The newest additions

Our 1st attempt at a pet ended in disaster...

Our turtle, TZ (short for Turt-Zilla) died with what we had diagnosed as pneumonia. Of course he died on the 31st day after we had bought all his aquarium and stuff, so we couldn't return anything =)

TZ resides in a grave behind our seminary apartment in Wake Forest.

Yes, we actually buried him. May he rest in peace.

Let's hope our new attempt doesn't end the same way!

We are now the proud parents of two parakeets. We still haven't come up with any names (besides Ella's idea of "Caw" and "Baby Caw") Any ideas?

My attempts at taking a picture of them weren't that successful. However, here's one of the better ones...

Rainy Day

It has rained all day today. Despite being in a drought, I usually don't like rainy days too much with the kids having to be cooped up inside all day.

But, today I was in the mood for a rainy day.

We've had the best, most relaxing day that I can remember having in a very long time. We put on our rain boots and stomped in the puddles. We pulled out our umbrellas and danced in the rain. We watched way too many episodes of The Wonder Pets and ate way too many goldfish crackers.

Then after the kids went down for their nap I didn't do any of my normal chores. Nope, I toke a bubble bath. Followed by a nap. Then a cup of coffee with a new book.

The kids are getting up now.

On the agenda tonight is...

more fun.

Memory Monday

2 Samuel 24:24

I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God offerings that cost me nothing.

27 dresses

I wanted to see that movie when it was in theaters...but that never happened =)

I think I maybe see about 2-3 movies a year in a movie theater. If I've actually got some free non-kid time, like on a date with my hubby, I usually want to do something else than go to a movie. Not that I don't enjoy movies. I just am usually looking forward to some time to actually hold an uninterrupted conversation with my favorite conversationalist.

Speaking of dates, Jeremiah surprised me by hiring our favorite sitter on my birthday this Thursday.

Yes, I am now 27 years old. (See the connection with the title...that's for you Briana.)It's hard to believe I am pushing 30. I don't mind the idea of getting older. My 20's have been incredible...and I actually am really looking forward to my 30's.

What a blessed life I've had:

Born into a family that loved (and still loves!) me,
Married (almost) 5 years to the most incredible husband,
Given birth to the 2 cutest and sweetest kids in the world (at least to me!),
and Always been surrounded by friends that "get" me.

Thank you Lord.

We had a great date. We went "es-ploring" as Ella says and discovered Durham's American Tobacco Historic District. An urban renovation of Durham's old tobacco warehouses...turned into a cool shopping and eating area. I almost didn't feel like I was in Durham =)




I think the movie comes out on DVD this weekend. Now, I've just got to talk Jeremiah into watching his 2nd chick-flick of the week.

Pictures

Happy Ezra at 7 months





Playing together



Getting ready for church...she can be such a priss!


"I'm baby Moses"


"Helping" water my plants

Last new frontier update, I promise!

I felt brave again last night and put them both back in together...

And they both made it to 8am!

Ezra played for a few minutes around 6:30, but then was quiet until just now. Not sure if he was sleeping or not...but I don't care as long as he is quiet and not waking up his sister =)

Ella had a MUCH better day yesterday. Thank Goodness!

Simple Pleasures

1) Watching our baby geese waddle around the yard



2) Finding a Kit-Kat (king-sized no less!) I had "hidden" away...when I really needed a chocolate fix =)

Chicken

Based on the "difficult" temperament of my normally sweet and agreeable Ella over the last few days, I decided that these early morning risings were definitely taking a toll on her.

So, I woosed out. I split them up last night.

And, wouldn't you know...it's after 8am and they both are still asleep.

Here's hoping for a happy Ella today!

I wanna go in dere...

Ella has been doing something new this week. As we read a book or look at pictures she will ask to "go in dere". Meaning, she wants to go into the story or the picture. She found a picture this morning of her swimming in Smith Mountain Lake from Via vacation last summer and kept asking me if she could "go in dere wif Cana and Rainy and go swimming wif Uncle Moose and Uncle Flizz-dizz".

Not their real names obviously, but she calls them that =)

She even went so far as to put the picture on the floor and step on it, trying to get into it. Wouldn't that be cool if it really worked that way.

New Frontier Update

Ezra woke up at 5:23 this morning =(

I just left him in there and he did fall back asleep (after 45min!) until 7:15. Not sure if that is regression or progress?

Memory Monday

Colossians 4:5-6

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of Grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

New frontier update

We made it to 6:30am this morning. Woohoo!

Never thought I'd be happy to say that =)

Yes, I think the darker room idea is a good one. Just need to get some darker curtains for them.

New frontier

In our old house Ella and Ezra had separate rooms. In the new house we have four bedrooms, but two are on the main level and two are downstairs. Call me overprotective, but I just didn't feel comfortable with them being so far away at night. At least while they both are so young.

Therefore, we made the decision to have the kids share a room once we moved.

It's now been 3 nights since they've been sharing and it's been interesting =)

Warning: this is probably way too much information for this subject.

Ella loves going "to sweep wif Ezra". They've had no issues going to sleep at night. Even the first night when we put Ezra down earlier than her (some days it's all I can do to get him to the 7:30 mark) she did really good at staying quiet while we tucked her in later. Now the past two nights they have gone to bed at the same time and done really well. Ella actually insisted on going to bed tonight an hour early just so she could "go sweep wif Ezra". It's now 8:30 and I haven't heard any more renditions of "this little light of mine" in a while now. Looks like she finally fell asleep =)

No issues waking each other up through the night either. Whew.

Getting up in the morning...we are going to have to work on that.

Ella has always been a pretty late sleeper. It's not uncommon for me to have to wake her up at 9 or even 9:30. Ezra takes after me and is my early riser. He is usually awake at 7, but plays pretty happy until I get him around 7:30-8. However,the last 3 mornings we ALL have been up BEFORE 7.

That makes for some cranky kids. And parents.

Not sure what to do to get them to sleep later? Maybe it'll just work itself out once all the newness of the house and room arrangement have worn off?

Or maybe I am just destined to be up at 6 from now on. Yikes.

Its time...

Well, its time that I finally get my blog on. I have been sitting with my wife blog browsing for about 16 hours now, and I got this crazy idea that I should write something. So, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind. We have finally moved in, gotten pictures on the wall, and gotten internet (which by modern standards, is the milestone to meet to be officially moved). I love this house. I love this place. I mean, Ella and I went for a bike ride and a boat ride in the same afternoon and I didn't have to drive anywhere! We chased geese! They run really funny. One of the babies wasn't paying attention and we almost got it, but at the last second it saw the horrible fangs and terrible teeth of Ella and took off towards the water. Ella thought it was great. We threw cereal into the pond in an attempt to entice some fish with whole grain goodness. You know that one afternoon with my family made all the work worth it.

Work you say? Yes, work I say! I don't think I was in bed before 1am for the last two weeks. My back is killing me, my left thumb has disowned me, I caught a cold, and I got a sty. We remodeled two bathrooms of which the walls consist of quite possibly the hardest studs ever cut. We built a laundry room, installed new lighting, remodeled the kitchen, prepped the downstairs bedrooms for sheetrock (I do NOT want to finish those). Lets see, oh I installed a dishwasher which had nothing to start with but a hole under the counter, hooked up the water for the icemaker, removed and replaced two toilets, replaced a cast iron bath tub that I believe would withstand a nuclear blast, replaced a ton of light switches and outlets (without turning the power off...it makes it so exciting, which reminds me. Jenn's brother Ben was with me helping out, a HUGE help, and he was replacing I light switch beside me. He has a terrible fear of being shocked, I have no idea why, so he was handling the fixture rather gingerly when I made a loud PHISSSS noise. He had to change his pants. Well, maybe not change his pants, but he did jump and almost drop everything. I laughed and laughed, then I got shocked for the third time and stopped laughing.) I love stories in parenthesis. Anyways, I hauled off three truck loads of trash, blew of the back patio with my awesome shop vac plus blower (Thanks for the advice Dad!), and it feels like home! All that was worth it to see my kids having a great time here. My wife has been great, my Mom and Dad and Kate and Ben where HUGE helps (seriously, I couldn't have done it without you guys). Free stay for all of you anytime! Well, the rain is coming down and I am getting tired. I will post some pictures this week. I can totally see why this blogging thing is so addictive. Oh no, I better go.

sniff...

Tomorrow morning I head up to VA to leave the kids with Meme for the week. We really need a child-free week to get moved and everything settled at the new house.

They will have a blast and will be cared for in the best of ways.

Even though I know this...it is still super hard for me to be gone from them. I love being a mommy and I rarely wish for moments away from them.

I said rarely, not never =)

At the end of the week, we should hopefully have a nice, new, and cozy house for them to come home to.

I can't wait.

Where's Ella?

Ella LOVES the boxes left over from the appliances...
































Do you remember playing in boxes at some point in your childhood? My older sis and I had an entire cardboard mansion for a little while! At least, I remember it as a mansion in my memories. Funny how everything seems bigger as a kid =)

Before...and during...

The before picture...in all it's blue tile glory!













Hmmm...not sure if this is progress or not?













Jim and Cate...earning their keep =)

Blogging break...

Well, it's come to that point. Having returned from my Grandmothers funeral yesterday, we are in the throes of remodeling/packing/moving and hosting 2 of my siblings and my in-laws. I am referring to them as the "troops" right now =) I don't think I'll be having much time over the next few weeks to blog much. Maybe I'll try to throw in a picture or two, but I doubt I'll be keeping up my normal pace.

Talk to you all in a few weeks!

Smiles, dress up, and the dreaded star cereal disease

Memory Monday (late again)

Colossians 3:23

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord and not for men."