Laughing All the Way Home. . .

Can it be???

2008-08-09T08:42:00.007-04:00

Can it really be that my little Nathan is already going to preschool??? It seems he was born just yesterday! Time has certainly flown by. . .and every single day with this amazing little boy has been a blessing - granted a loud blessing at times - but a gift from God into our precious family all the same!
So Nathan is beginning in a 2 year old class that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 1/2 day. He will eat lunch there too! His teacher, Mrs. Daphne, sent him a postcard last week just saying that she was excited he was coming to be in her class. . .Nathan was so happy, he made us read it a million times and even insisted on sleeping with the postcard that night!!

So we had Open House on Thursday this week so Nate could see his room and meet his teacher! How exciting!

Nathan (with a little guidance) went to his cubbie and got his folder, then headed back to his seat to do some work. Daddy and Katie watch.

Nathan decorates his school folder with farm animal stickers while daddy watches. This is Nathan's seat in his classroom labeled with his name and picture - so cute! In fact, there were pictures of Nathan all over the room. . .on his cubbie, on the bulletin board, even in frames on the window sill! His teacher is so very thoughtful to incorporate little things that make the kids feel comfortable right away in their new surroundings.

Nate built a tower of blocks while Katie ran by the "cubbies" where Nathan's bookback will stay.

This is Nathan showing his teacher his tower of blocks. Standing with them is one of the other students in Nate's class, Cooper, holding on to his mommy.
Oh my goodness! Preschool already for my "baby"??!!!
. . . . . . . .Sigh. . . . . . . .

Katie girl has been BUSY!!!

2008-06-01T21:42:00.016-04:00

Who knew that ending 1st grade was so crazy busy??!!!
Let me just give you a sense of what we've been doing in just the past 2 weeks!!
First on our list is our big end-of-the-year campout with the Brownie Troop!

There were 6 girls (and 1 brother) + the 2 troop leaders (me being one) all in one big tent!! One of the best parts of the campout is that it was right in our leader's back yard - perfect!

The next event was FIELD DAY!!!

Oh my goodness - it was LOUD!! Katie absolutely loved it and did such a great job in her events!

Katie was so excited about the running relay - so precious!! Isn't she just awesome??!
Everyone got gold medals - so exciting!!

And finally we had First Grade Awards Day.

I was just so nervous for her!! I wanted her to get enough awards so she would just be so proud of herself and all of her hard work this year. The teacher would call out what the award was - and then call the students' names who received that award so that they could step out in front of the class and be recognized.

As they began, Katie was called for almost every award!! Then they kept going - and she kept being called to step up to be recognized!! I was just so proud of her - and just constantly amazed at what this little girl can accomplish - just never sensing her limitations at all!!

Finally the teachers announced the PE award given to only one boy and one girl in the class. . .and Katie was the winner!! Of the PE award!!! Ya know the coaches are constantly telling me how hard Katie works in PE. . .even though they tell her that she can slow down if she gets tired, she runs and runs her little heart out!

Oh my goodness, I am just so exhausted with the close of first grade!! But it was so wonderful!

2008-05-27T21:27:00.051-04:00

We are off on our trip to Dollywood for Memorial Day Weekend!! Our little ones quickly fell into there little routines of traveling -- Nathan playing with his cars (of course!) and Katie reading her "chapter books" (wow!)!!

We made it to our hotel and the huge hit was the bed - in the sofa!! I had not thought about it, but Nathan was just so intrigued by his bed that came out of a sofa!! (so precious!!)

We decided to visit the HUGE Bass Pro Shop just across the street from our hotel -- just for something to do. Now this was not just a store - it was crazy!! It was 2 stories made to look like the outdoors inside, complete with all these stuffed bears, deer, fish, turkeys, etc. all over the place (Katie not to fond of that!) and a stream right through the middle of the store!!

Sweet little girl with a sweet little deer. . .time to head back to the hotel and get ready for a big day at Dollywood!

Wake up kids!!

Here we are at Dollywood!! We are some of the first ones in the park at 9am!!

We headed immediately for the "Children's Corner"of the park, and these kids had so much fun - (these kiddie rides definitely "warmed them up" for the other rides later in the day)
The very first ride was my brave little Nathan and me on this "bouncing" ride - he laughed and laughed!

UGH! Those teacups!! The kids laughed so hard - they loved it!

(below is the last I saw of the teacups before I closed my eyes for the rest of the ride!)

Okay, so this is a "not so kiddie ride" amidst the others that we watched Daddy ride!

The choo-choo train was a hit with Nate, of course!

Dollywood is full of absolutely wonderful shows. . .we saw many of them but were not allowed to take pictures in them, so the only "show" where I could snap a picture was the "50's" diner kinda "singin' the oldies" show.

And just the whole park is full of this wonderful ambiance with great attention to detail. The park is shady with trees all around and just about everyone who works there is retired and just kind and caring and ready to help!

One of the favorite "kid" areas of the park was the water playground!! With water guns and little geysers of water popping up out of the ground, this area was just the thing for my two little guys! Look at Katie beside all of the "big boys" with her water gun - and certainly holding her own, I have to say!

Katie Greer had the most fun, dripping from head to toe!!

One of our favorite rides was driving the cars!! The kids loved it. . .I had to drag Nathan out of his car crying because he wanted to "do it again!"

One huge area of Dollywood is a refuge for Eagles who have been injured and can no longer be released into the wild. They have a "Birds of Prey" show where they teach about Eagles and other birds. It was awesome to be able to see these magnificent birds up close!

There were neat little places all over the park to cool off and play in the water for the kids (and me too!) Katie is dunking her head under the water stream in the picture below - and loved it!

My little chickadees!!
(Just those middle ones!)

This was our last ride of the day at 7pm!! It was the River Rampage which got us very WET!!

On our way back home we made a plan to stop at this beautiful place that we had passed on our way. It is actually the place where the Olympic Kayak races were held in 1996. There is a huge, amazing bridge over this gorgeous river with unbelievable rapids -- and there were hundreds of rafters and kayakers in the beautiful sunshine braving those rapids with all kinds of spectators watching the show. . .
As we drove up to the bridge, it was a very different scene to say the least!

Apparently they release water through a series of dams at different times and days - and we were on an "off" day, I guess!! We still had a good time. There were lots of people around climbing and biking, wading and sunning themselves.

Nathan and his many faces of silliness!

Danny explored and climbed while we cooled our toes in the water. Look at the beautiful shades of green in the trees!

Sweet little girl :)

Nathan Daniel - precious!

2008-05-14T10:10:00.000-04:00

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Callaway Gardens

2008-05-10T21:52:00.033-04:00

We had a GREAT "Spring Break" this year! One of our favorite things was visiting "Callaway Gardens!" Of course, we all loved the "Butterfly House!"

At Callaway Gardens, even lunch is FUN!

The "Birds of Prey" show was definitely very cool! They had falcons, hawks, and a gorgeous owl flying over our heads!

We learned Katie's "wingspan" is the same as the Perigren Falcon!

Katie and Grandma learned more about Georgia's local wildlife. . .

My most favorite part of Callaway Gardens was the unbelievable Azalea Bowl!! It was just the most amazing colors everywhere you looked. . .these pictures below were all taken there, and need no more explanation than the beauty you see!

Nathan's most favorite thing out of all these cool animals and beautiful scenery was, of course, the tram!!! He was so excited whenever we were ready to go to the next place!!!

What a surprise to find such foliage "creatures" all around!

Hey, where did you kids go???

The greenhouses were full of amazing fountains and hanging baskets.

All kinds of secret "nooks and cranies" to play in. . .so fun!

Katie and Nate check out the bunny's basket!

Nathan liked the little "chicks" he found nearby.

Of course, Katie was dying to touch the water fall herself. . .even though there is a million foot drop down to the little pool below!! Sooooo, . . . .

Ahhhh!! So Grandma, holds Katie over the edge, so she could touch that waterfall!!! (Mom is not excited about this!!)

Nathan was certainly not going to be left out of the fun -- as again, Mom held her breath
YIKES!!

Katie was loving this greenhouse!

Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden!

We saved this garden for last and had it practically to ourselves!

My little man posing for his picture.

The landscapes were beautiful and just asked for you to run through them - or sit and enjoy leisurely as you pleased.

The gardens were just beginning to fill in, but we had lots of fun just running through the rows. . .

Nate found a bench to rest on -- but even after such a full day, he didn't stay there long!

Such special memories with Grandma!

This is how we all felt after such a completely full, wonderful, active day at Callaway Gardens!!

Precious Baby!!

2008-03-14T21:57:00.002-04:00

Who is this most precious little pea, you ask???!! It is GRACIE of course!!! I can't help but take a million pictures whenever I am around her!! (D'Lynn, her momma, doesn't seem to mind too much!) I mean, just look at those gorgeous blue eyes! And that's my sweet Nate hangin' out with Gracie - cute couple, huh? :)

Steppin' out of our box. . .into the "World of Wheels"

2008-01-11T22:35:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday we were chatting with friends from church when they asked if we would be interested in 4 free tickets to the "World of Wheels" car show. I know absolutely less than NOTHING about cars except that they get me where I need to go, and they require lots of gas to get there! But with such short notice (the show was that afternoon), there were no other "car enthusiast" takers. . .and well, we do love "free" adventures! So we were off to the World Congress Center in downtown to see. . .many, many blindingly SHINY cars, motorcycles and big rig trucks!

So, I pulled out my trusty camera (that is always with me just for such spontaneous occasions!) to capture our exposure to this world of car culture and its many serious followers.

So we looked all around and walked by lots of very LOVED cars. I let each of the kids pick out their "favorite" so that I could take their picture. Here is what they chose:

Katie picked out this big, shiny, very gold truck -- don't know any more than that!

Nate liked this HUGE BIG RIG tractor trailer truck!! However, he was soooooo disappointed that he wasn't allowed to climb in. . .or even touch. . .any of this deliciously enticing transportation all around him!!!

All in all, it was a fun afternoon spent together as a family! (And look how handsome my little man looks in his suit!)

2008-01-06T23:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it takes me a while to get back into the full swing of things with blogging - but I do thank my sweet friend Michelle for her encouragement to get me going again!

Obviously this time of year we have been very busy with lots of things. . .Christmas. . .visiting family. . .and, well, some heavy duty RELAXING! This has truly been one of the best holiday seasons that we have had. Katie had a loooooong break from school, and even Danny had a whole entire week and a half off work! So our whole little family got to spend such a wonderful time together - what a great way to end/start the year!

Our Christmas was alot of fun - with Santa bringing way too much! Katie got lots of American Girl stuff, including a black velvet and golden party dress complete with a golden crown, for her doll, Emily Starlight. She also got lots of Hannah Montana stuff, including an electric guitar and a golden wig to complete the rockstar look!! Nathan got a train table complete with a set of tracks and trains. He also got a big set of dinosaurs and a huge, yellow tonka truck!

Here are a few pictures from Christmas morning!

2007-11-29T19:55:00.000-05:00

Wow! These pics below make me think this blogger must live in Hawaii. . .where the weather is warm and balmy. . .where an afternoon is welcomed with a cooling spray of water. . .ahhhhh. Hmmmm. . .or that this blogger is a big ol' loser who has neglected her blog far too long. . .so long, in fact, that it is almost Christmas!!! A far cry from the fun summertime antics in these last posted pictures.

Okay, so I have a new look to my blog - and a new outlook on blogging. I am ready to begin this year recording those sweet little moments that make me stop and smile.

Like just today. . .
my little Katie bug stayed home from school sick today. . .the doctor told us she has a sinus infection and mild pneumonia in her right lower lung - blech!. . .but, ya know, this tough, little girl didn't feel too bad at all. . .more bored than anything else.

So we decorated the Christmas tree! It has been standing tall in the middle of our living room and blinking with its twinkly lights for a few days now, but we just haven't had time to actually add anything else. So today seemed like the perfect day. I put Nate to bed for a nap and lugged all the huge, plastic totes up from the basement. We put on Christmas music, and Katie carefully unwrapped each ornament. She liked to proclaim who the ornament belonged to (she or Nathan), reminisce about when she got it, and who gave it to her.

She finally looked up at me after we were surrounded by all these precious ornaments. . .glitter- covered, styrofoam egg carton cup with a pipe cleaner hook. . .laminated construction paper star with Katie's tiny little face in the middle. . .popsicle stick crazy star with "snow" glued on. . .kate and Nate's baby "first Christmas" ornaments. . .heirloom Radko ornaments given by grandma every year. . .Greg and D'Lynn ornaments given to the children each year since they were born. . .even "our first Christmas together" and "first home" ornaments that were gotten before long before these sweet little children's hands were here to hold them. Katie sat amongst these ornaments around her and suddenly said, "such good memories. . ." She just sounds so adult sometimes that I have to laugh! What a blessing she is to me.

And so nostalgic already!! At only 7 years old!! She is so much like me. . .it's amazing. This means I need to go ahead and start praying for a sweet, understanding husband (like mine) who will tolerate his wife's longing to keep a gum wrapper because it was the the one that held the gum she chewed on their first date together. . .or a rickety old table that falls on one end if you lean on it too hard because it belonged to her dear grandmother. . .my Katie is already going down that road.

Hopefully today will be a added as another one of Katie's "good memories" - I know our sweet time together today decorating our tree will be added to mine.

Summer Fun!!!

2007-08-09T23:35:00.000-04:00

So it's been a while since I've posted - but I just had to share these sweet summertime pictures! You know, we just went outside a played with the water on a whim -- and the joy in these little faces was priceless!

2007-03-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

Just look at my little man! He is 18 months now and growing up so very fast! Precious boy!

2007-01-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Aren't spontaneous crazy pictures the best!!
My mom knitted this sweater that Katie is wearing, and it is finally cold enough for her to wear it! So I was wanting to just take a couple of pictures so that my mom could see it. . .but when you add Nathan to the mix, anything can happen!

So I am sharing pictures from our silly family time last night. . .the kids on the loveseat, me with the camera, and Danny doing what must be the absolute funniest thing EVER behind me!!!

2007-01-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I knew it wouldn't be easy. . .

I just decided that there really and truly isn't anything that I could do to make it any easier - so we just did it. . .Nathan's very first haircut!

I debated on whether to take him to a cutsie "kid cuts" place - where the "stylists" are trained for 30 minutes in the backroom just before I walk in (or at least that seems to have been my experience from when Katie was little). . .or take him to the salon where Katie get our haircuts. And honestly, I just couldn't find the local kids' place that I heard about - so I just took him on in to the salon.

It was just how I knew it would be. . .he was very suspicious and fidgety as we walked through the doors and sat in the chair. I hurried to accept a chocolate donut to bribe him with as our anxiety levels both rose higher and higher. He liked the donut and - for a moment - was distracted enough that the lady was able to sneak in a few cuts. But it all changed very quickly when realization finally set in - and he screamed without even taking a breath for the next 10 minutes and kicked and arched his back and struggled with all his might! After a few snips of the scissors and a couple of buzzes of the clippers - Nate was DONE! His haircut was not, however, completely done. . .but alas, another day. . .sigh. . . I did get a couple of snippets of his baby hair for a keepsake and a couple of sweet pictures though!

2007-01-21T23:15:00.000-05:00

Hello again! Happy New Year to everyone! I have been very absent in my blogging recently, but busy, busy, busy has been my theme these past few months! But busy times make for good blogging, right?! So I decided to start fresh! And that certainly meant a total "blog makeover!" (Thanks Dawn!)

So the past few months seem like a blur. . .Santa has come and gone leaving a huge pile of blocks, trains, dolls, all kinds of doll furniture, puzzles, games, matchbox cars, dumptrucks, books, and. . .can you believe it?. . .absolutely not one little note with suggestions of storage solutions to keep these wonderful gifts! So we are still getting settled from the holidays, and the new year has inspired me to do some rearranging in the kids' rooms. I have also found a couple of new very cool things that have taken my attention away from my blogging. One of them is this awesome free new software that has complete online scrapbooks designed (and they're cute too!) -- I just "drag and drop" pictures from my files and then type in my text -- and then I just order the printed bound book to be delivered to my door!! I have always been sad to not have actual picture albums for us to look through. Whenever Katie wants to see her baby pictures, we snuggle up on the couch - and pull out the laptop! So I have become enamored with this new find, and I have worked on creating a book to "try it out" -- it's almost ready to be printed! Woo-hoo! And I have also been working and working with my small business, "Love-Me-Knots", making lots and lots and LOTS of hairbows for not only my stores that carry my bows, but many holiday shows during the Christmas season! And very exciting also is the website that Dawn and I have been working very hard to create. . .it's almost ready!!! Another big WOO-HOO! So I've been busy!

Enough about all of that and on to what's really important!
This weekend our family took a jaunt to Amicalola Falls, and had a wonderful time! Katie adores new adventures, and while I thought my little guy was going to be bored with all of that "nature stuff" -- but boy was I wrong! We had to constantly be on top of him so that he wouldn't actually jump into the waters falling down the cliff! So funny!! So without further ado. . .here is the "picture journey" of our sweet family time. . .

Here we are at the base of the falls. . .if you look way up at the top of the picture you can see where is actually starts! Very beautiful in person!

This last picture was taken at the very tip top of the falls - which was a little more tense with my crazy Nate insisting on getting into the water!! So this is the only picture that I got from the top of the falls. . .and you can see I have my baby by the scruff of his neck. . .because, although this doesn't show it all, there are about 4 feet of sweet little stream beyond the bridge before this drops 729 feet off the rocky cliff!!! And I'll tell you that little old wooden slat fence is no match for my little escape artist!

The Cumming Country Fair!! WOO-HOO!!

2006-10-13T21:27:00.000-04:00

Oh my!! Saturday night we shared one of our most favorite traditions of all. . .getting a big, fun group of family together and spending an afternoon at the FAIR!! Every year since Katie was 1 year old, we have ventured out to this family-fun, community event -- and now we await with anticipation just as soon as we feel fall in the air! Uncle Scott and Aunt Karen treated everyone to all the rides and food and fun we could ever want. . .oh man! I am already looking forward to next year!!

Here we are, beginning our adventure at the fair! (Well, almost all of us are pictured. . .okay, you see the little tent behind Noni? Well, that's the entrance to the fair. Now do you see the "cinnamon sugar" stand 3 steps into the park? Okay, that would be where Uncle Jim and Aunt Kat already stopped to get the funnell cake!!!!)
Katie loved the rides, of course!

Mom and Nate snuggle a little. . .sweet baby!
Okay, who in the world is going to give this little monkey money. . .ummm. . .WE DID! He was extremely cute and fummy in person -- and everytime you handed him a quarter, he tipped his hat at you -- okay, now that was worth several quarters!

Katie Greer's favorite game at the fair is the duck game!! (especially because you always win something!)
Katie won a sweet puppy! She and Uncle Scott named him "Carl."
And the tradition. . .Daddy and his girl ride the "Rockin' Tug" together -- sweeeeet!
Uncle Jim and Aunt Kat ride the ferris wheel...
You know what's awesome??!! We all have just as much fun just watching Uncle Jim and Aunt Kat riding the ferris wheel!
Uncle Jim was enjoying every minute of it! Aunt Kat was not so sure. . .
Nathan's very first taste of cotton candy from his sweet Aunt Karen!
Okay, this is my little man's reaction to most new foods - stoic contemplation, then a chorus of "more!-more!-more!-more!" (Actually the best part of this picture is Uncle Jim showing off a cotton candy goatee in the background!)
The newest attraction at the fair were the "sky buckets" - lots of fun!! Aunt Karen and Noni were partners and are very excited to wave to me and Katie as we passed them in our little bucket! The newlyweds, Uncle Jim and Aunt Kat rode across the fair skyline together too - ahhhh how sweet!
Oh, if this feeling could just be bottled up and saved. . .sweet Katie is just loving each minute!!

Noni's Birthday!

2006-10-08T22:14:00.000-04:00

Noni had a birthday! We decided to help her celebrate, so after home-made cards by Katie were "oohed and aaahhed" over. . .after surprises were opened. . .after singing as loud as we could. . .after Noni blew out the candles (with a little help from an eager granddaughter!). . .after every last crumb and bit of icing was devoured. . .after much laughing and giggling on a sunny afternoon. . .then we had accomplished what we wanted - bringing a smile to our grandma Noni's face. . .just like she has done for us a million times over!

Katie's First Kindergarten Field Trip!!

2006-10-08T20:53:00.000-04:00

Katie Greer went on her very first Kindergarten field trip to Cagle's Dairy! She had a WONDERFUL time!! The most exciting thing of all for her, of course, was the bus ride!! Grandma Greer came and stayed with Nate-Nate so that I could go as a chaperone with Katie's class. Katie's "buddy" the whole day (and one of her best friends in her class) is Haylee. She is such a precious little one too and just loves Katie to pieces! So here is the "picture journal" of the exciting adventure!
Below: That cow is "eyeing" Katie while on the hayride. . .and Katie is just a little nervous about that! Ha! Ha!

Dawn. . .FINALLY!!

2006-09-15T20:22:00.000-04:00

I was "tagged" by Dawn. . .which apparantly means that I am supposed to respond to these questions and "tag" someone else. . . so here goes. . .

What was your favorite thing about being a kid?
Playing outside for hours on end. . .sometimes barefooted picnics halfway inbetween mine and Brandy's house. . .sometimes racing down hills on my bigwheel or bicycle feeling the wind sweeping and swirling my hair all around. . .sometimes playing football in the street with all the neighborhood kids - or just cheering on the sidelines because I wanted to and not because my brother wouldn't let girls play. . .sometimes crunching through the icy grass watching my breath swirl in clouds around me. . .sometimes exploring the stars and moon through my brother's telescope in my chilly dark front yard. . .sometimes making discoveries in our woods in the backyard.

What was your favorite subject in school?
Let's see. . .I really loved English. . .creative writing. . .drama -- anything along those lines up through high school. For undergrad and grad, I really loved the study of the brain and neurology classes. . .kinda cool and amazing how our brains work!

Who was your best friend when you were 10?
10 years old - that was 5th grade. . .Angela Kozisek! She and I were always very silly and laughed at the world (and everyone in it - including ourselves!). We got in trouble in 5th grade for always snickering and calling our math teacher's husband Herman Munster! Now he came to lunch and ate with our teacher every day and he wore these huge, black steel toed shoes - that really did look like Herman Munster shoes! And our running joke we said over and over and over was. . ."Ask me if I'm a tree?". . ."Are you a tree?". . ."No!". . .and believe it or not it got funnier every time to us. . .and annoyed everyone around us more and more as well! Since then she has been a bridesmaid in my wedding, and, although we don't talk as often anymore, I still consider her to be a true friend.

If you could be any animal what would you be?
I think I would like to be a squirrel. . .they frolic and play jumping around branches all day. . .they have a great fuzzy tail. . .they eat nuts (and I am all about peanut butter!). . .and, well, I might already be part squirrel anyway - have you ever seen them try to run across the street? My decision-making skills are really similar at times!

What would you change about your school, occupation, life right now?
I am a stay-at-home mom, and I truly adore being so. I have known that this was what I really wanted to be able to do one day, and I am truly blessed to be here. So I don't know that I would change anything at all.

What's your favorite color?
I have always said that yellow is my very favorite color - I always thought about the warm, enveloping sunshine. . .bright rays that just surround you and make you smile inside and out.

What's your favorite type of crust and favorite topping on a pizza?
I love THICK crust with lots of cheese and pepperoni and mushrooms. . .mmmmmmm!! I LOVED "Upper Crust" pizza when I was a kid. . .double mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

Whew! I did it!!
I'm tagging:

Crew Mom! @ Coleman Crew

You are IT, girl!!

Labor Day Picnic - Oh my!!

2006-09-08T11:15:00.002-04:00

It came that time of year again when our church hosted a Labor Day Picnic for anyone and everyone! Now I have to confess that my little family has not been to this event in several years. . .and I don't really know the reason why because I loooovveeeddd this picnic as a kid so much! And this past weekend as we munched and visited and played and laughed all together - and all those fond memories came flooding back. . .but more poignant was to see my own little girl racing around with all her friends having the time of her life - just like me once upon a time. . .

The weather I must tell you was never what you would have asked for. . .cloudy and overcast for the beginning of the picnic and later turning into a hard summer rain. But it turned out to be the absolute perfect weather. . .the children were soaking wet and thier spirits soaring!

Fashion divas playing in the rain!
Katie Greer. . .her face filled with the purest joy!

Elizabeth racing Katie in the rain!

the Moms!

Birthday BASH!! (Part II)

2006-09-08T09:35:00.000-04:00

Can you just tell we had a WONDERFUL time at the birthday party??!!?
Here are just a few more pics. . .I couldn't resist!

The two grandma's with their youngest grandson on his very first birthday!! Sweet!

Uncle Scott with his littlest nephew. . .who likes to attack his nose!
Uncle Jim and Aunt Kat with Noni. . .

Marisa and Mitchell - thanks for coming!!
Greer with her two babies!
what a precious birthday girl!!

Nate's presents!!

The Birthday BASH!!

2006-09-07T21:17:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday and Sunday were Nathan and Katie Greer's birthdays!! Nate was 1 year old - woo hoo!! And Katie Greer turned 6 years old. . .I still can't believe it!

So, needless to say, we had a HUGE Birthday BASH for the both of them on Saturday! (Katie gave the okay to share her party with Nate. . .thanks, Kate!) But respecting that each of them separately were having a birthday, we reserved a huge pavillion and made half of the area various shades of pink, pink, and more pink for "Katie's party!" and the other half very blue for "Nathan's party!" So it was two parties. . .at one time and place!

Even the invitations were separate. . .but together! I really liked the way they turned out. . .on one side of the card was the sweet "baby boy turns One" invitation, and on the other side of the same card was the pink polka dot "little girl turns six" invitation.

The party was a success!! About 30 family and friends were able to come which was wonderful! Katie had a wonderful time with all of her cousins and friends climbing all over the playground right next to the pavillion which we had all to ourselves. We grilled hotdogs and had potato salad, baked beans, lots of chips and CAKE, of course!! Everyone was so generous. . .there was a table overflowing with PRESENTS (to Katie's delight)! Here are some pictures from this very fun time together!

2006-08-27T21:24:00.000-04:00

Oh my gooooooooodnessssss!!!! I just innocently sat down at my computer - sniffling and sneezing, yes, I have a cold - to see what was going on with everyone. And I have met so many new people that I can't even STAND IT!!!!

Let me just tell you. . .I started out at Dawn's sweet blog, and I decided I wanted a "word cloud too" so I linked on over to get my own (which I did and it is very cool!). Then I just kept on linking!!! and linking!!! oh my word, I am just hooked! I am loooooovvvvvviiiinnngg just visiting everyone else's worlds. It's a little addicting, I must say. Some of my most favorites are "O Mama Mia" and her meme "Show me yours. . .", "Adventures in Babywearing" - okay, Dawn, with your "baby basics" knowledge, what in the world in "babywearing" that several of these moms have referred to? - "Children and Cheerios on the Loose" (this one I LOVE) - "Crazed Mommy of Three". . .oh my. . .

I feel like I have just had a mental Starbucks outing, without the caffiene (not a plus, by the way!) with all of my wonderful mommy-friends. . .

except I have never met or even spoken to any of them. . .

whew! I have literally laughed out loud, nodded my head with understanding, rolled my eyes, and even teared up with some of my "new-friends-who-don't-know-i'm-alive" crowd!

I'm sure "cheerios mom" and I would be fast friends. . .

And now, ladies, this is a SWITCH!! My husband is looking at me right now saying, "Are you almost done with the computer yet??" HAHA!!

Signing off for tonight. . .goodnight!

Nate took his FIRST STEPS!!

2006-08-19T23:02:00.000-04:00

Tonight was a fun, fun time for everyone!! Uncle Scott and Aunt Karen invited us over to have PIZZA! (We always say yes to anyone who offers to feed us pizza!) Noni came too, and we had a great time eating, laughing and playing! And in the midst of our chatting and laughing, little Nathan Daniel stood up and took 3 steps right into his Aunt Karen's arms!! (I think she is still beaming from that one!) He then took several steps back and forth between all of us - how exciting!!

Wow! It just seems like yesterday that I was lying on bedrest waiting for our little Nate to be born. . .and now he's walking!! . . .sigh. . .

Here are a few pictures from our fun, busy evening. . .

Not funny anymore, Nate!!

2006-08-19T15:26:00.000-04:00

A moment of silence is becoming one of the most frightening noises (or lack of) in our house! When there is no screaming, giggling, shuffling of little crawling knees, kazoo-playing. . .yes, my son has found a love for the beloved instrument, the kazoo, but that's another blog entry on another day! . . . when there is no banging of spoons or toys, no shaking of the gate at the stairs, no "ba-ba-ba-ma-ma-ma"ing, no sluuuuurping on the sippy cup. . .when all of these noises are conspicuously missing - it means run like heck to find that baby because he is up to NO GOOD!!

And lately the "no good" is exploration of the bathroom. . .specifically the TOILET PAPER!!! I found him today AGAIN, spinning, spinning, spinning the roll and pulling it all around himself!! Crazy baby!! And as soon as he hears the shriek, "NATHAN!!!" He turns to look at me for a split second before putting his antics in over-drive -- because he knows that any minute I will snatch him up and his game will be over. . .until that next busy moment when mommy turns her head for just one minute. . .hehehe!!

UH - OH. . .I got caught!!!

2006-08-18T23:04:00.000-04:00

A Special Bond

2006-08-18T21:29:00.000-04:00

Grandma Greer and Katie Greer have always shared a special connection that goes much deeper than just their shared name. It's something that can't be put into words exactly. . .but these pictures seem to capture it.

"Wild Thing"

2006-08-12T20:07:00.000-04:00

Today we were sitting in Jason's Deli eating our lunch. . .well, let me rephrase that. . .trying to throw any morsel of food in our mouths that we could inbetween "shush"ing and wrestling with our 11 month old to stay in the high chair without pulling anything and everything off the table. Gravity being one of his favorite new discoveries, a table full of food, glasses, silverware, napkins, salt & pepper shakers, straws, might as well be Disneyworld! His eyes light up as they dart from item to item, devising his scheme, his plan of attack - and it all has to be quick, before mom and dad realize that anything is happening - and then strike, grabbing whatever is the biggest, messiest item and lifting it high up, up into the air - whoo-hoo! - and then releasing the tight little fist to watch it bang to the ground! He leans way over the side of the high chair to see where it went?, did it bounce?, did it explode? Gravity is way cool! And then while mom and dad are assessing the damage -- hee!hee! -- strike fast again!! Okay, you say, "Uh, just a suggestion. . .how about moving the things out of his reach before you sit him down. Duh." But we do!! Granted, there are those times that we hand him things knowing full well what is going to become of it - just to stop the noise - could be a happy noise, could be a sad noise, but guaranteed it is a LOUD noise that is always coming from little baby boy! But other times it is the server that sets things right in front of him!!! I guess there is an obvious big empty area where maybe they think we have cleared for them - especially in Mexican restaurants - as they say, "hot plate!" - "hot plate!" and set ALL OF IT right in front of the crazed baby with arms flailing and eyes big as saucers! What's up with that???

As we were sitting there at Jason's Deli in our little circus we create wherever we go. . .we heard it. . .and I didn't even notice any music even playing before then. . .but this song played loud and clear, and I knew. This was his theme song. . ."WILD THING!"

So here's a few pictures of my "wild thing" in action! I was just trying to actually document these 2 little precious teeth that I can never seem to catch in a picture. . .and I ended up with a million expressions in this "wild" little face - all in a period of about 3 minutes!!
"Wild Thing. . .You make my heart sing. . .You make everything. . .groovy!!"

Sunday Family Time!

2006-08-09T22:41:00.000-04:00

I just love, love, love Sundays for many reasons. . .one of which is that we get to visit with lots of precious friends and family. It is a special time for Katie to get to "chat" - really mostly giggle! - with her very favorite cousin, Anna. Here is a picture of the two girls together this past Sunday - already laughing about something silly!

We had a wonderful surprise this Sunday at church when my cousin, Julie, and her husband, Jeremy, walked through the doors with their handsome 2 year old, Wyatt, and the newest adorable additions to the family - the twins!! Isabella and Olivia were the celebrities of the day with everyone waiting for their turn to get to snuggle with them! (This picture is of the girls with their proud grandpa Bennie!)

We were so blessed to have so much "fun family visiting time". . .I just couldn't help but share a
few more pictures!

Wyatt looks like an angel in this picture, doesn't he?? I think his momma would say that this is true some of the time!

Too Cool for School!

2006-08-09T21:30:00.000-04:00

Well, we are into the second week of Kindergarten, and I am glad to report that we all are doing fairly well!
Katie LOVES her teacher, which makes the uncertainties of anything else Katie encounters bearable. The things that have been the hardest for Katie to get used to, oddly enough, has been school lunches. . .rest time. . .and just the loooooooong day itself! (Eating. . .sleeping. . .endurance - 2 of those that I have absolutely no problem doing at all!!)

Now school lunches are something one has to get used to for sure! You know, they cook things just a little different. . .and have things that we don't even ordinarily have at home - but she's already getting much more used to the idea, and learning the choices to avoid at all costs! Fixing her lunch to take is not really an option because she is generally not a sandwich kinda girl. . .and, you know, I really think that she is still a bit anxious with the whole "school thing" - in which case that little nervous stomach of hers is what's causing her to be leary of lunchtime. . .

But rest time is a different story!! How can anyone not like/need/want rest time????!! I would loooooooovvvvvvveeeeee if someone would make me take a nap every day!!! But Katie has determined the nuances of the "rules" during this time -- "you do NOT have to actually close your eyes, Mom" which made it at least a little better for her somehow in her mind. And the teacher is letting Katie sit by the window so she can look out at the playground during this time too. So she is learning to accept rest time as a part of the day in Kindergarten.

AHHH!! CRAZY BABY!!

2006-08-05T22:50:00.000-04:00

What a precious little face. . .and he looks innocent enough. . .
but really those big brown eyes are saying,
"What can I get into NEXT??!!"

And the answer is:

playing the keyboard that could fall on my head at any moment. . .

annoying my sister by stealing the mouse while she's on the computer. . .

and eating one of Katie's red markers!!!

And that was all just today!!

And the fun is just beginning! I also learned that I can stand all by myself. . .heehee. . .

The Parade!

2006-08-05T21:46:00.000-04:00

Today was a fun Saturday for us all - family time at the "Old Soldiers' Day Parade"! Katie knows parades around here mean lots of candy thrown from cars and floats that pass by with clowns and bands to entertain us inbetween. She was very excited and - other than a few very loud fire engines and blasts from an irritating cannon - the parade proved to be a very fun way for us to spend a Saturday morning together playing outside. It was Nathan's very first parade, and he seemed to enjoy the commotion all around him as well.

A very cool float that passed by was one of the famous scene at Iwo Jima which was re-enacted by a group of marines - real guys holding this pose like statues!

And Nathan watched as camels passed by. . .I have no idea what camels have to do with soldiers - but, well, they were entertaining!

We walked through the park after the parade. Katie, of course, needed to "make a wish" at the fountain in the town square fountain. . .and Nate and I needed to sit and cool off under the trees!

My Kindergartener!

2006-08-02T08:59:00.000-04:00

Well, a new chapter has begun for our family. . .especially for Katie Greer!

She is officially a "kindergartener!" Her very first day of school was yesterday, and she was READY! She picked out her first-day-of-school outfit, and we painted her nails pink to match. She filled that new, fancy backpack with a zillion school supplies - and off we went! (Mom with her digital camera AND video camera, of course!) Okay, Katie did get a little exasperated with all of my constant pictures. . .but ya know, what are mom's for?

Katie never ceases to amaze me with her spirit of independence and resilience! She bounced off to the car with not a moment of anxiety or fear. . .I mean, she is heading to a school where she knows none of the teachers and only 2 of the students out of a million! I was so nervous for her!!!!

And then we pulled into the parking lot, and Katie grinned from ear to ear. . .what a blessing that God has given her this sense of peace and happiness about entering this huge new world where undoubtedly she'll encounter so many questions. . .

and so here she goes with a quick step and a light heart into the world of Kindergarten!!

Basking in my new surroundings!!

2006-07-30T23:10:00.000-04:00

Hello all! Dawn has done it once again. . .created a new blog template, that is. . .for ME!! I am very obsessive about each detail, but Dawn forged ahead unafraid of my extensive demands concerning the shape/style/font/color/picture/verse/sizing/placement/etc./etc./etc. I think it is absolutely SUPERB! She is amazing. . .and very patient too! :)

What do you all think??

Introducing the famous, "UNCLE SCOTT!"

2006-07-30T21:06:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard Katie talking about her beloved Uncle Scott. . .you just must not have been listening!! When there is any mention of the name "Uncle Scott," Katie's ears perk up, she drops immediately anything that she is doing and starts with the unending questions. . ."Is he coming?! When is he coming?! Is he going to play with me?! Is he coming NOW??!! Where is he??"

Uncle Scott is Danny's older brother who has a magical gift of, in an instant, becoming 5 years old again. . .pretending to be anything and everything that Katie's heart desires! And Katie absolutely ADORES him!

A couple of days ago Uncle Scott and Aunt Karen dropped by the house. . .Katie squealed with happiness as he walked through the door. Pretty soon the both of them were "rockin' out" with the iPOD - both of them lost in their "rockstar" world. . .

. . .and making awesome memories that will last a lifetime!

Katie Greer's "Sneak Peek" into Kindergarten!!

2006-07-28T23:08:00.000-04:00

Katie woke up early, early and the first words out of her mouth were. . ."WE'RE GOING TO MEET MY TEACHER TODAY!" Did it sound loud when you read it? - 'Cause it was very loud when she said it. . .followed by nervous little giggles and the biggest grin you can imagine! After exercising and errands, errands, errands - the time had finally come - 1pm. Daddy took a half day off of work just to come and watch his baby girl as she walked into her classroom for the first time.

In front of the school, there were a MILLION cars. . .I don't know what I was expecting - I guess just our little family walking through the doors. . .but I was shocked to see so many kids and momma's and daddy's and more kids, kids, kids!! Katie hardly hesitated a moment for me to take a picture ("oh mom!" sigh) - then ran down the sidewalk to the front door without so much as a glance back at us!

Katie walked down the hall, dodging lots of other soon-to-be kindergarteners until she got to. . .Mrs. Barrett's room! Daddy found Katie's name on the "class list," and Katie double-checked to see it for her very own eyes.

When she walked through Mrs. Barrett's kindergarten classroom doors for the first time, she stopped and almost had a shy moment. That is, until Mrs. Barrett lifted up her eyes and said with a warmth and excitement that every kindergarten teacher should have. . ."Well, you must be Katie!"

That was all it took - the magical fact that Mrs. Barrett already knew who Katie was when she hadn't even yet said a word sent Katie into a gale of giggles! She ran right on over to Mrs. Barrett and a friendship was born! Katie found her seat with a huge packet of information about lunch money, car rider/bus rider, snacks, dress codes, volunteers, curriculum, school rules, school calendar, and on and on and on!! (WHEW! I think I'm the one who's going to be overwhelmed by kindergarten!) Mrs. Barrett had a hard hat for each child with their name on it for them to take home - because they are "constructing their learning," of course! We learned that ours will be one of 3 Katie's in that class! And we found out that 2 of Katie's pre-school classmates will be in her class here! I tell you Katie has not stopped beaming!

I would like to introduce to everyone. . .Mrs. Barrett (in the red striped shirt) and her assistant, Mrs. Sutton. . .standing with a tiny little "spitfire" of a girl that these teachers will never forget!

And here's the "little man!"

2006-07-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

Nathan is my baby boy. . .

Another true blessing from God delivered 10 1/2 months ago. Being on bedrest waiting for his arrival for 5 months - I felt his every single twist and turn, down to each tiny, rhythmic hiccup. We bonded when he was just millimeters in length. . .I couldn't possibly love this wiggly little person any more than I already do.

I don't really remember "life before Nate," but I am sure that I got to just sit a little more than I do now! He is a ball of fire, climbing on and crashing into and throwing everything he can get to. . .and if I say, "no, no". . .this child stops and slowly smiles, and I can just see him making a mental note to go back to this LOTS!

He is "cruising" the furniture. . .not quite walking on his own yet. . .but I am a little frightened of the day he figures it out! His favorite pass times of late are gathering up anything that resembles a ball and walking to the steps where he throws it through the railings and watches it bounce, bounce, bounce down the stairs. . .and stealthily crawling around the couch, under the dining table and to the china cabinet, where the most fun thing is to fling open the cabinet doors and grab and toss all of the crystal heirlooms in every direction - YAY! As I am following behind, picking up the pieces in the destructive trail he leaves. . .he is off to find Katie's stroller so he can throw it upside down and figure out how those wheels work -- of course, to Katie's horror that her Baby Holly has been hurled across the room.

He still wakes up in the middle of the night a couple of times to nurse and snuggle - but I let him. He has super-elastic arm length at a restaurant, pulling drinks, salsa, and just anything onto himself. He spits the last bite of food all over you to tell you he's done. He pulls the dog's hair, Katie's hair, and my hair. . .and well, even sometimes his own hair.

What a crazy little person that has landed into our family!

And I just cannot even write into words how much I am absolutely in LOVE with this little person!!!

My Miracle Baby Today!

2006-07-24T00:34:00.000-04:00

This is my 2 pound, 1 ounce little miracle today! Katie Greer is 5 years old - oh my, almost 6 years old!! She is amazing and beautiful and funny and loving and smart and sassy and. . .an absolute blessing from above!
From her "crazy" start in life, she has had barely even a cold to date. The only residual affects from her "preemie" birth are hypertone muscles in her legs causing her to have difficulty walking. . .but she runs like a wild woman in her walker!! As a huge answer to many, many prayers. . .she is cognitively above average in her class and her language skills. . .well, let's just say she can tell you everything you would ever need or want to know about anything - and will whether you ask or not!
She will be starting Kindergarten in one week, and I still can't believe it.
Katie Greer is truly a gift given to our family.

My Precious Miracle. . .Katie Greer

2006-07-23T17:27:00.000-04:00

This is my miracle baby girl. . .born 3 months early, weighing a tiny 2 pounds and 1 ounce.

Just to give you a glimpse of our journey since that day. . .
Katie was diagnosed with a traumatic bleed in both hemispheres of her brain at a few days old. The doctor cried with me on the phone as he told me.
. . .but God was with us. . .
She endured brain surgery to place a "temporary shunt" so that nurses could manually drain the excess fluid from her brain when she was 2 weeks old. I sat in the waiting room unable to breathe.
. . .but God was with us. . .
Katie was given 9 blood transfusions, was on a respirator breathing for her for a month and half, was fed through a tube for a month, and had fluid pulled from her brain every couple of days. We put a tiny tape player in her incubator that played "Amazing Grace." I sat by her side.
. . .and God was still there. . .
She came home 1 month before she was due! Earlier than some of the other babies around her born at the same time! She was still watched closely by all of the doctors. . .a huge following of doctors which included the pediatric opthamologist, the neurosurgeon, the pulmonologist, and the pediatrician. Our schedule was full of appointments every week. . .and none of them very fun either, for me or Katie. But by far our least favorite was visiting the neurosurgeon to have ultrasounds and MRI's of Katie's brain at the hospital, and then sitting in his office waiting for him to tell us what he saw. And it was always, "I don't know. . .it still doesn't look good." I cried all the way home every time.
. . .God was there. . .
At one of those visits, the neurosurgeon announced that he would need to put a monitor in my little Katie's brain to measure the pressure - she was just 2 years old. We stayed for 3 days in the hospital with Katie literally tethered by a long guage from the top of her head to a machine that recorded readings every second. This test was to determine if Katie would need to have a permanent shunt placed, that would need constant monitoring by doctors because of the threats of infections and malfunctions. Those 3 days were the worst days of my life so far.
. . .God was there with us. . .
Early in the morning, that 3rd day, the doctor came in the room, looked at the readings and said, "Well, hmmmm. . .looks good. . .you can go home." And just like that - we all went home.
God was all around us! And still is. . .

Home is when we're all together - wherever that may be. . .

2006-07-20T17:31:00.000-04:00

Well, here we all are. . .smiling and laughing at one of our most favorite places on earth - the beach! This is the place where we can all relax. . .free of schedules and jobs and housework! (well, laundry follows you everywhere you go, I suppose - but all other housework suspended at least for a week!) This is the picture we took this summer. . .just like the family photo we try to get every summer at this same beach. We have changed so much, it seems, with every year's picture - our baby Nathan made his first appearance this year in our family's tradition.