Josh, Chelsea, Hudson & Kendan

Babyland General

2011-12-30T10:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we made a girls only trip to Babyland General in Cleveland, GA: home of the Cabbage Patch Kids! We took my niece, who is 3, for her first visit. My Mother-in-law, Sister-in-law, niece, and girls all went with me. We had such a fun time. My niece even got to name a brand new cabbage patch baby: Lucas Xavier. (someone else named the middle name). I loved seeing my niece enthralled in the imagination of Babyland General.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T10:21:00.001-05:00

We are so very blessed! This Christmas was amazing! We started at home and opened gifts then hit the road and headed to McRae. We enjoyed our day with my family AND Josh's. Hudson received an iPod touch; Kendan received a wooden train and his own phone (leap frog style). We had a wonderful day! I received an awesome iPhone 4s with a pretty pink otter box. I am a lucky girl. Josh spoils us. Merry Christmas!

The Polar Express

2011-12-20T21:35:00.001-05:00

We took a ride on The Polar Express tonight, and it was magical! We got hot chocolate (with dancing servers) and a cookie. We listened to "The Polar Express" read aloud as we followed along in our book. We sang Christmas carols, and then Santa came by and gave each child "the first gift of Christmas": a bell. It was a very fun train ride from Bryon City, NC to the North Pole and back. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Pre-K Polar Express Trip

2011-12-18T08:44:00.001-05:00

Friday we went to the North Pole with Hudson's class. They rode a train, where Kendan decided he was going to ride next to the Conductor. :) When they got there they could pick from lots of different activities: ornament making, cookie decorating, mixing reindeer food, and penguin bowling to name a few. Hudson had a great time! We love his teachers, and were so glad Ms. Pam came for the morning!

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Christmas pictures

2011-12-02T09:57:00.004-05:00

My amazingly talented and extraordinarily generous friend, Missy, has walked this foster parent journey with me by listening to me blab on and on about every little step in the process. She's pretty great like that. Anyway, she offered to take some pictures for us this Christmas! They are really really great pictures. She is amazing behind a lens! I love how she captures my family so perfectly! I really love the picture of Josh and me.

We are excited to share this Christmas season with our family of 6 this year. Hudson is at an age where he knows the "REAL" meaning of Christmas! He can tell you why we celebrate Christmas, and that is really important to me. Kendan can even tell you who "Bebe Jsis" (Baby Jesus) is in our nativity scene.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Merry Christmas Y'all

Fostering

2011-11-11T20:22:00.003-05:00

We are official. We are an open foster home. We received the call while Kendan was in the hospital with pneumonia saying that our home had been approved. :) The next week we went to the beach, and while we were there we got THE call. Our DFCS lady called us and said she had twin 12 year old girls (names will be withheld purposely on here) that needed care, and asked if we'd take them. We had specified that we would take children younger than Hudson or a much older GIRL. Josh and I discussed it, and decided we would care for them.

October 28th we picked them up from a temporary foster home where they had been placed when they first came into care. That first weekend was rather overwhelming for me. I thought many times, "what have we gotten into?" I didn't yet know the girls, and was beating myself up that I didn't feel overwhelming love for them immediately. After a talk with my mom I realized I was being unrealistic. She reminded me that some mothers have their biological babies and don't immediately feel overwhelming love...she was so right. I remember thinking at the hospital with Hudson & Kendan something was wrong with me because the love had to grow over time. I loved Hudson & Kendan, but it wasn't an overwhelmingly gushy love like I expected. It didn't take long though before it reached gushy with each of my boys. So, I relaxed a bit and jumped into mommy mode: scheduling appointments, helping with homework, making sure basic needs were met, and getting to know our new additions.

We have 2 very sweet girls that have joined our family. We are not sure how long they will be a part of our family, but they fit right in. My boys love them, and they enjoy helping me with the boys. They love our church, and beg to go to EVERY event. It is fun having girls in the house.

I do not know how long they will be with us, but I do know this: THEY ARE IN MY HOME FOR A REASON. God has made this VERY clear! I have a good friend that I know from high school, and we now work together at Burnt Hickory. She and I were discussing some things, and I was talking about some little things I have seen with the girls. She then starts telling me all about a similar situation she had with a child when she taught school. That night the kids and I were up at church, and my friend walks in and meets the girls. She and I realize that she had been talking about MY foster child and we didn't even know it! We had been talking about the SAME child! She taught one of my girls in 2nd grade 5 years ago!!!! She was fighting back tears, and I had goosebumps. That is MORE than a coincidence. So, since I know they are here for a reason, I am just mothering them like I would my own and trusting God. I do not know His plan, but I know He's got one. I also know I can trust Him!

So, life is crazy busy, fun, hectic, and awesome all at the same time! I have 2 boys and 2 girls...just like I always wanted! :) Sidenote: my mom has a letter she wrote to my aunt when I was little all about the talk she and I had on a drive home from Kentucky. I was telling her about my life when I got older and what it would look like, complete with 2 sets of twins: boys and girls. (Only in my little head they were all exactly the same age, so more like quadruplets). HA HA My aunt framed that part of the letter and gave it to my mom many years later. My God has a good sense of humor...and He loves me like crazy!

It's hard learning how to mother girls when I haven't learned it all along from the beginning. It's hard mothering middle school age girls and jumping in with homework and assignments and school stuff. It's hard hearing about them talk about their life up until 3 weeks ago. It's hard. But it's WORTH it! I know that tonight they are safe, warm, fed, and loved. I know that tonight they will sleep well.

That's where we are at this moment in time. We have 4 children for now. That's our life in a snapshot. We are loving it. I love knowing that God has put us together right now. "Being a mother is a holy privilege."

Boys in the South

2011-11-06T20:54:00.001-05:00

Never too early to start learning. This is from a while ago, but I finally got it to upload. :)

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Halloween 2011

2011-11-05T09:57:00.001-04:00

This year we had a really busy Halloween weekend. We trick-or-treated at The Avenue (our fav!), Paulding Meadows, and Poplar Springs Baptist Church's trunk or treat on Saturday! Then Monday we went to Pumpkinfest at our church! I don't have any pictures from Pumpkinfest because I was in line for the inverted jumpy the whole night. :) The kids had a blast, and we have so so much candy! We also added two girls to the mix this Halloween. Josh and I are fostering 12 year old twin girls. I am waiting for permission to post their picture on here; not sure if I am able to do that yet. Until then, enjoy my adorable Mario & Luigi!

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Grayton Beach 2011

2011-11-05T09:55:00.001-04:00

This year our annual beach trip to Grayton was awesome! We had a great week playing in the pool and at the beach! We made a quick visit to my Mamaw & Papaw on Saturday. The rest of the time was spent playing. Hudson and I made it out to the sand bar one day. We flew kites, swam, dug in the sand, and just relaxed! One day while we were on the beach we saw a guy that had caught a 7 ft shark fishing about 40 yds out!!!! He had the shark on the beach cutting out the meat, fins, and jaws. It was cool. :) We didn't go back to the sandbar again though. Ha ha. We celebrated Josh's birthday, watched the sunset several times, had a bonfire, set crab traps, took canoe rides in the lake, and we even saw Manatee swimming in the ocean! It was a great trip!!!

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Bless His Heart

2011-10-21T12:52:00.001-04:00

This is what I have heard all week because my sweet Kendan got an ambulance ride to Scottish Rite. :( He had a cough, and it was keeping him up at night. But I took him to the pediatrician because I thought he had an ear infection, and I hoped that they would give him meds to clear it up and in the process his cough would get better. Dr. Levine, whom we love, was very thorough with him. She told me he was wheezing, his O2 levels were low, and his chest was really tight. Kendan was having to work really hard to breathe, but by looking at him you would have never known. Dr. Levine even said the same thing. He wasn't running a fever; he was playing and acting normal (other than the cough). She called an ambulance because eventually toddlers will tire of working that hard to breathe, and we didn't want to take any chances on the way. He was seen at Children's and got a chest x-ray done. Turns out he has a bad ear infection and pneumonia in his right lung. Possible that he aspirated when he was throwing up last weekend. :( He is on a strong antibiotic, steroids, and a breathing treatment. He is feeling much better today.

God was watching over our boy last Wednesday! It scares me to think about what would have happened if I hadn't taken him in for a check up thinking he had an ear infection. I am in awe of how God shows His hand in our lives! And I thank God for Kendan's awesome pediatrician!

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Trip to China

2011-10-21T12:24:00.001-04:00

Thursday Hudson's class took a geography day to China. They got their tickets, and had them stamped before boarding. They had packed their "suitcase" in small groups this week. These were manilla folders and they drew what they would take. Hudson packed his batman, superman, bad guy, bear, his toothbrush and toothpaste and my toothbrush and toothpaste. :) We boarded Pre-K Imaginary Airlines and flew to China. In flight snack was fortune cookies, and when we arrived in China the kids were able to make Chinese lanterns, paint Chinese symbols, build the Great Wall of China, and several other activities. It was a fun day, and my kind of air travel...whole trip took less than an hour. :)

Ms. Kari was all dressed up in her Chinese attire, and Ms. Pam was the Pilot. :)

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Amicalola Falls * Burts Farm * Ellijay Apple Festival Parade

2011-10-21T12:12:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we took the boys camping. I mean real, sleeping in a tent, camping. It was really fun, and they did really well! Kendan got a stomach bug so that made for a long night, but had he not had that he would have slept all night! Weather was perfect! It was good time spent as a family! We walked to the falls, explored Burts Farm, cooked hot dogs and smores on an open fire, and then watched a great parade the next morning! I see many more camping trips in our future! My boys loved playing outside and exploring! :)

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~Apple Day 2011~

2011-10-02T10:08:00.001-04:00

My mom and I took the kids and traveled to Paintsville, KY this weekend for the 49th Apple Day. Paintsville is where my mom and dad grew up, and where we lived when I was a baby. We have gone back for Apple Day many times over the years. This was Hudson & Kendan's first Apple Day. We had a wonderful weekend. We stayed with Charles & Kathy, and had a wonderful time visiting. We visited my "nanny" while we were there too. She lived across the street from us when I was a baby, and adopted me as hers making herself my "nanny." We shopped in the arts and crafts tents, jumped in the jumpies, tried to win a bunny at the fair, watched the parade, and ate funnel cake and caramel apples. It was a fun time with the boys.

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North Georgia State Fair

2011-09-26T12:07:00.001-04:00

Saturday they had free rides from 10 AM til 11:15. So, we took the kids and headed over. Hudson and Kendan had a blast! I realize Kendan looks terrified in a couple of pictures, but he loved every ride and didn't want to get off. Hudson is so tall that he could ride some of the big rides...like the high swings. It was such a fun morning.

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~ 5 YEARS ~

2011-09-21T21:11:00.007-04:00

Five years...can't be. My Hudson is 5, and we celebrated BIG! We had his party on September 4th at Turner Field. One of my dear friends and sorority sister, Missy, joined us and captured our day on film. We met at the Hank Aaron statue at 11:15 to distribute tickets. Then we all headed inside to the All Star Braves party room where we had hot dogs, chips, sodas, and cake! After our time in the party room was over, we distributed electric hand held fans, cracker jacks, and bottled waters for everyone to have during the game. The kids all received a Braves hat, a foam tomahawk, and a few tokens for Scout Alley. Game time was 1:35 and the Braves played the Dodgers. Braves won with a last minute run in the 9th inning! It was a GREAT game!!!!

We have a rather large family, so there were quite a few (33) of us in attendance. Here are a few of Hudson's guests.

After Sunday home games, the kids can go down and run the bases. So, Josh, Shawn, & Jace got the "dad of the day" award for standing in line with the kids so they could run the bases. They had to get in line in the 7th inning and the Braves scored all 4 of their runs for this game after the dads were in line...so they basically missed the game. They were trying to keep up on their phones. :) Below is a picture of Hudson running the bases.

It was a great day, and we had a great time! We were so glad we celebrated at Turner Field this year. It is a birthday he will always remember, and we have amazing pictures from that day! He told me that night that it was "the best birthday party EVER!" Totally made everything worth it!

And this is just a little sneak of what is to come. Missy and I discussed what I wanted to commemorate this mile marker for Hudson, and I told her I thought it would be amazing if he had like a comic style story board from his birthday party! She is still working on it, and I can't wait to see what she puts together! I love her style, and she is extremely creative! I think it will be a really cool piece of art for him to have.

Hudson is the sweetest 5 year old. He is smart, funny, loving, sensitive, and full of energy! He loves playing his Wii, riding his bike, playing outside, Batman, & Bakugans. He loves school and learning. He surprises us all the time with what he remembers and knows! He loves vegetables and could be a vegetarian. He loves Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, & Smurfs cartoons. He loves to wrestle with his daddy and help take care of his brother! He is pretty much the coolest kid I know. We are so excited to watch him grow, and feel so blessed that God picked us to be his parents!!! Happy Birthday, Huddy Buddy!!!

Cousins

2011-09-19T19:36:00.001-04:00

Two of my nephews live about 10 minutes from us. Everyone is so busy most of the time, but today I kept the boys for the afternoon and asked if they could spend the night. :) We played outside, played with mega blocks, played the wii, ate popsicles, played trains, played hide and go seek, and watched Veggie Tales! We had a great time, and I love that they are so close in age that they play well together! Fun Day...we'll see how the night portion goes. :)

*Oh and the pictures are with the retro camera app because my camera quit working...I'm in "talks" with Verizon regarding this situation*

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What a Wonderful Life

2011-09-15T21:40:00.001-04:00

We spent a while after dinner tonight playing outside. The kids love being outside, and they love being anywhere their daddy is! The weather was so nice. They played on the slides and swings, and Kendan's favorite part of the swing set is the steering wheel. He drives and beeps the horn. There is one picture where you can see him grabbing the wheel; he was saying, "noooo MINE!" :)

Hudson slid down the slide upside down and backwards, so of course Kendan had to try it that way too. :)

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5th Birthday Pictures

2011-09-15T18:18:00.004-04:00

My friend, Missy, took some GREAT pictures for me at Hudson's 5th Birthday. I will blog about the party once I get the digital pictures. It was at the Braves Game on Sunday, September 4th. Click the link below to go to her web site. Then click Images for Sale and scroll down to Hudson's album. :) She really captured our day perfectly!!!!

http://www.mariandavidphotography.com/

Thanks Missy! I love your pictures and your friendship! I love the images you captured of my family and friends, and I appreciate you coming from your fun weekend to do this! I loved that I could just enjoy the party and didn't have to worry about whether I got the picture. :) I hope you plan on being available at every birthday my children have. Love you!

Enjoying the Outdoors

2011-09-13T15:04:00.001-04:00

'Ma & 'Pa got Hudson this cool horse for his swing set. He and Kendan have enjoyed playing on it. I had never seen one before. I think it is so cool!

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Tradition for 5th Birthday

2011-09-03T09:38:00.001-04:00

We started a tradition this year that we will continue every year one of our children turns 5. We took Hudson to Just Kiln Time in Marietta and let him paint a celebration plate. He will eat from his special plate for all his special occasions growing up: birthdays, graduations, home runs, honor roll, etc. I have pictures of the plate as he painted it and the finished plate. He did a great job, and his plate turned out beautifully!!!! We wanted it to be ready for him to eat on Monday for his birthday dinner, which he has requested strawberry pancakes.

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What's new with us...

2011-08-17T12:44:00.001-04:00

We are officially in the school swing if things. Hudson is attending the YMCA five days a week from 8 AM -2:30 PM. He is in the Georgia state Pre-K program. It is, essentially, what Kindergarten was when I was little. We miss him so much while he is at school, but it gives Kendan and I some good one on one time.

I am still working out 5-6 days a week. I love it/hate it every minute I am there. About a month and a half ago I added running to my routine. I take a class and run every morning and I run again every evening with my neighbors. And Joshua & I registered for the warrior dash next spring. I am so excited about it!

We had dinner at the fire department with Joshua last week. These are probably the first pictures we have of Kendan with the fire engine. Crazy! :)

I have also been enjoying our garden. I recently made some homemade salsa using tomatoes and jalapenos from our garden. Kendan was practically drinking it. It was so yummy! I have made candied jalapenos and made pickles with some cucumbers given to me by a sweet friend. I love the rewards of our labor!

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Bath Time-Fun Time

2011-08-11T23:15:00.001-04:00

We decided to make bath time a little exciting! Shaving cream paint and my boys were in heaven! They have asked for this every night since. I gotta get more shaving cream! :) I filled a muffin tin with shaving cream, added food coloring to each dollop of shaving cream and stirred to mix. The kids got paint brushes and painted rainbows, hand prints, and each other! This was a fun activity for them!

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Kendan-Mommy Time

2011-08-10T08:54:00.001-04:00

We spent the morning together playing at the park after we took Hudson to school. The weather was cool and this playground has a sun shade. It was fun time with my little guy. I love him more everyday!

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18 Months Old

2011-08-04T19:07:00.001-04:00

Today Kendan is 18 months old. He is so full of life and spunk! He loves anything exhilarating like twirling, throwing himself back when you hold him, and doing flips off your lap. He isn't a big eater, especially of vegetables, but he loves his milk! He adores his big brother and imitates him often. His favorite (and I mean favorite) thing to play with is an old plastic vacuum attachment. He pushes it around the house, and yells, "mine!" if you try to take it. He knows where his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hair, hands, feet, and belly are. He can say mommy, da-da, shoes, swing, cracker, hello, bye bye, night night, uh-oh, no, mine, and ma'am. He is so sweet, but can throw a tantrum with the best of them! I have figured out though that his empathy will come out mid tantrum if I pretend to cry. He will immediately stop his fit and gently stroke my cheek. :) He loves books and his bed. He likes to be laid down with his blankie, which he calls, "nigh - nigh." He is a precious blessing to our family as we prayed for him for a year and a half before finding out he was on the way! He is all boy, all love, all fun, and we couldn't imagine our life without him!

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1st Day of School

2011-08-03T10:47:00.001-04:00

Pre-K at the YMCA. Teachers: Ms. Kari & Ms. Pam.

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Last Day of Summer

2011-08-02T19:18:00.001-04:00

We celebrated with a trip to Chuck E Cheese. We took Madalyn & Savannah with us. It was a fun last day of summer. But please don't remind me my baby is starting Pre-K! *tear*

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Chattanooga commercial

2011-07-25T18:42:00.001-04:00

So when Josh and I went zip-lining my dad and Cheryl took the kids to the Tennessee Aquarium. Ever since then Kendan flips out when a Chattanooga commercial comes on. As soon as he hears the song he starts pointing and going crazy. I thought it was the penguins at the end of the commercial, but dad says he doesn't even remember the penguins. So, I don't know what it is that Kendan sees and remembers, but his reaction is definite!

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Fun for All Ages!

2011-07-23T19:11:00.001-04:00

Celebrating Maddox's 4th birthday, 'Pa took Kendan down the slide, and Hudson joined them.

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Big Changes

2011-07-17T22:15:00.001-04:00

We have had some big changes this week. Hudson finally got his big boy room. He picked out pirate bedding to go with his new bunk beds. His room looks so cute! We all love it. He did great the first night , and slept in the top bunk all night!

Then today I became the proud owner of a minivan. :) We bought a used Chrysler Town & Country. No bells and whistles, but also no car payment! I'll take it! :) It rides like a cloud.

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Tubing in Helen

2011-07-11T16:53:00.001-04:00

Today we all went to Helen and tubed the river. My friend, Melissa, went with us too. It was such a great day for tubing, and we opted for the 2 hour adventure. The kids did great! If you get the chance...shoot the hooch!

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Tellus not Tubing

2011-06-23T14:12:00.001-04:00

So, we were going to tube in Helen today, but the weather was not cooperating. So, we postponed tubing to another day in the near future and today went to the Tellus Science Museum. It was a fun family day. We learned about solar & wind energy, magnets, dinosaurs*, minerals, and sound waves. We got to pan for gemstones, dig for fossils, and we watched a thrilling rollercoaster show in the planetarium. We ended up with gem stones, sharks teeth, a space shuttle, and astronaut ice cream to take home. It was a good alternative for a rainy day.

*I do not understand how they can really make people believe their findings when they find one little bone. The information panels showed what part of the dinosaur had been found...like a vertebrae...and from that they have this whole skeleton. How do they know he had spikes based off of the finding of 1 bone in his tail...sheesh!!!! I realize they also make people believe the Earth is millions of years old...but I made sure Hudson realized that the dinosaur skeletons were based on just one bone that really could have been from anything.

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Friends...Family...and Fostering.

2011-06-20T21:41:00.001-04:00

So, the last week has been really busy. One of my best friends was visiting from Ohio last weekend with his wife. So we got the old crew together for lunch at Big Pie in the Sky Pizza. It was so good to spend time with them and their wives. It wasn't our entire crew...we were missing one friend that had to work. :)

Then this past weekend my little brother graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta with a degree in Media Game Art & Design. It was a great day! We are so proud of him, and he is about to start working on Titanic 3-D...pretty amazing!

And an update on our foster care journey. We are in the middle of our training classes, and they are very informative! The 3 hours goes by fast, and we are learning a lot. We did a really amazing activity last week that I taped inside my binder so I always remember. We had 6 slips of paper that we had to write our support system on; mine was immediate family, extended family, friends, church family, neighbors, and former co-workers. Then they talked us through a story where one at a time we had to leave one behind and give them up. When we had two left I was holding immediate family and extended family. It was so difficult to choose who we would give up each time so we were glad when she stopped with the last two. Then she told us that while these would be our last supports to give up, IT IS THE FIRST ONES A FOSTER CHILD IS ASKED TO GIVE UP. It was overwhelming!!! We are very excited about this journey though, and the precious children God brings to us whether it is for a short time or for forever. We want to show God's love to these kids AND to their families. Some of them have never seen what love really looks like, and we want to show that love. We appreciate all the prayers, really we do! We will update through the process.

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We Survived!!!!!

2011-06-08T11:56:00.001-04:00

We had a BLAST zip lining today! It was just Josh and I with two tour guides. It was so much fun!!! 9 zips and 3 sky bridges. Our longest zip was 675 feet! We had the best tour guides too! Oconee River Basin Canopy Tour was an awesome zip lining experience! Happy Anniversary, Joshua! :)

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Beach Trip Season Finale

2011-06-04T20:20:00.001-04:00

Last day at the beach was very relaxed. Mom and Hudson spent the morning playing Goofy Golf. Then that afternoon we all headed to the bay again. We swam, floated, played in the sand, and found more sea shells. Then we had a yummy dinner of oysters on the half shell and fish and shrimp at High Tide. Now back to reality. :)

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7 Years...

2011-06-04T08:51:00.001-04:00

Seen years ago today my dad woke me up in Honolulu, Hawaii. I was on vacation with mom, Dylan, and Joshua, who had proposed on Monday night 4 days earlier. Joshua tells me that we are getting married that day! He had gone to my mom {pre-trip} and asked for her help in pulling off a surprise wedding in Hawaii. {I had told him before we went that we should just get married over there...he told me he didn't want to do that.} So we ate a big breakfast and dad drove us over to get our marriage license. Then the guys went to the Hilton Hawaiian village to get ready while mom and I had our hair and make-up done at the condo. My dress and shoes had been shipped over before we left Georgia by my mom, and they were perfect for a Hawaiian beach wedding! Then the photographer arrived and took pictures from mid morning until sunset. The videographer was there almost as long. At 4 o'clock my dad walked me down the aisle to marry my best friend. It was my fairy tale, and the best day! We had fun getting married! It was so relaxed and calm, and perfect for me. I would have gone crazy and driven those around me crazy had I had to plan a wedding. :)

I love Joshua more today than I did seven years ago! He is a great man, husband, and daddy to our boys. He is my best friend, and I am so blessed! I laugh now looking back at other relationships and what I thought should be my Prince Charming because God exceeded all my expectations with Joshua. Happy Anniversary!

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Beach Trip Part 3

2011-06-03T12:50:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a great day relaxing on the bay side. Hudson could go way out because it was shallow and the only waves were from boats that went by. We also found a ton of really cool shells...all of which were occupied by hermit crabs. We evicted them of their homes and now have some really amazing shells. :)

Then yesterday evening mom and the boys went pirate trick or treating as part of the Billy Bowlegs festival, and Liz and I went to, my friend, Michael & Freedom's house for a jewelry party. Michael and I went to high school together, and his wife Freedom had a Premier party while I was down here that I did for her. It was so great to catch up with them! Freedom is a perfect girl for Michael, and I am so happy to have reconnected with him. And I am so happy to have Freedom as a friend; we are already planning our next get together. Next time they will get to meet Joshua too. Can't wait!

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Beach Trip Part 2

2011-06-01T22:13:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we visited with my Mamaw and Papaw after a morning at the beach. Then we had dinner with a good friend from high school. He and his wife met us at a yummy seafood (what else) restaurant. We had a great time!

Then today we spent more time on the beach and then took a picnic to a local park. Perfect day.

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Beach Trip

2011-05-31T18:09:00.001-04:00

We love the beach. The end.

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Forever Best Friends

2011-05-25T22:28:00.001-04:00

I love that Kendan always wants to be just like Hudson! He loves his brother so much! He always has a kiss for Hudson. The rest of us? Well, it depends on his mood. :) Nobody can make him laugh like Hudson can, and I love watching their relationship grow. It is my sincere prayer that they always look out for one another and treat each other with love and respect. I pray that they always remain best friends. I love them so much!

*Check out the video below of Hudson making Kendan laugh.

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Laughing

2011-05-25T22:19:00.001-04:00

Love that laugh!!!!

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My Little Artist

2011-05-20T15:42:00.001-04:00

I just had to share this picture my boy drew today. We talked as he drew it so I encouraged the USA and I drew him an American flag to copy, but I did not draw any of the picture. I was very proud of the finished picture, and it is now hanging on the fridge. It will be one I keep forever. :)

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We Don't Feel Special

2011-05-20T01:00:00.001-04:00

That is what we keep hearing though. "It takes special people to adopt." We just feel like we are being obedient. James 1:27 is very clear, "take care of the orphans and widows." It doesn't say, if you are rich or if you are not able to have kids then take care of orphans and widows. It simply gives a clear direction. Let me back up a bit.

Joshua and I have always talked about adopting. We talked about it before we had Hudson. We talked then about adopting possibly from China. Fast forward 5+ years and here we are talking about it again only this time we both feel like now is the right time. We started gathering information and praying for direction. God softened both my heart and Joshua's heart toward going through DFCS (Department of Family & Children's Services).

We attended the orientation last week, and we begin the process June 7th, which starts with 6 weeks of training. Then there is fingerprinting, home visits, drug screening, and lots of paperwork.

We are very excited about this process, and excited about the direction God is leading us. We have signed up to be foster and/or adoptive parents.

So, back to not feeling special. We don't. We feel like we are being obedient. I heard a statistic that said there are 147 million orphans in the world! That breaks my heart. There are over 15,000 children in the foster care system in Georgia right now. That breaks my heart. There are just over 4,000 foster families in Georgia right now. That breaks my heart.

Please pray for our family as we begin this journey. We are excited to see how God is going to grow our family.

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Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-13T16:19:00.001-04:00

Er...Friday. I didn't realize this post didn't go through until today. But now I have a few more pictures to add. :)

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Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:06:00.001-04:00

Today has been a very nice Mother's Day. My guys surprised me with the Solo Fitness watch! I have been wanting one to keep track of heart rate and calories burned at the gym. I love it! AND it's PINK! We then had breakfast together before going to church. Josh had to work today, but he met us for breakfast. After church I had lunch with the kids. Now we are relaxing. Hudson is building a train track through the whole house, and Kendan is napping. :)

Happy Mother's Day to my mom and mother-in-law! I love you both so much!!!!

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Big Day

2011-05-07T14:43:00.001-04:00

Hudson had a big day today at the ball field. He got two of the best hits I have ever seen him do (one is in the video below). I watold by one of his coaches that he was the best slider on the team. AND he got the game ball today! So proud of him!

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To the Grass

2011-05-07T14:38:00.003-04:00

Hudson was so proud that he hit it "to the grass." :)

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Game Ball

2011-05-07T14:38:00.001-04:00

So proud of my boy! :)

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Mother's Day Luncheon

2011-05-05T20:09:00.001-04:00

Today was some sweet one-on-one time with by big guy. His preschool had a lunch for us. They served chicken salad sandwiches, chips, carrots & celery, a chocolate dipped strawberry, and a sugar cookie cake for dessert. After we ate they presented us with our gifts. A sweet card and a beautiful pot holder. His teacher read the card aloud as they passed the gifts out. I was pretty proud that my guy knew I wasn't 10 or 65. Ha ha.

It was a special time just Hudson and me. I am trying to cherish this time with him as next year he goes to Pre-K 5 days a week from 8-2:30. {deep breaths} He is such a great kid. Have I mentioned how much I love him?

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Blessing

2011-05-03T08:48:00.001-04:00

Sweet Kendan saying his blessing. I love seeing him do this at meals. He watches us thank our God for our food. I love that he is imitating us, and learning to be thankful for what God has blessed us with.

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Touch a Truck

2011-05-01T15:04:00.001-04:00

This weekend we went to Touch a Truck. We love this activity every spring. So many different vehicles for the kids to climb in and blow the horn or turn on the sirens. Joshua took some really cute pictures of the boys.

Then there are a few pictures from our week. Ice cream at Chick-fil-A, the retaining wall that doesn't like my Hudson, and Kendan & Joshua. :)

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Too Funny

2011-04-24T17:24:00.001-04:00

I thought this was hilarious! He was playing with Josh and stopped to cheese for me. Such a ham!

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Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T14:13:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter.

The boys got up to find Easter baskets full of goodies. We enjoyed a wonderful church service, and then ate a delicious family dinner. After, we had another egg hunt at our house with a prize egg that had $5 in it! Hudson was so excited when he found the prize egg. Kendan really got the hang of finding eggs too. It was a wonderful Easter.

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Easterrific

2011-04-23T20:38:00.001-04:00

Today was a busy, but fun day. We started at Hudson's t-ball game that his 'Ma, 'Pa, Grandmama, Uncle Kobe, Uncle Jerrod, Aunt Jenna, Maddox, & Mason all got to come to. That is a lot of pressure for a little guy, but he did great! After his game, Maddox had a game down the road so we all went and cheered him on. :)

Then we had our Easterrific at Burnt Hickory Baptist Church. We love our church so much, and this outreach is unbelievable! They have egg hunts, inflatables, train rides, games, cookie decorating, hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, lemonade...and it is all free! There are so many people that come and bring their children. There is so much to do. We couldn't even make it to everything. The kids had a blast! It was a great day!!!

Tonight my big boy and I made resurrection cookies and put them in the oven. Each ingredient represents a part of the Easter story, and we sealed them in the oven tonight. In the morning we will eat them.

I love my family so much, and I love the two precious boys God has entrusted to me to raise and care for here on Earth. I am so humbled when I stop and think of all He has blessed me with when I deserve none of it.

So thankful for His sacrifice so that I could live. "Greater love had no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 Thank you, Jesus!!!!

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Uncle Kobe & Hudson on the inflatable slide.

2011-04-23T20:32:00.001-04:00

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Good Friday

2011-04-23T00:10:00.001-04:00

We spent today talking about Jesus. We are excited about Sunday, and because of Sunday we have hope. We place our trust in a LIVING God!

These are hard things to explain to a 4 year old that is so inquisitive. I try to tell him as much as I know, but it is hard for him to process and he has a lot of questions. I know that the day is coming when he too will place his faith and trust in Jesus Christ...OH GLORIOUS DAY! I am praying for that day.

I love Easter weekend! It is where my faith is unlike any other because my God is ALIVE!!!!

A few pictures from today. Hudson dying Easter eggs with me. Their initial eggs & the Easter wreath I made for $3.50. I love it!!!! :)

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A few pictures

2011-04-21T10:41:00.001-04:00

I wanted to upload these before Easter because I am sure I will have a ton of pictures after this weekend. :)

Hudson holding Zoe and his baseball picture. When did he get so big?

Kendan and his many faces: surprise, cheese, and yes I made this mess. :) ha ha

He got a pretty big boo boo right between his eyes playing with his big brother. A sucker made it all better!!!

And last are the Easter dessert bird nests we made for Hudson's Easter party at school. :)

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Weekend

2011-04-09T22:38:00.001-04:00

Pictures taken recently. Kendan cheesing, Hudson and Kendan waiting on Dr. Michael Vick (ENT). Hudson had his nose cauterized for the third time. :( We are hoping this fixes his frequent nose bleeds because the next step is the O.R. We celebrated Dylan's birthday (25) by taking him to lunch. My boys sure love Uncle Dylan! Then there is the picture taken in Athens of Kendan being a dare devil. He isn't scared of anything!!!! Last picture was taken tonight at our care group get together. Funny video of Kendan is posted below.

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Weekend

2011-04-09T21:35:00.001-04:00

This video is Kendan copying Josh gobbling at some turkey...after he cheeses for the camera. :)

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My Boys

2011-04-06T00:31:00.001-04:00

The first picture is of Hudson and his cousin, Maddox. Maddox and Mason came over to play one day last week, and Hudson and Maddox got the portable DVD player out to watch a movie. I couldn't get my camera out fast enough to catch them with their arms around each other's shoulders. Then I heard, "I love you, Buddy." "I love you too, Buddy." :) The second picture is Kendan showing me his surprised face. He has just started making that face, and it is so funny. He does it at the most random times.

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14 months

2011-04-04T12:43:00.008-04:00

Where has the time gone? This sweet boy is full of life, energy, and spunk. :) He is very funny,and although he looks just like his daddy he has a lot of my personality.

Kendan is so funny and loves to laugh. He loves singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider." He has started screeching lately out of frustration because he doesn't have the words to express himself yet. He absoulutely adores his big brother, and watches Hudson's every move usually mimicking as well. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? Hudson loves Kendan as well. He often asks if I can wake him from his nap so he can play with him. :) They play well together.

It is hard to believe 14 months have passed since Kendan was born. We cannot imagine our family without him. He is so precious. These are some of my favorite pictures taken at his 1 year session by my sweet friend, Missy. We love her and love supporting her growing business!

My favorite.

Love that kid. Tongue out and all.

My precious Kendan.

Typical of my sweet boy. :)

*All pictures are courtesy of Marian David Photography*

Blue Blooded

2011-03-27T21:18:00.001-04:00

While I love love my Georgia Bulldogs, I was raised a Kentucky Wildcat. Good thing UK is more of a basketball school and UGA is a football school. So it works. And this was the exact agreement Hudson and I reached today as he told me that he wished he had been born in Kentucky, and that he thought Grandmama was telling him the truth...he should like "big blue." Hahaha. So, rather than him go live with Grandmama (which was his next option), we agreed on cheering for UK in basketball and UGA in football. :) She even got a "Go Big Blue" from the baby. Enjoy the video.

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Another Saturday of Baseball

2011-03-19T21:32:00.001-04:00

Hudson at bat. I love this kid!

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Hudson sliding into home. So cute!!!!!

2011-03-19T21:31:00.001-04:00

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Hudson getting the ball.

2011-03-19T21:30:00.003-04:00

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2011-03-19T21:30:00.001-04:00

We are loving baseball, and Hudson is having so much fun! He has learned a lot this year, and I am glad he got to start in tiny tots as next year he will be in coach pitch. He absolutely loves playing!!!

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Just to see...

2011-03-15T19:03:00.001-04:00

you smile.

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1st Baseball Game

2011-03-12T16:02:00.001-05:00

Today was his big day! He looked so big with his uniform on. :) I am so proud of this little boy! He did great today! He played great, hit the ball well, and even slid into home. Daddy was on the ambulance today, but he got to come watch some of his game. Grandmama even made a surprise appearance at his game since she was up this weekend for a little March Madness with her friend, Rex. The weather was perfect, and my little shark played ball like he'd been playing for years. We met daddy and his partner, Chabot, for lunch after the game as they were just coming off a call. It was a great morning!!!

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1st time up.

2011-03-12T16:00:00.001-05:00

Hudson's 1st time at bat.

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2nd time up.

2011-03-12T15:59:00.001-05:00

Hudson's 2nd turn at bat.

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Peek-a-boo

2011-03-11T21:34:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to get this on video for a while. I love how he does peek-a-boo. He is so precious!

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Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T21:51:00.001-05:00

With one little note...Kendan fell asleep eating his first sucker. :)

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Sweet Boy

2011-03-04T08:19:00.001-05:00

Kendan is such a loving child. He hugs so sweetly all things that he loves. He loves his blankie, so that gets lots of hugs. He also loves us, so we get lots of hugs. He also loves cupcakes, so at his birthday dinner his cupcake got a hug. Yesterday it was his cinnamon roll at breakfast, and last night I got a video of him hugging his milk. Sweet boy. Knows what he loves.

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A Video of Kendan

2011-02-26T21:26:00.001-05:00

My funny, sweet one year old. Love him so much. I wish I could capture all of his expressions...he is so funny.

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Hudson dancing

2011-02-26T10:03:00.001-05:00

We were at Yogli Mogli a few weeks ago enjoying some yummy frozen yogurt. Hudson got finished and decided he wanted to dance. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=3JhTOBd83pc

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Saturday morning

2011-02-26T09:15:00.001-05:00

Hudson is still sleeping. So, Kendan and I are having some time together watching Sesame Street, eating Cheerios, and giving kisses. Kendan now will give kisses when I ask, and it melts my heart!!! Close up picture is of Kendan leaning in to give me a kiss. Sweet sweet boy!

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The Classic City

2011-02-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

The boys and I headed to Athens yesterday to celebrate Liz's birthday with her. We visited with Michelle {she was my house mom when I lived in the sorority house,} and then she kept Kendan while Hudson and I had a date night. He and I went to dinner at Loco's and then met the girls at Stegman Coliseum for the Gym Dawgs meet against Alabama. It was a "pink out" to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Hudson and I made it about 2/3 of the way through, and then he said, "I'm not enjoying this anymore." Hahahaha. Such a little man. It was a fun night spending time just Hudson and l. I miss living in Athens, and I hate that it doesn't feel like home anymore. :) Love that city!!!!

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More outside pictures

2011-02-26T08:50:00.001-05:00

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Loving this Weather

2011-02-24T16:57:00.001-05:00

We have had a very fun winter with lots of snow {for Atlanta} and now over a week of gorgeous weather! I know the heat wave is right around the corner, so we are soaking in all the outside time we can!!!!

Pictures are of Batman {Hudson}, Lily {our neighbor}, and Kendan. :)

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Praise the Lord!

2011-02-23T15:01:00.001-05:00

Kendan had a great doctor's appointment today! The doctor said he was not concerned at all about Kendan. He checked him out thoroughly, and did several measurements of his head, forehead, and eyes. I have had such a peace the last couple of weeks, and I know it is because we have had so many people lifting us up in prayer!

Come to find out, I have a ridge on my forehead as well. The doctor felt our foreheads and told me I had a ridge. He said he was not concerned about Kendan at all! Thank you for all your prayers for our precious Kendan! We love this little boy so much, but we know that our Heavenly Father loves him infinitely more and that gives us such peace!

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are." 1 John 3:1

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Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey

2011-02-21T16:36:00.001-05:00

We were given 4 tickets to the circus for last night's 7 PM show. Josh and I took the boys, and also invited Maddox (Hudson & Kendan's cousin) to come along with us. The boys had a good time, and have very expensive light up swords to show for it. :) This year wasn't as good to me as past shows, but I love spending time with my family building memories. The tigers were tired, I think, since it was their 3 rd performance of the day. We actually thought the trainer was about to get mauled. He had to send one particular tiger back into the cages. Here are a few pictures from our evening.

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Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T21:39:00.001-05:00

I wanted to take today to express what a perfect for me, exceeds all my expectations, awesome man God had picked out for me. Joshua is my best friend. He is a wonderful father to our boys! He is a hard worker, THE most dependable person I know, and it makes my heart happy to know I have him by my side through life!

This is our 8th Valentine's Day together. It is the 7th with him as my husband, and 8 years ago I thought I might be getting a ring, but no...Joshua had bigger and better plans for our engagement and wedding in HAWAII!!!! He made my fairy tale come true, and it was even better than I had envisioned.

I love you, Joshua!!! Happy Valentine's Day!

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Big Boy

2011-02-14T14:24:00.001-05:00

We finally got around to turning Kendan's car seat around. He was very excited to be facing forward. It's a whole new world.

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Too smart for his own good

2011-02-13T09:09:00.001-05:00

Hudson: mommy, can you see outer space right now?

Me: no.

Hudson: But I thought mommies could see everything?!?

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T-Ball Saturday

2011-02-12T17:15:00.001-05:00

Today we started t-ball. Hudson had a GREAT practice! He absolutely loved it! He listened very well to his coaches, and had so much fun. They practice every Wednesday and Saturday until games start in March. I was so proud if him. Practice lasts an hour and a half, which is a long time for this age, but not once did Hudson lose focus.

We are very excited about this season. His team is the Sharks. They play 2 innings, don't keep score, everyone bats each inning, and everyone runs the bases, but he is learning the fundamentals. Next year he will be too old for t-ball, so I am so glad he has this year as a learning year.

Videos posted below. The last one is what Kendan did while brother played ball. :)

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2011-02-12T17:14:00.001-05:00

Hudson playing 1st base.

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2011-02-12T17:13:00.001-05:00

Hudson batting.

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2011-02-12T17:11:00.001-05:00

Kendan swinging while Hudson played ball.

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Happy Birthday dinner, Kendan

2011-02-11T21:18:00.001-05:00

Tonight we had a pancake dinner to celebrate Kendan turning 1. I love this little guy more than words could ever say! He brings our family so much joy! I have the best little boys in the world!!!! For his birthday he got a sand and water table, Mickey laptop, and Mickey board books. Oh, and a trip to Walt Disney World last week. :)

This week we had his one year check up. He weighs 22 lbs. (38%) and is 30.5 inches long (74%). He is walking, but still just a few steps at a time. He loves real people food, and will not eat baby food if he sees real people food. He now plays peek a boo and knows where his belly is. He loves giving hugs, in fact, he gave his cupcake a hug tonight. :) awesome.

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Happy Birthday, Buddy!!!

2011-02-04T21:27:00.001-05:00

I almost forgot this one. We had all the characters at the birthday party breakfast sign a picture mat for Kendan, and this is the picture I am putting in it.

Kendan we love you so much! We are so thankful that God gave you to us to raise. You are so fun, funny, full of life and wonder. You are so incredibly sweet when you give us big slobbery kisses and when you lay your head on our shoulder and pat giving us a sweet hug. Today I showed you the Mickey Mouse on the cup we were drinking and you gave it a big kiss! We hope your 1st birthday was special! We love you!!!!

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Day 5: Magic Kingdom Again

2011-02-04T21:03:00.001-05:00

The first three pictures are some I loved that Joshua took from other days this week.

Today is Kendan's 1st birthday, and we started the day with a character breakfast at Chef Mickey's. Then we headed over to Magic Kingdom and rode Peter Pan's Flight twice, Dumbo, the carousel, Snow White's Adventure, the tea cups, the Winnie the Pooh ride, and then we headed to toon town. The birthday boy had a personal meeting with Mickey and Minnie. Mickey Mouse even got down in the floor to play with him. We rode the train all the way around the park and ended the day by watching the Celebration parade. Kendan's favorites today were the carousel and meeting Winnie the Pooh! He kept hugging Pooh. It was so sweet.

Hudson got to meet lots of people today including Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty who were intimidatingly beautiful! He also got to ride Splash Mountain! Then after the parade we came back and played in the pool.

Another wonderful day, and a perfect 1st birthday for Kendan! Hudson says his favorite of the whole trip was Tower of Terror! :) Tomorrow we are opting to not go to a park, but are going to rest, and then eat lunch and shop at downtown Disney. We fly home tomorrow night.

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Day 4: Hollywood Studios

2011-02-03T21:57:00.001-05:00

Pictures of last nights fun in the pool area, one of Hudson outside our hotel, and today at Hollywood Studios. We are staying at All Star Movies, and we are in the Fantasia building.

Hudson rode Toy Story Mania twice, the backlot tour, the Great American Movie Ride, saw the Lights, Motors, Action stunt show, and rode the Tower of Terror!!!! He did great on that one, and he said he liked it more than the Toy Story ride! Little daredevil! We also played in the "Honey I shrunk the Kids" play area.

Today the park was busier than all the others, but still not bad. We waited less than 20 minutes for everything! Hudson met Lightening McQueen, Tow Mater, Mike Wazowski, and a green army man from Toy Story. Tonight we had dinner at House of Blues. Another great day! The last picture is of Kendan's tie dye Mickey Mouse onsie. The best one of all the shirts we did, but hard to get a picture of such a wiggly guy. :-)

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Day 3: Pirate Adventure & Animal Kingdom

2011-02-02T19:01:00.001-05:00

Today we started at the Grand Floridian for a special pirate adventure for Hudson. He and 3 other kids hopped on a pirate ship in search of hidden treasure. They followed a treasure map, and the all got some of the treasure at the end. No parents allowed! We could hear them coming in the lagoon yelling, "Arrrrrrgggghhhhh."

He was hesistant when we first got there, but by the time they boarded with their tattoos, bandanas and pirate vests, he was ready to go! I reminded him about meeting Aladdin and Princess Jasmine and how glad he was that he had done it. He told me after it was all over, "mom, I loved my pirate adventure even more than Aladdin."

After that we hopped over to the Animal Kingdom. We did the Kilamanjaro Safari, saw "Finding Memo The Musical," rode a scary Dinosaur ride and played in The Boneyard Excavation Site. Kendan fell in love with a baby Simba, so Grandmama bought it for him for his birthday. He spent the morning hugging it, patting it, and loving on it. It was so sweet! It was another fun day with very short waits if any at all.

We are having the time of our lives!

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Day 2: Magic Kingdom

2011-02-01T20:30:00.001-05:00

Today was just as awesome as yesterday! No waits on anything except Peter Pan, and we opted to do that one first thing on Friday. We had such a great day. Lots of pin trading, exploring in frontierland and 3 times on the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. Kendan got his first haircut today too! No tears, and a cute hat when he was done. Fun day.

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Day 1: Epcot

2011-01-31T21:57:00.001-05:00

Day 1 was a total sucess! My boys had so much fun and the longest we waited for any ride was 20 minutes for Soarin' but most we walked right onto. While on Soarin' Hudson said, "I've been wishin for this for years!" :-) Kendan loved the rides he went on. During our ride in the clam-mobiles to find Nemo, he was clapping and watching everything. Hudson met so many characters, but his favorite was Donald Duck! He was nervous about meeting Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, but was so glad when he did! They were so nice and so beautiful! We had so much fun!

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Here we go...

2011-01-31T11:51:00.001-05:00

We are off to a great start. Plane ride was awesome, and the pilot gave Hudson a very special tour of the cock pit as we were leaving. He also gave Hudson his own wings.

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it's official

2011-01-30T19:10:00.001-05:00

We have a walker...

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30 years later...

2011-01-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

Here is an outfit Josh wore when he was a baby. His mom gave it to me when Hudson was a baby. I love that I have it. Now I have pictures of both of my babies in the outfit. The first picture is Hudson at 8 months and the second picture is Kendan at almost 1 year (next week).

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Precious Baby...

2011-01-25T15:13:00.003-05:00

We are asking for prayers for our sweet Kendan. At the beginning of this month I noticed what felt like a ridge on the top of his head, from the front of his soft spot running down the middle of his forehead. It felt like the bones had met and pushed up ^. I took him to the emergency room, and the doctor there dismissed it and said his head felt normal. A week later, I took both boys to the pediatrician due to ear infections, and while we were in there I asked him to feel Kendan 's head. His expression changed, and he said that there was something there and I was not crazy. (His words, not mine, but thank you.) He said he wanted to refer me to the cranioplasty clinic at Scottish Rite. Well, everytime I hear Scottish Rite in the same sentence with my baby my heart skips a beat. I realize they are the best, but I also realize they send you there when it is serious.

We had to take Kendan last summer at 4 months old because the pediatrician felt fullness in his fontanelle, and Kendan was running 104 F fever. That can be a symptom of meningitis, but also can be a symptom of a bad virus which is what he had after they did a spinal tap and numerous other tests. I was such a wreck that day I got on 285 headed west when I needed to go east. *sigh*

Anyway, we were referred. So, I called the cranioplasty clinic and left a message on their nurses line. The nurse called me back and based on the description I gave her for the referral (his ridge) she said we actually needed to see a nureosurgeon at Scottish Rite!!!! My heart stopped. It is beating again, don't worry. But I have moved into mommy bear mode and I have been doing all I can to learn about this, document, make appointments, and make people understand the urgency because this is MY baby! The neurosurgeon's office said it can take a week to a week and a half for the doctor to review the medical records and get back to the nurse with how quickly that patient needs an appointment. They had our records for 1 week, and we got a call. I was expecting them to say we have an appointment in June, but they didn't. They said we have an appointment February 23rd! I was relieved at how quickly we are getting in, but also scared at how quickly we are being seen.

Here is what I have learned so far...I think. :D {I reserve the right to be misinformed on some of this info} What Kendan has is called a metopic suture ridge. It is where the plates in the front of his head fuse together prematurely and extra bone is deposited forming the ridge. Some children have trigonocephaly with the metopic suture ridge, and trig progresses. Meaning the forehead will progressively become more narrow and pointed or triangular. If Kendan just has the ridge, the doctors will probably just watch it. Lots of children have ridges. If he has trig, it is my understanding that surgery will be required.

I have also learned that there can be developmental delays with this, which Kendan does not have at this time. He is developing perfectly normally for an almost 1 year old! This is part of why I am in such frenzy mode; I do not want to wait until there are delays before we take action if action is necessary.

There are a few things that have me concerned as well regarding this situation, and are on my list of questions to ask the doctor about. First, Kendan has gone from a baby that slept 10-12 hours every single night from the time he was 3 months until 10.5 months to now he is waking up 3-5 times a night! He wakes up crying, and drinks a bottle. However, sometimes it is only an hour from when he last woke, so I know it cannot be that he is THAT hungry. It is not a normal progression to go from sleeping to not sleeping. On one night last week he was up at 12, 2, 4, and 5:30. My mom asked if maybe there was pressure and sucking relieved that. So, I went to a great website called craniokids.org (great site if you want more info) and sure enough sometimes there can be intercranial pressure associated with it. I'm not saying that is definitely what is going on, but I've exhausted all other possibilities trying to get him to stay asleep! I feel like a new mom...exhausted!

Second, he has started hitting his forehead on things on purpose. Not extemely hard, but enough for me to notice. His pediatrician said this could be just the age he's at, some kids become head bangers. I do realize that. I also realize that the sleeping thing could be a fluke too, but when you look at the whole picture it makes me wonder if they are related.

Please pray for him as we go to the Neurosurgeon Feb. 23. Please pray for God's protection over him. Please pray for the doctors we are going to see. Please pray for Josh and I that we would not let worry or fear take over. We know that God has a plan, and He is in control whatever the outcome may be. We know that He loves Kendan even more than we do, and therefore, we trust Him completely.

I have a lot of friends that I KNOW are prayer warriors, and I am asking you to pray for my baby. I want him covered in prayer. Thank you from my home to yours.

Tie Dye

2011-01-22T15:15:00.001-05:00

I wanted a picture in their tie dye shirts we made. The mickey ones did not turn out well even though the picture I posted looked like they did. We have one cute one for Kendan that has a mickey head and an okay one for Hudson. But the ones in the picture are just regular tie dyes, and they are adorable on them. We had to wrangle Kendan to sit still for a picture, so this was the best I could do. :)

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Family Time

2011-01-21T21:40:00.001-05:00

After date night we took the boys to Yogli Mogli's for some frozen yogurt. We realize that it is freezing outside, but the place was packed so we aren't the only crazy ones. Kendan was crazy about some yogurt! We love days Josh is home!

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