Macon Memories

Final post...

2011-06-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess it's really time. I'm still not sure that it has sunk in completely that in 2 days we will be living in an entirely different state. I find myself focusing on all of our "lasts"...the last time we'll go to church, our last trip to the creek behind our house, the last time we'll eat at IVP, the last night we'll spend in this house....I could really go on forever. It's kind of sad. :(

But, I also know that we might be back, and that some of those things we might get to do again. And I know that we are about to experience a lot of "firsts", so I'm trying to focus on that. :)
We've been cramming all that we can into these final weeks/days. Here are a few pictures...

Sweet snuggles with DaddyJackson attended his first soccer camp with one of his best buddiesBrad took Jackson on a Father/Son canoe trip His two best buddies and their dads came along tooSo, Macon Memories has come to a close...this chapter, anyway :) I will be starting up a new blog in Nashville once we get settled. BUT, I'm looking for some suggestions on what to call it. So leave a comment with your ideas :) Once I get it up and running, I will post a link to the new site on this one. Wish us luck!

And to our Macon Family-thanks for making this our "home". . . please don't forget about us! Until next time...

Boxes

2011-06-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

This is the sight I see every where I turn....boxes, upon boxes, upon boxes. I have been packing for what seems like an eternity. Daily, I sift through things...I purge what we no longer need, silently cry over all the reminders of the great memories we've made here, and I pack our life into boxes. So many mixed feelings, but the one that prevails is exhaustion. I really don't think I have ever been so tired. And tired in so many ways...not just physically.

I had wanted to keep up with my posts in our final months here. I didn't want to miss documenting the memories of our precious time here. But, sadly, I missed it. We have done so much (and still have some left to do) that I wanted to capture here, on this virtual scrapbook. But life happens, and I can only do so much. One thing, however, I cannot leave "unrecorded". Brad's graduation from his surgical residency. Not a great quality photograph, but it's all I have at the moment.

5 years ago, God brought us to Macon, GA. We never saw it coming, and it has been one of the greatest things that has happened to our family. We love this city, have made such great friends, and have grown together and learned so much in our short time here. We hope God has it in His plans to bring us back here one day.

I cannot begin to express how proud I am of my husband for getting to where he is today. His hard work and determination over the years is astounding. This has not been an easy road, by any means. But he (we) have persevered, fought hard, and I have seen my husband grow into an amazing skillful surgeon. We have faced trials in our life as husband and wife that I never would have imagined eight years ago when we said our vows. Some of those trials have been directly related to his training, and others have been just what life has brought our way. But by the grace of God, here we stand, with so much to give thanks for and celebrate. Through all of it, we have grown in our faith in our Lord as He has provided for us time and time again...we have strengthened our bond as husband and wife, supporting each other through the long days, fatigue, and stress...and of course, none of it would have been nearly as comical, joyful, or beautiful without our three children. And none of it would have even been possible without the unending support from our families.

And now, we are off for new adventures! Only 2 more years of training, to be completed in the great city of Nashville. So, sadly, this blog is winding down. I will be back for one final post before we leave :( Until then....

Time to catch up...

2011-05-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

First...note the new header picture. The other one was a little outdated. This one I find hysterical. It captures the personality of my 3 perfectly...in a quite imperfect picture :)

Our little peach is 4 months old. As always, time flies. Abby May has brought such joy to our lives. In a time where things are quite crazy and stressful for our family, she brings such peace, and joy, and calm. Really? A newborn baby? The youngest of 3 children? Brings peace and calm? Yes, she sure does :) Here is her 4 month bunny picture...Her stats are as follows...

Height- 23.5 inches...11th %tile

Weight- 11 lbs 2.5 oz...7th %tile

Petite little peach :)

(FYI...these were Jackson's 1 month stats)

Some things I want to remember about you, sweet girl...

-you are almost ALWAYS happy. when you do cry, it is either because you are hungry or tired. and there is no build up...you just start WAILING

-you like your baths very warm. if the temperature is not to your liking, you let us know :)

-you could watch your brothers for hours

-you suck your thumb when you're tired...your left one, just like your brother Luke

-you sleep through the night, and take 2 scheduled 2 hour naps each day...it is complete bliss to have you on such a schedule :)

-you love being outside

-sometimes when i sing to you at night, you sing back in the sweetest little cooing voice

-you can roll over from your tummy to your back

-you like sitting in your bumbo seat so you can see everything that is going on in this crazy house

-and as your brother Luke says... "you make our hearts happy"

Here are some of my favorite recent pictures...

Luke made his first trip to the dentist. This child is hysterical. He really needs his own tv show. Luke is such a character...everything he does, he puts his little personality into it, and you can't help but laugh. Case in point...here are some pictures of Luke at the dentist

Seriously. If you're in need of a laugh, just come pick him up for the afternoon and he's bound to entertain you and put a smile on your face. Take him to the grocery store...it's hilarious.

*I should also note that this cute funny quality does not exist when he is around his brother. When the two of them are together, you want to kill him. Luke's survival rate goes up about a million percent when he's alone. Weird, I know....
The boys both had Mother's Day celebrations at school. I got to go share a special Mother's Day Tea with my Lukey...

And I got to have a Mother's Day picnic with my J...

Here's a picture of Jackson with his best friends from school. He has so much fun with these boys, and we will be sad to not venture on to Kindergarten with them next year :(

Now that school's out, it's time to rock for the summer

This past weekend, we had 2 of our dearest Macon families over. Our kids have grown up together these past few years, and these 2 moms have become 2 of my best friends. When I tell people I'm sad to leave Macon because this feels like my home...these people are the reason why. I LOVE these families, these moms, these children, like they are my family. They are what I will miss most when we leave here. I am so thankful that our paths have crossed, and we will all be lifelong friends whether God leads our family back to Macon or not. And they BETTER come visit us in Nashville! :)

Here are all of our kiddos playing down in our backyard creek...

And cooling off with popsicles after LOTS of playing :)

Now that I'm crying, I guess I better wrap it up. I imagine this blog only has a few more final posts before Macon Memories will become a wonderful virtual scrapbook of memories, and we will start over with new adventures, making new memories...in good ole Nashville.

Strawberry pickin' time

2011-04-26T16:55:00.001-07:00

Every year, we make a trip out to Elliott Farms in Lizella to pick strawberries with our friends. I love this trip so much. It made me sad to think that we will be missing the next 2 years of this tradition...but I'm hoping we'll be back for many more after that. Here are the boys on the tractor ride... Strawberry pickin' time
Too little to pick, but she's decked out in her strawberry dress :)
LOVE these boys...such great little friends.
Hot and tired after being out in the fields

Each year, we get a picture of our boys in front of the tractor wheel. It's so much fun to get to look back on these and see how our boys have grown. I know Jackson is going to miss his best buds so much, and oh how I am going to miss these boys' mommies! Please don't forget about us while we're gone...I hope we'll be back! Here's the collage from years past....
And here's this year...
Love these sweet memories of Macon. Sad to leave in a few short months...but so thankful for the great times we've had, and even more thankful for the wonderful friendships we've made :)

Easter

2011-04-26T16:23:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter, as we always do. After church, we headed to my parents' house for our annual Easter lunch and egg hunt for the grandchildren. The weather was perfect! Here is our family photo...all coordinating in purple and green :) My handsome, HANDSOME, boys!
All 5 grandchildren...so cute!
Hunting for eggs...
The fam, watching the hunt from the porch

So, so sleepy from a long and busy day
Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

Luke's 3rd Birthday Party

2011-04-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ahhh! Luke is turning 3! Goodness, my babies are growing up fast. Luke decided on a Go Diego Go! theme for his birthday. I decided to have it at a local park and go with an animal safari theme. And, since Luke's actual birthday has been taken over by all this royal wedding nonsense, we had his party a week early :) I didn't want people to have to make a choice ;) The party favors

The little rescuers mission...ElephantMonkeyBaby Jaguar

Toucan
Snake

Mommy and her little animal rescuer
Cousins :)
Pizza time!
The crew, ready for their safari
Luke in actionAM with her Teddy
Luke making this face was cracking me up while everyone was singing to him

Make a wish!

Mmmmm....cake

Opening presents

His captive audience

All that partying wore little miss out....

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate this special little boy!

We love you Luke!

A week of celebration!

2011-04-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

C.R.A.Z.Y.
That is my life. Some days the crazy is good, some days it's not so good, but the craziness is a definite constant. I know it's been a while since the last post, so let me catch you up to date on everyone :)
First, the title of the post. This week really is full of celebration. My mom celebrated her birthday, our sweet pup turned another year older this week, we are having Luke's birthday party on Friday, and the greatest celebration of all...the resurrection of our Lord and Savior from the cross.

As you may know, we have had some rounds of pretty rough storms hit Macon this month. We were extremely lucky durning both of those rounds....no damage to our house or family, but things were quite scary. The first round knocked a tree down, blocking the entrance/exit to our street, and took a power line with it. We were without power for 3 days. Yes, you read that right. How is it being a mom to 3 young children, one being a newborn, and 3 animals with no power for 3 days? Haha...not so fun. But we made it through. The worst that came out of it was that I had to throw out EVERYTHING in both of my frig/freezers :( Oh, and that I had a stomach ulcer. Bummer.
The second round was even scarier. I have never heard a tornado before, but am pretty sure that we heard the one that nearly missed our house. It literally touched down a few streets up from us, went up and over our house, and touched down on the other side. My neighbor had a tree slice through his house (thankfully, he was out of town) and do devastating damage. I cannot imagine if we were having to deal with those kind of repairs right now.
The house is still on the market. We've had a few lookers, but no interest. Brad and I are headed up to Nashville next weekend to look for our new home. This is all happening WAY TOO FAST!

Luke is potty trained! He decided over spring break, that it was time. No pressure from me, he just decided he was over it. This little boy has amazed me. He has been pretty much free from accidents and is a big boy now. Sometimes, I don't even know he has gone because he does it ALL BY HIMSELF. I sometimes get a little clue that he's been if his pants are on a little crooked ;) We are so proud of you Luke! Speaking of Luke, he will be 3 years old next Friday! Tomorrow is his party (Go Diego Go theme), so I will definitely post pictures after that.

Jackson is Jackson :) He is currently into ALL things dinosaur. You would be AMAZED at how many dinosaurs he knows, what period they lived in, what they ate, if they traveled in groups, etc. He still maintains that he wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up and I would say he's well on his way :) He is also very into counting and really just numbers of all sorts. His latest goal?...counting to 1,000. He is very proud of this accomplishment and tells just about everyone he meets that he can do it. My favorite Jackson quote from the last week?
"Mommy, is Laffy Taffy the capital of Florida? Oh wait, no, it's Tallahassee. They sound alike, though, don't they?" LOVE HIM!
Our sweet Gus turned 9 this week. Uggh, it makes me sad to know that he's one year older :( He is our true first baby. We got him the year before we got married. We love you, P! I hope you live to be an old, old man :) (Isn't this picture hysterical? I guess he feels safer in a booster ;))
Oh, Abby May :) Oddly enough, she is the calm in my storm. She is 3 months old today. I'm not really sure how much she weighs, but I think it's around 11 pounds. Bottom line...she's still teeny. She is smiling and cooing like crazy, which I LOVE! She sleeps for about a 9 hour stretch each night and then for another 3. Naps? Well, we are working on naps :) But, I have to say that she is getting better each day. Here is her 3 month bunny pic. Sweet, sweet baby...

So, there you have it...what I can remember, anyway :) Happy Birthday to Teddy, Gus, and Luke! Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of eternal life! Have a great Easter, everyone!

2 months and Cherry Blossom

2011-03-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

You're not going to get a lot in this one. Just a few pictures and even fewer words. That's all I have time for at the moment :)

2 month stats

21.75 inches long

9 pounds 12.5 ounces

I can't remember the exact %iles, but I remember something like 17th.

Bottom line...she's little :)

2 month bunny picture...couldn't you just eat her?Family photo at The Cherry Blossom FestivalChecking out the pink poodlesPlaying in the pink trainThe boys loved riding the rides...Someone else felt like sleeping :)

Sorry it's short and sweet, but at least it's something!

We're still here...

2011-03-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

Life with 3 kids is hard. Well, let me restate that...life with a very talkative and inquisitive 5 year old, an attention seeking, diaper-wearing almost 3 year old, a sometimes sleep, sometimes not 7 week old, a husband who works all the time, a house on the market, and an impending move of all our belongings to another state is HARD. But, we are making it. And I know that these days will soon pass and life will get a little bit easier with each passing week. Abby May is growing and doing great. I'm anxious to see how much she weighs when we go for her 2 month check up next week. She is still a good baby for the most part...just having some tummy issues much like her oldest brother. Which I guess would explain why she looks more and more like him every day.... I cannot currently access my pictures from my hard drive, but I SWEAR this child looks just like Jackson did at this age. This is one of her signature looks, as is the stink eye picture below...
I'm thinking of sending this one out for her birth announcement with a caption of
"What kind of family have I gotten myself into?"

Here is my little peach in her first dress :) There are SO many more awaiting you in your closet little miss...you just need to grow a little more :)

I'm guessing this is her sassy look.

The boys are doing great...WILD as ever. We are thankful for the spring weather so that we can spend some time outside and going to the park. Here are my little guys taking a juice box break.

Sweet brothers :)
That's all for now! We are excited about Cherry Blossom Festival starting this Saturday...our last one before we move to Nashville :(

Check back for more pictures after next week...if you're lucky ;)

One month old

2011-02-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't noticed, blogging with 3 children is hard. I really had good intentions...but those intentions were squashed by a host of other things on my 'to do' list that seemed to push "update the blog" further and further to the bottom. But, here it is :)

Well, a month has passed, and I'm happy to report that everyone is still alive. Sleep deprived? maybe. A little sick? maybe. But, we're alive, nonetheless. I really have been blessed with a good baby. She really isn't any trouble at all, and has a very sweet temperment. She is a good eater, sleeper, seems to be immune to loud noises, and still only really cries when she's hungry or naked :) She weighed in at 7 pounds 8 ounces at our last check-up about a week ago...still smaller than either of the boys were at birth. But, we are growing, and that's what counts :) Here is her one month bunny picture... Since I have been lacking in updates and pictures of this little peach, I thought as long as I was here, I would go all out. So here is a sampling of some of my favorites, and why I like them so much.

We have yet to attempt a family picture. Really, I haven't even thought about it. But I came across this one from the day she was born and noticed that all 5 of us managed to make it in the shot. So, for now, this will have to be our family picture.

In her coming home gown and bonnet. It swallows her whole, and I love it.

Jackson feeding her a bottle. It is definitley easier to nurse her than pump...but her big brother wanted to feed her a bottle so badly, I had to oblige him :) I love how he's holding her little head so sweetly to help support her...something he did all on his own.

Luke can never be left out of anything Jackson does, so he had to get a turn holding his baby sister. He talks to her in the sweetest little voice...it is the cutest thing.

A picture with her Chief. I love this one because it looks like he's tickling her and she's just laughing away :) (totally not what was happening, but that's what it looks like, so we'll go with it)

Her first bath. Daddy is the bathtime guy. He has always been the one to bathe our children...I guess because that time of day (night) is really the only time he gets to see them. So, the tradition continues. I especially like this one because it captures her little mohawk. She has had this from about week one, and it just continues to grow longer and fuller.

Luke is always so interested in seeing everything that she is doing. If he can't see, he runs to find a stool and parks it right next to our feet to get a better look. This time, he got a little boost from Daddy :)
Her first, and forever, Valentine :)
Of course, he said yes...and brought her her first Valentine flowers. What a sweet Daddy :)With her Teddy. My mom thinks she looks a lot like me when I was a baby....
...and I think she's right.
A little 'tummy time'. I just love her little expression :)Just 2 brothers, checking in on their little sister.
So, there you have it. Hopefully it won't be too long before another post...
but I'm not making any promises :)

One week old

2011-01-30T18:42:00.000-08:00

how does time go so fast? they say it goes faster with each child, and that seems so true. it has been a week (actually 10 days) since abby may was born, and it just can't have gone by that fast. but, in a way, it feels like she's been a part of our family forever. a little piece that we never even knew was missing, has just made our little puzzle complete. :) she has fit into our family so perfectly, so seamlessly...it just seems too good to be true. you are such a sweet, sweet baby, abby may. you don't really fuss. except when you're hungry, need to be changed, or are naked. you don't like being naked, and your father and i would like to keep it that way ;) you are TEE TINY! we are not used to having a baby this small. you are like a tiny little baby doll. while this is sweet, you need to put on some pounds, little miss. none of your clothes fit, and washing the same 3 outfits every couple days is getting old :) you have your daddy (well, your mommy and brothers too) wrapped around your finger, and have from the minute you were born. i'll never forget...as soon as you were born and they handed you to me, your daddy looked at you and said his first words to you...i don't even know what they were...and you poked your little bottom lip out as far as it would go. it began there. mere seconds after you were born...you had him.

there are so many pictures i would like to share, but for now, all i can manage is a few to capture her "one week" milestone. one of the only true 'outfits' that fit her. otherwise, she is usually in a gown. when jackson saw her in this he said "wow...she looks like a real girl today!"
your brothers LOVE you to pieces. i can't even keep track of how many times they kiss your little head each day. it just warms my heart :)
luke really wanted you to see his slap bracelet

and here is further proof that you are, in fact, your mama's girl. the animals have claimed you as theirs :)

i LOVE it!

hopefully there will be more pictures to come soon. for now, we are just enjoying our little girl and couldn't be happier!

She's here!

2011-01-21T14:32:00.000-08:00

Abigayle May Dennis

"Abby May"

born January 21, 2011

11:08 a.m.

6 lbs 6 oz

20 inches long

Praise God!

One day

2011-01-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

One day! Well, by now, it's really like 3 or 4 hours. We should get a call to come into the hospital tonight around 10 or 11 (although with Luke we didn't get the call until 4 am). But soon we will be starting on this journey! It has been kind of a crazy day...very emotional for me. I really had pictured that this day would go so much differently, but oh well. I have still had some sweet time with my boys, some great love and snuggles from my animals, and managed to squeeze in a nap and dinner at IVP :) So, as promised, here are the pictures of my sweet girl's nursery. (The curtains are temporary...just fill-ins until Teddy's handmade ones with the BEAUTIFUL fabric are finished :)) Quite a change from the blue and the trains, don't you think?

Her crib View from the doorA guest bed for whoever would like to get up with little miss :) Her sign, just waiting to be filled in
Her sweet coming home outfit

One of my favorite things in her room. There are a lot of handmade touches, mostly by Mommy, but I did ask Jackson to draw a picture of our family for his baby sister.

I just adore it.

So there you have it. Now all it needs is a sweet baby to fill it with memories...for the next 5 months anyway.
Looking so forward to holding you in my arms, Abby May.

One week

2011-01-14T15:22:00.001-08:00

One week. In just 7 short days, our little girl will be here. Surreal probably sums it up the best...and ready :). If you're doing the math, yes, her arrival has moved up by about 10 days. Lots of things factored into this decision that are probably too personal to share in such a public forum, so I'll just say that after much discussion between Brad, myself, and our doctor, we decided to welcome our little girl into the world on January 21st.
Jackson can hardly stand it. His countdown chain is getting shorter by the day, he loves to look through all of her stuff (and believe me, she's got a LOT to look through), and he's always talking about what she'll be like. He has even made a pretty good guess at her numbers...7 lbs, 10 oz, and 20 inches long. Luke thinks she will have black hair and black eyes...mmmm.
So we are enjoying our last week as a family of 4 (well, 7 if you count the animals...which I do). Next week, we will be forever (for now) a family of 5 (8 :)). I am nervous, anxious, scared, but most of all, just excited...and extremely thankful.
The nesting is in full swing, although I would be getting a lot more accomplished if I could sleep at night and have the energy during the day to actually "nest". Doesn't that seem cruel? That with one week before I have no choice but to go without sleep, I sleep at most, about an hour at a time? It's miserable...but totally worth it. The weird thing is that the little increments of sleep that I do get are filled with crazy dreams. For example...last night I dreamed that my mom and I were out shopping for my birthing gown. Yes, my birthing gown. It was quite similar to a wedding dress. Big and white, with a huge ball gown skirt. Only, it was filled with my big pregnant self and I was going to give birth in it :) The dressing rooms at the salon were even equipped with stirrups so you could get the "full effect" of just how you would look in your big white gown as you were birthing your bloody, messy baby. Lovely.
The nursery. Oh, the nursery :) I have waited 5 years to have my lovely little pink-bathed nursery, and I have had SO much fun bringing everything together. I am not finished quite yet. I promise to post pictures when I am. For now, I'll leave you with the before pictures of sweet Luke's nursery...which is now, a thing of the past...
So these last few days I will try my best to rest, I will love on these sweet boys and animals of mine who's lives are about to change yet again, and I will try not to be overwhelmed with emotion as I think that in 7 short days, I will be holding my daughter in my arms :)

Thoughts from Jackson

2010-12-29T06:37:00.000-08:00

Preface: Jackson loves all things geography...maps, globes, facts, state capitals, etc. For Christmas he received this electronic touch and learn map that teaches you all sorts of things about the states. We keep it in the car, and he just fills his little head with facts as we travel down the road (which we do often).
This conversation took place on Christmas day as we were headed from one celebration to the next.

Jackson: "Uh oh. Mommy and Daddy?"
M&D: "Yes. What's wrong?"
Jackson: "We better be careful when we move to Nashville."
M&D: "Why's that?"
Jackson: "Because there are smoky mountains in Tennessee."
M&D: (chuckling to ourselves) "Ok. Why would we need to be careful?"
Jackson: "Because smoke is not good for you."

He just kills me with his cuteness sometimes :)

Happy Birthday Jackson!

2010-12-22T20:15:00.001-08:00

My baby turned 5 today! There are two things that are making me feel old lately...1) When people see that I am pregnant, ask, "Is this your first?", and I reply with, "No, my 3rd." (Yikes)

and 2) I have a 5 year old.

Am I really old enough to be a mother of 3 and have a 5 year old? I guess so :) We celebrated today as a family, but had his party this past weekend. I'm not really sure where he came up with this, but Jackson was determined to have a bowling party at the bowling alley. Has he ever even been to a bowling alley? No. So, where he got the idea is beyond me. But, I must say...it turned out to be one of the best parties. I was a little leary of having to relinquish my party planning (since the bowling alley allows you to bring cake and ice cream, and that's about it)...but, I also realized that at this point in my life and pregnancy, I didn't really need to take on one more thing. But don't worry...it didn't stop me from getting a little creative with the theme ;)

My favorite part?....making bowling jerseys for all his little party guests :) ...back of the jersey

The cake...made out of cupcakes.

Jackson thinks it is so cool that he has his very own bowling pin now.

Party favors

Heavy ball!

My little guys

Putting on his bowling shoes...too cute!

My little bowler

I think Luke thought it was his party...he LOVED bowling!

Jackson and his 2 best buddies

Enjoying some pizza

Only my little 5 year old would ask for a globe for his birthday. He was so proud :)

A group shot of "Jackson's Pin Pals"
This video cracks me up. It is a very accurate representation of what happened any time someone was up to bowl....the entire team ventured out with the bowler to cheer him or her on. It was hysterical.

Thanks to everyone who celebrated with us!

Happy 5th Birthday, Jackson!

You are one special little (big) boy :)

*I'm not sure why there are 2 copies of the video...but I fear that deleting one will make them both go away and I am way too tired to wait for it to upload again :)

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Luke's 1st UGA game

2010-11-22T06:09:00.001-08:00

Luke got to go to this first UGA game this season...a big milestone for any Dennis child. In Dennis family tradition (dating back to Daddy's first game) everyone gets a cake to commemorate the special occasion. What a cutie!
Even though it was FREEZING, we enjoyed lots of football...
...and cornhole.

Jackson was ready to cheer on the Dawgs.
The boys best friend, Catch, came by to tailgate with us
They had a blast playing football, and an impromtu game of ring around the rosie :)

Sporting some eye black (or red)
Chief and Kikye with their boys.
Cute little bulldog :)

Best buds
"Ok, Dad. I'm ready for you to carry me down the hill to the stadium. Can you see ok?"
That's better. (What a handsome husband I have!)
Jackson and his Chief. Why does my 4 year old look like he's 8? Maybe it's the #....
The fam.

Luke wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to be looking at.
"Wrong way, Luke"
Keep trying...

(doesn't he look like Wall E in this pic?)
There you go!
Had to see Hairy Dawg
Enjoying a sucker in front of the hedges.

Two tired and cold boys back at the tailgate watching a movie.
We had such a great time! Can't believe the next time we'll be doing this, it will be for a little girl in a UGA cheerleading outfit :)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Halloween Week Fun!

2010-11-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

We had such a busy Halloween this year. And the kids had a blast! The boys (along with some suggestion help by Mommy) decided they wanted to be Tom & Jerry this year for Halloween. They LOVE Tom & Jerry...in fact, a little too much. That show is quite violent, and we have since had to eliminate it from our viewing schedule as the boys have all but tried to hit each other over the head with frying pans, if you know what I mean. But, we had decided on the costumes long ago, and stuck with them. I was not pleased with the store bought costumes I was finding, so I decided to make them. My mom made our costumes every year, so I figured I better start living up to her standards ;) I was quite pleased with how they turned out...

Last year, all the girls in my bible study had a group portrait made of our kids in their costumes. It was crazy, fun, and turned out cute, so we decided to give it a shot again this year. If only you could see video footage of what all it took to finally get this shot. Hilarious. But I think having all 16 kids looking in the general direction of the camera is pretty impressiveOn Friday, Jackson's class dressed up as their favorite "letter person". Jackson chose to go as Mr. B, Beautiful Buttons. He was very proud of the shirt he helped me make :) My cute little Tom & Jerry They LOVED their little skeleton flashlights that Chief and Kikye got them.
Our annual first stop...Mrs. June and Mr. Darrell's house next door. Look at those cute little tails!On Sunday, we went to the Trunk or Treat/Fall Festival at the boys' school. It was great! Jackson experienced spin art for the first time, and quickly added it to his Birthday/Christmas list :)

*that does NOT mean that everyone should get that for him...it's already been claimed :)
The highlight was probably getting to ride the mini Thomas train around the parking lot.
Doesn't Tom look happy?

They had to have a snow cone after all that jumping in the bouncy.
A little video with clips from the week's activities

We are taking the boys to the UGA game this Saturday. It's a big day, because this is Luke's first game. So check back next week!

(to see Jackson's first game, click here)

Busy, busy, busy

2010-10-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

Time to play catch up! We've been quite busy, so I thought I would just post a quick re-cap with some pictures so that I don't get behind. Here's what we've been up to the past few weeks.

We spent our annual "Day out with Thomas", which is always a big hit for my Junior Engineers. Thanks Chief and Kikye for treating us to a day of fun!

Pumpkin time! (We finally wised up and decided to spare ourselves from the self-inflicted torture of trying to obtain a decent picture at the pumpkin patch)

My little boy who does NOT like to get messy. One time in the goop, and he was done.

Carving with Daddy...a surgeon in the making :)

The boys wanted a train carving...shocking, I know.

Our annual Halloween cookie baking extravaganza! Makes a HUGE mess...but our Halloween tradition, and so fun to bake with my little boy. (And if you're worrying about Luke being left out...he gets to join in next year :))

A little sneak peak at our Halloween costumes :) And you're missing the best part (the tails), so be sure to check back after Halloween :)

And now for an update on our little girl. I'm not sure who is more excited about her arrival...Brad and I, or the boys. She's still in the womb, and this little girl is doted on, shopped for, and talked about more than any of us who are actually living in this house. So last week, when we hit the 100 days away mark, Jackson and I decided to make a chain to countdown her arrival. Jackson is very big on time and how much longer we have to wait for things, so we are often making chains, countdown calendars, etc. I let him pick the colors, he helped me cut all the strips, tape them together, and voila....

And every morning, Jackson can hardly wait to tear off a ring, mark through the old number and replace it with one less.

It makes us all exctied.

And it makes Mommy think of her long to do list, and become nervous. I am so ready to meet this precious daughter of mine...to see what color her hair and eyes will be, who in our family she will look like, dress her in all the precious clothes I have found for her.

But practically, are we ready? No. There is still so much to do, and so much to get before her arrival. And I know there are still 3 more months, but those 3 months are already filled with lots of other 'to dos', and thinking about how I'm going to fit them all in makes me anxious. But it will get done.

And I will enjoy every minute of it :)

Match Day

2010-10-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Match Day has not really gone in our favor in the past. But this time, it was a different story. We got our #1 choice and are going to Nashville, TN! We are so excited, and still just can't believe it all worked out. If you don't know much about the "match" process, it is simialr to fraternity/sorority rush. You don't get to just interview places, get offers, and pick where you want to go...it's much more complicated than that. Match Day is much like Bid Day...you don't really have any idea where you could end up until you finally read those words "Congratulations! You matched _____". To say that I am proud of my husband doesn't even begin to describe it. He has worked SO hard for SO many years...the joy and pride I feel for him is so great. This has been a stressful process, and we are happy for it to finally be over...and even more happy with the outcome. God is so faithful...we can't wait to see how he uses us for his service in Nashville.

Now, don't get me wrong...I am still very sad to be leaving Macon. But I guess if I have to go somewhere for a 2 year adventure...Nashville is about as good a place as I could ask for. Everyone has told us what a wonderful city it is, and that we may very likely not want to leave after living there for 2 years. I know parts of it will be hard, and there will be struggles, but I also know that there are many great things in store for us there...and, most importantly, that Brad will get some of the best training in the country at Vanderbilt.

And these girls will make the move a little easier too :)...

Three of my best friends from college live in Nashville (including my beautiful maid of honor to my left :)). I am so excited about living in the same city with them. There is a great comfort for me in moving to a new city where I already know people...not just people, but dear friends who are wonderful wives, mothers, and Christians. I love these ladies so much, and can only imagine the fun we are going to have in the years to come.

So Nashville...I hope you're ready for the Dennis family :)

Me and Mommy

2010-10-10T11:18:00.001-07:00

This past week, the boys and I took advantage of the great "Me and Mommy" deal that the GA Aquarium is offering. For only $25, the Me and Mommy ticket includes general admission for one adult (Mommy, Daddy, or caregiver), free admission for up to 4 children under the age of 5, and free parking. That is a GREAT deal! Jackson has been to the aquarium several times, but Luke had never been before. We had a wonderful time, although I have to admit it was a little difficult for this 6 months pregnant mommy to lift her two boys up so many times so that they could see everything they wanted to see. Oh, and I wouldn't recommend crawling through the penguin tunnel with your two children at 6 months pregnant either ;) I was able to get only 2 pictures before my camera battery died :(

In front of the sting ray/shark pool...I have no idea who they are looking at, but it's not me.Petting some rays

So moms, if you're looking for something to do with your little ones, I would definitely take advantage of this deal. It lasts through Nov. 12th.

In baby news, Abby May is doing great (I guess ;)). She seems to move around a lot more than I remember J or L moving. I'm hoping this means she's just a little peanut and has some extra room in there (her brothers were semi-giants, and my body is really needing a smaller baby ;)). After some unexpected hesitation in the beginning and feeling overwhelmed by everything girly, I have now fully embraced the pink! I am so ready to get her nursery painted so that I can get everything in place. We just really can't wait to see this little girl...what she will look like, how she will change our family, everything. I still just can't believe sometimes how lucky I am and how blessed we are to have so many wonderful things in this life.

The big day is coming up this week...we will be finding out where Brad matched for his fellowship! We are anxiously and excitedly awaiting the news of where our home will be for the next 2 years :) Check back sometime later this week to find out for yourselves!

Hello, my name is...

2010-10-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, this sweet little girl finally has a name.

Abigayle May Dennis..."Abby May"

Really, she has had this name for a while...even before we knew her big brothers were, in fact, going to be 'brothers' :) But making the final decision that we really still felt it was the right name for her...well, that is what took a little time.

But it is perfect, and we are in love.

In love with our little Abby May.

And if you could hear her name spoken from her precious big brothers' lips?

Well, it would melt your heart :)

It's a............

2010-09-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!
Can you believe it? I can hardly believe it myself. We are sooooooo excited! I love being a mom to my two boys, and would have been excited about adding another one to the team, but oh how I wanted a daughter :)
If you know me well, you know that I cannot wait on anything. Which is why those of you who know me so well totally called my bluff when I said "We don't think we're going to find out."
Yeah, right.
Me? Mrs. Impatient? The girl who ruins her own surprise parties? The girl who tells you what she's bought you for Christmas long before it's even wrapped? It wasn't gonna happen. We knew that we would find out all along...we just wanted it to be on our own time and on our own terms. I thought that telling people we weren't going to find out would keep them from bugging me.
I was wrong.
So, ever the impatient one, we pulled a few strings, called in a few favors, and had an ultrasound at 16 weeks. I will never forget those words "It's a girl." We were pretty positive, but still wanted to wait until our 20 week ultrasound to make any big announcements.
My 20 week ultrasound is over a week away.
I told you...impatient.
So we went back up today (thankfully, they were slow), and got her to check one more time. Definitely a girl :) The boys were able to go with us and see their baby sister. Jackson was absolutely precious. He is so excited, and I know he's going to make such a good big brother. Luke...well, it will be an adjustment for my little mama's boy.
I am over the moon. On cloud nine. And maybe, just maybe....a little terrified.
My prayers have been answered, my wishes come true, a longing fulfilled.
God is so good. He's so good to me.
*make sure you check the sidebar for Jackson's funny saying about the baby*

Pool fun

2010-09-02T16:19:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in the last post, we have been fortunate enough to have a membership at a local neighborhood pool this summer. It has been a great place to escape the summer heat and for my little water babies to have fun. Today was our last day to enjoy the pool, and it was great. We literally had the pool all to ourselves. The boys splashed and played, and went down the water slide a million times. The only thing that would have made our last trip better is if Daddy had been there...oh, and if I had remembered to bring the camera. :) Here is some water slide footage from another trip.

* I must add that on our last day (today), Luke finally mastered going down the slide by himself with no assistance...remaining upright the whole way. He was quite proud of himself.
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First Day of School

2010-09-01T07:21:00.001-07:00

Today my big baby started 4K and my little baby (or should I say middle baby) started 2K. They are growing up so fast! They were both very excited about their first day of school, as was I. I love these little guys to death, but they were beginning to get on each other's nerves and needed some structure in their lives :) Here is our annual first day of school picture by the front door. Jackson remained excited as he got to his new classroom
Lukey, was a different story. His excitement faded as he realized that Mommy was leaving him here. :(But a snuggle from bank-bank and a hug from Mrs. Gibson made everything better. He had stopped crying before I could make it down the hall.
Here's some video for the grandparents and Daddy (who is out of town) so that you don't feel like you missed out :)

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Summer catch up

2010-08-27T12:13:00.001-07:00

To say that we have been busy this summer would be an understatement. I feel like I have barely been able to catch my breath between all the trips and activities we've had going on, and I certainly haven't had time to keep up to date with the blog (see..in order to blog, that would require me being home for more than 2-3 days at a time). But as our fun summer comes to a close, I decided I better come up for air from the giant pile of consignment 'stuff' to provide a much needed (and much requested) update of our lives. :)
Even though this has been one of the most crazy and busy summers, it really has been a fun one. Baby #3 has given me quite a run for my money. The first trimester was pretty rough, with me feeling sick 24 hours a day and SO tired. But now that we're in the 2nd trimester (currently 18 weeks) things are looking up. I even started to feel this little bean move for the first time this past week :) I am so excited about this sweet little baby and feel so bonded and connected to it already...I can't wait (and can hardly believe it) to be a family of 5!
Brad has been gone most of the summer on interviews. He will finish his surgery residency and graduate next June...then it will be off for a 2 year fellowship in trauma/critical care. So he has been interviewing for fellowships all over, and we will find out in October where this journey will take us next. While I am excited about this next adventure for our family, and thrilled that this just puts us one step closer to being 'done'...I can't begin to explain how sad it makes me to think of leaving Macon. This really is our home. I never thought in a million years that I would say that about Macon, GA, but it's true. I am so thankful for the wonderful friends and memories we have made here...and I just have to believe that God has more in store for us down the road...just in a different place...for a while, anyway ;)

We did make it to the beach 3 times this summer, which was great! The first trip was with my family, but minus Brad. It also was at the very beginning of my pregnancy. So me as a single parent + a very fussy teething Luke + a tired and sick feeling Mommy = no pictures from that trip :) The second time we went with our dear friends, The Kitchells. I have lots of footage from that trip, but plan to make a slideshow...so I just grabbed 2 of my favorites. I love this one because little Kate had NO desire to get in the picture...but we managed to get her in anyway ;) The kiddos
Our 3rd beach trip was for 9 days and was just our family and my parents. It was wonderful! We finally got a chance to visit The Alligator Farm...something we've been wanting to do for a while. It was a really neat place, and the boys loved it.

I have never seen so many crocs and gators in my life...

They loved riding around in their little safari jeep

Gross.

I have also never been so hot in my life. Can you tell that we all look a little sweaty?The boys had the best time together, and could have stayed playing on the beach all day long.
My mom bought all the grandkids outfits when we went to Hawaii...so we had to get a picture while we were at the beach. Don't they make cute little Hawaiian boys? We have also been spending a lot of time this summer at the pool where we have a membership. The boys love it, and especially love the waterslide.
So that's a little of our summer in a whirlwind. The boys both start school next week, so hopefully I will have a little more free time to stay updated. I will try to be better, but I can't make any promises.

Happy Birthday Alfie!

2010-07-14T09:34:00.001-07:00

Our sweet little Alfie is 1 today. Isn't he just gorgeous? He and Jackson have such a special relationship. I never thought a cat could love a little boy so much. I have to admit...I am often jealous of the attention that Alfie gives to Jackson instead of me, but he has been exactly what I wanted for my little boy...his very own special little pet :)

If you know Jackson, you know that he thinks everyone should have a party with a theme to celebrate their birthday. So we went with a milk theme for Alfie, since he was getting milk instead of a birthday cake. Ridiculous, I know...but our animals are no different from our children here at the Dennis house :)

He was thrilled about his party hat, can't you tell? He was probably embarrassed that it looked more like a dunce cap than a party hat :)

Here is a little video from Alfie's Birthday Party...and another video of one of the many crazy things this unique little kitty likes to do. He certainly is one of a kind, and we love him very much :)

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A Must Watch!

2010-07-01T16:33:00.001-07:00

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First catch

2010-06-03T06:01:00.001-07:00

We spent Memorial Day weekend at Brad's parents' house on Lake Oconee. We had such a wonderful time. Jackson went 'skiing' for the first time, caught his first fish (acutally caught 5), and Luke had a great time jumping off the dock a gazillion times. Here are some pics and video from our fun-filled, relaxing weekend. Thank you Chief and Kikye!

testing out the 'ski trainer' on the dockgetting ready
this boy loves to fish
finally, his first catch!

helping Kikye ice the cake
Chief, in heaven with his 2 boys
just fishin'.....

someone was a little tired on the boat ride
J with his Kikye
watching the ducks while we fill up with gasof course, Luke wanted to try
his first catfish!

second catfish!

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Strawberry patch and swim lessons

2010-05-26T13:10:00.001-07:00

Each spring we head out to a local farm and strawberry patch with friends for strawberry picking, animal watching, and a hayride. All the boys decided to wear their UGA football attire...their daddies would be so proud :) Checking out the animals....Luke longs to be included with the 'big boys'
Picking strawberries
Surveying their loot

The crew- Luke, Jackson, Nathan, and Catch

Hot and tired from all that picking...ready for some lunch and ice cream

Enjoying the hayride

Best buddies

The 3 amigos- Nathan, Catch, and Jackson...how we will miss our friends when we leave :(

Our annual picutres in front of the tractor tire....I love to see these boys grow together.

A dear friend of ours was kind enough to give a group of our children swim lessons this summer...for FREE, I might add. We can never thank Ms. Elizabeth enough for all that she did for our precious little ones. They had so much fun!

Learning to float

So serious

Jackson and Catch holding the hoop while Nathan swims through

The sweet siblings, Luke and Kate, cheering on their brothers and wishing they could take part

The graduating swim class of 2010 standing proud with their medals that Ms. Elizabeth made them :)

Way to go Jackson!

A little video montage of my super swimmer in action!

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Happy 2nd Birthday, Luke

2010-04-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

Today my baby is 2. Everyone always says time flies, and it truly does. But I have enjoyed every minute of it. Luke, you truly bring such joy to our family. Your carefree attitude, smile, and downright cuteness make it hard for anyone to be down around here for more than a second. I love you so much and am so happy and thankful that God entrusted you to me. Since I have not been the best about keeping your journal up to date, here are just a few things about what you're up to, and what makes you oh so special :)

You are so smart. You know all of your shapes (including the odd ones like octagon, oval, and diamond), your colors, and you can count to 10 all by yourself....sometimes you even get brave and make it to 12 :)
You LOVE to be outside. You would live down by the creek behind our house if I would let you...throwing rocks into it all day long.
You think Jackson, or Jazzy as you call him, hung the moon. I love seeing the special relationship between the two of you grow, and I hope you grow even closer over the years.
You always cross your ankles when you sit down. You have since you were little, and it is the cutest little habit.
You say "OK" all the time, to anything. And you manage to say it in the cutest way possible.
You love the Frosty the Snowman cartoon. You ask me to play it every day.
Your favorite foods are strawberries, ketchup, and strawberry jam...oh, and let's not forget chicken nuggets.
You like to say "Mama, juknowhat?" (do you know what?). You never have anything to say after I say "what?", but you ask me that all the time.
Whenever I ask you a question, you always start off by saying "how 'bout..."
You suck your thumb, but only when you have your 'bank bank'. The minute your little fingers feel your lovey, your thumb goes into your mouth...but never any other time.
You fall down a lot....not because you are clumsy, but because you don't really walk anywhere. You are always running.
When you get angry, you cross your arms and make a grunting sound. Only, you cross your arms out in front of your body instead of up against your chest. So Daddy and I call you the Angry Genie when you get mad :)
You hold your breath. You have done this since you were a baby, and I can't figure out why. It's like you forget to breathe. When you are really upset, you hold it until you pass out.
You are so stinkin' cute, that sometimes I think I might squeeze you to death.

Here are just a few of my favorite Lukey pictures

Happy Birthday, Luke! We love you so much!

Construction Party

2010-04-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

We had Luke's 2nd birthday party this past weekend. It was a no-brainer when trying to decide on a theme. My little boy loves big trucks and rocks...so we had a construction party! I told Brad when I started planning that I wasn't really going to go over the top like I had done in the past. My plan was to keep it low key and simple.

Yeah, right.

Since when has anything I've ever planned been low key or simple? I guess I ended up getting a little carried away, and the party ended up being just as elaborate, if not more, than all the others before it. But we had so much fun! Our plans were a little altered by the weather, but we just ended up moving everything to the garage and it worked out fine...a little cramped, but fine. Here are the promised pictures for those of you who couldn't make it. Thanks to everyone who came to help celebrate our special little boy! I'll do a more nostalgic post on Thursday...his actual b'day ;)

Everyone got a personalized hard had and apron before getting to work

What else could I serve but dirt cake, of course!
Luke was in heaven with his very own rock pile
Foreman Luke
I should have known that Pa would come in costume
I'm hoping they are discussing some future home improvement projects for my house :) Busy workers
The crew...aren't they just too cute?!
Jackson is all finished with his jobs and ready for lunch! Turning in work orders for lunch A hungry crew!
Getting ready to sing
Enjoying his cake

Hope you had a great birthday party, Luke!

Easter and Spring

2010-04-08T16:07:00.001-07:00

Lots happening since the last post so this one will be a little picture heavy :) We've been keeping busy with Easter festivities, spring break, and just enjoying the nice weather. First are pictures from our Easter celebration with church which is always a lot of fun for the kids

Luke at the cookie decorating stationNo one said you had to eat the cookie Jackson drawing something quite elaborate on the tennis court
The hunt...
...and the loot!

Easter Sunday after church
At Teddy and Grandpa's
All of the grandkids lining up for the big hunt. Not only do I have the cutest kids, but I also have the CUTEST little niece and nephew!

And they're off!
Opening Easter bags

Playing with the big giant beach ball

Brad and his handsome little mini meJackson and his cousin, Allie

I had a ton of video clips from various things we've been doing, so I just decided to loop them all together. It's a little random...outside fun, sports, and some sweet cuddling :)

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Cherry Blossom Festival

2010-03-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

Beginning about April 1st of every year, Jackson starts asking me "When is it going to be March again so we can go to The Cherry Blossom Festival?" To say that my little boy loves The Pinkest Party on Earth is a gross understatement. He looks forward to it with such joy every year. If you gave him the choice between it and Christmas morning, I'm really not sure which one he would pick :) So, of course, we have spent every waking moment that we can enjoying the many wonderful things the festival has to offer. We are sad that this will be our next to last Cherry Blossom here in Macon, but my friends here can rest assured that this is one event we will be back for every year...no matter where we end up on the map :) Here are the pics so far from our week of Cherry Blossom fun.

We couldn't miss the pink pancake breakfast
A ride on the roller coaster
Face painting

Luke is obsessed with rocks. Wherever we are, he finds rocks and carries them around. You'll notice in the pictures that he doesn't let go of them often :) Couldn't you just eat him up?
Luke and his Kikye
On the obstacle course...a new addition this year and a favorite of Jackson's

Down the slide
Luke wasn't too sure about the rides at first
Enjoying a slushie at the sea lion splash
Stella, Rose, and Kitty

Where else can you see a sea lion conga line?
A sweet moment with Chief (and his rocks)
A giant anaconda...gross
I was glad Jackson opted to pet the alligator with it's mouth taped shut instead of the snake
It wouldn't be a fair without a balloon animal

Chick-Fil-A turns their ice cream pink for Cherry Blossom...always a special treat
Luke finally started to enjoy the rides on the second day
Clutching his rock while riding in the jeep with "Jazzy"

Ok, now I have to tell a story (if you're still with me). Jackson has wanted nothing more than to ride the ferris wheel at the festival ever since we started going 3 years ago. You have to be 42" tall to ride. Instead of trying to explain that to him (or deal with him asking every day to measure him and see if he was 42" tall yet), we decided to tell him that you had to be 4 years old to ride the ferris wheel...thinking that at the rate he was growing he would surely be 42" by 4. If you know Jackson, you know that he doesn't forget a thing. The day of his 4th birthday, December 22, he told me "Yeah! Now I can ride the ferris wheel at Cherry Blossom Festival!" So the first day of the festival, we went straight to the ferris wheel. It wasn't even open yet because we were there early for pink pancakes, but we went up to the 'you have to be this tall' sign to check. He stood up so proud and we all cheered like a bunch of fools as we realized he was tall enough...or so we thought.

After our pink pancakes settled, we bought our tickets and went straight to the ferris wheel. Brad marched him up the ramp all ready to get on and the carnival man pulls out a different measuring stick, holds it up to Jackson, and says no, you can't get on. Talk about devastating! Well, truthfully, Jackson wasn't all too upset...it was really me, Brad, Chief, and Kikye that were heartbroken. We talked to Jackson, changed the age limit to 5, and he happily went off to ride the roller coaster.

Well, we weren't going to give up on our baby's dream that easily. Then next time we went back, we made sure Jackson wore his cowboy boots with the heel, and taught him how to stand up extra, extra tall :)

Dr. Dennis

2010-03-14T16:20:00.001-07:00

I think Jackson may have found his calling. I guess it makes sense, though. Taking 2 of the greatest loves from each of his parents and combining them into one. Here is Dr. Jackson Dennis, veterinarian, with his first patient....sweet, sweet Alfie.
*I apologize in advance for the quality of the film. It was a little difficult to manage a camera and a somewhat nervous 4-legged patient. Also excuse the disaster state of my bedroom as I had just returned from a cruise and was in the process of unpacking :)

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Spring fever and savings

2010-02-02T13:30:00.001-08:00

A random title for a post, I know. But I didn't want to do 2 separate ones. First, the savings. I have finally decided to take the plunge and join the world of couponing. Friends of mine have sworn by it for a while now, but I just didn't think I could add one more thing to my life. But, if you know me, I also have a hard time passing up a great bargain, so I decided to give it a go. After a few weeks of serious couponing (ecoupons, clipping, printables, bogos, store events, etc) I think I will probably continue on. I definitely see it as the type of thing that I will learn more the longer I do it....but so far, so good. Here is what I scored on my weekly trip. Included in this loot are....

-Dinner for my family of 4 for 5 nights this week (not including leftovers)

-Monthly supply of staples that we use frequently (juice, goldfish, cheese, etc)

-6 cans of sunscreen (in the next 6 months we are going on a cruise, to Hawaii, and to the beach...so this was a great buy! and yes, i checked the exp. date)

All of this loveliness for $64.36.

I am thrilled anytime I can go to the grocery store and spend less than $100, so I was very happy to spend this amount and get so much in return. So, for now, I will press on with the couponing craze :)

We had a few days here and there recently that got me and the boys itching for spring. We have a creek that runs behind our house and I think the boys would live down there if I would just pitch them a tent. So on one of those warmer days, we bundled up, put on our puddle boots, and headed down to have some fun.

I am so sad to think about leaving this house next year when Brad is finished with residency...but looking forward to making even more memories such as this one before it's time to leave :)

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Survey

2010-01-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

for Erin :)

Welcome to the 2010 edition of getting to know your family and friends. Here is what you are supposed to do, and try not to spoil the fun. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Have fun and be truthful! I want to see your answers. Link up at the end so we can share in your answers!

1. What is your occupation right now? wife, mother, and keeper of our home :)
2. What color are your socks right now? white
3. What are you listening to right now? Neal Boortz, Fox News, Thomas movie, and Luke saying "more juice mama"...it's a little over stimulating
4. What was the last thing that you ate? piece of banana bread
5. Can you drive a stick shift? no
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my dear friend, Annette, who just had a baby last night :)
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? very much!
8. How old are you today? 29
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? football
10. What is your favorite drink? fountain coke in a styrofoam cup with lots of ice
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? yes...children give you grays :(
12. Favorite food? I don't like favorite ?s....I love grits
13. What is the last movie you watched? Avatar 3D
14. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
15. How do you vent anger? healthy way-cry, non-healthy way-throw things
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? pink doll named Oddie
17. What is your favorite season? spring or fall
18. Do you want your friends to continue to post?
19. Who is the most likely to respond?
20. Who is least likely to respond?
21. Living arrangements? wonderful home in Macon that I am sad about leaving in the next year :(
22. When was the last time you cried? about an hour ago
23. What is on the floor of your closet? shoes, and probably a train or two :)
24. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? I guess the friend who reads my blog that I've known the longest would be Meredith
25. What did you do last night? worked out and watched The Biggest Loser
26. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburger? cheese
27. What are you most afraid of? losing those I love
28. What is your favorite kind of dog? I love all dogs, but my current fav is my beagle, Gus
29. Favorite day of the week? any day that our entire family is together
30. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds
31. What is your favorite flower? orchids
32. What is your favorite blog to read? there's no way I can answer this question...I love all of my friends' blogs!

Grocery store

2010-01-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

When Brad is on call, the dinner/bath/bedtime routine can be a little tricky to manage with my wild boys. Tonight I decided to let L read books in his crib (given the path of destruction he had already created througout the day) while I bathed and pj'd J. After J was done, I sent him downstairs to play while I bathed and pj'd L, read stories, and put him to bed. When I came downstairs, J was standing there, so proud, and said (as he did a sweeping gesture with his hands) "Ta-da! Welcome to my grocery store. Time to go shopping!"

Well, you don't have to beg me to go shopping :)

So I got my cart, my list, and my pen. I made a big deal about looking through all of the food, asking J if he had certain items, planning out my meals for the week, you get the idea. He was so excited! He could hardly contain himself, he was just bursting at the seams with the excitement of this newly discovered game. I proceeded to the check-out with my goods and asked J how much I owed.

Ouch.

Orange..... $20

Potato..... $10

Fish.....$25

Zucchini..... $100

Chicken..... $5

Lemon..... $1

Grand total..... $181

I guess I shouldn't have bought 3 potatoes.

At least chicken was on sale this week (he did tell me that) :)

And I'm dreading breaking the news to Brad that we can no longer afford one of his favorite vegetables :(

I do love that little boy's imagination, and can't wait to shop at his store again....hopefully with coupons ;)

Christmas top 10

2010-01-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

I have been putting off my Christmas post for a while now. I keep meaning to do it, but that task just keeps slipping futher and further down on the to-do list. So I finally decided I better get it done, and I thought that I would sort through all the pictures and pick out 10 of my favorites to tell a little bit about our Christmas story.
We had a wonderful Christmas, as we always do. Brad is fortunate to be able to take the week of Christmas off each year, and we LOVE getting spoiled by spending all of that time with him. We received way too much this year (as we always do) and were reminded of how richly blessed and undeserving we are. So here are the top 10 picture memories...in chronological order, not in order of favorites

#1 I love decorating our house for Christmas, and especially love trees. I decorate 5 throughout the house each year, and already have plans for #6 for next year. This year I went a different direction with our main tree, and was so pleased with how it turned out.

#2
The annual "in front of the Christmas tree" picture. I can't wait to see the progression of these over the years
#3

We have started a tradition with Brad's family on Christmas Eve. His mom, dad, and brother come to our house for Christmas Eve dinner. We let the kids open all of their wrapped presents under the tree (a tradition from Brad's childhood) and we open the TON of presents that his parents bring. I am always amazed at how many trips they make from the car to the house with armloads of gifts. Here are the boys surveying their loot.

Luke loves big trucks ("biiiig kuk!"). This was one of his favorite gifts that he toted around all night. And, apparently, it drives the best in the kitchen wherever Mommy happens to be walking :)

And look how big my baby looks holding his biiiig kuk!

#5

One of my favorite gifts Luke received. He was made for hats :)

#6
Jackson is really into the idea of Santa Claus. We made special cookies, and Jackson picked out just the right carrots at the store for his reindeer (which I later chewed up and spit out all over the driveway as reindeer evidence). I love this picture of him inspecting the goodies to make sure everything is just right before the big guy comes.

#7
The spread on Christmas morning. And I realized 2 weeks later that we completely forgot to put out Luke's big item from Santa. I kept standing there Christmas Eve saying to Brad "Are you sure this looks even? I feel like Jackson has more." To which Brad replied "Luke is 1. He won't notice. Can we go to bed now?" And Luke's present is still in the attic.

#8 Waiting at the top of the stairs on Christmas morning awaiting the o.k. from Mommy and Daddy to come down...a Morgan family tradition that is happily carried out in the Dennis house. I also can't wait to see the progression of these pictures over the years.

*Oh, and another favorite is the matching Christmas pjs

#9
I love, love, love Christmas morning. It is such a special time for our family. I love to see the excitement on their faces as they discover each new toy. I love to sit back on the couch with Brad, drinking a hot cup of coffee, Christmas music playing in the background, and just look at each other and smile, knowing how blessed we are, and giving thanks for the true meaning of this special day. I also love what this picture captures so perfectly. They both have mouths full of candy canes, and are playing with the two new "Trev the Trains". For that entire morning, even with all those new toys, my 2 little boys are so sweet to one another. Such sweet words are spoken, such kind sharing takes place, and it just warms my heart :)

#10

This is Jackson opening presents at my parents house. There are 2 reasons why I love this picture.

1- Each of the grandkids gets to take their turn opening their presents. It is such a great way to make each one of them feel special as they sit in the special chair while everyone watches them open their gifts.

2- This is Jackson opening what might be his favorite gift he received this Christmas...The Touch 'n Brush. Yes, he saw the infomercial on tv one day and said he had to have that. So, of course, his Uncle Kenny was the one to get it for him.

And let me just state for the record, that if I had a picture of my dad coming out in the coconut bra and grass skirt to make his announcement at Christmas brunch, that TOTALLY would have made the countdown.

I hope everyone had as great a Christmas as we did and did not miss out on the greatest and most undeserving gift of all...the birth of our Savior.

Happy 4th Birthday, Jackson!

2009-12-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

Our baby turned 4 today. Four years old! Do I really have a 4 year-old? I do, and he is oh so precious. Sure, you are stubborn, you test our patience, aggravate us at times, tire us with your everlasting energy and never ending questions. But, then again, you are 4....and I treasure all of those qualities even if they do make me crazy sometimes :) You have the sweetest little voice, always say please and thank you, are so very smart, love your little brother, are fascinated with trains, can memorize anything and seldom forget, are so kind and loving, and have brought us so much joy these past 4 years. We love you so much, Jackson!
Ok, enough of the mushy stuff. Since we had Jackson's party a few weeks ago, we celebrated his actual birthday today with just family. Kikye and D (grandma and uncle) picked him up early this morning and treated him to a special birthday breakfast at Chick-Fil-A. Then it was off to have our annual birthday portrait made...I don't think this child can take a bad picture. And next we headed down to Monkey Joe's for some jumping fun! Here are some pics..what I could get, anyway ;)

Luke was happy to just hang out in this truck...until I put quarters in it and it started moving, that is...then came tears.

A blue Icee to cool down

Check out the redness of the face

This video pretty much sums up each of the boys feelings regarding Monkey Joe's

Tuckered out on the ride home :)

We ended the day with Jackson's favorite meal (spaghetti) and a Family Movie Night. We laid out our sleeping bags, turned out all the lights, cozied up by the Christmas tree with our popcorn and M&Ms, and watched the magic of The Polar Express with our self-professed "train guy". What a special day...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACKSON!!!

All Aboard!

2009-12-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

We're back! November was a rough month for us...to say the least. So, taking a blogging hiatus was much needed for survival around here. But now we are healthy, somewhat sane, and hopefully back to more frequent updates :)
On Sunday, we celebrated Jackson's 4th birthday (which is on the 22nd) with a Thomas the Train party. As you know, I love to plan and throw a party with a theme. Our plans were a little shaken due to the nasty weather on Sunday, but we just moved everything indoors and ended up having a great time anyway. Brad's parents were nice enough to take the boys for the weekend so Brad and I could work hard transforming the house into a train wonderland. I made some giant trains out of cardboard boxes to hold the presents, and we used all the electrical tape in Macon to make tracks down the driveway (ruined b/c of the rain) and all through the house to the different stations...tattoos, cookie decorating, face painting (attempted by mommy), and the jumpy thing (which, thankfully, fits inside the garage). We had trains and tracks set up everywhere for decoration, and I think a good time was had by all. Thanks to everyone who came to help us celebrate this special little boy! Here are some pictures...

If you made it to the end, the new picture in the header is our Christmas card (thank you, Natalie)...which will hopefully go out this week :) I lost all of my CC addressess when our computer died this summer...so if you were on the list, or weren't and want to be...please give me your address :)

*This does not apply to family or to those that have already sent us a card :)

for now...

2009-11-09T14:13:00.001-08:00

not too much to blog about right now

not at all due to a lack of things going on in our busy livestrying to slow downtrying to take breathstrying not to become overwhelmed, as i so easily dotrying to enjoy the moments as they happen, and savor them while they do...each and every little mundane momenttrying to look to the future, without losing the presentso i may be absent for a whilefor now...there's this
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Funny cat

2009-11-05T17:16:00.001-08:00

Alfie is such a funny cat. He loves to snuggle, loves to watch squirrels from the deck, loves to blow air from his nose inside your ear...I could go on and on. He is just a lovey, special little kitty. He likes to sleep in the sink...
His favorite toy is a furry octopus thing...

And he LOVES to play fetch :)

Halloween fun

2009-11-02T09:41:00.001-08:00

I wish my children were more into the pumpkin carving thing. I think after this year, Brad and I have made the decision that next year we're just going to carve the pumpkins when they go to bed :) They LOVE picking them out...but carving, digging out the seeds, etc., they could care less. So basically they just become an obstacle to Brad and I carving the pumpkins. They ran around, yelled...Luke kept throwing pumpkins like it was the shot put, we got buzzed by bikes as they went whizzing by...meanwhile we're dealing with knives here, people! So, here's what we ended up with...

Jackson's, MommyDaddy's, Luke's

Yes, the nose on Jackson's is a little large. But when your carving table gets rammed at full speed repeatedly by a 3 year-old on a big wheel, you do the best you can :)Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story
We live on a dead end street, so the extent of trick or treating in the neighborhood was to walk down to Mrs. June and Mr. Darrel's house...our Macon grandparents :)

Waiting...

Luke wanted immediate gratification
Then, as the rain started down, we got in the car and headed over to Ridge Ave, which is THE place for trick-or-treating in Macon.
In true Jackson fashion, he was overly excited about each and every piece of candy he received :)
Trying to stay dry...
Jackson chatting it up with another Buzz Lightyear...and Luke trying to score himself a princess (who is waaaayyy too old for you, young man)
The aftermath...

Apparently it tastes better when you let it drip out of your mouth and then suck it off of your arm

Day out with Thomas

2009-10-29T10:40:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Brad's parents took the boys and I to Day Out with Thomas in Cordele. It was AWESOME! To say that both of our boys LOVE trains and LOVE Thomas, is a gross understatement. They (well, Jackson) were so excited about going, and I was worried that it might not be as great as we were all imagining it to be...but we were not disappointed in the least! We can't wait to go back again next year, and I am already prepared for a weekly question by Jackson of "When can we go back to Day out with Thomas?" :) Thanks, Chief and Kikye, for such a fun and special day! I tried to edit the hundreds of pictures I took and show you a few of my favorites...ok, I guess this would not be considered a few. There were just so many to choose from! And make sure you get to the end of the pictures for a video clip reel :)

Waiting in line to get on the tram to take us to the stationIt was very cold and windy that morning!

Thomas!

All aboard!

Can you ride the train with a bank-bank?
Absolute bliss...

I can get a dog and 2 cats to take better photos together than these two ;)

Official Jr. Engineers
I think I could wallpaper my kitchen with all the rejects that came from trying to get this one picture
This is Luke and Jackson looking at Thomas at Action Canyon. The boy has been talking about this set and telling his Chief and Kikye they needed it for their track for MONTHS! So when we walked into the gift shop and they not only had Action Canyon, but had one on display...I thought he might pass out.
Bubbles
Putt putt
Face painting. Jackson picked a snake. And Luke picked....

...well, he picked Elmo..but kind of ended up with Elmo who had been hit by a train. I am not kidding you when I say that he sat PERFECTLY STILL. This was not the result of a wiggly toddler, just a young girl who has NO idea how to paint.
Jackson with a random clown and fire safety dog.

Sir Toppham Hat, himself!

He and Kikye got matching Rosie tatoosThis is intervention at it's finest for Jackson...he has a hard time being 3 and sharing trains and train tables with more than a few kids at a time. So, this was a MAJOR accomplishment that we made it through this area without any meltdowns. Way to go, buddy!
Luke is just in his own little world...
Did anyone make it through for the video?

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13 years ago today....

2009-10-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

....a girl of 16 and a boy of 17 started dating and fell in love. Now, 13 years later, they have been married for 6 years, have 2 beautiful boys, and are more in love than ever.

Always and Forever....

(the oldest picture I could find on the computer...taken on our 1 year anniversary of marriage)

Halloween cookies

2009-10-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

Every year, Jackson and I bake and decorate cookies for Halloween. And I don't mean slice and bake...we make the dough, roll it out, cut out shapes, make icing, ice, sprinkle, decorate, the whole deal. It makes a HUGE mess and takes several hours, but it is sooooo much fun! Next year, Luke should be old enough to join us....I shudder to think what my kitchen would have looked like had he been there to help this time ;) We had a great time, and turned out some pretty cute cookies. I treasure these special moments with Jackson and hope there are many more to come! You're such a great helper, buddy...I love you so much!

Catching up

2009-10-23T11:50:00.001-07:00

WARNING!!!...this is a long post!

I have been absent from the blog for longer than usual. A few things have contributed to that...colds, food poisoning, interview dinners, cleaning, laundry, sick children, etc. So, a lot has been going on, and I'll try to catch you up a little bit.
First...our little kitty, Alfie, is doing just great and fitting right in as you can tell from this picture.I entered the boys in the Gap Casting Call contest again. Well, this is Luke's first entry, but Jackson's 3rd. We haven't had any luck in the past, and don't expect anything this time around either. So why do I do it over and over?
2 reasons...1-To get all these people off of my back who continue to say to me "Your boys look like models! You should really get them into modeling. (Grabbing me by the arm) No, I'm serious!" So this gives me the "I've tried" answer to all those that keep badgering me. 2- I get some FABULOUS pictures of my precious little ones during the process :) Here are a few from our "photo shoot".

Gap people...I will never understand how you can pass up the marketing possibilities these babies have to offer ;)

We also visited the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. As usual, getting any pictures where both of them were looking at the camera and smiling proved impossible.
And Jackson had it in for Luke on this trip for some reason. Notice the mischief in these first 3 shots...I think he had plans to poke Luke's brain with a piece of hay.Finally, a half decent one

Jackson found his pumpkin of choice
Luke finds one...
...and is happy to show it off.
With their final picks...

And whose children are these anyway? Mine are NOT this big, are they?

Hug at the pumpkin patch...
Choke hold at the pumpkin patch...
Time for a wagon ride so Mommy and Daddy can pick out the big pumpkin.

My boys and their pumpkins.

And here is Luke's reading of his favorite book...Wheels on the Bus

WARNING!!! The cuteness may be too much for some to handle :)

And finally, I'll leave you with a question.....

How do you eat your Oreo?

Finally!

2009-10-11T16:33:00.001-07:00

Jackson made it to the top of his marble jar! He recently changed his prize from a trip to Chuck E. Cheese to the block set you see him holding. I think this worked out better for Mommy...no trip to Chuck E. Cheese, and it was WAY cheaper :) Mommy and Daddy are SO proud of you, Jackson! Congratulations buddy...you worked very hard!

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Alfie

2009-09-30T17:40:00.001-07:00

Well, Alfie has officially joined our family...and it feels like he's been a part of it all along. This has been the easiest transition we have had when adding a new kitten to the brood...something we have done several times. He is such a sweet little kitty. He's not scared or shy, purrs all the time, just wants to be around us, is playful, and, most importantly....he loves Jackson and is willing to be toted around EVERYWHERE!

He and Gus are very curious about each other
Annibelle, on the other hand, is not being shy about letting him know that she is the boss around here...and that she doesn't like him (yet)
And this little guy LOVES him to pieces :)Jackson said to me the other night
"Do you know what my favorite part about Alfie is, Mommy?"
"Picking him up."
Here is a video of him playing with his favorite toy. I could watch him do this all day :)
We love you Alfie!

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A long time coming...

2009-09-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend is going to be fun-filled...a sweet blonde boy fishing off the dock with his Chief...the wedding celebration of a dear childhood friend in beautiful Highlands...wedding cake...being reminded of what it feels like to sleep in on a lazy Saturday morning...two days ALONE with my husband...wedding cake, did I mention wedding cake?...and on Sunday, we will add a new furry friend to make us a family of 7 :)
We have been wanting another kitty for a long time now. It's been over a year since we lost our dear Max, and I think we are ready to try and fill the giant void he left behind.

So, on Sunday, sweet Alfie will join our already crazy lives.

Promising plenty of cute kitten pictures to come...

Beach video...finally!

2009-09-21T05:50:00.001-07:00

I know it has been a month since we went to the beach, but things have been a little crazy around here. Here's the footage...hope you enjoy :)
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The things we learn at school...

2009-09-18T21:08:00.001-07:00

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In Luke's defense...

2009-09-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

...he has a double ear infection. So that might explain why he had such rough days at MMO and church nursery this week. Let's hope that is the main reason, and that we have a better go at it next week!

Sorry, Luke...for implying that you were a cry baby ;)

Luke's 2nd day of school...

2009-09-10T15:00:00.001-07:00

...they called me to come pick him up early after 2 hours of intense crying :(

Luke's 1st day of school

2009-09-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

My little Luke had his first day of school today. Well, Mother's Morning Out, but we call it school. He is going 9-12 on Tues/Thurs to the same place that Jackson goes to Pre-K. Mommy enjoyed a nice morning of exercising, listening to my own radio station in the car, and shopping...ALL BY MYSELF :) But I couldn't wait to get back and pick up those sweet boys.

His bag...packed and ready to go.Again...couldn't you just eat him up?!Sweet brothers, ready for school.Jackson was kind enough to walk (drag) him in :)

Showing Luke his classroom. This is how we left him...happy to have things to climb on.

It was a different story when I went back to pick him up. There were tears, running of the nose, rubbing of the eyes, and pitiful cries of "bank-bank (his lovey), "bye-bye", and "go".
We'll see how Thursday goes :)

Eeequarium

2009-09-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were able to take Jackson to The Aquarium, or Eeequarium as he calls it. He was sooooo excited about our trip and couldn't wait for the special day. We left Luke behind with Teddy and enjoyed a day out with just Mommy, Daddy, and our special 3 year-old boy. This was Jackson's 3rd visit to The Aquarium, although probably the first one he'll remember...his other trips were at 3 and 10 months old. He insisted on wearing his shark shirt that day in honor of the "ocean animals".He LOVED getting to pet the sting rays and hammerhead shark.He did finally get to touch them...this is the only video I could get to upload.

We had to take advantage of his dimples and cute little voice to get a chance to touch a starfish :)
At the 4D movie...I promise he was excited.
He told me that the alligator waved at him
I love how his tennis shoes are glowing
Riding down the whale slide with Mommy
Checking out a ray..
...a very different picture...his 1st visit at 3 months old
His favorite animals were the beluga whales. He said he liked them because they looked like they were dancing and they smiled at him a lot. We went home with our very own beluga from the gift shop, named Ben :)
After our morning, we met Kikye at The Varsity for some hamburgers and ice cream.
What a day!

First day of 3K

2009-08-31T11:57:00.001-07:00

My baby started 3K today. He is getting so big, I can hardly stand it. I decided to send him 5 mornings a week this year, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I know that he will love it, and will thrive...but I'm not sure I want to be giving up all my time with my sweet little boy so soon! Here is our annual first day of school picture...couldn't you just eat him up?

Walking in like a big boyFinding his name all by himself
Hanging up his bag

Giving Mrs. Williams a run-by hug on his way to the puzzles

We have had a LOT going on during these last couple weeks of summer, so I have a lot of catching up to do. Check back soon to see our adventures at The Aquarium and our week at the beach.

*I did put a little teaser in the header of my little beach bums, because I know Derek can hardly stand the wait ;)

Beach bound!

2009-08-24T18:12:00.001-07:00

We are leaving for the beach house early tomorrow.
Very early.
5 am.
Mmmmmm....good idea/bad idea? We will see.
Nonetheless, we are SO excited for a last little family vacation time at the beach. And we are even more excited to be able to share this special time with both sets of grandparents...our boys will be in hog heaven :)
See you when we return......

Game Ranch

2009-08-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

On Monday I took the boys on our annual trip to the Yellow River Game Ranch. This was Luke's first time going, and I was a little worried about how he would react to the animals....he loved it! We got off to a bit of a rough start though. As I was loading the stroller into the car, the boys managed to basically roll in dog poop, and Jackson fell down the driveway scraping his leg, arm, and face. So once I finally got everyone cleaned up and in the car, this is what kind of mood they were in.

But not to worry. They quickly cheered up once we got there and were greeted by some friendly deer.

Feeding the bears...

...and the cows

....and the sheep
...and the goats

Jackson, doing his best pig impression

Luke was not afraid of anything

Wanting to be just like his big brother

Jackson loved the bunnies...I even caught him kissing one on the back...gross.

These last pictures are of Jackson and what he kept calling "My Buddy"

With their dear love for animals, there is no doubting that Jackson and Luke are their Mama's boys :)

Blocks

2009-08-11T18:10:00.001-07:00

Blocks are the latest thing in the Dennis house. It changes from week to week, day to day, hour to hour, sometimes even minute to minute (you moms know what I'm talking about). But lately, for the most part, it's been blocks. So this morning Jackson insisted that Mommy help him build a castle with all of the blocks...ALL of them...every last one. So this is what we created...in spite of Luke :)

Very enthusiastic, don't you think?

This is what I got when I asked for a smile

And here's a little glimpse into my daily life :)

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Happiness

2009-08-05T12:10:00.001-07:00

New, on sale, matching shoes for my boys... ...happiness for Mama.

Train Expo

2009-08-03T19:03:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to a model train expo at my parents' church. My boy loves a good model train expo...shocking, I know.

Here he is all dressed up and getting ready to go inside.This was the look I got when I asked if I could take a picture...it's better than his usual "NOOO!"

The view from the balcony

He had a hard time not touching everything
Cool bridge

He got a chance to drive one of the trains...he thought he was AWESOME!

Here's a video clip...notice at the end when we all freak out when he tries to touch the train.

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What 3 year old doesn't enjoy reading the latest issue of The Model Railroader?

15 months

2009-07-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

Little man is 15 months old (gasp!). I know...he's growing so fast. But while he may be growing in days and months, he's still staying little in terms of his size. Here are the stats:

22 lbs 10 oz- 25 %

32" long- 75%

18.25 HC- 25%

That's a lot of cute in a little package :)

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY TO GRANDPA TODAY!

(Or "Pa" as Luke calls him)

"Will you assepp this wose?"

2009-07-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

What is a mom to do when she wants to host a party for the season finale of the Bachelorette? Why, make her 3 1/2 year old greet guests at the door with a tray of roses like a mini Chris Harrison, of course!

I love any reason to throw a party, so I decided what better occasion than the finale of The Bachelorette. I had the guests dress up in their best Jillian costume, they were greeted by my super cute, mini Chris Harrison, and were treated to a yummy spread of Rose Ceremony Punch, Kiptyn's Key Lime Dip, Reid's Ravioli, Jilly Beans, and of course, Ed's Limp Cocktail Weenies ;)

The show didn't turn out as I had hoped, but the party sure was fun! Thanks to everyone who came...and a special thanks to my little cutie for handing out roses...what a great way to earn 5 marbles for your jar :)

At it again

2009-07-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

I am in the kitchen doing something the other day (probably laundry...it's a pretty safe bet to go with laundry) when I hear Jackson say, quite calmly, from the den

"Mommy, Luke is on his tables."

????

"What did you say?"

"I said Luke is on his tables, and I don't think it's a very good idea."

Apparently, Lightning McQueen just needed to do a lap on the printer :)

Mischievous little boy

2009-07-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

To say that Luke gets into things is a gross understatement. It's no wonder he's so lean, because he NEVER stops. He goes from one thing to another, like a tiny little tornado wreaking havoc on a mobile home park. All I do all day is chase him around trying to keep the wreckage somewhat to a minimum, and keep the little munchkin out of harms way. His daily favorites include: dumping the dog's water bowl, emptying the tupperware cabinet, getting all 100+ cookie cutters out of the drawer, taking all the magnets off of the frig, playing in the toilet (gross), taking various things such as the remotes, coasters, phones, shoes, magazines, etc. and hiding them in the various trash cans around the house...I could go on and on.... I'm sure Jackson went through the same stage, but somehow, I don't remember him being THIS destructive and mischievous :)

Now let me preface the following pictures with a little background info. Jackson has a marble jar that we use for rewards/consequences. He gets to put marbles in the jar as rewards for good behavior, helping Mommy, etc., and he has to take marbles out as consequences for bad behavior, not obeying, etc. There are small, medium, and big marbles that correlate with the rewards, consequences (bigger rewards/consequences=bigger marbles going in or coming out...oh, and the entire jar can be dumped if he has a giant infraction...this has happened twice). Once his marbles reach the line at the top, he gets a large reward....in this case, it is a trip to Chuck E Cheese.

So this is where I found little one the other day....getting into his brother's coveted, and much protected, marble jar. (Jackson was, thankfully, outside in the sandbox at the time)

Notice, he went for the big one :)

Happy Birthday Uncle D!

2009-07-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Derek! Hope it's a great one. Your little boys are sending hugs and kisses your way. Make sure to check your mailbox :) We love you!

Sweet Summer Saturday

2009-07-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

We have not been able to spend much time together as a family this month due to Brad's schedule. I think there was a point last week where he went several days without even seeing the boys, and I only saw him for a few hours at night. So we were excited to have some much needed family time together this Saturday afternoon when he got home from work. We ordered pizza, filled up the pool, turned on the sprinklers, cranked up some music, and spent it realxing outside as our happy little family of 4 (well, 6, if you count the furry babies). Here are some pics from our fun, relaxing, much needed, lazy Saturday afternoon....these simple moments are so few and far in between at this point in our lives, that we treasure them, and are thankful when they come around :)

Birthday lake weekend

2009-06-30T18:24:00.001-07:00

We had sooooo much fun this past weekend at the lake celebrating Brad's 30th birthday. We had some friends over on Saturday and had a great time...hanging out on the dock, throwing the football, tubing, fishing, throwing rocks in the lake (Brad's favorite), eating (my favorite)...it was great. This is a hastily put together video from the weekend....and after watching it, it kind of looks like it was Luke's celebration instead of Brad's. What can I say....he's the easiest one to get pictures of and always steals the show! (He even donned his birthday suit for the camera...something Brad wasn't so agreeable to ;))

Thanks, Chief and Kikye, for such a fun weekend!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Happy 30th Brad!

2009-06-25T19:12:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I feel a little horrible that I was not more on top of this post. I realize that it looks bad that I gave my cat a nice, long, lots of pictures, on time post....and my poor husband gets the "Uh-oh. It's 10 pm the day AFTER Brad's 30th birthday and I still haven't mentioned it on the blog....and I just got home from my marathon tennis match, and all I want to do is take a shower and go to bed, but I'll do something real quick" post. So sorry honey. But those who know me might not be too surprised that I gave the four-legged creature in the family better recognition. Maybe Brad should start walking on all fours if he wants to get some respect around here ;)

We had a pretty low key celebration for the big 3-0. Brad did get to spend it at home, ALL DAY, with us...so I'd say that was a pretty big celebration, actually. I made him a big breakfast (his favorite meal of the day), we opened presents, ate cupcakes, and went to dinner with his parents. And probably the biggest surprise of the day was the gift from them....7 day passes to Disney for our family!!!!! We can't wait to start planning our trip! Here are a few pictures I took just to capture that the day did, in fact, occur :) We are celebrating more this weekend at the lake with some friends and I'll post those pics later. Happy Birthday, honey! We love you!

The lame-o cupcake with a tea light because I didn't have any candles

Daddy with his precious boys

Chief, Jackson, and Daddy...wearing the ties Jackson made them for Father's Day

And Happy Anniversary to my parents....38 years of marriage!

Happy Birthday Annibelle Tortoiseshell!

2009-06-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

My sweet little Annibelle is 6 years old today. Brad and I got her right after we got married, from someone who found her abandoned on the side of the road. We joke that Annibelle's circumstances of 'being raised on the streets' have helped to shape her tough little personality (We also joke that she might be a catnip dealer). One of the fondest memories I have is Ann having her kittens, Panda, Patches, and Biscuit, in our little house in Augusta. What an awesome thing to experience and how fun those little kittens were! Annibelle is so funny....she's very protective of all of us, has beat up many a dog, is spunky, an avid huntress (understatement), and is the only one who seems to have any power over Gus. And I have to acknowledge that she must have some luck too, as many other cats have gone on before her from our family (Biscuit, Boomer, Izzy, Max). We love you Belle, and hope you're around for a long time :)

Happy Father's Day/Anniversary!

2009-06-22T06:04:00.001-07:00

Our 6th wedding anniversary happened to fall on Father's Day this year, so Brad had a double celebration yesterday. And what better way to celebrate being a wonderful father and husband than to spend it working at the hospital :( We did have a nice mini celebration last night before bed with a few gifts made especially for daddy.

We love you so much! Thank you for being a wonderful husband for 6 years, an amazing father for 3 1/2, and my best friend for 13.

My little engineer

2009-06-16T13:47:00.001-07:00

It is an understatement to say that Jackson loves trains and loves Thomas the Train. Here is a sweet video that barely scratches the surface of his obsession :)
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Beach pictures...FINALLY!!!!

2009-06-06T12:02:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I FINALLY got this thing figured out. I have never spent so much time in front of a computer. Thanks so much to my brother, Nicholas, for all his help over the phone. And thanks to Rachel for helping me to finally figure out a way to share my hard work with you all :)
Soooo, I hope you enjoy. There are 3 slideshows...to watch them in order, start with the most recent post and go from there. The quality of the photos and videos isn't great once it's put in blog form, but you'll get the idea.

Such wonderful memories...I hope my brothers and sisters-in-law realize how lucky we are to have the opportunity to create them in such a special place, and with the best parents/in-laws/grandparents in the world :) (tied with Chief and Kikye, of course)

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

2009-06-06T12:01:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

2009-06-06T12:00:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

2009-06-06T11:59:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Yes, we are back.

2009-06-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

We are back from the beach. We have been back for almost a week now, and I know I haven't posted any pics yet. I haven't even unpacked my suitcase yet. We had such a wonderful time and I can't wait to share the pictures. But I have a problem. I have been working all week trying to get the 300+ pictures and video clips arranged into a slideshow set to music. There were many bumps along the way, and countless conversations with my brother, Nicholas, for tech support, but I finally got them done. (Yes, them...there are three) And they turned out sooooo good (at least I think so)! But now the problem is that I cannot get them to upload to the blog :(
So, in the meantime, you can at least enjoy the new beach background and the picture in the header. And if you're really itching to see the slideshows, come on over and I'll be happy to share them :)
Keep checking back...I'm determined to figure this out.

And until I do...my suitcase will be waiting :)

Beach bound!

2009-05-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

See you when we return....

Rollerskating

2009-05-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Beach trip countdown

2009-05-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

Our annual family beach trip is at the end of this month, and it's a close competition to determine who's the most excited around here. But Jackson may be the winner with his 'Beach Trip Countdown Calendar'. Each night before bed, we pick out a beach sticker to mark off that day....and then we count the # of empty squares that remain, so Jackson can say

"Only ___ more days 'til we go to Teddy's beach house!"

(Sorry, Grandpa. You don't own anything...it all belongs to Teddy)

Mother's Day Tea

2009-05-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Jackson's Pre-K had a Mother's Day Tea to celebrate Mother's Day. I really didn't think much of it. We had had events like this before. It wasn't too big of a deal. We'd show up for the last 30 minutes of class, have a little snack, get a present, and go home. I was wrong. It was a big deal. I arrived a little early and was waiting in my car until it was time to go in. Other mothers began to arrive and file into the building. I hardly recognized half of them. Their hair was fixed, they had make-up on, and they were all dressed up...I mean dresses, skirts, heels. And everyone had a camera.

And then there was me. No camera. Not dressed up. No heels. Dirty, no-nap, hungry, 1 year-old on my hip. I felt a little ashamed that I did not take this event more seriously. I have learned my lesson for next year....that is, if I get an invitation to return. My saving grace was that at least I had showered that morning and had on real clothes and some make-up :) And I had just come from having Luke's portrait made so he was somewhat presentable too.
My shame only continued as I entered the building. There was a beautiful table set up outside the classroom with a vase of roses, punch bowl, strawberries, fancy cookies, little finger sandwiches with the crust cut off (where was the giant bowl of goldfish and the apple juice in little shot glass sized cups I was expecting?). We were instructed to get our name tag, fix a plate, and enter into the classroom where we found our precious angels waiting oh so quietly on the circle time rug, and found our place to sit at the table where we would enjoy a little concert they had been working on (how in the world did I miss that this was such a big deal?...and how did none of the other moms seem to miss that?)

It was precious. I was able to beg one of the other moms to take down my e-mail and send me copies of the video and some pics. I will never leave my camera at home again. Below are the videos from the "performance". Jackson is in a blue shirt and khaki shorts, and is directly below the 2 rectangles on the wall. His is the voice you hear above all the others :)

"Bringin' Home A Baby Bumblebee"

"I Love Mommy"

"Happy Mother's Day To You"

After the concert, we snacked with our little ones and were presented with our gifts. It was such a precious and wonderful morning and I'm so thankful to their teachers for putting it together. Poor Brad...I think he'll have a hard time topping that on Sunday ;)

My gifts

Bathtime photo shoot

2009-05-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

Bathtime is a definite favorite at our house. Both of our boys love the water and any excuse to get wet and splash. We took some cute pictures of Jackson in the bath when he was about a year old and have them hanging in his bathroom. So we decided that we needed to add some of little Luke too :) Here are the pictures from our bath photo shoots...from 2006 and 2009. I promise we don't really try to take the same pictures...but it's neat to see how it just works out that way :) Jackson is on the top/left, Luke on the bottom/right.

Sweet, sweet boys.

Happy Birthday, sweet Luke.

2009-04-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

April 29, 2008

1 year old.

My baby is 1 year old today.

I know people always say they can't believe how fast time goes, but I REALLY can't believe it. It's been a year?! Luke, you have been such a joy in our lives over the last year. You are so easy going, funny, and my goodness...you are oh so sweet.

On Sunday, we celebrated with a monkey party for our little monkey :) Thanks to all the family and friends who helped us celebrate this precious little life. Here are some pics below...

Here is a video of our little toddler on his actual birthday.

Luke didn't really dig into his cake too much at his party. Honestly, I don't really think I gave him enough time with it to have the chance. So we brought it out again tonight for his actual birthday, and he really got into this time :)

Hope you had a great 1st birthday, Lukey! We love you!

A door just my size...

2009-04-22T11:17:00.000-07:00