The Clarkes in Georgia

Christmas Day

2011-12-26T20:55:00.001-05:00

Christmas was a fun morning.....I had to wake up Sam because Paige woke up and we couldn't keep her upstairs but for so long. We wanted to all come down together to see what Santa brought. Paige loved her "Little People" dollhouse and "Anywhere Chair". Sam came down looking around cautiously (he would NOT come close to Santa when we went to visit him so I only have a picture of Paige screaming in his lap...priceless!) and after he realized that the crazy man with the white beard was no where to be found he hopped on his motorcycle and played with his "GeoTrax". Good times!! We then went to church and came home for lunch and more opening of presents. Unfortunately it rained all day so we couldn't go outside to enjoy the new ride on toys. We made the best of it though. Sam was nice enough to share his motorcycle.....we'll see how much he feels like sharing when we take it outside! Paige loved that darn thing.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T20:37:00.003-05:00

We went to church on Christmas Eve which is a wonderful family event. They have a live nativity with camels, donkeys, and sheep inside the church. The music was great and the kids really enjoyed it! When we got home I tried to get some pictures of the kids dressed up but it was easier said than done. Sam is pretty camera shy now...and if he does let me get his picture he makes a funny face. By the way, did I say that Paige is walking? She went from taking two steps on her own last week and she is now moving fast! It's so cute watching her go. Sniff sniff....my girl is growing up!!

Waiting for Christmas

2011-12-26T20:24:00.001-05:00

We have been waiting patiently for Christmas to come by playing outside, playing inside, and baking cakes. A LOT of cakes. I bake cream cheese poundcakes for Doug's customers as well as our tenants. Sam loved to help me.....especially because of what comes at the end.....licking the "spinners" as Sam calls them. Even Paige got a good taste! We baked for about 5 days straight and it was really cute because Sam asked everyday after his nap if we could "spin cakes". So cute!

Paige walking....assisted :)

2011-12-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

Time with Granddaddy and Gramma

2011-12-20T21:31:00.001-05:00

Doug recently won a contest for work.....a trip to Minnesota. I know, I know, most of you are saying "that's the prize?! Minnesota in December?!" But really, it was pretty cool. We got to go to Minneapolis and stay in a 5 star hotel, we were wined and dined, and the best prize was that Doug was able to do a "warehouse run". One of the companies, of which he sells their product, offers points to spend at an "awards website". They have everything from jewelry to electronics....anything! So, he was able to have 90 seconds to run through the warehouse and pick anything he wanted! He (we!) made out pretty good. More than anything though, Doug and I were able to spend two nights alone thank you to Granddaddy and Gramma Adams. We were so blessed to have them stay with us for the entire week. It was a great visit and Sam thought that it was wonderful while we were gone because they took him to Build-a-Bear! He picked out a little dog which he named "Speedy". He dressed him in "Lightening McQueen" clothes of course! Paige just hung out with a smile on her face as usual! Gramma took most of the pictures so I'll post more when I get them from her :)

Sam's Thanksgiving lunch

2011-12-20T21:04:00.000-05:00

The week before Thanksgiving, Sam's class had a performance and lunch for all of the parents and relatives. Sam did pretty well but he became really shy as soon as he saw us....it was cute. We enjoyed having lunch with him and meeting all of his friends!

Lost video

2011-12-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

I've really fallen down on the blogging job lately....sorry. Things have been pretty busy here between the holidays and tenants turning over. Here is a video that I forgot to post from when we visited Rebecca. Betsy loved to push Paige around in the baby doll stroller. She just sat there enjoying the ride....my laid back little lady!

More Halloween!

2011-11-16T21:06:00.000-05:00

Halloween

2011-11-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

We had a great time carving pumpkins this year....Sam was really into it. We baked the seeds and unfortunately they didn't turn out good at all. They ended up being very dry. So, the slow and low heat cooking DOES NOT work....we'll go back to cooking them fairly hot and fast next year.

We went over to the Keenan's house this year and did trick or treating with our friends. The kids had a blast and all the adults had a great time as well!

More Lane packing

2011-10-25T06:18:00.001-04:00

They also face painting....here is Sam trying to show off his pumpkin that was painted on his face! They also had a straw bale maze for the kids....they eventually found it to be more fun to stand on top and jump from bale to bale.

Lane packing fall festival!

2011-10-25T06:04:00.000-04:00

Lane packing is a three generation farm that is just about 30 minutes south of us. They provide middle Georgia with peaches, pecans, strawberries, etc.... Every fall they host a large festival with music, food, hayrides, inflatable slides, and pumpkin picking. We headed down there with a few friends and the kids had a blast! And we had a pretty good time too :)

More Florida

2011-10-17T21:34:00.000-04:00

We went to a park one day and Paige loved climbing around and acting like one of the big kids. Unfortunately, this was the last place that my camera was able to make it. We played a lot outside and we also went to the South Florida Museum where Sam got to see "Snooty" the manatee. He was quite impressed. Overall we had a great time....the girls doted on Paige and tolerated Sam. I have a great video of Betsy pushing Paige around in her doll baby stroller....hopefully I can post it soon.

Visit to Florida

2011-10-17T21:06:00.000-04:00

DD and Big Daddy made a pit stop on their way back to Florida a couple of weeks ago. Big Daddy continued on but DD was nice enough to stay behind and ride with me and the kids down to Florida to visit for a bit. The weather could have been better but I think that we were all glad to get a change of scenery for a while. We went to Sarasota Jungle Gardens and Sam loved the birds and walking on the paths through the "forest". All of the flamingos were over in this one part of the water where all of the fish were congregated....it smelled REALLY bad but Sam didn't seem to care....he just wanted to get close them.

DD and Big Daddy stop by on their way to VA

2011-09-20T07:09:00.000-04:00

DD and Big Daddy came to have lunch with us on their way to Virginia. Sam was very excited to wake up from his nap and see them here. He immediately wanted to go out and see Big Daddy's car. He climbed in the front seat and inspected everything within his reach. He then wanted to show off and show them how he could "fix" Doug's tractor with his little plastic tools. Then he went over to the front yard to play golf and show them his swing. Mama has a great video of it....I just need to get it from her.

Big girl

2011-09-09T21:26:00.000-04:00

Paige and I get to spend some alone time together three days a week since Sam is in school from 9-12. She loves to pull up on everything and she has even started to "cruise" a little.....walking around while holding on to various tables, couches, etc... Unfortunately, I've noticed that she's a little "pigeon-toed"....similar to how I was as a child. Her left foot seems to turn in more than the right. Once again, the same for me. Hopefully it will be something that she will grow out of a bit, but it certainly is too early to tell really how bad it will be. I'm not worried though, I turned out ok! As you can see from the close up picture, her eyes have turned brown for the most part. They are still a little gray around the outer edges. She definitely is starting to show her personality now! Mainly, she is a very laid back child but when she doesn't get her way or if Sam takes something from her, she will let everyone know about it for sure!

Paige's new car

2011-09-06T06:50:00.000-04:00

Paige is really getting tired of being in the stroller when we go outside to play. I put her on Sam's tractor one day and it was all over after that. She would throw a fit when she saw Sam get on it. She needed a vehicle of her own so I bought her this little car at Walmart. She loves it and I love the big handle on the back to be able to push her. Sam was loving it as well and being the good big brother, he shown her how to work all of the buttons!

In the favorite chair

2011-09-06T06:46:00.000-04:00

Sam loves to sit up in rocker in Paige's room with her. Unfortunately, this picture came out so fuzzy....of course they had great smiles on their faces.

Bath time

2011-09-06T06:40:00.000-04:00

Bath time is always a fun time in this house. Sam loves to make Paige laugh and put bubbles on his chin and pretend that he's Santa. I undress them and they always look in the bath to see what toys they are going to play with that night. As you can see Paige is still quite the "chunky monkey" but really, her rolls are disappearing more and more every week.

Sam's first day of 3K

2011-08-16T20:19:00.000-04:00

Sam started his 3K program on Monday. He goes Mon, Wed, and Fri from 9-12. Unlike last year, he was so excited and just couldn't wait to go! Here he is with his friend Mia (her mom is a close friend of mine) just before he went into class.

Paige turns one!

2011-08-16T19:35:00.000-04:00

Paige turns one!!

2011-08-16T19:22:00.000-04:00

I can't believe my baby girl is one....where has the time gone! She now pulls up on everything and is ALL over the place. It won't be long before she walks for sure. You see that cupcake in front of her? Yeah, she ate the WHOLE THING! She takes after me....I have an uncontrollable sweet tooth and apparently she does as well. She loves to wave "hi" and "bye" and she smiles at just about everyone!

After the storm

2011-08-02T06:42:00.000-04:00

While DD, my sister, and her girls were visiting, a storm came through the area and left this rainbow over my backyard.

Days with Dad

2011-07-20T06:25:00.001-04:00

Doug has taken a much needed break from renovating the investment properties over the last month. We've been very spoiled to have him around and we've gotten used to it! Unfortunately, he starts the next property this weekend. But, it's been nice to have him around to swim, go eat pizza, go to birthday parties, and now golf! We took Sam up to the "big golf course" over the weekend for the first time. He LOVED it to say the least....he definitely didn't want to leave. Doug took him on the putting green while Paige and I sat under a pine tree and cheered him on. Then we took him down to the driving range where he wacked a bunch of balls. I have a video of that but I may need to edit it and shorten it before I add it on here....but here are some pictures!

11 months

2011-07-20T06:21:00.000-04:00

Paige is now 11 months and is such a pleasant little girl. Her demeanor is very laid back and happy-go-lucky....the first three months were worth this now! She army crawls (just like Sam did) everywhere and she's gotten pretty darn fast too! She loves to stand up now but still assisted of course. She can pull up on a step but not a table just yet. She and Sam are so cute....they get to laughing really hard in the car, making faces and noises. As you can see she still really chubby but believe it or not she has started to "thin out"!

Sam blows out his candles

2011-07-10T06:58:00.000-04:00

Sam turns Three!

2011-07-10T06:47:00.000-04:00

Sam's birthday isn't until tomorrow but we celebrated yesterday. We had good friends and good food all around. The kids had a blast in the pool but unfortunately the rain clouds moved in....along with really scary lightning! So we had to move the party inside which was quite a scene! Imagine seven 3 yr olds and a baby....CRAZY to say the least! You can see the picture of everyone sitting inside here and there were still many others in the kitchen.

Sam loves the "Cars" movie....Lightning McQueen and Mater are his favorite. So he was pretty excited to see that his cake had his favorite characters on there. He's become such a big boy now and continues to make us laugh every day!

Fun in the Tub

2011-07-08T06:27:00.000-04:00

Sam loves having Paige in the tub with him now....although together, they start splashing and soak the whole darn bathroom!

More Ocracoke

2011-07-07T07:46:00.000-04:00

Just like at Myrtle Beach, Doug and Sam had a great time building a "volcano" then decorating it with shells and seaweed.

Ocracoke

2011-07-07T07:28:00.000-04:00

We made the long trip up to Ocracoke last week to visit Granddaddy and Grandma. The kids really couldn't have handled it any better. The weather was perfect and the water was so clear! We went to the beach several times and Sam had a blast as usual. He was so cute....he would bring shells to me and ask me to "listen to the ocean". It was neat to look at the fascination on his face! Paige slept one morning on the beach but mostly she just sat in the chair and ate some snacks! It was a great time...thanks Granddaddy and Grandma!

Investment property is a family affair

2011-06-13T14:24:00.000-04:00

We (well, I should say Doug) are in the final stages of renovating yet another apartment in one of our historical homes. We went over to visit yesterday and Sam decided that he really liked the shop-vac (who doesn't? It sucks up anything!). So, he helped Doug and Paige just hung out on the newly re-finished hardwood floors. Paige is 10 months old today and she is officially on the move. The funny thing is that she is starting to crawl just like how Sam did....the army crawl. He never did crawl the traditional way and it will be interesting if she does the same.

Enjoying the Beach

2011-06-13T07:57:00.000-04:00

And.....even more Myrtle Beach

2011-06-02T21:57:00.000-04:00

Even more Myrtle Beach

2011-06-02T21:51:00.000-04:00

More Myrtle Beach

2011-06-02T21:40:00.000-04:00

I bought a little tent to help shade Paige while we were at Myrtle Beach. Doug's mom had a great idea of buying a little pool to go in there so she could enjoy the water without all of the sun. It was a hit with Sam as well!

Myrtle Beach

2011-06-02T21:20:00.000-04:00

We spent a week at Myrtle Beach with Doug's mom....it was a great time. The kids loved the water and the lazy river at the condo. The weather couldn't have been any better....sunny and warm everyday! We spent the days at the beach, going out to dinner, and we also went to Broadway at the Beach so Sam could ride the motorcycles, boats, and teacups.

"Touch a Truck"

2011-05-07T14:36:00.000-04:00

The Junior League of Macon put on it's first "Touch a Truck" fundraiser. They had a variety of vehicles there such a an ambulance, cement truck, 18 wheeler, firetruck, and even a helicopter thanks to the US Army! We headed out there with Brooke and Brody....the boys had a blast. The firetruck was a huge hit, of course, but I think the highlight was the army helicopter. The climbed up in there without any coaxing and didn't really want to leave. The one picture of Sam's surprised face was when the firetruck sirens started up. Paige was a doll, no surprise, and just hung out content as could be in the stroller.

At the park

2011-05-01T13:50:00.000-04:00

We had a beautiful morning so we decided to pack a lunch and head to the park. We met Sam's best bud, Brody, there and they had a blast. Sam has started to become less cautious.....I turned my head and he's all the way up the rock wall!

8 months

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

I know I always say this but, I can't believe my baby girl is growing up so fast! Eight months already....wow. She "talks" a lot now and she loves to try and mimic whatever I do with my mouth such as "blowing raspberries". No crawling yet, thank goodness! I think that she'll fall into the same pattern as Sam...no crawling until 10 months. It's so funny thinking about the first time around, how paranoid you get that your child isn't hitting milestones when the majority of the other kids around you are....and the second time around....I think that I would be fine if she didn't start walking until she was two...haha!

Easter at school

2011-04-19T21:21:00.000-04:00

Today we had Sam's Easter egg hunt at school. We brought a picnic lunch for outside after the egg hunt. Sam quickly realized that there was something in each egg by shaking them....I think that he knew that there was something really yummy in there because he started going for all of the jumbo eggs out there. You can see the giant blue one below. Needless to say there wasn't a whole lot of the healthy lunch that I made consumed....4 chocolate bunnies won that fight. Oh well, pick your battles, right?

Our trip to Florida

2011-04-19T21:18:00.000-04:00

The kids and I went to Florida a couple of weeks ago while Doug had some buddies in town. The flight down was pleasantly easy, believe it or not, but the flight home...not so much. I missed my return flight then had to take the 6pm flight. As you can imagine, two tired and hungry kids and a dvd player that died in the beginning of the flight. BUT....we made it and we sure were happy to see "Dada"!

The trip was great and Sam thoroughly enjoyed himself. We went to the beach, went on a boat ride, got ice cream, went fishing, celebrated Betsy's birthday, and just overall had a wonderful time. We can't wait to go back! Getting pictures of all of these kids proved to be very difficult....I don't think that out of all that we took, there was one where all of them were looking at the camera!

Balloons and Ice Cream

2011-03-20T07:14:00.000-04:00

At the end of the day we went to Macon State where they had music, food, kid rides, and hot air balloons. We took a picnic dinner and blanket. Sam begged for some ice cream so after much coaxing, he ate most of his dinner. We walked up the hill and he picked out what he wanted....an ice cream cone. He reluctantly shared (one lick or two) with Doug and I. After dinner we walked over to check out the hot air balloons, which were quite impressive! They were going to light them at dusk but with two little ones at their limit, we had to skip out on that...maybe next year!

Sam in the Cherry Trees

2011-03-20T07:10:00.001-04:00

Cherry Blossom Festival

2011-03-20T07:02:00.000-04:00

Cherry Blossom time is here in Macon. Most of you know that it's a big deal for our little town. There are festivities for about 10 days straight! We went to see the disc dog championships in Central City Park, the kiddy rids, and then ate lunch under the cherry trees. It was really nice to spend time as a whole family for the day!

Feeding the birds

2011-03-20T06:57:00.000-04:00

We have a bird feeder that sits right outside of our kitchen window. Sam loves to help me open the window and reach out to fill the feeder with birdseed.

7 months

2011-03-18T21:11:00.000-04:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful here so we've spent a lot of time outside. Today, Sam and I wanted to plant some flowers so we brought Paige outside in the exersaucer to watch. She's 7 months old and now and she has her two bottom teeth (as I tried to show everyone in the picture above)! She's starting to blow raspberries and talk A LOT. She's the sweetest thing and is always laughing and smiling....especially at Sam!

Forsythia Festival

2011-03-13T21:14:00.000-04:00

This weekend was absolutely beautiful so we headed up to the first festival of the season....the Forsythia Festival. Two of Sam's best buds met us there, Brody and Harrison. They had a blast going on the kiddy rides, dancing to music, and just overall running around like the crazy little boys that they are. Eventually they collapsed in exhaustion on the grassy hill to enjoy some music. I tried to get a good picture of Sam and Paige together but it didn't work out so well...Sam wouldn't stay still! Paige is 7 months old today....I'll try to get some good pictures of her this week. She just cut her second tooth and she's "talking" up a storm!

Playing in the rain

2011-03-13T20:56:00.000-04:00

Last week there was a day where it poured pretty much all day. By the end of the day, Sam was climbing the walls so, while Paige was napping, I decided to just let him play in the rain. He just jumped in the puddles until he was soaked and shivering with a giant smile on his face!

Sitting neat, discovering feet, and cutting teeth!

2011-02-22T20:39:00.001-05:00

Paige was six months old on the 13th of February....so hard to believe. She now weighs a hefty 17 1/2 pounds! She's started sitting up very well on her own now and she managed to find her feet the other day. It's so cute to watch her on her back, grab her feet, and try to bring them to her mouth. She's finally cut her first tooth and the other bottom one isn't too far behind. It's been so warm here the last few days I decided to put her under the apple tree and take a few pictures while Sam was still napping.

Running with two

2011-02-16T19:50:00.000-05:00

The weather has finally started to turn warmer so I'm able to actually start running with both kids. Unfortunately I've been spoiled over the last month or two....running mostly by myself....thanks to Doug or our neighbor. Wow, it was REALLY hard but I figure that I'll be in the best shape of my life (or crippled!) if I keep this up!

Reading time

2011-02-13T20:37:00.001-05:00

In the afternoon, after their naps, I always put Paige in the chair in her room while I finish up some laundry for the day. Sam loves to climb up next to her and today he wanted some books to "read" to her. He was enjoying it for a little bit but then she started grabbing on to him, chewing on him, and he was starting to get irritated....as you can see in the last picture! It's so cute though!

Hey you!

2011-02-08T21:16:00.000-05:00

Sam and I went outside to play while Paige was taking her last nap of the day. It was still so darn cold and windy but he doesn't care. He loves for me to get my golf club and "play" with him. This picture was after we were chasing after a golf ball, fell on the ground, and then turned over to reach for the camera. He's speaking so well now....just about talking in sentences!

HI!!!!

2011-02-08T20:57:00.000-05:00

This is what we see every time we go to get Paige out of her crib. She could be crying and screaming but the minute that one of us poke our heads over her crib she gives us the biggest smile! I decided to capture it after her nap today. She's almost 6 months now....we go to the doctor next week so I'll post an update of her stats then.

Spring in January

2011-01-30T20:53:00.000-05:00

This weekend was absolutely gorgeous.....mostly sunny and 70! It really gave all of us spring fever although we all know that we still have a month or so before spring really hits. We went to the park today and met one of Sam's best buds there, Brody. We took a hike down to the river where the boys played on the rocks. Doug taught Sam how much fun it was to throw rocks in the river.....I think that he could have stood there and thrown rocks for hours! We then hiked back up to the playground and played on the slides. Paige hung out in the jogger or in my arms.

5 months

2011-01-20T13:41:00.000-05:00

Time continues to go by waaaaay too fast! I can't believe Paige is 5 months now! She now rolls over both ways and I think that sitting up isn't far behind. We just tried some rice cereal today for the first time and it was a bittersweet moment for me. She's just growing up so quickly! She and Sam are so cute now....they laugh and smile at one another. I'll try to get a video of them soon.

Our kids

2010-12-28T20:46:00.000-05:00

I was in Paige's room today putting some clothes away....she was propped up in the rocker. Sam was in the bonus room playing with his new train table. Then I heard Sam talking and I turned around to see that he had piled a bunch of Paige's toys on top of her and climbed up in the chair next to her. He just loves her so much!

Christmas morning

2010-12-28T14:24:00.000-05:00

Doug and I got Sam a train table for Christmas....it took us about 2 hours to put it together on Christmas Eve. He was up at 5 am and we were downstairs by 5:30! When he saw the train table I think that he was a little skeptical because we told him that Santa had come (and he's a little scared of Santa....let's face it, he IS a little scary!). s

Hitting golf balls....in the house.

2010-12-28T14:03:00.000-05:00

As I said in earlier posts, the neighbor's dogs ate all of Sam's plastic golf clubs. We got him another set and he was very excited to see them.....so excited he couldn't wait to hit golf balls outside...luckily these balls are plastic! He later opened up a great set from Grandma and Granddaddy that are adjustable! They were a little more heavy duty so we had to move outside to use those!

Christmas photos

2010-12-28T13:53:00.001-05:00

It was hard to get some great pictures of Sam during Christmas morning....he was really on the move! Doug and Sam put together a parking garage that was a gift from "DD" and "Big Daddy"....you can see that he's putting gas in the car in one of the pictures.

Sam's Christmas Tree

2010-12-28T13:48:00.000-05:00

Sam made a really cute Christmas tree with his hand print in pre-school. It was his gift to us....I just had to share!

Christmas pictures

2010-12-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

My friend, Brooke, helped me take some pictures of the kids in their Christmas outfits....here they are!

Paige....4 months!

2010-12-28T13:25:00.000-05:00

Once again, time is really flying by! I can't believe our little (well, maybe not so little :) ) girl is over 4 months old. She's talking up a storm and is such a sweet natured little girl despite our rough start. She is starting to like the exersaucer now but she still has no love for the swing. Sam LOVED that thing. She hates it. Go figure. She so darn smiley and we just love her more and more everyday!

Sam and Brody

2010-12-28T13:15:00.000-05:00

One of Sam's best buds is Brody Lerner. He came over and Sam was nice enough to "share" his tractor. Sam had to be along for the ride though....they had a blast!

Seriously Chunky!

2010-12-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

Paige is close to 4 months old now.....where has the time gone?! I have to say that, even after our rough start, time is moving too fast. She has become very good with her hands. She reaches for everything, grabs it, and brings it to her mouth now. She's just shy of 15 pounds now! She's doubled her birth weight in less than four months! My friend, Brooke, took these pictures when we were at Barnes and Noble while our boys were playing with the train table. Why is she naked you ask? She had a massive blow out and messed up her outfit. I actually had to run down to Gymboree at the other end of the mall to get something for her to wear, lest I get a visit from the Department of Child Services :)

My little indian

2010-11-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

Sam's class put on a little Thanksgiving show which you will see below....here he is dressed up in his holiday garb. As you can see, his expression kind of matches his "name" that his teachers gave him!

Sam's Thanksgiving "show"

2010-11-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

Sam playing golf

2010-11-11T21:23:00.000-05:00

Sam used to have some plastic golf clubs and unfortunately the neighbor's dogs managed to eat them all. So, the only club that we have left for him to play with is one that Doug put together for him. It consists of an old putter of Doug's.....Doug cut it down then put a grip on the end. Needless to say, it's pretty darn heavy but Sam still manages to swing it somewhat. I just ordered a little set off of Amazon that is perfect for him.

Paige "talking"

2010-11-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

3 months

2010-11-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

I tried to get a good picture of Paige smiling....this is the best I could do for now. She is a totally different baby now, thank the Lord! She allows Doug to hold her and she even smiles and coos at him as well. It was almost as if, when she turned 3 months old, someone flipped a switch! She is napping much better now but nighttime continues to be a little bit of a struggle. She really does well in her crib....napping and a nighttime....now if we could get those four hour stretches of sleep to turn into 6 hours of straight sleep at night we would all be much happier! At any rate, I have my happy baby girl back!!

Helping Dad

2010-11-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Sam loves to "help" Doug over at the investment properties. He'll grab a tool similar to whatever Doug is using and copy what he's doing.....it's really cute. Somehow I don't think that he'll be as enthusiastic to come work on the properties when he's 16! He loves to take a ride on the hand dolly!

Halloween....Take 1

2010-10-30T21:19:00.000-04:00

Halloween...Take 1

2010-10-30T21:16:00.000-04:00

We went over to a friend's neighborhood for some trick or treating tonight....you can't imagine how crowded it was! There must have been people from 3 counties around that come to this neighborhood! Sam was a fire fighter and he actually cooperated and wore his hat....we think because he saw other kids doing the same. We tried to get a cute picture of Sam holding Paige but, well, what you see is what we got.

Growing kids

2010-10-24T07:10:00.000-04:00

Paige is growing so incredibly fast....it's hard to believe that she's closing in on 3 months! Mama came to visit this past week (thank goodness!) while Doug went on his monthly trip to the southern parts of his territory for work. She still only wants me to hold her and won't really tolerate anyone else. But, Mama was able to help me with Sam which was much needed relief. Here are a couple of pictures of the kids while we were at the park. You'll see Paige's lower lip stuck out as she shows us her opinion of being in the car seat. Sam is also growing quickly and his words are coming fast and furious. He's finally saying small phrases and I'm sure that sentences aren't far behind. He's quite the little mimic now so we have to watch everything that we do and say. He really likes Thomas the Train (what little boy doesn't, right?). Mama got him a Thomas shirt and he wants to wear it all the time...unfortunately is starting to get a little too small. He's 100% boy and his battle scars on his face show it!

Pumpkin patch

2010-10-16T13:24:00.000-04:00

After our run, we took the kids to Elliott Farms to pick out some pumpkins. We saw a lot of animals and went on a hayride. Sam loved the hayride...he kept saying "again" after we stopped. I think that he just really loved looking at the tractor that was pulling the wagon. Unfortunately, no pictures of Paige...she was asleep in the baby bjorn the whole time.

2 months and in the jogger

2010-10-16T13:09:00.000-04:00

Paige is now two months old and we decided to try out the jogger...she was great! We were able to go three miles without a peep and Sam was compliant as well, with a sucker of course! I pushed Paige while Doug pushed Sam....I think that I got the better end of the deal on that one.

Most of you know, Paige has been diagnosed with reflux. We have continued to go see the chiropractor in addition to having her on Zantac. Both treatments seem to be working somewhat. She's finally able to have some "play time" on her own but for the most part she wants to be held and comforted all day....by me. It's exhausting to say the least but this time will be by us before we know it. She smiles quite a bit now and coos occasionally....I anticipate that both of those things will increase as she continues to feel better.

Oh, yes, it's been freezing here in the mornings...as you can tell from how the kids are dressed. It's been mid 80s during day but 40s in the morning.

6 weeks

2010-09-30T08:14:00.000-04:00

Sam loves holding Paige!

2010-09-22T20:46:00.001-04:00

1 month

2010-09-16T18:24:00.000-04:00

Paige went to her one month appointment on Monday...she's now a whopping 10 pounds! Sam has come a long way since her birth. He loves on her everyday and he likes to "help me" give her a bath. Hopefully I'll have some pictures of them together soon.

Our chunky monkey at 3 1/2 weeks

2010-09-07T21:20:00.000-04:00

Paige is now just about 4 weeks old and she has become a lot more alert. She's packing on the pounds and is almost about 9 1/2 pounds already. Sam has really taken to her now....he comes downstairs and asks for Paige and kisses her all over. It's super cute. We have started to settle down here now and we're beginning to get into our new routine...whew!

Dog days of Summer

2010-08-23T14:52:00.001-04:00

Dog days of Summer

2010-08-23T14:27:00.000-04:00

It continues to be hotter than hell fire down here......temperatures in the upper 90s with the heat index of the 110s....everyday. I can't go in the pool because of just giving birth but Doug took Sam in there while I sat over in the shade with Paige. Then, this morning Sam and I went outside to play and we found some exoskeletons of cicadas that recently molted on the side of a pine tree.

Sleeping Beauty

2010-08-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

We're closing in on our first week with Paige in our lives and, wow, things have been shaken up! Poor Sam has had a tough time adjusting but I feel confident that things will smooth out here soon. I feel very lucky to have Doug staying with me this week, Doug's sister, Tammie, will be with me next week, then my mom comes the following week, then Doug's mom comes the week after that! I really under estimated how challenging it would be taking care of a newborn and a very demanding and jealous two year old. By the end of my month of visiting help, I think that I should be on the right track...let's hope! In the meantime, Paige is proving to be a very laid back and "easy" (shhhh...fingers crossed...I know she's only a week old!) baby and sleeps around the clock it seems like most days.

Paige makes her way into the world...quickly!

2010-08-16T18:46:00.000-04:00

I was induced last Friday....I pushed 5 rounds and Paige was born at 2:23pm! Poor thing, she was very bruised all over her face, on her right arm, and down her right side. My pelvis really did a number on her. Other than that she was a perfect 7lb 10oz baby girl! She is such a blessing to have in our lives...now the real "fun" begins...trying to balance our lives and find our new routine. I have a feeling that we have a real challenge in front of us!

Sam meets Paige

2010-08-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

Sam came over in the afternoon to finally meet Paige....he wasn't really quite sure to make of it. He didn't want to have much to do with her or me for that matter! He came over the next morning and he managed to give her a kiss (and one for me too) but that was all that he could do at that point...baby steps right?!

Granddaddy and Grandma come to visit

2010-08-09T07:10:00.000-04:00

Doug was in California last week for a meeting so Daddy and Teresa came down to visit and help me while he was gone. They were a HUGE help....I couldn't have made it through the week without them. Luckily, the baby didn't come while Doug was gone (and STILL hasn't come)! You can see how gigantic I am below with about 2 weeks from my due date. I am more than ready to say the least....this heat is unbearable down here! We did have a lot of fun though....we went to Dauset Trails to see the animals and farm equipment (notice Sam "smiling" in the first picture...that's what he does when I ask him to smile), then to the Fish n Pig restaurant on the water here in Macon to eat and rock in the chairs, and just playing out in the yard with Granddaddy and Grandma showing them how it's done with the golf club.

Sam's tractor

2010-07-23T08:14:00.000-04:00

Sam's tractor

2010-07-23T07:19:00.000-04:00

Sam's 2nd Birthday

2010-07-22T21:04:00.000-04:00

Sam's 2nd birthday fell on a Sunday so Doug and I just had our own celebration with him. He has been obsessed with tractors and especially our John Deere riding mower that Doug takes him on often. So we purchased a small electric one for him to enjoy for the next several years. He was really excited about it but he doesn't quite "get it" yet....pushing the pedal down, steering, etc... I'm sure that it won't take long though! Later that week, I had a small party for him at Chucky Cheese with several of his friends. Unfortunately, my pregnancy brain kicked in and I forgot my camera...bummer. Oh well, enjoy these videos!

At the baseball game

2010-07-09T17:34:00.000-04:00

Sam's first baseball game

2010-07-03T21:32:00.001-04:00

Macon finally got a baseball team back in town....the Pinetoppers! They had a 6pm game tonight and the weather couldn't have been any better....88 degrees and minimal humidity. It was a very welcomed break from the sweltering heat that has plagued us over the last few weeks. Sam really was into the game.....for about 15 minutes. He sat on the bleachers and ate popcorn and even an ice cream sandwich. After that, he was much more interested in running up and down the bleachers and playing with some of the other kids. He had a brief encounter with "Petey" the Pinetoppers mascot...he was fascinated with him! We had a great time! There was a woman that came around taking pictures of families...we had ours taken and I'll pick it up on Monday, scan it, and post it since it is a good one....of all three (or four if you count Paige in utero!) us.

Looking tough with the bike

2010-06-13T21:02:00.000-04:00

23 months and practicing his swing

2010-06-10T07:27:00.000-04:00

And a little more Myrtle Beach

2010-05-28T21:29:00.000-04:00

More Myrtle Beach

2010-05-28T21:21:00.000-04:00

Finally the sun came out all day on Thursday and Friday so we were able to really enjoy the beach. Here are a few pictures from the beach!

Myrtle Beach

2010-05-27T07:38:00.000-04:00

Myrtle Beach

2010-05-27T07:14:00.001-04:00

We came to Myrtle Beach this week for some much needed vacation and family time with "GG". The weather hasn't been great but it definitely could be worse also. Sam loves the beach and hopefully I'll get some great beach pictures today and tomorrow. He loves the beach but I think that he loves the pool more. He will play on the beach for a couple of hours and then we noticed that he will start walking up the beach....we followed him....he marched right up the beach, up the stairs, and to the pool...several times! We went over to "Broadway at the Beach" where there were several kiddy rides. Our big boy rode two of them all by himself! Afterwards we went to the Sea Captains's House for "GG's" birthday dinner. I managed to grab some unlucky soul to take a couple of pictures of all of us outside of the restaurant. I'm seven months pregnant now with little Paige...the countdown begins!

22 months

2010-05-14T21:03:00.001-04:00

Sam and I went to a nature preserve today, Dauset Trails, to visit some of the farm animals. He loved the pigs and tried to feed the cows some grass. I can't believe that he's almost two already!

Sam's swimming lessons

2010-05-14T14:50:00.000-04:00

Sam and I just finished up his first swimming lesson session that has gone on over the last two weeks. He did amazingly well.....even with him being a very cautious child in general. We learned to "get our kicks up", "take a breath and blow it out", and "do our arm strokes". We also learned to jump off of the side of the pool and swim forward, hold on to the side of the pool, swim to the ladder, and Sam's favorite....go under water to get rings off the bottom of the pool. The last two days were spent "jumping" (there were no willing participants that actually jumped...we had to "encourage" all of them) off of the diving board to either Ms. Julie or to the mamas then swimming over to the ladder to get out. We do all of this to teach the kids that there is a safe place in a pool that they can reach other than an adult. Unfortunately, you'll see him crying quite a bit, just about all of the kids did.....it's scary stuff! But, if we had recorded video of him jumping off of the side of the pool and swimming to me (which we'll get at our pool sometime soon) you would see him really enjoying it! That diving board is really high up! If we had a couple more days to do the diving board, I believe that he would have eventually jumped off willingly....just like he does off the side of the pool. And the rings......he could do that all day! He would go down to get them (we have to guide them down there b/c they are so darn buoyant), come up and say "uh-oh!" and throw them do to get them again. The lessons were hard but it's just the beginning.....we'll practice what we learned all this summer and we'll be back next summer for the 3 year old class.

Paige's bedding....

2010-05-11T13:36:00.000-04:00

Yep, you read it.....her name will be Paige.....Paige Harrison (most likely!) to be exact. You know, when I found out that we were going to have a girl, I thought that I would just grab my sister's bedding from Betsy. Save money, it's cute bedding from Pottery Barn, I wouldn't have to re-paint the room, etc... But now that time has gone on, I've really been getting excited and I wanted to pick my own bedding. I've gone from not wanting to spend much on the room to I'm starting to get scared how much things are adding up! It's been a lot of fun! And this is only her room....imagine the clothes! Now I know why Doug was worrying! Check out this link if you would like to see her bedding..... http://www.babybedding.com/registry/329950LSCL">My babybedding.com Registry

Sam is 22 months today and we've been taking swimming lessons for the past couple of weeks. On Friday Doug will come to video his swimming (or something like it) skills....stay tuned!

21 months and our first "real" haircut

2010-04-23T19:08:00.000-04:00

I've been contemplating cutting Sam's for a while and Doug has been BEGGING me to for quite some time. I really liked it longer but as I cut it, each time it became more and more "bowl like". Now that it's summer and I saw his hair plastered down with sweat after today's park excursion, I decided....it was time. And he was finally bruise free on his face. He managed to get bitten by a few mosquitoes last night which left large red bumps and then right before we left to go to the barber he banged his face on the crib. Oh well, so much for the bruise free face. You can't really see it in this picture but he has a lump the size of a chicken egg between his eyes! Needless to say, the haircut was quite a traumatic experience.....screaming could be heard throughout the shopping center I'm sure. The result was good though....different....but good. I almost cried....he looked like a ten year old boy. Our little boy is growing up!

Doug with my "Mom's Club"

2010-04-22T14:15:00.000-04:00

Most of you know that I am a member of the "Mom's Club" here in Macon. I was able to meet some of my very close friends there for which I'm very grateful. One of the mom's held an Easter egg hunt and I had to be somewhere else but I really wanted Sam to go. So, Doug decided that he would take him despite being the only guy there.....he even posed for a pictures....what a heck of a husband/dad! Click on the picture to make it bigger and you can see Doug's face....looks like he fits right in and is having a blast! (That was clearly said in a sarcastic manner in case you thought otherwise!)