friends. Apparently, Brad told one of his friends that if you go to the temple a lot, then you get to come home with a baby! Pretty cute! The girls love being girls together! They are always caught holding hands, loving on their babies, and genuinely care for each other! It's pretty sweet!

So summer begins since today was the last day of school! Hopefully a summer of love, fun, sun, family, friends and unforgettable memories!

HAPPY #5 BRAD!!

2010-04-22T03:51:00.022-04:00

Brad as a baby!

Brad at 1!

Brad at 2!

Brad at 3!

Brad at 4!

Brad at 5!

Brad is now 5 years old! Where has the time gone! Brad was born 4 weeks early because I had pregnancy induced hypertension (high blood pressure). So five years ago from today, I was laying in a bed not being able to even sit up because of the Magnesium Sulfate running into me! It was horrible! I had a patient once describe it as poison.... I have to agree! But it does the trick! Brad was in the NICU, so I didn't get to hold him that day or anything! Luckiily Mike would go take pictures of him and show them to me! But I was so out of it, I don't remember a whole lot from that day either.

I don't think I could have dreamed at that time to be where I am today! So much has changed in 5 years! Brad is the sweetest boy ever! He has the "biggest heart," and he'll tell you that! His thing that he does right now is he makes sure that all the toys are put away so I can pull my car in the garage. I haven't had my car in the garage for 2 years (long story), so now that I can, he makes sure that I can! He loves to help us cook, loves his bed to be made (he prays every night that his bed can be made! LOL), and is loving all that he is learning in school. He knows his phone number, his days of the week, and can count pretty high. He is starting to know what words say or "sight words." He loves being outside and working in the yard! If Mike needs to fix something, Brad is right next to him giving him pointers! He is soooo excited to start Kindergarten next year! WOW! Kindergarten!

This morning we did our traditional birthday breakfast with the kitchen decorated. He got a bike for his birthday which he is so excited about since he can now ride without training wheels. This morning he was taking his old bike outside and I asked him what he was doing. He was taking his old bike out to the trash! He doesn't need it anymore. HA! After a few minutes I convinced him we shouldn't throw it out and that Carson would want it one day! He wanted a baseball birthday, so he also got a Braves jersey and hat!

He went to school and I took in ice cream for him and his friends! Then we had a birthday party with 18 of his closests friends at Chuck E Cheese! Now that is the way to go! The kids just played the whole time and I didn't have to clean it up! It was great! I made him a baseball cake that he loved! We came home and opened presents. I asked him what his favorite part of the day was and he said "The whole day!" That's the best answer ever! I'm so happy that he had a great day!
The Cake! Wish I had a better picture! Boy did his cake work me over! I think I had to do everything 2 or 3 times! But it's finished and he loved it!

Gotta Love the BRAVES!

I think Brad used 90% of his tokens riding this bike that went up in the sky!

The Boys!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

David Gray!

2010-04-22T03:48:00.003-04:00

For Christmas I got Mike tickets to go see David Gray! He is one of our favorites! We saw him right after we got married... so 7 years ago at a small concert that was amazing! This time is was a much bigger concert, but it was still great! He has amazing stage presence and is awesome live! I'm prety sure I have his music playing on my blog right now! :) It was a fun night out!

Just Hangin!

2010-04-22T03:43:00.002-04:00

There are a couple of girls that live across the street from us. Brad calls them "My Girls!" Whenever they are outside, Brad would run outside. They will sit on the grass and talk to each other across the street! This has been going on for some time. Brad now likes to show off for them. He will take the radio outside and blast it and dance for them... like he's a really cool kid (which he is! :)) So this is Brad and Hailey waiting outside for "His Girls" to come out and talk. They have now started to ride their bikes/scooters together. He made them brownies the other day and earned some extra points with them! Love it!

Learning how to ride a bike

2010-04-07T14:13:00.002-04:00

Brad just learned how to ride his bike without training wheels! If you were to see him, it would be the first thing he would tell you about!

Carson

2010-04-05T22:01:00.008-04:00

I was at my friends house the other day and she took these great pictures of Carson. So I thought I would share them since they turned out cute and you can see his personality in them!

The Easter Bunny Came!

2010-04-04T21:42:00.010-04:00

We came out into the family room this morning when we heard some noise and Brad had found a lot of the Easter eggs and had them in his basket! LOL We told him he had to share and he put them all back so him and Hailey could start together! It was pretty sweet! Hailey picked up a few, but then decided that the candy inside was better then looking for more! Luckily Brad found them for her and brought them to her! They had to find their Easter baskets taht were hidden. They thought that was fun! It was nice having conference today because it was a pretty lazy day! Carson loved his new truck and shaking the eggs! He's easy to please! Brad and Hailey had fun with the play dough and the side walk chalk! It was such a nice day and the kids played outside for a while! We didn't color eggs this year! I completely forgot about it until Saturday right before I had to go to work! Oops! We'll try again next year!

8 months old!!

2010-04-04T21:33:00.002-04:00

I can't believe Carson is 8 months old! I know I say that every month, but it is going so fast! He is soooo much fun! He LOVES food these days! He's a whopping 21 lbs 4 ounces! No wonder my back and shoulders hurt from holding him! He loves to jump in his jumper! He was clapping the other day, but now won't do it! That's how it goes! Today is the first day he's really been rolling over! Tonight he kept crying when he was going to bed and I would go check on him, and he had rolled to his stomach! He doesn't like laying on his stomach! But it was pretty funny. He did it 4 times and then I finally just put him in my bed! He likes to eat crackers, cheerios, yogurt, bread, peas, rice and of course ice cream! He has double ear infections AGAIN, and he's wheezing so he gets breathing treatments every 4 hours. Not so much fun! His ears are bad every time I take him to the Dr! I'm thinking tubes could be in our future! He has no teeth, but one is trying to come through and has been trying for weeks! He sits up great and loves to watch Brad and Hailey. When he's sad his cries for mammama! He smiles all the time and is so happy! I think back to a year ago and it's hard for me to remember life without him! He's my little ball of love!

St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-23T10:44:00.004-04:00

Every year the leprachaun come to our house and turns our milk green! So when we make pancakes, our pancakes turn green too! Amazing! The kids love it! This year they learned a hard lesson! The Leprchaun was going to put candy in their shoes the night before while they were sleeping, but they didn't go to bed on time and were up too late! (We've beenn having bedtime issues the last couple of weeks!) The next morning, Brad brought his empty shoes into our room crying because there was no candy! Heartbreaking! Luckily the Leprachaun left a note on the table saying they could have a second chance that night! They went straight to bed and the shoes had candy in the morning!

Dentist

2010-03-22T21:10:00.002-04:00

Brad went to the dentist for the first time! I know.... bad mother of the year award! He's only almost 5 and went for the first time! But at least his teeth looked good and he loved it because the dentist was one of his best buddies dad!

Carson at 7 months!

2010-03-22T21:05:00.006-04:00

Carson is growing too fast! He is sitting up now and is working on holding his bottle! He watches everything that is going on around him and is loving his feet lately! He loves to eat banana's, graham crackers and ice cream! I love it when he smiles because his whole face lights up! He has just figured out how much fun it is to splash in the water, so he loves his bath now! He is also sleeping through the night which is amazing!

Photo Shoot!

2010-03-22T20:58:00.005-04:00

My sister-in-law gave this hat to Hailey! Hailey loves it! So of course we had to snap some shots! I can't believe my little girl is 3 1/2! Where has the time gone! She knows how to spell her name and knows her phone number! She is such a great helper and is a great sister! Her and Brad are best friends and she is Carson's second mom! She is 100% girl! She loves pushing her babies in her little shopping cart around the house and loves to put on make-up! She is still crazy and would rather sit in a high chair and in the stroller! Whatever works! Brad got bunkbeds a couple months ago and now she sleeps with him in his room! So now her bed is a guest bed now! But it's nice that they still have their own rooms for their toys! Her favorite foods are Mac-n-cheese, cereal, and butter! She loves lots of butter on her bread! She would eat is plain if I would let her! Here she is having a little bread with her butter!

SNOW in the south!

2010-03-22T20:53:00.004-04:00

When we were in Utah I decided to leave all of our snow stuff there because I have NEVER used it in Georgia! And of course the year I do that, we get two great snow storms. The first one I think we got about 4" and the second 3". But it didn't stop the kids. They had fun! Brad built his snowman all by himself! He said the carrots kept falling out of his face, so he made the snowman have spikey hair! So cute!

FEBRUARY LOVE!

2010-03-22T20:49:00.004-04:00

I had to work on Valentine's day this year, so we celebrated early! I made a good dinner and we had our favorite fondue to dessert! The kids are like their momma and love anything dipped in chocolate!

My little Chunker at 6 months!!

2010-03-22T20:45:00.004-04:00

I love my little Carson! He used to not like it when you ticked him, he get mad and cry instead of laugh. It was pretty funny! He hasn't been a big baby food eater either, but he's getting better.

CHRISTMAS IN UTAH!!

2010-03-22T20:07:00.034-04:00

This year we were able to head out to Utah for Christmas since my parents moved there in August! It was fun to have snow and have more of a Christmas that I grew up with. My kids hadn't ever really seen "real" snow before. We always miss it when we go to Delaware, obviously California didn't have snow, and the dusting we got in Georgia didn't count! So it was great to see them play! Brad could have stayed out there all day! We went to temple square one night to see the lights and took a carriage ride. It was the coldest night the whole time we were there, so it was a pretty fast trip to Temple Square. But the kids thought it was great seeing where their mom and dad were married!

Santa brought all the presents to Utah which was great! It was a great Christmas!

We got to see some of our great friends the Bramwell's while we were there. They moved from Georgia a year ago and were there visiting family. We went to dinner one night, and then I drove the kids to go play one day! It was just like the good ol times! I wish they never had moved!

I actually ended up being able to extend my trip out there and stayed for almost a month! It was so nice because I've never been able to stay that long! Since it is March and I am just no updating about Christmas, this may be short, but enjoy the pics!

One of our favorite things we did there was go tubing up by Park City! It was a blast! We weren't prepared to go at all.... so we went to the outlets and bought a little snow gear! And since it was after Christmas, it was all on clearance. Brad was wearing his crocs and all! But it was a lot of fun! I was scared to death the first time we went down the hill and Hailey and Brad were loving it! It was great because they pulled you up the hill! So it was no work and all play! Brad also got to ride a mini snow mobile! That was probably his favorite thing! At the end he started to get brave and rolled it! He didn't get hurt. I know next time he will be asking to do that one again!

Carson LOVED his mint smoothie! He screamed everytime we took it away!

The Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point!

The Children's Museum!

The BEST snowman ever!!!! Thanks Nate! I think the kids will remember that one forever!

The Slaugh's and Bramwells!

Temple Square

Great Grandma!

Christmas Morning! As you can tell... Carson was thrilled!

Playing BINGO with Nate and Shannon!

Meeting up with Uncle Kev!

Mike actually went home for 2 weeks and then was able to come back out to Utah because his grandma passed away. We drove down to St. George for a quick trip for the funeral right before we came home.

Attempting pictures!

2010-03-22T20:00:00.008-04:00

I attempted to get a picture of my kids for our Christmas card. We went out to my friends neighborhood to take them. She has lots trees and everything! The kids did pretty good! It is so hard to get 3 small children to look at the camara and smile all at the same time!! And of course Carson wouldn't smile!

Girls Night

2010-03-22T19:56:00.002-04:00

A friend of mine does a girls night every December for Mom's, daughters, sisters, etc... I have never been able to go because I always work Saturdays. This year I was able to go with Hailey and we had a lot of fun! My friend also takes your picture and you put it in an ornament! It's really fun! And it was good again for Hailey to have some mom time! Having a baby brother is kind of hard sometimes!

Christmas PJ'S

2010-03-22T19:53:00.003-04:00

My parents gave the kids some matching Christmas Pajama's this year! My kids LOVE pajama's and were so excited that they matched!

GIRLS DAY!!

2010-03-22T19:47:00.003-04:00

Hailey and I got to have a girl day! It was great just being the too of us! I asked her what she wanted to do and she wanted to go to the baby store and push the strollers. So we went to the American Girl Doll store and she pushed the strollers all around the store for a while. Then we went and had lunch at their cafe. Her baby got to eat with us too! It was a great day and Hailey loved having her mom all to herself!

Gingerbread Houses

2010-03-22T19:39:00.009-04:00

We haven't ever done gingerbread houses, but I thought we would try this year! The kids LOVED it! I was surprised we had extra candy to put on the houses since they ate so much of it! They were so proud of what they made!

Breakfast with Santa

2010-03-22T19:29:00.007-04:00

We went up to Lake Lanier one day in December to have breakfast with Santa! The kids were so excited to go see him! It was so much better then going to the mall or something to see him. It wasn't crowded so the kids could go up and talk to him as many times as they want, I can take my own pictures, we got to have a good breakfast and the kids ate for FREE! It was a fun day! It will for sure be a repeat next year!

Spiderman, a Mermaid and a Lion! O-my!!

2009-11-01T19:39:00.008-05:00

This year for Halloween Brad was Spiderman (notice his big muscles), Hailey was The Little Mermaid and Carson was a Lion for about 2 minutes!
Every year we have an open door for anyone who wants to come over! We have pizza, lots of food and this year I made homemade rootbeer. Below is all the kids that came over! We have a great neighborhood for trick-or-treating because the houses aren't too far apart and there aren't too many hills. We had TONS of trick-or-treaters this year! The kids loved passing out the candy when they were here!

This is what Carson looked like when he was a lion.... crying! He hated the head part! So I didn't torture him too much and just got a couple of pictures of him in it and then quickly took it off!

Hailey's costume was so cute because it was tight around her legs, but she could still walk in it! When we bought it, she wore it around the whole mall and didn't want to take it off!

Adler and Brad showing off their muscles! Brad wanted to be Batman, but we couldn't find a costume. I thought he would change his mind again so I didn't get him one early enough. Luckily he was okay with Spiderman!

We're going to the pumkin patch!

2009-11-01T19:32:00.007-05:00

This year we went up to Burt's pumpkin patch! The kids loved the big pumpkins! They were running around and playing on them! And it was a perfect day to go up there! The weather was perfect and it wasn't crowded!

My cute little pumkins!

We also went on the hayride while we were there. It went through a river and saw tons of pumpkins and even talking pumpkins. The kids loved it!

We even saw a real bear! AHHHH! And you can see he wasn't very far away! I think that is the first bear I've ever seen! Luckily he was doing his own thing and didn't seem too hungry!

Cake #3!

2009-11-01T19:25:00.005-05:00

Making cakes has become one of my new hobby's. I made this one for my niece Kennedy who turned 5. It was a lot of fun, but took a lot of time. Brad and Hailey had the flu that week, so it was a good week to be at home. It took me 2 days to make it. Just trying to figure it all out and buying everything that I needed of it! There are over 200 flowers on it for sure that I cute out of fondant. There are over 4 bags of powdered sugar on this cake! It was a white cake with cream cheese frosting on the inside, covered in fondant. Then there is buttercream, royal icing and fondant on the outside. It was perfect for her princess and pirate party! Happy Birthday Kennedy!

Happy Birthday Mike!

2009-11-01T19:18:00.004-05:00

Mike was out of town the 4 days before his birthday! Surprisingly I got tons done while he was gone. I painted my family room, painted a table, and made him this awesome lawn mower cake. Since his lawn mower exploded and is now gone, I thought I would give him another one. I think he was pretty surprised at it! I think he was secretly wishing there was a key inside the cake! Now that would have been a birthday present! But he got a cordless drill instead! That lawn mower was his baby. Maybe one day he'll get another one! So this is the second cake I ever used fondant with. It's a lot of fun! It takes way more time then you think. I guess this is one of my new hobbys!

October

2009-11-01T19:12:00.003-05:00

We made halloween sugar cookies one day to take to our friends! The kids loved putting on the frosting. I think they probably ate more frosting then what got put on the cookie! Don't worry... they kept their own cookies! As you can tell, this is serious stuff to Brad! No shirt and all!
I love putting Halloween clothes on my kids! They love it too! Here's Brad and Carson matchy matchy again! At least these shirts glow in the dark! Carson always has to sit in the middle because they fight over who gets to hold him! Gotta love it!

Cumming Fair

2009-11-01T16:36:00.007-05:00

Every fall there is the Cumming Fair. Since I work at the hospital we get to get in for free and ride all of the rides for free the first day! This year I decided to take the kids a couple hours earlier without Mike. That was a workout! It was so loud that they would get off the rides and walk a different direction because they couldn't hear me! I was thankful when Mike showed up! The best thing to do at the fair is to people watch! Especially in Cumming! It is quiet the sight! I think there are more people with missing teeth there then anywhere! LOL

Cleaning

2009-11-01T16:33:00.002-05:00

Brad was helping me clean the windows by our front door. I got outside and he's on top of our van cleaning the sun roof! He just climbed on up! He's the best helper! He knows how to do everything!

Carson at 6 weeks!

2009-11-01T16:13:00.007-05:00

I got Carson's pictures taken when he was 6 weeks old. I can't believe he's 3 months now! Crazy! I am so glad I got them taken . The guy took a ton in his diaper. I would have rather had the diaper hidden. But there were tons of good ones. My computer is being weird with them right now so I can't upload them. He has been so much fun! I can't believe the difference this time! I just can enjoy him so much more! He's starting to look more like Brad, but more like Mike then Brad does! I just love him! He is the best baby!
Gotta love that belly!

I just laugh whenever I see this picture. It's his old man picture! And I can say that because I'm his mom!

Septmeber Happenings

2009-10-21T11:16:00.006-04:00

I walked outside to check on the kids and this is what I find! LOL Her plumbers crack is probably one of the only ones I'd like to see!
Carson loves taking a bath and a shower! He just doesn't like getting in or out. But once he's wrapped up, he's fine!

Brad thinks it is so cool when him and Carson match! I don't know how much Carson was liking it below, but he has a great big brother to take care of him!

And of course his second mom! She is always by his side!

Dairy

2009-10-21T11:11:00.002-04:00

One of the days it was raining I tool the kids to the Mayfield Dairy for a tour. I thought it would be a fun thing for them to see. It was actually pretty boring. We were the only ones there and you just walked down a hall and look through some windows. They talked about all of this stuff I didn't care about and neither did my kids. The coolest part for my kids was seeing the big trucks! LOL I think they would have liked going somewhere that actually had cows so they could see how it all happens. But at least we got some good ice cream!

Georgia Floods

2009-10-21T10:01:00.002-04:00

Rain, rain go away! Come again another day!We got sooo much rain in September! We got 7 1/2 inches in 3 days!! And it had already been raining for over a week! Some places got 15 inches in 3 days! A lot of homes were flooded, roads and bridges washed away. School was canceled! It was crazy! Mike almost got washed away in his truck coming home from work one day. The water was only a few inches deep and then all of a sudden the water started rising fast. Talk about a flash flood! We are glad he didn't float away! Luckily we didn't get any damage to our house or anything! The kids loved playing in the rain!

First day of school!!!

2009-09-14T17:53:00.002-04:00

As you can tell from the picture below, Brad and Hailey weren't excited to start school! :) Brad woke up really early that morning and woke Hailey up so they could get dressed! They didn't want to be late for school! They were ready about an hour eary! Brad is going 4 days a week and Hailey is going 3 days. They LOVE their new teachers and they both have a lot of friends in their classes. It was fun to see them so excited! I was pretty excited too! But that 4 hours seems a lot shorter now that I have to feed and take care of a baby. But it's nice to have time with just him!

Blessing Carson!

2009-09-14T17:46:00.003-04:00

We blessed Carson on August 30th at 3 1/2 weeks old. Mike's whole family was in town for his nieces baptism, so it was the perfect time to do it! I would have liked my family to be there too, but you can't have it all when you live so far away from everyone! He wore the outfit that Mike wore when he was blessed. Mike did a great job with the blessing. He almost didn't make it! We all left and he was going to meet us there, but then he had no keys. Luckily Mike's dad answered the phone so someone could go pick him up. I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't been there! Carson did great too! He didn't cry at all! It was a wonderful day with family!

Trip to UTAH!

2009-09-14T17:31:00.007-04:00

Mike's mom came down from Delaware to help us out for a couple of weeks. While she was here, my family was moving to Utah and my brother was leaving on his mission. I was really feeling like I wanted to be there when he left for 2 years to Chili, so I made my plane reservation and left the next morning. Mike's mom was nice enough to watch my kids. Carson was 3 weeks old and did GREAT on the plane. When I got there, my family was moving into their new house. They had only been in Utah for 12 hours. Crazy! I couldn't believe they had all the beds up and all! There new house is beautiful!

That night they had a going away party for Derek at my Aunts house. It was fun to see everyone since it had been 2 1/2 years since I had been to Utah. My grandma didn't know we were coming and it was the surprise of her life to see me and Carson. I think she would have held him all night long! The next day everyone was busy unpacking and packing Derek. I got up and made him what he wanted for breakfast... breakfast burritos, bacon and orange juice. It was tricky finding the right pans and utensils, but we managed! The only pictures Derek wanted were of him drinking his Coke!
But I got a fast one of him smiling!

They've changed the way you send your missionary off. You now drop them off at the curb instead of going inside. So the parking lot is where we said our good byes... but it didn't feel like it was for real! It was much more real when we pulled up to the curb!

Derek is going to be an amazing missionary! He has such a love of Christ and the people of Chili are lucky to have him going there!

Derek and Nate!

At least Derek got to see Carson before he left. Newborn until 2 years old is a big difference. I think Derek has a special place for Carson! They bonded! :)

Hailey time!

2009-09-14T17:20:00.003-04:00

Brad got to go with his friend to go see Dora, so I took Hailey to Sweet N Sassy! She got her hair done, nails painted and got to wear make-up. She thought it was the best and it made her feel special which was what she was needing. She's my little princess!

3 kiddos!

2009-09-14T17:15:00.004-04:00

So far the transition to 3 kids has been easier then it was going to two. I guessing b ecause Brad and Hailey are so close. But Carson is the best baby! Brad and Hailey are great with him. Hailey is his second mom. Brad always asks me where to put his hands when he is holding him. It's cute to see them take care of him annd show him so much love! Brad picked put these shirts for him and Carson when I was still prgnant. They look adorable in them. Brad thinks it is pretty cool when the match!

Coming Home!

2009-09-14T17:02:00.005-04:00

My mom was able to come the day that I came home. We weren't sure if she was going to b e able to come, but since he came early it worked out! She was so much help! I wouldn't have survived with her! The kids loved having her too! She made meals, cleaned, played with the kids, made Carson the cutest blanket and brought him the cutest outfits! Thanks mom for everything! You are the best! I love seeing the positions they do. His legs were probably like that inside of me!

Hailey thinks he always needs to have a toy, especially this one!

And then there were 5!

2009-09-14T16:38:00.010-04:00

When I woke up on August 4th, I did not think I was going to be adding to our family that day. I had gone to the doctor that morning and was still 4 cm. I was still contracting, but not as frequent as I had been. But they seemed a little stronger, but I figured that was how it was going to be for the next couple weeks. After all, I was only 37 2/7 weeks. I even had my friends kids come over to play.

At about 1:30, the contractions started to pick up, but nothing crazy. Around 4 I decided to tell Mike to come home, my friend to come get her kids, and call Mike's sister to see if she could watch the kids. We got to the hospital around 5:30. It was great going in because I was going to the hospital that I work at and some of my good friends were working that day! This is what I looked like! I don't think I realized how big I was until I saw this picture!

I was 5 cm when I got there! WAHOO! At least I had made some change and they weren't sending me home! I got my epidural around 7pm. My doctor wasn't on call, but my friend called her to tell her I was there and My doctor came up just for me! I love her! It made the experience so much better.

Carson was born at 10:45pm. He was perfect! He weighed 7 lbs 1 oz.

It was a perfect labor and delivery! And I know because I've seen so many of them! He doesn't look like my other kids. He looks more like Mike with my nose! :) Poor kid! He has the same feet and Mike, Brad and Hailey!

Dr. Nix is the best ever! She made the day perfect!

Candice was my nurse! She is an incredible nurse. She even stayed until 3am. I got to stay in Labor and Delivery the entire time I was there. It's nice having some perks since I work there. It was fun having my friends take care of me! They were all great! And I got to stay in the HUGE room!

The kids were very excited about their new brother! I can't believe I have 3 kids now! Crazy!

This picture does not need any words to describe how Hailey felt about him! Love at first sight!

Loving on his new brother! The kids had some much fun at Laurie's house while I was in the hospital! Thanks for keeping them Laurie!

Learning how to walk

2009-09-06T15:49:00.002-04:00

This picture was taken right before I took the kids on a little walk. We walked to the corner (we live on a corner, so we hadn't gotten very far) and Brad went first, then Hailey and she ran right into him. I jumped forward to catch her and ended up falling myself. To my defense, I was pregnant, but the ground was uneven. I twisted my ankle and fell on my side and hit my belly on the ground. Hailey fell as well. Luckily Mike had come home early that day and I told Brad to go get Mike. I was being calm, but my ankle was killing me. Brad ran inside and Mike came bolting out of the house. I think the kids were pretty scared. They aren't used to their mom sitting in the street. Mike helped me up and by that point my ankle was doing a little better and I could put a little pressure on it. Mike made me get right in the car and we went to the hospital to see if everything was okay.

We get to the hospital and they put me on the monitor and the heart beat was great. I was already contracting quite a bit, so it was hard to tell if I was contracting any more from falling. They did some tests and they all came back normal! WAHOO!! Then I started contracting every 2-3 minutes and they were starting to hurt. I was 3-4cm dilated before I had gotten their, and was still 3-4 cm. They ended up keeping me overnight just to make sure everything was okay and the contractions eventually died down. It was fun to see my friends at work. When I woke up in the night and couldn't sleep, I had friends to talk to. I was only 36 5/7 weeks, and if I had been over 37 they were going to induce me just because of the trauma and it wasn't worth the risk. But I went and had an ultrasound and everything looked good, so I went home.

I am so happy that everything was okay. I had some bruises, but that is easy to deal with. I didn't go for anymore walks for the rest of my pregnancy... I thought that I should try to keep us both out of trouble! :)