What was so funny before kids?

So we're driving home from lunch out the other day. Noone was saying a word, just riding in silence. All of a sudden Anna-Kate, in a thick, drawn-out, Southern accent says, "O my goodness, I need some cheese." I was crying...that kid keeps me in stitches. My college roommate, Megan, came to town to visit with me and see the kids and spent the rest of the weekend getting her to say it over and over...as she gets big laughs each time, you can only imagine how that is the new phrase for her. :)
In other news...had the worst food and service at Outback ever. We won't be going back. It was awful. blah.
Happy Fathers Day to those it concerns. :)

Remembering Mark

I just realized this morning.....today is my brothers' birthday. He would be 24 today. Not sure if I am so emotional because I'm getting older, because I am a mother now and my heart breaks for my own mothers' heart, or that I'm currently listening to "Cinderella" by Stephen Curtis Chapman...or a combination of all. My mom always said I would have to revisit his death when I had children of my own...surprising, I doubted that at the age of 12, but here I am 27 and she was right...funny how parents' get smarter the older we get.
I think that "because I am a mother now" wins out in my emotional struggle today. I look at my own precious babies and cannot possibly fathom how I could live one minute without either of them. Many times I have prayed and begged God to not make me walk that road...while I know He gives strength for what He gives us, I don't want to find that kind of strength within me. I guess I'm just realizing how short and how amazingly precious life truly is and the incredible strength and faith in the Lord my own parents had/have...what a testimony to them and to our Lord.
I'm not really sure who, if anyone, reads this blog.....but if you do read this, hug your babies a little tighter today and make sure to tell your family just how much you love them and appreciate them. Life is too short....savor ever moment.

Power outages...ugh

This morning we tried to see "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" (veggie tales) at the Regal free summer movies. Anna-Kate LOVED it, but Ryan woke up in what should be his nap and wasn't having it...so we left.

Towards the end of their naps a crazy thunderstorm came...no rain mind you, just out of control thunder and lightening. We lost power for about 2 hours and I was highly peeved. Irritating things:
1) no a/c, fans,or sound machines for kids = early wake up.
2)no power for lights, tv, music = peeved Anna-Kate who was still a little tired.
So, I went to get her when she woke up early because she was fussing in an almost crying sort of way....I open the door and poor thing is fighting back tears. "my sound machine is broken mommy, oh no!". She repeated this a couple of times. I had to hold in my laugh. She was quit upset, then got further upset when she couldn't turn the light on to go to the bathroom, tv on to watch "george monkey" (curious george)or listen to her music inthe playroom. Ahh, such is life. The reason, "it's broken" gets lamer and lamer the more times you say it in one minute, let me just tell you. "daddy fix", sadly, was not the answer today. :) Also sad, just how completely dependant we are on electricity--yikes!

Summer pictures. ;)

Here is Anna-Kate with her friends, Campbell and Annie, on Tuesday. We broke out the little pool to try and beat this crazy Atlanta heatwave!

Here she is in her pool. She loves her swimsuit!

This is Chris and me onour way out to dinner for our anniversary:

Here is a pic of Ryan from this Tuesday:

Naptime

Gotta love Babywise....today we came home from a meeting around 12:30. I was nursing Ryan and Anna-Kate announced she was tired. She went in, took off her bow, shut her door and got in bed. She then realized she had to pee first...but was in bed on her own by 1. Love it.

In unrelated news...I haven't taken reglan in 3 days, and my milk is still coming!! Praise the Lord!! Nursing is so stressful for me with regards to supply, but it is so wonderful...I love it!

In more unrelated news...I just ordered 6 new fonts for my embroidery machine!! I'm gonna be (even more of a) monograming freak! :) hee hee.

My 5th Anniversary

As yesterday was our anniversary...and it actually fell on a Saturday, we went out to celebrate! We dropped the kids at the Crabbs' and put them to bed, then headed to Rays on the River. It was so good! We had calamari, then I had steak and grilled shrimp with garlic potatoes, Chris had lobster risotto (which I chalk up to us watching Hell's Kitchen...) and parmesan crusted scallops. They brought us free dessert to celebrate, so that was nice. :) Chris gave me tickets to see Bryan Adams in a few weeks and a gift certificate to Spa Sydell. I gave him tickets for us to see the Braves/Cardinals in July, a wooden picture frame with a picture in it I had made of me and the kids, and some new cologne and aftershave from Gap. It was a really nice evening. :)
He left today for North Caroline for work, so I'm alone the next few nights. I always hate him being gone, but it makes me so thankful for him--helps me remember all he does around here to help me!

Singing

So one of my favorite things is to watch Anna-Kate being "mommy" to her babies. Obviously, sometimes she carries them around by the foot and drops them into bed, but often, she will lovingly hold them, tell them "it's OK baby", give them a paci when they are sad, and sing "Jesus Loves Me" to them when it's time for them to go night-night (often, right before she goes to sleep). Brings tears to my eyes to hear her sweet voice singing to Jesus.

Along the lines of singing. She loves to go to church with us and "sing to Jesus" before going back to the nursery during the sermon. Obviously, she doesn't know the words to the old hymns and worship songs, but she will just sing "Jesus" over and over while I sing and hold her. I find that to be great.

In other news, today is our 5th wedding anniversary! Time has absolutely flown by!!! Amazing to me that I can possibly love Chris even more now than I did when we married. He is an amazing husband and father--a wonderful role-model to our children. Thank you Jesus for this family, and for the husband you have given me.

June 7, 2008