News....

We are so excited....we will be welcoming a new baby at the end of August! We are all super happy! We told the kids last night and Claire said she wants a baby sister because she likes baby sisters better than brothers ;). James said that he is the baby....Baby James! This could get very interesting ;) I have been feeling pretty yucky, but that is to be expected. I am feeling better now. We feel so blessed!

Claire is 4!

Claire is 4! I know this has been the longest blog break in history, but I'm back people....well at least for the day ;) I really miss updating and am going to try to be better at it!

My baby turned 4 this weekend! It was a great weekend with lots of fun and way too much attention for this little girl. We welcomed Mimmy and Da, Nonnie and Pop, and Unkie B on Friday. Claire went to dance class and then we had lunch at Red Robin....complete with singing! Her party was on Saturday at Pump it Up. It was a great time and lots of fun for all the kiddos!


So glad to see Unkie!







Some hugs for Pop

Opening presents......a Bitty Baby ;)

And, a princess bike!

The cake I made for her. My grandmother, Evelyn, used to make me a cake every year with a doll inside it. I so remember this and loved it as a little girl! Since Claire has inherited my love of dolls, I thought I would give it a try ;) Not my best work, but she loved it!

Some of the kiddos! We had 21 there......lots of bouncing fun!

Her princess cake!

Opening presents from the throne.

BB and her cousin, Maggie, came by to say happy birthday. BB gave Claire this hat because she thought it would match some shoes that Claire has. I think it is pretty awesome!!!!

Sweet Baby James is 1!!!!!

How big is James? So big!!!!!

Walking around now.......

Laughing at big sister, Claire!

Seriously? Look at that sweet face!!! I love this boy!!!! Cannot believe that he is one today! He is still as sweet and precious as the day we brought him home from the hospital! I think I am more in love with him today than I was then.....and will love him more tomorrow too! He is such a sweet boy! So happy and loving everyone!

Happy birthday to my Sweet Baby James!!! I love you more than I will ever be able to express! I am so happy that God chose us to be your parents! Mama loves you sweet boy!

Fun jewelry for baby girls!!!!

www.sweetbabygirljewelry.com
This is a link to a business that my sweet friend, Shannon, just started! We were sorority sisters in college and she is seriously one of my most treasured friends. We have gotten so much closer since college and have really enjoyed watching each other become wives and mothers.......both jobs that she does very well! She is now a stay at home mother to a sweet baby girl, and she started this fun little business........and let me say, her stuff is great!!!!! We ordered a little bracelet for a friend's child to give her this weekend when she gets baptized. It was so super cute that I have to give it to her early....they loved it! I also ordered a cute ballerina charm for the sweet baby girl in my life! We have our eye on a few others things that I know Claire will love! Shannon is really just using word of mouth right now, so I wanted to put her name out there! Check it out!! Such precious stuff!

Claire-isms

I keep a list of the funny things that Claire says......I thought it would be funny to share a few of the latest. These are just a few. This girl says something hilarious every day!!!! It is so fun to think of all the things James will say when his time comes! There is no tellin'!

The other day we were getting dressed and Claire got her clothes on and the promptly wanted to play dress up. I said that was fine if she just put her clothes back in the closet....she says, uuuggghhh, you are wearing me out!!! I almost fainted! I say that way too much and obviously need to watch it!

She has learned that if James cries, we usually look to her and see if she has done something. About 80% of the time she has taken something from him....she too has learned that if she gives him something to replace the toy she is about to steal, he is less likely to fuss. So today as she takes something away from him and he starts fussing...she hands him a toy and tells him to just calm down....here take this and calm down!

She was having a melt down the other day and I looked at her and she told me she was sorry, but she just could not pull it together right now.

On our way home from lunch on Sunday she asked if we could go trick-or-treating again. We tried to explain that you only do that once a year....she says ok, but we will go one more time real quick!

Oh, the joy these children bring me. I love them more than life and am so grateful for the daily humor provided by Miss Claire and the snuggles that Mr. James gives me......these things keep me going!

Happy Halloween!

We had a great night! We started off at BB and Ern's house.....Claire was crazy about the jack-o-lantern that flashed and made noises.

This is our sweet BB....we so love her! I seriously thank God for her each night! She is such a wonderful neighbor and a true blessing in our lives. Our kids love her and and we do too. She had a whole bag of gold fish for both of the kids....along with some chocolate, but she wanted James to have something he could eat....in past years we have gotten stuffed animals.....you just never know with our sweet BB.

We were hammin' it up at home.

A little 'staged'!

Sock Monkey! Love that tail!

Could he be any cuter??? Seriously?

Brother and Sister!

Cheese!

Sweet boy just hanging out!

Ready to go!

Soccer Party

A little late, but wanted to document the actual party ;) This is Claire with Coach Alex....he teaches soccer at Claire's school so she has known him for a year or so. He is seriously the youngest looking guy....I think he is around 23 or 24, but super shy and soft spoken especially when talking to parents. All that to say, Claire really made him blush! She was thanking him after the party and he bent down to hear her.....she said that she had so much fun (the kids were wild at that time) he said that he had fun also...she grabs his face and kisses him on the lips....it all happened so fast that he had no time to react! It was hilarious....she kissed and ran off! He was just like what????? Alex looked at me and said that he guesses that since it was her birthday she was not playing around.....so funny!!! He was red and we thought it was hilarious!!! Such a good sport! He did a great job with the kids that day too!!


Posing with daddy....look at all that hair! I know (as moms) we have those things that we know
people always notice about our kids. With Claire it is her eyelashes and now her hair. It is really pretty (if i do say so myself) and so curly and long. I love that it is thick and hopefully will stay that way....mine, not so much and I hope that hers will be thick and nice and curly. I also hope she stays smart and kind ;) among other things!

Daddy, James, and Unkie B

Ready to play some soccer!


Yummy cupcakes!

Jack and Betsy

Betsy, Jack getting kissed from Claire and CC

Tanner joins in.....most of the kids that were at the party

Sweet hugs from Pop

Blowing out candles!

Had to post some pictures of my boy! He loves all things that roll....especially balls! Loves to bounce, roll, and throw them all over the house.

Is this not hilarious??? He loves balls....so funny! I love this face!! My sweet Baby James!

James was infatuated with Unkie.....Brannon would walk in the room and James would fuss until he picked him up. So funny!

Birthday girl!!!

Hugs from mommy!

More of James and Unkie!! He was loving him so much! He picks someone and gravitates towards them for a while. He really does this at church. They laugh about him.....he loves Miss Kim, but one day she got to church late on Wednesday and he would not look at her ;) Guess he holds a grudge too!! So funny that he is like that with folks.....he is a funny kiddo!

We had such a great weekend. The guys went on a hunt Sunday morning and had a blast! They have done this the past 3 years, but the weather is not always so cooperative. This year was wonderful...cold and perfect for hunting. The dogs were fantastic and the guide was fun too. David, Strick's boss, was able to come with the group. He is a super nice guy and an avid hunter, so they were grateful that he could come join them. They made it home in time for lunch and then Strick prepared the pheasant and mom fried the quail. With some mashed potatoes and some green beans, we were set!

We had a wonderful time all weekend! I am so happy that all these people were able to come and celebrate Claire's special day. Our kids have so many people that love them and we are so grateful for that. I still can't believe that her great-grandparents (both in their eighties) traveled 10 hours to come to her party. Claire got more messages, emails, packages and cards than we ever do!!!! She loved them all! The fam got to see her do ballet on Saturday and that was fun for her also! We just had a fun time!!! I was so sad that they had to leave! We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and having another celebration for Mr. James!