Hugs and Kistlers

Easter Pictures, Finally

2009-05-05T23:15:00.002-04:00

So, I am finally getting around to posting some Easter pictures! We had a great Easter, although we did end up getting sick after the early morning service and missed going to visit with our families. We were sad about that, and the girls were doubly sad that their Mama and Daddy were lying on the couch, half-comatose, all day long. LOL. I digress. We had an Easter Egg Hunt at the church on Saturday, and I'm including a few pictures of the girls' easter baskets, as well.

Back from Oblivion

2009-04-05T18:20:00.003-04:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted a blog. No doubt, I've lost my readership. Well, I'll see if I can woo you back with some great posts coming up. First of all, I can't believe that the Easter season is upon us already. It seems like we just moved back to NC, and we've been here for six months already! Incredible! God has been doing some amazing things in our lives and in the life of our church, Mountain Springs Baptist Church. I don't know how to say this enough, but GOD IS GOOD! He has blessed us in so many ways, and we are so grateful for His love for us.

Bethany has turned 2, and in the grand condition, she has joined the ranks of the other terrible two's in the nation. I think she may be running for President of this elite group. Her favorite phrase as of this week is "stop that" and can be heard as her protest to actions such as hugs, kisses, tickles, or any other thing she deems unworthy of her personal attention. She still is a sweetie, though, and her smiles light up the house.

Emily will be turning 4 in July. What a precious little girl she is! Her favorite outings are going to the gym, where she loves to visit what she calls the whirlpool. No one can convince her that it's just the pool. There's no "whirling" at all, unless you take into consideration the toddlers splashing, kicking, and having general fun. Emily also loves her ballet class. Her teacher, Miss Sydni, apparently hung the moon :) Her big recital is May 30 (for some reason, that sounds wrong now that I've written it!). We can't wait!

Ken loves being the Associate Pastor at Mountain Springs Baptist. God is using him in many ways in the church. God is also using the members of MSBC to bless Ken, and it has been so wonderful to see the encouragement and love that they so freely give Ken (and the whole family, for that matter).

I am excited that I am going to be helping my parents start their business in the next few months. This has been my Dad's dream for so many years, and I will be glad to be any help that I can be in his fullfillment of that dream. I am glad to be a Carolina girl, and I am thankful that I am close to my girlfriends; I am also thankful for my many new friends at MSBC. It really does feel like family :)

Okay, so that's our update. Be looking for more posts (with pictures) as I try to keep this thing updated!!!

Very Busy Little Girls

2008-10-30T19:28:00.003-04:00

My girls have been very busy for the last two weeks... very busy trying to drive me crazy! They have been into EVERYTHING. Yesterday, about an hour before church, the girls got into my conditioner and put it all over their hair and clothes. I had to stop what I was doing and bathe them and get new outfits for them. Needless to say, we didn't get to eat before church.

That was just one example of the mischief they've found for themselves. Here are the biggest two:

Yes, you read it correctly. Emily cut Bethany's hair. A lot of it. This is what I could grab before it scattered into separate pieces.

Then, on Monday, this happened:

Emily and Bethany got into the glitter I used for our trunk, and Emily bathed Bethany in it. How in the world does Bethany agree to these things??? Four days later and about 10 baths later, they still have glitter in their hair, in their ears, and on just about every surface in our house.

I just hope I can get them to bed before any more mishaps. Speaking of which, I'd probably better go stand right on top of those two so they don't get into anymore trouble.

Fall Festival

2008-10-28T14:37:00.005-04:00

Our church held their annual Fall Festival this past Sunday night. It was SOO much fun! The committee decided to add Trunk or Treating this year, and everyone did such a great job with their trunks! Many of the adults got into the spirit and dressed up as biblical characters, heroes, and even a HOT CHICK!

The festival started out with a parade of costumes. We see Mrs. Bonita, Zoei, baby Zach, Sydni, Annette, Taylor Starr, Daniel, and Carston.

Preacher Phil joined the parade!

Emily and Bethany take a break from the crowd

Mandy, Cameron, and Katy joined us for the festival! We were so glad to have our friends with us

After the parade, the children enjoyed carnival games for prizes. Here, Cameron and Bethany play "Castle Ring Toss"

This was the cutest game! It was the "Little Debbie Cake Walk". Props to the Cox family for this awesome game!

Emily stood still for a picture, although her attention was on the Great Pumpkin display

Bethany hams it up while I get a picture

Emily and Nana- we're so thankful that Nana and Papa came to visit with us!

Papa and his Bethany

The children's choir performed a few of their songs for the crowd

God's Promise Trunk

The fruit of the Spirit trunk

Queen Esther's trunk

Noah's Ark trunk

We had such a great time! We are so blessed to be at our church. We couldn't ask for a better fellowship, and we are honored that we are loved by so many!

Monkey Joe's with friends

2008-10-09T22:18:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday, we joined Daniel McLean to celebrate his 5th birthday. This was our first trip to Monkey Joe's and everyone had so much fun! I was very grateful that Zoei and Jonathon (Jon-Jon to Emily and Bethany) helped me out! I had toddlers running in every direction.

Bethany surprised me by going on the big slides!

Literally, this was the ONLY time I got Emily to stay still long enough to get a picture. Every other time, my camera couldn't keep up with her!

Jon-Jon was such a big help! The girls love him to death, and I think the feeling is mutual.

The Terrible Three's ?

2008-10-08T12:38:00.002-04:00

So, I have heard from everyone and their brother "Brace yourself for the Three's. You think the Terrible Two's are bad? That's NOTHING". So, I've braced myself. I've cringed, waiting for the horrible onset of more temper tantrums, etc.

The thing is, it's not as bad as last year. Emily seems to be improving. Sure, she still does bad things. She'll hit Bethany if she gets angry, and she cries when she doesn't get her way. BUT- she is learning to accept responsibility for her actions. She can tell you what she did wrong and why she shouldn't do it.

Plus, since she's able to communicate more effectively, we've had a much easier time. If she's on the verge of a crying fit, we'll ask her to stop crying and tell us what's wrong. Typically, that calms her down, she can tell us the problem, and we work together for a solution.

Last night, Ken asked me something, and I called him Honey. Emily looked at me quizzically and said, "What's 'Honey'?". I explained to her that I call Daddy Honey because it's a nice name, like when I call her "Emmy Poo" or "Baby" or "Sweetheart". She looked deep in thought, and then said, "Oh, I get it." LOL! I about died laughing.

So, my point is, I guess, don't listen to other people. Your child is different from your other child and different from every other child in the world. Don't let other people discourage you or your confidence in your child.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

And Kitty's name is.....

2008-10-06T19:57:00.002-04:00

After much deliberation, we've finally named Kitty. Her name is...

Peek-a-boo!

Boo for short

She loves to hide, so we thought that was a cute name. Also, if you're familiar with "Monsters, Inc", they call the little girl "Boo". Funnily enough, she calls Sully "Kitty". Haha. We liked that, but thought it would be too confusing for the girls.

So, Peek-a-boo, welcome to the family!

She's spoiled already. If I don't pet her enough, she brushes up against me and meows until I pet her. LOL

A Saturday with Clinton Kelly

2008-10-05T19:43:00.003-04:00

So, I am very late in posting this, but I couldn't go without talking about it! My mom got us tickets to go see Clinton Kelly at Macy's at SouthPark last Saturday. It was so incredible. Not only is he really funny, but he's also very down-to-earth and VERY nice. I wasn't expecting him to be that fabulous, honestly. Mom and I sat at the corner of the stage and the runway on the front row! It was so cool. They had a runway show, obviously, where he talked about elements of style and fashion. Mom and I were inspired and had a great time shopping afterwards.

Then, we got his new book and HE SIGNED IT! He was so incredibly sweet. It was such a great day!

Clinton looks my way for a photo

Clinton MCs the runway show, giving all sorts of advice

He was such a nice guy!

A Healthier Burger with service in Charlotte!

2008-10-05T01:59:00.002-04:00

My Mom asked Ken and me (and the girls) to meet them for dinner tonight. She's been bragging about this restaurant she found that served "healthy burgers". I wrote it off immediately, thinking that it would taste horrible. Boy, was I wrong!!! This place is FANTASTIC! It's called Topz. They offer some great specials, too! For instance, on Monday and Tuesday, kids eat for 99 cents. The combo includes entree (mini burgers, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, or hot dog), oven-baked fries or applesauce, drink, and a lollie. I wanted to share it with you savvy moms out there looking for a great place to meet other savvy moms for lunch! Here's the site:

www.topz.com

I hope you like it as much as I did!!!

Last entry for Card Day

2008-10-04T20:47:00.000-04:00

This is Bethany sleeping on Papa, sitting with Daddy. Don't they all look exhausted?

My entry for a prize on Mandy's site

2008-10-04T16:26:00.002-04:00

"What's in your purse?" She asked for candy, and I just so happened to come across some in my house- LOL

World Card Making Day

2008-10-03T14:20:00.002-04:00

I can't wait for this! You guys have to check this out:

http://limelightpapercrafts.blogspot.com/2008/09/world-card-making-day-details.html

See you there!

Emmy's first day of ballet

2008-09-30T12:30:00.004-04:00

Emmy had her first ballet class today at Bonita's School of Ballet. She had so much fun! She looked all grown up in her sweet little leotard and ballet bun. It was so funny to watch her class. Sometimes she listened, sometimes she didn't. Overall, she didn't do too badly, especially for her first class. All of the little girls are so darling, and Emily is making all sorts of new friends. She's not as coordinated as some of the other girls, but I'm hoping that ballet will help with that.

Okay, one cute story: At the end of class, the girls line up with tiaras and a sceptor. One by one, the girls take a turn walking across the studio and back, holding the sceptor up high and walking on their tippy-toes. Well, Emily starts off, gets halfway across the studio, and does a dramatic twirl while she watches herself in the mirror. I about died laughing! She's such a little drama queen.

Newest member of the family

2008-09-29T21:43:00.003-04:00

We would like to introduce to you the newest member of our family. She is almost 6 weeks old, and we got her on Thursday.

LOOK at that sweet FACE!

We haven't given her a name yet (we can't agree on her name) but we do love her very much! She is almost 6 weeks old, and her favorite word is "mew". Haha.

Blessings

2008-09-16T18:56:00.003-04:00

I wanted to share with you guys that effective 12:30 pm on Sunday, Ken became the Associate Pastor at Mountain Springs Baptist Church in Monroe, NC. This is an answer to prayer that we are so thankful for!

We are transitioning right away. While our house is on the market, we are staying in the church's parsonage. It's beautiful, spacious, and located very conveniently near the church. We're saving money on gas!!

We thank you so much for your prayers for us. We ask that you would continue to pray for us as we make this (wonderful) transition.

Please feel free to share your prayer concerns with us as well. We would welcome the opportunity to know how to pray for you guys more specifically.

Peace and love to you!

Dear Family and Friends

2008-09-08T22:21:00.002-04:00

Our wonderful, loving, dear family and friends, we have a special prayer request to share with you. This weekend is a big weekend for the Kistler family. We are heading to a church in view of a call. What that means is that the deacon body and the Senior Pastor believe that Ken is the person being called as their new Associate Pastor/Youth Pastor. We are going down on Thursday for a meet-the-church and church-meet-the-Kistlers weekend. Ken will be preaching at the worship hour and the church body will vote after the service.

We would appreciate your prayers for us this week. Thank you so much!!

Lorie

Cupcake Time!

2008-09-04T20:37:00.004-04:00

Emily has been begging to make cupcakes again ever since her birthday. Today was the day! I was so proud of our little chef. She very carefully followed my instructions and did everything except put in the eggs (that was my fault- I was too wary of the mess). Bethany wanted in on the action and helped, too! Then, after a little cooling time, it was frost and, as Emily calls it, EAT TIME!

Emily proudly shows off her hard work

Bethany loved watching the batter mix- she said, "Wook! Wook!"

Daddy watches as Bethany very carefully puts the papers in the pan

Emily frosts her own cupcake and licks her lips as she thinks of diving in!

Bethany shows her enthusiasm for Emily's baking skills

MMMMMMmmmm!

Emily nicely asks for another one after cleanly and carefully eating her cupcake

Afternoon in the Park

2008-09-04T18:46:00.003-04:00

Ken and I decided to take the girls to the part after their afternoon naps today. It was a pretty day, and it wasn't too hot. The girls had a lot of fun.

Emily enjoys the curvy slides

Bethany takes a shot at her soccer skills

Emily loves to just hang out- what a cute little monkey she makes!

This is my favorite shot of Bethany

Our beautiful girls!

Needless to say, we had a good afternoon. Tonight we're going to make cupcakes and decorate them. More pictures to come for that!

Disney World

2008-09-02T00:37:00.006-04:00

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! Now, in the interest of keeping this blog honest, I will tell you that we had more than our fair share of meltdowns, outbursts, and tantrums. And then there were the kids. Haha. Just kidding. It really was so much fun. I think there's an appeal no matter what-aged children you bring. Having said that, I think we're going to wait quite a long time before we go again. I've tried my best to narrow over 175 pictures down to a number that wouldn't be too obnoxious for everyone too look at. I've probably failed at that, but I gave it a good try. I've cheated a little bit, because I've left out all of the pictures with Aunt Dana, Uncle Mark, Madison, Mackenzie, Will, and Mason. I'm going to do a separate blog post with all of those because those were two big days for the girls, too!

Bethany decided that she's the best driver around

Emily hugged the Cinderella statue at Downtown Disney

The girls modeled their Mickey Ears (sadly, the only time they would wear them!)

Emily and I had a Mommy-Daughter date at the Grand Floridian to meet Cinderella

Emily with the Prince

Emily hugs her favorite person in the whole world

Bethany and Daddy make each other laugh as we stand in line

Bethany enjoyed meeting Belle (yes, Emily is pitching a fit in the background)

Emily and Bethany enjoy a ride around TomorrowLand

Emily poses- Aww, so cute!

Family shot with Mickey and Minnie (please note Emily's excitement)

Bethany's favorite moment was meeting Ariel

The girls at the "Cat in the Hat" ride at SuessLand inside Universal (everyone's favorite ride). It actually tells the story during the ride. It was really cool, and we must have ridden that ride 5 times!

Yes, Emily is asleep on the luggage cart

Bethany was asleep, not too far off from Emily!

Well, that is the short version of our trip. I think I've captured everyone's favorite moments. Oh! I've got two funny stories for you:

#1- To meet any of the characters, you have to stand in line. We stood in line at least an hour to meet each set of the characters. The first group that we waited to see was, of course, the princesses (Aurora, Cinderella, and Belle). We had been in line for 1 1/2 hours and were literally the next people in line. Right as the lady turned the corner to let us in, Emily pooped her pants. I looked at Ken and said, "I am NOT getting out of this line to change her diaper." So, we go into the room. First up is Aurora, so we go to meet her. Aurora asks Emily, "What's your name, Sweetie?" Emily looks at her, and at the top of her voice, says, "It's POOP!" You should have seen Aurora's face. It was SOO funny.

#2- Bethany liked meeting the characters, but her favorite by far was Ariel. She kept petting Ariel and cooing at her. When we went to go leave, Ken picked Bethany up, and Bethany started crying. She held her arms out to Ariel, which, of course, melted Ariel's heart. Ariel said, "Aw, c'mere Sweetie" and took Bethany. Bethany laughed and grinned as big as she could and kept giving Ariel cheek hugs. It was so sweet!

Happy 3rd Birthday Emily!

2008-09-01T22:44:00.002-04:00

I can't believe my baby girl is 3 years old! It seems like only yesterday that Ken and I timidly pulled out of the hospital parking lot with this itty-bitty baby sleeping in her itty-bitty carseat.

Emily had a wonderful birthday party. She had many friends there to help her celebrate, and we were so thankful for our family and friends that showed their love for Emmy. We had a carnival party, of sorts. There were some pretty cool little games to play (props to Ken for the games!), fun little prizes, a bouncy house, and a UNIQUA pinata full of candy. Emily begged for "cucakes", so she and I had a fun time making and decorating cupcakes. Here are a few pictures from the party. I completely forgot my camera (doh!) and asked Mrs. Kistler to take pictures for me. I didn't get a shot of everyone who came, so I think we're going to have to have another party just so we can get more pictures ;)

Emily gets ready to have her birthday cupcake... she was so excited

Everyone claps for Emily as she blew out her birthday candle

Cameron enjoyed the bouncy house and stopped just long enough to smile for the camera

Michelle and Carly smile for the camera as Emma and Charlie choose their prizes

Emily opens her gifts as Emma and Charlie watch

Erin helps Savannah play "In the Lion's Mouth" while Bethany straps herself in for a wagon ride

Uncle David and Aunt Susan talk to their niece-to-be Erin and Brandon (Uncle B)

Drew and Katy smile for the camera- don't you just want to pinch those cheeks? Katy's, of course!

Thank you for everyone who came from near and far to Emily's party. It meant so much to us that you were there!

Wow- so much going on

2008-08-31T00:28:00.002-04:00

So, I realized that it's been over a month since I've posted anything on our family website. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on me. Well, it started out innocently enough- I didn't have my camera to take pictures at Emily's birthday party, so I asked my Mom-in-law to take pictures for me. She gave them to me, but I haven't figured out how to scan them on my scanner. Then, we've been gone on several different trips- some fun, some family duty, and some work-related. I am way over a month behind in posting pictures and telling stories. If you can bear with me, I will have tons of very sweet pictures to show you with lots of cute stories to go along with them.

I promise, I promise- they're coming.

The House is Finished

2008-07-10T17:34:00.004-04:00

Well, it's done! We finally have the house on the market! Hallelujah! Here are the "after" pictures I promised a lifetime and a half ago.

Our fireplace was oak and gold- we refinished it and brought it to the 21st century!

Emily and Bethany look at pictures in our coffee table book. Obviously, we don't have those just sitting out everyday!

Here's the new kitchen

Our dining area.. props to Ken for the gorgeous centerpiece!

Hall Bathroom

Guest Bedroom

Master bedroom

Another view of the master bedroom

Master bathroom

Bethany loves to play with the toilet paper roll!

Well, there it is. We are happy to have it on the market.

Please join with me in prayer for this house:

Lord, we lift this house up to you today. We know that everything we have is Yours. We know that You are in control with this, as You are in control of everything. Lord, we ask that You bring the right people into this house quickly, that it will sell quickly, and that we will be free to move onto the next thing that You have for us. Thank You, Lord, for the wealth of blessings You have showered on us. We love You as our Master, Savior and Lord. We pray all these things in the precious, saving name of Your holy Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Salem Fair

2008-07-05T22:26:00.003-04:00

So, the Salem Fair opened on Thursday afternoon, and they were running an incredible special on rides for the opening day. We took advantage of the nice weather and headed there after putting in a long day working on the house.

Emily's first ride was the airplane ride. She was fine until it started going up and down- I think this ride was a little big for her, but she was a trooper!

Emily looks up at the sky as we ride the bucket ferris wheel together (Bay did NOT enjoy this ride, so I couldn't get a picture of her!)

Emily got ahead of Ken and Bay on the slide. She looked back to see where her Daddy was, realized she was ahead, and started laughingg!

Ken helped Emmy finish the ride. This was a family favorite!

Bethany's favorite ride overall? Riding on Daddy's shoulders :)

We realized a few things through this experience. First, we're not ready for Disney World. Bethany's just not old enough to enjoy it. Second, Emily is definitely not a baby anymore (this one makes me so sad!). Emily didn't think she should have to sit in the double stroller, so we tried out letting her walk with us. She stayed right with us the whole time. I looked at Ken in disbelief. What happened to our little baby that needed to be taken care of???? It's so funny how we can celebrate their new-found abilities while simultaneously missing the last stages. I guess that's just part of being a parent.

Getting the House Ready

2008-06-30T15:17:00.002-04:00

Well, we're on the last leg of getting the house ready to put on the market. Here are the before pictures. The After pictures will have to wait until we're finished :)

Taping and painting

Here's the color we're painting the house

Here's the hallway, taped off and ready to paint.

Ripping up that old, nasty kitchen floor has been my favorite part!

We have to finish painting, laying down floor, putting down molding, and cleaning before tomorrow! Oh, man! I'd better stop typing and get to work...

Big Annoucement (NOT PREGNANT!)

2008-06-24T21:23:00.002-04:00

So, we have a pretty big annoucement to make. We are announcing this because we are asking for your prayers during this time.

After serving at Cave Spring Baptist Church for two years, Ken has resigned as Minister to Students. We felt that the spiritual gifts that he has are not a good fit for the wants of the Student ministry at Cave Spring. Cave Spring's Educational ministry was taking a new direction that didn't utilize Ken's passion and gift in teaching. This was a decision wrought in prayer and desire for God's will for us and for Cave Spring, and we leave with no hard feelings and with Cave Spring's blessing.

We are prayerfully considering where God might be calling us. There is one church in particular that God has shown to us and led our hearts towards. God laid Ken on this pastor's heart as well.

Although it seems to us that this church is a shoo-in to be a great match for Ken's gifts and passion, we ask that you pray that God will lead us definitively to the place that He would have us serve.

Thank you in advance for your prayers for us during this time. We know and trust that we are firmly in His grip, and that He cares for His own.

Always in His service,

Ken and Lorie

Lucas and Emily

2008-06-24T21:18:00.003-04:00

Okay, to preface this story, our friend Sarah (Lucas's Mom) is pregnant (WOO HOO) and has been very sick lately (BOO). She ended up being so dehydrated that she had to go to the hospital. She's home now, and feeling much better, praise the Lord!

Jimmy (Lucas's Dad) and Lucas came over to play so that Sarah could have some quiet time at home. We were all watching a game show on TV, and I looked over and saw this:

WHAT???? Already? They were cuddled up on the couch together. We're going to have a Tom Thumb wedding on our hands. These kids' souls have a special connection, we're sure of it. But how do we keep them apart until after college?

Emmy's Special Day

2008-06-05T15:44:00.003-04:00

If you've ever watched "Jon and Kate Plus 8" on TLC, I'm sure you're familiar with having a "special day". Emily's special day was yesterday. We went to the Backyardigans Live! show. I was a little worried that Emily wouldn't sit still for the show, but she did a great job.

Emily's "Flighty Fairy" costume. There were wings that went with it. They were really cute. Don't ask.

This was the backdrop for the show

Okay, I know I wasn't supposed to take pictures during the show, but I just couldn't help it.

Sir Tyrone, Knight Uniqua, Flighty Fairy, and Grabbin' Goblin dancing

After the show, I took Emily to Starbucks for her first cup of coffee...

Emily with her first cup of coffee at Starbucks

Just kidding. It was hot chocolate, BUT Emily called it her "foffee". It was so cute.

Now, I know that blogs can become a place where people only talk about the wonderful, perfect family and life that they have, but I'm not perfect, and I don't have a perfect family. On the way out of the Civic Center, Emily got upset that the show was over, wrenched free from my hand, and darted out into the parking lot. My heart froze. I dropped the 5 billion things in my hand and took off (in my heels) to catch her. I caught her and fussed at her as I held her SOOO tight! A very sweet and sympathetic family gathered our stuff and brought it to us. I was in such shock that I probably would have left it there. Needless to say, I was scared out of my mind.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-26T20:26:00.004-04:00

We had a great Memorial Day Weekend! Nana and Papa came up from Charlotte, and Uncle B and his girlfriend Erin came down from Maryland. Ken, Emily, Bethany, and I met Erin for the first time- we really enjoyed meeting her! The girls were, of course, very taken with "Eh-win".

We all went to a Southern, Family-Style Restaurant called "Homeplace"on Friday night. It was FABULOUS!! Then, on Sunday evening, we had a picnic at the top of Mill Mountain at the Roanoke Star. We ended each day with "Game Night". It was a really great weekend.

I forgot to take pictures at Homeplace, so I have a ton of pictures from the star.

Emily and Bethany are ready to go for a picnic!

Our mountain-top picnic table had a fabulous view!

Bethany enjoyed the ride

The Roanoke Star- it lights up each night with a combination of red, white, and blue.

Two Peas in a Pod- Papa and Emmy search for flowers

Bay stops to pose with Nana for a picture

Emily found a very pretty Mountain Laurel with Papa's help

It's really hard to get everyone together for a group photo

Nana and Papa with the girls

Daddy lifts Emmy in the air- she loves it!

Amazement Square- the Children's Museum

2008-05-17T16:01:00.006-04:00

We went to the children's museum in Lynchburg yesterday. We had so much fun! Everything is hands-on and interactive. To get to the 5 different stories, you could climb up tubes and slide down slides, climb nets, and go down a zip line. It was so much fun. Emily got to spend the day with her Cucas, which, I think, was her favorite part. Get ready for a picture OVERLOAD!

Lucas and Emily waited patiently while we got the tickets.

Jessica explained how we paint on the walls, not on each other!

Painting on the walls was so much fun! Emily and Lucas were mirror images here!

Emily painted over my face on the wall! She giggled as she did it- too cute!

Emmy shows off her love of music in the "band room"

Emmy and Lucas count the eggs in the hen house

Emily drives the vegetables from the "field" to the "store"

Before she milked the cow (water came out instead of milk), Emily made sure the cow liked her!

Lucas showed off his toddler cowboy skills, riding the range

Emily picked corn from the cornstalks

Balancing a ball on air is hard work

Emily and Lucas ran through a giant-sized heart in the same pattern that blood travels

I think this play house was Emily's favorite part- she didn't want to leave. She's such a "girly" girl

The giant blocks were so much fun to play with

Replication of part of the James river

Emmy and Lucas got to float boats down the river, learning about dams and canals

We had such a fun time. It was nice to have a whole building dedicated to children's learning, interaction, and play.

Backyardigans

2008-05-14T17:50:00.005-04:00

"Your backyard friends, the Backyardigans, together in the backyard again..."

If you can sing this tune in your head, you know that the Backyardigans is a special group of friends. Emily loves this show so much. When she hears the theme song, she starts dancing like "Sasha" (I don't know why she doesn't call her Tasha!).

I just found out that the Backyardigans Live! tour is breezing through our city on June 4th. I got tickets for Emily and me! She has no idea why Mommy is so excited, but she is going to LOVE it! I can't wait! I'm glad that it's not too far off...

Tasha, Uniqua, Tyrone, Pablo, and Austin, HERE WE COME!!!!

Cold, rainy day? How about PJ's and a movie?

2008-05-12T16:48:00.002-04:00

We figured out the solution for a cold, rainy day. We all put our PJ's back on, and fired up Mary Poppins. I pulled out the girls' favorite chairs, and snapped a picture. I'm able to post this because the Magical Mary Poppins is still weaving her magic with my children!

A Great Mother's Day

2008-05-11T23:19:00.004-04:00

I had a great Mother's Day! I hope you guys did, as well. After church, we went to Ragazzi's for lunch (Thank you to Mom K for the gift card!), where Emily and Bethany entertained the tables around us. Boy, they sure are cute! Then, I got a delightful Sunday afternoon nap.

We then went to Lucas' parents' house for dinner and fellowship. Emmy loves her "Cucas".

Ken made a very cool card for me from the girls. It was way too cute not to share with you guys...

Then you flip it to see...

Isn't that the sweetest? Ken gave me a very sweet card from him, too. My gift? I get to go pick out matching picture frames for some special professional pictures of the girls to go up on the walls. I'm so excited! I've been wanting these really nice frames for awhile, but just couldn't justify spending the $$ on them.

Here's a pic of Emmy and Lucas hanging out after dinner. They are such good friends!

Emmy's Pigtails

2008-05-08T15:40:00.004-04:00

Oh, my goodness! I finally got Emmy's hair up in pigtails. They're so cute! Pardon the dirty face and shirt; we had just finished lunch, and I wanted to snap a picture before she got too sleepy. I also snapped one of Bay, hamming it up as usual! I sure do love my girls!

Strawberry Festival

2008-05-03T15:00:00.007-04:00

We went to the Strawberry Festival at one of the downtown parks today. We had so much fun! They had music, crafts, kids' games, and best of all, farm-fresh strawberries!

Emmy enjoys her first bite of strawberries and cream

Bethany has her first bite, too!

Ken shares his with his girls!

Bethany is laid-back!

Emily watches the people walk by

The bigger kids were dancing to the music...

...and inspired Emily!

Bethany stays cool in the shade

Emily helps Bay clap to the music

So sweet!

Emily decided to get her hand painted instead of her face.

Emily shows off her butterfly! Her favorite color today- blue.

Bethany's birthday

2008-04-23T19:23:00.004-04:00

I was looking through my posts, and I realized that I never posted Bethany's birthday pictures anywhere- bad Mommy! So, 2 months late, here they are... I will caption before the pictures.

Bethany's birthday cake... lovingly made by Mom. Emily decided she didn't need to wait to have some, so she dug in. Mom was able to fix it a little bit... click on the picture to see what I mean.

My parents and Ken's parents hang out during the party...

This was the closest to a still picture that I got of Bethany. The tiara band didn't stay on long, but it was cute!

I am learning that it's harder and harder to get a picture of Bethany being still. This dress has Bethany's monogram on it. Mom made this dress for Bethany for her birthday!

Emily kept herself entertained by watching "Backyardigans" on Papa's computer with headphones. She's so grown up! Mom made this dress for Emily with Emily's monogram on it. It wasn't for her birthday, but as Nana says, "You can't make a dress for one without making one for the other! It wouldn't be fair!"

Bethany enjoyed opening her gifts!

After awhile, Emily decided to help Bethany! I don't know why I look so serious... maybe I was concentrating??

Emily helps her Bay, and Bay watches very patiently.

Bethany is getting her first glimpse of freedom to pursue sugar. She didn't quite know what to do!

She did figure it out, and took a break to enjoy some milk with her cake!

Okay, there they are. Well, 10 out of about 45, anyway. I just took the highlights for brevity's sake. It was a lot of fun, although the presence of our good friends, the Cheshires', was sorely missed. They were sick with the flu the previous week and didn't want to risk giving it to everyone. (I was thankful for their thoughtfulness, but sad about their absence.) We also hated that Beth wasn't there, but understood that sometimes, family has to come first. We ate some cake in her honor ;)

And the Torch is Passed Down...

2008-04-21T15:19:00.003-04:00

It seems like only yesterday that Emily did this. I can't believe it Bethany's turn! The girls have been playing so hard that once you get them to sit still, this happens...

AWW! So sweet!

Now, here's Emily sleeping in the same chair...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA!!

2008-04-14T12:08:00.003-04:00

We love you!!! We can't wait to see you on Thursday. Have a wonderful day!!!

Emily's Hijinks while Playing

2008-04-10T12:29:00.003-04:00

So, I guess a little of the "teacher gene" has been passed off to Emily. She was in the playroom, playing, and I heard a loud squeal. Of course, I had to go check that out. I walked down the hallway, and this is what I found. (Please pardon the messiness- it is the playroom, after all!)

Her bears were sitting each in a chair, and she was talking to them. Of course, as soon as I grabbed the camera, she joined her "class" for the picture. What a cutie!!

A Day in the Life...

2008-04-09T17:35:00.003-04:00

So, I made the mistake of allowing Emily and Bethany to play together in the playroom. Here's the result.

Black crayon. Yep. Thank GOODNESS that crayon isn't toxic. We'd have a real problem on our hands. You can't see it in the picture, but Emily, who stripped down to her diaper, is standing next to Bethany with a proud grin on her face.

Now, you are probably thinking that it took them a solid 15 minutes to do this. Wrong. It was 5 minutes, tops. Just another day in the life...

"Tagged"

2008-04-03T22:52:00.003-04:00

So, my good friend Mandy tagged me. The task it to tell 7 random facts about myself. It would be interesting if you'd comment back and tell me if any of them surprised you or if you knew them all...

1. On my plate, my foods cannot touch. If they touch, I freak out and lose my appetite. I will not eat foods that have mixed, unless they are supposed to mix. The worst thing is when juices from one food touch something else. I will give away any and all bread that was touched by a vegetable juice.

2. On my plate, I eat one item at a time. For instance, I'll eat all the mashed potatoes first, since they will get cold the quickest. Then, I'll eat the meat. Then, any other vegetables. Last, I'll eat the fruit. The only exception is the bread, of which I'll take 1 bite in-between foods.

3. I only write in black ink. I can't stand writing in blue ink.

4. I have about 30 different kinds of notecards. I love finding pretty notecards. (Mandy, if I had 1/8th of the creativity you had, I would probably make a different notecard every day!).

5. I hate collectibles. I haven't found one collectible that I like.

6. If it's coffee, coffee-flavored, or a coffee product, I love it. As a matter of fact, I am sipping a Mocha Java Chiller from Sonic as I write this.

7. I hate surprises. The worst thing in the world that anyone can say to me is, "I have a surprise for you." Actually, I don't hate surprises, I hate knowing that there's something that I don't know. (Mandy, it's killing me that it's too late to call you about your number 7!!!)

Well, there you have it. I'm supposed to tag some other people, but I am new to blogspot and don't really know anyone who has a blog except for Brandie. Brandie, consider yourself tagged!

Brandie

Chuck E. Cheese

2008-04-03T22:23:00.002-04:00

So, I can't decide if Chuck E. Cheese is of God or Satan. I think it depends on what part of the trip you are referring to. The beginning is so much fun. There's so much going on; there are tons of flashing lights and bleeps, dings, and bells sounding out. The smell of mediocre pizza fills your nostrils as you enter through the velvet rope (I know- a velvet rope at a kids' place-strange, huh?). You get your little cup full of tokens and begin searching (sometimes with very little hope) for an empty, clean table.

Well, if you have kids, you know how the rest goes. It's up and down for the rest of the trip. We're happy, then we're sad. There are tears, and sometimes, the kids cry too.

So we went tonight. As we walked through the door, we were pleasantly surprised to see Emily's friend Lucas there. They had so much fun playing together. One funny thing that happened- well, it's funny if you know my personality, I guess. There was a herd of very big boys playing in the tubes where the little kids play. Right at the slide, they were bullying the little kids. Now, Emily isn't big enough to climb into the tubes yet (she can't make it up there yet because the steps are huge). BUT- Lucas was up there. These boys were being horrible. They were climbing up the slide and blocking it so that no one could come down. They were taunting the little ones. So, I did what any nosy, teacher-like person would do. I yelled up the slide. "Boys! You stop that right now. Come down the slide this instant!". I waited for them to come down. I said, "I don't want to see you do that again. You go down the slide ONE TIME, and then you move out of the way. Do you understand?" They mumbled "okay" as they walked off.

One of their moms asked them what I said. As I heard them tell her, I looked at her like I just dared her to say something to me. Boy, I was ticked. I mean, WATCH YOUR CHILDREN, PEOPLE! ARGH.

So, later, I wanted to put Bethany on the little Chuck E. Cheese ride where it takes your picture. There was this little girl, 3 maybe 4, just sitting on it. I looked everywhere for her parents, who couldn't be found. I asked her if Bethany could have a turn. She looked at me and said, deadpan, "No,". I about died laughing. There was a group of older ladies, just watching. They thought it was really funny. I tried and tried to convince that little girl to give Bethany a turn. She was adamant. So, finally, I offered her a token. I said, "How about this? You can have this token, and you can take a turn. Then, Bethany can take a turn. How does that sound?" Her face lit up as she took the coin and said, "Thank you!". She rode the ride, got her little picture, and got off the ride.

That's right. I can still outsmart a 3-year-old. And right now, she's probably sitting somewhere saying, "That's right. I can still outsmart a woman!"

Everyone had fun, right up until we told Emily that it was time to go. And if you have kids, you know how it ended. I sure am glad they stamp your hand with coordinating numbers, because anyone could have sworn that we were kidnapping some kid. Just another day in the life...

The New York Trip

2008-03-27T22:07:00.009-04:00

Nana and Papa are going to Baltimore to see Uncle B and his girlfriend, Erin. Then, they're all headed to New York to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. Ken and I felt that Emily was still too young to go to a Broadway show, and so we stayed home this year.

We're planning a big trip next year, when Emily will see her first Broadway show! Until then, we are sending our love and our prayers up to New York for bright, sunny, warm days so that they can enjoy the weekend without problems.

We love you guys so much!

As you can see from the poster, Emily's artistic expression could not be confined by such things as lines or concepts. I think she appreciates eclectic abstract art. :)

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-23T01:33:00.001-04:00

Emily asked very kindly, and so we invited two of her friends over for an Easter Egg Hunt. Lucas and Landon brought their parents, and we had such a fun time! Bethany, although a little hesitant, really got into finding the eggs. Emily, always the good big sister, helped Bethany out by sharing her cache of eggs. I'm sure we have an errant egg or two hiding in the back yard, but that's okay. The mower will surely find them!

After the hunt, we had pizza and hung out. The kids played in the playroom while the parents geared up for a night of Phase 10. Overall, we had a great time. This may have to be a new Easter tradition!