Welch Family Zoo

Snow Day

2009-03-10T15:33:00.005-05:00

Last week we had enough snow for the kids to play in. Ben took the day off work and we played in the snow most of the day. It was so much fun. Our lab, Riley, decided to wander off while we were building our snowman and we had to take a break and go find him. Silly dog, he headed to the street behind us and was playing with a bunch of kids.
The kids are all doing well. We've been really healthy this winter and I hope it stays that way. Sophie had her trip to Disney with Nana and Papa last month. She had a wonderful time! I'm so glad that the kids will have these memories with my parents. It is so special for them! We spent Valentines weekend in Va. Robin's little boy turned 2 on the 15th and we went for his party. It's amazing how fast the past two years have gone!
Ben is good. Work is slow so he's been home for dinner almost every night and home every weekend. It's nice having him around more! We head to Va to participate in the Shamrock 8k with Robin and her husband next weekend. Mom and Dad are keeping the kids. It'll be nice to have some time alone! I celebrated my 33rd birthday in Feb. Birthday's are not my favorite thing! Ben got me some beautiful flowers and took me out for a surprise dinner at The Melting Pot. We had a family party at my parents and birthday breakfast with friends. It was fun!

Christmas

2009-01-15T06:09:00.004-06:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to update my blog. We've been busy and I've developed a facebook addiction. The holidays flew by like they always do. We loved decorating the new house. It was the first year that Ben has really gotten into the decorating. We headed to the mountains with my uncle Drew to cut down our tree. Ben got a speeding ticket on the way home. :) Mom and Dad came over to help decorate the tree. My very talented mom made bows for me to hang on the banisters.
We spent Christmas like we always do, here at home. Christmas eve we went to church with my family. Mom, Dad and Drew came over to help put out cookies for Santa and to give the kids their christmas jammies. My dad read the Night Before Christmas, just like he has every year of my life. That is my most special and favorite tradition.
Christmas morning we held the kids off until about 7:30. We sat down to open gifts and realized that there were tons of little black bugs crawling on all the gifts. Gross!! I had hidden a lot of the gifts in the garage in a moving box and we think that's where they came from. So, Ben sat under the tree and killed bugs off gifts before he handed them out. Not fun! The older kids got Nintendo DS's and Sophie got her "pink and blue" doll (Sleeping Beauty). We headed to my moms for a yummy dinner and to open more gifts. Every year we say that we're cutting back on gifts, but it has yet to happen.
Ben had the two weeks of Christmas and New Year's off from work. It was nice having him home for the kids programs and to spend time with us. We had a lot of fun having him around. We saw a lot of movies! We also took the older kids into Charlotte for the third year to go ice skating on an outdoor rink set up for the holidays. It was so much fun. JW can really skate, Lexie fell more than she skated.
For New Years, I headed to Va to spend time with Robin. Ben is so awesome and stayed home with the kids, who were sick. His parents came into town to help him out. I had a blast. Robin and I had some laid back time together. We saw movies, made cookies and ate junk food and went shopping. I got to spend time with an old friend from high school that I haven't seen in years. I enjoyed my time with him so much! It was a much needed vacation for me. Ben got to see what happens when you have sick kids at home. He did a great job managing medicine and taking them to the dr. What a great guy!

Makeup

2008-12-05T06:21:00.002-06:00

No matter how crazy it makes Ben, he can't deny that our Lexie is growing up. She's such a sweet girl! I just don't know where the years have gone. I look at Sophie and it seems that Lexie should be the same age. Over Thanksgiving weekend I took Lexie to Clinique to buy her first makeup. When I was her age, my mom did the same with me and it's a memory that I wanted to share with my girls. We headed out alone and went to breakfast. It was nice to have uninterrupted time together to talk. At Clinique the salesgirl was so sweet to Lexie. She taught her all about the products to keep her skin clean. Then she taught her how to apply powder and blush. We also bought a pretty lip gloss. It was so much fun and Lexie felt very cool :). She looks very pretty! Of course, I had to talk Ben down when he found out about it. According to him, she should still be wearing a diaper.

Holidays

2008-12-03T17:05:00.004-06:00

My new table and lamp from Sandy

Lexie's getting so big!

Our stockings

Ben's new 50 inch tv

JW being sweet to his sister

We had a busy, busy Thanksgiving! Ben's parents came into town Tuesday evening and stayed until Monday. Ben and his dad worked on installing speakers and all of the other electronic stuff that goes along with it. We are high tech now! They hit up the Thanksgiving sales and we have a new tv for the living room. After using bunny ears and watching dvd's in our bedroom for the past 3 weeks, it was nice to finally get the tv working again. My favorite part is the speakers they put up in the kitchen so I can listen to my ipod while I'm cooking or cleaning up. I love it! We all had dinner at my parents on Thurs. It was the only break that Ben and Randy had all weekend. Sandy and I did some shopping. Thanks for the new lamps Mom! We were able to head to the movies one night also.

We're starting to settle in to the new house slowly but surely! Now I just need to add some furniture. Ben is trying to get as much done as he can. He is heading to Dubai again in January for 6 weeks and wants to have as much done as he can before he leaves.

Lexie is in a Christmas play this weekend at school. This week they have a drama team at the school teaching the kids about makeup and setting up the stage. She has had a blast! She's playing a waitress. Can't wait to see how she does.

Moving Pics

2008-11-18T17:59:00.001-06:00

Ben, getting frustrated with me

Dad

Judging the distance to the ground

Halloween and Moving Pics

2008-11-18T17:45:00.003-06:00

Halloween-Lexie is Christine from Phantom of the Opera, JW is a ninja and Sophie is Snow White

Dad, the master painter

Sophie got a pumpkin stamp at a birthday party and stamped up her siblings

When Did I Get Old?

2008-11-18T17:30:00.002-06:00

I've been playing on Facebook lately. I've found so many old friends that I haven't talked to in a long time. It's been great catching up with eveyone and seeing their families. 6th grade has been a transition year for Lexie. Boys, lockers, mean girls and peer pressure. We've talked about my time in 6th grade. I had my first boyfriend. We would hold hands, talk on the phone and send notes to each other. He gave me my first Valentine's gift, a box of chocolates. I still have the box in with all my school stuff and those love notes from Ben, that I will one day blackmail him with. I looked the old boyfriend up on Facebook and found him. Looking at his picture today, I realized that it's been 20 years since I saw him. 20 years! When did I get to the point that I could say "well, 20 years ago"? I see myself and Ben through the kids eyes and it makes me feel so old. I feel a girls weekend to VA coming up to remind me that I'm Heather, not just MOM. Robin????????

Still Here

2008-11-13T19:37:00.002-06:00

So we closed on our new house on Halloween. We moved in the next day. It's been a hectic two weeks. My computer wasn't happy about the move and was low on the priority list. My wonderful uncle has been working on it for two days and has got it up and running now. We decided to make everything wireless and it was more trouble than it's been worth so far. The move has been great. The blinds are in and everything is unpacked. We all love the space and I love my new kitchen. I'll post pictures in the next few days. After 2 weeks of no computer, I have a lot to catch up on!

Almost There

2008-10-27T11:27:00.002-05:00

Lexie and JW didn't have school Friday so I took them to see High School Musical 3. Sophie went to Kimie's to play with Jack. She loves to go play with her cousins. I loved the movie! It was so cute and fun. There were some older girls from school there and Lexie tried to pretend that I wasn't with her. So fun to have a preteen! Lexie spent the night at my mom and dads so she could work on her history project some more. Thanks so much mom! I don't know if I have the patience to help the kids right now. Saturday, Lexie had an all day birthday party for her friend Meredith to go to. Ben,JW, Sophie and I spent the day at the new house. I decided to spend the weekend and clean it myself. Ben worked all weekend on fixing up the tile in the master bath and a list of other things. My dad came over and was a huge help! He painted Lexie's office and did a ton of other things. Jack and Sophie had a bowling party for a preschool friend on Sunday. Kimie took Sophie for me so I could finish up at the house. Plans have changed a little bit and it looks like we're closing on Friday. I can't wait to get in, get unpacked, and stop living in chaos!

Our Weekend

2008-10-20T11:41:00.002-05:00

We had a busy, productive weekend. It finally started to feel like fall outside. We really enjoyed the beautiful cool weather. Saturday, Ben and the kids stayed outside all day. Ben worked in the garage and the kids rode their bikes and followed him around. I finished packing up the girls room. That was quite a project! There were so many "treasures" to be found under beds and in the closet. Lexie's missing retainer was under Sophie's bed. I'm suprised it hadn't become a chihuahua treat. Saturday night I went to the movies and dinner with a wonderful friend. Mendi has offered to keep all 3 kids overnight for us the weekend we move. She has 4 of her own monkeys running around. She's been a good friend for a long time, our kids have grown up together. They'll have so much fun. We spent Sunday doing the same things.
The house stuff is really moving along. We ordered our blinds Fri. Hopefully they'll be ready in time for our move. This week Ben is going to be doing some work at the new house. It's been sitting empty for 2 years and is now home to millions of spiders. Not my favorite thing! Ben is going to be killing bugs, painting and installing a water filtration system on the house before we move in. Next week I have someone coming in to clean everything before we move. There's so much going on that it's hard to sleep at night. I can't wait!

Disney on Ice

2008-10-14T06:05:00.003-05:00

Sophie and Daddy

Disney on Ice

Yummy snowcone

Ariel and Prince Eric

Tinkerbell

Ben and I took our little princess to see Disney on Ice for her birthday this weekend. She loved it! We had great seats, 3rd row, so she could see everything. She stood up and danced most of the show. Her favorite part was when they dropped confetti down.

We're getting closer and closer to our move. It's overwhelming! Packing is almost done. Our house is stacked with boxes in everyroom. Ben has been making tons of trips to Goodwill for me. We had the home inspection done and are finishing up all the small details. I meet the blind guy from Lowes tomorrow to get everything measured. Ben has a bunch of wonderful friends at work that have offered to help us move. Only 2 more weeks to go!

14 years

2008-10-10T08:10:00.003-05:00

Today is our anniversary. The time just flies by! We have a great life and I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. We were supposed to have a weekend in Charleston for our anniversary. We decided that new furniture for our new house was a better idea.

2008-10-03T08:25:00.002-05:00

The week has just flown by. Sophie has been sick with an ear infection and a cold all week. Lexie and JW are good, busy with school and the beautiful weather. My inlaws are heading into town today. Our home inspection and walk through is tomorrow. I'm packing things up, but it's going slower than I would like. It's been hard with a 4yr old hanging off of me all week. Tonight we're taking the kids to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua. They've been excited about seeing this since they first saw the trailer months ago. Sophie knows all the words to the chihuahua song. Ben can't wait to see it either. He just adores our chi Salsa (I'm rolling my eyes as I type).

Happy Birthday Sophie

2008-09-25T22:31:00.002-05:00

Tonight at 7:11 my baby girl turned 4. I can't believe the time has gone by so fast. She is such a sweetie and such a handful! I am so thankful for my children. They are all gifts from God. Sophie has been a bright, happy, spark in our family since the day she was born.

more pics

2008-09-24T16:54:00.012-05:00

Keeping room off of kitchen

Kitchen

Eating area off of kitchen

Fireplace in keeping room

Master bath

The House

2008-09-24T16:44:00.007-05:00

So we got the call tonight that the bank took the offer!!! We are so excited. This was such a gift from God, and Ben's parents! The house is amazing! The girls will each have their own rooms and share a jack and jill bathroom. John William will have a room with it's own bathroom in it. He'll love not sharing the bathroom with the girls. We'll all enjoy the extra space. Hopefully with a 3 car garage, I'll have room to park in it and Ben will still get the space he needs. We'll be on almost an acre and a half so even the dogs will get more space. The best part is that it's only a few minutes down the road so we'll still be in the same area. We've been so blessed. Closing is going to be somewhere between the 18th and 30th of OCTOBER! I've got to start packing right now! SOOOO much to do!!!

Front

Back

Front door and dining room

Living Room

Kitchen

Daddy's Home

2008-09-24T13:36:00.002-05:00

Ben returned home from Dubai on Friday. We were so excited to have him back where he belongs. We spent Sun up in Blowing Rock. The weather was beautiful and the kids had a blast with their dad. Ben had Mon and Tues off. It was nice having him home for a few days before he had to go back to work. Of course his phone never stopped ringing. I'm so relieved to have him home safe. He'll probably be going back again, but not until after the holidays.

We're waiting to hear if our offer has been accepted on a new house. Right now we have 2 of the 3 signatures that we need. If everything works out we'll close on Oct 30th. Now I just have to pack everything a get it ready to go. I hate that part! I think we'll be getting a Pod and putting it into the driveway and packing over the next month. If any of you have seen our garage, you know that it'll take that long for Ben to organize all his junk. After we move, Ben will spend some vacation time to fix up our house and get it ready to sell. Hopefully it won't be too huge a project.

The kids are doing great. Lexie started piano lessons yesterday and really enjoyed it. JW is enjoying the nice weather and spent the weekend riding his bike. Sophie is excited about her birtday tomorrow. She's having a party with her friends from school this weekend. My baby is turning 4. I just don't know where the time goes.

Sick

2008-09-14T16:39:00.001-05:00

I have been sick all week. It started with a cold and now I have a horrible cough that just won't go away. I went to the doctor Sunday and I have bronchitis. Now I'm finally on the mend. The kids have been so great! Lexie and JW have cleaned up and behaved and helped with their little sister. I'm so proud of the people they are becomming. Ben comes home in just 4 days. I can't wait! We've missed him so much. Hopefully, he'll be staying put for awhile. After he comes home, we hope to finalize the house plans. It's hard for me to be patient. I'm ready to move!

First Days

2008-09-04T18:44:00.003-05:00

Sophie's cute ballet bag

Her new classmates

Getting a sucker for being good

Having breakfast with Reese at Cracker Barrel before class

Sophie started back to preschool yesterday. She's been upset that she was going into a new class and wouldn't be with her teachers from last year. She started out crying and being pried off of me by Miss Rochelle. When I picked her up she was happy and gave kisses and hugs to her teacher and told them she loved them. I tried to take a picture of her on her first day. Imagine my surprise when my camera batteries were dead. After I charged them I found lots and lots of pictures of John William and Lexie and the tv and the remote and up noses and inside mouths.

Sophie started ballet today. She was so excited. She wasn't happy about the ballet part, too much standing in one place. She loved the tapping and the creative movement. There are only 3 girls in her class. She can't wait till next week. Watching her took me back in time. It's hard to believe that I was doing the same thing with Lexie 7 years ago. How fast time flies!

Robin and I had a great visit. Her son, Reese, is such a cutie! We had a low key time. We went to the mall, watched movies and drank margaritas. I don't know what I would do without her. She's my family.

Can't Wait

2008-08-31T10:00:00.002-05:00

My very best friend in the whole world, (can you tell I've known her since I was a teen) Robin, is coming to visit this week! I can't wait. She and her adorable little boy Reese are coming into town Tues. We try to see each other every couple of months. The kids and I went to Va to see her in June.

Ben is doing good. He's still adjusting to the heat. It's hard to feel sorry for him when he calls me from his hotel and he's sitting in the marble jacuzzi tub and ordering room service. The kids really miss him.

Drama Runs in the Family

2008-08-28T17:37:00.002-05:00

Today I took John William to the eye doctor for his yearly exam. Ben is blind and Lexie has needed glasses since she was 8, so I take always take him for a checkup. He decided that glasses make him look smart,so he tried to fail his eye exam. What a nut! We all caught on very quickly, especially when he couldn't read the big E at the top of the page. His vision is good and he doesn't need glasses.

Sophie had her open house for preschool today. She's having a hard time understanding why she has a new teacher. She loved her teachers last year and has spent a lot of time talking about Miss Sue and Miss Monica. We saw them tonight and it made her cry. I'm sure that she'll love Miss Rochelle in no time. She can't wait to start school and play with her friends next week.

Gone Again

2008-08-24T18:24:00.002-05:00

We had a hectic weekend! Ben's parents were in town for a long weekend. We spent Fri and Sat house hunting. I never knew how exhausting it was! After much debate and lots of time online, and lots of walking around houses, we found a house that we really like. I took my parents over today to see it. It's beautiful and would give us more than twice the living space we have now. Plus it has a 2000 sq ft unfinished walkout basement that would be great for all of Ben's work stuff and a rec room for the kids. It would be so nice to finally use the garage for my car. So we'll be keeping our fingers crossed and seeing if they accept our offer in the next few weeks. It would be perfect!

Today, Kimie and Brad had baby David dedicated at church. He is just so precious! We went out to lunch to celebrate afterwards. Then we went to a surprise 40th birthday party for a friend of ours. Ben stayed home and packed his gear. My parents took him to the airport for me so the kids could say goodbye at home. Sophie has been very clingy and is so sad that her Daddy is gone. Hopefully this is the last time he has to travel. With such a busy week, it seems like we hardly had time to spend together.

A Phone Call from the Teacher

2008-08-21T13:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday John William's teacher called me. It was only the 3rd day of school. She told me that he was talking disrespectfully to her. Great, just what I need. So when he got home we talked about it....

Me-Your teacher called today and said you back talked her

JW-She asked a question and I answered her and she didn't like it

ME- What did she ask?

JW- She asked if we wanted to play a game, I said no. She asked if we wanted to do Math and I said that I hated Math, she asked if we would write down our homework and I told her that I didn't feel like it

So we had a big discussion about how when his teacher asks a question, it doesn't mean that she needs his opinion, she wants him to obey her without answering. What a mess. He has had a bad attitude lately and it's really bugging me. He seems to think that he's grown and gets to decide what he does and when. If it were up to him, he would never sleep or shower or go to school. Hopefully he'll get back into the swing of school quickly so that I don't have to talk to his teacher again.

Lexie is doing great in 6th grade. She seems to have mastered the lockers and changing classes. In 6th grade you don't have recess anymore, you have PE. She takes after me and hates PE. She likes her teachers and is happy to be with her friends again.

First Day of School

2008-08-18T10:25:00.002-05:00

Here we are again. It's the first day of school. John William is in 3rd grade and Lexie is in 6th. Lexie starts middle school today. She was so nervous in the car. We organized her locker and put away all her books and decorations. Her best friend, Atalie, is going to our school this year. She and Lexie have been friends since they were 5. They were so cute today in their matching outfits. John William let me kiss him goodbye today. I asked him is I was embarassing him and he said no, so I kissed him again :). He's a mess! He and I were both ready for school to start. He and Sophie have been at each other's throats all summer. I need a break from all the arguing!

House Hunting

2008-08-14T15:00:00.003-05:00

I am not a good house hunter. I love everything that I find and I want to move in today, right now. This is a problem for Ben. I drive him crazy. We have found a house we both really like and 2 others that we are interested in seeing more of. We're going to view them all on Monday with my dad, he gives great advice. We want to find just the right house and also find a great deal. We're so blessed by the opportunity we've been give by Ben's folks.

Everyone is healthy and the older two are dreading the start of school. They go back on Monday. Open house is tomorrow. I can't wait!!! Sophie goes back to preschool the beginning of Sept and will be starting ballet the same week. She is so excited about ballet. She has new ballerina sheets for her bed and has been wearing her hand me down ballet clothes. Lexie had her allergy testing done yesterday and she is allergic to all trees, grass and cats. We have 3 cats. So she's starting some new allergy medicine that we hope will help.

Ben leaves for Dubai again on the 24th. He won't be gone quite as long this time. I'll have a lot to keep my busy. House hunting, homework and chasing Sophie around will keep me on my toes.

My car is finally in the shop. It should be done next week. What a pain! The rental car is fast :). I got my first speeding ticket last weekend. I've been driving for 16 years and this was my first ever ticket. I told the officer that, he wasn't impressed.

Go-Carts and Laser Tag

2008-08-03T23:42:00.003-05:00

JW's chocolate chip army cake

JW and his friends ready to drive

JW and Uncle Drew

Lexie and Atalie terrified before driving

We had a very busy weekend! John-William's party was Sat. He and his friends drove the go-cart track. They were all so nervous at first, except JW. All those Wii driving games gave him an advantage. Ben, my dad and another dad all drove a race also. I think they had more fun than the kids. Then we played a game of laser tag. I joined in on that. It was so much fun! His army cake turned out so cute. Then that night we had his "family" party. Ben's parents came into town for the weekend so they were here. We had 21 people in our house, it was busting at the seams.

Sunday we started our house hunting project. We had fun just driving around checking out houses. It's been 6 years since we bought our current house. It was our first, so now we have a better idea of what we want. We just need more space for all our kids and all my animals. My goal was to be in our new house by the end of summer. With Ben heading out of the country again so soon, my new goal is before Christmas. I guess we'll see.

Happy Birthday John-William

2008-07-29T08:28:00.002-05:00

Today is John-William's 9th birthday! I can't believe my little man is getting so big. He has the sweetest heart and is such a wonderful boy. He looks at everything around him with such wonder and excitement. I'm so proud of him! Tonight Sophie is having a sleepover at Nana's and we're going to the movies and out for dessert with our special boy. His go cart party with his friends and our family party is Sat.

Last night Ben ran up to the store with Lexie to pick up some chicken broth that I forgot for dinner. While they were in the store (just 5 minutes) a motorcycle lost control and crashed into the drivers side of my car. So today we're also dealing with body shops, insurance, rental cars and a ton of other details. Hopefully this all goes quickly and easily!

Bowling

2008-07-26T17:43:00.007-05:00

We've spent the last week enjoying company. My grandmother turned 90 this month and we've had family come into town to celebrate with her. My cousin Lauren, her husband and her 2 adorable little ones spent last weekend with my parents and this week my Uncle Dwight, Aunt Toni, cousin Kevin, his wife Tamika and their two children were here from Vermont. It's been great catching up with everyone. The kids and I had a cold all last week. Sophie ended up with an ear infection. I've been coughing all week. Poor Ben needs a good night sleep after listening to me.

Lexie's 5th grade teacher got married today. Lexie and I went and got a pedicure and then headed to the wedding. She looked beautiful and Lexie got to see a bunch of her school friends. Ben is in the mountains for the night so I took the kids bowling after I picked the younger two up from the sitter. JW won the first game and I won the second by one point. Sophie loves to throw the ball down the lane. She threw it in other people's lanes a few times :).

I finally got my dishwasher yesterday. I went by myself this time and got what I wanted, instead of taking Ben with me. He installed it for me last night and I love it. Lexie is glad she's off dish drying duty. We also got the kids school supplies yesterday. I love shopping for paper and crayons!! Next week we'll be heading to the uniform shop in Charlotte and gearing up. Only 3 weeks till school starts!!

Who Ate My Peanut Butter and Jelly?

2008-07-21T18:28:00.004-05:00

Yum this is good!

Diego is funny! Mom, can you make me another pb&j?

Sophie was eating her favorite lunch of peanut butter and jelly yesterday. She sat it on the coffee table and someone stole it. We found Diego under Ben's recliner chowing down. He's so tiny (3 lbs), we can't reach him under there.

My little chef

2008-07-17T18:22:00.003-05:00

John William finished cooking camp today. He had a blast. Now if I could only get him to take on all the cooking, life would be easy. The next big project is his 9th birthday in a couple of weeks. He decided to have his party at a go-cart track. He and his friends will drive the track and play laser tag. Ben's looking forward to the party also. We're going to start house hunting in the next few weeks. I'm excited to start looking. We need more room! These kids just refuse to stop growing :). Ben's afraid I'll fill it up with more animals, but I think I'm good with the ones we have now. We've been here 6 years next month, that's the longest we've stayed in one house.

VBS

2008-07-16T15:42:00.003-05:00

What a crazy week! The kids have been attending VBS at our church the past 3 mornings. This was Sophie's first year and Lexie's last. Next year she'll be too old, but she wants to start volunteering. Kimie has been wonderful and has driven them every day. I watched her 3 boys and fed everyone lunch while she did some testing after VBS. I got to snuggle with baby David. What a cutie! It's so nice that Kimie keeps having babies so that I can get my baby fix. The kids have had a blast all week. John William started cooking camp this week too. I wasn't paying attention when I scheduled them on the same week. He's doing camp at The Young Chef's Academy, a cooking school for kids. He is having a blast! He wants to come home and make dinner for us. I forgot my camera, but I'll take pics tomorrow. Lexie headed off to a sleepover birthday party at a friends tonight. The other two kids and I are going to veg out on the couch and watch the Little Mermaid, again.

The Morning After

2008-07-12T08:56:00.002-05:00

Eating ice cream

Lexie's birthday gift

Being silly

The party is over. We had a blast and all need a nap! The girls had such a good time eating ice cream and drinking orange soda last night. They finally fell asleep around 11, or maybe that's when Ben and I fell asleep :). Now Lexie and I get to clean up the mess. For her birthday gift, we got Lexie her first real piece of jewlery. She wanted a necklace so we took her last week and she picked out a half moon. Because we always tell her we love her to the moon and back. Today we are going shopping for a new dishwasher!!!! I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but it broke the day Ben left for Dubai 6 weeks ago and it's been a pain not having one.

Lexie's Tea Party

2008-07-11T18:04:00.003-05:00

We had Lexie's birthday party today at The Tea House. It was so much fun! She had 6 friends and Sophie there. It was beautiful! We were in her favorite room, the Alice in Wonderland room. We had scones with clotted cream and lemon curd, sandwiches and cupcakes decorated in purple and blue. 4 of her friends came home with us for a sleepover. I'm cooking homemade pizza for them right now and later we'll be eating banana splits. Sound familiar Jenn and Jamie? Ben and John William headed out for dinner and to see Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3-D. Wish us luck tonight :)

Pics of Ben's trip

2008-07-10T06:55:00.002-05:00

Ben didn't take many pictures. The only ones he took were of stuff he was working on. But here are a few.

Skateboarding

2008-07-10T06:37:00.002-05:00

John William went to skateboard camp last week. He had a blast and really improved his skating.

Ben returned home safely. We had a busy weekend. He adjusted quickly to the time difference, but is still adjusting to being back in our noisy, crazy house. The kids have enjoyed having their Daddy back home. Sophie thought he was at the airport this whole time working. Fouth of July was fun. We spent the day at Mom and Dad's. The kids went out on the boat and played with their cousins. Lexie's birthday party is tomorrow.

Happy Birthday baby duck!

2008-06-29T09:52:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Lexie's 11th birthday. I can't believe how fast the years have flown by. We're heading to Olive Garden (her most favorite place to eat) for dinner with the family. We ordered a yummy monkey cake to take with us. Her party is going to be at The Tea House with her friends in July after her daddy gets home.

Ben comes home on Wed! I can't wait. It seems like he's been gone for so long. I'm going to the spa tomorrow for a much needed break. Fun! John William starts skateboarding camp on Tues. I'm sure we have many broken bones to look forward to. He's been practicing non stop. He's even been sleeping with his new board. Sophie has been having fun bothering John William. We have landscaper friends helping me redo the front beds to suprise Ben when he comes home. It looks really good. It's a lot of work!

Our Weekend

2008-06-17T20:21:00.002-05:00

Fri- dropped the kids off at camp. Sophie and I were sad. Went shopping with Mendi at the mall. :) Sophie fell asleep in the car at 6 and never woke up. It was very quiet here.

Sat- We slept in. I went and got my nails done and had a pedicure. Then I went and got my hair cut. Sophie went to my parents and spent the night. Mendi and I went to dinner. My 2 neighbors across the street each had daughters who graduated from high school this week. The threw a joint party for them Sat night. When I got home from dinner I went and joined the adult party after all the kids had gone home.

Sun- Went to church. Then to my parents for dinner for Father's Day. After dinner Sophie and Jack went swimming. Then I got a call from the camp that John William had been bitten by something and was having a reaction. They thought it was a snake or a bug. I know, crazy! Later that night I heard from the nurse and he was doing fine, all swelling had gone down.

Mon- Sophie and I were taking it easy. I talked to the nurse and they still were'nt sure what bit John William, but he was fine. Sophie and I did laundry and watched Sleeping Beauty a million times. Then around dinner time she was coloring a picture and I looked over and she was cutting off her hair with scissors. Great!~ I then took her to get her hair fixed. All her long hair is gone. She now has a very cute bob. Ben is going to flip when he comes home. He loves her long hair. Anyway, we went to my parents to show them the damage. I get a phone call on the way from camp telling me that John William is sick throwing up and I need to come get him. I got this call at 7:15 and camp is 2 1/2 hours away. So we put a movie in, grab my ipod, Winston (that's what we've named my GPS with an English accent) a trashcan and pj's for Sophie and head out. I finally get there around 10:30. That's when the nurse tells me that John William is fine. He threw up twice after eating a Twix, a KitKat bar and 2 cans of Mountain Dew. He was spending the last of his $ at the snack shack. So I put him in the car, kiss Lexie and her friend and drive home. We got back around 1:30. Lexie came home later today. They all had a wonderful time. John William's leg looks great. Dad doesn't think it was a snake bite, so that makes me feel better. I'm waiting for Ben to call and then heading off to bed!

Random thoughts

2008-06-12T19:29:00.004-05:00

Tired, ready for Ben to come home. Lexie has swimmers ear, so we went to the dr again today. I think we pay the drs mortgage. John William and Sophie are either trying to kill each other or drive me crazy. Or both. We've beens staying close to home this week. It's too hot to be outside. Even the pool is hot. Still haven't gone and bought new dishwasher so the old one is still on the deck. Neighbors are probably irritated but they know Ben is gone so they don't say anything. Kids leave tomorrow. It's going to be so quiet without them here. Mendi and I are getting a sitter Sat night and celebrating with drinks :). Father's Day is this weekend. Going to my parents Sun night. Ben flew to Qutar yesterday to start a project there. He thinks he'll be there until he comes home. Ready for the weekend and some down time with out all the kids. Excited to start looking for a new house when Ben comes home. We hope to find something this summer and get moved before the kids start school. We've been in our house 6 years in August. It's the longest we've ever stayed in one house. I'd love to find something with a barn, but Ben is afraid of what I'll put in it :) I'd never do anything like that......... Actually, I think my dad still owes me the horse he promised me when I was little.

Shopping for Camp

2008-06-07T20:27:00.004-05:00

Lexie and John William leave for camp with our church on Friday. They'll be gone 4 nights. It's their first time at sleep away camp. Lexie's best friend Atalie will be going with her. Attie's mom is one of my best friends Mendi. So tonight we had "girls night". We took just the two girls out to dinner and shopping to get what they needed for camp. We had a blast and spent way too much money. The girls kept us laughing the whole time. Even though they are at an age where their hormones are flipping around, they are really still just little girls. They tried on clothes and danced around and ate a yummy dessert at dinner. They bought matching fishy pjs and flip flops. While Lexie is at summer school next week I'll be spending some mother/son time alone with John William doing his shopping. The house is going to seem so empty with Ben and the older two kids gone. Although, it's been in the high 90's this weekend, so I have 5 dogs of assorted sizes, who think it's too hot to step out the door, to keep me company.

Hospital Stay

2008-06-03T18:37:00.000-05:00

Lexie has been feeling sick to her stomach since Thursday. She's had sharp pains and trouble sleeping. After a long night I took her to the Children's Hospital in Charlotte on Sunday morning. They looked at her stomach, took a urine sample and sent us home. Monday she started summer school. I made her a doctors apt with our pediatrician for that afternoon. The school called and she was doubled over sick, so I went and picked her up and took her straight to the dr. After checking her out our ped admitted her to the hospital to rule out a problem with her appendix. Any trip to the hospital means hours of waiting. They put us in a room and ran blood tests and did a CT scan of her stomach. It was late by the time the results came in. They let her eat something bland around 9. A little bit later she complained that her lips itched. We turned on the light and her lips were swollen. She was having an allergic reaction to something. So after fighting with the nurse who was taking her sweet time giving us Benadryl (I had some in my purse and was going to give it to her if they didn't hurry it up), they finally gave her some. Then they kept waking her up every hour to check and see how she was. Her xray was clear so it ruled out her appendix. The doctor thinks that she has acid reflux. She's been worried about summer school and her dad being gone, she hasn't eaten well and all of that is making her sick. She's on meds for the next 2 months to heal the damage that's been done. It's already helping her feel better. She was so glad to get her IV out and come home and take a shower (me too). Mom and Dad kept the younger two kids overnight for me. My wonderful neighbors took care of all our animals on really short notice. Denise just loves all our pets and came over and played with them and brought my mail in and did some dishes. She's so great! My other neighbor Melanie took the dogs out while Denise was at work. I had so many phone calls and offers for help, I really appreciate all our friends looking out for us while Ben's gone.

Sex and the City

2008-05-31T09:23:00.000-05:00

Ben is doing great. I've been able to talk to him everyday. He's hot and still getting adjusted to the time difference. The work is interesting, but everything moves very slow, which Ben is not used to. The team of guys that he has working for him are from all over the world.
The kids got their report cards yesterday. John-William made all A's except for a B in Phonics, just not his thing. Lexie did great too. She really worked hard this last 9 weeks to bring up her grades. She does such a great job. Her math came up 14 points from last report card. She really struggles with math. She has dyslexia and those times tables just kick her butt. They worked on Algebra this nine weeks and it seemed to click so that helped. She will be taking summer school for math this year. She starts Monday for the next 4 weeks. She thinks its awful, I think it will help.
Last night my friend Mendi and I went to see Sex and the City. I loved the tv show when it was on HBO. The theater was packed and it was fun to see all the women in big groups all dressed up to see a movie. It was great. I loved it. Mendi and I had a blast.

First Day

2008-05-29T22:29:00.000-05:00

Ben left yesterday afternoon. He arrived in Dubai today around 3:00pm our time. I really miss him!

Baby David

2008-05-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

David is still in the hospital. He has pneumonia and is jaundiced. He isn't eating, so the drs put the feeding tube back in. He's also throwing up his food. Poor baby. Only Kimie and Brad and the grandparents are able to go in and see him. I've seen pictures and he is so cute! Hopefully, if things improve, he'll come home this weekend. Just keep Kimie's family in your prayers. I can't even imagine how hard it was for them to come home from the hsopital with out David.
Ben leaves tomorrow for Dubai. With all of the baby stuff going on, our last weekend was crazy. He finished his list of things to do. My dishwasher is broken and is too expensive to fix, so I'll be ordering a new one. Right now, I have a big hole under the counter. We took the older kids to see Indiana Jones with my parents Friday night and it was good. They've been watching the old movies on DVD. I hope this month goes by fast!

Baby David is here

2008-05-23T03:52:00.000-05:00

David Emerson Soutullo is here!!! Mom just called to let me know that the baby was born. Of course now I'm wide awake at almost 5 in the morning. I can't wait to go and see him tomorrow and see who he looks like.

Last Days

2008-05-20T06:48:00.000-05:00

This is the last week of school for Lexie and John William. They have half days all week. Today is movie day, tomorrow they are going on a field trip to Fun Station. Thursday is awards day and then it's over. Sophie is in preschool until the 30th. Ben is leaving for Dubai on the 28th. There are so many things to get done before he leaves. I have a "must do" list on the fridge for him to complete before he goes. I know I'll be fine. I have my parents really close by and all of my neghibors have offered to help if I need it. It's just going to be hard on the kids. I'll just have to keep them busy. Lexie and John William are going to sleep away camp for 4 nights in June with our church. Lexie's best friend Atalie is going with her, so that makes it even better.

Cuteness

2008-05-15T19:06:00.000-05:00

Tonight Lexie had help doing the dishes.

Sophie helping

Diego climbed up all by himself

Shaving legs

2008-05-15T18:56:00.001-05:00

My baby girl
Lexie asked me this winter if she was old enough to shave her legs. I told her that we would talk about it again in the summer. Well today she decided that she was old enough. I noticed my razor was missing when I was in shower today. I found it in the kids bathroom. When I asked her after school why she didn't ask me or talk about it first her answer broke my heart. She told me that the boys are teasing her at school and calling her fuzzylupagus. There is only 2 other girls in her class and both of them shave, so she was being teased. I remember what that feels like. So, tomorrow we'll be shopping for a razor just for her.

Catching a Fish

2008-05-12T19:16:00.000-05:00

My Mom
John William
Fishing with Mom
Lexie and Nana
Horrible picture us all
Learning with Daddy

Can I touch it?
I caught one!!!!
My little fisherman

Saturday night we cooked out at Mom and Dad's. Sophie and Ben bought a pink fishing pole a few months ago and she has been begging to use it. The weather was beautiful so we took the kids out on the dock to fish after dinner. Sophie was the only one to catch a fish. She was so excited!

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T19:08:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Mother's Day. John William woke me up with a drink and a card on a tray. Normally Ben and the kids make me breakfast in bed, but we had early lunch plans so we skipped breakfast. We all headed to church. After church we went to Carrabba's with Mom and Dad, Gram, Kimie and her boys. So yummy! The kids gave me the gifts that they had made in school. My mom gave me a book that I've been wanting. We came home and took a nap. I've been trying to go see Maid of Honor with a friend all week, but she's been sick or Ben has been working. So while Ben and the kids cleaned house I went to the movies. It was so nice to come home to clean bathrooms and floors that I didn't have to mop. That doesn't happen around here often. Then after the kids were in bed, I made Ben watch 27 Dresses with me :). Great day!

Strawberry picking

2008-05-06T06:46:00.000-05:00

Ben has had my camera in his truck for a week so I have no pictures, sorry. Last week John William and I went on a field trip to pick strawberries. We had such a great time. I enjoyed spending time alone with my boy. Sat. Ben and John William went turkey hunting. They did not see a turkey, but they had fun picking ticks off of each other (gross)! While they hunted, I took the girls strawberry picking. Kimie and her boys went with us. It was so much fun. The kids all got a basket and we carried Sam and his stroller out into the field. Sophie and Jack were so cute. They were red, head to toe. Lexie searched for the biggest berries and did a great job. Kimie was a little too pregnant and bending over was too much for her, so we filled up her basket too. We went on a wagon ride and did face painting and ate lunch. Lots of fun. John William got a new bike this weekend. His had gotten really small. He's growing like a weed. Ben was showing off on the bike trying to do tricks. Lexie was riding her bike and started laughing so hard at her dad that she fell off and skinned her knee. Lexie has had a crappy attitude and I'm not looking forward to the future years with her. Ben got a taste of her mouth this weekend so right now she's memorizing a bible verse on gratefullness to recite so she can have her ipod back :). Ben is waiting on his passport to be ready. He's set to travel at the end of the month.

Prayers

2008-04-30T09:07:00.000-05:00

Please keep us in your prayers. Ben is in the process of negotiating a contract at work that will send him to Dubai for 4-6 weeks. The money is awesome and it will be a great experience for him. I am used to being alone, especially in the summer months :), but not like this. It will be really hard on the kids, we'll have to plan lots of fun things to do so we stay busy. God knows what He is doing and I trust Him to keep Ben safe. Once his passport is renewed he'll probably be leaving. We'll know more soon.

Lexie's Fine Art Festival

2008-04-26T18:07:00.000-05:00

Lexie's class went to the fine arts festival in Hickory, NC Friday. She has been learning a poem for months to recite. Only the 3rd-5th grade participates, so John William had the day off of school. I took Sophie and John William to watch Lexie. Sophie was tired and fussy. She wanted to play on the school's playground, but it was off limits. Three year olds don't understand off limits. They also have a hard time being quiet, but that's not really a suprise. We got there just in time for Lexie's group to recite poems. Lex was so nervous, but she did such an awesome job! I was so proud of her. After she was done, Sophie had a no nap breakdown. John William and I put her in the car and drove around for a few minutes until she fell asleep. Then I carried her into the church so we could watch Lexie's class sing. They did a great job!
Lexie is feeling better. I took her to see the ped. Thursday and she was still having breathing problems. Dr. Marshall put her on antibiotics, breathing treatments 4 times a day and told us we needed an epi pen at school and home for future emergencies. This is the second time her throat has closed up and she's had trouble breathing. Hopefully now that we have the epi pen, Murpheys Law will kick in and it will never happen again. God has been so good to us. Our kids are healthy and safe and you can just see that His hands are on them, protecting them.
Ben is out of town for his annual fishing trip with friends. We really miss him! He discovered when he left on Thursday that none of their phones work where they are. They had to treck to a pay phone and call collect yesterday to let the wives know they were still alive. He'll be home tomorrow. Hopefully with fish to grill :).

Sophie sleeping in the church pew.
Lexie's class singing
Meredith(Lexie's best friend), Lexie and Brianna
Lexie reciting her speech
So nervous, but doing a great job!

ER Visit

2008-04-20T09:04:00.000-05:00

We had a busy night last night. Lexie's allergies were bothering her at bedtime so I gave her a Claritin. A few minutes later Sophie comes downstairs and complains that her ear is hurting "in the little hole". Ben gives her some Motrin and takes her upstairs to tuck her back into bed. When he comes back down he brings Lexie with him. She is wheezing and having trouble breathing. I call her doctor to ask if I can give her Benadryl. The nurse listens to Lexie breathing and sends us to the ER. It was scary! Thank goodness for my calm husband. I panic under pressure but he is always calm. I stay home and he takes Lexie in the car. After he gets home, he tells me that he had the hazzard lights blinking and was flying down the road passing people. We were having a really bad thunderstorm and the county next to us was under a tornado watch. When they got to the hospital the nurse took Lexie straight back and gave her a breathing treatment. It helped right away. They did a chest xray and it was clear. The dr thinks it was just an allergy attack. They sent her home with a steroid prescription and an inhaler to use for the next few days. It was the shortest ER visit we've ever had, they were home in an hour and a half. Between Lexie being hyper from the meds and Sophie climbing in bed with us 4 times, Ben and I don't feel like we got much sleep. I'm hoping everyone takes a nap today. John William slept through the whole thing. He never even heard the storm or the chaos. :)

Sophie's Big Girl BIke

2008-04-17T17:38:00.000-05:00

When Ben's parents were here a few weeks ago they celebrated Christmas with us. The kids were so excited to have money to spend anyway they wanted. Lexie bought tons of clothes, of course :). John William bought a new wheel remote for his Wii and is still thinking about what to do with the rest. Sophie bought a Cinderella doll and some princess dress up clothes. She also wanted a bike. A disney princess bike. I ordered it from WalMart and it finally came this week. She was so excited! She and Ben put it together and then off she went. She's still having some trouble with the brakes. Her trike didn't have brakes. She's just growing up too fast!

Riding with John William

I'm so big!

Helping Daddy put the bike together

Big girl bike

Sam's birthday

2008-04-16T06:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Sam's 1st birthday. Since Brad was out of town, Kimie asked if we wanted to meet at ChickFilA for dinner. We are always up for ChickfilA! Sophie said that we had to have cupcakes and balloons and party hats, so we stopped at the store and picked some up. Of course, she ended up with a princess balloon and a Belle cake that we'll have for dinner tonight. I'm just a sucker. The kids had fun eating and playing in the play area together. It's hard to believe that Lex is really too big to play now. She'll just have to be the chaperone now :).

Playing with Lexie (she's thinking that Jack is heavy)

Yummy chocolate cake

Jack is such a cutie!

Who knew hats could be so much fun

John William and his hats :)

sam in his birthday hat

Sophie's Boo Boo

2008-04-13T11:36:00.000-05:00

The weather was so beautiful this past week! The kids and I spent time outside coloring with chalk. Sophie took a tumble on the driveway and banged up her face. Poor little Bean! She's feeling much better today.

Buffalo Animal Park

2008-04-10T21:28:00.001-05:00

We had so much fun on Sophie's field trip to the animal park. She is just like her mommy and loves animals. We both wanted to bring home one of the adorable baby goats. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time with all of Sophie's friends.

Field Trip to the Buffalo Animal Park

2008-04-09T16:52:00.001-05:00

Weekend with Nanny and Poppy

2008-04-06T17:45:00.000-05:00

Ben's parents came into town this weekend. We haven't seen them since Thanksgiving. It went by so fast! John William and Poppy spent some time playing the Wii. Nanny made Ben's favorite peanut butter fudge. Sophie got into some food coloring Sat. morning and made a huge mess. I don't think her feet will ever look normal again. It's that time of year and Ben is heading to Florida with my dad on a fishing trip Thursday and will be home Monday night. At the end of the month, he's going on his annual trip with the guys for a long weekend. It's a good thing that I have so many animals to keep me company :) The kids and I are getting Spring fever. It's warming up and we're ready for school to be over so we can sleep in and be free!

April Fool's Day

2008-04-01T17:05:00.000-05:00

The kids and I made this Kitty Litter Cake for Ben today. It's cake and pudding covered in vanilla oreos and topped with tootsie roll poop :) It was lots of fun!

Spring Break

2008-03-27T14:16:00.000-05:00

Easter was nice and the kids got a ton of candy and some new clothes thanks to the easter bunny and Nana. Thank you Aunt Kimie for the giant stuffed lamb that is the size of Sophie. Kimie knows how much I love stuffed animals(add sarcasm) and feeds Lexie's obsession with them every chance she gets. We went to church and had a delicious dinner with my parents. Mom and Dad set up an egg hunt for the kids too. This week all 3 kids have spring break. My camera needs new batteries so I have no pictures. Monday it was cold and windy so we ran errands and went to the library to stock up on books. Tuesday we played outside and the kids fought all day until I wanted to sell them online :). Wednesday I woke up with a stomach bug and started throwing up. My wonderful husband came home and took the kids to the park. They went to Dan Nicholas Park about an hour from our house. It has so many things for them to do. They went on a carousel ride, a train ride, played putt putt golf, mined for gems, saw bears, wolves and other animals in the zoo and went out in a paddle boat. Then they played on the playground. Ben brought them home in time for bed. He is so great! Today, I feel much better. I took the kids with me to my bible study. Then we had to hurry home for the Invisible Fence guy to come. All week long I've been telling Ben that I heard a beeping noise downstairs. He can't hear it and thinks I'm crazy. One of our labs decided to go down the street, and then all 3 dogs left the yard. Ben went under the house and discovered our fence wasn't working. I wasn't crazy after all. Our neighbors had planted some cypress trees on the property line and it ended up being too close to our side and cut our fence. What a pain! John William has a friend spending the night tonight and Lexie has one coming over tomorrow to sleep over. It's been a busy week and gone by really fast. I just hope no one else gets sick! Now if I could only catch up on my laundry!

Easter Party

2008-03-19T14:26:00.000-05:00

I am Lexie's 5th grade class room mom. Today was her Easter party. We had so much fun! We had a yummy lunch and then an egg hunt. Sophie had her preschool party today also. I'm so thankful that I have my mom here to help out when things are doublebooked :). She went to Sophie's party and they both had a great time eating and coloring eggs. Although someone forgot to hard boil some of the eggs (not me), so they had to be thrown away. I took some pictures of Lexie's class and of course she is the only one you can't see. Tomorrow I am going on a field trip with Lexie's class to Old Salem. Sophie is excited to spend the day at her Nana's house. Friday, Ben has the day off so we are finally going to see the Easter Bunny. We'll be keeping our fingers crossed that everyone stays healthy.

History Repeats Itself

2008-03-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Last night during dinner Lexie was telling me that a boy in her class had asked her out. I had flashbacks of telling my dad the same thing and I remember him asking me "well where are you going". I looked at my baby girl and just had to ask the same question. She just looked at me like I was stupid and tried to explain that she wasn't really going anywhere. I couldn't help but laugh and call my dad to tell him. It's hard to believe that my baby is so grown up. I remember 6th grade and being madly in love with Joey Piccatagi. I was just a little older than Lex.

G.I. Diego

2008-03-11T19:25:00.000-05:00

John William had a great time playing "army dog" with Diego yesterday. He's so cute!

Ben left Sunday for a business trip to Pennsylvania. He won't be home until Sat. I hate when he's gone. Even with all the pets and kids, the house just seems too quiet at night. Following tradition, as soon as he left one of the kids got sick. Sophie has strep throat and pink eye. What a combo. Our doctor told me that true pink eye is a form of the strep virus. Who knew? So since Sophie's been feeling crummy, she's been keeping me company in bed by snuggling with me all night. My mom is home right now with a stomach bug and one of Kimie's boys was sick this weekend with it too. I'm hoping that we avoid that illness!

Ariel

2008-03-08T08:04:00.000-06:00

Last night Lexie spent the night at her friend Atalie's house and John William slept at my Mom and Dad's. Since we just had Sophie, Ben and I took her out to dinner and then shopping at Target. Since Daddy is a sucker for his little girl we ended up with an Ariel costume and a doll that goes in the bathtub. She was so cute. After Sophie went to bed, Ben and I watched a movie. When we checked in on Sophie before we went to bed we got a big suprise. She had gotten into a tube of Desitin left over from her baby days and painted herself and her bed with it. Then she put on her Ariel costume and went to sleep. What a mess! We never heard a thing. This morning we asked her what happened and she told us that John William did it :)

Spring Pictures

2008-03-02T18:39:00.000-06:00

We took the kids to have their pictures done today. The weather was beautiful and they looked so cute! They are growing up so fast and are such great kids. I am so blessed to be their mom. Of course, I wasn't thinking that when John William was climbing up the waterfall when Melody was trying to take his picture or when Sophie was talking back when it was time to go home. Ben's back has been out since Thurs. It's been a long weekend for him and he'll be heading to the dr tomorrow. Hopefully, he's feeling better soon, he hates just sitting around and is going a little stir crazy.

Diego

2008-03-02T18:30:00.000-06:00

I have a problem, I know I do. I am an animal adict. I got a new puppy this weekend. Diego is a 8 week old, long hair chihuahua. He weighs 1.2lbs now and probably won't be bigger than 4lbs. He is such a cutie and seems to really like Ben. :) He cleaned up the mustard that Ben spilled on his shirt at dinner tonight and then curled up for a nap on Ben's neck. He fits right in to our crazy house. The more the merrier.

Daddy fell asleep

2008-02-28T15:20:00.000-06:00

Ben worked really late last night. So while he was napping today Sophie and I painted his toenails. I love this color. It's by OPI and it's called My Chihuahua Bites. Poor daddy :) I wonder how long it'll stay on before he notices and takes it off?

More Birthday

2008-02-26T07:48:00.000-06:00

Ben and I celebrated my birthday at the Melting Pot. I haven't been before and it was so fun and yummy! The food was amazing and it was so nice to just be able to sit and take our time eating. Usually we're chasing kids all over the place and cleaning up spilled drinks :). My favorite part of dinner was dessert. The chocolate was so good! I took pictures with my cell phone, but I can't remember how to post them. Sunday night we had a birthday party at my mom and dad's. My brother in law, Brad, has a birthday today so it was a joint party. Now that there is so many of us, we all share birthdays. Mom made my favorite cake, pineapple upside down.

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-02-22T09:08:00.000-06:00

Today is my 29th +3 birthday. :) It has been a crazy day and it's only 10:00. We had rain last night and so the school called at 6 am and put us on a 2 hour delay. The kids go to a small christian school and they have kids that come from areas where it gets colder so things ice up. Sophie's preschool runs on the public school schedule and so she started at 9 like normal. Zack, one of our dogs, hasn't been himself this week. He's wet on the floor 2 times, and he never does that so he had a vet apt. for 9:15. Then Lexie's best friend mom calls and asks if I can take her daughter to school so she can head off to work. So, I took Sophie to school, picked up the kids we carpool with, headed to Merediths and picked her up and then took everyone to school. I had to reschedule Zacks apt for this afternoon so the vet was a little miffed. Then I get home and Zack wet on the floor again. What a day! Tonight Ben and I are going to dinner and a movie. I can't wait. I've had a cold all week and finally feel human again. Poor Ben hasn't seen much of me. He comes home and I go to bed while he puts the kids to bed and finishes homework with them.

Reece's first birthday

2008-02-19T15:44:00.000-06:00

Birthday Boy
Sophie wearing her Mickey Mouse ears
Robin and Sophie
Sophie loving on Uncle Rob
Lexie and Maxie

Reece's first birthday

2008-02-19T15:28:00.000-06:00

The kids and I spent the weekend in Virginia with my best friend and her family. Her precious baby boy, Reece turned one last week. Last year I was beside Robin and her husband when Reece was born. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen! It's the first time that I've been in the room and was not the person having the baby :). I took the kids out of school early Friday and had no problem making the trip by myself. Ben enjoyed being in the house all by himself (the animals were here too :)) I think it was the first time he was alone in our house. Reece's party was fun with lots of little ones crawling around. Sophie just LOVES her Uncle Rob and told us that she was going to marry him when she grows up. She spent a lot of the weekend sitting beside him or asking where he was. We came home Sunday after lunch at my favorite place, Chesapeake Pizza. We always have to grab a slice before we head home. It was scary to realize that I've been eating there for 19 years. That's such a big number. We moved to Va when I was 12 and I'll be 32 on Friday, so it's been almost 20 years. I had such a good time seeing my Robin. She and I have been friends half of my life now. I couldn't ask for a better, more loyal, best friend. She's been there for me thru good and bad, wild and crazy(mostly mine), fat, skinny, sad and overjoyed times. She is truely the sister of my heart! Now that I've made the drive to Va by myself, I'm going to make many more trips. Next time, I might do it without a whiney 3 year old.

Dentist

2008-02-07T15:41:00.000-06:00

Sophie had her first trip to the dentist today for a cleaning. She did awesome. For some reason she kept calling Dr. Vaughn "Officer". I think it was because of the white coat. She was so excited to finally have her turn after spending so much time in the waiting room over the years.
Lexie and John William got a unexpected vacation from school this week. There has been so many children absent and so many teachers out sick that the school decided to close today and Friday to sanitize the classrooms.
I'm getting so excited about going to VA next weekend. My best friends little boy is turning one and the kids and I are heading down to celebrate. I can't believe it's been a year since I watched Reece being born. It was amazing! I haven't seen him since this summer and he's a busy, on the go boy now. I'll be driving down by myself for the first time. Ben is heading out of town for a week on a business trip. I got a GPS for Christmas this year, so I should be good to go. Let's just hope that it works or Robin will be coming to find me :)

Kids

2008-01-31T12:56:00.001-06:00

John William lost a tooth yesterday. He just pulled it out at school. I didn't even know it was loose. The tooth fairy came and brought him $2. Lexie has lost 2 teeth since Christmas. She hasn't put them under her pillow. It makes me sad that she's outgrown the tooth fairy and Santa. Of course when she wants money for something I'm sure she'll remember her teeth.

Lexie has a little grey kitty named Gracie. We got her when Lex was 4. She adores Lexie and sleeps with her every night. Last night when we checked on the kids before we went to bed we found Gracie all curled up with Sophie. I had to take a picture cause they were so cute.

Making lunch

2008-01-25T06:24:00.000-06:00

Lexie and John William have been packing their lunches this school year. Sophie decided that she wanted to make a sandwich for breakfast. She made a jelly, pepperoni,goldfish sandwich. And she ate it. Gross!~ She also got herself dressed today for preschool. Three is such a fun age.

Hair cuts and lipstick

2008-01-23T15:22:00.000-06:00

The kids had Fri off last week and went with me when I got my haircut. Lexie decided to get hers cut too. She REALLY got a haircut. I love it! She looks so cute when she flips it out.
Today Sophie got into my purse and put on some "makeup". She wanted me to take a picture because she thought she was beautiful :)

Some sad news, Ben's Aunt Caroline passed away last night. She has been fighting cancer and was in so much pain. Ben's parents were able to spend last week with her and say goodbye. Ben will be flying to Michigan tomorrow to be with everyone for her funeral.

Snow Day

2008-01-17T09:07:00.000-06:00

Sophie enjoying the snow
John William in his hunting gear
Our backyard
Lexie making a snowball
Sophie throwing a snowball
It snowed late last night. The kids were so excited. Sophie and Lexie have colds, but we had to go out for a little bit so they could enjoy the snow before the rain melts it all away. This was the first snow that Bella our great dane has seen. She loved it! She ran all over the backyard with her mouth to the ground shoveling up the snow with her tongue. Zack played catch with the kids and ate a lot of snow :). Salsa and Riley decided it was too cold for them and stayed inside.

Tattoo

2008-01-13T09:22:00.001-06:00

I got a new tattoo last week. I already have a small butterfly on my hip and a trio of tulips on the small of my back. I love my tattoos. I wanted one that I could see but I wanted it in a place that I could cover up also. So I got one on the top of my foot. I love it. Its a small heather flower. This picture is right after I had it done, so my foot is really swollen. It looks much better now.

New Pets

2008-01-05T15:17:00.000-06:00

John William got two new pets. His new buddies are Albino Claw Frogs. Their names are Sheldon and Max. I don't know where the kid comes up with names :). They are living in Peanut Butter's old house. All they needed was some fresh plants and they were good to go. He wanted a new dog, but frogs are much easier to take care of. I just could not get a clear picture of them so I'll have to try again in better light.

R.I.P. Peanut Butter

2008-01-03T15:47:00.000-06:00

Peanut Butter, John-William's orange spotted newt passed away on New Year's Day. We've had him since this summer and he will be very missed.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-31T17:12:00.000-06:00

The past 2 weeks have just flown by. Ben has been home since the 19th and goes back to work this Wed. We have had so much fun spending time together. I wasn't sure how it was going to work. Normally when Ben is on vacation we are traveling. This has been the longest he's been at home. We've seen lots of movies and eaten way too much. The kids have had a great vacation. All three spent the night at Nana and Papas house Sat and Ben and I celebrated an early New Year out on the town. Sophie starts back to school Wed but Lexie and John William don't go back until next week.
Christmas was great. Sophie and I spent Christmas Eve at Urgent Care. She started running a high fever the night before and the dr. found that she had strep throat. She and I missed the evening church service but she was feeling much better for Christmas morning. My parents came over to give the kids their new pjs. And my dad read us the Night Before Christmas. My dad has been reading The Night Before Christmas to me from the same book since I was born. We've never missed a year. It's my favorite traditon. For my 30th birthday my mom had the book mounted in a frame that I keep hung on my wall all year long. It has pictures of my dad reading it to us through the years. The kids got tons of gifts that have kept them busy all week. I have so many pictures that I need to go through so I'll have to post them later. We had a yummy dinner at my parents and opened gifts with them, my grandmother and Kimie and Brad and their boys. Jack and Sophie are too cute! After some drama with Ben's family, his parents weren't able to come into town, but we'll celebrate with them sometime soon.

Seeing Santa

2007-12-22T12:51:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we took the kids to see Santa. I was so sad. Lexie has decided that she's too big to go see Santa. My little girl is getting so grown up. I bribed her with a trip to her favorite restaurant Olive Garden if she would just sit with her brother and sister. Sophie loved it and told Santa that she wanted "blue presents". Then we went to Olive Garden with my Mom and Dad and stuffed ourselves.

Christmas Programs

2007-12-22T12:43:00.000-06:00

Lexie and John William had a Christmas program at school on Monday night. Silly me, I charged up the camera batteries and forgot to put them in the camera. Thank goodness Mom had her camera. The kids did such a great job. Lexie played her recorder and did an awesome job! The christian school the kids go to is pretty small so the program was only an hour long which was perfect for Sophie and Jack. We sat in the front row so Sophie could say hi to all the kids she knows as they walked off the stage.

Sophie had her first Christmas program this year. She sang The Itsy Bitsy Snowflake, and We Wish You A Merry Christmas. It was so cute. She spent more time fussing with her hat then singing. Bunny ended up on stage with her in his Valentine sweater and got lots of snuggle time when Sophie was nervous. Aunt Kimie, Jack, Sam, Nana and Papa all got to join us.

Sophie's Party

2007-12-22T12:37:00.001-06:00

Sophie had her Christmas party at preschool on Monday. We had snacks and made crafts and had so much fun. She loved showing off her daddy to all her friends. Sophie made us a Christmas ornament that she opened for us at her party :).

Our Tree

2007-12-22T12:32:00.001-06:00

Here is a picture of our tree all decorated. My grandmother who is 88 made stockings for the kids and a tree skirt for us this year. My mom gives the kids an ornament every year. This year they all got pickles.

Sponge Rollers and New Teeth

2007-12-12T18:24:00.000-06:00

Here are pictures of the girls in rollers. Lexie has been in a curly hair phase and tonight Sophie wanted to be just like her big sister.
Lexie got her braces off a few weeks ago and today had her front teeth worked on at the dentist. She looks beautiful!

Cutting down our Christmas tree

2007-12-09T14:42:00.000-06:00

We drove to the mountains today and cut down our Christmas tree. The weather was beautiful! Normally, we really have to bundle up, but not this year. The kids had so much fun. Sophie has been asking all week when we were going to get our "Merry Christmas". We ate lunch at the Daniel Boone Inn in Boone. Now we have to pull out all the decorations and get to work!

Silly Bella

2007-12-09T14:39:00.001-06:00

This is Bella, our great danes favorite spot on our deck. She's such a goof ball!

Hunting with Daddy part 2

2007-12-09T14:31:00.001-06:00

John William, Ben and my dad went hunting again this weekend. This time John William got to shoot my dads 22. He was so excited and loved hitting the turkey target.

Hunting with daddy

2007-11-29T16:05:00.000-06:00

John William and Ben went hunting Monday night and Tuesday. Ben took him last year for the day but this is the first overnight trip that they've taken together. They spent a cold night in the camper and the day in a tree stand. John William got to drive the four wheeler all by himself. He was so excited to miss school and wear all his new hunting gear (just like dads :)) After a slow day they shot a deer right before the sun went down. They were both tired and ready for a hot shower and a bed when they got home late Tues night. John William couldn't wait to go to school and tell all his friends about his trip. The girls and I believe that we had lots more fun cuddled up in bed drinking hot chocolate and watching movies.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T07:47:00.000-06:00

Things I'm thankful for:

I'm thankful for my wonderful kids, even when they are mean to each other and talk back and don't clean up their rooms

I'm thankful for my husband who I love with all my heart, I'm really thankful that he's in the kitchen washing dishes so I don't have to

I'm thankful for my family, it's nice to have them close by

I'm thankful for Kimie's new baby and the sweet little boys that are here now, when I miss having a little tiny one around I can go and snuggle hers

I'm thankful that Ben's family is here to spend the holiday with us

I'm thankful for all of my animals, I love each and every one of them

I'm thankful for my house, I just wish it were cleaner

I'm thankful for the wonderful dinner that my mom is cooking

There are so many more things I'm thankful for but I have to go make breakfast now :)

My Trip

2007-11-15T12:56:00.000-06:00

Outside of our hotel

the Strip

the water show at the Bellagio

another picture of our hotel

Robin :)
I don't even know where to start. Robin and I had such a great time. Everything was even better than I expected. We crammed so much in to our time in Vegas. Of course we didn't get much sleep. We got to town Friday afternoon and picked up our rental car.We stayed at the New York, New York Hotel. It was beautiful! There is so much going on all the time. We checked in and got something to eat. We got cleaned up and went to see our first show. We saw the Thunder from Down Under and all I can say is WOW! I screamed until I lost my voice. We went to Coyote Ugly for a beer and realized that we had way too many clothes on and that we were way too old for that bar. We gambled our $10 away on the slot machines and ate dinner and headed to bed.
On Sat we got up and spent the day sight seeing. The city is really beautiful. We got all dressed up and headed to Mary's wedding. It was beautiful. We had such a good time. The reception was on a yacht on Lake Mead. We ate and danced and had a blast.
On Sunday we slept in and had room service and headed to the spa for a pedicure. We rode the roller coaster that was in and around our hotel. We saw another show and went shopping in the amazing shops. We had dinner at a great restaurant in the MGM Grand and took a taxi back to our hotel since our feet were exhausted.
There is so much that I'm forgetting. We did and saw so much. It was nice being with Robin and enjoying a break from the kids. Ben did a great job and the kids had fun spending time just with him.

Countdown to Vegas

2007-11-04T19:44:00.000-06:00

I am getting so excited. I leave on Friday to go to Vegas with Robin. Wouldn't you know it, Sophie started with a cold last night. Isn't that always the way it goes? Lexie's bladder infection started hurting again today too, so I guess we'll be making a trip to the dr tomorrow. It's been a long day and the Halloween candy is calling my name. I put it all in a bag today when I was cleaning up and I'm throwing it all away. Somehow, Sophie keeps getting into it and has been on a sugar high for days. I have so much to get done this week. I wasn't very smart and planned a fall party for Lexie's class on Wed. I'm her room mom. Lexie is getting her braces off on Wed morning before the party. She's so excited! Now I just have to find time to finish shopping for clothes to take on my trip and catch up on all the laundry before I go. I found a great dress to wear to the wedding in Vegas. It's going to feel nice to get really dressed up and out of my jeans for a change.

Trick or Treat

2007-11-01T13:20:00.000-05:00

Lexie the peacock, her nana and gram made this for her

Sophie the princess with Bunny

John-William the army guy

The whole crew

The kids had such a good time last night. This was the first Halloween that Sophie understood what the deal was. She was so excited about ringing the doorbells. We walked all around the neighborhood. Bella the guard dog :) went with us. She is such a chicken, but she loves being around all the kids. One of our neighbors was sitting in a chair, very still, with a mask on and scared the kids. After that Sophie wanted her daddy to walk her up to the door. After the kids filled their buckets we went to Aunt Kimie's house. Jack and Sam were'nt feeling well so we went to show them the kids costumes, then off to Nana and Papas house to show off. Everyone was tired today.

Sophie's first field trip

2007-10-30T19:17:00.000-05:00

Sophie got to help stuff a scarecrow that her class got to take back to their room.

Sophie's class took a field trip to the pumpkin patch. She was so excited to go on a hayride with all of her friends and her teachers Miss Sue and Monica. I had fun getting to meet all of her friends that I hear about all the time.

Random thoughts

2007-10-23T14:36:00.000-05:00

I am getting so excited about my trip to Vegas with Robin. Only two and a half weeks left to go. I can't wait.
Sophie is in her big girl bed now. It makes me so sad to see the crib out in the garage. John William got a new bed also and we redecorated his room. Lexie and Sophie are now sharing a room and Sophie is thrilled, Lexie not so much.
I am watching Sam in a few minutes while Kimie takes Jack to the doctor. He is such a cutie. I could just eat him up.
Big News: Kimie and Brad are having another baby! I'm very excited. Three was just right for us, but I still get cravings for another baby. Kimie's little ones give me the chance to snuggle with babies all I want. I'm hoping for a little girl this time, but another sweet boy would be great too.
Report cards come out on Thurs. We have PTF Thurs night. The kids have worked so hard!

Cheerleaders

2007-10-17T10:22:00.000-05:00

I'm getting the carpet cleaned today. We started moving furniture around last night to get ready for today. I have a big chest in my closet that has all of my baby pictures and the kids baby books and the outfits that they wore home from the hospital. It has all of our wedding pictures in it too. Last night we moved it out and the kids wanted to see what was inside it. I had forgotten most of it. They found lots of old pictures and my cheering uniform. Lexie had so much fun trying on the uniform and my wedding veil. I started looking at all the pictures and some of them made me laugh! The kids has quite a laugh over Mommy and Aunt Kimie and Aunt Jamie's hair do's. Here's a picture of Jenn, Jamie and I right before Jenn and I's suprise sweet 16 party. That was so much fun!

13 Years

2007-10-11T14:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was our 13th anniversary. I don't know where the years have gone! Ben brought home the most beautiful tulips, my favorites. This weekend we have date night. He always makes our anniversary so special. He's such a great guy.

Our Vacation

2007-10-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

So we had a very busy trip! We left Thursday night and got to Ben's parents in Fredricksburg late. Friday we went to the Air and Space Museum and then went to the Spy Museum. Lexie had a allergic reaction to something on the headphones in the SPy Museum and we ended up taking her to the doctor. Her ears swelled up and her throat started to close. She's going to be on medicine for ten days. It was scary. Sat. we went to the Natural History Museum and had a blast. My niece Savannah who is the same age as Lexie came with us and Ben's parents. The kids got to ride the Metro and thought it was a great adventure. I thought it was gross! Sunday we went to Kings Dominion with Ben's sister and both of her girls. Lexie and her daddy rode all the rollercosters they could find while John William and I stayed pretty close to the ground. We got blisters from all the walking. Then Monday we got up and packed up and went to Williamsburg. It was hot!!!! Lexie and I are wimps and decided that we really wanted to go home, but the boys made us go on. We ate lunch at the Kings Arms one of my moms favorite restaurants. Then we headed home. My feet still hurt and we took today to sleep and finish schoolwork and go grocery shopping. Sophie had a wonderful time with her grandparents and didn't seem to miss us at all. Nana said she was so good. We missed her so much! Now I have to get back to the laundry :(

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-01T07:44:00.000-05:00

We took the kids and Lexie's friend Attalie to the pumpkin patch this weekend. My camera died and I left the extra batteries in the car so we only have a few pictures. It was so much fun. My mom came with us. The kids went on a hayride and got their faces painted and went to the petting zoo. The weather was perfect! This weekend we also took the older kids to see The Game Plan with the Rock. It was really cute and I just have to say that the Rock is yummy!