Zoo pictures

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the zoo yesterday. We met three other friends and their children there and Elle loved "playing with her friends" more than seeing the animals. Thanks April, Amy, and Kristin for joining us. It was too short as always, but sweet to see each of you and your beautiful kids. Looking forward to the pumpkin patch!

**This was actually last weekend, but a sweet one I wanted to share. Hope everyone has a great fall weekend!

Cruisin' on the Rocket

Elle got her very first bicycle last weekend. Back in May, we debated getting her one for her birthday and decided we would wait until Christmas. Then her best friend down the street got a bicycle for her birthday in July and we knew we were in trouble. We wanted to give her one but also thought it would be a good opportunity for Elle to learn some responsibility and to work on a few things (i.e. not coming out of her room during the night, sharing with Grady, obeying without arguing or complaining, etc.). I set up a sticker chart with various categories for her to earn stickers (thanks for the idea Carrie!). She did so great with this that I am now trying to think of some other reason for us to continue with the chart?! She even memorized three Bible verses that went along with a few of the items on the chart. To help her sleep through the night, she learned, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" -Psalm 4:8. Since last Saturday, we have taken 439 bicycle rides around the neighboorhood. She loves it! Unfortunately, we went with the gender neutral bike so that, once again, dear little brother will get the hand-me-down. She did get some princess tennis shoes to wear while riding!

I started a Nurse Refresher course at UAB this past week. It is a five week long course, three days a week from 8:30 - 3:00. I am planning to start working a couple of shifts a week at the first of the year. Since I have not been in a hospital as a nurse in almost 5 years, I thought I would do myself and my future patients a favor by taking this course. It was also time to renew my license and I needed the continuing education hours plus CPR recertification. The first week was fun although I have to admit, I really did miss the kiddos (and I seriously don't like trying to drive to downtown B'ham at that time in the morning!). Not sure if the feeling was mutual, but it made me realize that I do LOVE being able to stay home with them and I'm going to work out a schedule that puts me away from them the least amount of time. I do need a break and some adult interaction every now and then. I think this will be a good solution. And it probably won't hurt to actually pay off the loans that got me this degree in the first place?!

Friday Road Trip

We went down to Montgomery on Friday to spend some time with my friend Delta and her kids. It was a short but sweet trip and Elle had a great time playing with Ethan. Even though she only lives an hour away, I had not seen her in about 9 months. We were due for some face to face time! Not to mention that she is pregnant with her FOURTH child! Thanks for having us Delta. Here are a few pictures from the trip:

This might be one of the few times she's in camo!

Levi and Grady are just 3 weeks apart

On a side note, I finally got some soy butter for Elle to try (she is allergic to peanuts). It was an okay start. I think it may take a little getting used to. Or she might not like it and I don't have to feel so sad anymore about all the great foods she is missing out on. It did taste very similar to peanut butter so I applaud the makers for giving us peanut-free families a great alternative.

I Won!

I really never win anything, but today I did! I ordered two shirts from my blog friend Darby a few weeks ago. If you posted a link to the shirts on your blog, she entered your name in a drawing for a free one. And I was the lucky winner! Check them out here. Thanks Darby! You made my day.

For the grandparents

Usually I am very good at remembering important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, and special holidays. I think it's a great way to remind people they are loved and remembered. However, at about 10 PM Sunday night as I was laying my head on the pillow, I said to Steven, "I think today was Grandparent's Day". And it was. And we had not spoken to a single solitary grandparent all day. This is my apology post to Elle and Grady's five wonderful grandparents: Mae, Poppey, GiGi, Grammy and Gran Gran. We really are blessed to have some of the most loving, giving and caring grandparents. Even though they all live from 1 1/2 hours to 6 hours away, they all make trips to visit several times a year. And they always bring gifts, which certainly helps the parents' pocketbooks. We just got a new playground for the backyard with birthday money from grandparents. The kids LOVE it! Sorry I missed your big day. Know you are loved and so appreciated!

The princess of the playground

Grady learning to "slide" down backwards. He was so proud of himself!

This is his usual pose lately.

Why your cell phone is not a toy

We went to Wal-Mart for the weekly grocery shopping at 8 AM this morning. It was probably not the best decision but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. By check out time--after we had stopped mid-way to sprint to the bathroom for Elle to go #2 (yes, I had her use the bathroom before we left but it seems lately she likes to save her business for Wal-Mart), after Grady had smashed every bread product in the buggy, after Elle had gotten run over by the cart 40 times, after I had held Grady and put him back in the buggy 10 times, after he had eaten a can of crescent rolls (just gnawed it to death, he didn't really eat it)--we were all done. Grady is screaming so I let him have my cell phone. I do let him play with it at the house so I knew this would keep him quiet for at least 30 seconds. I get him out of the buggy as I'm trying to pay and the cell phone drops in the cart between the groceries and the back of the cart. I think, "It's secure. I'll just get it after I load up the groceries." We finally make it back home and I unload all the bags and I realize my phone is not in my purse. This wouldn't be so bad except I don't have another phone or phone line. I load the kids back up into the car and drive rather speedily back to Wal-Mart all the while praying, "Please, Lord, let my phone be there." We pull back in to the parking lot and my phone is laying on the ground right in front of the buggy in the cart coral thing. Hallelujah! I was so thankful but this is why--even when you are desperate--your phone should not be used as a toy.

A Day in the Life

I have been doing my daily blog reading and everyone has cracked me up today. So to you I say thanks because I needed a little laughter today. I needed to be reminded that I am not the only one who thinks one of these days I just might go crazy. I needed to know your kids are hilarious and destructive at the same time too.

Yesterday was one of those days for us. And honestly, sometimes when I look back I think, "How in the world did we just manage to survive the chaos of today?". And the Lord gently reminds me, "I AM." All of His many promises to sustain me, give me grace, peace and understanding, to not give me more than I can handle, that He works all things out for my good come back to my mind and I say, "Yes, that is how."

Grady does not seem to be adjusting as well to Elle going to school as the rest of the family is. And by that I mean his morning nap has been all messed up. You would think that moving it back by a mere 15 minutes wouldn't be that big of a deal. You would be wrong. Yesterday he was asleep before we even pulled out of the neighborhood to take Elle to school (around 8:40 AM). He was out the entire trip to school and back. We get home about 9:20 and I ever so gently transfer him from car seat to crib. Not happening. He was ready to go after his 30 minute nap. Once again all the big plans I had for that time while he was napping and Elle was at school flew right out the window.

We leave a little before noon so that we can get a few groceries before picking up Elle. After we pick her up, we head to a radio place to finally get the coins out of my CD player. It has been at least two months and I could not possibly sing the Wheels on the Bus or Old MacDonald one more time. Granted it is now nap time for both children, but Grady's 12 month check-up was at 2:20 PM and it would have been pointless for me to drive all the way home, spend 30 minutes and drive all the way back up to where I was. So, we go to the radio place--who I called earlier to make sure they would be able to do this in the 40 minute time frame I had and to tell them I would be there at 1:30--and the guy says, "Well, I'm not sure I have anybody that can do that right now." I think he saw the look on my face combined with me trying to corral my two very tired children and decided that he could find someone to do it. We leave there with a working CD player and radio and head to the doctor. Elle and Grady are so delirious that they are running around the little table in the waiting room falling down and laughing hysterically. Grady had to have two shots and another finger prick at the end. As I am holding him still and trying to console him while the torture is going on, Elle begins to cry because she doesn't like what the nurse is doing to Grady. It was really sweet to see Elle be that empathetic, but once again, both of them are screaming. We finally make it to the car to head home around 3:15 and within seconds of getting them buckled in, they are making the sweetest snoring symphony. Both with mouths wide open. Needless to say, Elle's only lasted for the 15 minute ride home, but Grady snoozed for a good while. The good news was that we got some things accomplished and Grady is doing wonderfully. He did have a pretty significant growth spurt, and I was encouraged to learn that not only did he put on the pounds (which I knew he was doing) but he also grew up too.


Height: 31 inches (75%)
Weight: 22 lbs 12 oz (50%)

Some great friends of ours are coming to stay with us for the weekend and I am really looking forward to seeing them and spending some good time with my dear friend. Today is my step-mom's birthday so Happy Birthday GiGi! Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend.

**I justified the margins just for you, Steven!