Career Day

Today was Career Day for Sophie's 3rd grade class. What fun! There were three FBI agents (two were girls!), two NFL players, two veterinarians, a hair stylist, a dance teacher, a doctor, a police officer, a robotics engineer, a seamstress, a mineralogist (her dad is a high school earth science teacher)... and a farmer. Who would that be? Well, my darling little Sophie, of course! When we sat down to complete the assignment and asked her what she wants to be when she grows up, she said a farmer. I am not sure how the daughter of two super-suburbanites came up with this life plan, but good for her! She did a great job giving her oral presentation. I was so proud of my little farmer!

Dressed and ready for Career Day

Sophie (farmer), Katie (seamstress), Rachel (mineralogist)

Sophie and Katie with Charlotte

Tough Morning?

My ladies Bible study usually takes the summer off, but this year we stretched out the summer break since three of us had babies. Wednesday morning was our first time meeting again, and it was so nice to be back together... if a little crazy. There are six women (Laura left because God dropped a full-time job in her lap) and nine children (all three and younger). Charlotte is the only girl out of the nine kids! We did manage to get through the study, although I'm not sure if we all managed to be seated around the table at one time.

Julie (a neighbor) was gracious enough to host the this first meeting back. After we walked home I made lunch for Charlotte. When she had finished eating I allowed her to eat a Krispy Kreme donut for dessert, in the mean time I had to go feed Henry. Charlotte must have been pretty tired because by the time I was done nursing, she had fallen asleep at the table. Sound asleep... like pool-of-drool-on-the-table asleep.

Tough morning?

Another Kids Night at Chic-fil-A

We grabbed a quick dinner at Chick-fil-A on Tuesday evening in between picking up Jay from work and getting Chloe to soccer practice. The kids lucked out since Tuesday is Kids Night (it was also a fundraiser night for UIndy - Go Hounds). They LOVE to get their faces painted!

Bouncy Bunny

Soccer Star

Pretty Princess

Tuesdays of Praise

So, I was recently introduced by my sister to a new blog that I love! It is written by a girl who went to my high school and was friends with Anna. (If you want a summary of her story, just click here.) I have been reading through from the oldest post to the most recent, and it has been like a book I cannot put down! Her faith is inspiring, and she is a really gifted writer. I find her blog to be both uplifting and challenging. All of this to say, I stole the idea of Tuesdays of Praise from her. I am going to try to make Tuesday a day to praise God.

Today I am praising God that no matter how unfaithful I may be to Him, He is always faithful to me!

Revelation 19:11
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 

What are you praising God for today?

Different

Do you ever look at your kids and realize they look as different as night...

...and later that night?

(The top baby is Charlotte and the bottom is Henry Jay)

***That's one of my favorite Friends lines ever... I use it as often as possible!***

St. Francis Soccer

Chloe usually plays soccer at Southport Presbyterian Church in the Spring. Since they do not have Fall soccer at SPC, Jason signed her up to play in the league through St. Francis (he is coaching her team). She had a game on Saturday, and there was a Fall festival at the fields with a bounce house, obstacle course, giant inflatable slide, free ice cream, and Chic-fil-A lunch. I was only able to watch about ten minutes of Chloe's game after feeding Hank, taking Charlotte to potty, and purchasing snacks for Sophie and Charlotte. I could've used a nanny! :-) I took a few pictures of her playing before the camera battery died, so there are no pictures from the festival.

Mom's Birthday

Last Friday was my mom's birthday. We (mom, dad, Anna's fam and mine) got together that evening for a bonfire to celebrate (a pretty appropriate way to enjoy the first day of Fall as well). We roasted hot dogs for dinner to go with fresh fruit salad, potato salad, chips, and some scrumdidliumptious deviled eggs that Tom made (seriously, they were SO yummy... I think I ate six). And for dessert, brownies (a pan with chocolate chips for mom and one with nuts for Anna) and s'mores (because what bonfire is complete without them?). It was so much fun to be together! Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Mom opening presents

A wedding photo book from Anna

Our little bonfire

Chloe was roasting a marshmallow and explaining a drawing to Mamaw.

I'm not sure what Dad was telling Jay.

Jay and me... I'm not so great at the self-shot photo.

Tom and Anna... She does a much better job.

Anna, mom and me

One Month Old

Henry had his one month well child visit today. He weighs 12 lbs (93rd percentile) and is 23.5" long (96th percentile). He is doing well and growing like a weed. And he had plenty of smiles for Dr. Hodson today! We go back in a month for his next check-up and vaccines.

Charlotte's 3rd Birthday

On Charlotte's birthday we let her pick a place to go out for dinner... She picked Wendy's. After dinner we stopped at the store on the way home so she could pick out a dessert... She picked gummy worms. Hey, she's a cheap date, people! :-) When we were back at the house she got to open her birthday gifts from me and Jay.

Digging through the tissue paper to find...

...a baby doll (she named the baby Henry despite the fact it is a girl)

A slide whistle (the cheapest and yet most popular gift)

A camper and some Squinkies

Squinkies Barbie Dream Car (and Barbie Squinkies too)

Charlotte had her 3-year-old well child visit with Dr. Hodson. She weighs 28 lbs (25th percentile) and is 36.5" tall (between 25-50th percentile). She's going to be just like her Aunt Christy when she grows up! :-)

Charlotte's 3rd Birthday Party

We celebrated Charlotte's 3rd birthday on Sunday, September 18 at Chuck E. Cheese with friends and family (her actual birthday is Sept. 19). It was very busy and quite chaotic, so thank you to everyone who was brave enough to bring their kiddos and especially thanks to Grammy, Grandpa, Mamaw and Papaw who came as well! Charlotte had a great time, and I hope all of her little guests did too.

Daddy and Charlotte

Audrey and Chloe checking out Chuck E. Cheese

Papaw and Ruby (who wasn't quite awake yet)

Party!

Mommy and Charlotte (and half of Aunt Susie)

Charlotte with her good buddies Clayton and Ryker

Birthday cake - yummy!

Getting ready to blow out the candles (except the party hostess ended up having to do it for her)

Getting some help from big sis in the Ticket Blaster

Tucker and Charlotte

Paisley and Charlotte (I kind of think they look like they could be sisters)

Audrey and Chaney

The birthday girl putting out fires

Playing games with Daddy

The giant watermelon lollipop she got with some of her tickets

Charlotte was giving me some love.

Country Living Fair

I went to the Country Living Fair in Columbus, OH on Saturday, September 17 with Mom and Anna... and Henry Jay, of course. The weather was so beautiful and we had such a great time together! Henry was great on the ride over and perfect while we were there. However, when it got to be about 8:00pm and he was stuck in a car seat and not able to stretch out in his bed to sleep, he was not too happy about it and let us know. Thankfully, I was able to nurse him and hold him for a bit at a rest stop, and he slept the rest of the way home.

I bought another two prints from the same artist I bought from last year (P. Carter Carpin). They are all for Charlotte's bedroom. Anna picked out two for her girls' room, and Mom bought one for her own room. I also bought two galvanized buckets. One to display the curly willow twigs I purchased, and the other to hold a large mum on my front porch (all I need now is the mum). Anna also found some drink holders that you can stick in the ground to hold a beverage of your choice while you play corn hole, or sit on the beach, or at a campfire, etc. She was very excited about her drink holders! So excited that she kept telling us how excited she was until we finally couldn't help but poke fun at her. :-)

We shared a delicious slice of pumpkin roll (pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting) and also buckeye roll (chocolate cake and peanut butter/cream cheese frosting). Then we shared fresh cut French fries. Also yum!

I wish I would have taken more pictures. Mom's are much better! It was too hard with carrying Henry and the stuff we bought and trying to look at everything that was there.

A quick pic before we left... and by quick I mean we took 34 before we found one acceptable on each camera.

Henry Jay was awake, alert, and ready to go.

A little glimpse of the fair

Henry's First Bottle

Jason was able to give Henry his first bottle on September 9. He seemed to take it pretty well. We were never very good at giving any of the girls a bottle, and I guess as a result they didn't like them. That meant that mommy and baby were inseparable for many, many months. Maybe we'll do better with Henry... It might interest you to know that ten days have passed and that was his first and only bottle! :-)

Henry's First Bath

Obviously, I am WAY behind on blog posts. Henry had his first bath on September 5. He really liked it and has like every bath he's had since then... that always makes it easier on mommy!