2nicholsongirls

I Just Tucked You In...

2011-11-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

I just tucked you in and have had some time since to think about tomorrow. The house it quiet and I am so very excited...wondering how much sleep I will get. I promise we will not be late :) You are getting baptized tomorrow. This is the second biggest day of your life. We talked about it tonight and also about the first biggest day of your life. You were at VBS at First Baptist North Spartanburg. It was on Tuesday June 21st. Your daddy and I had been praying for some time in preparation for this day. I was really nervous...wondering what I would say. Would it be the right thing? Would you truly understand? God had a plan for that day and He has a plan for your Baptism day too. This is a big deal for you. You have been nervous about this day for some time. You were even afraid to become a Christian because you were unsure of baptism. God removed that fear and you prayed to receive Christ with full certainty of your sin and your need for a Savior. Now you will declare to the entire church that decision you made on June 21, 2011. I am so proud of you and so excited to see what God has in store for your life as you seek to follow Him with your whole heart. I promise to love you and pray for you always. I worry constantly about my ability to lead you and help you to grow as a Christian. My faults are many and my fear of inadequacy is enormous. But I am thankful I am not left to do this on my own...and you are not either. This journey you have begun is not an easy one...but God's hand will guide you through out each and every day. I pray that you will leave your baptism changed and made brand-new walking with God into all He's called you to. I am so happy for you my sweet Anna. I love you with all my heart!

Love,

Mom

2010-12-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Shutterfly. They always have great deals on prints and products, awesome free photo storage, and great gifts like mugs and mousepads just to name a few. They have wonderful products to choose from and very creative gifts of all kind. I love the calendars which are great gifts for the grandparents. The photobooks are an excellent way to remember the entire year before and are great gifts as well. My favorite part of the website are the Christmas cards. Each year I have a hard time deciding which ones to choose. We have to do two different cards. One with the whole family for Nick's work and one with just the kids for all of our friends and family. Here are a few of my favorites:

Which one should I choose???? Do you send Christmas cards? If so, from where and do you have a deadline? I never meet mine. Hopefully doing my cards through shutterfly will speed up the process. At least I tell myself this every year. They are so quick and easy. The delay is always on my end. Pick which pictures seems to take me forever!!! If you are a blogger shutter fly is offering and amazing deal!!! Bloggers get 50 free Holiday Cards so click here for details!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

I am so thankful

2010-04-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today I had to miss Anna's softball game. I am over the initial shock and sadness of missing it. She did great. The team did great. And I was not there. I was off chasing a buck. Could have done with out the money. I don't want to miss again. I won't miss again. To find the positive in the midst of my sadness makes it all the more worthwhile. I have realized how blessed I am that I don't have to miss things. That I don't have to miss out on so many of their days. Nick does. He does so I don't have to. And I am so thankful for him. I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with my kids. May I never lose sight of that and my I never take that for granted. Thank you honey.

Yesterday you told me how many kids you wanted to have one day Anna. You said that you wanted 4 boys. You said that they would live in one room on two sets of bunk beds. You also told Addie that they would not be living at my house that they would live in your house that you would have one day. That cut deep! You said that one would be named Brandon and the other Lucas. I can't remember the other 2. So sweet to here your big plans for the future. I love you my sweet Ann.

Addie you made me laugh when I was complaining about the price of boiled peanuts. I told your daddy they were $5 and that was way too high. And you told me that wasn't high because 5 is not a high number. You are learning so much and getting so grown up on me! I love you sweet Angel!

Today I laughed and today I cried...

2009-09-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

This is what made me laugh today....

Anna has 3 teeth that are loosening and ready to be pulled. She told her dad today that she was not going to play at recess or gym because she was afraid that during a game that she may get hit so hard that her teeth may get knocked out and she would lose them and not get a visit from the tooth fairy.

This is what made me cry today...

Anna and my nephew Reid were born to be outdoors. Anna's favorite place to play is outside at Reid's house. They go out and are lost for hours in the yard or the woods finding frogs, bugs and mud fights. Today the most horrific thing happened. I was in Amber's kitchen making cornbread for supper when Anna and Reid stormed in the house covered in yellow jackets. The dog, Bandit, found the nest and was attacked. When Anna and Reid went to see what the fuss was about, they were attacked too. It was the scariest thing. They were all in Anna's hair, down her shirt...they were everywhere. Poor Bandit was covered in them and he was running all over the house leaving yellow jackets flying everywhere. During all of this, Addie locked herself in the bedroom crying hysterically because she was afraid. She was stung by a yellow jacket this summer and that had traumatized her. It was an eventful night to say the least. Anna has had her last dose of bennadryl and is off to lala land. They are fine, just very shaken up. The yellow jackets should be drowning in gasoline right about now. All is well.

April can cook some Butter Milk Pie!!!

2009-09-12T18:22:00.003-07:00

from Michael Lord

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Addie's Prayer

2009-09-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

We found this on an old SD card. I tried to video this several nights but with the lights out, it doesn't work so good. Sorry for the shakes. I couldn't let her know that my camera was on. Otherwise she would not have been quite so sincere.

Homework

2009-09-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight Anna was doing her homework and studying for her bible test. Addie decided she wanted to join and so this is some of the things that she said:

I asked the question "What are some ways we are obedient at home?"

Anna: "When we clean our room"

Addie: "Not poking people in the eye and not hitting people with hangers"

What????????

Anna was reciting her bible verse and Addie was upset that she didn't have one to say. So I got out her Cubbies book and we went over her verse. She repeated it to me like this:

"....God created the heavens and the earth. Gennifer 1:1"

Huskers

2009-09-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to post this for 6 days. I cant figure out how to move these pics around on the computer. Anybody know anything about an Apple?????

Here's what I wrote:

This week Walmart had corn on sale for dirt cheap so I bought up a bunch! This is the one and only vegetable that Anna will eat. Not the best one on the list but at least it's a vegetable. It is, isn't it?? So I was getting ready to cook it. The girls love corn on the cob but somehow I always end up cutting it off. So I decided to cut off in the to begining with and cook it in the skillet. I cooked it with some olive oil and yes....a little bacon. Delicious!! Here are some pictures of the the girls shucking corn.

That reminds me of my granny. I shucked corn with her til my hands hurt!! I miss her so bad....

So here's a great tip. I'm always looking for tips...and I found this one in my most favorite magazine...Real Simple.

easy way to cut corn off of the cob

click,click,click

2009-08-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

I am completely creeped out by the clicking noise that I hear in the wee hours of the morning. Here's why...Nick was out of town from Sunday to Friday of this past week in Florida for a sales meeting. I'm guessing there was a Mexican theme and he brought home some goodies for the girls. He was supposed to fly in to GSP at 11 pm Friday night but secretly and with permission ditched the last half of the day's meetings to catch an early flight home. He showed up at Anna's school on Friday to pick her up. We were all pleasantly surprised. Back to the clicking...so the goodies included some Gummy Pizzas, 2 miniature maracas, a frisbee and

Mexican Jumping Beans
Awesome!!! I used to love those as a kid. My Pop always brought us those and I thought and still did think those things were just plain cool. And I just knew that the girls would get a real kick out of them.

and then I googled them and found this...

As a child, you didn't question it. They were beans and since they were special "Mexican" beans, then they could jump. End of story. As an adult with a bit of curiosity and modern day perks such as Google, you can research just about anything. So this is what makes these things jump. There are larva inside those beans inside my house moving around and yes jumping. Its a survival method or something. So with every click, and tick that I hear, I think of this little fellow. I can promise you that these things will not make it through the night. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hand Sanitizer and Super Mario

2009-07-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

I feel like all I ever do is blog about cute things Addie has said. The truth is that Anna isn't saying crazy things any more. She's out of that stage. You know the stage where you look at your child and wonder how they got so grown-up looking. That's where Anna is. She probably said a million crazy things and they are lost forever in my crazy mind. I don't want Addie's to be so even if my post is a sentence long, I will try to get these things down. Here's just two things from today:

This morning on my quest for healthy eating, I had a bowl of oatmeal and a grapefruit along side my children who ate a bowl of high fructose corn syrup and milk. I asked Addie if she would like to try my grapefruit. She said "sure" as her sister and father both turned their noses up at me. After her bite, she had a look of confusion on her face but didn't spit it out. I took that as a victory and said, "See she does like it don't you Addie?" and she said, "Well um it tastes like Hand Sanitizer."

Her fourth birthday is fast approaching and I got on the computer and pulled up Party City and asked her to pick a "theme." I'm thinking my little pony, tinker bell or something in that area. As I was scrolling she screamed, "That's it! Super Mario Bros! I want a Mario party!" What????????? Guess she's spending a little too much time on the DS.

Addie, Addie, Addie...

2009-05-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

Friday night we were in the car on the way to Greenville for a friend's birthday. This was the conversation:

me: "Addie stop picking your lip." (they are chapped and she picks the skin off constantly)

Addie: "I'm not picking my lip mom, I'm picking my nose!"

me: "Lovely Addie, just lovely!"

Earlier that day I picked Addie up from school and we went to the mall for lunch and returns until it was time to pick up Anna. We went into a store where I had to return a shirt that did not fit. All of the jewelry was strategically placed in front of the register (for impulse buyers like me.) Addie browsed at all the sparkle while I finished my business. I had a million things on my mind all while trying to talk to the nice lady at the register and also trying to make sure Addie stayed near. I finished with my return and grabbed her hand to leave. She said, "Mama, I picked you out some pretty bracelets." I said, "That's so sweet of you!" and we headed to the car. As we got to the car I loaded her up in a hurry as usual and as I sat down I felt something poke me in my pocket. To my surprise were the nice bracelets that Addie had picked out for me. Back into the mall we went to return the bracelets that she had swiped. She just didn't understand why we had to leave them there. I was afraid that all the people in the store saw what I was oblivious to and thought that I was one of those twisted parents that put their children up to thievery. I never felt her stick those in my pocket...I swear! And they were huge too. What planet was I on?

2009-05-11T18:43:00.001-07:00

Today Anna said that her favorite thing to do was for me to sit with them on the couch and play DS games or watch TV with them. Two things I read into this: 1 I don't sit with my girls enough and 2 they watch far too much tv and video games. Of course I said that if I didn't have so many messes to pick up that I could sit more than I do. Anna then got up to drag out the markers and paint and create another mess for me to clean. Addie ran into her sister's room saying "mom I'm doing a surprise!" Nick peeked in on her as she was stuffing all of Anna's clothes under the dresser and the under the bed. He asked her what she was doing and she said, "Daddy what do you think I'm doing...cleaning Anna's room!" He then gently directed her to the hamper. If only we could just stuff it under the bed!!!

It has been 2 months since my last post. A lot has happened...most significantly was the passing of my grandmother. Boy do I miss her! It has now been 19 days since I last spoke to her. I have really struggled with her passing. She gave me a very soft, comfortable place and I will miss that. I really miss that.

I would post a picture but I don't have any on this NEW COMPUTER!! woo-hoo! That was part of the reason for the sporadic blogging. My old one was 7 years old and it gave up on me. Anyway, I hope to catch up on my blog but at least keep it going from here.

She likes to walk in his shoes...

2009-03-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

Anna found the fun dip that I obviously didn't hide well. I loved that stuff when I was little! Even though it was a school night, how could I deny them that little pack of joy???

Addie had never had this before. She said, "mama here open this and don't spill my power!"

Later we were giving Anna a hard time about the fact that she had not pulled her tooth yet. She went into her room to get ready for bed and we heard a very high pitched scream. The rest went like this...

A tid-bit from Addie

2009-03-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

This morning we were lying in my bed (since school was called off again--woo-hoo) and she pulled her leg out from under the covers and said, "Look how long my leg is mommy!" I of course commented on how fast she was growing and that I wished it would stop. Then she took her little finger and skipped it up her leg from her thigh to her toe saying one, two, three and so on...until she got to seven. She said, "See mama, my leg is seven far."

Why now?

2009-02-27T18:32:00.000-08:00

Ok so Sunday night I began to plan my menu for the week. I knew that if I did not plan I would fall off of the wagon and my attempt at trying to eat healthy would fail. Monday was great. Eggs and grapefruit, chicken salad for lunch, triscuits and cheese for a snack, and sweet potatoes and salad and grilled chicken for dinner. I was so proud! So you can imagine my bitter-sweet reaction when she came to the door. The sweet little girl scout had arrived with all FOUR of the boxes (samoas, thin mints and peanut butter & chocolate) I had purchased just six weeks before. That totally sabotaged my intentions and I have been off the wagon since Tuesday afternoon. All of them are gone. Now that they are gone, maybe I can get on with my plan.

Tonight me and the kids and family went to the Flounder (since I was off the plan and all.)
Nick is off on a men's retreat (we miss you) and so I decided to take the girls to Krispey Kreme for dessert...and the "Hot Now" sign was on. Ahhhh!!

Can't think of a better way to spend a Friday night!!

Addresses and Valentines

2009-02-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here watching the Address and trying not to throw up...from the nausea...the knot in my stomach. There is a great deal of uncertainty in the future of our country as we know it. How can I sleep at night??

God is bigger than him...bigger than this mess.

on a much lighter note...

Because I think Martha is the greatest...I had to make things hard on myself and buy some

Mod Podge (you know that stuff we called "paper mache") i cannot spell. New to me, but I thought my kids would love it. We had to make boxes for the sweet Valentines the girls would get at school. They turned out really cute...but I am still scraping that stuff off of my table!!

Anna is big enough to sign and assemble her Valentines (yessss!!!!) so she wasted no time.

Addie decided she would like to do hers too...

can you see the chocolate under her fingernails??

not sure where the "M" came from

Addie's Valentine's Day Party

Addie and Ella Kate

I tried to get one picture of her but everytime I snapped one, she was eating. Just like mama...

This is the only picture of Anna. She was out of school and we got to go to Addie's party together which is something she never gets to do because big sis is always in school.

Archeologist

2009-02-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

My nephew, Reid came to play today with Anna and Emma, my little sister, who spent the night. He was so excited to show the girls some very old bottles that he had "unearthed" deep in the woods behind his house. The girls thought it was so cool and decided to go behind our house and dig for their own treasure. Low and behold...they found some old bottles. About 4 to be exact. 30 min later this is what I find on my back deck...

Well I freaked out because they thought that they had found old antique bottles. They were old alright. Old orange juice bottles, listerine bottles and of course a few liquor bottles. There was still some mysterious funk in some of them. I tried to explain to them that Reid's bottles were antiques and that all of these bottles were someone's trash. Behind our patch of woods is a trailer park and apparently this is where someone discarded their glass????
Here is Reid pleading with me to let him take all of these bottles home. At last count it was 42. I was really afraid they would get sick or something. Emma even tried to go green on me and tell me that they had to get them because it would take a million years for the glass bottles to go away. I was proud of her for that and told them we would recycle them.

My sweet Anna who has now asked me to call her "Ann"

(not ready for that)

Blizzard '09

2009-02-10T19:22:00.001-08:00

And finally...snow pictures...and a lot of them! With news of the upcoming snow storm, I ventured out to Walmart with all the rest of the crazies in Spartanburg. Not out of fear, but necessity. We were out of everything. I also had to get snow food. Hot chocolate, cookies and muffins for baking in the morning since I was sure that school would be canceled. So we made hot chocolate and waited and waited...like little kids, Nick and I were at the door every hour checking for the first flake...

and finally it started to snow and as you can see not for very long. Just enough to get school called off and just enough to get the girls excited about the "dusting" we had.

Squint has some hot chocolate

making muffins

My Snow Angels

Oh happy day!!!!

Confessions...

2009-02-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here watching the Bachelor and staring at my treadmill that my husband so graciously moved into our bedroom yesterday (against his better judgement). Should I hop on or go get a bowl of Frosted Flakes. Frosted Flakes just seem so much more appealing to me...and more satisfying. Maybe I will walk off my Frosted Flakes tomorrow.

Wow it has been a while. What moments have I not posted? Too many to think about or I would become completely overwhelmed. The fact is I have been having computer issues. Still having computer issues. Why can't they figure out why I can surf one minute and be staring at the
all-t00-familiar page that tells me it cannot find server. Where's the server??? If you find it please give it back...

I have also had a rough week. I hesitate to say that because there are so many people that have way more reason to call their week rough than I do. It started with a headache of Addie's. It ended up lasting for a week...or so she said. I took her to the dr two times and it was decided that she needed a CT scan. More for my piece of mind than anything. It was scheduled at our appt on a Friday. For the entire weekend I was in a trance. Paralyzed by the fear of "what if." Looking back, it was a complete lack of faith in what my God has promised me. My every minute is in His hands and Psalms 28:7 says the Lord is my strength and my shield. Needed to tattoo that on my forehead. We went on Monday at 2:30 (longest day of my life) and got the results at 6 that night. Praise God she is fine. Some inflammation in her sinuses was all. Then the very next day, we put my grandmother in a nursing home. Like a roller coaster. The hardest thing I think I've ever had to watch. I just couldn't bring myself to blog a whole lot. But I am back and ready to catch up.

What about that weather...in the 70's...in February. What a tease!! I am so ready for the summer. I read on facebook where a friend said she was ready for warm weather because you wear less clothes...less laundry. Amen to that!!

It happened on Tuesday...

2009-02-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

I read a post on a friend's blog not too long ago and it was about her putting her grandmother in a nursing home and my comment to her was that we were not far behind her. It happened on Tuesday. My grandmother spent her first night there. She seemed fine. She has Lewy Bodies disease. A combination of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and it is fast and furious. And she was fine because she really wasn't sure where she was or why she was there. I know this is part of life, but I can't help but wish and be a little angry at what life sometimes does to you when you come to the end of it. I am afraid the end is soon. It will be a blessing. The world is strange to her...full of people she doesn't know and places that seem unfamiliar to her. It is the saddest thing I have ever witnessed. I am not so sad for her because she doesn't know that she doesn't know. My heart aches for my grandfather who can't seem accept the fact that she will not be coming home. He has not taken her medicine bottles there. He brings enough for the day. He has only taken a few changes of clothes. I guess in his mind he is putting off the inevitable as long as he can. My heart aches for my mom who is has now become her caregiver. I have no idea what to say to her...how do I comfort her as she watches this dreaded disease take pieces of her mom, his wife away. She was the best cook and she loved the Price Is Right. I used to watch that with her...you know back when cartoons weren't on 24/7. She was a huge Braves fan. We watched a lot of baseball together. Saturday mornings...she made breakfast for us every Saturday. We lived just down the road and would ride our bikes to her house. You know back when it was safe to do that. What is the silver lining? She has lived a full life. 5 children, 16 grandchildren, 30+ great-grandchildren. She is a born again Christian and she is a child of God. When she leaves this place, she will meet Jesus! I hold on to this...I hold tight to this. Love you Grandma!

"W" is for "Dude"

2009-01-27T12:25:00.001-08:00

This morning, Addie and I were playing with her "Fridge Phonics" game and we were practicing her letters. She has gotten really good at this thing and I am glad that Santa gave it to us. She puts a letter in and it tells her what sound it makes. Then she will tell me words that begin with that sound. First it was B.

Addie: B-B-Beee! B starts with boy.
Me: good job Addie. Try A
Addie: A-A-Aaa starts with Addie
Me: try P.
Addie: P-P-Pee starts with pretty. What about this one?
and she points to W
Me: That's a W.
Addie: D-D-Double U starts with "Dude"

This is what made me laugh today...

2009-01-26T19:14:00.000-08:00

I look over as I get out of the shower this morning (yes it is shower day) and I chuckle a bit at what I see. This is Nick's side. His vanity, his counter, his toothbrush holder and what do I see but a PINK toothbrush!! Apparently when he was out of town last, he left his tb in the hotel room. I keep extra tb's from the dentist just in case any little ones spend the night and forget their own. This is what he found. That happened a week ago. I guess he likes the shade.

"Addie the Clown"

Circus Day at The ELC

She was not quite as excited as I was.

Addie and her teacher Ms. Misty.

All about Addie

2009-01-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

Saturday January 24th

This is Addie's sad little room. Just about empty. I did not do any decorating because I knew that she would be moving to a big bed soon enough. Who am I kidding. I haven't done any decorating in any bedroom!! Anyway, this weekend, we finally got her out of her crib and it was hard on me. I mean real hard. Nick even said to be sure to take a good picture of it so that we could put the crib on craigslist. I almost threw up. How could he say such a thing. I know you are thinking...get.over.it. It's not a fancy crib. Not a very girly crib. But it is the crib that both of my girls slept in and what can I say, I am sentimental!! I did take these pictures because this how she had to sleep every night. A blanket draped over the side. I started this in the hopes that it might appear darker and therefore prolong her sleep a bit. It worked some mornings. She also had to have Barney on the bottom, her Dora pillowcase and a blanket on either side. So high maintenance!!
The girls had to try the beds out with a little bit of bouncing!
I was fortunate enough to score these antique twin beds, mattresses, new sheets, down comforters and duvets from a family member for a small fee. What a deal!!

Addie before her bath and very tired and ready to sleep in her new bed!

Addie after her bath. I am wondering what this night will be like...

Of course I give her the blankets from her crib for comfort and she very quickly says, "I don't need those."

Her big sis decides that she would like to sleep in the other just in case Addie were to get scared.

Can I just tell you that they were asleep in about a minute and not a peep from either of them all night. She slept well in her big girl bed. I did not sleep well. I was sad. She is my baby and she went a grew up on me!!

My "To Grow" List

2009-01-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

Change is coming. I am not speaking of the "Obama" kind of change, although that is inevitable...I am talking about with in me. It is amazing how you ask God for something and Bam! it smacks you right in the face. I have been dealing with this need for change for quite some time. I did not decide this on Jan. 1st because I am lousy at resolutions. But I knew that it was time and I began to ask God help me. You see I have had this feeling like I am standing still. Like the world is just racing by and I am just stuck. Stuck in my relationship wit the Lord, with my husband, with my children, etc. You get the point. I am the one with the "to do" list (can't live without one) that never gets done. So I run this rat race trying to check off things meanwhile, my girls are growing right before my eyes and I have missed it because I have been trying to check off this and that. Was this and that really that important? I am getting to my point. I was listening to Living On the Edge and Chip Ingram was speaking (love him!). He was talking about people like me and made a very profound suggestion. He said instead of making a "to do" list that I should make a "to grow" list. A list of things that you want to do this week to grow in your relationships with the Lord and the people you love. It makes these things a priority. I can't tell you how it has helped me to focus on what's important and leave the stuff that's not alone. And then more change came about on Saturday when I went to Christian Supply to buy Nick a new bible. I wanted to buy a book. I just wasn't sure which one. I walked in and there was a thousand copies lined on the wall of Dave Ramsey's "The Total Money Makeover" and it was 40% off. I did not dare argue with God so I bought it. So I am on a journey...one that terrifies me...but one I will not regret. So let me close by saying change is good.

A Southern Phenomenon

2009-01-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight we went to have dinner...at the fish camp. "Fish Camp?" you say. If you are from the south, you know what I am talking about. If you are not, you should visit one. We went to the "Flounder". The place cracks me up. There are so many things about that place that are quirky! My sister and I had a conversation before we went about the time we should go. We both agreed that since it was so cold (and today it was cold!), the place would be packed. And sure enough, at 5:30 it was full. What is it about the cold weather that sends people running to the fish camp. Is it the hot oyster stew? On the way there, Anna said, "mama, I don't want to go there because it's full of old people!" hahaha If you get there early enough, you can go inside this long hallway where you wait in line for your table. If not, you are one of the unlucky ones that have to form the line out the door. Tonight, they had these little heaters plugged in along the hallway so that when you finally made it inside, you could thaw yourself out. The menu...well, it's seafood. My most favorite part is that after they bring your drinks, they put a big pitcher of tea and a big pitcher of ice on the table. The good ice. The shaved ice. So your tea is perfect every time. The only thing that I don't understand is that if you order a soft drink, you get one can...and that's it. No refills. Invest in a fountain machine why don't you. I have two caffeine sensitive kids who really needed to have sprite tonight. The food is great. I get the broiled shrimp. Not because I'm trying to be good (that's almost impossible there) I just really like shrimp. Their slaw is almost as good as mine. A little too sweet so if you get and order of pickled onions to go on top, it makes it just about right. And their fries...well, they look like Orida. It's one big room so if you have screaming kids, and we always do, you're not the only one. Sound like a ball of joy and good food? Then you should check'em out. But you can only go Wed thru Sat. They are closed the rest of the week. I just get a kick out of southern traditions. I wonder if there are fish camps out west? or up north? Just curious. Bet they are not called fish camps...

A few things I need to do...

2009-01-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

1. First and foremost, I have purchased my last six pack, of coke that is. It is my drug of choice and I am totally addicted...and my waste shows it. I have four left and I will savor every last drop. Nick says, "try diet." As if they were the same, or even close to the same thing. I have done this many times, and if I can make it through the week, I will be home free. That is if...

2. I purchased a treadmill in May of '08 from a friend. Nick tried to convince me that I would use it for hanging clothes and I was determined to prove him wrong. I did. Not a stitch of clothes hung on that one...it's still in the garage. This weekend, it's coming in the house!!

3. Please take a second to visit Amy's blog, Chapters. You can read about her struggle with infertility and her mother's effort to help her through ADFMD (A Dollar For My Daughter.)

4. I got my very first blog Award from a sweet, sweet girl Steph. You can visit her blog here. She is in Germany with her husband and I have enjoyed seeing what life is like there!! Thank you Steph!!

The rules are as follows...
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE!

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

In no particular order, I am nominating these lovely ladies!

A Contentment Journey

Noah and Sullivan

A SLICE OF (REAL) LIFE

Miss Priss and lil sweetie

A Window Into Our World . . .

Livin' The Full Life

EVERYDAY LOVE

McSquirrel

My Spelling Bee..

2009-01-14T19:43:00.000-08:00

Mama's so proud! All week Anna has been talking about a spelling bee they were doing in class. Nothing major, just some fun in class I thought. Today she said, "Mama today in the spelling bee it got down to two people and Zachary (Anna goes to a small school and everybody knows that he's very very smart) spelled bring wrong. And then I (did I hear her correctly...I?) spelled it right...b-r-i-n-g...that's how I spelled it and then I had to spell brown...b-r-o-w-n and then I won." I was so proud of her. Don't get me wrong...she's such a bright girl and does very well in school...but spelling? She definitely doesn't take after her mama. I can't spell to save my life. Thank goodness for spell checker is all I have to say. She squares off with the other two winners of the remaining first grade classes on Friday. Big day for her.

Sock it to 'em girl!!

Pic's of my birthday at El Mexicano... Anna, Addie and Luke putting the candles on the cake Putting all those candles on there???

and I could not resist posting a pic of these beautiful pink roses!

A dreamy birthday...

2009-01-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

I woke up late around 9 because my hubby let me sleep in while he took the kids to school. He woke me up with breakfast in bed and Regis and Kelly on the tv. I checked my email on my new Mac book and then decided to begin my day. I took a long bath and put on my new outfit that I got for my bday and then transferred everything into my new Chocolat Blu handbag I have been obsessed with. It was almost time for my lunch date with some close girl friends and then off to my facial/massage appointment. After that, I had time to go to the mall for some shopping. Nick got the girls settled with dinner and the sitter and we met at my favorite restaurant for sushi. When we got home, I could not believe my eyes. My house was spotless...laundry done, bathrooms clean, floors mopped, dishes put away...not a thing left to do. The sitter had bathed the girls and put them to bed. Nick gave me my birthday present from him. A set of cashmere pj's that felt like a dream and a new set of sheets. I put on my pj's and bed sheets (1000 thread count pima cotton) and just as I was getting ready to dive in....I woke up.

and then my day began. Who am I kidding? Wouldn't that be a totally awesome day? I thought this would be a bit comical but if you think about it, its pretty full of everything that doesn't really matter anyway. I began to realize that the happenings of my birthday were a true gift:

I got up at 6am. Took Anna to school and we had a "birthday" biscuit from Bojangles on the way. I worked for a few hours and then met Nick and Addie at Olive Garden for a "birthday" lunch. She greeted me with a bunch of pink roses. She said, "Happy Birthday mama! Me and Daddy got your present at Food Lion." She was so proud of that. After lunch we went home to crash on the couch from our carbohydrate coma brought on by the 5 baskets of bread sticks we ate at lunch. I did not have to do carpool (woo-hoo) because my brother-in-law brought Anna home from school. When Anna got home, we all played the wii and I decided to get on blogger and here I am. We will be leaving in a little while to meet some of the family for Mexican for yet another birthday feast. Can you tell I love to eat?

So with that said, I am so thankful that I find my joy in the simplicity of it all. I wouldn't have rather spent my day any other way...ok maybe a new handbag.

This is about my weekend...

2009-01-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

On Friday, we were anxiously awaiting the Mr.'s arrival home from a business trip and were at the local grocery store picking up a few things for dinner when I got the bright idea to take the girls to the airport to see his plane land. Time was not on our side and I was afraid we would not make it. Going up the escalator my phone rang and sure enough it was him. I did not answer...I did not want to give away the surprise. We rounded the corner and there he was. We did not see the plane land, but the girls didn't care and neither did he. Talking about a moment for pictures if there ever was one...and I forgot my camera. Luckily the camera on his phone is decent so we went out to the court yard to see the planes landing/taking off and shot a couple of pictures.

Earlier in the week, we were talking on the phone and he told me that he got to pick out a new pair of Nikes as a little gift from work. I was so excited for him. Who doesn't love new tennis shoes??? When we were loading the girls in his truck (of course they wanted to ride home with him) I asked to see his shoes and he pulled them out of the box. They looked really small and then I realized...they were for me! Woo-hoo!! He got me a pair instead :) I was so excited...but not surprised. That's just the kind of man he is.

On Saturday my sister had to go to Columbia to do some paperwork on their transfer to Korea. How will I let them go?
So the boys stayed with Aunt April and here was our day...

(Liam)

Addie doing crafts...in the nude. Blues Clues undies and Danskos. Nice.

No modesty what.so.ever!

They were covered from head to toe with paint, pancake syrup and who knows what else...

so we loaded them ALL in the tub.
Liam, Anna, Addie, and Luke

Luke

Liam

Squint (aka Addie)

After dinner, mom called and wanted Anna to spend the night with Emma, so off she went with no hesitation. I remember when she wouldn't dare leave mama. Oh the days... While me and Addie waited for Daddy to get back, we piled on my bed and watched a little TV. She said, "mama, you didn't paint my fingernails." I vaguely remember last week talking about painting their toenails some time soon. How did she remember that. When it is bedtime, operation STALL-AS-LONG-AS-WE-CAN kicks in. They amaze me at what they can come up with. The usual "I want a drink of water" or maybe "I need to go the the bathroom" happens a lot. Anna's favorite..."I need you to put some medicine on my mosquito bite." Anybody told her there's no mosquitoes in the winter? Not me.

Anyway so since Anna was at a sleepover, I thought that would be the perfect thing for Addie and I to do just before bed.

Sweet. Sweet. Sweet

Not a huge fan of polish on the fingers...but she was and this was her time...and I gave in.

I took these pictures in her crib and when I was done, she said, "mama can I take a picture?" and I said, "Sure honey." (one day, I will have to post all the pictures my girls take. It is pretty comical, but a really neat perspective)

She took one lovely picture of me, and I will spare you all from the horror. A full day with 4 kids, a sister, a dog and a husband and one Christmas tree that so desperately needs to come down. Not exactly on top of my game. And then this was her next picture.

Her bunny.

popcorn for $1

2009-01-06T20:21:00.001-08:00

Today we saw "The Tale of Despereaux." I found out a great piece of info that might make your wallet a little fatter the next time you go to see a movie. Have you bought a movie ticket lately? A whopping $7...and that was a matinee!! And popcorn...$7.50!! Anyway, at our local theatre on

Tuesdays popcorn is only $1

(email me if you want to know where)
(The movie was a hit)

These are some pictures after Christmas that I had not posted yet. Anna got a real make-up kit from Amber for Christmas. Anna and Addie are giving each other make-overs.

At what point in your life do you go from begging to put on make-up to wishing you didn't have to wear it and absolutely dreading putting it on?

Better left unsaid

2009-01-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

A funny conversation:

Do you call text messaging a conversation? I guess these days you do.

Background info: Nick is in beautiful sunny FL at a meeting

at a "resort." (some things he should just keep to himself)

Text message went like this:

April sent: "Hey honey, how r u?"

Nick sent: "Fine. Just sitting down for dinner."

(I'm thinking sushi, filet, seared tuna, oysters...must I go on?)

April sent: "Me too. Corndogs."

Nick sent no reply.

Guess there are just some things better left unsaid :)

I wouldn't have traded my night for any other in the world. Me and the girls had dinner at their princess table (compliments of Santa Clause) and had mini corndogs

(nutritious I know...at least they were beef)

and my coke was fresh from the freezer with a thin layer of ice on the top. (nothing better)

We watched a little TV and then ate some clementines. We finished the night off with a game of bowling and a book. What a fun time we had. Honey, we know where you would rather have been! We miss you!

I will always be greatful for the sacrifices that he makes in order for me to be at home with our girls. So he deserves a good steak!!

...and yes, that's my Christmas tree and it's still up!

...there's the squint again.

I could not resist. I went in to cover her up and she was surrounded by her furry friends. Sweetness.

She's getting big girl beds next week and I am so sad!!

Santa and milestones

2009-01-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

Milestones...they happen all the time. Some before they should, some are a bit slow. This one was delayed and it was my fault. We were visiting with our pastor and his family and his (just turned) 5 year old son, Ty, went to put his shoes on and tied them...by himself. I was amazed! My sweet Anna, who will be 7 in March, could not tie her shoes yet. So of course, I got right on it. In her defense Nick says that it's my fault because none of her shoes tie. They really don't. Since she quit wearing her sweet little white keds (I'm gonna cry) everything has been slip-ons. Even her tennis shoes this year were the ones with no-tie laces. Anyway, so its my fault. Anna got new tennis shoes for Christmas and yes they had real shoe strings and she tied her shoes today. Ever tried to teach a kid how to do that? It's not easy! We tried a few times yesterday and when we got ready to leave today, she did it...all by herself. I'm so proud. Sorry for holding you back baby!!

Santa's been here...

Chapstick...can't beat it!

Does she even know what Go Fish is? Appears she does.

My Anna loves her horses!!!

Cute PJ's!

I will end with...

My Memories of Christmas 2008
the naughty list
The Polar Express
Our first Christmas in our new home

blogger
too much hustle and bustle
Oreo Truffles
Reindeer poop
What is a Wii? (thanks Santa!!)
Pixos and Nerf Guns and Tinkertoys
my husband at home for two weeks straight
blessings, blessings, blessings
friends and family
seeing my girls remember that Christmas is about Jesus
Watching my husband teach this to them

Unforgettable!!

Christmas continued...

2009-01-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

The Sunday before Christmas I had the girls sit in front of the tree at church after the service and take some pictures. We just have no time to do it at home before we leave.

Laurel asked if I would take some pictures of her kids too and so here they are and they are just too cute!!!

Ty, Micah and Lilian
Nick, Anna and Addie

Christmas at Granny's began our count down. We had dinner there on Tuesday night, lunch with mom on Wednesday morning and dinner in Hogwaller on Wednesday night. We were exhausted by the time we got home. Thank goodness for Nestle "break apart and bake."

Oh this brings back memories!!!

I cannot get Addie to stop squinting when she smiles. I can't see her beautiful eyes. It cracks me up every time!!

The whole gang

Christmas at Nana's...

After Nana's, a trip to Walhalla and then we headed home to get ready for Santa....

Before....

(We had a sweet friend make us some reindeer cookies and Anna wanted to save one for Santa.)

...and after

...to be continued again.

Here today....gone tomorrow.

2009-01-02T20:52:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone already...as does everything these days. Don't you just wish you could stop time so they didn't get another minute older. And so I begin to recap, because I have been so incredibly busy and have neglected to do a post on Christmas. It begins with...

...Christmas parties

Addie's class party
They each got the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" from Ms. Misty

Anna...

& Ms. Estes 1st grade class

After school that day, I decided to take the girls to see Santa. The girls were already dressed in their Christmas attire so we headed to the mall. Not just the mall in Spartanburg, but HAYWOOD MALL where the "real" Santa is. (Those of you that are local, know the difference between the Westgate Santa and the Haywood Santa :) hahaha What was I thinking??? What every other mom was thinking. We'll get there before all the kids get out of school. Well, when we got there Santa was on his 2 hour lunch break so at 1:50 the line was 2 1/2 hours long. Not happening!!! The only way to avoid that was good ole Build-a-Bear. Now when Anna was little and this was new, it was fun. Now I know what happens to these $30 stuffed animal....they sit in a corner never to be touched again. So needless to say, we don't frequent Build-a-Bear too often anymore. This was Addie's first trip that she actually could comprehend what was going on so she had a blast and that's why I took the pictures.

this is a picture of Anna arguing with me about which animal to pick. I of course wanted her to get a Christmas Moose. With it being Christmas and all!! And I had to remind myself who we were there for.

Addie and her Christmas Moose. She named her "Christmas Tree." How fitting.

A nice lady, who was also a mother, offered to take our picture together.

Addie had a meltdown after we left. It seems that Christmas Tree changed her mind about her outfit and wanted another one. I had to use this as a teaching moment. I just wish she hadn't thrown herself down on the floor of the MALL!! Disgusting I know!!

Anna and Emma (we ran into her and mom) watched as all the crazy people waited in the long line to see Santa. Lesson learned: go way early next year!!!

to be continued......

Meet "Scoot"

2008-12-29T21:45:00.000-08:00

This is one of Addie's Christmas presents from Santa. Her scooter which she named "Scoot." She rides her scooter everywhere. To the potty, to her bedroom, to the table for breakfast. I call her name and she comes blazing in on her scooter. This morning at the table, I look down and of course there is Scoot and Maggie is licking grits off of it. I said, "Addie, did you spill your grits?" and she said, "No, I just gave Scoot a bite."

...and then she decides Scoot needs another bite.

Later that afternoon, the girls and I piled in the car to go to the mud pit and get some fresh air. We had not seen the cousins since Santa came and wanted to meet Snowball #2. (I say #2 because #1 is in hamster heaven. The boys found him yesterday morning very, very still and so Beaver (that's their dad) decided he should go to PetSmart to get another one....one that wasn't so still...one that was a little more lively if you know what I mean. Anyway, the kids played in the mud for some time and then we all went to our house for a sleep over....and a bath!!

Riley, Reid, Hannah, Anna and Addie

We spent most of the night on the Wii. (Some pics of the kids bowling.)

Great form!!

Even little Addie is a tough one to beat!!

The end of a long hard day of play....sweet dreams!!

2008-12-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Nicholsons!

a singer and a ballet dancer

2008-12-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

In the last few days since I have not posted, alot has happened to post about. Saturday morning we had a dress rehearsal for the preschool choir who would sing in church on Sunday morning. Here Addie is singing....or is she doing the chicken dance?

... after practice we had a pizza party...

...and after pizza we gathered in the hallway to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blow out the candles on His cake. The kids all wanted to know how old He was???

As you can see, Addie is tired of me taking her picture.

Nick and Anna at church the next morning.

She really looks enthused. We didn't get good pictures. Still trying to figure out the settings on my camera. We did get a good video though. The kids did a great job. It was really cute to watch!
After church Anna and I went to see the Nutcracker at Converse. My little sister,Emma, is one of the "cherubs" and we go every year to watch her. Anna tells me she wants to be in the Nutcracker one day. Does she actually realize she has to take ballet? She really does love it. Me, not so much. I go for Emma and Anna's entertainment. I am just not a fan of ballet. Anyway, here are some pictures:

We usually finish off by picking out an $8 Nutcracker on sale for $16 which usually gets broken within the day. And sure enough, it broke when we got it home. I just can't get her to understand that it is for display and that it will not actually crack nuts!! Some superglue should do the trick. All joking aside, I really look forward to this because its just Anna and me time!!

All tuckered out...

2008-12-14T19:28:00.001-08:00

I have two busy days to post about, but I am just too tired and my brain won't work. Last night my laptop decided to act up (Rhonda, I need your dad's #) and tonight I am beat!! I thought I was supposed to feel rested, refreshed, rejuvenated after the weekend. I am so behind!! I will post pics tomorrow. Until then, have a good night's rest. I know I will.

Drenched!!

2008-12-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not speaking of all the wonderful rain we had these past couple of days. Although I do have to give a big thank you to my hubby who put our screens on our windows a few weeks ago. I was able to do one of my favorite things. Lift the windows and listen to the rain. Heavenly!! When I say drenched, I am talking about my sweet Addie. Someone please help!! I am in need of some good advice. She has been potty-trained for quite some time now. Almost a year to be exact. However in the last couple of weeks, she has decided that going pee pee is much too inconvenient and she would just rather go on about her activities than to stop and use the potty. So what am I left with...alot of laundry. Thank goodness its only the pee pee part. I just don't know what to do. I will look up and notice her face beet red, eyes watering, back arched and she's doing the dance. I order her to the bathroom and she goes. And it's like ok mom and thanks for letting me know. But I don't always catch her though and this is when the floodgates open. This evening she said, "Mom where's my panties because I want to put on some beautiful ones?" Like I'm not supposed to know that she is hiding her undies so I won't know she's wet them.

Here are some pics from earlier in the summer. Amber and Beaver are building an addition and they are living in one big mud hole right now. One day we just let the kids go! It had just rained the day before and they were dying to play in the mud and here is how it turned out.

In case you can't tell, these are my nephews, Riley and Reid.

not so bad

2008-12-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

If there is such a thing....best stomach virus we've ever had. Anna only got sick once. It's been two days since it started and Addie and I are bug-free. Yah!!! I am beginning to wonder if it was a bug or not. Any way, we enjoyed our day in. In these pictures the girls got all dressed up and came in to the kitchen and said, "Guess what we are?" To give you a little background info, the shirts they are wearing (courtesy of Emma's hand-me-downs) are Limited Too RHINESTONE tanks. Another piece of important info is the music that you can't hear. They put on their Hannah Montana cd. Can you guess? "We're ROCK STARS mom!"

Today Addie got in the car after school. If you could have seen the pride gleaming in her eyes!! I asked how school was and she quickly replied, "I have homework today mom." She is in 3k at my church, AMRBC. I said, "Oh you do?" and she said, "Yes, I have homework today." I pulled out her folder and made a huge deal of the assignment that I found in her bag. We went to Walmart to get some special glitter glue and crafts for her homework assignment. She was beside herself. Will this continue??? I know that it's hard to see, but she had to cut out the gift box and inside she had to draw a picture of a gift to give. She chose to give it to her big sis and she gave her a princess. And a very beautiful princess I might add. We had to fold over the flap and decorate it like wrapping paper. Let's just say we will be lucky if all the glitter glue dries by tomorrow. What innocence....or should I say naivety.

My poor hubby left Washington State at 7am this morning. It is now 12:30am and he is not home. Let's just say this was not a good day for flying. If you ask him, no day is good for that. He had 3 legs and all were delayed!! He will not be a happy camper when he gets home. Do I even need to say thank goodness the weekend is here!!!

Aaahhh, life is good...and then...

2008-12-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

This afternoon after school it was cold and rainy and we came home and I got on the couch with the girls and watched "Charlie Brown Christmas" that I had tivo'd the night before. I sat under a warm cozy blanket just enjoying that moment and then it happened. The stomach virus. Anna got sick. It is now 11:00 and she has not gotten sick in a while. I spent most of the night trying to keep Addie away from her and washing my hands 1000 times. Why am I so paranoid you say? My worst fear is that this would happen while Nick is out of town. Yes, you guessed it. He's not only out of town, he's all the way across the country. No turning around for him. I just pray that I don't get it myself. I am armed. My best friend, Tammy went to the store for me. I called her in a panic when Anna got sick and told her to get me Gingerale (I know there's not ginger in it. But its what my mom gave me when I got sick), Lysol, and Clorox wipes. Luckily I had gone to the grocery store yesterday so I am prepared to be cooped up in the house for the next few days. Those 3 things were all I needed. She put them at the front door and I thanked her from afar. I've never tried to take care of kids while having the stomach virus. Let's just hope that I don't have to.......

This weekend...

2008-12-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

Ok so this is the 3rd time that we have celebrated my dear nephews first birthday. Thus the life of a child with divorced parents!! We had one on his actual birthday, one with my mom and one with my dad.

Addie decides to go ahead and take a bite out of Liam's cake.

Anna and Addie's cousins' Reid, Riley and Kristen.

Today we gave the girls an early Christmas present. I found this book at Target. I had never seen it before. It's just the sweetest book....or should I say that watching their eyes glow as Nick read it was priceless. It is a book about Santa, where he lives, the elves and everything...you get the picture. It's sort of a "behind the scenes real life of Santa." The book is titled "Santa Claus."
It even had a letter from Santa and his "naughty list." Sooo cute!!

They were totally enthralled by the book. You could say it was a good purchase!! Reading this book should become a tradition. (We'll see how that goes when next year comes around :)

Reindeer slippers

2008-12-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

I just don't understand it. How he can leave a warm, cozy bed at 4:30am to climb a tree and sit there and wait and freeze and wait some more. The entire time we have been married that has just puzzled me. He is so passionate about hunting. It's rubbing off on my little girl. She is wide-eyed, like a little sponge soaking it all in when he comes home with a deer or tells her stories about hunting. He brings home the kill and she's in the back of the truck studying every inch of it. Anyway, he went today with his video camera in hand trying to get some footage. He and his best friend, Michael have this dream to make Christian hunting movies and they are so excited and eager to tell men about Jesus. I am so proud of them. But still, I just don't get it. Maybe it's like him not understanding why I was in Walmart last Friday after Thanksgiving. To each his own. And so my day began as I took both girls to school and then off to my appointments. After taking care of work issues, I spent the rest of the day running errands to get ready for the weekend. The girls have a Christmas party Saturday night. Some friends of ours invite Santa and Mrs. Clause over for the night while the kids make cookies and open presents. It can't get much better than that. They have to wear their PJs and I spent all afternoon looking for the perfect slippers to matched their gingerbread gowns. Of course, they didn't really like the brown monkeys or the brown booties or the brown puppy slippers. Do you see a pattern? As soon as Anna spotted these, she was determined to take them home with her. Of course I tried to talk her out of it. After all, they didn't match. And they just happened to come in Addie's size too. How convenient. So the reindeer came home with us. The girls won....they are wearing these and they are so proud of them and so excited....and that is all that matters...

Flashback: June '08~After a great deal of resistance, I got my way. We bought the girls a trampoline.....what a blast!!

Classic

2008-12-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

Not a lot going on today. After a short trip to the mall to help entertain Luke and Liam while they had their picture made, we got some Chick-fil-a and headed down to Belks to see the man himself....Santa. After visiting with Santa, we hurried home to catch one of my favorite holiday classics "Rudolf." I was in a hurry to get home so we would not miss a second of it. This would be the first year that Addie would really get to see it and appreciate it!! We just couldn't miss it. Ashlee said that she had it on dvd and we could borrow it if we didn't make it home in time. While that was nice and all, its just not the same. There's just something about the anticipation....Well, we didn't make it home in time, but thank goodness for tivo. Next best thing!!

Appropriate for this time of year....Addie found our Santa hat this summer and decided to pose for some pictures.

Bitter Sweet

2008-12-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, two very special things happened....Ashlee (my little sister) dedicated her two precious boys, Luke and Liam at my grandparents church and we also celebrated Liam's 1st birthday. They are two precious boys and I am so lucky to be able to share these times with them. It was a dreary day. Rainy and cold. She pulled up at the church already drenched from loading the boys in the car. I made it out to her car just in time with my umbrella to spear them any further soaking. As I walked to the car, my heart ached for her. I began to wonder what it must feel like to have to do this all alone....a baby dedication, 1st birthday party, Christmas, baths, grocery shopping...I could go on forever. Her husband is in the Army and is stationed in Korea. He will be there for a year or so, maybe longer. She is so incredibly strong. I watch her and wonder how she does it....where does she get her strength? I have come to realize how lucky I am and for that, I will hug my hubby and the kiddies a little tighter tonight. I hope that you will do the same.

After church we went to my house for spaghetti and cupcakes and he...we all enjoyed them. Happy Birthday buddy!!

Today it finally happened!! She lost her 2nd tooth. Drama queen had been battling this for a couple weeks. We even had to go to the dentist because the permanent tooth was becoming impatient so we had to pull it soon. Not me though. I am too squeamish. I tried. I tried really hard, but with no success. I passed the torch to Nick and out it came. Now we are anxiously awaiting her arrival. Anna is beside herself with excitement. You know the Tooth Fairy pays a lot more than she did in my day. Thank you Riley, Edward and Emma......who told her that the fairy left $20 for the first tooth. She enjoyed that first visit. I assured her that only happens for the first tooth. haha

Flashback: (July '08) Lost 1st tooth
Flashback: (June '08) Addie gave up her passy in June in exchange for this lovely Sleeping Beauty get up. She wore it every where. She and Nick went shopping for the special treat. What a big girl!!

Anniversaries

2008-11-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

Where have I been?? Wish I could remember. Well I guess I would know had I been blogging these last few months. I have discovered that I have a sort of OCD where my pictures are concerned. I have been waiting to upload and blog until I have the perfect "digital storage system." Perfection does not exist....not in organizing anything at least. It is a work in progress. So to ease my mind and my obsessiveness, I will blog old memories that have passed with each new post until I catch up. At least my intentions are good.
Today we went to Disney on Ice. The kids had a blast and even Nick enjoyed himself. It was really amazing only my pictures are not great....they were moving so fast!! It was especially enjoyable for Addie who has adored Mickie and Minnie her entire life. That is until she met SpongeBob. She is now obsessed with him. She only wants to watch the "sweet SpongeBobs." He has a bad habit of saying not so nice words and so that's her way of trying to make it ok.
Tenth Anniversaries: Nick and I celebrated our tenth anniversary this past October. I can't believe it has been 10 years. What a ride!! I love you honey!!

We also took the girls to their first Clemsom game. Nick and I had not been since 1998. That's ten years!! I am so ashamed!! Anyway, here are some pictures to enjoy.

As for this Thanksgiving weekend, we have enjoyed fun with friends and family and some good food. Sometimes I look at my extraordinary life and I can't believe that it's mine. I am so blessed. Hope that yours was a good one!!

A Day of Firsts.....

2008-06-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

I am lying in bed at 1:40 am wondering where the time has gone and wondering why I haven't done a better job at documenting all the wonderful details that make my girls who they are. This may have been brought on by the fact that yesterday Anna, who is now 6 proudly announces that she has her first loose tooth. And then today, Nick decides to take my baby's passy away. She is soon to be 3 in one short month and...well... it is time. She has been a real trooper by the way. It has been 18 hours and counting. Not to mention a nap and going to bed without a whimper. I am so proud of you baby! However that is a lot for me to absorb in two short days. Addie's passy seemed to be what was keeping her my baby. Just yesterday I said, "Are you mama's baby?" And she corrected me by saying, "I'm not your baby, I'm your big girl!" My heart just broke. I am not usually this sappy. It just seems that those were two huge milestones reminding me that my girls are very quickly growing up. They have also reminded me that I should savor every moment, good or bad, because they are fleeting. I love you my "big girls!"