Everyday with Samuel & Abigail

Day 13:

2011-12-13T00:14:00.001-05:00

Little Elf Frizzle had fun making snow angels last night!

Day 12:

2011-12-12T23:19:00.001-05:00

Someone found our marshmallow's!!!

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-11T23:04:00.001-05:00

We picked our tree this year in record breaking time! The very first one Tom held up we all agreed it was perfect! The kids only agreed so they could continue running around like crazy fools, but I do think it's a good one!:)

The kids weren't willing to pose for a picture so this was the best I got. Abby has a mouth full of popcorn and I believe Samuel is trying to help her chew!

Day 11:

2011-12-11T22:40:00.011-05:00

Abby wasn't too thrilled with Little Elf Frizzle today. When she saw him this morning, she said "Ugh, but I want to play with baby Jesus!" Too cute!

Away in a manger,no crib for His bed, The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.

The stars in the sky looked down where He lay The little Lord Jesus, asleep on OUR ELF!

Day 10:

2011-12-10T22:36:00.002-05:00

Day 9:

2011-12-09T22:31:00.001-05:00

Day 8:

2011-12-08T22:28:00.002-05:00

Giddy Up!

Day 7:

2011-12-07T22:14:00.002-05:00

We found L.E.F with our snowbabies today! And he was wearing earmuffs, silly elf!

Day 6:

2011-12-06T22:08:00.003-05:00

Wheeeeeeeee!!

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,
Ring-ting-tingling too......

Day 5:

2011-12-05T23:27:00.003-05:00

I think Little Elf Frizzle has a crush on someone!!

We found him this morning in the car with Barbie and he was wearing Ken's tux jacket.

Hmmm, wonder what they were up to last night???

Day 4:

2011-12-04T23:06:00.001-05:00

The kids saved Little Elf Frizzle one of their cookies

from yesterday! I think it's safe to say, he likes

Peanut Blossom Cookies! Next time, we will try to remember a napkin!

Bake Cookies

2011-12-03T22:38:00.001-05:00

Abby opened a note inside her advent calendar that said BAKE COOKIES!
*Note to self--specify time of day the activities will take place**
We ended up eating cookies for breakfast and lunch!

Day 3:

2011-12-03T22:23:00.004-05:00

Dear Little Elf Frizzle,

You are pushing your luck with a stunt like this......hanging my personal belongings for everyone to see!!

You are one brave elf!

Consider yourself warned!

Thank You,

Head of Household

It's a good thing you are cute!

Day 2:

2011-12-02T00:08:00.002-05:00

Uh Oh, I think Little Elf Frizzle is a candyoholic! Chocolate, skittles, candy canes......oh my!!

It's a Dance Party

2011-12-01T23:33:00.002-05:00

I had the holiday TV channel playing tonight, little did I know it would turn into a dance party! We had fun dancing and singing to our favorite holiday songs. Tis the season!!!

Day 1:

2011-12-01T23:17:00.003-05:00

What a busy day we had! The kids literaly jumped out of bed when they realized (a) Little Elf Frizzle usually makes his grand appearance on December 1st and (b) they can finally open #1 on their advent calendars. Oh to be a kid again! Seeing their eyes light up when they spotted Little Elf Frizzle was priceless.

Advent calendar's

Samuel opened a lego guy!

Can you guess what was in Abigail's??

Green Nail Polish!

Of course we had to paint her nails and toes immediately!

and dress in one of her cute Christmas outfits!!

You Are My SuNsHiNe.....

2011-11-29T21:46:00.002-05:00

Abby fell and hit her ear tonight...after a minute or two of her crying I picked her up and started singing,

You Are My Sunshine, My Only Sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

Samuel looked over and said "she's not your only sunshine"

I smiled and said "well, who else is?"

He responded, "ME!"

S and A decided that from now on I should sing,

"You Are My Sunshine, My Only TWO Sunshines."

They certainly are my two sunshines and I am so blessed to have them!

Cucumber

2011-11-29T21:37:00.002-05:00

While I was preparing dinner, Abby asked if she could have some cucumber. After I had sliced several pieces she ran over and said, I only need two. I thought that was a bit strange because she will usually eat half a cucumber.
Well, this is what I saw when I looked over at her! Ha, I started laughing and her response was "Whaaaat, my eyes feel puffy!" Then, she told Samuel to go get two slices and put them on his eyes because "Samuel your eyes will feel so much better." So he did, Sam's response, Abigail, it's a little uncomfortable so can I just eat them? LOL

THANKSGIVING DAY 2011

2011-11-24T21:54:00.022-05:00

Wishing you all the happiest of Thanksgivings and hope you are surrounded by your loved ones as we kick off this holiday season!!! We are counting our blessings today and all the days of the year!

If I had to choose one picture that sums up our week, this one wins hands down.

HAPPY, CAREFREE, LAUGHTER, JOY

Southern Rebels - Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-23T21:59:00.009-05:00

Championship Game

2011-11-20T22:27:00.123-05:00

What a season, it's hard to believe it's over! Football and cheerleading have been a huge part of our lives since August. It seems like just yesterday that we were out in the 100 degree heat five nights a week, once school started it was only 3 nights, but still a huge commitment. Although the Championship game did not end in our favor, the boys played one of the best games of the season. The Bearcats defeated the Blue Devils 12-8. The game was played on the field at Broad Run High School with an announcer. What a great experience it was for everyone. I have no idea what we are going to do with all of our free time now! We may actually be able to schedule play dates and enjoy some time at home without rushing in and out.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the game....

Samuel running out on the field as his name is being announced.....

Go #45

Abigail cheering on the sidelines...

Awesome blocking #45!

They had their own little cheer section in the bleachers! (Grandma'ma and Papa, Pepaw, Aunt Ansleigh, Uncle Jonathon, Wells, Lawton and Olivia and the Law family-Monica, TJ, Griffin and Reese) It meant so much to us to have our family and friends come out to support Samuel and Abigail's team!! We are so blessed!

The Riddle's sent a sweet email from Georgia....
Good Luck in tomorrow's game Samuel!!! We will be pulling for your team and know that you'll do awesome!! Can't wait to see you and Abby at the beach soon!!! We love YOU!!! William, Jackson, Jake, Uncle Harold and Aunt Marget

After the game we looked over and saw these two hugging.....such a sweet moment!

After the game we went to Coach Jim's house for the end of year celebration......(as if we hadn't already had a jammed packed day) and from the party we met Ansleigh and Olivia at 3801 and headed to the beach for THANKSGIVING!!

A good laugh

2011-11-17T22:19:00.002-05:00

~While driving in the car.....
Abby: You did not just see that cricket!
Sam: Huh? What are you talking about?
Abby: You know the car.
Samuel: Abigail it's called a beetle!
Abby: Oh yeah, that's what I mean!

~Walking outside on a windy day....
Abby: Mommy, my eyes are freezing!

~After school...
Samuel: My brain almost exploded today.
Me: How come?
Samuel: Because we had to learn so much math today.

We're Off To The Championship Game!!!

2011-11-12T22:48:00.002-05:00

The boys played a great game today....The score was a little too close for my comfort, at the first half it was 0-0. 3rd quarter, we finally scored and again in the 4th with just seconds to spare. The Lions were out to win, but thankfully so were the Blue Devils! Blue Devils 14-0.
The championship game will be played at a local high school with announcers etc. How cool will that be!

Polka Dots Anyone??

2011-11-07T15:15:00.008-05:00

The other day while putting Abby's shoes on, I noticed a green dot on her face. I quickly tied her shoes and asked her to go in the bathroom and wash it off......this is what she looked like when she came out! Thanks for always making mommy laugh even when we are in a huge hurry and about to miss the bus!

1st Playoff Game

2011-11-05T18:49:00.041-05:00

The Blue Devils squash the Spiders 46-0! The season continues!!!
The cheerleaders were out in full force supporting their team! The girls worked hard this week and learned several new cheers and jumps.
I looked over at Abigail during a cheer and noticed she was wearing her vampire teeth, haha!

HALLOWEEN 2011

2011-10-31T18:57:00.019-05:00

This year we had a Robber and a Beautiful Peacock!

I'm dreaming of a white.....Halloween!?!

2011-10-29T21:27:00.007-05:00

Snow in October, crazy! It's like the nightmare before Christmas, but not really!! The kids had fun playing and sledding past the pumpkins in snow gear that was either way too small or way too big! Samuel had to wear my boots and Abby wore shoes that were 2 sizes too small. We also had the battle of the gloves!!! Note to self: purchase new gloves that are waterproof and easy to get on and off!

Imagine the kids excitement when they woke up to this....

Of course they had to go out and play.

Snow Angels!

After our first "October" message was snowed over, we made a new one.

Halloween Around Our House

2011-10-15T21:12:00.003-05:00

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2011-10-08T21:25:00.105-05:00

After our football game we headed to Cox Farm with Grandma'ma and Papa! As always, the kids had a blast. We couldn't have asked for better weather!

They had fun racing down the slides...

Jumping off haystacks

Dancing

Feeding the Goats

On the Hayride

Our 2011 Pumpkin Patch Photo

Great Day For Some Football

2011-10-08T21:16:00.026-05:00

Grandma'ma, Papa and Olivia came to see Samuel (#45) play ball and Abigail cheer! The Blue Devils added another win to their season today!

~70~70~70~70~

2011-09-17T22:44:00.022-05:00

A few favorites from the party!!!

Happy Birthday to.....

2011-09-17T16:47:00.011-05:00

two VERY special people!!!

It all started with the Riddle's in Georgia....

and the Cochran's in DC....

and with these two families, The Cockariddle's, were established in 1988!

We have since grown by leaps and bounds.

~and here are all 12 grandkids~

Olivia (10), Martin-Lane (12), Wells (16), Lawton (13), Jackson (10), William (10)

Samuel (8), Abigail (5), Jake (5), Jac (8), Jonah (7) and Colm (6)

**photos by thehipstudio.com**

Dulles Air and Space & Napkin Story :)

2011-09-11T20:48:00.001-05:00

Samuel woke up thing morning begging for us to take him to a museum. Since Tom had to work, I decided we would go to the Dulles Air and Space.

When we walked in our first stop was the bathroom! As I was washing my hands, I hear Samuel say.....

Sam: Wow, you have to pay .25 for a napkin here. Can I have .25 to see what they look like?

Me: Honey that's not the kind if napkin you are thinking of.

(As I am laughing along with a few other ladies)

Sam :What kind is it? Why do they sell napkins in the bathroom?

Me: Samuel it's for ladies and you don't need to know all the details right now.

Sam: (Laughing he says) Well, I want to see one! Can you give me $.25.

Me: No, let's go!

After walking around and looking at planes, guns, metals, etc. Samuel says......

Sam: Mommy, there are things I like and don't like about museums.

Me: Really, tell me.
Sam: Every time I go to a museum I see neat things that I really want and I know I can't have, but I like going and learning about all the cool things!

Samuel is so much like his daddy.

He can spend hours and hours looking and reading every last detail about something.

Abby on the other hand, is just like me! She sees one or two planes and that's plenty for her!!

9-11-11

2011-09-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

10 Years Ago Today....

We Will Never Forget....

God Bless America!!!

Baltimore Grand Prix

2011-09-04T20:56:00.002-05:00

We spent the weekend in Baltimore for the Grand Prix. Samuel's football game was cancelled so we were able to hit the road earlier than expected. Pepaw met us which we were excited about. We spent the afternoon walking around and exploring two historical ships. Before heading to our hotel, we had dinner at Planet Hollywood. By the time we got back to the hotel, we were all exhausted and ready for bed!

Pye Pye

2011-08-31T21:13:00.069-05:00

Today (August 31st) would have been my grandmother's 99th birthday! If only she knew how much I have missed her these past 6 years. She passed away on September 19, 2005 around 10:30am. A few weeks later I found out I was pregnant with Miss Abigail. I have a feeling she had something to do with sending my sweet little girl to me.

Here she is on her 90th birthday--cuttin up with her friends!

Pye Pye- holding a bottle of wine while Grandmama Lizzie & Miss Edith hold Corona's!

Samuel still talks about her and remembers her, even though he was only 3. She loved Samuel and he loved her. I remember the first time he went pee pee on the potty he was so excited, she was the first person he wanted to call....so she was the lucky one who got to hear the news first!

Here she is making Samuel laugh-(OBX Thanksgiving)

I saw this posted on facebook today and it is so true! Oh how I wish I could pick up the phone and dial 478.472.8789 and have her answer!

Heaven--

I wish Heaven had a phone so I could hear your voice again I thought of you today but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday and days before that too. I think of you in silence, I often speak your name. All I have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, from which i'll never part. God has you in his arms.. I have you in my heart.

First day of Kindergarten

2011-08-29T19:56:00.002-05:00

This little girl was so excited for the first day of school! She chose her outfit for the special day, and looked absolutely adorable!

Yay, it's the First Day of School!!!

Twinkle Toes (she has wanted these shoes for over a year now)

Practicing her splits on the walk up to the bus stop.

Even though she's a big school girl now, she still likes to hold her Mama's hand~

Our Beautiful Girl!

Where's that darn bus???

There it is....Hurry, Run!!!

After a hug and kiss from her Mama, she got on the bus.....

and never looked back!

**Her mama held it together until she stepped on the bus--thank goodness for sunglasses!! There's just something about putting your child on a big yellow bus and watching it drive away!! They were definitely both happy and sad tears. I am so happy that the transition for preschool to elementary school has not phase her one bit- however- I will miss my little sidekick during the day!**

And the school year begins....

2011-08-29T18:45:00.016-05:00

Our Kindergartener & 3rd Grader

First Day of 3rd Grade!!

2011-08-29T10:56:00.051-05:00

I can't believe it's that time of year again. Samuel had a hard time going to sleep, I went in around 10pm and he was still awake and wanted to know how many more hours until school started! He was so excited he could hardly stand it! We went through the check list.....

First day of school outfit- check

New backpack (all black) ready to go- check

Lunch money- check

Samuel's new alarm clock set for 6:30am- check

Fast forward to 6:36am the following morning-- I walk in his room and find the alarm clock (beep, beep, beep) going off and Samuel sound asleep unaware that the clock has been going off for 6 minutes now. :) With a little shake he suddenly popped up and started laughing when he realized he had slept through the alarm. :)

Sam was eager to get to the bus stop which meant we left around 7:15, the bus usually comes around 7:35. We were one of the first to arrive, with us not being morning folks, we are usually one of the last to arrive and we usually have to jump in the car and drive to the bus stop in order to make it on time! My personal goal this year is to walk until it gets realy cold. We shall see how long it last. ;)

Meet the Teachers

2011-08-26T21:40:00.002-05:00

The kids are so excited to be at the same school.

The kids met their teacher's this afternoon.

Here Samuel is explaining the "stop and go" bathroom sign in Abigail's classroom which was also his kindergarten classroom!

Such a big girl......sniff, sniff...The first thing Mrs. M said to Abby when she met her was,
"I remember when you came to my classroom for Samuel's conference, you were just a little baby back then"

Samuel felt very comfortable in Abby's classroom...:) I think he is so excited to have her at his school! He has already told me that he will sit with her the first day of school to make sure she doesn't get scared on the bus ride home.

I didn't take any pictures of Samuel in his classroom....shame on me! He has an awesome teacher, Mr. C. This will be his first male teacher and we are thrilled! He knows almost everyone in his class so he will feel very comfortable. I cannot believe he will be in the 3rd grade!

EARTHQUAKE

2011-08-23T21:50:00.027-05:00

For a split second I thought Abigail had turned into Super Women......I had just opened our front door for her to come inside when she quickly slammed it harder than she should have..... right at that moment our entire house began to shake! We looked at each other with an "Oh my Gosh , What the Heck is Going on" look and we immediately went to the laundry room to see if that was what was causing it, then we ran upstairs and looked in Sam's room, looked in her room we were dumbfounded. It never in a million years crossed my mind that the shaking and rattling was in fact an earthquake.

You gotta love facebook--that was my source that confirmed what had just happened. Well, that and the TV. Friends from all over the east coast were posting that they had felt it. We lost phone service for almost an hour. I was able to get in touch with Tom via cell phone, who was in McLean on the 7th floor of his building. I can't imagine what it must have felt like for him! He said it was a scary experience. Samuel was up the street playing with friends when he came running home and said he was climbing the Smith's fence and fell off because it started shaking badly.

The news reported it was a 5.8 earthquake which was a record tie for the most severe earthquake in Virginia's history. It happened around 1:50 p.m. Thank goodness there was little physical damage and we are safe. Well, I can now cross that off of my bucket list.....not that it was really on there!:)

Thumb sucking

2011-08-17T21:15:00.003-05:00

It's been about two weeks since I noticed Abigail wasn't sucking her thumb anymore. Let's see if it continues! Part of me hates to see her give it up, just another sign that she's getting older, but if she has, at least she did it on her own! I remember when I stopped, I tried sleeping in a glove, hot sauce, tape, etc. it was miserable!

She still sleeps with her ellie's and blanket, only now she snuggles with them and looks like this.....

Scootering

2011-08-11T21:49:00.046-05:00

The kids enjoyed riding their scooters this afternoon! Samuel thought it would be fun to make his scooter extra small (silly boy) and Abby spent a lot of time practicing her fancy scooter tricks. I loved watching them race and laugh together, I can't believe our summer is almost over!

Are You Ready For Some Football???

2011-08-08T22:04:00.002-05:00

I think if you asked Samuel that question right now, he would probably say "no" since he has had "conditioning" practice in 95-100 degree weather! From now until school starts he will have it 5 days a week for at least 2 hours.
We have seen tears, heard noises come out of him that we never knew were possible (Tom thinks he sounds like a dying buffalo, ha), but he continues to push through each day and knows that he will be in awesome shape by the time it's over! We are looking forward to another fun football season with our handsome football player and our cute little cheerleader!

Dear Samuel

2011-08-03T22:24:00.012-05:00

If you ever wonder why I take more photos of Abigail...just take a look!! ;-) (kidding, of course)

When you see me with my camera, this is usually the face you give me!

Thanks for always making me smile.....and sometimes irritated. I wouldn't have it any other way!

I Love You,

Mommy

When I grow up

2011-07-19T11:08:00.003-05:00

Abigail - Mama, when I grow up I'm going to have a dog named Lizzie and a cat named Ainsley!
Samuel - Abigail you know if you have a cat we can't come over to your house!

Minor Fender Bender

2011-07-16T21:33:00.002-05:00

We were on our way this morning to meet Grandma'ma and Papa at the movies, Cars @ 10:30am. Unfortuantely, our plans changed after we were rear ended (pretty hard) by an elderly man as we were merging onto FFX County Pky. No one was badly hurt, just minor whiplash. The kids were more concerned that we missed the movie, isn't that typical! We ended up seeing a later showing in Reston so everyone was happy.
All kidding aside, Samuel was very concerned about the man who hit us and so was I! Apparently he had fallen earlier in the AM in his yard and still had blood and scratches on his face. The police officer pulled me aside and knew that his driving ability was a major concern - she wanted to let me know that she was going to write up a report to have him retest for his license. Poor guy, I feel so bad, but at the same time my heart tells me that he probably should not be driving in his condition. I am so thankful everyone is okay.

5 Year Stats

2011-07-13T20:54:00.002-05:00

Abby had her 5 year check-up today. We started out by going through the regular routine,weight, height, blood pressure, eye exam, and hearing test. She is currently 42 lbs. which puts her in the 60% for weight and 42 3/4 inches tall, 50% for height. If she continues to stay in the 50-60%, they predict she will be around 5 ft 4". Guess only time will tell! Overall, she's a very healthy and happy little girl!:)

OBX Day 6

2011-07-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

We spent the morning playing on the beach....

For some reason Abby refused to smile in our family photo......

But, we managed to turn that frown upside down...:)

Jet Skiing is always a fun way to spend the afternoon!

And when you have finished jet skiing, ice cream is a must!

Our Annual Family Photo

Kite Flying is the perfect way to end the evening

OBX Day 5

2011-07-06T22:04:00.002-05:00

Today was a low key day. Unfortunatly, Samuel got too much sun yesterday and has bright red arms and shoulders to prove it! He didn't feel like going to the beach so we went and had our pictures taken instead, per Samuel's request, gangster style!

It rained on and off for most of the day, but the kids still managed to have plenty of fun!

The kids loved bring thrown high into the air by Uncle Bill.

After dinner we had Smores, Yum!

OBX Day 4

2011-07-05T21:00:00.003-05:00

BEACH

RACE CARS

BUMPER CARS--Abby decided she wanted to ride the bumper cars this year...She was having so much fun until her big brother backed her into a corner and wouldn't let her out. He was laughing, She was crying....In Samuel's defense he thought she would think it was funny, but he couldn't see that it was upsetting her since she was facing backwards. Once I realized what was happening, I pulled her out of the car. I have to say, it was kind of funny--don't tell Samuel!;) It all worked out-- Abigail and Kelly got to have a turn, just the two of them. They were hilarious to watch and giggled the entire time! Next year, Samuel, you better watch out....she's coming after you!!!!

OBX Day 3- Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T20:58:00.074-05:00

What better way to start the day then with a bike ride with daddy!

Then we did the usual...beach time!

Like we do every year on July 4th, we headed over to Heritage Park in Corolla for the Annual Independence Day Festival and Fireworks Show.

Only this year we barely had enough time to set up our picnic area....

snap a picture of the girls in their matching outfits...

play a little football

get flag tattoo's...BEFORE

the storm came and forced us to go home.

OBX Day 2

2011-07-03T22:01:00.003-05:00

The kids were up and ready to go early this morning!

First on the agenda....THE BEACH!

Then it was time for a little POOL action--where everyone had fun using water squirters, doing cannon balls and playing catch!

**Abby was asleep by 6:30pm!**

OBX with the Adams

2011-07-02T21:28:00.005-05:00

We left the house around 6am this morning and after sitting in this......

we finally arrived around 1:45pm. We had a quick lunch with Memaw and Pepaw before heading to the house to unpack. The kids were so excited they immediately ran in and changed into their bathing suits. We got in the pool to burn off some energy...after all, we did have 7.5 hours of energy bottled up!! Samuel packed his daddy's old Lego boat to see if it could still float. After all, it is 35+ years old with a few chipped pieces! I am happy to say.....it still floats and even carried a few of Sam's Lego men around!

he also brought part of his own ship to play with.

and here is Abby doing what she loves.

After we finished swimming we came in to rest for a while....it wasn't too long before they were begging me to take them to the beach. I agreed, as long as they promised not to get in the water!

Here are my sweet kids keeping their word....Aren't they cute!

And here they are less than 30 seconds later.....

HAVING

FUN

AT THE BEACH

IN THE WATER!

WHO COULD SAY NO TO THESE CUTIE PIES??

LIFE IS GOOD!

HAPPY

2011-07-01T20:23:00.002-05:00

Nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids and their friends playing outside, laughing without a worry in the world! And my decorated driveway...you can't help but smile!

Baltimore: Day 4

2011-06-20T21:50:00.126-05:00

Port Discovery: We took the kids to the children's museum today. What a great way to spend the afternoon! The place was practically empty so the kids had a blast climbing the huge tower that's in the center of the facility. They also had fun in the diner where they pretended to cook and serve us...what a hoot! I don't foresee Samuel ever being a waiter....unless you like your food being dumped in your lap or on the table! The boys loved the Egyptian adventure section, however the little ones were a bit skeptical. Abby and Jake had fun in the water section cleaning windows!

This evening we saw a Wild, Wacky,Wonderful side of Baltimore at the American Visionary Art Museum. This was such a neat place, everywhere you turned you would see an interesting piece of art......here are just a few that come to mind--5-foot diameter Bra Ball, 38-foot wide Bird's Nest observation balcony, Art Bus, Pink Poodle, Robot Family, etc.

The girls danced...

John Waters, who is best known for his film Hairspray was there performing. Even though we were told it was an abbreviated version of his one-man show, I took the kids out halfway through. Most of what he was saying they didn't understand, but still! ;)

Abigail was so excited when I told her a special cake was going to be presented tonight. Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes was there. The bakery became popular on the Food Network show Ace of Cakes.

Left: Papa and John Waters Right: Duff Goldman and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

Baltimore: Day 3

2011-06-19T23:33:00.003-05:00

Camden Yards:
It just so happened we were allowed to take a tour of Camden Yards on Father's Day! Tom drove up in the AM to join us. We have seen the ball park many times, but were able to see parts of the stadium that we have never seen before...Samuel was in heaven!

Looking very comfy in the dugout

Don't mind Abby, she's pouting about something!

Samuel impressed everyone with his knowledge about the park.....notice his raised hand, ready to answer another question!

On the field

Press Box

This evening we went to Clipper Mill. It's a property in Baltimore that has basically been built from a "green" perspective. We had a fun evening with delicious food, yummy cupcakes and fun crafts.

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-19T23:02:00.003-05:00

I printed a list of questions for the kids to answer about their daddy for Father's Day....Here's what they said.

All About My Dad by Samuel

Things my dad likes:

Favorite food: Pizza

Favorite dessert: Ice Cream

Favorite game to play: Xbox

Favorite sport to watch: Baseball

Favorite sport to play: Baseball

My favorite memory with my dad is when I was born! (haha)

My dad is the best in the family at Baseball.

At his job, my dad works.

When not at work, my dad likes to work.

My dad is 40 years old.

My dad is 6 ft 2 in. tall.

My dad weighs 999 pounds.

My dad has lots of hair.

My dad's eyes are blue.

My dad likes to wear underwear.

My dad is special to me because he is nice and loves me!

All About My Dad by Abigail
Things my dad likes:

Favorite food: Spaghetti

Favorite dessert: Cake

Favorite game to play: Twister

Favorite sport to watch: Football

Favorite sport to play: Basketball

My favorite memory with my dad is....when he is silly!

My dad is the best in the family at games.

At his job, my dad works!

When not at work, my dad likes to play game or anything!

My dad is 40 years old.

My dad is 11 ft 0 in. tall.

My dad weighs 18 pounds.

My dad has black hair.

My dad's eyes are blue.

My dad likes to wear work clothes.

My dad is special to me because he plays with me.

Baltimore: Day 2

2011-06-18T23:22:00.003-05:00

National Aquarium: Once we finally got everyone up and fed (which was around noon) we headed to the aquarium. We saw a short 4-D movie called Planet Earth--everyone enjoyed it, except for Jake!;) The jellies were by far my favorite--they were so neat to watch!

OH SAY CAN YOU SEE--It all started here.....Fort McHenry National Monument. The kids loved exploring the grounds and had a chance to see a re-enactment of the War of 1812 with the firing of cannon's and guns. We also spent time at the Visitor and Education Center where we saw the original draft of The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key.

Olivia was afraid Samuel was going to hurt her with the sword! (Love her face)

Abby, Olivia, Samuel, Jake (behind Sam and giving William bunny ears!),William and Jackson

Special Guest Performance by Mario

Beautiful fireworks display!!

USCM Baltimore: Day 1

2011-06-17T23:09:00.011-05:00

We spent most of the afternoon visiting with the Georgia crowd and celebrating Abigail's birthday before heading to the Inner Harbor for a reception.

(Cousins: Abby, Samuel, Olivia, William, Jackson & Lawton)

Jake & Abby = trouble

~5 Years Old~

2011-06-17T21:56:00.021-05:00

This cutie pie was born 5 years ago today at 2:14pm. She weighed 7lbs7oz. and was 20 1/4 inches long. We just don't know what we would do without our sweet, sassy, fun-loving, silly, full of energy, prissy girl!! We are so thankful she is ours!

When birthday girl opened her eyes this morning she discovered a room full of streamers, balloons and presents. After opening presents, we packed up the car and headed to Baltimore for Papa's annual USCM meeting.

We picked up a cake on our way to share with all the cousins when they arrived. Unfortunately, the sparkler candle that I was so excited about didn't go over very well with the birthday girl! We couldn't help but laugh at her reaction! By the end though, she was laughing and thought it was funny...hehehe ;)

Birthday Eve

2011-06-16T23:58:00.000-05:00

Since we are heading to Baltimore tomorrow we decided to begin Abby's birthday celebration a day early. For her birthday dinner, she chose Moe's (same as last year) and enjoyed a "close talker" salad. After dinner she REALLY wanted ice cream so that's what the birthday girl got! She enjoyed every last drop of her mango sorbet.

"I hope you decorate my room tonight" was the last thing she said before falling asleep! In case you didn't notice, she decided to have a sleepover with her dolls. :)

$1.00 Jump Rope = Loads of Fun

2011-06-16T23:50:00.002-05:00

Who knew this jump rope would entertain the kids for hours!

School's Out for Summer!!!

2011-06-16T23:30:00.022-05:00

We surprised the kids this afternoon when they got off the bus....several parent's had loaded water guns and Abigail was armed with silly string! We could hear the kids screaming on the bus before they turned the corner! We are looking forward to a fun and relaxing summer spent with family and friends!

Last day of school photo!

Mikey Graduates from High School

2011-06-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

We went to Mikey's graduation party on Sunday. Samuel had a blast playing kickball with the group while Abby had fun playing on the playground.

Congrats Mikey!!!

Samuel had fun pitching to everyone

and kicking the ball!

Abby had fun standing on her head during the kickball game...

and playing on the playground!

Tea Party

2011-06-10T23:36:00.074-05:00

We had 5 of Abigail's friends over today for a Fancy Tea Party.

Menu:

Tea Pot Shaped Cheese & PB&J Sandwiches

Turkey & Cheese Kabobs

Fruit Kabobs

Star Shaped Jello

Carrots

Lemon Cake

The girls were so darn cute drinking their "pink lemonade" tea. They loved having their nails and toes painted....and the fairy glitter was a big hit! It was fun to see the color combinations they came up with. :) Grandma'ma and I had so much fun with them.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl, We Love You Very Much!

Mr. Fox

2011-06-05T22:45:00.000-05:00

We've had two baby foxes roaming our street for the past few weeks... Today this little guy was eating his lunch in my neighbors bushes. Of course, we were a bit freaked, but at the same time couldn't take our eyes off of him.

Last Day Of Preschool

2011-06-03T21:14:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe the Robin's had their last day of school today. We celebrated with a sweet slide show that Miss Theresa put together for the parent's- tissues were a must! Followed by a class party with many fun activities: water sponge relay races, parachute games, potato sack races, bubbles & chalk. We could not have asked for better teacher's this year for Abigail, Miss Theresa & Miss Barb were fabulous! We will always remember our two years at St. David's.

10 Years of Marriage - We've only just begun

2011-06-02T22:02:00.009-05:00

Today we celebrate a decade together....Life is good!

Fishing

2011-05-30T22:18:00.025-05:00

Abby's first time fishing this season

Sam's learning how to take the fish off the hook

Such a sweet moment - XOXO

Samuel on the Mound

2011-05-30T08:08:00.003-05:00

Samuel pitched today! He hung in there and did a great job for his first time. Way to go, Sammy!

Beautiful Flowers Blooming In Our Yard

2011-05-26T21:43:00.004-05:00

Baseball 2011 Spring Season

2011-05-23T21:56:00.001-05:00

The Yankees currently have 3 wins and 7 losses.

Not our best season but the boys are having a blast!

Here are a few favorites so far.

Easter Day

2011-05-22T21:34:00.003-05:00

HeRe CoMeS PeTeR CoTtOn TaIl....HoPpIn DoWn ThE BuNnY TrAiL....HiPpItY HoPpItY EaStEr'S On ItS WaY....

Easter @ 3801

2011-05-22T21:33:00.003-05:00

We went to 3801 early afternoon to celebrate Easter. The kids and adults had fun dying eggs and hanging out. Lucky for us, the weather was perfect for our annual EaStEr EgG hunt.

Fun Ride

2011-05-17T22:22:00.000-05:00

Daddy's car is a lot more fun than Mommy's car!

8 Year Stats

2011-05-17T22:09:00.014-05:00

At age 8, Mr. Sam weighs 72 1/4 pounds and is 53 1/2 inches tall which puts him in the 90% for both height and weight. Since his 7 year appointment he has gained 12 lbs and grown 3 1/2 inches.

Clothes Size: 10
Shoe Size: 4.5
Dislikes: He has a strong dislike for stripe shirts and also any shirt with buttons.
Likes: He loves building with legos, playing with his army guys, being outside, xbox, itouch, reading and watching/playing baseball with daddy.
Favorite Colors: red and blue
Favorite Food: pizza
Favorite Subject In School: dismissal...honey, that's not a subject--fine, recess..sweetie can you pick a subject, please? Okay, it's history.

Exceptional Explorer

2011-05-13T15:33:00.048-05:00

Samuel was chosen by his peers and teacher to be April's Exceptional Explorer! The character trait for this month is "Optimism" apparently he demonstrated this trait throughout the month. :) We are very proud of him.

I should probably mention that we almost missed the "short" reception that was held from 7:40AM-8AM. Apparently instead of hitting snooze this morning, I hit the off button on my alarm. Ugh....when I finally awoke it was 7:35--of all days for this to happen! We got dressed and ready in record breaking time-- Samuel and I walked into the school at 7:50 and they were just starting to announce the students names. We made it!

Happy 11th Birthday Isabelle

2011-05-13T10:41:00.002-05:00

A certain 2nd grader doesn't want to go to school tomorrow.....

2011-04-25T23:00:00.053-05:00

Can you blame him?!?!

Poor guy's nose is now purple and he has a pretty big goose egg on his noggin along with bruises and scrapes on his body....

He was riding his bike with a friend and lost control----we are thankful for no major head injuries, no broken bones and all teeth are still intact! He's going to be one sore puppy tomorrow.

**My friend (who's a nurse) came down to check on him after dinner. She felt he had a mild concussion, we watched him until after midnight and got him up twice during the night. He was still in a lot of pain the next morning so we kept him home from school.

Spring Break: Day 2 (Sunday)

2011-04-17T22:58:00.001-05:00

Day 2:
Due to the 3 hour time change, we were up at 4:30am!
We walked around to several of the hotels and had lunch at Planet Hollywood. Then we headed over to an arcade that was in one of the hotels. The kids remembered this from 2 years ago and were so excited to go back....we are now the lucky owners of many new stuffed animals, just what we need! Papa got tickets to see the 4pm showing of "The Lion King." The kids loved it! Then it was back to the room for room service and bedtime.

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-16T22:51:00.000-05:00

Day 1:
Finished packing and asleep at 1:30am
Alarm goes off at 5:30am
Out the door and in the car by 6:15am

Arrive at National Airport 7am

On plane (First Class- thanks to our travel agent) heading to Vegas at 8:30am

Our view from above

Once we got to the hotel, the kids were so excited to hit the lazy river and the pool.

This sums up how we felt at the end of the day!!

O's Opening Day/ Cherry Blossoms in DC & Cupcakes

2011-04-04T22:23:00.002-05:00

Steph and I took the kids to see the cherry blossoms in DC today.

We also rented paddle boats...we only lasted about 30 minutes...that's hard work!

and then we went to Georgetown Cupcake! Customers were lined up outside, it was amazing! Abby chose red velvet. She was nice enough to lick the icing off and give it back to me and say, "it's okay if you eat my cupcake!" Thanks sweet girl, but a cupcake isn't a cupcake without icing!;)

While the girls were in DC, the boys were having fun at the O's opening day!

Forty--40--Forty--40--Forty

2011-04-02T22:20:00.000-05:00

We started off the birthday boy's day with breakfast in bed....

Abby was in charge of cracking the eggs.

Abby insisted on buying her daddy a piggy bank -- Samuel thought a rubik's cube was the perfect gift for his daddy -- So, he received a shiny red piggy bank & a rubik's cube!;) The kids were so excited to give him their gifts and cards....we went a little card crazy this year with at least 4 singing cards -- Hey, you're only forty once, right?

Memaw & Pepaw spent the day with us.....Here they have a serious game of Hedbanz going on!

Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You,

Happy Birthday Dear Tom/Daddy, Happy Birthday To You...And Many More!!!!

TWISTER!!!!

-- We had a wonderful day spent with FAMILY & FRIENDS --

This picture cracks me up....Apparently, Tom forgot to comb his hair on picture day! hahaha

Look who got their learners license.....

2011-03-27T22:13:00.003-05:00

Wells!..!..!..!..! Hard to believe he's old enough to be driving.

SALAD

2011-03-25T21:51:00.004-05:00

We were at Costco the other day with Grandma'ma when we saw this lettuce bowl. We thought it was so neat and just had to get it! I knew it was only a matter of time before our little salad loving girl asked if she could make her own. Abby would eat salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner if given the choice.

While her brother is away, she likes to play....

2011-03-25T21:31:00.004-05:00

....with things that aren't hers! :) I can hear him now....."Abigaaaiiilllll, did you play with my legos while I was gone?? ABIGAIL....you switched their heads!! Mommy, Abigail messed up my legos!"

Aren't little sisters so much fun!:)

March 20th- First Day of Spring!!!

2011-03-20T20:58:00.001-05:00

We welcome you Spring with open arms!!! Spring is here, although the weather report says "chance of snow flurries" next week. We are certainly looking forward to warmer weather, colorful flowers and a lot of outdoor play......We definitely have SpRiNg FeVeR around here!

*thanks Memaw for the cute basket in the top left corner. Abby & I love it!*

My Family Of Four

2011-03-19T23:14:00.002-05:00

Am I asking too much??? All I want is a decent family picture!

(Here Sam's hand is about to attack Abigail's head, Daddy showing off his popeye face)

Oh daddy, what are we going to do with you? :)

Awww, look at my cute little family! XOXO

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2011

2011-03-17T23:53:00.049-05:00

We met the Smith's at the Pavilion in Reston Town Center for a Leprechaun celebration! Abigail was captivated by the Irish dancers and stood front row during each performance. Samuel had fun running around with the boys, while the adults enjoyed a few green drinks!

Celebrating One -- Eight....and many more!!!

2011-03-16T20:07:00.005-05:00

8th Birthday-- Loves Laser Tag

lego & army

7th Birthday-- Loves Lego

and army

6th Birthday-- Loves Army Men/Tanks
and lego

5th Birthday-- Loves Superheros

and still loves trains!

4th Birthday-- Loves Bugs

and still loves Trains a lot!

3rd Birthday-- Loves Thomas Trains

Samuel wanted a Blue Gordon cake....

cake lady messed up so we had a fire engine red Gordon cake!

2nd Birthday-- Loves Cars & Trucks!

1st Birthday--Loves Animals

Birth Day 3.14.2003

Someday

2011-03-16T00:13:00.003-05:00

Someday we are going to miss waking up to these little feet in our face.

Someone's having a birthday.....

2011-03-13T20:46:00.006-05:00

Born March 14th @ 7:05pm, my little 7lbs 9oz. bundle of joy is not so little anymore. I know I say this every year, but has it really been 8 years? Oh I love him so much!

This morning started out a little slow....Monday's are always hard, plus we lost one hour of sleep due to daylight savings. Once the birthday boy was finally able to open one of his eyes, a big smile followed as he discovered his decorated room!

*Taken last night* Shhhh, he's sleeping! He's the big lump in the bed with his head covered up. :-)

March 12

2011-03-12T22:32:00.030-05:00

Today my daddy would have been 78 years old! He was 51 when he died, I was 7. He was taken from us way too soon, July 2, marks 27 years. Cancer stinks!

I love this picture of him.

~Happy Birthday~

Seriously???

2011-03-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

Tom goes to the grocery store and comes back with this!

See anything healthy? Yeah, me neither!

Allergies, Ugh!

2011-03-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

Our allergies have been terrible this week! Poor Samuel, his nose is bright red and is running constantly. When I went into his room this morning, I had to laugh when I found this pile of klenex that he had accumulated throughout the night. Poor guy!

He was actually upset with me when he got home from school because I cleaned them up! He wanted to see what it would look like if he used an entire box! haha

Christmas- 1980 / 2010

2011-03-08T22:34:00.000-05:00

I came across this Christmas photo of us when we lived in Georgia and I just love it! My mom still hangs the wreath that she made many, many years ago and we still use our xmas stockings, only now, 20+ stocking are hung with them on the mantel. The rocking chair that Ansleigh is sitting in now sits up in my mom's loft.

(Christmas 1980)

(Christmas 2010)

Sweet Isabelle

2011-03-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

Issy thought she had found the perfect napping spot....

and she had.....

until Abigail discovered her and decided it was time to read!

"Who do you Love?"

So Cute!

2011-03-08T21:49:00.000-05:00

I love how both of my kids still ask to eat at "Old McDonalds" instead of McDonald's!

I also love how Samuel calls me "mommy" and Abigail calls me "mama". I love being their mommy/mama!

Let's Go Yankees!!

2011-03-05T13:58:00.000-05:00

So, it looks like we will be rooting for the Yankee's this season! Samuel tried out for the Single A baseball league several weeks ago and we found out yesterday, he made the team! Way to go, Samuel! When we told him he made the team and would be playing on the, Yankee's, he asked if we could call and ask them to put him on the Orioles. Sorry kid, it doesn't work like that. :) We look forward to cheering you on this season even if you are playing for the Yankee's. :)