Team Chenoweth

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-22T08:46:00.006-05:00

So we took our annual trip to ther pumpkin patch but when we got there, my camera battery was DEAD!!! Arghh! So, my mom drove up with hers, but it was dark by the time she got there! We still managed to get some pretty good shots. Enjoy!!

Random Summer Fun with the Chenoweth Gang

2010-08-06T09:55:00.005-05:00

Gracie is a budding photographer and has been experimenting with my camera. This is one of her famous shots.

My BFF, Stacy, and I took our kiddos to St. Andrews State Park. No tar balls here! Below is Harrison, Lanie, Gracie, and Ethan

Little man was running circles around me.

We drove down to SW Florida for a visit with my dad. They love Grandpa!

My girl on Sanibel Island

Cousins: Austin, Gracie, Aidan, and Harrison on Sanibel

awww...

Little Surfer Girl

Fort Myers, Florida at our family reunion

Nephew, Aidan, at the family reunion

Scuba Steve!

My Aunt Cathy and I at the reunion

I love his sweet grin

his too when he actually smiles!

Gracie's "T" Party

2010-04-09T14:08:00.003-05:00

Gracie's preschool leans all about a different letter of the alphabet each week. During the week they learn about the letter "T" they had a tea party. The parents are invited to attend and the girls and boys practice and learn a dance to perform. Each "couple" holds hands and sways back and forth. It is really adorable. Daddy was NOT ready for her to "slow" dance with a boy yet! They also sang "I'm a Little Tea Pot." We had a great time! Thanks to Gracie's teachers who did a wonderful job! I will post many more pictures very soon!

Summertime Fun!

2009-09-20T22:03:00.012-05:00

So we took another trip down to P.C. Beach to say good-bye to summer...

Nana and Gracie at Pineapple Willy's

Harrison just being his cute self!

Gracie got brave this trip and discovered she loves to jump over the waves!

Sweet boy...

"So long summer!"
(Daddy lets him do this when he gets close to the drive way- much to my chagrin!)

sigh

Havin' fun in the sun with daddy

On the deck with Ethan and Aunt KK

Nana and the grand kids

"There's something on my foot!"

Ethan and Gracie on a sea turtle sculpture

snackin' on some Cheetos

Harrison with the fish he caught

Gracie with her fish too

the boys

my beauty

Springtime Pictures

2009-05-28T22:22:00.002-05:00

The kiddos with Santa Claus... (Just wanted to see if you're paying attention!)

At the park

Gracie is a great big sister

Making wishes before throwing their pennies into the fountain.

How did I get so lucky?

Game Time!

2009-05-22T21:28:00.003-05:00

Gracie working the pitcher's mound

(click on the pic to enlarge it so you can see her sweet tongue)

Back at the first practice, the coaches taught the kiddos how to field balls and this was the pose that stuck! She stood like this pretty much EVERY time she was in the outfield! How cute is she!?

Ethan standing still for once!

Harrison wears this batting helmet around the house 24/7! He cracks us up!

"Hey batter, batter!"

T-Ball Practice

2009-05-21T19:21:00.002-05:00

So back in March, Gracie started her first year playing T-Ball. Harry, (aka Coach "Daddy" as he makes Gracie call him) and Uncle Shawn are her coaches and her cousin, Ethan, was on her team too. These are from her first practice.

Of course Harrison had to get in on the action too!

I'll post the game pics tomorrow night!

I'm Baaaaack!

2009-05-21T09:26:00.002-05:00

OK, so I know I really have done a poor job of keeping up lately, but in my defense, things have been absolutely crazy! Some of my best friends have given up blogging and tried to recruit me over to the "dark side" ... Facebook. I will probably join just to keep up with what's new on their end, but I plan to be much better at this blog-thing over the summer! School's out after next week and it's on like Donkey Kong!! Look out blog-world! I am planning to post a few random pictures from the last few months tonight. I had over 600 pictures on my camera (don't worry, I am NOT going to post that many!) Our hard drive had to be replaced last month and I had nowhere to upload them, so I know I have a ton of catching up to do! See you all tonight! (If there are still any people checking in...)

Update

2009-02-26T22:45:00.002-06:00

Harry has started a new job (finally!) at a local music store. He is repairing computers in the back room and occasionally selling instruments too. Thank you all for your faithful prayers. We felt them! Pictures of the kiddos coming soon!

Blocks

2009-02-12T08:52:00.003-06:00

My babysitter sent me an email at work yesterday. She said Gracie had been building things with blocks and she was so proud of herself that Miss Cindy decided to take a picture of Gracie's creation and send it to me. It made me smile, so I thought I'd share it with you. She also sent a second email with Harrison's creation so he wouldn't feel left out. Here is Gracie's masterpiece:

Here is Harrison's:

Are they talented or what?

;-)

Calling all prayer warriors...

2009-02-03T12:25:00.004-06:00

I know so many of you prayed for Harry and our family the last time we had to deal with Harry's job loss. We would really appreciate those thoughtful prayers once again. Harry was let go from the car lot a week ago due to sluggish sales. He was the only salesperson getting a salary, so...Also, he was there less than 90 days, so he cannot even apply for unemployment if this drags out. He has been out hitting the pavement and passing out resumes for the last week, but so far not much... Although he DOES have an interview tomorrow at 11 AM We are praying hard!!! Thanks so much!! Nicole

Makeover Madness

2009-01-24T14:55:00.004-06:00

Okay, so while we were at the beach for New Year's, we got bored one night and my mom (who has every type of cosmetic from every brand you've ever heard of- and some you haven't) decided it would be fun to give my sis-in-law, KK, and I makeovers after the kids were in bed.

HERE IS MY BEFORE: (So sad and pitiful)

KK's BEFORE: (Awww)

WOW!!! Here is my AFTER: (Check out "Glamour Shots" pose! I am working it!)

KK'S AFTER: Mom's Magic Makeovers worked!!

Aren't we feeling saucy!

Here is the makeup artist extraordinaire!

She is currently booked until after Oscar Season,
but you may call her assistant for a session beginning in March...;-)

New Year's in Panama City Beach

2009-01-19T13:02:00.005-06:00

I know I am a tad late in posting our New Year's pictures, but things are so crazy busy around here. I thought things would slow down after the holidays, but that just hasn't happened yet! My brother and sister-in-law had a condo at the beach for the long weekend and invited us to go down with them and my mom. It was unseasonably warm here for winter, so we were able to let the kids go play in the sand. They had a blast! Harrison is not afraid of anything! I had to hold him from walking right out into the waves! He really keeps me on my toes!

So, these two pictures are in revers. I meant to post them the other way around, but...

Below: Harrison is really interested in the purple "balls" on Sissy's ponytail holder.

Above: He decides to make a go of getting them out using his teeth! (This did not make her happy!)

Below: Harrison is checking out the birds.

We took the kids back to play the next day too, but it was getting chilly and we told them not to get wet...

Again, these two pics are in reverse: Gracie was rubbing her wet, sandy rear end on Auntie KK (below) and Harrison thought it was funny to copy Sissy (above). He is SUCH a ham!

"What sand? I didn't eat any sand!"

"I'll just put this... Here!"

Walking down our street toward the beach.

I have some silly makeover pictures that need more explaining I'll try to post tomorrow... For now, I'll leave you in suspense!

Another Beach Video...

2009-01-17T16:24:00.004-06:00

We had a great time for New Year's!This day we decided to be silly and all use different variations of our first or middle names. That's what the "fake names" thing is referring to in the video.

Gracie's Christmas Program at School

2009-01-08T20:35:00.004-06:00

Gracie's preschool put on a program about the Christmas story. Gracie had the last line of the program. In case you can't tell what she's saying it's: "These men brought frankincense, myrrh, and fine gold to honor the one the new star had foretold." It was precious and we were so proud!

Merry Belated Christmas from Alabama!

2009-01-08T19:54:00.005-06:00

I've been meaning to update, but things are so hectic with Harry working at the car lot. His hours are so late every night. I practically have the kids in bed by the time he gets home, so I crash after I get them into bed and do the dishes. I'm hoping to get better about more frequent updates in '09! I hope all all of my bloggy-buddies had a wonderful Christmas. We did down here! We went to church for the candlelight service and then our whole family went over to Olive Garden for dinner. Below are Nana and Little Man at the church service.

Gracie on Christmas morning in the jersey she told Santa she wanted. "Go Packers!"

"Say cheese!"

Merry Christmas!

Sissy is so good about helping her brother (most of the time!)

Coming soon to a blog near you: Happy New Year '09!

Hannah's Sweet 16 in Mobile

2008-12-10T19:30:00.004-06:00

Back in October we drove to Mobile for our niece, Hannah's, sweet 16 party. We always love visiting our family down there... (I know I'm a little late posting this, but I'm trying to catch up)

Hannah is FINALLY sweet 16. Get off the road!!!!

Her cake was beautiful and the food (Cajun) tasted great too!

Gracie got this flower off the cake and danced around with it in her mouth toward the end of the night. What a little nut!!

My attempt at self-portrait... didn't mean to only get our eyes, but I thought it was kind of cool how it worked out anyway...

My little "party animal !"

Uncle Jojo (Jody) and Daddy with the kiddos

Giving Mommy some sweet love!

Sisters-Corie and Hannah

Harry' sister, Kim (Hannah's Mom), the birthday girl, and Grandma Sue

We had a great time and were so proud to watch Hannah-Banana grow into such a beautiful young lady (inside and out!)

About Me...

2008-12-02T22:20:00.003-06:00

I was over at http://jewels-of-my-heart.blogspot.com/ and she did a post with this fun list and I wanted to play too to see how many of the things I have done in my life on this person's list....so here goes...

The things on the list that I have done I will make BOLD....

If you want to play too please let me know in the comments so that I can come and see...

Bold the things you’ve done and will admit to:
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped (I think NOT!)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (Burger King chicken sandwich!)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (In my youth- I sound wild, but this was WAY out of character!)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (No, but I was offered an extra spot on Baywatch Hawaii -in my skinnier youth)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (Subway Sandwiches)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (Nope, but I've been Puffin-watching!)
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem (one day...)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Bella Karoli (sp?) and the 92 Olympians and Mario Lopez smiled REALLY big at me... Does that count?)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T23:29:00.002-06:00

I have so much to be thankful for... I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving.

(This photo taken on Halloween)

Beach Video

2008-11-22T13:57:00.003-06:00

Enjoy! Forgive the loud, shrill of the videographer over the waves!

So Long to Summer...

2008-11-20T22:23:00.006-06:00

We went to the beach with Nana, my brother, Shawn, KK, and Ethan the last weekend in September to enjoy the last weekend of Summer. We had a great little townhouse a block from the beach. The kids had a great time and so did the grown-ups! The weather was perfect! We even surprised Gracie with a dinner at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville restaurant (she LOVES him... See June post to check out her rendition of Buffet's "Fins") There were pirates on stilts who made balloon hats and parrots. The walls and ceiling were painted to look like treasure maps, and there were boat booths and a cargo plane was hanging right over our table. When the song Margaritaville came on, a disco ball with an attached salt shaker came down out of the plane. It was alot of fun, and the food was good. ((I had SUCH a hard time narrowing down which pictures to post. Maybe I'll randomly post some of the others when I get a chance, but for now please forgive my indulgence... and there is a video that is 3 and a half minutes. I understand if you're not interested, (but I want in on the blog for the kids to see someday. For some reason, I can't figure to how to copy it to disk from computer, so... I tried to upload it and after 20 minutes loading, it said there was an error. I'll try again tomorrow...)

Ethan and Gracie in front of Margaritaville

Harrison's sweet-feet in the sand

Gracie's tiny tootsie's too

Harry thinks this one looks like a postcard or ad for an island vacation. (I would follow this girl anywhere!)

"Got sand? I do!"

Nana and Harrison chilling on the blanket. We had just watched a wedding at the house right beside where we sat.

I just LOVE this one of Ethan!

Sportin' their hats 'cause that's how they roll!!

Nana and the kiddos

My movie star in her "coolest shades EVER!"

Running away from the waves kept them bust for quite a while! It's so fun to watch her innocence and pure joy in life. I wish I could bottle it up and save it for the times in the future when she will experience uncertainty and difficulties of adolescence. My heart aches at the thought that she will have aches I will not be able to kiss and make better at some point. Harry thinks I 'm crazy that I've thought that far ahead. Maybe it's a Mom-thing... or maybe I really am a bit crazy...

So long to Summer... We'll see you next year!

Turning 4 in the Land of OZ

2008-11-15T07:36:00.003-06:00

Welcome to the land of Oz!

Gracie/Dorothy turned 4 on October 11th. She has been obsessed with the movie for over a year. She wanted to have an Oz party, so I obliged. I made a yellow brick road to cover the LONG sidewalk leading up to the house (we had the party at my BFF's house. They have a great screened in porch) There was a sign by the doorbell that quoted the one in the movie about knocking because the doorbell is broken. Below is Dorothy beside the Pin the Heart on the Tin Man game. It turned out really cute!

We had all kinds of costumes that we borrowed from our local theater group so the girls could dress up like the witch and munchkins. the girls enjoyed that too.

We had mini subs ("Munchkins Subs"), Pretzel sticks ("Broomsticks"), and Melted Witch Punch...

My art teacher at school made a tree (even better than I had expected it to look!) We used it for the Apple Toss game. It was supposed to be like when the Scarecrow and Dorothy pick apples off the tree, and the trees throw them at the pair. I had some soft apples we got for relieving stress at the beginning of the school year. The kids had to throw the apples through the hole in the tree.

Aww... Harrison was here too, but I couldn't get him to stand still long enough to get a pic.

Catching up in reverse... Pumpkin Patch '08

2008-11-05T20:46:00.006-06:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to the Pumpkin Patch in mid-October.

"Is this a pumpkin... or a BALL!!!!"

Harrison walked around throwing his little pumpkin and saying, "Ball!"

Can someone say GRUMPY?

(I don't know exactly what caused this meltdown, but it was a good one. After 20 minutes, she was fine thanks to Aunt KK!)

Harrison likes to show off his tongue, and Sissy is happy to oblige!

"Peek-a-BOO!"

Happy Fall

Who ARE those people behind us!!??

Ethan, Gracie, and Harrison

My favorite one of Little Man

Tracy, I thought of you and you own little own "Punkin"... Isn't life wonderful now that we have them in our pumpkin-filled lives?

Update...

2008-11-02T15:25:00.002-06:00

I want to thank all of my bloggy friends for your prayers and words of encouragement. This has been a very trying time for our family. We feel God at work and see his love pouring out through the generosity of others. My administration and coworkers at my new school have been tremendous blessings to us. Harry had heard nothing in 3 weeks and then this week, he had 2 interviews. He REALLY felt like one of them is where he is supposed to be, but we haven't heard back from them. The other place, a car lot, is very interested, but the money is not enough to support us in the long run. We are thinking he will take this job with the understanding that he is still looking for something in his field of expertise (computers)... We are so grateful for this opportunity and can hardly wait to see God's plan for Harry unfold. I've missed you all so much! Love, Nicole

"Trick or Treat!"

2008-11-02T14:55:00.003-06:00

Happy Trick-or-Treat to everyone!

We went to Old Navy in our costumes the Saturday before with Corie (cousin). Any child in costume got a free t-shirt.

For trick-or-treating, we met up at Ally's house around the corner with some of the girls from our local group to eat and go out in the 'hood together. The girls are all growing so quickly. They had a great time as always. Below are Leah (Rosetta the Fairy) and Gracie ready to go in the wagon.

The Gang... We had a ladybug, monkey, Superman, Rosetta, Silvermist, a princess, a ninja princess, Dorothy, and a girl (Olivia didn't want to dress up).

Anna Grace, a.k.a. Silvermist

Daddy had his hands full!

My little ladybug!

Hope your night was as great as ours!

and now...time for my favorite time of year-bring on Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Prayers welcome...

2008-10-13T22:45:00.002-05:00

My husband, Harry, last his job last week unexpectedly. We have been on our knees asking God to reveal his plan. I feel so out of touch with my bloggy friends, but I'm hoping things will get better soon and I can get back to normal. We welcome any prayers lifted up in our name. I miss you all. Gracie had a good birthday on Saturday and I'll be posting those and some pictures from the previous weekend or two VERY soon. Love to all... Nicole

Something I borrowed...

2008-09-26T09:43:00.002-05:00

I read this on Krista's blog and just had to borrow it. It is wonderfully put! Have a great weekend...

How to really love a child, by Sark

Be there. Say yes as often as possible. Let them bang on pots and pans. If they’re cranky, put them in water. Realize how important it is to be a child. Go to the movie theatre in your pajamas. Read books out loud with joy. Invent. Remember how small they really are. Giggle. Giggle a lot. Surprise them. Say no when necessary. Teach feelings. Heal your own inner child. Learn about parenting. Hug trees together. Make loving safe. Bake a cake and eat it with no hands. Go find elephants and kiss them. Plan to build a rocket ship. Imagine yourself magic. Makes lots of forts with blankets. Let your angel fly. Reveal your own dreams. Search out the positive. Keep the gleam in your eye. Write letters to God. Encourage silly. Plant licorice in your garden. Open up. Stop yelling. Express your love. A lot! Speak kindly. Paint their tennis shoes. Handle with care. Always remember ~ Children are miraculous

Ivy turns 6!

2008-09-24T20:34:00.004-05:00

So, Gracie tells me the other night as I'm tucking her into bed that the next day would be her doll, Ivy's, 6th birthday and she was going to need a party. I scrambled to "throw" something together the next day and even called my mom who was coming over that night. I warned her she might not want to come empty handed. Nana brought a Snow White dress up outfit for Gracie and a card for Ivy...

Ivy had to blow out her candle after we sang the Happy Birthday song...( the brownie bites were delish!) Gracie had to help Ivy take a bite...

Gracie wrapped up a couple of things from her room for the "birthday girl"... Here she is opening baby powder...

Reading Nana's card...

Opening the gift I "got" her...

I know Ivy had a great birthday, but I think we may have created a birthday monster. The very next day she informed me it was a different doll's birthday, so we threw together another impromptu bday party... and I bet you can't guess what my little angel told that night as I was tucking her into bed... That's right! The next day would be TWO of her other dolls' birthday... Needless to say, I had to stop the trips to Winn Dixie's bakery dept, and we are just pretending to have cake... I might be able to lose some weight if all these baby dolls would stop having birthday parties!

Memphis Zoo

2008-09-17T20:55:00.004-05:00

Back in July, we went to Memphis for my family reunion before we flew from there to Maine (which I already posted). Here are a few pics from our time at the zoo...

Gracie and Ethan followed the panda paw prints into the tree trunk.

My big baby was tired and wanted a ride...

Yaya the female panda

noshing on some bamboo...I think this was Lili (the male)

These things were foot massage machines that vibrated REALLY hard. The kids thought it was so funny!

Ethan and Gracie

Harrison was getting sick. Later that night, his fever was 103.7 degrees. I was quite scared, but it turned out to be a fever virus...(see the Maine posts to review the "diagnosis debacle")

Pretty picture taken by my sister-in-law, Kelli.

round and round the carousel goes...

"Which way to the pandas?"

"That way!"

My very own "female explorer" from China

Ethan, a.k.a. "Marco Polo"

Too adorable for words! We had a wonderful time! Harrison was in great spirits even thought he felt yucky!

Happy Late Labor Day!

2008-09-12T22:45:00.003-05:00

We were invited for a Labor Day cookout with some of our China group here in town. The girls are so funny to watch as they play together. They played Candy Land, ate, played in the yard, jumped on the trampoline, and swam in the pool. It was so much fun!

Harrison is one cool dude in his borrowed goggles!

He is quite the ladies' man! The girls were all in the big pool, but they started making their way over to get in with him as soon as I put him in. It was hilarious!

They thought it was funny to pile all of the dive rings on top of his noggin. He was not as amused!

Gracie started swimming on her own during lessons this summer, but still makes me nervous as she isn't strong yet to go for long. She absolutely loves the water!

Thanks to our friends, The Dumas Family, for a great time. The ribs were great, the conversation stimulating as always, and time spent with those held dear is priceless!

On the Move!

2008-09-08T21:03:00.003-05:00

Little Man started walking the night before his 1st birthday, and he hasn't looked back since! Enjoy the video!

Saturday Fun!

2008-09-04T21:26:00.003-05:00

Every other Saturday, we go to Lowe's or Home Depot for the children's Build and Grow workshops. Afterward, we go over to Barnes and Noble for Story Time. We call it "Gracie Time." She made a birdhouse at this workshop. We usually bring the project home and decorate/paint them to give them some personality!
The featured story was "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

Then, we had a surprise visitor. Harrison wanted to look, but that was as far as he went!

Gracie shows her brother there is nothing to fear!

Splish Splash, We were taking a bath...

2008-09-02T22:26:00.002-05:00

I have to fix Ella Grace's hair into a bun (aka Pom Pom) regularly.

Gracie likes to "fix" her brother's hair in the tub.

Playing Catch Up!

2008-08-30T21:35:00.004-05:00

So, I guess I have gotten a little behind in posting my summer pictures! Here is our 4th of July... We gathered at Billy and Stacy's (my BFF) house for a cookout and fireworks."The Kiddie Table"
Father and Son
Lanie showing us how a sparkler is done!
"Do-it-yourself Fireworks"
Shawn's burnt finger after "doing it himself!"
Nana and my little man on his 1st Fourth of July

My brother, Kevin, and his wife, Amanda
My brother, Shawn, and his wife, Kelli
Aidan and Harrison are checking each other out
I like to call this one - "The Hazy Days of Summer!"

We had a great time with family and friends. We are so lucky to be Americans!

I'll try to get a little better about posting closer to the actual event now!

Harrison's Birthday (2 weeks ago!)

2008-08-28T20:56:00.007-05:00

Harrison turned one on August 14. We had a small celebration here with just us and Nana. Gracie helped him open presents and blow out the candle.

On Saturday the 16th, we had a little party for the rest of the family. Nana made the cake and the theme was how quickly the first year had "Zoomed" by. He was actually sick this day, but still had a great disposition. His favorite thing of all was the "Cars" balloon we tied to the back of his high chair. It is still in the living room on the ceiling. He plays with it every night! What a great first year. Harrison, you have brought such joy to our lives and have made this family complete! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

Harrison, Aunt KK, and Aidan

Cake by Nana

Coming Soon...

2008-08-28T09:25:00.002-05:00

Ok, I know I have completely dropped the Bloggy-Ball! Things have been so crazy since school started and it seems like I have absolutely no quality time with the kiddos. When I get home, it's rush-rush-rush then eat, bath, and bed. I know Moms across the world do it (probably better than I do), but it leaves me exhausted and I usually fall into bed as soon as they are tucked in. I am going to upload Harrison's birthday pictures and lots of others and post. They are WAY over due!!! Stay tuned!

Our last day in Maine (finally!)

2008-08-16T11:16:00.007-05:00

On our last day with the coolest family in New England, we got up and drove down to Freeport (I think that's what it's called...) They have LOTS of shopping, so naturally, I was excited! Before we got to the shops, though, we went to lunch at a really unique McDonald's. It is located inside a historical landmark- an old home. Food tasted the same, but the ambiance was kind of neat! (Gracie was a little bummed out with no playground, but still enjoyed the fries and nuggets!) The flagship LL Bean store was the COOLEST! I am a big fan! They have quality items with a great lifetime guarantee. You can't do better than that! Here is the gang (minus Christine) in front of the store. Right after this shot, it started pouring rain.
Everybody got a backpack for school!

Ted got a little something extra with his!

Noah is ready for the bell to ring!

Harrison enjoyed hanging out in the camping section

Gracie and Sophie checking out the fish pond

We went into some cool local shops like the Mangy Moose and visited some outlets like The Northface and Children's Place where we spent lots of money! When we got back to the house, we ,of course, relaxed on the porch and enjoyed a delicious lasagna and bread cooked to perfection by Christine. It was a wonderful way to spend the week- with good friends- in a beautiful place- doing fun things with our amazing blessings we call children! I am so thankful our girls (and GOD) brought our families together! Don't forget to check out Christine's version of our last day's events! Thanks again to our Maine Friends for an awesome trip- even with our unplanned detour the first night!)

One year ago today...

2008-08-13T21:13:00.016-05:00

One year ago tonight (August 13th, 2007) I was at the hospital hooked up to all kinds of machines and scared to death at the unknown of what lay ahead. Oh what a difference a year makes! My Harrison was born on August 14, 2007 at 1:57 PM (after 18 hours of labor!) I have experienced two wonderful miracles in the form of my children, and I still cannot believe how incredibly blessed I am! Over the past year, Harrison has overcome Colick (Thank Goodness!), gotten 9 teeth, learned to roll over, crawl, cruise, and now he is even taking a few steps at a time all by himself! He can feed himself with his hands, drink from a sippy cup, point to his (and others') eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue,head, hair, belly button, and feet. He learned how to sign "more" and "finished", says "hi" as he holds anything that resembles a phone to his ear, and shakes his head "no". He adores his big sissy and loves to play in her room with the kitchen. What a busy year we have had! As crazy as it seems sometimes, I wouldn't change a thing! I feel like the luckiest Mommy in the world! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!!! I am so proud to be your Mommy! I can hardly wait to see what the next year brings! Here are a few pics from Harrison's first year...

1 day old

6 weeks old

2 and a half months

3 and a half months

4 months

6 months

and finally, 9 months old...

I'll post his 1 year old picture tomorrow night after he enjoys his birthday cupcake!

Day 3 in our new FAVORITE place... Maine!

2008-08-06T21:12:00.012-05:00

On day 3, we had a loose, unplanned day of eating, shopping, sliding, and roasting. Ted took Harry and Noah to check on Diesel and they ended up taking a nice walk with the big dog and stopping for lunch along the river. Harry thought it was really cool and the sandwich was great too! Christine took me, Gracie, Sophie, and Harrison to Hallowell to eat lunch at the family's favorite Chinese place and then we walked around the quaint town's downtown stopping in a few antique stores. Then Christine introduced me to the Christmas Tree Shop... VERY cool store with wonderful prices. I got a few things that I thought I would have to ship home because we were already crammed full in the luggage department on the way up to Maine, but thankfully the awesome hosts provided us with a loaner suitcase to get home with. I know, how much better can it get!?!) Sophia is showing us how it is done.
Gracie wants to taste the fortune I guess! (We had to get a nose hair trimmer when we returned home... Gracie loves using it herself! - wink wink Noah!)

Sophie too... What a cutie!

Can anyone guess what Harrison is doing? (I know he'll be embarrassed someday, but Christine reminded me that memory fades and photos generally don't. I never want to forget that adorable "busy" face!) Thanks, Christine!

Both Christine and I had purchased matching dresses for the girls as I mentioned in Day 1's post. These were the ones I picked out for them.

I like to call this one..."Girls Getting Along"

When we finished shopping, we went back to the house and Ted set up the water slide in the front yard for the kids. Gracie and Noah had a blast, but Sophie was not interested.

Harrison got to put his feet in the bottom. The water is ice cold well water that was probably the best tasting water EVER! Did I mention it was COLD!?!

Airborne!!

Can you hear the squeals of delight?

Did I mention it was COLD? ;-)

After dinner, Ted set up a campfire down by the swing set in the fire pit and his brother's family came over and everyone roasted marshmallows and made Smores. Yummy! Except for a few uninvited mosquitoes, it was the perfect ending to a perfectly fun time. (Harrison was still a little under the weather, but a trooper as always.)

Don't forget to read Christine's perspective and see more pictures. I did use some of the same because they were precious... but you'll enjoy seeing them again anyway I hope!

Check back far the last day of our Maine vacation coming soon...

Day 2 (full day) Shaw's and Puffin Cruise...

2008-07-29T22:27:00.017-05:00

So, on our second full day in Maine, "The Way Life Should Be," Christine and I decided to take Harrison to the ER since his fever had lasted over 72 hours. We went to the hospital in Augusta and it was the smallest, least crowded ER I have ever seen (except for on TV) Wasn't there a Michael J. Fox movie called Doc Hollywood? It sort of reminded me of that, only it was not set up in an old house!) It was quaint! The downside was that even though we were taken right back, we ended up waiting for quite a while for the entire staff to enjoy a leisurely lunch (at least that's my best guess!) When the PA finally came in, he was rushed and rude-taking offense to any questions we had. But, we got a prescription and were on our way back to meet up with the guys and girls.

We all set off on a short road trip to the coast for some lobstah and a puffin cruise. Below is our food at Shaw's (featured in the movie, "Message in a Bottle" with Kevin Costner) We had originally planned to eat on the deck, but we didn't account for the STRONG seafood odor or the heat wave (85 degrees!), so we opted for inside. I was really excited to finally try some honest to goodness Maine Lobstah! It was so thoughtful of our hosts to treat us too! (Thanks again guys!) The lobstah meat was good, but the actual process of getting it out was pretty messy and thank goodness for Ted's mini-lesson! One step thoroughly grossed out Paige and I! The onion rings were good too!

Noah looks like an old pro

Harry hamming it up for the camera. I don't even think he tried a bite. This lobstah was simply a prop he used in order to gain more camera time! (Disclaimer: No lobstahs were harmed in the filming of these photos. OK, they were, but they were delicious!)
"Now I have to put my finger where!?"

So sweet.

"Ahoy, puffin ahead!" (OK, not really... we were still docked at this point, but it sounded good)

Gracie and Sophie

On the way out to the island where the puffins hang out... It was pretty chilly as the sun was starting to go down. I'm not feeling too bad at this point, but poor Christine. What a trooper to still take a few snapshots feeling as bad as she was)

Harrison and a borrowed hat

Once we returned to the dock and Christine and I felt normal again, Sophie started saying something was "Stinky" we turned to find her plugging, and I do mean plugging her nose. What character this girl is! I love it!

Below are the tourist trap every "local" hates, but Christine and the gang were so patient and even joined in to humor us out-of-towners!

Lobstah Sophie

"Please, don't eat me!"
Noah the clam

Lobstah Gracie

Harrison is happy as a clam!

I don't know what look Harry is going for here...

see below for the second half of our day!

Day 2 continued...Pemaquid Point

2008-07-29T21:54:00.009-05:00

After the Puffin cruise, we drove just a little bit further and up the coast to Pemaquid Point to see the lighthouse. All I can say is BREATHTAKING! It is so beautiful there! The granite cliffs with the waves crashing against them and the lighthouse above is perfect. God's beauty surrounded us and we felt so calm and relaxed (except when Harry and Ted were scaling tall uneven rocks with kiddos in their arms!) Gracie watching the sunset.
Me and the kiddos...(Me- feeling MUCH better to be on stable land!)
Team Chenoweth in Maine

Mommy and her boy

Noah on the rocks. He is such a cutie pie! Gracie really loves him.

Chillin' with Daddy

Sunset Girls

Now, this was taken through the McDonald's drive-thru on the way home from Pemaquid Point. The guys and daughters went inside to order (see previous post for mention of Gracie's urges!), while the ladies and sons opted for drive-thru. Christine asked the drive-thru employee to tell the guys ordering (or maybe it just Harry) that they had cute buns. She did and Harry's response was to back into our view so we could have a more enjoyable view. You can't take us anywhere! When we got back to the house, we couldn't wait to get out on that porch and relax again before bed. (Did I mention we slept in Paige's room (Thanks Paige!) and she has a sleep number bed. We just could not figure out our number! We ended up sleeping in a crater but still comfy. On Full Day 3 or 4, Christine discovered our predicament and fixed it up just right! Thanks Christine!) Another wonderful day with the coolest family in Maine!

Stay tuned for (full) day 3 and don't forget to check out Christine's version of events!

Day 1 in Maine- "Tasting"

2008-07-27T22:43:00.015-05:00

OK, so here is the first post from our vacation to visit our friends. Christine had a great idea... each of us are going to post our very favorite pictures and describe the day from our perspective. It should be fun to see the differences. I had a REALLY hard time choosing which pictures to post. Check out her version by clicking her highlighted name above...

Now, the afternoon we flew in we had a little adventure. Ted and Noah picked us up in Boston and we were on our way to their house where Christine was slaving in the kitchen to make us a yummy spaghetti dinner. We were an hour into the 3 hour drive when the van decided it needed a break, so we took a little detour into a town in New Hampshire (I can cross this state off my list of places to visit now!). We had a lovely impromptu dinner at a little cafe (although, it was not as yummy as the spaghetti waiting for us back in the kitchen) and browsed in a nice little home decorating store while we waited for our new driver (Christine) to come south to rescue us. We thought we did a good job of entertaining ourselves inconspicuously, but apparently we were fooling ourselves... As we left the store, one of the guys made a crack about a male employee (who was on the phone for the last few minutes we were in the store) saying he looked like he was calling the cops on us. We all laughed and walked out to find a police cruiser slowly inching past the storefront keeping his eyes on us the entire time! (the center was closing soon and we were about the only people in the area.) I guess we were not buying anything so... Christine got there JUST in time! Boy, those Yankees are a suspicious bunch! ;-) On our first full day they took us to the Sea Dog Brewery where they brew their own beer (and do some cooking too). We went to do a little "tasting". Here is the gang (minus one awesome hostess) in front.
Above is Sampler tray of their very own beer.

This was Harry's face throughout pretty much the entire tasting!

Harrison is ready to taste anything right about now!

Sophie is doing a little "tasting" of her own! What a cutie pie!

I "tasted" some Maine Blueberry Pop and REAL New England Clam Chowder while I was IN New England! How cool is that!?! Campbell's has nothing on the Sea Dog!

This REALLY IS Blueberry pop! Looks like Noah has been hitting the Sampler Tray too!

After we got home from the Island, the girls let the hens "taste" some of their feed too!

Maggie is thinking about "tasting" the Southern visitors or the hens, I'm not sure (not really, but the night before for sure!) . She really warmed up to us pretty quickly. What a beautiful, well-behaved dog.

Day 1 in Maine- Continued...

2008-07-27T22:26:00.006-05:00

After lunch and "tasting" our favorite family took us to Bailey Island. It was beautiful. There is a rocky coastline and a really cool gift shop with great prices. It was a great place to rest and watch the kids (and Harry) search for shells, rocks, crabs, etc. It was perfect timing with low tide. The weather up there is wonderful. Not too hot or humid like we have in the South. I ended up having pretty good hair days! Christine and I both ended up getting the girls matching dresses. Below the girls are in the ones from Christine. We got the girls "lobstah" lollipops in the gift shop for them to eat on the drive home. (You're welcome Ted!) The girls rode everywhere with the Daddies, so we ladies had no lollipop aftermath! We had to take 2 vehicles everywhere as our crew was pretty massive. It was nice though. It gave us girls time to catch up and the guys were able to talk about whatever guys do, with the exception of two VERY talkative preschoolers interjecting every now and then! The other bonus of having the girls ride with their daddies is that my Gracie has a tendency to get the "urge" to check out random restrooms pretty frequently, so they had to make more stops on all our road trips (You're welcome again Ted!) "Boy, are these lollipops WICKED good!" (See, we blended right in! Although, I did have a few people tell me I have an accent!)
Best Friends
Harrison was REALLY happy tucked up against pretty Paige. She was so helpful with the kids. She is a wonderful young lady with cool shades!
Finally in MAINE!!
Sweet boy! Christine was so sweet to take all the pictures for me because I forgot to bring my battery charger for my camera. She is really very talented, and I am really very grateful!
Here are the girls being goofy.
More goofy girls!
Here is a pretty rock Gracie is showing off. "Look at this one Mommy!"
Sophie found one too!

I LOVE this one of Baby Boy! He came down with a fever of 103.5 the night before we flew to Maine, and it continued for 3 days, yet he kept a smile on his face pretty much the entire time. He is a great baby. We got some great souvenirs in the gift shop, and then headed home to have awesome spaghetti (finally) and relax on the perfect front porch in the comfy chairs... more to come... check back for Day 2 details and don't forget to visit Christine's version too!

A Few Last Favorites...

2008-07-21T21:29:00.004-05:00

Harrison holding Daddy's hand
Kissy-kissy from Sissy!
Back at ya!

We got home late last night from visiting our wonderful friends up North. We had a fantastic time and didn't want to leave! It definitely ranks way up there in our list of favorite vacations! I'll be posting some pictures as soon as I get them from Christine as she had to take all the pics for me since my camera battery died. Thanks again Christine! We miss you already!

More from our photo shoot...

2008-07-10T15:51:00.002-05:00

We are going to visit Gracie's friend Sophie in Maine. I'll have LOTS of pics when we get home!

My Angels!

2008-07-09T23:05:00.004-05:00

These pictures are a little out of order, but go with it! These are from our friend who does amateur photography taken at a local winery. There are a ton more and I just can't narrow all of them down, so I'll be breaking them into a couple of different posts... Enjoy!

Good Morning- Part 2

2008-07-09T13:57:00.002-05:00

Good Morning!

2008-07-08T23:32:00.003-05:00

Here are a few early morning shots of my cutie pies (before we brushed hair or teeth)! I tried to upload a video to go with this, but after waiting 25 minutes, it says there is an error! I'll try again tomorrow...

Tagged!

2008-07-07T23:08:00.003-05:00

So my friend Mendy tagged me. I am supposed to describe my life in 6 words... Here goes:

"Living the life I always wanted!"

Now, I have to tag 5 people, so...

Tracy at http://emanoff-china.blogspot.com/
Christine at http://sophiafeiling.blogspot.com/
Julie at http://juliebeansnews.blogspot.com/
Stacy at http://deloach0206.blogspot.com/
Amy at http://amysoneblessedfamily.blogspot.com/

I hope you'll all play!

Wii can See!

2008-07-04T13:43:00.002-05:00

The other night Gracie and Harry were getting ready to play the Wii, when Harry/Daddy said he couldn't see and needed his glasses. A second later, Gracie said the same thing. She left the room and came back with her "glasses" proclaiming, "NOW I can see! That's MUCH better!" The sunglasses she has on are from Gymboree. They are large-frames and she calls them her "coolest sunglasses EVER"!

Flower Power!

2008-07-02T22:25:00.004-05:00

I ordered this adorable dress and matching headband from Robin at http://redthreadstitches.blogspot.com/ She is raising money to bring her daughter Mia Hope home. She is really talented! Gracie wouldn't part with her lollipop, so I went with it.

Notice the gnat on her cheek... That accessory didn't cost a thing! (I think there may some leftover lunch in the corner of her mouth too! Oops!)

Gracie- Our Very Own Singer-Songwriter

2008-06-29T23:05:00.003-05:00

Gracie is always singing and playing her guitar with her Daddy. She's been doing it since she was one. Her "originals" have gotten more abstract as she sometimes just sings sounds like she is making up her own words. That's what she is doing on the last song. She has really gotten into Jimmy Buffet lately. She asks me to play his CD every time we get into the truck. She can name each song and what number track it is on the CD. She even does the "Fins" with her hands while singing along to "Fins" at the top of her lungs. I love it! I grew up listening to him and it's just so cute that she likes him too! Sorry it's such a long video, but she has gotten to be quite the ham! Swim lessons start tomorrow (Monday), so I'm sure we'll have lots of pictures to post soon...

PUSH!!!

2008-06-28T07:58:00.003-05:00

Gracie has been obsessed with the TLC show "A Baby Story" lately. She wants to watch it every day. She started after I had Harrison. So, this morning, she is laying beside me with our fluffy comforter piled high on top of her. She says, "Mommy, my belly is BIG!" I agree, then she says, "I'm having a baby!" Before I know it, Gracie is grunting with everything she has and lifting her hips off the bed while she does this. After three or four pushes, she says, "OK. I had my baby, see..." She pretends to hold the baby in her arms. When I ask if it's a boy or girl, she says it's a girl and tells me her name is "Super Lulu" (The same name as two dolls and one of her imaginary friends)... She says I should hold it, but only for a minute. Right away she asks for the baby back because she says, "I have to nurse her." Then she lifts up one side of shirt and proceeds to do so! She cracks me up!! Oh, and she also told me that now I have to stay with her at her house for a while!

I have worried that it is too mature for her, but they do a really good job of blurring out graphic stuff, and she still believes that the baby comes out of the belly!

Swim Time!

2008-06-25T15:08:00.002-05:00

Making Father's Day Gifts

2008-06-22T23:54:00.003-05:00

We went to see Harry's sister and her family near Mobile last weekend. Gracie LOVES her cousins (so do we) and we always have a great time with Kim and Jody. We took the girls to Lowe's so they could make measuring tapes for Harry and Jo-Jo. Gracie's Morris Moose from Maine (thanks, Sophie!)came along to help.Corie Beth works the hammer.
Morris supervises! Safety first!
Finished product
Vroom Vroom!!! (Corie really had to work hard to get her long legs in there, but anything for Gracie!)
Thanks Uncle Jo-Jo, Aunt Kim, Hannah, and Corie for a great time!

VBS - "Outrigger Island"

2008-06-18T22:14:00.004-05:00

Our church's Vacation Bible School theme this year was "Outrigger Island." Gracie was in my class, and we had so much fun! We all wore tropical clothes/accessories and did the hula while we sang about God. I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures while the kids were singing. Below is my very own special monkey (born in the year of the monkey.) She picked out her dress this day. I had something else in mind, but she really wanted to wear this one.

Singing and praising Him with Tanyah and Hannah Grace.

They got to use (new) flip-flops as musical instruments to play along with the song.
Here they are "being waves" with the music and streamers... moving with the tempo and pitch (slow and low, etc...)
Mommy and my little Hula Girl. She's growing SO fast!

*** Oh! and I just want to clarify that I don't feed my kids tons of junk! On the video post below, I mention ice cream and a cookie... In my defense, we had celebrated Daddy's birthday! I know you were all thinking, "Ice cream AND a cookie!!??!!" ;-)

Speak the Truth, Live the Truth, Know the Truth!

2008-06-16T22:41:00.004-05:00

Gracie was cracking me up tonight as I tried to get her into the tub. She has a cold, but she sounds so cute! We finished Vacation Bible School last week and she has been shouting the Motto, "Speak the truth, know the truth, live the truth," all day like we did in the worship rally each day. She does that at the end of the clip- only I called a Bible verse. (Oh, and Super Lulu is one of her imaginary friends!) Happy EARLY birthday to Daddy! He'll be 35 tomorrow...

Family Dinner Video

2008-06-06T22:37:00.003-05:00

Enjoy my baby boy! (Excuse my sing-song voice. I sound like a munckin from Oz)

Sunday Family Dinner

2008-06-05T15:16:00.003-05:00

Our Family has a dinner/cookout each weekend rotating between houses. This past weekend was at Stacy and Billy's (my best friend and her husband adopted into my family). The kids always have a blast. They swam and played in the bouncy thingy. Below is a rare picture of my nephew, Austin, who is in constant motion. This is the best of 3 attempts. "Funny Faces on 3...1, 2, 3!"
Lanie
Harrison in the bouncy ball pit

He ALWAYS has something in his mouth!
Aunt Lulu with Aidan and Harrison (7 weeks apart)
Dripping-wet Gracie

I've Been Tagged

2008-06-02T22:21:00.003-05:00

My blog buddy, Tracy, at: http://emanoff-china.blogspot.com/ tagged me, so let me give it a try...

The rules: Posted here at the beginning. The player answers all questions. The player then chooses six people you want to know more about and tags those people by listing their names at the end of the post and going to their blog and leaving a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Also, you let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

1.) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was 8 years into a marriage with my high school sweetheart not knowing that it would end in only 7 months because he found someone else he thought he wanted to spend his life with. We owned Subway Sandwich franchise(s), and I was starting my student teaching.

2.) What are 5 things on my to do list today? (in no particular order)
Well, since I'm about to go to sleep, I'll give my list for tomorrow: Workout (YUCK!), take the kids to meet Daddy for lunch, work on organizing my family reunion, clean the kitchen, supervise Gracie as she paints/decorates a wooden planter box she made at a Lowe's Build and Grow workshop.

3.) What snacks do I enjoy?
Milky way Caramel, brownies, a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal... (This is OBVIOUSLY why I need to workout in the morning!!!)

4.) What are some places I've lived?
Fort Myers and Cape Coral -both in SW Florida, Troy and Dothan -both in AL

5.) What things would I do if I were a billionaire?
I would pay off all of our bills, buy a house big enough for all the kiddie/baby gear, help out family, go to Italy and Greece with the family, adopt again, hire a nanny, a personal trainer, a personal chef, and a cleaning woman, give alot of money to charities helping missionaries and Chinese orphanages, and for sure shop (since none of my clothes fit me anymore! (Are you sensing a theme here? ;-) )

I'm supposed to tag 6 bloggers by leaving a comment at their blog, but I'll just name them here and they can decide if they want to do this. I am tagging:

Christine at http://sophiafeiling.blogspot.com/

Lisa at http://youngpartyoffive.blogspot.com/

Julie at http://juliebeansnews.blogspot.com/

Connie (AWESOME blog fixer-upper) at http://mommy24treasures.blogspot.com/

Krista at http://bitsandpiecesofahappylife.blogspot.com/

Amy at http://amysoneblessedfamily.blogspot.com/

I hope you'll all play! I can't wait to read your answers!

Happy Children's Day!!

2008-06-01T21:50:00.003-05:00

To celebrate Children's Day ( A Chinese holiday), our group had a pool party/ cookout at Madi's house. The girls (and parents) had a blast! They played on the swing set, jumped on the big trampoline, played a few rounds of Duck-Duck-Goose, swam in the pool, and ate some great food. It was a great way to celebrate the wonderful children we are very blessed to have in our lives. Ally, Leah, and Gracie
The girls all sat under the big trampoline to get instructions for each round of the scavenger hunt that was so sweetly organized by Madi's big (11 year old) sister, Mary. After Mary gave hints and instructions, the girls would scramble out to find the hidden treasures. Once found, they would all run quickly back under the trampoline. There were a few bumped heads, but fun was had by all!
Ally
Getting instructions from Mary...
Hunting for the treasure

Gracie was so proud of herself for jumping in the deep end and going all the way under water... over and over and over...
Big H and Little H
Harrison's first set of wheels.
"Cheese!"
The entire group (except Ally) piled onto this float before it capsized! Happy Children's Day to all the wonderful children who brighten our lives every day!

Mother's Day

2008-05-27T22:28:00.002-05:00

At least every other day since the ACTUAL Mother's Day, Gracie will pick a random moment to just stop what she's doing and sweetly say, "Happy Muver's (Mother's) Day Mommy." Each time she says it, I can't help but smile and think to myself, "Yes, this IS Mother's Day." Each day I get to be with my children and tuck them into bed with sweet little hugs and a "licky" kiss from her and a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss from him IS indeed Muver's Day. I am SO incredibly blessed to be their Mommy!

Word Cloud Copycat

2008-05-26T15:09:00.002-05:00

This is something I saw on Christine's blog and I liked it... so I copied! These are all words the site randomly picked from my blog posts. Kind of cool. If you are interested, you can go to http://www.snapshirts.com/custom.php?sid=uji0n3j7fchdb9ep1a1s5ifgj6 to do one of your own. I need to get taking some new pictures and get them posted. Coming soon! Happy Memorial Day. I hope we will all take time today to thank God for the sacrifices of so many men and women who've fought for our freedom (and that of others). THANK YOU!

Prayers needed

2008-05-21T23:13:00.003-05:00

Please pray for Steven Curtis Chapman and his entire family. His teenage son accidentally struck Maria (his sister), age 5, today while driving in the family's driveway. She was the youngest daughter. She did not make it. Such heart wrenching tragedy. My heart aches for them. Please remember this family in your prayers... Maria and her Daddy

Leaving on a jetplane...

2008-05-21T22:04:00.002-05:00

Random pictures of cuteness...My Princess looking for the perfect spot to build a sand castle. My sleeping Prince Charming (Don't rush to the phone to call Child Services-We only left him there for a moment to take this picture because Harry didn't have a shirt on and did NOT want to be captured on film)

Harrison has a little wooden rocking airplane you can ride on. Gracie likes to sit and rock on it sometimes. Last night she got on and said, "This airplane is ready to go! Here I go! Want to come Mommy?" I asked her where she was going, and she informed me she was going to China to get her a baby. My heart melted!

On a Harrison note... He signs "More" for another bite when he's eating, he covers his eyes with both hands when you say, "Bright lights!", he claps when you say, "Yay!", he shakes his head "No" when you say the word, and he has a gap between his two front teeth that remind me of Sponge Bob!

Harrison's 9 Month Stats

2008-05-18T21:41:00.002-05:00

Harrison went for his 9 month checkup last week. He weighs 20 lbs 3 oz and is 30 inches long. He is 90th percentile for length and 63 percentile for weight. He is a BIG boy! He now has 6 teeth too!

Gracie's bedtime prayer

2008-05-18T21:15:00.002-05:00

As we are tucking into bed and saying night-night Gracie decides she wants to say a "prayer like Mommy's" She is VERY original... "Dear Lord, Thank you for my window, thank you for my door, thank you for my arm, thank you for my screws and "otherone" tools, thank you for...my ceiling, and thank you for my feet! Jesus, Amen!" When I told her I loved her prayer, she said, "But it was a silly one!" I took the opportunity to explain that we should be thankful for those things because some people don't have a ceiling to keep the rain from falling on them and some people don't have feet to walk with, etc... Hopefully she processed the mini-lesson. I just wanted to share her "Gracie-moment" with my blogger friends because I thought it was cute even though she thought she was being precocious. That's my girl!

Hello???

2008-05-09T23:27:00.003-05:00

Alright, Chickens... Where are you guys? This will be fun, so take a risk and "Pay it Forward!" (Sorry if I sounded too harsh- not trying to harass you, but it REALLY will be fun!)

Pay it Forward...

2008-05-07T22:07:00.002-05:00

Lisa at http://www.youngpartyoffive.blogspot.com/ had an invitation to participate in Paying it Forward. I LOVE the idea & want to give it a whirl!!
How does it work? Here are the rules:

I will send a gift (of my choosing!) to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this "PIF" exchange, & who make the same pledge on their blog.
The only thing you have to do in return is PAY IT FORWARD - on your own blog. So, if you want a goodie from me & you are willing to do the same on your blog, let me know!
(Note that you will need to give me your snail mail address, which we can work out over private email!!)

PS... Harrison startes crawling tonight!!! Way to go Baby!

Special Things

2008-05-03T10:21:00.004-05:00

I saw the idea on Connie's blog (see her link below) and I loved the idea...

(Gracie at Easter -3 and a half)

10 special things about Gracie at 3 and three-quarters years old...

1. She gives awesome hugs.

2. She has the most beautiful (and longest) eyelashes I have ever seen.

3. She loves to help me cook- especially blueberry muffins!

4. She only sucks (at bedtime) on the perimeter of "Blankie" leaving the center dry.

5. Doing "schoolwork" (workbooks with letters and numbers) is her favorite activity.

6. She looks for ANY excuse to put on a Band-aid.

7. She is mostly a Mommy's Girl.

8. She loves to be on the go because she gets bored at home- she especially loves to shop!!

9. "Junk" is her new favorite food group. She says, "Tonight, I just want to eat junk!" (it doesn't

happen, but she gives it a shot!)

10.It is amazing to hear her randomly use big words in the right context. She just blows us away!

(Harrison at 6 months)

10 Special Things about Harrison at 8 months old...

1. He gives breathtaking (and messy) drool-filled wet kisses!

2. His soft hair has TWO symmetrical cowlicks and feels like baby duck fluff.

3. He absolutely LOVES Gerber Puffs and Vanilla Wafers.

4. He is a full-blown thumb sucker...We're talking 90% of the time!

5. He is constantly smiling- people are always commenting on how happy he is (He's making up

for the 8 weeks of Colick!)

6. His teeth are coming in on top with the left front and then skipping to the right Canine.

7. His "Poopy Faces" are red and hilarious! There is NO doubt what he is working on...

8. When he was in the womb, he clung to life inside of me against all odds; surprising even my

doctors after each emergency visit! Praise GOD from whom ALL blessings flow!

9. He can say ball only it sounds like, "Ba!"

10.The dog's ears, Sissy's hair, and his "pee-pee" (Sorry Harrison, but someday you'll appreciate

the details!) are his all-time favorite toys right now!

From the sitters house to yours!

2008-04-29T20:12:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures the babysitter took last week. She occasionally does this and sends them to me at work. The one below is Harrison and his t-shirt. Miss Cindy said he kept playing with hhis shirt over his head until he finally worked it all the way behind hid head. She said he cracked up once he accomplished this. He went on to do it three more times and she finally just left it that way. What a hoot! He looks like an little redneck, doesn't he? and what's with the hand...!?
Our growing girl is so big! She fed Harrison a jar of bananas all by herself tonight! Such a good helper!

New Look

2008-04-24T20:48:00.003-05:00

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! My sweet friend Connie at http://mommy24treasures.blogspot.com/ fixed up our Team Chenoweth site. I LOVE it! What a lucky gal I am to have such a wonderful blog buddy like her! Thanks again for sprucing us up here.

Gator Bait

2008-04-23T16:17:00.004-05:00

When we were down in Destin with my sister-in-law, Kim, and the girls, we went to Fudpuckers. Hannah, Gracie, and a sick Corie (fever of 102.4) hold Allie the gator. Harrison and Nana even got in on the action! He liked how the skin/hide felt.

The girls got some "Gator Bait" and put it on the rod. They were a little let down as the gators were not hungry The gator bait is the stuff that looks like dog food.

Here is my little thumbsucker with Mommy and a big 'ol gator.

Weird Wednesday

2008-04-22T22:00:00.003-05:00

"Imaginary Matthew"- 0 Mommy-1

2008-04-19T21:25:00.002-05:00

OK, so I've posted about Gracie's imaginary friends (The group keeps growing by the way!) Well, the other day I found myself in a showdown with the ringleader! Gracie and I are at the kitchen table while I am feeding Harrison and Gracie shot me a sideways look. Here is how it went down:
Me: "Where did you learn to look at Mommy like that?"
Gracie: "From Matthew" (Imaginary friend)
Me: "That is not very nice. If he can't be nice, he will not be allowed to play with you."
Gracie: "He said he will not be nice."
Me: "If he wants to play with you he will."
Gracie: "He said he will not."
Me: "Then he will have to go home."
Gracie: "He said he won't go home!"
Me: "Yes, he will. I will not allow him to play if he is going to be mean."
Gracie: "Mommy, he is not leaving."
Me: "Yes he is. See, he gone."
Gracie: "No, look. He is right there in front of you!" (Pointing at the floor in front of me)
Me: (Pretending to talk to the space he occupies) "Matthew, you must go home because you are
not playing nice. When you decide to be sweet, you can come over again."
Gracie: "He's still here!" (smiling)
Me: (Starting to get a little frustrated) "OK, then I guess I will have to take him to the door."
Gracie: "He's still not leaving."
Me: (I pretend to take him by the arm and escort him to the door leading to the garage) "Go
home Matthew. Do NOT come back until you can be nice!" (I shut the door and return to
the table)
Gracie: "He will just come back in through the door Mommy."
Me: "No, he won't."
Gracie: "But, how do you know?"
Me: "Because, I locked the door and I have the key."
Gracie: "Oh. Well, maybe he can come back Friday at 10 o'clock then. OK?"

Score one for Mommy! (It WAS a close one though!)

Beach Trip #2

2008-04-16T22:08:00.004-05:00

Here is our second trip to Destin in as many weeks. This time it only rained on Saturday, but it brought a cold front! It was a girls' weekend (plus Harrison). Nana came and Aunt Kim (Harry's sister) and the girls (Hannah and Corie) met us there. We had a great time. Poor Corie battled a 102 degree fever, but was quite the trooper! I think we all could have used a few more sunny days down there, but it was nice to see Daddy again too. Hannah in her suit. I like to call this one "Strike a Pose" ;-0 (Hannah, how did Dad like the suit?)
Corie Beth is among Gracie's favorite people. What a cutie!
Making sand castles is tough work!
The girls and their giant hole. Hannah worked forever on this.
Gracie and Corie played a little Frisbee too.

Here is Gracie before dinner with Dixie and gang.
Waiting with Nana to go pay WAY too much for fondue dinner at Melting Pot. It got really chilly! Sorry again, Kim! I STILL feel so bad, but at least we know now!
Finally! A pretty day at the beach! Harrison chills out under the umbrella checking out the beach babes!
My very own beach babe making yet another sand castle
Harrison and Aunt Kim. He feel asleep in my arms (under a beach towel) shortly after this picture. He was wiped out!

Beach Weekend #1

2008-04-15T07:33:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures from our first beach trip to Destin. This trip was with Daddy. We have a friend who has a house down there, and we always get first dibs when they aren't using it. It was cloudy and rainy the entire weekend, but we still managed to let Gracie make a few sand castles and put Harrison's feet in the sand for the first time. He did not like when the cold water washed over his toes. We hit the Silver Sands Outlet Mall (Largest Designer Outlet Mall in US) and, as always, drove to Grayton Beach to eat at the Red Bar. They have the absolute BEST crab cakes EVER! Just ask Sheryl Crow and Jim Carrey (He filmed the Truman Show near there).

Here are the kids after dinner at the Red Bar
Gracie is a really great big sister. We'll see if that changes when he starts crawling and getting into her stuff. really close!
Gracie took this picture.
My LOVES!!!!
His first time at the beach.
Ok, this is all my LOVES! (The big one- most of the time! ;-) )
"Mama, it's LOUD!"

PLEASE disregard my "Pregnancy-induced Rosacea" Yuck!! I ONLY posted this one because it is SO cute of Harrison and I am a novice at how to edit pics...
Making a sandcastle on a gloomy day...
Lunch at the Crab Trap!
I'll add pictures of the second weekend tomorrow...

My Week in a Nutshell...

2008-04-10T21:52:00.003-05:00

I am stealing this idea from Christine -'cause I liked it!

My week in a nutshell:

1. Took a family weekend getaway to Destin, FL (beach) last weekend

2. Rained ALL weekend!

3. Went to family cookout Sunday night

4. Got VIOLENTLY ill in middle of night Sun/Mon.

5. Visited emergency room to receive IV fluids for dehydration Monday evening

6. Went back to work today still feeling icky

7. Harry gave Harrison a bath for the first time (he's 8 months old!!)

8. Taking the kiddos and Nana back to Destin for another weekend getaway

and also meeting Aunt Kim and cousins, Hannah and Corie there

9. Forecast for beach weekend: MORE RAIN AND COLD FRONT!!!

Please pray for us! (and on a serious note, pray for the kids to be protected from the crud I had/have... Thanks! See ya Monday!

PS- here are some pictures from my mom's (aka NANA) birthday party at putt-putt golf in March...

Ethan and Gracie
Little Boy Blue!
Copping a Squat!
Gracie gets golf lessons from Daddy
Chillin' with Aunt KK

A Diva Party

2008-04-02T21:44:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Gracie went to Avery's ( a friend) birthday party. It was a Diva Party! Each girl got to dress up in fancy outfits, have hair. make up, and nails done, dance and sing karaoke on stage. It was so cute! Gracie has decided (for the moment anyway) that she wants to have her 4 year old party there. Here is Gracie getting her hair fixed. You could choose between a "princess" or "rock star" look. She chose princess and the girl next to her chose rock star...
Gracie also got to pick the colors of make up to put on. Wait for it.......
Ta Da! Gold eyes and green lips!!! Beautiful combo choice, Baby!
Maybe she has a little rock star in her too... (like her Daddy!)
Oh yeah, and you may have noticed there has been a wardrobe change! (Both outfits were her favorite color)
Here are the girls learning how to do the "Cha Cha Shuffle" It was so cute!
Most of the dancing pictures I snapped were blurry as they moved at different times and I am still figuring out my camera.
Nail Time. Gracie picked out Lime Green. Each of the girls also got to keep their crown and tiara. What girlie fun!!!! Thanks for inviting us Avery!

wEIRD wEDNESDAY...

2008-04-01T21:56:00.003-05:00

oops!

Playing

2008-03-31T16:55:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we played outside while I took pictures. Gracie loves driving her jeep with Ivy, her friend, while Harrison and I watch. It was still cold then. I've been meaning to post about Gracie's blossoming imagination. She now has 3 imaginary friends: Harrison (only he's grown-up), Super Lulu, and Matthew. They just "showed up" one day. She takes turns for them when we are playing board games, they sit at the table with us, and she just talks to them at random moments. It really is funny! Sometimes, if you sit next to her, she will ask you to scoot over so you don't sit on them. Anyway, I want this blog to help me remember the funny things my kids did when they are older and I forget some of it... It looks like he is talking to Gracie...
Whenever she drives the jeep, she says she is going through a drive through. She'll ask me what I want from Chick-fil-a or McDonald's. Do you think that means we eat fast food too often????
Gracie and Ivy
Awwwwwwwwww
I was playing with my camera.

Sweet Cheeks!

PS... Gracie got out of bed a little while ago to tell me that her "friends made her bump her head." When I asked her which friends, she named the normal ones and added "Science" who is a boy in kindergarten... I think our house is getting smaller each day! She is too cute!

Overdue Chinese New Year Playdate Post...

2008-03-27T22:10:00.004-05:00

Some of our families from the local Chinese play group got together not far from here in Georgia where one of the families lives. We went to a state park to play, then changed into our traditional outfits to go to a Chinese restaurant. We had a great time! I intended to post this the week after we did the formal celebration at a local university- the one where the girls were in the fashion show, but time got away from me... We decided to do a "Red couch" pic of our own, but it seems like my colors are too bright. I am still learning and playing with my new camera.
Dinner was REALLY good. Connie, Bella's mom, got all the girls trainer chopsticks, and the girls had fun breaking them in! It got a little messy, though.
Gracie has a great appetite and tries most everything. We really are so lucky in that respect. (She takes after me!) She is learning not to talk with her mouth full.
Harry was in control and had all the girls at one end of the long table eating around him. He got them all so giggly and LOUD! Then they started running around the table (It wasn't very busy and the owner's son was playing too). When he started taking pictures, he got them to take a silly picture, of course! The owner and her son are to the left of the group.

Playing at the park with Bella and Leah
See-Saw
My guys
Charley, Olivia, Anna Grace, and Gracie. The other girls in the picture are all 6 years old.

Snack break in the back of one family's mini-van. The girls thought it was cool!

A Blessed Easter!

2008-03-26T20:49:00.002-05:00

Peek-A-Boo! Gracie was so excited to wake up and see what the Easter Bunny had dropped off. This is my sweet Gracie before the sugar high kicked in...
Our baby boy just can't believe these goodies are for him!
Ready for church, but Gracie is starting to become uncooperative...
Full-blown sugar overload!
Gracie takes a breather to collect herself while Harrison takes it all in. (I hope he wasn't taking notes!) What a blessed, glorious Easter!

Weird Wednesday

2008-03-25T22:04:00.002-05:00

Mid-blink.

The kids get Inked

2008-03-23T23:01:00.004-05:00

Thanks to my good friend, Christine, Gracie choose some really cool tats for herself and Harrison. They wanted to look like Daddy. (Please excuse the disarray of our humble abode...) No words necessary!
The flaming baby carriage which looks alot like Daddy's infamous FLAMING NIPPLE

Who loves his Mama???
I like to call this one "My Hotties" Wink Wink (Get it? ... Flames-hot...?)
Gracie's up close Rocker-Chick tattoos. I made her pick a spot that was not visible in her Easter dress.

My Girl

2008-03-18T12:55:00.002-05:00

Here are a few more from picture day...

2008-03-10T22:33:00.000-05:00

I LOVE that sweet smile!
Giggles for mommy...

Check out those teeth!
She comandeered Daddy's sunglasses
Daddy was trying to direct the photo shoot as usual, and had her "pet the turtle"
Daddy says, "Now, smell the flower! Good! Good!"

Happy squeals from little brother!

Awwww......
I bet you won't be surprised to hear there were enough pictures to make one more post, coming soon to a blog near you!

More adorable pictures to ooohhh and aaahhh at...

2008-03-07T15:35:00.000-06:00

Forgive my excessive picture posting, but I really had a hard time narrowing it down to just a couple of pictures. I had to choose from 124 shots, so this is pretty good. I would have put more, but there was an error in the loading process. Oh well, I guess I'll have to post those another day! Enjoy... The kiddos were getting the hang of posing.

"Pat-a-Cake"
Checking out the pond.
It was a weird time of day with lots of shadows.

Have a great weekend Everyone!

gracie's post

2008-03-04T18:08:00.000-06:00

1 sophie birthday c ard chips nana momm7y love grrrrracie

Easter pictures and Harrison's 6 month pictures

2008-02-29T22:32:00.000-06:00

"Happy Easter everyone!"

Everything goes to his mouth!
My little angel...

"Where did these come from?"

This one reminds me of an ad or pic from a magazine.
Harrison ABSOLUTLEY LOVES to pull hair , and Gracie has plenty of it these days. (We're overdue for a haircut...)
Sweet baby boy

She was grumpy here because we had to wake her up from her nap to go take pictures... I love this one though.

Weird Wednesday

2008-02-26T22:46:00.000-06:00

Not his best look!

Weird Wednesday

2008-02-19T22:25:00.000-06:00

Photo courtesy of Ella Grace, my budding photographer.

Austin Turns 3!

2008-02-17T23:27:00.000-06:00

The cousins can really "bust a move!"
Giddyup!
Austin makes a wish...
The real, live Chuck E. Cheese in the flesh, I mean fur!

Watching herself on the video screen...
Checking out her moves!
CUTE!

Having a great time!

Cousin Time

2008-02-15T22:30:00.000-06:00

We traveled to North Georgia to celebrate Chase's 4th birthday. He sure is growing up!
Happy "babies" with a leaf?

It was hard to coordinate them!
"CHEESE!!"
She looks like SUCH a big girl here...
Chase (The birthday boy)
Ethan

My Funny Valentines

2008-02-14T21:46:00.000-06:00

This is the best Valentine's Day EVER!!!!!

(Also, it is Harrison's half-birthday today)

Weird Wednesday...

2008-02-12T22:05:00.000-06:00

"Say what!?"

Happy Year of the Rat!

2008-02-11T21:11:00.000-06:00

Troy University (My alma mater) Chinese Student Union hosted a New Year's celebration for The Year of the Rat. They have a pretty big Chinese student population who participate in the

1-2-1 Program. International students attend a university in their own country for one year, travel to Troy University for 2 years, then back to their own country for their senior year. They end up graduating with two degrees; one from their country and one from Troy University. It is a pretty neat program. When the director of the prgram found out we had such a big local group of children (one hour south in Dothan), she asked if the children could participate in the fashion show. So... here are the girls and Troy University college students in the New Year's fashion show.
Gracie was ready to do her "fashion dance!"
She is holding Ally's hand to help her be brave.

At the end of the show, the girls got red envelopes with a Chinese coin in it.
Anna Grace, Gracie, and Ally (Ally lives in our neighborhood)
Gracie loved petting the dragon
Abby, Erin, Gracie, and Joleigh

The Dragon Dance
Lion Dance
We even had Peking Duck (not on this plate)
New Year Cakes

Before she actually tried the "dessert"... she wasn't too ready for a second bite

Gracie, Leah, Abby, and Olivia
"Happy New Year!!"
Davia, Charlie, Lana, Anna Grace, Olivia, Leah, Ally, Gracie, Erin, and Abby. There were a few more girls here, but I couldn't fit the whole line-up in my viewfinder...
Charlie and Davia brought Rats for all the girls!
Suzanne with Lilly

Tag, you're it!

2008-01-31T21:43:00.000-06:00

I got this from Shelly at the blog below and thought it would be kind of fun. If you're reading it, consider yourself tagged! You're it!

http://ourmomentintime.blogspot.com/

When you walk in your front door, which room do you enter?
The utility room into the kitchen

Do you have a dishwasher?
Yes.

Is your living room carpeted or does it have hardwood floors?
Carpet

How many bedrooms is it?
three

Gas stove or electric?
electric

Do you have a yard?
Yes

What size TV is in the living room?
31"

Are your plates in the same cupboard as your cups?
Nope

Is there a coffee maker sitting on your kitchen counter?
Yup.

What room is your computer in?
The bedroom since Harry had to give up "Manland" for Harrison

Are there pictures hanging in your living room?
Not at the moment... we are going to have it painted.

Are there any themes found in your home?
Hmm, well in Gracie's room sort of... a garden/ladybug theme

Do you use dryer sheets?
Occasionally.

Curtains in your home?
No, pleated shades

Is your house clean?
Sometimes.

What room is the most neglected?"
My bedroom

Are the dishes in your sink/dishwasher clean or dirty?
Dishwasher-clean...Sink-dirty (I took the night off for my birthday-don't laugh, Mom!)

How long have you lived in your home?
8 years in April

Where did you live before?
In an apartment here in town

Do you have one of those fluffy toilet lid covers on your toilet?
Yeah, right

Do you have a scale anywhere in your house?
Yes, in the bathroom

How many mirrors are in your house?
4.

Look up. What do you see?
The ceiling, duh.

Do you have a garage?
Yes

Weird Wednesday

2008-01-29T22:25:00.000-06:00

I have no idea...;-)

20 Ways to Determine if you are a real Alabamian

2008-01-27T22:30:00.000-06:00

I got this in an email from a friend and thought it was pretty accurate and good for a laugh...

20 Ways to Determine if you are a real Alabamian

1. You can properly pronounce Arab, Cahaba, Opelika, Sylacauga, Oneonta, Eufaula, and Wedowee.

2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states are: sissies.

3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.

4. You know that the true value of a parking space is determined: not by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.

5. Stores don't have bags or shopping carts, they have sacks and buggies.

6. You've seen people wear bib overalls at funerals.

7. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.

8. You measure distance in minutes. ("It's about 5 minutes down the road")

9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.

10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.

11. You know cowpies are not made of beef.

12. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.

13. You have known someone who has a belt buckle bigger than your fist.

14. You aren't surprised to find movie rentals, ammunition, beer, and bait all in the same store

15. A Mercedes-Benz isn't a status symbol. A Ford F-350 4x4 Extended Bed Crew Cab Dually is.

16. You know everything goes better with Ranch Dressing, or Ketchup.

17. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.

18. You actually get these jokes and are "fixin' " to send them to your friends.

19. You have used your heater and air-conditioner in the same day.

Finally: You are 100% Alabamian if you have ever had this conversation:

20. "You wanna coke?" "Yeah." "What kind?" "Dr Pepper."