Enjoying Friends!

Our friends Stephen, Lindsay, and 7-month old daughter Caroline were here last month to visit. Luckily, it was before Anderson got sick! It seems to be a tradition that is being started for them to come in March so that Stephen and Brad can turkey hunt since the season starts 2 weeks earlier here (that is like 2 years to those guys). Friendship w/ them is so easy and we have just fun when we get together--like we never missed a beat!

Anderson rediscovering all his old toys...did a great job sharing!!


Cutest Boat Captain Ever!

Dads w/ sleeping kids...why can't that happen to the mommas?

A Sad Goodbye...

We had to say goodbye to our good friends Richard, Ansley, and baby Jack--we had a little going away dinner to mark the occasion. The whole thing happened so fast that I did not have time to properly process the change. Literally, a matter of a few short weeks. Richard received a job promotion and while we are proud of him and happy for the their family, them not being here is very evident and it hasn't even been an entire week yet! They have only moved to our state capital so they are at least within driving distance and visit we will!

Lauren (sweet Jackson was sick), Ansley w/ Jack, Me w/ Anderson, and Ginger w/ Mary Kate

Easter Eggstravaganza!

We are well again....and hoping to stay that way!! We had to go back to the pediatrician's office Monday before Easter b/c Anderson started to run a fever again over the weekend. After an antibiotic switch, we finally started to see some results and after 24 hours he was a new child. After 3 weeks, he slept all the way thru the night which makes for a happy household! It kills me to think how awful he felt for so long :( I imagine I will always carry that burden! I am very grateful that he got well just in time to enjoy some Easter activities!

First up was our little playgroup egg hunt. He caught on quickly to what you were supposed to do!

He enjoyed playing with eggs all week long--taking them apart and putting them back together.

Later that week we went with his buddy Jackson to a larger egg hunt and all he wanted to do was pick up the wood chips and put them in his basket!

After church on Easter Sunday he got to dig into his Easter basket filled with treats! I know this looks like a lot of stuff, but I am having fun going a bit overboard since he doesn't know the difference. I justify it b/c these holidays seem to fall right when he needs some more developmentally appropriate toys! Next year it will be just what can fit in the basket! The slinky and see-n-say were the big hits.

We went to brunch at the SCYC and got our family photo op! This might be the only pregnant picture you see of me...it is hard to post pics of yourself when you feel like a balloon!

He was intrigued by the Easter Bunny and was wide-eyed....I was not sure exactly how he was going to react.

After brunch we headed up to BFT to spend some time with family and enjoy the beautiful weather!

I hope you and yours had a Happy Easter!

Frolic in the Daffodils!

On one of Anderson's "well" days in the past few weeks, we met Amanda and Harper at the daffodil farm. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and the scenery! As usual, I was way more excited about it than Anderson was and he was much more interested in the dirt fields surrounding the flower fields and large sticks and other treasures he could find than the pretty yellow flowers! I was able to coax him in for a few pictures at least!

Anderson was over the flowers by this point!

Later that day Anderson decided that the grass clearly needed mowing! It is also apparent that did not have the camera on the proper shutter speed--thus the blur!

Sick and Tired.

Of being SICK and TIRED!!! Ever since November, I feel like we have not been able to stay well. It has been horrible, and I know that we are not the only ones, but I still get to complain. These last 2 1/2 weeks have been the worst. All of us have fought cold, after virus, after blah, blah, blah. Poor Anderson has caught the brunt of it and had has cold virus w/ fever...was "well" (I guess) for about a week and a weekend...then got a coughing virus w/ low-grade fever that turned into a congestion something or another that we are still having a war with and wakes him up in these coughing fits 2-3 times per night...if that were not enough all the congestion settled into his left ear and he spiked a fever and was diagnosed w/ an ear infection yesterday. Yikes. None of us have been getting much sleep and if you have been reading my blog for a few months, you know what happens when Anderson gets a fever. I am sorry if I have not been able to return phone calls, emails, requests, and had to cancel on invitations recently---we will be back in the game soon...I just know it! In the meantime, keep us in your prayers b/c we need it!

Conversations with Anderson.

Anderson is starting to communicate more and more using words and it is so adorable! He can say several words---yeah, eat, bye, hi, mama, dada, door, more, boy, there, ball, dog, and an approximation of thank-you that makes me smile every single time he says it! His father is very proud that he can say "deer" and point to the mounts on the walls of his office. His vocabulary is expanding so fast and it has made both Brad and I very aware of ours! Here is a example of a conversation that we had recently when I went to get him out of his crib one weekday morning:


Me: Good morning Anderson!


Anderson: Eat!

Me: What do you want to eat for breakfast?

Anderson: More!

Me: Eat more of what?

Anderson: There!


Me: You want to go over there?

Anderson: Door!

Me: You want to go to the door?

Anderson: Yeah!

I can only imagine what future conversations will be like with him!

I **Heart** Chick-fil-A!

I love Chick-fil-A and when fast food is called for, I will choose it over any other establishment without a question and also have been known to go out of my way to go there! I must tell you that recently my love for Chick-fil-A has hit an entire new level....

Last Friday, my friend Ginger (and the kiddos) went to a children's clothing show in a nearby town. While on the way to the show, we spotted the local CFA and decided that is where we would go to lunch after we were done shopping. As we approached the restaurant, we realized very quickly that we were not the only ones who had this idea! The parking lot was slammed and as we pulled in, we noticed they had a parking attendant directing traffic and allowing cars to back out of spaces and directing you to empty ones. We gather our gear and head into the restaurant where an employee was opening the door for the customers--nice, since I was carrying Anderson, a diaper bag, and my purse. First on our agenda was to use the restrooms and as we walked that way another employee asked us where we would like to sit so she could get us some high chairs. After we ordered, the cashier said that someone would bring out our food to us and to go ahead and go have a seat! WHAT! At this point I am thinking I will drive to this Chick-fil-A to eat even if it is 40 minutes from my house! Not only did they bring our food, but they put disposable placemats on the tables for Mary Kate and Anderson and brought us napkins, straws, forks, condiments, etc..and then asked if we needed anymore assistance all while making the nicest small talk. Um, I think they about covered it! When we were done, they saw us cleaning up and came to us telling us to leave it and they would take care of it. As if that was not enough, the door opener asked if we needed help w/our bags to the car! Now, that is what I call service!! It really made the entire experience completely different. We went in there thinking it was going to be a hassle (due to the crowds and the kids in tow) and to have the opposite was a pleasant (and welcome) surprise! The only thing that we had to do while we were there was to enjoy lunch! Now, if only our local Chick-fil-A would catch on.....