The Danner Group

Christmas card in review

2011-12-28T16:13:00.007-05:00

When I was digging my addresses for cards this year, I was taking a glance at the ones from the past. I guess I started in 2005 and didn't do one his first year....if I did, I can't find it. This was on the step of McCurdy's.

I'm missing 2006, but here is 2007 taken from our yard.
And here is 2008 during Aubree Cate's first year. It was freezing this day; Aubree could stand alone, but hadn't started taking steps yet......
2009 taken at Mama/Daddy's.
2010 in our yard.

This year in our yard. I changed their clothes quickly....... posed them for about 10 minutes and they went back to playing. I told them the faster they cooperated, the faster they could play :)

Painting Christmas

2011-12-28T12:05:00.010-05:00

I've made more posts in two days than in two months! Tammy and I decided to let the kids paint some pottery for Christmas presents. We took them in November so that would be one less thing we had to take care of in December.....

We decided on a color pallet that all the kids would use to paint Mama's plates.

Mama's finished product! Before we left, my kids painted plates for Mrs. Libby with their handprints. They used stamps and made prints around them..... It was really fun to do something different like that, but I asked the lady if she stayed stressed out all day with the hustle and bustle around all the breakables???? That seemed like a perfectly suitable question coming from me! She said they stay pretty busy and it gets hectic, but she REALLY enjoys doing it!!! :)

Kids' Christmas program

2011-12-28T11:20:00.001-05:00

The kids had their "Light Before Christmas" program at church. It turned out really cute..... I felt a sudden weight lift when they sang the last word of the program! :)

I don't know why I get lines through some of my pictures when I load them!!! UGH The real picture is fine....... This was "Do the Shepherds Need Shades" :)

I also had two songs recorded on video, but Blogger is extremely annoying about loading videos!!!! I left it alone for over 2 hours, but I still don't think it loaded even one.......

Christmas party with toddler friends

2011-12-27T14:44:00.005-05:00

On December 16th, after eight short years, we partied our last Christmas with Mrs. Wanna & Mr. Bill. Time really does fly, because in no form or fashion does it seem like it has been that long.......She is so good to the kids at Christmas!!

It was like Christmas morning when AC was dressing up from the trunk load of clothes that one of the Wood boys gave her!!!
Among other things, we will MISS our Christmases with the Pennington family!

31 years....

2011-12-19T22:26:00.005-05:00

As of Thursday, Mrs. Libby will say farewell to 31 years of service with the Federal Government. Her Fort Stewart co-workers had a retirement celebration in her honor in Richmond Hill....***I forgot to get a picture of her accepting her plaque***

Family picture: Mrs. Libby with brothers and sisters and Grandma Sally leading the pack.

*Both of my kids doing some sort of something....not sure! :) Retired husband and now retired wife.....with very supportive grandkids! :)

Uncle Hamp and admirers Mrs. Libby has worked long and hard...we are very proud of her accomplishments!

Creeping in...Christmas & Hair

2011-12-16T09:05:00.005-05:00

We had the kids' Christmas program last Sunday night, so I'm hoping those will be the next pictures I'll get loaded and posted. It's pretty shocking, but this is the longest my kiddo's hair has ever been! I just have a strong pet peeve about children's hair - not all children are meant to have long hair! I started to feel guilty and bad mother-like for not letting her hair grow out just yet, especially when she would just STRESS how badly she wanted a pontytail like some of her friends. On the weekend we would pull, stretch, clip, and pretend....... She would look and say, "My hair is getting long!" So I'm going to let it grow at least enough for a decent ponytail. I can't believe how quickly it has grown, though! I looked back at our vacation pictures from July, and it was mid-neck length....not even touching her shoulders. It's come a long way, baby......only a little more to go! :)

Closing the gap

2011-12-08T18:02:00.004-05:00

My gaps between posts seem to keep getting wider and wider......no kidding!

I decided that today was as good of a day as any to get current, especially since I had a blog discussion today:) But as Aubree is yelling, "Mama, Mama!" in the background, it is less than easy to concentrate on "work".....I've already stopped about three times in these few short sentences!!!! :)

I'm not even going to worry about rewinding.....I completely skipped Thanksgiving, but it was yummy and relaxing nonetheless.

We have a good bit of activities coming this weekend.....I'm taking the kids and meeting friends to see The Journey tomorrow night, celebrating with Mrs. Libby in her long awaited retirement on Saturday, and the kids are FINALLY going to put all this practice to use when they perform their cantata on Sunday night (Can I get a Hallelujah!). So, hopefully, you'll be hearing from me again soon! :) **I love this picture**

Dragging out.....

2011-11-18T07:38:00.001-05:00

Got to tackle this day........

Pout to Posing....

2011-11-14T21:25:00.005-05:00

"Oh, come on.......let me have one snap"

"See.....that didn't hurt you!"

"Go ahead......let the Aubree out!"

Costume & Church Festival

2011-11-12T21:43:00.002-05:00

I'm so glad our church has grown to have such an active youth program. We are blessed enough to have a preacher and youth pastor that is dedicated to making the youth a top priority in the church.
The kids always have the option of wearing their costumes to the church Fall Festival every year. Having a costume contest is always part of the activities.....

This was actually a costume that I decided on and Aubree agreed with no problem. I think the hair was the selling point.... You know it is the girl's mission in life for me to let her have enough hair for a ponytail!!!! :)

Dawson asked me why I dressed her like the Wendy's girl! Haha!! He hasn't really had any experience with rag dolls or Raggedy Ann, I guess!Listening to the devotion.....

And.....she did it!

Pumpkins...

2011-11-06T21:54:00.002-05:00

Finally, I'm finishing up this post. The weekend Dell and I took the kids to the pumpkin patch was super fun. We had an exhausting good time, and one would have thought the kids had never been outside their own houses! They were like ping pong balls bouncing in all directions....we couldn't help but laugh at them!!!

Aubree Cate, Baylor, and John McLean.....
Mama and daughter :) That sun was blinding!

Aubree was waiting on one of the boys to pop out of the slide :) The little house of corn is a brilliant idea! The kids loved it and wanted to hurl it into the air. Although, the anal side of me got into a discussion with Dell about the possibility of a kernal flying into their ear. :) They look like they are learning the secret to life from the donkey! :) We enjoyed our outing and can't wait for another!

Just a taste.

2011-10-25T22:30:00.003-04:00

A taste of last Saturday filled with pumpkins. A taste of what I rarely have time for anymore...posting. I will definitely post more of A Tale of Three Friends.....

Until then, this is.....just a taste.

Sweet Cheeks

2011-10-14T22:06:00.004-04:00

The ones you kiss....
And the ones you pinch!

Cutting

2011-10-11T20:48:00.008-04:00

It is a sure fire difference between Colby and Aubree Cate (or boy vs girl in general). Colby despised cutting, drawing, writing, etc. while AC cuts nearly every day. It is probably her favorite thing to practice......

So, I've started drawing some shapes and letting her practice cutting on the line. Hands down, she's ready in the cutting department!!! :)

Circles are a little tricky, but she is getting better and doesn't show the frustration she did in the beginning......

Then, a square.....

I'm just estatic that AC loves it!!! It was brutal having a kid that pretty much griped about the majority of pre-k since it is all about coloring, writing, and cutting :)

Pretty in Pink

2011-10-10T10:19:00.003-04:00

100 years of magic...

2011-10-09T21:06:00.023-04:00

Last Sunday, Dell and I took these kiddos to Disney on Ice....

Traffic was a bear, to say the least!!!! Actually, I thought Sunday (the last show day) would be the best and least crowded....turns out I was wrong!!! Both of us were scrambling to get there on time!!! :)
The show was awesome! I enjoyed it more than Nemo last year.....

It was very attention getting to have bits and pieces of different movies or characters.

Loved Toy Story.....
And....It's a Small World!!!!

We enjoyed our play date and even escaped without any outrageously overpriced items!!! :)

October means...

2011-10-05T22:56:00.002-04:00

That we get to dress in Halloween themed clothing!! I love that! Aubree dressed in candy corn tonight for church, and I was able to talk her into a quick pose.....

I tell you, when I'm not busy lecturing that cute face with a devilish grin...I could eat her with a spoon!

Soon, very soon, I'm hoping to get our Disney on Ice pics loaded.....

"A rose by any other name....."

2011-10-03T22:08:00.002-04:00

would smell as sweet. Even if it is silk.....Sweet boy John McLean brought AC a rose today which makes it her first "boy rose". At least I can say I approve of this boy! :) We will always keep this rose (unless he tells Aubree he needs it back :)) so she can look back and see what sweet friends she had back in the day!

Cheese please!

2011-09-26T21:37:00.003-04:00

"Aubree Cate! What are you doing in the refrigerator?!"
She has a fondness for cheese slices!!! Rest assured....she gets her dairy!

Simultaneously

2011-09-25T18:30:00.002-04:00

The kids were both reading at the same time on Saturday night..... that sight makes me extremely happy even though it does take a little arm twisting. Aubree is at the stage where she still really enjoys books and pretending to read. This is the house that Jack built used to be my favorite when I was younger. I would always want Grandma and Granddaddy to sit and read it with me when I stayed with them. It made me feel like I could read, because I could memorize the repetition of the story!I always imagined that my children would love reading! Colby loved books when he was younger, but, true to kids, you can never predict! He isn't the bookworm I had him pegged to be! He is such a good reader, but I have to encourage the reading and just make him do it. Hopefully, in time, he'll gain a passion for it!!!!! :)

Happy 84th!

2011-09-19T21:22:00.002-04:00

Lets pretend it is the 14th and that I'm not so far behind!!! Tammy and I took Grandma S. to dinner at the Rusty Pig for her 84th birthday last Wednesday. I had the BBQ and yummy mashed potatoes (that David says ARE NOT real) followed by birthday cake. I was extremely full and nervous that I would start to nod off in church that night! :)

Have you ever seen cuter boys and girl? I can hardly stand it! :) They are very fortunate to have GREAT grandparents.

And....have you ever seen more beat down girls than that????? :) WE HOPE GRANDMA LOVED HER BIRTHDAY AFTERNOON OUT!

You snooze, you lose!

2011-09-06T17:49:00.004-04:00

Aubree Cate hooked him up.....and I helped secure the band around his head :)

Sand, salt, & surf

2011-09-05T17:19:00.005-04:00

Technically, Labor Day marks the end of "water trips" for most people. I knew this would be my last chance at the beach, and I'm just not ready to give up this part of summer! I was dying for a beach day, and luckily, a friend agreed to join us......

Aubree never misses the opportunity to eat at the beach. This was maybe 10 minutes after we got settled.

*Ignore the bottom of that pic....my camera put it on there. Didn't feel like editing :)
This was Bristol's first trip to the beach, and I can't imagine another child on the beach that was any better! That girl found love!
She played non-stop and was not phased a little by water rushing up on her!
True to boy fashion....there was some necessary roughness! Colby & Bode were not ready to leave......
We had lots of fun (up until I couldn't find my keys in Steak n' Shake) lol
I am soooo going to miss sand, salt, and surf the next few seasons!

The laboring man

2011-09-04T22:23:00.003-04:00

Holiday church messages are usually extra good.....

A message geared especially for the working person: what God expects from us & what we should be thankful for came at a particularly good time.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

Play ball

2011-09-02T09:05:00.002-04:00

Baseball in the Fall

2011-08-31T22:16:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday, we played a baseball tournament in Long Co. It was the team's first performance with their new baseball family (South Tattnall Sluggers).

They began to get in sync each game around 4th or 5th inning....They all shed a little sweat and worked hard! That air conditioned bathroom was my friend for some of the day :)
Colby did really great! He'd been struggling with correct leg placement during his swing, but everything just fell into place for him that day!! We have more coming soon, and it would not hurt my feelings too much if the temperature would cool about 15 degrees before the next game!!!

Drag-a-lagging

2011-08-24T18:04:00.002-04:00

Ohhh.....I'm so very tired today! I can't think of much else I'd rather do than put myself on that couch and grab about a two hour nap...I know it would do wonders for getting me through the rest of the week! On a weekday, however, THAT word is not in my vocabulary so instead I'm snatching clutter left and right so M won't stop helping me clean my house and listening to kids raise the roof while I spruce enough to be suitable for church tonight! I'm sure I'll feel much better once I get back home! :)

Whoa Nelly!

2011-08-21T20:22:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago, by accident and against our will, we wound up with her....Nelly. She is a Boston Terrier that was going to be Hamp's but he wanted the kids to have her..so came the ever-so-sneaky plan. He brought the puppy....she stayed....then a while longer.....she visited until late....she spent the night....and another night.....and you know! Then, we couldn't tell the kids no....
Poor Nelly, didn't even know what was coming next....

It's healing nicely, but the kids were completely confused by what had happened....Aubree saw the stitches and said, "ugh...why is there a bee on her tail!!" Potty training in progress.....next step is to master that obstacle!

Fence fun

2011-08-18T07:45:00.010-04:00

I've had these pics for months and had almost forgotten about them. This was one afternoon in the spring when Colby was gone, so Aubree and I were messing around...you know, one of those afternoons we could be outside without becoming a big puddle of sweat! By no means was my 'hurricate' dressed for pictures, but she was in the moodfor picture posing

and goofiness.....Sugar and spice
just oozes
from that sneaky smile

and her extreme nail-bitten hands don't you think??

First day of second grade

2011-08-13T16:41:00.001-04:00

He has Melissa Tatum for his teacher this year.... we are looking forward to a happy school year!

Daytona Vacation (cont)

2011-08-11T21:12:00.010-04:00

Here are a few pictures that we took during our last few days....I'm such the procrastinator about taking these pics. It is the last thing the kids feel like doing!

BIG sleep

2011-08-05T22:12:00.005-04:00

As the sign says, "The Princess sleeps here"

Finally, Aubree gets her first night's sleep in her very own bed! She said she was pretending to sleep.... :) Never mind the nonmatching bed sheets.....I haven't gotten to that part yet :)

Some beach....Daytona Beach

2011-08-02T21:32:00.016-04:00

I'm fairly confident I was meant to live at the beach at some point during my life :) I think it counteracts my Type A(ness) - some! I could, seriously, spend A LOT of time at some beach....somewhere We go every year for the last two weeks in July to Daytona. However, I have to cut mine short by a few days to get back for last minute errands and get kids adjusted before school begins the following week....... The kids have a blast! They are never ready to leave when it's time....usually, Colby cries each time we leave!

Aubree is getting ready to go set up the tent! AND, we also had a break-through with the swimming situation! At the beginning of the summer, AC was on the steps and had the biggest grudge against that puddle jumper!!! She refused to wear it! NOW, she is wearing the floater and jumping in to swim ALONE! Grammy persuaded her and she was good to go after that..... Really, I practiced some swimming with her without it on too...she is putting her head under for a good period of time. If I had adequate swimming time with her, Aubree could probably be somewhat swimming before the summer ended. She just forgets to use her arms...haha For some reason....Colby was a goggle wearing kid during this trip! He would live in the water if he could! The nice thing about this year was that Tammy was able to get a room for a week and it coincided with a bit of our time. The kids were over the moon that they had time with the boys! Daw will probably be in therapy one day because of an aggravating Uncle Al!

I will have to continue this into another post......too much! :)

Salute to them!

2011-07-30T22:09:00.010-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, the Garden Club housed the World War II Veterans Banquet. The living veterans of Tattnall County were recognized during a ceremony with different speakers such as Sonny Dixon and Colonel Cloutier. It was a special day for Granddaddy, but I was on vacation, so I couldn't make it. Al was able to go as well as the rest of the family. They said he was on cloud 9 and had a ball....not to mention it was captivating listing to all the men!! He received a standing ovation when they read all his awards, honors, and accomplishments...

This, Tammy said, was the one opportunity he waited for........a picture with Sonny Dixon! :)

It is what it is....

2011-07-11T13:43:00.002-04:00

More of the same

2011-07-10T14:38:00.002-04:00

I have been pretty slack on pictures this summer, and I realize the ones I have taken are basically pool, but half of our summer revolves around water...right down to vacation. One day when it was just the two of us at the pool, I spent time coaxing Aubree into the water. Actually, she didn't put up TOO much resistance....and in time she jumped off the side to me, put her head in the water, and practiced kicking her feet and moving her arms without her water sidekick (the baby float). I wish she would put on some sort of swimmies so she learn to "swim" freely in the pool, but instead she wants me to hold her. At least she is off the steps, and it isn't like holding a drowning cat!

Fireworks Day!

2011-07-05T11:36:00.006-04:00

Our message in church on Sunday morning focused on this Bible verse....it was a good sermon!

We took the kids to see the fireworks Monday night. While we were waiting, Al and C threw the baseball back and forth....lots of people had the same idea! We wound up pulling in right next to other family/friends, so it was a fun time! Sitting and waiting...wondering what her reaction to these fireworks would be! See the fake smile? Actually, she acted like she was going to melt down, but just sat in our laps for the show. She was watching it, so I asked if she like it and she said "no". It was noisy, and she was ready to go...smh :)

Popping good time...

2011-07-03T23:35:00.006-04:00

or not......

We put out a few fireworks for the kids tonight, and Aubree was stoked about getting to play with "sprinkles....what are they again?" The sparklers were first....nice and quiet, and I thought for sure when she saw Colby, she would take one of them, but I was wrong! :) Have I mentioned she has a mind of her own??

Colby had just gotten out of the shower....he was enjoying it! Then we went to the slightly bigger.....
and Aubree came unglued! Actually, the falling apart came a little sooner when Al threw out a popper thing and caught her by surprise!! She did a jig, her color drained, her hands flew to her ears, and I was holding her starting that moment! Aubree left her hands over her ears the rest of the time; she didn't take the chance of removing them!

I can't wait to remind her one day...... :)

Anything but quiet days...

2011-06-28T21:31:00.014-04:00

On days when we don't have much going on and I don't have mountains of laundry to wash or fold, I try to take the kids swimming. They love it, and on the days we are at home....I constantly hear how BORED they are (actually, Colby is bored and Aubree is bored because Colby is bored) haha

Somehow staring at a frog in a drain is full of excitement, though! :)

There is AC slowly becoming the daredevil and getting off the steps! Occasionally, as she is floating, she will say, "I'm not goin' to turn over, no??" I would love to have her comfortable with the puddle jumper by the end of the summer, but......It goes without saying that we didn't attempt swimming lessons this year. :) The kids usually play baseball in the water most of the time, HOWEVER, it causes many anger issues and even meltdowns! :)

Goodbyes & Cucumbers

2011-06-24T10:17:00.005-04:00

After about a month, we had to say our goodbyes to Christi and Payton. They have made it safely back to Alaska, but we enjoyed the time they spent! I'm sure Payton's daddy has missed his little boy :)

It didn't take long before Aubree was telling everyone that "Payton is spoiled wotten":) It is so fun to love and smell on a sweet baby, but I do have to say that it helped me a lot..... If I did have any doubt, it confirmed that having another would not be a logical decision. :)AND...... while she might think sleeping with squash is fun.....
swimming with cucumbers ranks pretty high too!

Father's Day

2011-06-19T18:24:00.002-04:00

This morning before church we gave Al a photo album I put together on Shutterfly for Father's Day. I have been saying forever that I was going to make a book of some sort, but honestly, something like that is nothing short of torture for me.....Anyway, it consisted of lots of family photos, and I inserted Bible quotes about children and fathers throughout. For my first book, it turned out okay :)

We hope everyone had a very enjoyable Father's Day on this extremely hot day! :)

Helmet head

2011-06-14T21:31:00.008-04:00

Aubree has a sudden fondness for Colby's batting helmet! Why she wants to wear this oversized thing that won't stay put on her head is beyond me....

But just like the majority of the stuff she comes up with....

you can't help but laugh! :)

VBS week

2011-06-12T23:56:00.007-04:00

I did take my camera to Bible School one day and I managed to only get four....there just wasn't time for pictures :) While we were waiting to transition to another activity, Lee hyped them up (even more) with some form of a dodge ball game.

I was in the groups with the older kids above, so I didn't see AC very much...however, I did get to counsel her on day 1 when she walked in to the nursery that had been completely transformed and a few workers were dressed in costumes! I think it caught her off guard, so she had a crying spell until they tracked me down :) While the boys were finishing up dodge ball, I was able to get one of her when they came in for snack.

The last day of VBS. Aubree looked forward to showing her muscles every day for the "hero" theme of Bible School. Every time Lee used a certain phrase during the opening devotion, they had to strike the pose of the day! Here are Colby & Aubree Cate sporting their favorites!
It was our first year of going back to morning Bible School the way it used to be way back when... we weren't spilling over with help as in the past, but I think it worked out well! We have a lot of kids that play ball, so having it at night would cause children to miss frequently....

Vacation Bible School

2011-06-07T19:23:00.002-04:00

This is Ebenezer's week for VBS! As a trial run, we have gone back to the "old school" way of having Bible School this year. Instead of having it in the evening, we are trying it during the morning. Naturally, the biggest concern was having enough help during the morning, but it seems to be working out just fine....my opinion is that I hope it sticks around! :)

First Summer Weekend

2011-06-06T22:27:00.011-04:00

On Friday, Colby & Dawson left with Al for the coast. We were in charge of Dawson last weekend and since he had ballgames Friday night and Saturday in Brunswick, they all spent the night at Shellman to cut down on driving.

That left Aubree & me to do our thing.....Saturday, we went over to Tammy's to do some swimming or lack of....

AGAIN...she is scared of the water. Really, I thought Aubree would be more adjusted this year, but turns out I was wrong! I put her puddle jumper on and forced her to get in just to show her she would bobble on the water.....THAT did not go over well!!! :) Just picture trying to hold a cat in the water!! :) I had to remove her before we drew the neighbors....

After she got over the madness, she went back to playing on the step just like last year. I guess she'll get it in time......or be like her Grammy and still be terrified of water when she is a grandparent :) Aubree did at least let me hold her in the water to get wet and cool off from time to time. When I would reach for her, she would say, "Remember, I don't have on my float!" haha

When we came home that afternoon, Aubree and I kept Payton for a bit while Christi caught a movie. Aubree LOVES a baby more than any child I know....any baby!!!! My children are so different in that respect - Colby has never paid any mind to a baby...always shy around them and certainly wouldn't think of voluntarily touching one for fear of upsetting him/her. Aubree is ALL.OVER.THEM!!! With Payton, she wants to hold him constantly, feed him, shove a pappy in his mouth, strap rattles to his arm, etc. I spent as much time seeing about him as I did making sure she wasn't irritating him :) Without a doubt, she will be a loving mother one day......one far away day :)

Tonight….

2011-06-03T23:49:00.005-04:00

She sleeps with a squash!!

Boy noise

2011-06-02T20:08:00.005-04:00

I rarely take videos anymore, but something hit me when she attempted to make that terrible boy noise with her armpit! And yes, I do find it funny RIGHT NOW....it definitely wouldn't be humerous if Aubree was 16 and flapping her arm like a chicken. There are numerous things that make me laugh only because she is three and comes up with craziness (except taking down wallpaper) :) FYI: AC hasn't figured it out just yet so she uses her mouth to make the sound.... but she is a quick study so I'm kind of concerned! haha

She had just gotten out of the shower, and lately she has been grabbing a headband to put her hair back.

Memorial Day

2011-05-31T22:01:00.003-04:00

When trying to decide what we were going to do on Monday, we gave Colby two choices....go-karts or the beach. I already knew in my mind what he would choose, so when he did say go-karts, my reply was "are you sure?" :)

I was hoping for a beach trip, so Al said that he and Colby would go to Pooler while I took AC to the beach (which I know made him happy). Christi went with us since she hasn't had a good dose of the beach in a while!

Al took a few phone pictures.....Colby said he had a good time, and they even ran into a familiar face!

Aubree had fun at the beach!! She asked at least 50 times when we would get there!!
She ran around, played in the sand, and ate nonstop which gave us relaxing time....I was thankful!!!

I filled up this bucket a few dozen times... Our day was buckets of fun, though! At one point, I cut her off with the food and drinks......so she took her chair and went by herself :) THEN....Aubree Cate became quite entertained with trying to get the seagulls to eat her crackers.......

FYI: She asked about 50 times when we would be home too!!!! :) It took her about 3/4 of the way home before she gave in and slept :)

Flea boys 2011- White Sox

2011-05-30T20:49:00.008-04:00

This should be the last post.... As the season moved along, Colby became more interested in playing the game. He really loves to watch people play ballgames, but he is less enthusiastic about playing himself!!

This was Colby's last game - it was challenging, but a fun season for him being a White Sox player. There were definitely days where I would hope Al and Colby both would survive each other!

Afterwards, the team had a pizza party.
I have to say that watching boys at this level is very interesting. It was our first year where it is a "real" ballgame, so to speak. Overall, baseball is my favorite sport......I've really enjoyed watching Colby (and Dawson/Thomas when I can).

AC wouldn't eat any pizza, but managed to eat the majority of two cupcakes! I don't let that slide very often but it was a special occasion! :)

HurriCATE's new project

2011-05-25T05:17:00.002-04:00

I need to remember this so one day I have proof of exactly how exhausting (destructive) she was! I would say that I hope she has three JUST like her one day, but I might regret that when I'm babysitting them! :)

We have wallpaper in the hall bath, and she was able to notice the tinist of spots where a seam wasn't very tight any more. Aubree has gotten scolded several times for touching it!!! I guess when she sits on the toilet, the temptation is just too much......it is calling her name, so little by little she reaches and rips!

It is right on the wall that faces you when you pass by the bathroom, so that sight is the first thing you see when you walk past!!! It couldn't be any more eye catching if there was a neon light on the wall! We love her dearly though, we do! :)

We do intend on taking it down, but until then.....

Colby's Honor's Day

2011-05-24T11:39:00.015-04:00

Colby had his honor's day last week before they got out of school. First and second grades were combined, so I was able to see Colby, Dawson, and Emi/Bailey. Before doing the award presentation, the kids sang a few songs.

I don't think I had the camera very still.....

In first grade, they don't give an Honor Roll certificate, but he did get the sight word award for knowing all the recommended words per month.

Receiving his AR award

~SECOND GRADE~

For some reason, Dawson is telling another student to simmer down! Receiving his AR award. He also earned the fitness award. No question I love Colby, but I didn't hold my breath on that award :)

Emi & Bailey
Colby is now ready for 2nd grade!

We are so proud that he had a great year!! We loved Mrs. C DeLoach & Mrs. Jennifer

Aubree's last T-ball game

2011-05-22T21:14:00.008-04:00

Last Monday, Aubree played her last T-ball game of the season. I would say it was a busy, but successful season. Al coached both kids this year, so it made for a lot to keep up with. All in all, AC loved playing.....we took a cool snap on that day too :) On a day like today, I wouldn't mind that snap! :)

Secretly, I hope AC will lean more toward a bow wearing athlete than dancing. I have nothing against costumes and dance recitals, but I spent most all of my young life in some sort of dancing and had no sport involvement, so I think I just want to experience the sport side. We (mainly Al) watches the girl's softball leagues on T.V., and I tell Aubree I would love to see her be THAT awesome (because those girls are all business...and they wear bows!!) BUT, if she chooses dance or whatever, that'll be okay too!

She'll have to learn to be still, though! She was moving and grooving at first while waiting on the next batter.....

Don't you love it!! She has been watching those boys!!!

I am glad for the break, but it was sooo fun!!!

Here are the little treat bags they got at the end of the game....

Sweet Onion Parade

2011-05-20T11:54:00.010-04:00

This year the weather made for an interesting and chilly parade. Even though it rained off and on, it wasn't too bad...no one even seemed to notice :) Except the poor pagent-parade girls in their dresses were probably kind of cool! :)

Heeeeere's Super Dave with the Shiner's! :)

Our church float with the patriotic theme..... I realized after I started snapping that I didn't see Colby. He was on the OTHER side, and I didn't have the chance to get there to get a shot at him... I tried to get Aubree to ride that morning with Rhonda/Rebecca, but she wanted no part of that!

The other main attraction we were waiting on was the WWII ride.... There is Granddaddy in the back (behind Heidi's granddaddy :)) I couldn't believe that he actually agreed to ride in the parade, but he is PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN..... and served his time honorably....
He talks about it often and he has a journal of his life that we all have copies of! Daddy said he wasn't always like that.....growing up, he said G'daddy never spoke a single word about it until the day Daddy mentioned enlisting and G'daddy told him "absolutely not...it will forever change you and put images in your mind that will never go away". Actually, there were stronger words that I'll leave out, but you get the point! :) At 90 years old, I can't believe how strong his mind still is!!!

This is where AC rested her body THE ENTIRE parade....on Tammy's hip! She wouldn't think of getting down, candy or no candy. When it comes to loud noises, she is scared, so there were a few things that left her lip quivering.....

Sleeping situation...

2011-05-16T22:49:00.002-04:00

Pretty much the way it goes is that there will be nothing to post for a bit, and then several things will pop up that I need to report all at once!! Anyway, AC has started wanting to sleep with Colby every night (not sure if I've mentioned that?). I have to move her once she falls asleep, because I'm scared she will fall off the bed (Colby gets a little dangerous during the night)!

So far, she has fallen off twice before I could get her back to her room.... the first time, I was heading down the hallway to get her and I heard "BONK" followed by whining. I picked her up, bounced and shhh(ed), and then put her to bed - she was fine.

Time number two - I fell asleep on the couch, so I was later getting back there.... when I walked in Colby's room I saw an empty spot where AC should have been. Am I the only one that stands frozen for a second when there is something that doesn't seem real?...it was like she was going to appear!!! :) Eventually, I leaned down to touch (as if I wouldn't know if I was stepping on her)....but nothing. I was in a daze from sleeping, so I started wondering if I had put her back without remembering??!!haha!! I went to flip on the hall light and I saw.........

Obviously Aubree had fallen off, but if she cried, I didn't hear her......somehow she wormed herself under the bed - don't know how all that came about, because it is a tight fit! :)

New baby love...

2011-05-15T17:19:00.003-04:00

Our niece, Christi, just flew in from Alaska on Friday with Payton. It is their first trip home since the baby was born, and can you tell???? There was SO much baby affection to go around!!!!

Aubree was in awe of Payton! She LOVES babies and wants to touch and "pet" all of them! ha..She was dying to hold him, but I didn't get that snap with my camera... she begs to go over there every day to see Pay-Ton :)

Colby even asked to hold him, but was done as soon as the snap was taken! Not much fun in being still to hold a baby.....ignore the orange Fanta on his mouth :)

We look forward to visiting and cuddling the next couple of weeks!

It would be an answered prayer...

2011-05-13T14:07:00.005-04:00

If this girl had a real reason to wear these ladybug rain boots on the wrong feet with her dress!!!It is so hot and dry...my children are in a contant state of sneezing and stuffiness even with allergy meds... I'm sure the Lord will send our needed relief soon - in the meantime, Colby prays his prayer faithfully....... "Thank you for my blessings, my food, send lots of rain...Amen!!
When Miss HurriCATE got hot and tired from galloping around in the boots, she came in for a drink...It only makes sense that I find a wrench in my refrigerator, I guess. She did have to do something with it while she was seaching for the Sunny D!!! :)

Gabby is growing!

2011-05-11T12:22:00.010-04:00

Gabby is growing so fast! She chews everything....mainly feet when they are walking, shoes, and her water bowl (she picks it up and carries it away spilling all the water that I just put in 5 minutes before) I know the obvious is to get something she can't move, but I can't ever remember that part when I'm at the store....we are out of practice with puppies!

Here is Aubree Cate......can't you tell what she is SCREAMING???? "Gaaaaaabbyyyyy!"
For an "Aubree" reason, she wants Gabby to come play with her, then gets unnerved when Gabby starts tackling and chewing on her :)

That is some funny stuff to watch!!!!
Gabby has grown particularly fond of her hairbows....it is like a loud speaker calling her name...she can't resist trying to get to them....which kinda unnerves me! :)
Black Dog couldn't resist!

Happy Birthday....

2011-05-07T18:39:00.005-04:00

to one cute boy!

He gets aggrevated easily and is just plain "too cool" sometimes..

But he is definitely loved......
Wouldn't you agree??We hope you had a fantastic birthday Daw!

Looks & Smells So Sweet!

2011-04-29T14:23:00.007-04:00

The Jasmine is in full bloom at our house, and it is so pretty to look at. It fills the entire side area of our house with that sweet aroma... I could smell that every day; I wish my house smelled like that instead of dirty laundry or a trash can that needs to be carried out!! haha

These pictures were taken the day I took the kids to the dentist on our off day. I decided to get some quick snaps while the blooms were still on!!

As a result, these pictures have turned out to be some of my favorites!

Colby likes using the camera to take pictures of us, so he wanted to get one of Aubree and me. He, actually, didn't do a bad job! I think the less you try to get ready for a picture, the better it turns out :)

Easter morning pictures

2011-04-26T17:42:00.007-04:00

For Easter morning, here are my two purple peeps....

Amazingly enough, we have all made it to church early for two years in a row to do pictures BEFORE service. This was our first service back in our newly remodeled sanctuary, and it was exciting to return to our cushioned seats :) It was sooo pretty!

Here is the DeLoach family dressed in pink with Nadia (one of Tammy's students)
Our purple family. I guess I should have held Aubree! With her being tiny, I feel like we cut her off sometimes because she doesn't line up with us :)
Thomas, Dawson, and Nadia
All the kids.....I was pretty pleased that everyone was smiling and paying attention. The picture turned out really well!
Easter goes by so fast, but it is a definite reminder that Jesus lives and to recognize what He did for us so that we can have eternal life in Heaven!

What a combo!!

2011-04-25T18:21:00.003-04:00

But I can't think of any combination that I love more! :)

More egg hunting...

2011-04-24T22:29:00.003-04:00

It was my plan to get this posted Saturday night after the egg hunt at church, but my eyes were closing before I could get completely finished so I had to close out! :) I'll have to attempt to get some of our Easter pictures up tomorrow....hopefully! :)

Our egg hunt was at church on Saturday afternoon. The kids had devotion, a craft, the adults and children hunted eggs, and then we had supper. Colby decided that since he had just hunted eggs the prior day, he wasn't into it and wanted to stay with Al.

Here is Mr. Lee giving the Easter story....I was proud of Aubree; she was listening well.

Aubree's craft.... We've been talking about how Jesus lives in our heart...well, I've been talking and hopefully she is listening :)
The girls lined up ready to head outside to get going on some egg hunting!!

Go, Aubree, Go!

Taking a break and tearing flowers out of the planter....*sigh
Thomas & Dawson watching some of the younger ones hunt....waiting for their turn.

Egg Hunt

2011-04-23T10:23:00.012-04:00

On Thursday, Aubree had the annual egg hunt as Ms. Wanna's. She dyes a few real eggs with them so they can have one with their names on it (that's why they love her so). It was extremely warm that day and, apparently, my jeans were triple insulated :)
Ahhh, sweet Bay that keeps Mrs. Dell on her toes...everyone needs one of those! He is about Aubree's equivalent :).......maybe a tad rougher!
Baylor did not need permission to tear into his eggs!

John McLean had already gotten tasty with some chocolate..see the evidence on his upper lip?
Aubree Cate and sweet, loving "Jama".....he tries so hard to be affectionate with AC, but she spends her time trying to fight him off.......I DO NOT know where she gets that :)

Cameren....

Emma on the look out...

They were group hunting..... :)

After the hunt, they sat to enjoy cupcakes and ice cream!

When we got home, Aubree Cate had to check out the loot!!! We are heading to the church egg hunt today!!!! Enjoy your Saturday!

Tutu cute

2011-04-20T22:31:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow AC's going on an egg hunt!

Thank You Jesus!

2011-04-19T22:09:00.003-04:00

For small favors......

We squared off against Dawson's team tonight, but we fell short in points. In the end, it didn't matter.....we got our small favor! :)

Birthday Dinner

2011-04-17T21:54:00.010-04:00

I'm over a week late with this post, but I can't find time to get things up lately....I'm biting the bullet tonight and getting it done, because I have a few ball pics that I need to get posted, too...

Last Saturday we had Granddaddy a 90th birthday celebration (and Grandma's 83rd). The best we could do was get him to come to Mama/Daddy's for a fish and shrimp fry. He wouldn't hear of going anywhere...

I brought my camera because it had been a while since I had snaps of us all together. They fit like a hand and glove.....

Here is a snap with them and all their great-grandchildren Granddaddy and Grandma with all the grandchildren and great-grands.

Erica came up from Florida for the weekend, so we had a picture with all of their grandchildren!

O'Donnell family first cousins....clearly, we are dressed for a fish fry and not pictures....haha

What would the boys be without the DS(s)

He is very low key :)

T-ball practice

2011-04-09T10:02:00.004-04:00

On Thursday, all eight T-ball teams gathered for a practice session at the ball park. Mainly, everyone just found his/her team, practiced hitting/catching, and picked up the game schedule. We will be at the park on Mondays for AC's games and Tues/Friday for Colby's.

Aubree, I have to say, does pretty darn well hitting the ball considering it is her first year. That is until she gets distracted and the down time makes her want to go somewhere else! I noticed a good bit of the kids (if they miss) swing higher than the tee, but Aubree tends to swing lower and chop the stand.... Oh, you should have seen that hilarious mess when they ran the actual bases at the end of practice!!! :) T-ball is so fun to watch! That way???? No, Aubree....keep going the way you were going!!!! haha!!! :) **Colby had a field trip on Friday to the post office, Cricket Farm, and bank.....Tammy did take a phone pic of him in the mail truck, but I CANNOT get it to transfer! I can tell Colby is growing and getting older....It gets harder to get pictures of him, because he is gone more often with Al or doing other things, leaving just Aubree and me :(

Batter up...

2011-04-06T22:15:00.004-04:00

FINALLY!!!

That's all I can say....for weeeeeeks, AC has hounded us about going to the park to play ball!!!! Tomorrow is the day!!!! That girl will walk on the dirt and unload power holding this bat.... And this glove..... isn't it cuuuute!!! Al wasn't impressed, but I kinda was! Tomorrow is just a practice before all games start next week, but I'm still anxious to see her first attempt!!! Next week, I'll have pictures of both kids kicking off ball season!! :)

Happy Birthdays!

2011-04-05T17:13:00.002-04:00

Today is "just another day" to him, but to me....it is amazing that Granddaddy turned 90 today!!!! That is a blessing, and he has sooooo many stories to go along with his age! :)

On Friday, Grandma will turn 83!! Happy Birthday to both of them...... WE LOVE THEM VERY MUCH!!

Little Black Dog

2011-04-03T21:40:00.008-04:00

Gabby is really growing!

Anytime she gets disturbed from her sleep....she eats! :) It's really showing too!! Since Colby still had school this past week, all my pictures have been of AC, so I'll have to try to catch up some with him! He's starting to take time with ball practice too, so he's been gone some lately!

See? We have the boots..... :)

Gabby is beginning to walk....it is still very slow and her legs wobble. She won't go any further than her little "nest egg" she shares with her mama!

We are soooo very sad........

that our spring break..... is already over!!!

Ready to play

2011-04-01T08:32:00.007-04:00

See these boots?

She has worn these rain boots pretty much nonstop for the past two days...

When we got them, they were too big and I almost forgot about them. When I cleaned out her closet, I found them pushed back, and now....they fit perfectly!

Aubree has been really patient considering the rain has ruled our spring break (thank you Lord for the water!) I decided we would have to go find our own play time, if we intended to have any. We decided to go to Monkey Joe's yesterday.... she insisted on wearing the boots, so for once, the rain worked out perfectly! We had to work everything around the shoes!!! :) BUT, that is what girls do sometimes :)

AC wasn't as "out there" as she normally is at MJ's, because she didn't have anyone to play with, so she was constantly worried about where I was. I spent some of my time being jealous of the "stay at home moms" that had their little toddlers there :)

Sidenote: I totally believe the MJ's in Statesboro is completely sanitized properly! A lady walked around pretty much the entire time with a squirt bottle and rag wiping water fountains, the mats on the floor, chairs, etc. That's the image I will hold to :)

At one point, Aubree found a boy running from one end to the other, and she took off as fast as she could trying to race him. He picked up speed and kept looking behind him.....seriously, he didn't look happy, and I'm pretty sure she scared him! But really, who wouldn't be scared when you have a stranger running at top speed behind you!!! :)

All in all, it was definitely fun and then we grabbed Mellow Mushroom. Naturally, we saw someone we knew, and that's always embarrassing :)

We shopped (toooo much, but their were deals and I had coupons....can't beat that!) Instead of riding in the stroller, AC pushed it, but that was okay because it kept her occupied. At one point, she was walking behind me, and I heard her start talking. I turned and looked......she had stopped an older lady and struck a conversation about the construction in Belk!!! Why were they hammering? What are they doing? Never mind, WE had already had that conversation.....guess she needed to hear it from someone else!!! haha And the boots??? Aubree asked everyone at all of our check-out counters if they liked her boots...when the poor people said yes, she proceded with "they are rain boots....my Mimi gave them to me!"Yay for sunshine today!!!

Warm & Cool

2011-03-29T09:49:00.008-04:00

Warm bath & Cool treat!!

The kids always want a popsicle or something to snack on after they are showered/bathed. With Aubree, it tends to get a little messy sometimes....I usually have a few drops of juice to clean off the floor and a sticky mess on the counter.

This night, I decided to just combine the two! I let her eat the popsicle in the bathtub, so I could wash her and the mess all at once! :)

She was being particularly careful about not dropping pieces in the bathtub, because unlike the counter, she couldn't retrieve them once she dropped them...haha!

Aubree was, however, being a large clown while I was taking the snaps...

I'm not entirely sure what was going on with the "eye cutting"....

Puppy Love..

2011-03-26T16:46:00.009-04:00

After a week, we decided the pup was looking healthy enough so we showed her to the kids (initially, I thought it was a boy, but turned into a girl.....probably shouldn't work in labor in delivery) haha!

It goes without saying that the kids have been estactic over the new addition. The discussion about keeping her hasn't really come up.... I think the kids just assume since she was born here, she stays here! We talk more and more like it belongs, and AC even attached a name to her...Black Dog better raise her to know that she doesn't chew up our things; dig big, noticeable holes in my beds; or jump on us!!! :)
It's total excitement!!

Her eyes are nearly all the way open...these pics were taken a few days ago, but the puppy is going to be so fat, she'll never learn to walk!!
She still looks/roots around to find BD when she isn't next to her!!! When AC plays with her in the yard, she'll ask, "what's she doing??"
Black Dog thought the kids had enough play time....she walked up and opened her mouth like she was going to attempt to fit that puppy in her mouth :)
Her name??? Aubree is pretty adamant about Gabby. It is definitely better than Little Black Dog...ha!!! Colby hasn't been around much today, but when Aubree mentioned it to him, he just smiled. Unfortunatley, it's looking like we will have two dogs, but at least we will finally have one with a REAL name! :)

St. Patrick's Weekend

2011-03-21T22:30:00.010-04:00

We made it down to the coast Friday afternoon for the first time in quite a while!! Last year when we stayed, Aubree was sleeping in a pack-n-play. This year, we have to do something different, so I put Colby and Aubree together... I only had to put up one rail, and it made her feel better having someone in the same room! It, actually, went pretty well...no one ended up on the floor! :)

I can't believe how extremely warm it turned out on Saturday. I'm very glad, though, because the gnats were bad enough with the heat! :) We avoided all shade! David was rediscovering his youth parading with the Shriners in the kids' buggy :)

It didn't take long once the parade got underway, before the kids were comparing loot!

Colby D.
Thomas acting silly!
Daw is way too cool for all that, though! :)

Bailey & Emi
Aubree loved the beads and is still loving them!!! Thomas managed to get her an entire bag of purple beads which made her day!!! That was the only color she was worried about during the parade, so Sunday, she played "swap" with the boys!!! haha
The fact that she loves pink & purple confirms that there is some girly in there!!! :)

More fur...

2011-03-18T07:54:00.003-04:00

He's cuddled around Black Dog's tail.....isn't that cute?
The Danner Family has expanded, but not by choice! The past couple of weeks I have been mentioning to Al that I couldn't believe Black Dog had put on so much winter weight. Al shrugged it off to the weather and age. When Hamp came by on Saturday, he said, "oh, your dog is pregnant?" No, she's not! Over the hill dogs do not get pregnant! She's about 9 years old and had never had any puppies....we seriously had never seen signs that puppies could even be possible, so we never "fixed" her.

Then.....Monday we had a pup!!! :)
We didn't have much time to get used to the idea before it was here! Actually, there were two, but only one made it. It hasn't been quite a week yet, so we haven't told the kids. I don't want them stressing Black Dog, because she is barely eating and drinking as it is. She WILL NOT leave that puppy. She will let us pick up the puppy with no problem, though. I hand fed some bread to her, and she did eat that. I've even moved her food and water right next to her, but she won't eat it for some reason (maybe she's working on pregnancy weight!)

Maybe we'll tell the kids after the weekend if all continues to work out.

For now....

2011-03-08T22:38:00.002-05:00

It always sounds morbid when you start a sentence with "this is the last time"....SO I'm going to reverse my words by saying.....Until Friday, I won't see them sleep like this! That sounds a little better, right??

Oh my gosh, how sweet is that brown eyed girl!

There is my haaaard, snuggly sleeper!!!! I will be ready to see this blonde/brown boy (depending on the season) by Friday :) **Looking forward to my working trip to Atlanta, but I do miss and wonder what they all are doing constantly!!! Above all....I pray that God plows the way for a safe trip!!

Sunday pictures

2011-03-01T21:05:00.004-05:00

The past few weeks we have actually been 10 minutes or so ahead of our usual running behind schedule! When you have a couple of minutes to spare, you might as well......

They even both cooperated at the same time! :)

Colby jetted as soon as I took the pics, but Aubree was lagging behind, so I grabbed a few extra of her on our way back inside

I just can't believe this girl is 3 (and bosses like she is 13)! It is unreal...I guess once you have the second one, the time with that one just seems to go into double speed!

Sizzling Saturday

2011-02-27T15:18:00.003-05:00

These weekends have been so perfect lately; I'm going to be very disappointed when the temperature drops back down!

Since we were trying to spend a lot of time outside, I asked the kids about just eating lunch outside. AC was all for it, but Colby was not a fan of fighting "bugs" off his food! Anyway, I brought the playroom table outside and made sandwiches for lunch...it was sooo nice!

Just like at the beach when I could eat everything in sight, Colby was obviously feeling the same way while he was outside! For lunch, he ate two cheese sandwiches, a heaping of chips, two chocolate chip cookies, and three juice boxes! He is a very large eater, actually, when he can eat what he likes; he wants to eat all the time, particularly after his shower at night!

HOWEVER, Aubree was much too busy socializing with the dog or picking up things on the ground to concentrate fully on eating!! I must have said, "no playing until you eat" a dozen times!!!

WE DID ENJOY OUR SIZZLING SATURDAY!

The rule...

2011-02-23T22:25:00.003-05:00

No hats at the table!! :)

Three year visit

2011-02-21T13:38:00.007-05:00

Since Aubree and I had a holiday on Friday, we both took a trip to Savannah for appointments. One of the visits was her three-year check-up with the pediatrician.

She wore the blue gown just like we wear when we go for visits and, all of a sudden, I got a glimpse at an older Aubree!!! :( On the other hand, I am so thankful for a healthy toddler! I had no concerns to share (except nail biting and very active....heehee). She weighed 33 pounds and was 38 1/2 inches which put her in the 75th percentile for both. She was doing everything on the checklist and Aubree correctly answered all the questions the doctor had for her!
On the way, Aubree asked if she was getting a shot, and I told her there wasn't a shot bec this age was supposed to be the one year we wouldn't have one. However, a new shot has been added so she wasn't too terribly excited about a shot in the leg and "finger"...and topping if off with two unwelcome band-aids....yikes!

Afterwards, we used our free Jr. Frosty coupon at Wendy's and made her a happy camper!!!

Where we are at three years of age:

*33 pounds & 38 1/2 inches

*Size 3T pants, 4T shirt, 4T dress

*Size 8 shoe

*Very independent/head strong

*Loves Colby, baby dolls, playing ball, her kitchen, outside, and air hockey

*No dancing in her future....T-ball soon

*Going to bed is still not fun...she likes to stall and scream our names a dozen times.

*Can dress herself, likes to help bathe, brush her teeth...not night time trained yet.

*Follows me everywhere in the house....calls me if she "loses" me and tells me I'm her best friend :)

Love Day

2011-02-14T21:38:00.003-05:00

And I sure do!!!

We hope everyone had a sweet Love Day!!

Two Valentines

2011-02-13T20:34:00.003-05:00

These Valentines belong to me!!!

Most of the time, I can't think of anything cuter or sweeter :)
I have a feeling with both of them having parties with lots of SUGAR, we are going to have some energy to burn off tomorrow afternoon!!

Colby's 7th birthday party

2011-02-06T20:41:00.019-05:00

I won't even bother with excuses.....I finally got them posted :)

Colby had his 7th birthday at the Clubhouse in Statesboro last Saturday. It was our first trip, actually, and it was greeeeat! So much fun and very practical for a winter party.

The birthday cake was supplied by them, and it was pretty good. You would really love it if you are a fan of icing :)
The kids played mini bowling while we waited for everyone to arrive

Then, it was off to laser tag, and the boys (and girls) could hardly wait!!! With all the anxiousness, I think they missed a few of the instructions along the way :)

Bailey and Dawson

He was MUCH more excited than he appears :)

Austin
Daw guarding the base

After a round of laser tag, we went over and played a game of bowling. We had the party room with the bowling alley inside and that was great!!! It was nice to keep everyone in the same room while we bowled, ate, and opened presents.....made it easier to keep up with everyone.

Happy Birthday dear Colby.....Happy Birthday to you!!!

Later that afternoon, Colby got his birthday present....a new USED four-wheeler :)

And Aubree got....outta there! :) She is not a fan of loud noises! She likes to BE loud not listen to loud!!!

It was a great birthday party and a long day!!! I'm glad both kids enjoyed their birthdays, but I'm glad I have a year long break! :)

Out with the old....

2011-01-27T22:09:00.002-05:00

Tonight was the very last time Colby laid down as a six-year-old, because....

tomorrow he turns 7!

Aubree's 3rd birthday party

2011-01-23T14:27:00.009-05:00

This is later than I said (only by a week), but this is my busy time at work so I have limited time on weekdays :)

I love this birthday outfit so much!!! I wanted something that would match her Hello Kitty theme..... I wish she could wear it forever!

We took all the kids to Monkey Joe's to play. For winter birthdays, places like this are gold since there just isn't many choices except an inside-your-house birthday (uuuuum, nah)!

It was really busy that day, actually. We got there right at 10:00 when they opened, so it was nice at that time. Right after lunch...they were piling in by the car loads!

C was having tons of fun playing with Thomas and Dawson!
Aubree and Baylor

John McLean

Aubree and her sidekick!

After playtime, we walked over to Mellow Mushroom for pizza, cupcakes, and presents!!!
Here is our cute birthday crew!!!

Happy Birthday dear Aubree Cate.....Happy Birthday to you!!

Dawson and Thomas

Ava

Caroline

Aubree opening her baby doll....she loves a baby!

It was all she could focus on after she opened that present!!!

The boys came back to play with Colby after the party. Dawson devoted a little play time to Aubree :)

Aubree had so much fun at her party! We were so happy everyone was able to come celebrate with us!!!

Passionate

2011-01-16T23:01:00.004-05:00

Aubree Cate! Whatcha got under there???

She has stolen the baby doll's pacifier! It no longer has a shape allowing it to go in the baby's mouth! No other word describes the girl's desire for a pappy, even still, as passionate. The past few days this "thing" has become habit, so guess what is going to have to disappear tonight? :( *I've still got to get birthday photos up.....hopefully tomorrow! :)

Happy 3rd Birthday!!

2011-01-14T23:40:00.005-05:00

It really is hard to believe it has been three years!!! I know people say that all the time, but time gets faster and faster!! Here is a picture of my sweet baby girl on her first birthday. I love this picture; it is Aubree in true fashion..... she couldn't stand that hat on her head! :)

Her second birthday really does seem like a few months ago....

AND here she is on her third birthday!! I can't believe how much she has grown from each picture, and Aubree looks so big in this one! Oh....help us by her 6th birthday!

So far, we've gone from a polka dot first birthday, Mickey/Minnie Mouse second, and Hello Kitty third! Let me stress how good my kitchen smells right now waiting for these cupcakes to be eaten! And that will happen tomorrow at our party in Statesboro!

Birthday Eve

2011-01-13T22:41:00.006-05:00

What does a girl do on the day before she officially leaves the Terrible Twos???

She gets a haircut!!! This dry, winter weather is not a friend to thin, straight hair! :)

Then, you come home and play dress up with the fancy clothes you get at your first birthday party! AC loves the dress she got from Mrs. Wanna - now she can be just like her older friends :) Oh, minus the gloves.... couldn't talk her into those gloves today!
Certainly, what kind of night would it be if you didn't close out your 2nd year with a minor crying spell!

Sleep tight, HurriCATE! Tomorrow's a new year!!

Girly Birthday Theme

2011-01-10T22:03:00.003-05:00

It is officially birthday week, and it is so fun, because Aubree has reached the age that she understands about 'birthday party'. She has been asking constantly for the past two weeks or so about the party....."my party today?", "tomorrow my party?"!!! She only has a few more days, and we'll be partying like three-year-olds!!!

As you can see, AC has "takin' a liking" to something new, and the timing worked out perfectly! No stress when thinking of a party theme!
There will surely be more on the party later in the week......but for now, we have an outfit to support the theme (which she is desperately itching to wear), we just need a birthday!!! :)
I can't believe I have an almost three-year-old girl!!!

Coming soon...

2011-01-06T21:29:00.004-05:00

For now, Aubree is just playing the homework part, but in a few short years, my counter will be exactly this in the afternoons with two kids! Booooo...

From December to January

2011-01-02T18:22:00.007-05:00

Last Wednesday, Colby had a lock-in at the church. He really enjoyed the last one he went to and was insistent on going even though we had to leave our house at 8:30 Thursday morning for doctor's appointments in Savannah. At the last lock-in, Mr. Lee played games with them until about 3:00-3:30 and then put in a movie so they would fall asleep. So on Thursday morning, he had to rush home and get a shower after operating on (probably) 3 hours sleep! IT. WAS. BRUTAL! He cried the entire shower and slept every chance he got in the car....

games, games, games

Colby and his friend from church.

Here are most of the kids....NO WAY, I tell you! :) But Lee is very patient, and so good with the youth, they love doing things as a group!

And finally.....HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Our family was really blessed in 2010. We all had good health and jobs to go to when so many people did not. We hope everyone has a great 2011!

Heat Wave & A Cool Ride

2010-12-29T23:44:00.008-05:00

It is going to feel like a heat wave has come if meteorologists aren't just teasing and we actually get a couple of 70 degree days!!! Can't wait! The wind on this "hill" is brutal at times...

This was one of Colby's Christmas presents, and it is super cool. He loves the Rip Rider with all the spinning. I couldn't resist the temptation of trying it out......it has the capability of making your head spin! :)

I should have taken a picture of AC on her tricycle while Colby is on Rip Rider. It is so funny to watch them....she pedals arounds, and Colby spins circles around her on the Rider!!! :)

BUT when she isn't doing that, she is taking the food from the dog's dish and chasing her down to put a pile in front of her. We wind up with quite a dog food mess! :)

Christmas Day

2010-12-26T22:26:00.010-05:00

I can't really think of a Christmas when Colby was up bright and early to see his treasure on Christmas morning! I finally had to get the kids up around 8:00, so that I could have time to sit with them for a bit and still have time to get dressed and cook. When I went in his room and told him Santa had been and asked if he wanted to go see, he said, "not now...in a minute" :) He gets that sleeping honest!!

When I woke up Aubree, she didn't want to go in at first, because she thought Santa was still going to be in there! hee :)

Aubree got a new and improved kitchen! That little plastic one she had has seen better days. This one is wooden and has storage space for the tons of pots and plastic food that could fill a grocery store....yay Tia. I stepped on a piece of lettuce today :)
I'm sure the babies that she'll be carting around aren't nearly as loud (or have five hands) as the baby I have to push in my buggy!

Colby was excited but a little slow moving still :)

Aubree finally got the DS she has harped on for the last 6 months! It is the only thing she told people she wanted when they asked her about Christmas. Santa didn't disappoint that baby girl!

Stockings were always one of my favorite things to open when I was little. There were always such good things in there!!! Sometimes, it was nothing major, but there was such a variety of different things that made me happy :)
We had lunch with Al's daddy and step mom yesterday. I don't know if I was just more into food this year, but...all the food I ate was mmm, mmmm, good!!!

I tried to get a quick clip of the kids talking about some of their presents, but they were pretty much into their own thing and not paying me too much attention :)

Christmas Eve

2010-12-25T22:39:00.017-05:00

We had a very large day on Christmas Eve. There was lunch at Mama's with Grandma/Granddaddy, and then dinner with Mrs. Libby that night. I've got to tell you, both meals were soooo good....I ate like I'd been without food for a week BOTH TIMES!

Colby got a new Webkinz, and appropriately....a chicken
Both DeLoach's got new DSi's that they've been waiting for....
Here is Aubree opening the best Christmas present ever!

She loves the fact that it has a pappy!!! Since AC can't have a pappy, she is insistent that baby doll wants one!
Oh see....it brought so much happiness (for me too). It came with all the "accessories" you see here...bottle, potty chair, lotion, bib. She is totally occupied for longer bits of time....aaahh, greatness! :)
Colby got a remote car

Cute picture....I like it!
NOW FOR MRS. LIBBY'S THAT NIGHT.....

it was crab stew....yum! *Smack*

BEAT THAT! She got a pink hotwheels. Right now, she can barely reach the pedals, but it won't be long....

Colby got this RipRider - it . is . cool . It spins around and around on the concrete when you turn corners....EXCITEMENT! :)

LATER STILL......

After baths and right before bedtime and Christmas stories, I let the kids in on a secret! Santa sent each of them an email specifically for them which included some of their pics, he called each of them by name when he was talking, and Santa mentions the one toy they want the most.... It was the best thing....awesome! I got the site from Dell and I'm so glad she sent it....

This one is Colby's...I cannot even tell you how mesmerized he was!!! Every time Santa asked him a question, he nodded his head and would keep looking at me. It was like he new it was just on the computer, but he was scared not to answer Santa!!!

There is Aubree listening to her message and looking at her pictures..Santa even knew she wanted a DS and said if she was good, she just might get it!!! :)

Time to let sugar plums dance in their heads...

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!

2010-12-24T00:30:00.001-05:00

Wonderful Wednesday

2010-12-22T13:03:00.001-05:00

Little People & Little Man

2010-12-21T22:56:00.003-05:00

Hopefully, they will always feel the love!!!

Little Man was due for a bath.....he clearly WAS NOT feeling the love!!! Poor guy :)

Sands Christmas

2010-12-20T23:39:00.004-05:00

Tonight, we had our Sands Christmas gathering at Mama's. Even though our family is small, it is always a loud time with all the little cousins running and playing! We had crab stew....scrumptious

The kids always get super excited about doing their book exchange. For Kylie, it is mentally exhausting and challenging, I've been told :)
Aubree got a fairy princess book, and Colby got a few Iron Man books. I realized I forgot to take their picture with their new books :)

Here is a snap of all the cousins :)

Aubree's Christmas Party

2010-12-19T17:48:00.011-05:00

Friday afternoon, we had the Christmas party at Mrs. Wanna's. Everyone always looks forward to it, because she goes all out with cupcakes, juice/coke, and presents galore!!! She definitely spoils those children :) The kids draw names, so each child gets a present from a friend!!! Our time is quickly drawing to a close.....oh what a sad, sad day it will be! I don't even want to think about it!!

I can't believe this kid of mine will be 3 in less than a month!!
I could stare at this picture all day.....it is the cutest and sweetest thing!!!

AC was digging in to her present!!

Baylor had himself a WILD time..there was so much, he didn't know what to do first!!! He is going to be an excited kid Christmas morning!!!

I can't believe Christmas is less than a week away....my kids are counting the days!!!

Sweet School Project

2010-12-17T10:44:00.002-05:00

I think Colby tried to get an unspeakable amount of candy on the house..... :)