The Evans Family

new blog!

2011-06-28T20:42:00.004-06:00

We have a new blog - www.evanssix.com

With the upcoming change in our family, Zach has designed a new blog for our family. Please bookmark the new blog and delete this link.

Thanks!

Saturday with family

2011-06-26T20:57:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we spent the day in Hendersonville with Zach's family. Brooke and Chad and their girls came down to help us celebrate Allenna's birthday. The boys were super excited to spend the day with Grandma, Grandpa, and their cousins. Although the day started out rainy, by lunchtime the sun was shining and the kids were eager to get outside. Allenna bought a new water toy for the kids and they loved it. They soon turned it into a slip-n-slide and enjoyed taking turns running and sliding.

After some time outside, we came in for dessert. The kids loved building their own ice cream sundaes and playing inside for the rest of the afternoon. It was a great day and we really enjoyed being with our family!

All 6 grandkids.

Playing with the new water toy.

Seth getting a running start before sliding on the new toy.

Enjoying their dessert together!

Bliss!

2011-06-26T19:26:00.006-06:00

Last week Zach and I were fortunate enough to take a vacation (without kids!) to the Dominican Republic. We left on Saturday with two of our great friends, Clay and Stephanie. We have been so excited about this trip. It has been 6 years since Zach and I took a long trip away from our kids. He has been trying to get me away for a long time, but it has taken me awhile to feel comfortable leaving my kids. I know I'm crazy but that is just the way I am. :)

We spent the entire week completely relaxing and doing NOTHING! It was great. I was completely content to sit under my thatch roof umbrella reading a book and taking an occasional nap. We did spend time in the water (which was amazing) and even ventured out on a sea kayak. We spent time in the pool, which was amazing. We paid a little extra to be in the adult only area, which was great. Being in a pool without kids splashing and jumping was super nice and definitely not what we are used to! We all four had conversations without being interrupted by our kiddos. A rare treat!

The food was just okay. The dinners were really nice, but the lunch and breakfast buffets were not so hot. I am a picky eater so maybe I was the only one that felt this way. I also really missed having cold drinks. You would get a piece or two of ice in each drink and when the air temp is about 100, that melts pretty fast! I was super excited when we arrived at the airport Wednesday afternoon and saw a Wendy's. A real coke...yum!!!

Although I was ready to come home after 4 nights away from my boys, the week was amazing. We plan to make vacations more of a priority in the future and can't wait to plan our next one. Thank you to our wonderful parents who kept our boys and took care of everything while we were away!

My view all week. :)

The water was AmAzInG! I have never seen water so blue!

Ready for dinner!

Friends!

In the lobby waiting for dinner...

Our great Hibatchi chef.

My favorite spot!

Ready to go home and see my boys!!

Hilton Head Island 2011

2011-06-08T21:02:00.008-06:00

We left for our family vacation the Saturday after school let out for the summer. The boys had been counting down the days for two weeks or so. Especially Seth. He LOVES being with his cousins. This year we went to Hilton Head and had a great time. The house we rented was so nice and the pool was fantastic. The beach was just a short walk and the boys loved the ocean. We went to the ocean every morning after breakfast. Ethan really didn't like the sand. He would cry everyday when he first stepped on it. After a few minutes, he would adjust and enjoy playing in it. Carter spent the entire time at the beach trying to catch fish or crabs. Seth loved to stand in the water and jump over the waves. Carter and Seth were very brave this year and got in all the way up to their chest. Ethan wandered around between the sand and the water.

After lunch the kids were so excited to get in the pool. The pool at this house was SO nice and big! The babies took a nice, long nap and the big kids stayed in the water the entire time. Carter decided he was ready to swim without floaties and put his head underwater! Big steps for my boy!!! By the end of the week, he could swim the length of the pool without his floaties! Seth tried several times and did well. I think he is really close. Ethan did get in the water but didn't want to use the floaties. He really wanted to be held (or stand up in the hot tub).

We had so much fun with our family and were sad to see the week end. It is always a blessing to get away for awhile and enjoy some down time. I took so many pictures. Here are a small few...

These two boys are a mess! They love each other and are so funny together. Check out the shoes!

My oldest beach bum!

My sweet Seth!

My baby!

Seth and Ella Ann jumping over the waves.

Trying to get a good picture of the three of them.

Carter and his net.

Craig was great with the kids all week.

Checking out his loot.

Seth and Ethan checking out their collections.

My big boy swimming to Zach without floaties! So proud!

Ethan loved his afternoon popsicle!

Spencer, Craig, and the kids eating their daily popsicle.

Ethan hanging out with Papa on the side of the pool.

Playing at an awesome park in Sea Pines.

A night out for ice cream!

Ethan LOVED Pierson's bumbo seat!

Carter, Ella Ann, and Seth went to play putt-putt with Zach one night. They loved it!

While taking these pictures I was getting so frustrated that the boys would not cooperate. Now, looking at this picture, I realize that it is perfect. A perfect depiction of my boys.

Papa and Nana and all the kiddos. Can you imagine how crazy the house is all week long!?!!?!?

Our last breakfast at the house before getting in the car for the dreaded 9 hour drive.

This kid was a mess on the way home. He did not travel well at all this time. I finally gave up and handed him my almost empty McDonalds drink. It kept him occupied for quite a while!

Happy Birthday, Ethan!!

2011-05-21T17:32:00.005-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby!!! I can't believe he is already 2 years old! I feel like it has gone by so fast, but at the same time it is hard to remember our life before this sweet boy. After his rough entry into the world, we feel SO blessed to see him healthy and thriving. We celebrated his special day today with our families and he had a great day. His absolute favorite thing to do is play outside and today he was blessed with a beautiful day! Before I go into details about his party, here are a few things about our sweet E at 2 years old:

He runs everywhere he goes. He is constantly trying to keep up with the two older boys. After waiting a long 17 months for him to walk, I am thrilled to see him running.
His vocabulary is still pretty limited. He will mimic what we say, but does say a few words on his own - mama, daddy, Se for Seth, Tarter for Carter, flower, ball, baseball, basketball, please, thank you, nana, papa, bye bye, shoe, ow (for a boo-boo), uh-oh. His only two word phrase is "where mama?" My older two were a little slow in vocabulary development as well, so I am not too concerned about this little munchkin. He'll get it!
He appears to be my most strong-willed child. He is very stubborn and will throw a fit if he is not happy about something. He knows what he wants and he is willing to fight for it.
He is pretty aggressive with his older brothers. I really think this is just a matter of survival. He learned to defend himself pretty early on. He can pretty much take Carter and Seth down if he wants to.
He has also been known to bite and pinch. I think we have pretty much stopped this, but it has taken a lot of time-outs and punishment. Thankfully, he has saved this for family members only and not out and about among our friends.
He is still such a snuggler. He loves to be held and rocked at night. He gives hugs and kisses constantly to anyone that will accept them. And they have to be kisses right on the mouth so beware! :)
He LOVES to play outside. He goes and gets his shoes constantly throughout the day and says, "side." He also loves the cicadas right now. He'll pick them up off the ground (dead or alive) and bring them to me. He is ALL boy!

Here are some pictures from his special day:

First, a few family pictures before the party begins (all the boys wore Mickey Mouse shirts).

We always take a picture with Mommy and Daddy for his birthday journal.

We celebrated his birthday with a Mickey Mouse theme.

Singing Happy Birthday to Ethan. He wouldn't touch his cake. Didn't eat a single bite. :(

Opening presents.

Playing with his new pirate water table. Carter helped Zach put it together this morning. The boys are going to LOVE this.

Playing with the super cool sprinkler Grandma and Grandpa gave him.

The boys love the bubble machine that Uncle Craig and Aunt Kasey gave Ethan. It blows tons of great bubbles!

Spending some time on his big wheel (from Nana and Papa) in the house. He was driving all over the place -loves it! This boy got some awesome gifts.

After the party we went to the creek in our neighborhood. It was Ethan's first time. I thought he would be a little overwhelmed and scared. Wrong - he walked right in and started filling his bucket with rocks, dirt, and water. The boys had SO much fun. I feel like I am a good "boy mom," but I draw the line at the creek. Too many bugs for me!

My baby getting right in there!

And the last event of the day - dinner. He chowed down on his corn on the cob, hamburger, and pasta salad. I guess he had worked up an appetite!

Happy Birthday sweet Ethan!!! We love you so much!!

Discovery Center

2011-05-13T14:46:00.004-06:00

Carter's Kindergarten class went on a field trip to the Discovery Center yesterday. Even though it is close, we have never been there. The first half of the trip, the kids were outside exploring different nature centers. Carter was excited because he got to touch a snake and a turtle. He also got to use a net to fish for minnows, tadpoles, and small fish. After a short break at the playground, the kids ate lunch before we headed inside. There were several places to explore inside. It is basically a hands-on museum for kids. Carter and his friends ran from one thing to the next for an hour before it was time to go home. It was a great trip! Carter has had such a good Kindergarten year. His teacher is amazing!!! I can't believe he is almost a 1st grader!

Carter trying to convince his friend that touching a snake is fun, not gross! :)

Carter and his good buddy. They held hands almost the entire time. At what age, is that not okay anymore? I think it is sweet. Zach really didn't. Who knows?

Carter tried really hard to catch something.

His entire class and teacher.

One quick picture before I was off to pick up the other boys.

Renaissance Festival

2011-05-13T14:37:00.003-06:00

After Carter's baseball game last Saturday, we went to the Renaissance Festival. Zach's mom and dad had heard about it and thought the boys would enjoy it. We were able to go inside a castle and see many other knights/swords, etc... I was amazed at the people that were dressed up and acting out this period of history. The boys loved the castle, camel rides, and shows. They also loved getting their pictures made with some of the characters. It was a lot of fun! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!

Carter and Seth loved the camel, but they wouldn't ride it without Daddy!

Seth and the knight.

Carter and the knight (can you imagine walking around in this all day???)

The boys at the castle.

Poor Ethan on the way home. Even though he missed his nap that day, he was really good!

Field Day

2011-05-13T14:33:00.004-06:00

Carter had Field Day last Friday at school. He was super excited that morning. Thanks to mom and dad, I was able to spend some time there with him. He had so much fun doing all the stations, but spent most of his time at the bouncy houses and inflatable slide. Here are a few pictures:

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T20:32:00.005-06:00

Easter morning:

The boys found their baskets in the playroom.

Seth was super excited about his new baseball glove.

Ethan loved his new foam sword!

The bug nets were definitely their favorite. It just doesn't take much to excite them. :) They have already been used. Carter spent 30 minutes outside today trying to catch bugs.

An hour later and dressed for church.

Seth was not happy because he didn't have flip-flops like Carter. He adores his big brother.

It looks like Ethan is happy here, but he really isn't. He was trying to run away so that he could go play. :)

Grandma and Grandpa

2011-04-24T20:24:00.003-06:00

On Saturday afternoon, Zach's parents came down to spend the afternoon. The boys were so excited to see them and spend time with them at our house. We spent most of the day playing outside. The weather was perfect! After playing, we spent some time dyeing Easter eggs on the deck. It was great to be able to do it outside and the boys had so much fun! Ethan even enjoyed it. After a while, he preferred to put his fingers in the dye instead of the eggs, so we knew it was time to stop. :) It was a great day!

Getting started.

Working hard.

Ethan got a lot of help from Grandma (and he needed it). You can tell he is really trying with that lip stuck out. :)

Trying to get a good picture of the boys with Grandma.

Egg Hunt

2011-04-24T19:52:00.006-06:00

On Saturday morning, our family attended an egg hunt hosted by a family at our church. It is always an amazing event and we look forward to it every year. This year Zach and I helped hide the eggs and the boys really enjoyed helping too. Well, except for Ethan. He followed me around trying to open every egg and dump out the candy. He didn't care much for hunting eggs, but he loved opening them.

While waiting for everyone to arrive, the kids play at the amazing playground at this house. It is big enough to have all 100 kids playing and not even feel crowded. :) My boys loved the trampoline. I don't think Carter left the trampoline the entire time. After playing for a while, we started the egg hunt. The boys collected so many eggs and loved opening all their eggs. After the hunt, there was a special lunch set up for all the little kids. Each child had an Easter basket at the table with their food inside. It was so nice! After lunch, my boys ran straight to the playground and stayed there until we came home. It was a great morning!

Ready to hunt!

Seth helping Ethan find some eggs.

Finding one on his own.

Such a big boy!

Seth was SO excited to see his best buddy, Cooper. Cooper's family was in town visiting family.

Friends!

Ethan didn't really know what to think about the Easter Bunny. He didn't cry, but he wouldn't let her touch him.

Trying to get a decent picture of all my boys.

Surprise!!

2011-04-22T19:53:00.004-06:00

Last weekend, my family and extended family threw my Nanny a surprise party to celebrate her 80th birthday. She was surprised and overwhelmed by the effort and thought. She was thrilled to see her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The kids had so much fun playing in the gym and especially enjoyed an egg hunt. We all enjoyed a yummy lunch together and then spent some time celebrating my Nanny. She has been an amazing example and presence in all our lives and we are so blessed to be a part of her family.

Nanny walking into the surprise party!

Nanny greeting Harrison, who came all the way from DC.

All the kiddos ready for their egg hunt.

Ethan and Harrison went straight for the suckers.

All the kids and their baskets full of treats.

Ethan really got into the egg hunt.

Carter enjoyed playing basketball with Uncle Craig.

Ethan loved all the riding toys...especially the helmet.

Seth, Ethan, and Carter love their new castle and toys. We stopped at a garage sale on our way up and the boys found this great deal. They love it!

We tried to get a good picture of Nanny and all the great-grandchildren. Poor little Harrison was SO tired and needed a nap, while Hadley just woke up. It isn't the best picture, but definitely a memory. :)

Trying to sneak in a family picture before heading home.

Spring Program

2011-04-16T18:36:00.003-06:00

Seth had his Spring Program last week at preschool. The theme was "Go into all the World." Each class focused on a different country/continent and sang songs relating to that country. They also said their memory verses. Seth's class focused on Asia. The first song they sang was "Jesus Loves Me" in Chinese. Seth had been practicing for weeks and loved it! They sang 4 other songs and Seth did great. It is so sweet to see him and his friends on stage singing about God. Here are a few pictures from his performance:

Playing with cousins

2011-04-16T18:21:00.005-06:00

Last weekend, Spencer, Katie, and their kids visited from Atlanta. Katie's college girlfriends were getting together in Franklin, so Spencer and the kids stayed with mom and dad. We missed Katie, but loved spending time with Spencer and the kids. Craig and Kasey came over as well and of course the kids loved playing with them. Craig bought new outside toys for the kids and they all loved their new water guns, bubbles, and balls. We had to pull Rane and Ethan inside at the end of the day...they had so much fun playing outside.

I love the pictures from this weekend. We didn't do anything special, just enjoyed a great weekend outside together. It was great!

Lazy day outside. The kids (and adults) really enjoyed their Happy Hour Sonic drinks. :)

They play so well together! I can't wait until they get to see each more often.

These two are going to be so close. They started playing together this weekend. So sweet!

I couldn't resist this picture of Rane. He played SO hard all day. He is all boy! (Hope you don't mind, Katie) :)

The big kids getting ready for their water gun fight!

First game of the season

2011-04-02T18:55:00.005-06:00

This morning Carter had his first baseball game of the season. It was a great day for a game! Seth and Ethan were thrilled to be there and played during the entire game. They did stop to watch the game for a few minutes. Carter got 3 hits and got on base twice. He played on the pitchers mound while we were on defense and got a few people out. He was thrilled! Zach loves coaching the team and does such a good job. We are looking forward to many more seasons of baseball!

Zach has let Carter pick our team name the last two years. Last year was the cardinals and this year the Rangers.

They did stop to watch Carter hit and run the bases.

Family Weekend

2011-03-02T20:29:00.005-06:00

Last weekend Spencer and Katie came to visit and show off their new little one. Little Pierson is SO cute and we all loved holding her and loving on her! Ethan was especially smitten with her and stayed in her face most of the time. He also loved sitting in her bouncy seat while she was napping in the pack-and-play. I'm amazed the seat is still standing. :)

After dinner together on Friday night, Carter, Seth, Ella-Ann, and Ethan all came back to our house to spend the night. The big kids were great and loved having a sleepover in Carter's room. They play SO well together.

On Saturday, we were blessed with a beautiful day. The entire family spent the day at Mom and Dad's house. We were able to spend a lot of time outside, which all the kids loved. My Uncle Mike, Uncle Wayne, Aunt Connie, and Nanny also came to visit and meet Pierson. It was a great day together.

Papa, Pierson, and Ethan

Little Miss Pierson (who I think looks just like Ella-Ann)

Seth, Carter, and Ella-Ann enjoying their oatmeal Saturday morning.

I love this picture! Like our other two boys, Ethan is obsessed with balls. He says the word "ball" about 200 times a day.

Rane, Seth, and Ethan playing in the mulch with Spencer and Craig's old tractors.

I'm not sure why Carter is in trouble here, but I thought the picture was funny.

Uncle Craig helping Ethan ride on the scooter.

Even though they fight like crazy, they really do well play together.

He really does think he is as big as Carter and Seth.

Our little monkey!

I know I have put way too many pics of Ethan on this post, but he was so much fun on Saturday. I love seeing him happy and playing outside.

Happy Birthday, Carter!!

2011-02-27T17:55:00.003-06:00

I know I am probably in denial, but I do not feel old enough to have a 6 year old! He is more than halfway done with his Kindergarten year and has grown up so much over the past year. We celebrated his birthday today at Chuck-e-Cheese with a few of his friends. He had so much fun and went to bed tonight completely exhausted from celebrating all weekend (more to come on that later).

A few things about Carter at 6 years old:

He is doing so well in school. His reading has really improved over the last month and he loves to practice every night. We read his Star Wars books together every night and they are definitely his favorite.
After a VERY rocky start to Kindergarten, he seems to love it now. He has met so many new friends and comes home talking about different kids he meets on the playground every week. He has a super sweet teacher and we are so thankful for his school.
He is still really into Star Wars. He loves to watch the movies and play with the figures.
He still doesn't play with toys very much. He does play with action figures, they seem to be the exception. He loves to work legos and play the wii. During the summer, he definitely prefers to be outside.
He is playing baseball for the 2nd year. Zach coaches his team and he loves it. It is his favorite sport right now.
Since starting Kindergarten, he has definitely developed more attitude. He constantly complains that he is bored and everything is boring. He also tells me I'm mean when he doesn't get his way. This has led to more discipline for him and more frustration for us but we know that it is normal at his age (at least that is what I'm telling myself). :)

LOVE this boy!

All smiles for his Daddy!

Seth's party

2011-02-18T19:54:00.009-06:00

For Seth's 4th birthday, he really wanted a party at Pump it Up. We have always celebrated his birthdays with family, so we felt like a big party with his friends would be perfect for this year. He had SO much fun! It was so fun to see him playing with all his friends. Here are some pictures of his big day!

The birthday boy!

Carter had so much fun, too!

Seth and Zach boxing in one of the jumpy houses.

Ethan had fun at first but very quickly became intimidated by all the other kids bouncing around him. He wanted to be held the rest of the party.

The whole group.

Seth chose a Batman theme. He loved his Batman cake!

He didn't know what to think of everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to him.

He could not wait to open his presents!

Ethan really wanted in the chair, too.

Grandma and Nana both getting time with their grandsons.

Seth had such a great day!

Happy Birthday, Seth!!

2011-02-07T14:01:00.004-06:00

Seth has been counting the days until his 4th birthday. He is in such a hurry to grow up - mostly because he wants to be just like Carter. We celebrated his party yesterday at Pump It Up, an inflatable party place. He had so much fun! I loved watching him interact and play with his friends, although he played the most with his Daddy. Zach is so good about getting in there and playing with him - sliding down the slides, playing basketball in the bouncy house, running through the obstacle course, etc... (I think Zach had as much fun as Seth. :)

A few things about Seth at 4 years old:

He is so funny! He is our family clown (although I feel Ethan is going to get him a run for his money on this title). He always makes us laugh and does the funniest things. Yesterday he asked (for the millionth time) if he was 4 yet. I told him no, not yet. He said, "Good, because being 4 means swimming lessons and shots." :) When he walked in my room this morning, I told him happy birthday. He said, "Am I 4? Right now?" I assured him he was. He looked himself up and down, trying to see if he had grown now that he is four. He told that he definitely felt bigger. :)
He never stops talking. Our car is never quiet. He is always asking a question, telling a story, or singing a song.
His favorite movie is "Lion King" (still). He really doesn't care too much about TV. He'll watch it, but is easily distracted. His absolute favorite thing to do right now is play the Wii. He would play forever if I let him.
He loves Batman and all superheros. He informed me yesterday that all the superheroes are just pretend. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Except Superman, Mommy, he is definitely real."
He is my most picky eater. Once a week or so, he doesn't eat dinner because he doesn't like what we have (and I refuse to make 2 dinners). He eats like a bird at lunch, but eats a pretty good breakfast. He also started refusing milk last month. I tried forcing him to drink it every morning for a while and that didn't work. Now, all he drinks is water and a cup of juice a day. He still eats a lot of dairy in the form of yogurt and cheese.
He still LOVES to wrestle with his Daddy.
He LOVES to be outside and asks often when it is going to be warm enough to play outside.
He loves to be at home. He loves school (once he gets there), but it is usually a battle in the morning. He prefers to stay at home and play.

Catch up!

2011-02-04T21:01:00.007-06:00

Like everyone else, we have been battling so much illness this winter. Two double ear infections, RSV, one ruptured eardrum, fever virus, and the list goes on. Thankfully (for right now), we are all well. I hesitate to write that because it is really important for us to stay well the next few days. Sunday is Seth's birthday party and Monday is his birthday. He is super excited!

We have had so much snow and cold weather this month. Carter has been out of school for 5 days this winter already. The weather has kept us indoors and the boys have played a lot of Wii. It was definitely the best Christmas present for the boys. Ethan doesn't play, but he is right there with his wheel everytime the boys play. It is really cute!

Last week, Zach took the boys to the Lipscomb/Belmont game on Tuesday night. They LOVED it. Carter stood the entire game and cheered. It was a great game - Lipscomb came back and won the game! On Friday, we took Carter and Seth to another game (Ethan stayed with Mom and Dad). We met some of our friends for dinner in the student center (wow - so much nicer than it was back in 1995! :) It was Star Wars night and the boys were so excited to wear their costumes to the game. It was a lot of fun!

Our clone trooper and Darth Vader with Boba Fett (their favorite!).

Carter and Jackson with a storm trooper.

By this point, the boys were so hyper. It was impossible to get a good picture. I have no idea what Seth is doing. :)

Last weekend, we were blessed with amazing weather. The temperature reached the mid-60s on Saturday and Sunday. We spent a lot of time outside. The boys had so much fun. It was so fun to see Ethan outside playing. He didn't start walking until November so he hasn't experienced outside play on 2 legs. :) He was obsessed with throwing balls to Carter and Seth. Makes me look forward to summer with these 3!

I tried to get some really cute face shots, but it turned silly pretty fast!

Snow!

2011-01-11T20:19:00.004-06:00

Sunday night we received 4 inches of snow overnight. In light of the forecast, schools were cancelled before we went to bed Sunday night. Carter was thrilled to have a day off (and I was too). When the boys woke up Monday morning they were super excited to see all the snow outside. Zach's company closed for the day as well.

The boys (and Zach) had a lot of fun outside. Ethan was really excited to get out in the snow as well, although he didn't make it very long. He just wanted to be held and when Zach put him down he screamed. I brought him in after 15 minutes. I got his wet clothes off and wrapped him in a blanket and sat him in his anywhere chair. He sat there and didn't move for 20 minutes. The other boys stayed out for another 45 minutes. The snow made excellent snowballs and Carter and Seth loved throwing them at Zach. After the snowball fight, they each built a mini snowman.

Carter in action.

Seth in action.

Daddy and Ethan.

Zach and his boys.

They were very proud of their snowmen.

I had to include this one of Ethan. He LOVES to dress up! He wore this cape for quite a while.

Christmas!

2010-12-30T20:41:00.009-06:00

The week before Christmas, Seth had his preschool Christmas program. The kids love wearing their Christmas pajamas to school for the program. Seth has been practicing his songs for weeks. He was very excited to be on stage and sing! My mom and Zach's mom were able to come to the program and that was a big help with Ethan. He is quite a handful these days. He did enjoy watching the kids sing and was pretty good during the program. It was a very sweet program.

Seth is on the top row in the middle (I forgot to put on my zoom lens).

Seth and his good buddy, Ansley. They love each other!

The next day Carter had his class Christmas party at school. Mom stayed in town an extra day to keep Seth and Ethan (siblings are not allowed at school parties). Thank you, Mom! Carter had so much fun at the party and was especially happy that he got to leave school once the party ended. He does enjoy school, but is always ready for a day off. :) I forgot to take my camera, so I don't have any pictures of this event.

The Saturday before Christmas we went to Hendersonville to celebrate Christmas with Zach's parents. We had a great day together! The boys had so much fun opening all their presents and then playing with everything. Carter and Seth both got Star Wars lego sets. I'm not sure who enjoyed putting them together more - Zach or the boys. :) We stayed all day and left after dinner. All the boys slept on the way home.

Ethan got the hang of opening presents quickly. He loved tearing the paper!

Seth wasn't quite himself that day. He stayed in my lap most of the day. However, he loved opening his presents and playing with his new toys.

Carter opening up his Star Wars lego set. He was very excited!

Seth and Daddy putting together his lego set.

On Christmas Eve, we spent the day with my family. Mom fixed a great lunch and we all had a few more presents to open. Carter was thrilled with his snow globe, Seth was excited about his battle zhu-zhu pets, and Ethan loved his new, big chair. Our entire family went to the Christmas Eve service at church that night. This is one of my favorite traditions. I love the magic of that night. This year was extra special because Carter participated by singing Joy to the World with several of his friends.

Ethan in his new chair.

Carter and his snow globe.

All the boys helping Uncle Craig open his present.

Mom excited to get another gift card.

Decorating cookies for Santa with the boys. Why am I the only one smiling in this picture?

I love this picture of Carter.

Such a true depiction of Seth. Can you tell he ate more frosting than he put on the cookies?

His two favorite things right now - his paci and his dog lovey. He won't go to sleep without both.

Ethan is a Papa's boy!

After the service, we rushed home to eat dinner and get ready for Santa to come. The boys hung up their stockings, set out cookies for Santa, and got ready for bed. Even though they were so excited, they went to sleep easily. I was very thankful! :)

Family picture after the Christmas Eve service.

Carter was up at 5:30 ready to go downstairs. Ugh. This was especially early for Zach and I since we had been up most of the night with Ethan. He slept very little and it made for a very early morning. I made Carter stay in bed until 6:30, but he did not go back to sleep. We let him wake up Seth and Ethan and made our way downstairs. It is so much fun to see Christmas through their eyes. I love watching them explore everything that Santa left for them. They were super excited to see the Wii that Santa brought.

They spent most of the morning playing the wii and were super excited when Zach's side of the family got here to celebrate. Zach's mom and dad, aunt, uncle, and cousins came down to spend the day. We had a lot of fun playing the wii, playing with the boys' new toys and just visiting with each other. Unbelievably, not a single picture was taken after Christmas morning. I guess we were so busy that we never even thought about it!

Seth got a dragon fortress (pictured), Star Wars tank and figures, Hidden Picture book, scarf, hat, mittens, and several other things in his stocking.

Carter loved his new Nerf gun, Star Wars ship and figures, math workbooks, Clone Wars Tag book, mittens, and other things in his stocking.

Wow - Ethan's hair is crazy! It was such a rough night! Ethan loved his new dump truck, books, zhu-zhu pets, and stocking stuffers.

Ethan carrying around his sippy cup in his new dump truck.

Mom and Dad came over Christmas morning to see all the boys' new toys. I got this cute shot before they headed back home for the day.

Christmas Happenings

2010-12-15T20:15:00.009-06:00

Just like everyone else, we have been very busy over the last few weeks. We have had so much fun participating in several of our favorite Christmas traditions. One of the boys recent favorites is the Elf on the Shelf. The boys rush down the steps every morning to see where "Elfie" (their Elf on the Shelf) landed after visiting Santa. They love this! Earlier this month, Seth thought he would test the rules and decided to touch Elfie (a big no-no for those that are not familiar with the story). According to the book, if you touch the Elf he may lose his magic powers. Carter (our rule follower) was very upset. Seth was pretty proud of himself because Elfie didn't disappear when he was touched. To teach our little stinker a lesson, we put Elfie away and left a note from Santa. When I read it to the boys, their eyes were as wide as saucers. When I finished, Carter immediately pointed to Seth and said, "He did it." Needless to say, Elfie has not been bothered since. :)

Here are some pictures of our recent Christmas events:

We always visit Santa at our Children's Minister's house. The boys love going every year. I knew I would be in the picture because there was no way Ethan was going to get in Santa's lap. Ethan is still going through major separation anxiety.

Sunday night was our church's Dinner at Bethlehem. Unfortunately, we had major snow on Sunday afternoon (4 inches). Nashville does not handle snow well at all. The kids were able to perform their drama but all the other events of the night were canceled. This picture background was set up by a very talented photographer, so I snapped this quick picture before we headed out for our SLOW drive home. :)

Carter (the cow) and his buddy, Lyla waiting for the drama to begin. They sang "Away in a Manger" as part of the drama. They did so good!

The only picture I got to take. I had Ethan and Seth (Zach was part of the drama) and they were tired of sitting. Ethan was hard to handle, so I barely got to watch the drama much less take pictures. I was proud of my little cow, though. He did great!

The good part about the snow was playing outside! Can you tell they were excited!?!?!

If you even knew how silly he really is... :)

The whole gang!

Ethan pretty much stood just like this until he decided this was not for him. He wanted to stay outside but only if I would hold him. It was freezing (about 18 degrees), so we didn't stay long.

Seth had his preschool party on Tuesday. He loved decorating his tree ornament.

Ethan loves sitting at the table with the big kids.

Carter's Kindergarten class built gingerbread houses this morning. I was able to go and help and had so much fun!

Carter and his buddy, Grace, working hard on their houses.

The finished product!

Stay tuned for Seth's Christmas Program, Carter's class party, Christmas with the Evans' and of course, Christmas Day!

Early Christmas

2010-12-06T20:22:00.006-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated Christmas with my family. My sister-in-law and brother are due with their third child in 4 weeks so they will not be able to travel around Christmas this year. I have to admit that it was nice to spread out the celebrations a little bit. We had a great weekend and really enjoyed our time together. The boys had been looking forward to the weekend the entire week. Seth would ask every morning if Rane and Ella-Ann were coming today. When I finally told him yes on Friday, he was ecstatic! He would not take a nap because he couldn't calm down. :)

On Friday night, we went to Mom and Dad's house to eat dinner and open gifts. Although I enjoy hosting at my house, I will admit, it was SO nice to be at someone else's house and have a break! Spencer brought a fuse-ball table from Atlanta (he bought it and doesn't have room to store it yet). Craig and Spencer put it together in Mom and Dad's living room. I'm not sure that Mom loved it, but Carter was so excited!! I think he drove Spencer and Craig crazy playing that game. Everyone is trying to convince me to put it in my dining room for a month or two. I'm tempted, but I know it would drive me nuts. Carter would be thrilled though so I have to consider it. :)

The kids LOVED opening their presents and were excited with each gift. They had so many favorites. All of the kids spent the night with Mom and Dad that night. I think it was pretty crazy. How could it not be with two 1-year olds, a 3-year old, and 2 5-year olds! The kids were up at 5:45 for the day. At my house, Spencer, Katie, Zach, and I enjoyed a peaceful night without kids. We actually had an uninterrupted, good night's sleep! :) Thanks, Mom and Dad!

On Saturday, we spent some time at Mom and Dad's house and at our house. The big kids played a million games of Star Wars Guess Who and the little ones attempted to share their toys (big emphasis on the word attempted). We put the kids down right at 7 and did not hear a peep. They were so exhausted!

Spencer, Katie, and the kids left on Sunday morning and we were so sad to see them go. Next time we see them, we will have a new little niece to love on! I can't wait! I am hopeful for the day when we will all be close together. Despite being three weeks early, we had a great weekend celebrating Christmas together!

They love each other!

Carter and Seth right in the middle of the big guys!

Carter opening up "How to Train your Dragon". He is very excited about our next family movie night. :)

Seth got Batman sheets for his new full size bed. Carter got Star Wars sheets. You wouldn't think they would be excited about sheets, but Seth couldn't wait to take a nap today!

Ethan loves to wear any kind of glasses - goggles, sunglasses, etc... He immediately grabbed Rane's new work goggles and modeled them for everyone.

The boys opening their pillow pets. They have been asking for these for a long time!

My sweet boy opening his dog pillow pet.

After opening all those new presents, what did they want to play with the next day? The boxes, of course! Rane and Seth were in the other box.

Cutie!

All the kids doing art on Saturday. About 5 minutes after this request, Ethan and Rane had to leave the table because they kept putting everything in their mouth!

Dad sat down with a piece of red velvet cake on Saturday night. He didn't even take a bite before Rane and Ethan were on top of him begging for bites.

All of the cousins on Sunday morning before church. I think 4 of 5 looking at the camera is pretty good!

My little monster

2010-11-18T21:08:00.002-06:00

What a cutie! I couldn't resist snapping these pictures of Ethan in his new shirt. He doesn't get many new clothes. With two big brothers, pretty much everything he wears has been passed down. I love seeing him in new clothes (probably because I am tired of seeing the same clothes over and over again). But I'll be honest and say that this shirt definitely fits his personality right now. He is proving to be my most difficult toddler. Carter and Seth definitely had their issues (such as, crying for their first 4 months of life). Ethan was an EASY baby. I guess I am receiving payback now. :) He is into everything. I pull him out of the trash can, and he gets into the pantry. While I'm cleaning up the pantry, he is pulling every single ziploc bag out of the box (think about 200 bags). After the bags, he moves to the dishclothes, tupperware, bibs, etc... Pretty much anything that isn't locked up or closed off (all bathroom doors remain closed at all times), he is into. I know this is normal and I know it will change soon enough. I try to keep that in mind everyday when I am cleaning up the same thing for the 10th time that day. I guess that is life with a toddler. :)

He is super sweet though. He will snuggle anytime. He loves to be read to and will push anybody out of my lap if he wants in. He loves to be rocked and will cuddle up with his blanket and paci anytime he is ready to rest. Despite his normal toddler behaviors, I LOVE my little monster.

He looks so much like Carter in this picture.

What you can't tell from these pictures is that I was being chased by Ethan the entire time I was trying to take his picture. Now that he can walk, he kept walking towards the camera and trying to grab it. They are not the greatest pictures but capture his personality right now.

I just realized that you can't really see the monster on his shirt. He was insistent on carrying around his new Rudolph animal. Oh well, he is still a cutie!

Halloween weekend

2010-11-07T20:23:00.006-06:00

I am finally getting around to updating the blog about our Halloween weekend. The boys had been SO excited about trick-or-treating and walking around the neighborhood. Halloween is such a fun day with kids! But before we get to Sunday, I want to share some pictures about Carter's soccer team party the day before.

This is Carter's second season of soccer. To say that this year has been a better experience is a HUGE understatement. Carter did so well this season and really got into the game. He even scored several goals. He was also super excited to have several little boys from his school (and even his class) on his team. What a blessing to get to know those boys and their families better. On Saturday, his team (the Lightsabers) celebrated the end of the season with lunch at Shane's Rib Shack. Carter could not wait to get his trophy (his first).

Go, Carter!

The whole crew, with the little siblings at the end of the table. They really wanted to be a part of everything. :)

Coach Paul handing Carter his trophy.

So proud!

The first of many trophies

On Halloween day, Zach's parents came down after church. The boys were so excited to see them and spend some time carving pumpkins outside. The weather was so nice. Each of the boys had their own pumpkin and Carter even carved his own this year (with a special knife). He was so proud! Seth and Ethan lost interest pretty quick, but still enjoyed being outside with the family.

Scooping out those seeds...

He was very careful not to touch anything!

Seth asking Daddy for some help.

He worked so hard on his pumpkin.

Ethan pretty much snacked the entire time. :)

On Halloween night, we went over to our friends' house to trick-or-treat. This has become somewhat of an annual tradition and we really enjoy celebrating with our friends. The boys love having friends with them. They got so much candy and had so much fun. They were not ready to come home and go to bed but as soon as they hit the bed, they were sound asleep. :)

So excited to finally get dressed and ready to go!

Ethan would not stay still...

The boys with their Grandma and Grandpa after carving pumpkins.

Our trick-or-treating gang ready to go!

Trunk or Treat

2010-10-25T20:38:00.004-06:00

On Sunday night, we attended Trunk-or-Treat at our church. This is a huge annual event and one of my favorite nights of the year. Carter and Seth were so excited to get dressed up, see their friends, and get some candy! Our LIFE group hosted a "trunk" this year. We set up a background and took pictures of the kids and their families. It turned out really nice and I think everyone liked getting their picture made. It was really fun to see all the kids in their costumes.

Our LIFE group "trunk." Ethan was a purple dragon, Seth was Superman (or as he referred to himself, SuperSeth) and Carter was Bumblebee.

Our little dragon. It was so warm outside, Ethan didn't even wear the top half of his costume most of the night. It was still 80 degrees at 7pm.

Love these two boys! Cooper (and his family) were back in town for Trunk-or-Treat. It was great to see them and Seth was thrilled to see his best friend!

I don't even want to talk about the amount of candy Ethan ate. He has such a temper and I really didn't want to fight with him last night. He would only stay in the stroller if we were moving or he was eating. On a positive note, he is starting to walk more. I think he will be SO much happier when he can run around with his brothers (I know I will be!).

Gentry's Farm

2010-10-25T20:22:00.003-06:00

Last Friday, Carter had his first Kindergarten field trip. All the Kindergarten classes went to Gentry's Farm, a local pumpkin patch. I was blessed to be able to attend since Zach's mom offered to keep the two little boys. Thank you, Allenna! It was the perfect day for a fall field trip. I don't know hardly any of the kids in Carter's class or the parents, so it was a nice opportunity to get to know some new people.

Despite Carter's rocky start to school, he loves school now. I am so thankful! It was SOOOO hard to send him to school every morning when he was upset. There were several mornings that he would not get out of the car. It broke my heart. It is such a relief to hear him say that he loves school. He has a sweet class and a great teacher.

Here are some pictures from our field trip:

Carter's class. He is in the back row, 4th from the left.

Trying to find that perfect pumpkin.

Done!

This picture is random, but I wanted to include it on my blog. Ethan is enjoying his first cookie on a stick (made by my friend, Megan). To say that Ethan loved the cookie is a huge understatement. :) He worked on that cookie forever. This boy LOVES to eat!

Fall Break

2010-10-21T20:25:00.004-06:00

While Carter and Seth were on fall break, the boys and I traveled to Owensboro to see my parents. On Sunday afternoon, we spent a couple of hours at the Apple Festival, an annual festival that we have attended for the past several years. The boys love that kind of thing and enjoyed another day outside. I spent most of the time nauseous after Seth made me ride the spinning dinosaurs with him (think tea-cups). Ugh. We got stuck with two pre-teen girls that spun our car the entire time. Seth loved the rides. Carter loved the apple slider (a huge tube slide) that he did about 30 times. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera so I don't have any pictures from the festival.

On Monday, we went shopping, out to lunch, and to the park. The boys had so much fun at the park. Ethan was wild. Even though he is still not walking (very frustrating), he wanted to play just like everyone else. The boy had mulch EVERYWHERE. He climbed on every play structure and even went down the big slides. He refused to have help and wanted to do it all himself. He is so strong-willed. I wish I had though to get him on video with my phone. It was so funny!

On Tuesday, we left to come home. On our way home we went to my Nanny's house for a few hours. The boys always enjoy visiting with her. It was a great day!

Mr. Stubborn climbing up the steps.

Carter was very proud of himself.

Seth coming down the slide.

And Ethan trying to go up the slide. :)

Walden Farms

2010-10-21T20:05:00.004-06:00

This past weekend we went to Walden Farms in Smyrna, Tennessee. We usually visit Gentry's Farm, but decided to do something different this year. The boys were so excited and the weather was absolutely perfect! Carter and Seth loved the hay maze and did it several times together. Ethan was thrilled to be outside. They all enjoyed the petting zoo and seeing the different animals. Carter even fed the animals. The boys picked out their pumpkins and can't wait to carve them this weekend.

I was so excited to spend my birthday with my 4 favorite boys!

Seth on the hayride.

Ethan LOVED the hayride!

Carter on the hayride.

So sweet! Ethan just started kissing Carter. He leaned over several times and kissed him over and over. Precious!

I already have my "Strong-Willed Child" book reserved for Ethan. Can you see his temper in this picture???

Trying to find the perfect pumpkin.

Lately...

2010-09-28T19:20:00.005-06:00

Since school started about a month ago, time has flown by. The weeks and months always seemed to go by fast, but now I am amazed at how quickly the weeks pass. I can only assume it is because we are so much busier. Carter has adjusted to school and seems to enjoy going every day. He loves his teacher and has made friends in his class. Seth is doing well in preschool. He loves his teachers and is excited to go on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Ethan has had a hard time adjusting to the boys being gone. He has become extremely attached to me. He doesn't play as well when they are not home. Poor little guy just misses his brothers.

Here are some pictures from the last two weeks.

Carter started his second season of soccer a few weeks ago. His team is named the Lightsabers (which, of course, Carter loves).

Carter (#2) about to score his first goal!

Score!

Love him!

Ethan is still not walking, but now pushes everything around the house. This little wagon is one of his favorites.

Carter rode the bus home for the first time. He got off one stop too early, but otherwise, really liked it!

Such a big boy!

Ethan is my climber. He climbs on and into everything.

Our little cowboy. The last day of spirit week involved each student dressing up.

Our little Cookie Monster!

Reunited

2010-09-13T19:12:00.010-06:00

This past weekend, Zach, Carter, Seth, and I traveled to Sevierville, Tennessee to reunite with some of our best friends. Ethan stayed back in Franklin with my parents for the weekend. We went to the Wilderness at the Smokies. It was such an awesome facility and we loved getting to spend time with our friends again. Carter and Seth could not wait to see Ella and Cooper. Seth has asked about his little best friend almost daily since they moved. They have shared letters back and forth and poor little Seth was very upset last week when he came home from school and realized Cooper was not in his class (he was last year).

We arrived at the hotel around 8 Friday night. Of course, the kids wanted to go to the indoor water park that night. We let them go for about an hour before bed. They were so excited and it took forever to get them to sleep. They were up by 7 on Saturday morning ready to play. They enjoyed playing in our hotel rooms until the water park opened. They loved the bunk beds and spent a lot of time jumping around on the beds. At 9am we headed to the indoor water park (it was pouring rain outside so we couldn't visit the outdoor pools). The kids played in the wave pool, went down the water slides, and played in a regular pool.

Around 2 on Saturday, the skies cleared and we were able to visit the outdoor pool area. It was so nice to get outside and enjoy another part of the water park. The outdoor area was awesome. It had great water slides, a hot tub, a kids splash area, as well as a regular pool. All of the kids (minus Seth) loved going down the outside water slides. After spending a couple of hours outside, we went in to get ready for dinner. We ate at The Apple Barn. The kids were treated to a special treat at the candy store after dinner. We took some time after dinner to take a few group pictures. After dinner, we played bananagrams and watched some football before bed.

On Sunday, we spent a couple of hours at the indoor water park before it was time to check out. Zach and Clay tried body surfing (pics to come soon) while the kids cheered them on. :) We ate lunch together on our way out of town. It was a great weekend and we hope to do it again next year!

Carter on the tube in the wave pool.

Seth and Cooper hanging out together taking a rest.

Poor Seth! Zach and I misunderstood each other when talking about taking Seth down this slide. I asked him to take Seth down the slide and he thought I just meant send him down the slide. The poor kid cried and screamed the whole way down. He got completely turned around and ended up coming down on his back head first. I felt so bad for him!

After the sliding ordeal...

Zach and Carter coming out of the tube water slide.

Zach and the boys in the hot tub. They loved the hot tub!

My sweet Seth!

My big boy Carter!

Carter loved this water slide.

They love each other and play so well together.

Silly faces!

Group shot!

The kids - hanging out outside of The Apple Barn.

The adults - hanging out outside of The Apple Barn.

Our family (minus Ethan)

Seth's first day

2010-09-07T18:43:00.004-06:00

Today was Seth's first day of preschool. He loved school last year and has anxiously been waiting for his first day to come. Since Carter's first day was three weeks ago, I have enjoyed some time with just Seth and Ethan over the last few weeks. I have really enjoyed it. I was happy for Seth to start to school this morning because he was ready but there was also a big part of me that was sad to see him go. I am really missing my two big boys!! Before I get really emotional about this and go on and on about how long the school day is, I will just stop typing and put some cute pics up of my boys. :)

Seth at Sneak-a-Peak last week. He colored almost the entire time.

Poor Ethan - we walked in the church door and he started crying! (This boy does not like leaving his mama right now.) After I got him calmed down, he started playing and made a friend. Seth's classmate played with Ethan almost the entire time. Sweet!

Our big 3 year old!

Best friends! I promise one of these days Ethan will be able to walk and stand up and get in some of these pictures. :)

Seth and his two teachers. He is very excited about having the same teachers Carter had at this age (and so am I)!

The Zoo

2010-09-04T19:13:00.003-06:00

Today was an absolutely perfect day at our house. The weather here was amazing (mid 70s and sunny with no humidity). We spent the morning at the zoo, ate a picnic lunch, came home for nap, washed/cleaned the cars, and took a 45 minute walk in the neighborhood with Carter riding his bike while Seth and Ethan rode in the wagon. It was so nice to be outside most the day and all three boys loved spending that much time outdoors. It has been SO hot lately, that we haven't been outside much and today was a much needed break in the heat. It makes me very excited for the fall.

Here are some pictures from our trip to the zoo.

Look at those cheeks!

My sweet baby boy!

The giraffes were so close today. The boys were excited to see them up close.

The zoo opened a new flamingo exhibit. The boys really enjoyed it (and so did Zach and I)!

Go Titans!

2010-09-04T18:50:00.005-06:00

On Thursday night, Zach, his Dad, Carter, and Seth were able to go see one of the Titans' preseason games. The boys have been so excited about the game! Zach's dad was able to get them great seats and even got to go with them this year (Only Carter and Zach went last year). I dropped the boys off with Allenna on Thursday afternoon and she walked them across the walking bridge to the stadium to meet Zach. I'm pretty sure that Seth ate the entire game and enjoyed all the stadium snack foods. Since it was Carter's first full week of Kindergarten, they left the game during the third quarter to get home before 10 (super late for my kids!). While I was putting Carter to bed, he told me that he ate too much sugar that night and ate "probably 35 snacks". :) Evidently, he thought he was in heaven at the game!

These pictures are not great quality, but they show how much fun everyone had.

Showing off the game pin they each picked out.

Seth and Grandpa

Carter and Grandpa

Daddy and his boys!

First day of Kindergarten

2010-08-24T19:46:00.005-06:00

Today was Carter's first day of Kindergarten. I seriously cannot believe this time has come. I know he is ready, but it is definitely hard to think about him spending more time at school than with me. Carter has been really excited for school all summer but over the last few days he has become pretty nervous. Thankfully, when he woke up this morning, he was very excited to go to school!

We arrived at Hunters Bend for his half day at 9am. All the students went to the cafeteria first and waited for their teacher to walk them to class. As soon as we walked in, Carter saw 3 of his preschool buddies. Although they will not be in the same Kindergarten class, it was still comforting to see people that we know. He felt very comfortable once he sat down with them. I was so thankful!

Mrs. Larson walked us to the classroom and Carter found his cubby and started exploring the classroom. He was very excited and wasn't upset at all for us to leave. It wasn't too hard for me since he was so happy. I know if he had cried, I would have been really upset. I hope and pray that he continues to love school! We are very excited about his Kindergarten year.

All dressed up!

My blue-eyed boy!

Ethan loves his big brother!

All the boys!

Carter and his preschool buddies - Kate, Margaret, and Lyla.

Carter and Mrs. Larson.

Seth and I made cookies for Carter to have after his first day of school.

When discussing Carter's first day, I asked him what he learned about today. He very calmly turned to me and said, "Well, I didn't learn to read yet." :) Can you tell he is ready to read?

Family Reunion 2010

2010-08-22T15:37:00.007-06:00

This past Saturday my extended family gathered for our annual family reunion. This includes my entire family (Dad, Mom, brothers and their families), my grandmother, my aunts and uncles, and all my cousins and their children. This year we had 8 kids 5 years old and under, and Clisty, such a great helper with all these kids. Whew! It made for a very FUN day! My mom and Aunt Connie rented a bouncy house for all the kids. It was great! Although we all took turns bouncing with the kids, Uncle Craig definitely gets the prize for being the most fun! The kids constantly begged him to get in there with him and he almost always obliged. Thank you, Craig!

In addition to the bouncy house, we played cornhole, baseball, rode bicycles/tricycles, played a little basketball, ran through the sprinkler, and ate a lot of good food. We were blessed with good weather and basically spent the entire day outside until supper. Ethan had a great day crawling around in the grass and playing outside. He was so happy all day long, despite the fact that he never got a nap! I don't think Carter and Seth stopped playing all afternoon. After eating a small supper (too stuffed from a big lunch), we drove home. Little Ethan was asleep 3 minutes after pulling out of the driveway! Seth followed pretty quickly while Carter and Ella Ann stayed awake in the backseat of the van. We had no problem with bedtime. They were all asleep instantly!

Where they spent most of the day!

Ethan having so much fun!

My boys and Uncle Craig. They LOVE him!

Ethan and Clisty. He loved having Clisty carry him around.

I wish I were closer but I loved this picture of Spencer and Rane riding tricycles. So cute!

Ethan playing a little cornhole. :) He would grab a beanbag, climb up, and put it in the hole.

Where Ethan stayed most of the day. He was either down in the grass or standing up between someone's legs. By the way, this onesie is in the trash. There is NO way I can get all the stains out. :)

Seth really wanted to include his silly face. Can you tell that he is the clown of our family? :)

The big kids watching Max and Ruby while we fix their dinner. They were SO tired at this point.

All of the babies got baths before we headed home. Randomly, Danielle, Katie, and I all bought these outfits for our babies this summer (not planned). After we realized (through pictures) that they all had the same outfit, we thought it would be cute to get a picture of these cute little blond headed babies together (Harrison, Ethan, and Rane). Aren't they adorable? Can't wait to have them play more together next year!

A continuation of the baby photo shoot. I love this picture of Rane just chillin' in the chair. What a big boy!

Our little happy (LOUD) baby. I love that the other boys are wondering what is going on with Ethan.

Carter starts Kindergarten Tuesday. I'm not sure whether I'll cry or not...stay tuned! Hopefully, I'll have pictures up on Tuesday night.

Summer

2010-08-13T19:38:00.006-06:00

I can hardly believe that summer is almost over. At least our summer at home all together. Carter went for Kindergarten testing yesterday and has one more week at home before he starts school. He is SO excited and honestly, so am I. I am sad that he will be away from me so much, but I feel like he is ready and needs this. It will be a hard adjustment, but I am so excited to get involved at his school and watch him learn. I guess it is the teacher in me. :)

Since I have been rather lazy updating the blog this summer, I am going to post several pictures chronicling our summer. We have enjoyed many pool days, play dates, and lazy days at home. Although we spent a lot of time at the pool, I don't have any pictures. It is hard enough to keep track of three kids at the pool, I definitely don't have the time to take pictures. :)

Fourth of July get together. The kids loved the sparklers. There was so much smoke in the backyard!

Trying to get a picture of Seth and Ethan. I couldn't get either one of them to sit still. :)

The whole gang of kids!

I don't know what it is with boys and guns, swords, bombs, etc... Both of my boys are obsessed. I am convinced this is normal with all boys because I definitely haven't encouraged it. These cowboy guns are their latest favorites.

This sweet boy wears me out daily. I love him to pieces, but he is into EVERYTHING. I feel like I am constantly pulling him out of the fireplace, trash can, shoe bench, steps, bathroom, etc... Another of Ethan's favorite places...

He loves to climb on the train table and throw everything off. Then he screams until we help him down. What a mess!

A couple of weeks ago, we woke up to find one of the big trees in our backyard split down the middle during the night. It landed right on our swing set, but thankfully, did not damage it. Zach and a friend spent the entire afternoon chopping down the branch and cleaning up the backyard. It was a big job!

Another view of the tree. I wasn't happy when I saw this picture. I'm not sure why Zach let the boys hang out underneath the tree, but I guess that is one of the differences between a mom and a dad.

Zach and Carter ready to go play golf. Carter had so much fun and I know Zach did as well. I think they look so much alike in this picture.

The boys love playing in the sprinkler. This has been one of their favorite things this summer.

My big Kindergartner!

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-26T19:17:00.005-06:00

This past weekend, we traveled to Owensboro to spend time with my family. My parents recently sold their house and are in the process of moving closer to us here in Franklin. I am SO excited about this! Although the transition will be hard for everyone (especially them), I think they will be happy here. Owensboro has been their home for so long and where my brothers and I grew up. It is a great place to raise a family and I will always think of it as home. However, having everyone close and able to spend more time together will be a huge blessing.

Mom and Dad were also keeping Rane this weekend (Spencer and Katie were at the lake with her family). It was a lot of fun to watch Ethan and Rane together. They are only 4 months apart. They definitely checked each other out several times and even battled over a toy or two. I imagine these two will be pretty close as they grow up (at least, I hope so!).

We were able to go over and see Zach's sister, Brooke, and her family this weekend as well. They recently moved into a new house and the boys loved seeing the girls' new rooms! They also loved playing the Wii with their cousins. It was really nice to spend some time together.

We spent a lot of the weekend helping mom and dad pack. Carter has been asking and waiting for weeks to help them with this. He loves to help and is really excited about his Nana and Papa being closer. We got a lot of boxes packed up and brought an entire van full of boxes back with us to Franklin. I know there is a lot more to do, but hopefully we helped out a little.

Carter and Papa packing boxes in the garage on Saturday morning. While they were busy packing, this is what Seth was up to...

playing in all the cars. He loved Dad's car and climbing around in the van, too.

After naptime, I walked out to find the boys learning how to change the oil in Papa's car. So funny!

Meanwhile, inside, Rane and Ethan were having fun singing nursery rhymes with Nana.

These two were into everything. I think they were trying to climb up the empty bakers rack in this picture. (I love that they both have curls!)

So cute with "bed head" after their naps. :) (Katie, this picture reminds me of Ella Ann...I remember her always squatting like this when she was little!)

Nana and Ethan after church on Sunday.

The next few pictures are from our last trip to Owensboro. The boys and I spent a week there while Zach was out of town for work.

Papa and his two shadows. If he is home, they are usually right there with him. You can't tell in this picture, but they are wearing protective goggles and Dad is without.

They really do love each other. (I need to remember this when they are constantly hitting each other during most days). :)

The boys LOVED this pool my parents bought. They spent most afternoons playing in it. Ethan would climb in and out and loved splashing everyone. So fun!

Holiday World 2010

2010-07-14T20:11:00.007-06:00

Earlier this week the boys and I left for Santa Claus, Indiana, to embark on a Holiday World adventure with my college girlfriends and their children. We made a quick stop in Kentucky to drop off Seth and Ethan at my parents' house. I had a hard time leaving Seth, but I knew he would not be willing to ride most of the rides and definitely would not enjoy the water park (way too much splashing for his liking). After dropping them off, we arrived in Santa Claus. Here is the whole crew...

Ready for Holiday World fun!
Back row: Emma, Katie Anne, Sawyer, Carter, Jackson, Grace
Front row: Jennifer, Amy, Rebekah, me, Melissa

We spent the night with Melissa's sister, Jennifer (who lives in Santa Claus). The kids played outside in an awesome treehouse the entire time we were there. We made them come inside to eat dinner and they were back outside as soon as they finished their food.

Jackson, Emma, and Carter enjoying brownies and ice cream for dessert.

Most of the kiddos enjoying the awesome tree house!

They had so much fun and play so well together!

At 8:30, we made them come inside for quick showers and then bed. We knew bedtime would be an issue because they were so excited. After a story, we turned off the light at 9:15. I think Carter was instantly asleep. :)

Carter's first sleepover. He was so excited!

We arrived at Holiday World the next morning as soon as the park opened. It had rained all night so the crowds were fairly light until early afternoon. We let the kids ride some rides before we headed to the water park for lunchtime.

Our group with Santa.

First ride of the day - canoes!

Grace (Melissa's niece), Katie Anne, Sawyer, Carter, Jackson, and Emma

Around lunchtime, we went to the waterpark, Splashin' Safari. The kids loved it! It was huge and they were constantly going from one thing to another. They played in two big water slide pool areas, the wave pool, floated down the lazy river (this was one of Carter's favorite things), and rode one of the big water slides. Carter actually did pretty good considering that he is still apprehensive of getting water in his face.

Carter at the water park, Splashin' Safari.

Carter and Katie Anne in the wave pool.

We had a great trip with our friends. This will definitely become an annual tradition. Our kids play so well together and, of course, we LOVE spending time together! Thanks, Melissa, for organizing the trip!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T19:24:00.003-06:00

We had a great Father's Day at home today. After a crazy (but very fun) weekend, we were ready for a quiet day at home. The boys couldn't wait to give Zach his Father's Day gift, so they gave it to him before breakfast. We picked out some Star Wars cookie cutters and a new cell phone cover. I'm sure you can imagine what the boys were excited about. They have been wanting to make those cookies for two weeks!

Zach and the boys before church.

After church, we went to Five Guys for lunch (Zach's pick). The boys love to eat there and I think Ethan ate more than anyone else at the table. He loves to eat! After lunch, we all came home and took a nap. The boys have still not recovered from VBS and a few late nights lately for birthday parties. They are so grouchy and irritable, I am praying for a calm week, so that I can have my happy boys back.

Zach, Carter, and Seth spent most of the afternoon outside. They helped Zach trim bushes, ate popsicles, and had a water balloon fight. Poor Ethan, I know he really wants to be outside, but until he can walk it is hard. I have to hold him and he doesn't like that because he wants down. Very frustrating for both of us.

We ended the day making and decorating cookies. Overall, it was a great day. My boys are so lucky to have such a good Daddy. Thank you for all you do, Zach!!

Rolling out the dough.

Look at their faces. So excited to see the shapes!

Seth hangs in there the whole time. He loves to lick the spoon.

Showing off their final product!

Ethan's first haircut

2010-06-09T13:52:00.004-06:00

I decided on Monday night that Ethan needed to get his haircut before his one year pictures on Wednesday. I didn't want much cut, but the back and the hair over his ears really needed to be cut. I took him in on Tuesday and I thought he would do great. After all, he has seen the boys do this monthly since he was born. I was wrong. He cried and screamed and tried to wiggle out of the chair the entire time. Thank goodness it was just a trim because I think it would have been impossible to give him a complete cut. The pictures aren't great because I was trying to keep Carter and Seth out of the way while helping Becky keep Ethan still so she could cut his hair.

The before picture. He definitely had some wings over his ears.

For those of you who have been around Ethan lately, you know how loud he is. Just imagine his voice echoing all over the whole salon. So thankful that is was not busy at all.

Trying to push Miss Becky's hand away.

"Please someone get me out of this chair!"

All done! Amazing what a little trim will do. I love it!

Road Trip

2010-06-09T12:40:00.005-06:00

Last Friday we got back in the car and started the 7 hour trip to Fredericktown, Ohio. Although we were not anxious to repeat a long car trip with the boys, we were excited to visit some of Zach's family in Ohio. Because of the long drive, we don't go there very often, although we always enjoy our time with them. On Friday, we drove to Louisville (halfway) and stopped to spend the night. We quickly learned that we have outgrown a regular size hotel room. There was barely room for all our stuff and the pack and play! It took FOREVER to get the boys to bed. They were so hyper and so excited about the weekend. Needless to say, we were up early the next morning and on our way.

We arrived at our hotel in Columbus mid-day, unpacked, and headed to Chris and Laurie's house. (Fredericktown is not a big city and didn't have a hotel for us to stay at.) Chris is Zach's uncle. They have two boys, Tyler and Cody, and we were there to celebrate Tyler's high school graduation.

We stayed at their house until dinner time. Zach took the boys and I back to the hotel for the night. He went to graduation and I stayed with the boys, gave them baths, ordered pizza, and put them to bed (lucky me, huh?). It went much smoother than the night before. I think they were exhausted from the day.

On Sunday, we helped Tyler celebrate at his graduation party. It was a nice party and a lot of people came. The weather was nice and the boys were able to play outside the entire afternoon. They kept the teenage girls busy. At one time I looked over and Seth was sitting in a porch swing with two girls. He had his feet up and was eating a cupcake while talking to these two girls! It was so funny! They definitely had a great time.

On Monday, we headed home. The boys were great in the car and the trip went by fast (so thankful). We are glad to be home and glad to stay put for a while. We had a great trip and enjoyed seeing our family in Ohio. Now, we're looking forward to VBS next week!!

Tyler giving his speech as the valedictorian.

Got the diploma!

Chris, Tyler, and Laurie

Tyler, Cody, and the boys!

Vacation 2010

2010-05-31T13:15:00.009-06:00

We just returned from our family vacation to Destin. We usually go on vacation in September but this year Carter starts Kindergarten in the fall and Ella Ann will start Pre-K so we moved our vacation to May. It was so nice to start the summer out with a week at the beach! We left for vacation right after Carter's last baseball game. We were so fortunate that Dad, Mom, and Craig took Ethan with them. He is good in the car, but 7 hours is definitely pushing it for him. The ride down was pretty easy with the two older boys. Seth did require several pit stops, but other than that, they played with their bags of toys that we packed. Our DVD player pretty much stopped working on the way down, so they were forced to entertain themselves. It was a big bummer, but they did good.

The weather was perfect all week. I think it rained one time for about 5 minutes and the rest of the time was great. It was hotter than we are used to since we usually go in the fall, but not too bad. We were also blessed not to be swimming in oil. The water was clear and beautiful the entire week.

Carter, Seth, and Ella Ann slept in one room together on the first floor with Nana and Papa on one side of them and Uncle Craig on the other. I think there were a few rough nights and many, many EARLY mornings! Spencer, Katie, and Rane were upstairs on the third floor, as were Zach, Ethan, and I. The babies did pretty good, although there were several mornings that we were all up by 6:15 and dowstairs in the kitchen. That can make for some long days!

We usually went to the beach in the morning. Carter LOVED the beach, but Seth, Ella Ann, Rane, and Ethan were not too fond of the sand and definitely did not like the ocean. By the 4th day, Ella Ann and Seth would get their toes in the water if an adult was holding their hand. :) Carter spent the entire time at the beach searching for hermit crabs, fish, sandfleas, and shells. He had a net in his hand the entire time! He also used his new fishing pole two days. He didn't catch anything, but also didn't leave it in there long enough for something to bite. He would throw it out and reel it right back in. That's the fun part, right?!

We came back to the house around 11:30, made lunch, let the kids play in the house for a while, put the babies down for a nap, and then went back out to the pool. We were so blessed to have a pool at our house. While the babies slept, the big kids would play in the pool. The kids made BIG progress in the pool this year! Carter, Seth, and Ella Ann all played in the pool with their water wings on!! HUGE progress from last year when they mostly played on the steps. They were three little fish this year and loved playing in the pool with all the guys. Uncle Craig, Uncle Spencer, Papa, and Daddy were big hits! It was so much fun to see them learn to love the water!

Most nights we went out to eat, but we stayed in a couple of nights too. Going out to eat with 5 children, 2 of them only 1, can be challenging, but they were actually pretty good. We had some great meals this year, probably our best year to eat out in Destin.

We were sad to leave Saturday morning. We'll miss all of our extended family and the fun times we had at the beach and pool, but we are lucky that we had this week to get away! Enjoy all the pictures!

Ethan loved his little baby pool.

Ethan and Rane playing together, as much as 1 year olds can play together. :)

Seth made so much progress in the pool this week. He loved jumping off the side of the pool to Zach or Uncle Craig.

Of course, they all had to squeeze in the baby pool.

Family pic outside of Dewey Destin. Yummy food!

Trying to get a group pic. Didn't really work too well...

The kids loved playing with Uncle Craig this week. Ella Ann loved the water!

Seth and Ella Ann digging in the sand.

Papa and Carter trying to catch hermit crabs and fish.

My three boys at the beach.

He didn't really mind sitting in the sand but he had a hard time keeping it out of his mouth and then on his face.

Carter and his fishing net.

Again, attempting a group pic...

Ethan and Rane had the same outfit (not intentional by Katie or me), so we wanted a picture of the boys together wearing their dino romper. They love their Nana!

I LOVE this picture of Zach and the boys, especially Ethan. Such a sweet shot!

Me and my boys! I am so blessed!

Ella Ann and Seth in the hole that Zach dug for them on the beach.

Carter using his new fishing pole in the ocean.

My little swimmer! So proud of all that he accomplished this week.

Two little fish...

All of my boys enjoying the swimming pool.

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

2010-05-21T08:55:00.014-06:00

I can't believe Ethan is one! One year ago today we were beginning a long journey with this sweet baby. He completely took us by surprise and changed our world instantly. After such a traumatic birth, we were so concerned about our sweet baby in the nicu. He was so tiny, but at 5 pounds, 6 ounces, he had such an advantage over most 32-week gestation babies.

This was the first time I saw Ethan. Zach was with him as soon as he came out of the delivery room.

This picture really shows how tiny he was. His weight dropped down to around 4.5 pounds in the week after he was born. Zach drove to the nicu every night after putting Carter and Seth to bed and stayed until 9:30. Such a good daddy!

Snuggled up on his belly in the incubator. The temperature inside the box was about 90 degrees.

We spent 17 days going to the nicu twice a day. I would go every morning and Zach would go every night. Arranging childcare for my older boys (thank you to great family and friends!) and then only being able to spend an hour or so with Ethan was hard. I can remember feeling so conflicted. I felt like Carter and Seth needed me at home, but leaving Ethan by himself in that little incubator was SO hard. I remember telling myself the whole way home that he was fine, cared for, and in the right place. Finally, on day 17 (a Sunday), we received word that we could bring Ethan home. I have never been more happy to have all three of my kids sleeping under the same roof. What a relief!

Ethan home for the first time!

First time Carter was allowed to hold him.

First time Seth held Ethan.

Now, at 12 months, you would never know that this little guy was a premie. Beginning at 6 months old, he has passed both Carter and Seth in weight at every doctor appointment. At one year, Carter weighed 19 pounds, Seth weighed right at 20 pounds, and Ethan is topping the scales at 23 pounds! This boy loves to eat!

Ethan at 12 months old:

Super fast crawler! He (of course) has shown no interest in walking but can get anywhere he wants by crawling. He knows how to crawl up stairs and is beginning to show signs that he is going to be a climber.

He climbs in my warming drawer just about every day.

He pulls up to everything!

LOVES to eat. He will eat anything - cucumbers, tomatoes, meat, cheese, yogurt, applesauce, any vegetable, etc... The only thing he has refused is mashed potatoes and honeydew. His favorite right now is macaroni and cheese. When he runs out of food on his plate (which happens quickly!), he starts banging on his tray and talking. Maybe this is why he already weighs 23 pounds...

He loves his sippy cup of milk and just started using the Snack Trap yesterday.

LOVES his big brothers (and the feeling is reciprocated). He wants to do whatever they are doing and will get right in the middle of them (they don't necessarily love that though). Carter and Seth can make him laugh more than anyone else.

All three boys resting after some play time with Daddy.

Still a super good baby. He doesn't cry very often unless it is meal time or he has missed a nap. He is very flexible (thank goodness because with two older siblings he doesn't always stay on schedule). He takes two naps a day for (usually) an hour and half each.
Says Dada all the time and every once in a while I'll get a mama. He usually only says mama when he is crying or whining to be picked up. I figure he'll say Carter and Seth before he gets the hang of mama. :)
He loves for us to read books to him. This is about the only time that he'll sit still.
He is an explorer. He really doesn't require that much attention because he is always going. He gets into everything, but I figure that is his way of learning. We just keep all bathroom doors closed (loves potty water and toilet paper) and keep the gate closed.

He is a snuggler. I finally have a baby that loves to snuggle! He will put his head on my shoulder and let me rock him for a while before bed. LOVE IT!

Happy Birthday, Ethan!! We love you so much!

Carter's preschool graduation

2010-05-19T12:59:00.009-06:00

Carter graduated from Harpeth Hills Preschool on Thursday, May 13th. What an emotional day! I knew that it would be difficult to see him graduate, knowing that our easy days of preschool and play were coming to an end. I have such mixed emotions. I am super excited for him to go to Kindergarten. I know he will LOVE it and do really well. I am also excited for him to make some new friends and learn so much. On the other hand, we are SO blessed with an amazing preschool. The director, teachers, parents, kids, curriculum are all outstanding! His friends are such sweet kids and I have loved all his teachers. I also love having him home for the majority of his awake hours. I can't believe he will be at school all day, every day. I have to keep telling myself that this is my job as his mom. To raise him to go to school, grow up, and succeed as God has planned for him. It is just a really hard job.

The graduation itself was great. I was crying from the moment they started the music and the kids started walking in. Seriously, I am not usually a crier. On this day, I proved otherwise. The ceremony had several sweet, serious moments, as well as some funny ones. Each kid got up in front of the audience to tell what they wanted to be when they grow up. Carter said that he wanted to be a hockey player. He tells us at home that he wants to be 5 things - a hockey player, a football coach, a rockstar (yes, you read that right), a golfer, and a daddy. I tell him that the last is the most important. I am sure this list will change constantly over the next several years. :)

We were fortunate to have Blake Parker (worship leader at our church) come and sing with the children. He sang, "Pray for me." It was the perfect song reminding us that our most important job as a parent is to pray for our children through each stage of their life. Definitely a reminder I needed to hear. With such a big change coming this fall, I need to spend more time praying for Carter and this transition. Especially praying for the right teacher, friends, and influences.

This is probably one of the most emotion-filled posts I have written. This month has held a lot of big events for our family. First of all, the flood, which didn't directly affect us, but affected so many people around us. It is still such a sad situation. Ethan's first birthday party - I can't believe my baby is about to be one, but I'll save that for another post. And Carter's graduation - a day full of mixed emotions! I'll leave you with pictures of Carter's special day.

Ready to go for his last day of school.

This was Seth's last day of preschool for this year. He has really enjoyed school and LOVES his teachers. He is definitely a little charmer!

Carter and his amazing teachers, Miss Jennifer and Miss Angela. Love them! We will miss them next year.

Walking in to the Charlie Brown theme music. He looked a little nervous. (I was already tearing up at this point).

Telling the audience about his ambition of being a hockey player.

Receiving his diploma from Miss Angela.

My sweet boy!

Carter and his best buddy, Jackson.

We are so proud of our little man!

Carter was getting a little silly at this point and Seth wanted to play. Poor Ethan just wanted a nap! :)

Carter's Grandma was able to come and watch him graduate.

Ethan's 1st birthday party

2010-05-10T20:17:00.008-06:00

We celebrated Ethan's first birthday on Saturday. He won't turn one until May 21st, but this weekend was the best time for us to celebrate. I had so much fun planning his party. Rather than just having a family party, we did things a little different with Ethan's first birthday and had family and friends over to celebrate. Even though a year has passed, there is still hardly a day that goes by, that I don't think about how blessed we are with a healthy baby despite the way he entered this world. It seems so hard to believe that it has almost been a year ago that I wrote this. We owe so much to our family and friends for all the help, love, support, and prayers they gave us through that time. We were thrilled that they were able to celebrate this big milestone in Ethan's life with us!

We were blessed with a perfect day for an outdoor party. Zach grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs and everyone spent the afternoon outside enjoying an awesome spring day. The kids had SO much fun playing outside together.

Awesome cake by Brooke O'Dell!

Just a handful of the kiddos enjoying lunch outside.

The whole crew!

LOVE my baby boy!

Ethan actually got a little shy while we were singing Happy Birthday.

Really wasn't too sure about the cake. He liked to eat it, but only if someone fed him.

Seth stayed right beside Ethan the entire time he ate cake. I think he was waiting for his turn to dive in!

Finally getting the idea...

Happy boy!

Family of 5!

Nana and Papa sneaking in a hug and picture before they had to leave.

Present time. Clearly, Ethan was much more into eating the wrapping paper than he was opening his presents. Don't worry...he had plenty of help with his two older brothers and cousin.

Ethan playing with his wagon from his Grandma and Grandpa.

What a great day that we will always remember!

Growing up!

2010-05-10T20:07:00.004-06:00

Ethan LOVES the water table. He will soak anyone sitting near him!

Could he be any happier??! :)

He recently learned how to crawl up into the boys' chairs. He thinks he is so big. He climbs up there, and looks at me until I give him recognition for his accomplishment. Funny kid!

So proud!

This boy is a climber! Should be an interesting trip through toddlerhood!

Just like his big brothers, he loves to be outside. This was his first time in the baby swing. He loved it!

The boys were so proud of him. They both wanted to push him in the swing.
Can't believe my baby is going to be 1 soon!!!!

Easter and Owensboro

2010-04-04T18:29:00.006-06:00

We spent Easter weekend in Owensboro with my parents and brother. We have not been able to get back to Kentucky since Christmas. Every time we planned a trip, Nashville got a couple of inches of snow. That pretty much shuts down everything and we were stuck at home. I am so glad we were able to come this weekend and that we experienced awesome Spring weather!

We got here late Friday afternoon. Ethan had a rough day on Friday and I felt certain he was on his way to another ear infection. Thankfully, after a good night sleep, he has been fine. On Saturday, we had an Easter egg hunt outside and spent the rest of the day playing outside. We tried sitting Ethan down in the grass for a picture, but he screamed immediately. Hopefully he'll get used to the grass soon because we spend a lot of time outside during the summer. :) In addition to playing at Mom and Dad's, Zach and Carter went over to visit Brooke and her family while the two other boys took naps. Hopefully, we can spend some more time with them soon.

On Easter Sunday, the boys ran down the stairs to see what the Easter Bunny had left them. They were very excited about all of their surprises! Carter loved his Clone Wars figure and Telling Time book, while Seth was excited about his new "work glubs" (gloves) and large coloring pad. Ethan didn't seem too impressed with his new pacifiers and meat sticks. :)

Unfortunately, Zach and Uncle Craig had to leave after church to get back home for a week of work. The boys and I are staying for a few days before we head back home (it is the boys' spring break week at preschool). Carter, Seth, and Papa spent the afternoon on the tennis courts and at the park. Needless to say, they were exhausted. I just finished tucking them in and haven't heard a peep! Here are the pictures from our Easter weekend.

Coloring eggs on Saturday morning.

Hunting eggs in Nana and Papa's backyard.

Seth found a few and then just wanted to stop and see what was inside the eggs.

Ethan wanted to be held the entire time. I'm thinking he is going to be quite spoiled when we get back home later this week. :)

Both of the boys with full baskets.

Easter morning checking out their baskets.

Ethan didn't even look in his basket before he crawled away to find something else to get into.

My boys before church. They looked so cute in their seersucker shorts and navy polos.

A pretty good attempt at family picture. :)

Spring Program

2010-04-04T15:06:00.006-06:00

Both of the boys participated in their preschool spring program this week. They love to sing and have been practicing their songs at home for several weeks now. I am amazed that neither one of them has any stage fright since I definitely do not like being up in front of people. They did great singing with their class and Carter even got to participate in a special presentation for the director, Miss Kelly.

I can't believe that this was Carter's final preschool program. He has had such a great experience and I know he will miss all his sweet friends and teachers (I know I will!). During every program I am reminded how blessed we are to attend such a great church and preschool with so many Godly examples for our kids.

Carter is on the very end in the green shirt.

Singing "Dancin' Feet"

Carter carrying the flowers to Miss Kelly. She is retiring this year and the kids will miss her so much!!

Seth is in the center in the yellow shirt and he is waving.

Seth singing "Great Big Frog." Seth did a great job singing and could be heard over every other child. It was really funny. He is definitely not shy and loves to perform!

Trying to get a group shot after the program. The boys were very distracted because we were going to the zoo right after the program. It was a great day!

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-04T14:56:00.003-06:00

On the Saturday before Easter we attended our Church's Easter Egg Hunt. Carter had his first baseball game the same morning, so Ethan, Seth, and I left the game early so that we could be there on time. Seth was SO excited to hunt eggs. It was a beautiful day outside and the kids had so much fun running around searching for eggs. Carter got there right as the hunt was ending but was still able to find some eggs. They also loved playing on the awesome swing set and in the play area. We finished up the day with lunch. It was a great morning!

Seth searching for eggs.

Seth and his best buddy, Cooper, during the egg hunt.

Our little baseball star arrived just in time!

Our boys with some of their sweet friends from church.

Carter and the Cardinals

2010-03-27T14:46:00.005-06:00

Today was Carter's first baseball game. I can't believe I have a little boy old enough to play baseball. Carter has loved going to practice and having his Daddy as the coach. It was very cold when we left this morning, but it warmed up as they played. Carter got to play 2nd base and batted 5th. In the league they don't keep score at the 5 year old level. Every player bats each inning and they play for an hour. I'm glad it is done that way, because I'm not sure either team would have ever gotten 3 outs! It was a great first game and we are looking forward to many, many more!

Ready to go! It was cold this morning, but warmed up quickly.

Coach Zach encouraging all his little players.

I don't see how he sees anything as low as he keeps his hat, but that is how he likes it! :)

Ready at 2nd base to field the ball.

Ethan had to wear his winter hat and coat this morning. Crazy spring weather! As usual, he was great at the game. Just played with his keys and didn't get fussy until the end.

Carter up to bat for the first time.

He got a hit! He made it around all the bases for a score!

Waiting at 3rd to run home. What a great game!

Bath night

2010-03-20T19:53:00.005-06:00

I haven't had much time for writing, so I'll just post some pictures from tonight. The boys were so hyper and had so much fun together.

Ethan playing in the tent before bed. He loved it!

What a little cutie!

All clean after his bath and happy in Mommy's arms.

I wish I could post all the pictures we took trying to get a good one. Seth's faces are so funny and Ethan is trying to crawl away in most of them. :) We love their matching pjs...it was a special gift when we had Ethan.

My sweet baby!

One more attempt...but it quickly turned into this:

I think everything ends with a little wrestling - at least at this house.

Happy Birthday, Carter!

2010-02-27T08:37:00.006-06:00

It seems amazing to me that I have a 5 year old. Five years ago--after a long night at the hospital (we arrived at Baptist about Midnight), our first, perfect little miracle made his way in to this big, scary world. A team from the NICU was there, just in case, since he was 5-weeks early, but they were not needed. They did want to get him under a warmer sooner rather than later but Zach was able to go with him to the nursery. Little did we know that the sleep that we lost that night was a foreshadow of things to come (the next 4-hour stretch of contiguous sleep we would get would be 4-months down the road).

Just about everyone agreed that Carter looked like the Jensen side of the family from the get-go. Regardless of who he looked like, we were just thrilled that our little one was finally here. It didn't matter that the clothes were not washed or that the car seat was barely out of the box. Carter's home was ready and so were the new mom and dad.

A little about Carter at 5 years old:

He is definitely my most sensitive child. He can be very emotional.
He is becoming a little harder to discipline. A year ago it only took a look and a warning and he would stop. That is changing. He definitely is testing his limits and has his own opinions about everything (and he is definitely not afraid to share them).
He loves to help me clean and organize. He asks at least once a week if we can organize something together. I love it!
He is so good with his little brothers. Although he does get tired of being followed around, most of the time he loves to play with Seth and Ethan.
He loves school and loves to learn. He loves doing art and making things. He is VERY excited about going to Kindergarten.
He still LOVES sports. He is currently playing baseball, but we have already talked about tennis lessons and basketball camp for this summer. He practices some type of sport almost every day and does not give up easily.
He is still so skinny! Seth is catching up with him fast and I am afraid he will be 6 by the time he gets to move into a booster seat (40 pounds).

Happy birthday little man...every day of the past 5 years has been a blessing and we're looking forward to many, many more.

Carter opening his birthday presents.

He was very excited about his new driver and really wants to go to The Little Course in Franklin to play some golf.

Carter and his Daddy.

Carter and his Mommy.

Cousins!

2010-02-25T19:56:00.004-06:00

We were blessed to have a full house last weekend. Spencer, Katie, and their kids drove up from Atlanta and Mom and Dad drove down from KY. Craig was able to spend the weekend over here as well. It was so nice to have everyone together. The weather was awesome and the kids spent so much time playing outside. They play so well together and Carter has talked about his cousins all week. We can't wait for the day when they live closer!

With all the kids around I was not able to take many pictures, but here are a few.

This was actually the night before everyone got to our house. Ethan just attacked Seth. I guess he has seen the boys wrestling so much he decided he wanted in on the action. Carter and Seth thought it was hilarious!

Cute boys in their dinosaur pajamas.

Sweet Ella Ann has to put up with all these boys!

Seth loves Rane. He talks about Baby Rane all the time.

Seth snuggling with Nana.

Carter opened up his birthday gifts this weekend. He loved all his news toys. He even talked Papa and Uncle Craig into taking him to the tennis courts that afternoon.

Enjoying their afternoon snack on Seth's new picnic table.

Man, I love this kid. He is the happiest baby and I feel so blessed with such a good baby.

Can't wait to watch these two grow up together. They are only 4 months apart and I have no doubt they will be great friends.

Valentine's Parties 2010

2010-02-11T21:10:00.003-06:00

Today the boys celebrated Valentine's Day at preschool. Seth picked out Pixar (Nemo, Incredibles, Wall-E, and Cars) valentines. Carter picked out Clone Wars. He was so excited about his cards that he sat down and wrote his name on all 27 the first day we had them. He couldn't wait to take them to school today and pass them out to his friends. I had a lot of fun visiting both classrooms and seeing the boys interact with their friends. I feel so blessed to have them in such a great preschool! We love Harpeth Hills!

Carter's sweet Pre-K class. We will miss these kids (and their parents) so much next year!

Carter and his best buddy, Jackson.

So excited to finally get to open their valentines!

Seth eating his snack during his party.

Seth and his best buddy, Cooper.

Going through their "loot" at home.

Seth's birthday party

2010-02-11T20:40:00.006-06:00

We celebrated Seth's birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese. He had so much fun celebrating with his friends! It was also a special night because he gave all his pacifiers away. He decided a few weeks ago that he wanted to trade his pappies in for a trip to Chuck-e-Cheese. He was so excited to give them to the employee at the door. She gave him a token as a trade. He played his special token at the duck game (one of his favorites). The machine was evidently broken because at the end of his first game, the tickets started pouring out. We couldn't get them to stop. After it was all done, we got 250 tickets! We tried to return them but the employees insisted that we keep them. Such a special gift for being such a big boy and giving up such a big thing in his life. :) We are so proud of him!

Showing off 2 of his tickets.

Playing alien ski ball while Chuck-e watches. He loves this game, but has a really hard time getting his balls in the hole. It takes about 10 minutes to get all 5 balls in...it requires a lot of patience. :)

Seth and his buddy, Reid, playing air hockey.

And this is what Ethan did...sleep! He slept through most of the party. We were lucky to have Zach's mom there to take care of him. It helped SO much!

Seth loved opening all his presents.

Seth picked out a Diego theme for his party.

Blowing out all 3 of his candles!

Look at all these sweet boys! I think they were debating who was going to be the captain when they started playing again. :)

My crazy boy! He ate 4 pieces of pizza that night!

These guys were on a complete sugar high at the end of the night. They were dancing in front of the blue screen while Ella played cameraman. They had SO much fun!

Our sweet boy finally woke up and met...

Chuck-e!

Our family of 5!

Happy (late) Birthday

2010-02-09T09:33:00.007-06:00

to my sweet Seth! I wanted to post this on Sunday, but it just didn't happen. My sweet middle child celebrated his 3rd birthday on Sunday. Seth pretty much wakes up in a good mood every morning and Sunday was no exception. He opened his two presents before we left for church. He was very excited with his new dragon and Bible (he tries to take Carter's Bible all the time). He carried his Bible to church and the dragon rode in the car with us. He picked Dimples Deli for lunch because they serve waffles. After church and lunch we went home to get ready for our Life Group Superbowl party. He loved having a lot of his friends over that night and enjoyed some yummy ice cream cake for dessert.

Some things about Seth at 3 years old:

As mentioned above, he is such a morning person. He doesn't sit still from the time he wakes up (he is not a tv watcher) until he goes to bed.
He is so funny (and he knows it!). He is the comedian in our family. He makes us laugh so hard.
Despite the fact that he appears to be very outgoing at home, he is rather quiet in big groups. He stays close to Zach or I when we are in large groups. Carter will run off and play with his friends, but Seth won't.
He wants to do everything Carter does. I'm sure this is normal for a younger sibling. When I asked him how old he was going to be on his birthday, he informed me that he would be 5 too. We are trying to teach Carter just how powerful his influence will be on his little brothers.
He still sleeps around 11 hours at night and takes a 1-2 hour nap each day. He is giving up the pappy (pacifier) tonight! :)
He loves to eat (especially sweets). He would love to snack all day and his favorite drink is orange juice.
He loves preschool, but he loves staying home even more. He is thrilled every Wednesday to stay home with me while Carter goes to preschool. I need to enjoy this...soon enough he will prefer to be at school.
He is obsessed with the Lion King. After our trip to Disney World and seeing the Lion King live show there, he asks to watch the movie at least once a week (and he doesn't even like to watch tv). He knows all the characters' names and walks around the house singing "Hakuna Matata." :)

Today we will celebrate with a party at Chuck-E-Cheese. He is VERY excited! Stayed tuned for pictures of the party. Here are some pictures from his actual birthday:

Showing off his new Bible.

He loves his new dragon!

Trying to get a serious picture with him is very difficult. Look at these faces! :)

Finally, a good picture with his Daddy.

They were all acting so silly when I tried to take this. Ethan would not sit up (he wanted to slide down and go) and the older boys could not keep their hands off of him.

8 months old

2010-01-29T14:01:00.003-06:00

My little boy is over 8 months old now and amazes me constantly at the new things he can do. It is hard to believe that 8 months ago we were dealing with daily nicu trips. Rarely a day goes by that I don't think about how blessed we are with his progress and health. It was such a scary time for us.

He is doing a great job sitting up. He loves being able to sit up and play with Carter and Seth. He is also army crawling everywhere. He can get to anything he wants. This is very dangerous in a house full of tiny army guns, action figure lightsabers, and legos. We are trying to teach the boys that they have to clean up after themselves constantly (and that is not working too well). Ethan also likes to blow/spit bubbles while you are feeding him. Makes for quite a mess at feeding
time! :)

What a big boy! He loves his loveys just like his big brother, Seth.

He also loves to play with his feet. Every once in a while you'll catch him with them in his mouth.

He LOVES this ladder. It goes with his Little People Firehouse that Santa got him.

6 month pictures

2010-01-29T13:55:00.004-06:00

I just got back Ethan's 6 month pictures (not because of my photographer, but because I kept forgetting to pick them up). They turned out so good!

My happy boy!

I just love his expression in this picture...not sure why, but he looks so serious.

Star Wars

2010-01-25T19:11:00.004-06:00

Carter is obsessed with Star Wars. He definitely inherited this from his Daddy. Zach has never pushed him into liking it, but it has definitely happened. Several days a week Carter tells me that he and his friends play Star Wars on the playground at preschool.

So when we found out that Lipscomb was having a Star Wars day on Saturday at their men's basketball game we knew that we had to go. We got there right in time to see all the characters walk on the court and then sign autographs and pose for pictures. Carter and Seth loved watching them from our seats, but once we got close enough for pictures and autographs, they were scared. I was slightly surprised since they were not scared of any of the characters at Disney, but I guess 15 stormtroopers, Darth Vader, a 10-foot Chewy, etc... can be a little frightening. After several minutes of standing off to the side, with me trying to convince them to go say hi, one of the stormtroopers came over, took off his helmet, and offered Carter his gun. He was so nice to show them they were just regular people and nothing to be scared of. After that they agreed to have their picture made with just this one stormtrooper. Oh well, at least I got a picture or two!

Watching the game. Ethan loved watching all the movement on the court.

I know this post isn't about Ethan, but I love this picture (Katie, he looks SO cute in his little sweater - thank you!)

Carter shooting the stormtrooper with his gun.

Finally, close enough for a picture!

The only picture I got with both boys in it (even though it is too dark and blurry). They had SO much fun at the game.

7 months old!

2010-01-07T20:48:00.005-06:00

It just seems impossible that my baby is 7 months. This last month has been challenging - poor guy has had 2 ear infections and hand, foot, and mouth disease. We are hoping for a better upcoming month. He is also working really hard to sit up by himself. He really wants to crawl, but for now, is satisfied rolling to get around. Look at this sweet face!

Christmas 2009: Round 3

2010-01-07T20:12:00.006-06:00

We left Owensboro around 2 on Christmas Eve. Our church has had a Christmas Eve service for the last few years and it has become one of our favorite traditions. We arrived back in Brentwood right in time for the service. We were blessed to be surrounded by our friends as we sung Christmas songs and lit a candle in honor of His birth. It was special. After the service, we raced home to get dinner on the table. The boys were excited to get home because they get to open one gift on Christmas Eve from us. As I finished up dinner, they each opened a gift. After dinner, we sprinkled reindeer dust on our front yard, laid out cookies for Santa, and read "Twas the Night before Christmas." Finally, the boys were in bed. :)

The next morning was so fun! They actually remembered when they woke up about Santa and watned to rush down the stairs to check out their gifts (first year that they remembered). We spent a great morning together enjoying new toys and the boys' excitement.

Zach's family came down for lunch and spent the afternoon. Carter and Seth loved playing nerf guns with Tyler and Cody and Ethan enjoyed spending extra time in his Grandma's lap. Overall, it was such a great day!

Here are the pictures:

The boys hanging their stockings up before bed (Ethan had already been in bed for a while).

Cookies, milk, and carrots ready for Santa and his reindeer. (funny story - The next morning Seth was very disturbed to find the carrots gone. He could not believe that the reindeer came in our house to eat them. He said, "That is not supposed to happen!")

Running to check out their stockings and presents that morning!

They went straight to their stockings...didn't even glance at the gifts.

Making sure he gets it all out...

Carter's big gift - a bat cave. He loves it!

Seth checking out his gifts.

Carter helping Ethan open his presents. Ethan didn't mind because all he wanted to do was...

eat the paper! :)

Seth playing with his remote control truck and geotrax.

After all the unwrapping (and the 45 minutes it takes to get it all out of the package), it was finally time to play.

The rest of the day was either ax fighting (yes, they all 3 got a styrofoam ax in their stocking - not my idea) or nerf gun shooting. They had SO much fun!

Ethan hanging out with his Grandma and his new musical seahorse.

Our little superhero!

Of course, we can't leave out Wolverine.

Christmas 2009: Round 2

2009-12-30T20:51:00.009-06:00

We left the Tuesday before Christmas to go to Owensboro to celebrate with my family. It was so nice to have almost everyone together (we missed you, Kasey!). The kids were so excited to see each other again. They started playing immediately and didn't stop until we left 2 days later. We had planned for them to sleep together but quickly realized that they were way to excited to calm down and go to sleep. The next morning we opened presents - the kids were too excited to wait any longer!

Look at these two sweet babies! They are only 4 months apart and will have so much fun together in the next few years!

Carter's first gift - his spy goggles! He loves sneaking around the house in these.

Rane loved all the bags, bows, and paper. He loved Christmas!

Pretty girl! She looked so cute in her new shirt.

Seth and his batman car. He loves his car!

Mommy and her sweet boy!

This boy loves his jumperoo!

On Wednesday night, we went downtown to a "Winter Wonderland" event. The kids were able to ride some rides and had so much fun. Ethan was happy snuggled up in his baby bjorn.

The kids were able to sit on Santa's lap one last time before Christmas. They loved seeing him!

Christmas Eve morning in their Christmas pjs.

Craig brought some old Nintendo games and Carter LOVED playing them. He also loved watching the big boys play the games.

Katie helped the kids make cookies for Santa and Nanny was able to help as well. She came up early on Christmas Eve to spend the day with the kids. We loved having her there.

Nanny and 5 of her great-grandchildren.

Papa and Nana and their 5 grandchildren.

Our little family!

20 minutes after we left to head home. They were exhausted! All three boys slept the entire way home. It was a nice, quiet ride!

Christmas 2009: Round 1

2009-12-30T20:37:00.005-06:00

Our first Christmas celebration took place the Saturday before Christmas at Zach's parents' house. The entire family was there to celebrate. We enjoyed a nice lunch together before the kids asked to open their presents. They had so much fun opening their gifts and stockings. After opening their presents, the kids spent the rest of the day playing with each other and their new toys.

Fighting with their new lightsabers.

Ethan rolled around on the blanket most of the time that we opened presents.

Trying to get a good picture of all the kids.

Seriously...this is what I live with every day. They are both a mess! :)

I'm not sure what is going on with these two...but I thought it was a funny picture. I think they were tired of having their picture made.