Thanksgiving and Mandy's birthday

After a long day with my family we headed over to Mark's aunts house to see some of his family. The kids (Morgan in particular) was partied out and starting to get ansy for bed so we only stayed for a little while, hense only 4 pictures! The 29th was his sister's 30th birthday so Mimi brought a cake and we celebrated her birthday. Taylor loved it! She loves birthdays and gets so excited about blowing candles out, it's the simple things in life that makes her happy :)

Happy birthday Mandy!

Mandy and Dana (Mark's sisters)

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We go to my cousins house out in Maccleney. They live on 3 acres so there is plenty of land for the kids to run wild (and the big kids too!!) We have the best food too...ribs, sausage, fried turkey...you name it, we have it. One thing is for sure, the Taylor's LOVE to eat! This year my little cousin Ian said the blessing. It was the most precious prayer I have ever heard out of a little child. Hopefully one day, my children will upgrade from "God our Father" to something a little more personal :)

Here are a few moments from the day!

My sweet Morgan

I know I don't post a bunch on Morgan but that's because he's not really doing a whole lot like his big sister. But last night he just melted my heart! I was putting him down for bed. Which by the way, is the easiest thing on Earth to do!!! I just lay him down, turn on his music and walk out...we never hear a peep from him -if only Taylor would do the same thing... Anyway, so last night. I went in his room and laid him in his crib, I put a blanket over him and said "Good night my sweet boy". He was just looking at me with the sweetest smile. I walked over and turned on his music and went I got to the door I hear this sweet little voice from his crib say "night-night" Oh my word I just melted!!!!!

This boy is just tooo sweet for words! He's so funny too. Every morning when he gets up he takes your hand and goes to the refrigerator. He wants you to get him something to drink and then he goes and stands next to his high chair because now the boy wants some food! He also has thing for things on his head. Usually, while we are all getting dressed in the morning, Morgan is walking around with a hooded towel on his head. It's like he's the king of the house with his royal robe. And don't dare take it off or he will have a Royal-Fit!!

Christmas tree shopping

We started early this year and went and got our tree on Saturday night. We usually get it from an elementary school where the money goes toward their patrols but they weren't opened yet so we went somewhere else...apparently, we went to the most expensive tree place in Jacksonville. I'm not even going to tell you how much the tree cost because I'm embarrassed that we paid so much and actually got such a dinky little tree! The kids had fun running around the tree lot. When I asked them to turn around to take a picture I guess that was Morgan's cue to sit down?? When he did they both sat right down in a wet puddle of dirt! Nice!! Oh well what are you going to do? So, we grabbed some quick pictures and went in to pay for the pricey tree. The nursery we bought it from gives all the little children their own plants. The owner says he wants to create little green thumbs. The kids were so excited!! Taylor got a Snapping Dragon and Morgan got a Pansy.

Then we headed to Zaxby's for some dinner! Morgan is so funny. He's the only kid I know that wants something on his head. He would not take that hat off for nothign. He is so cute!! Family time is so much fun! Mark and I often wonder what we ever did before we had kids???

Taylor's field trip

Taylor went on a field trip last Friday to the zoo. I wasn't able to make it so my parents gladly stepped in and helped out. That morning when we got to the school we were all in Taylor's class room waiting for the buses to get there. I just laughed at the scene unfolding. If you know my dad then you know he never meets a stranger and loves having fun. I look over and there is my dad sitting in one of the little chairs and all the kids are piled over him. They are in his lap, in my moms lap, sitting on the tables and at their feet. My dad is reading them a book and has them all excited. It was sooo sweet! And you could see Taylor's little face just beaming. I'm imagining she was thinking "Yeah, I know, that's my grandpa and he's so cool!!"

So off they went to the zoo and it just so happened that it was about the coldest day we have had here in ages. It was about 50 degrees outside! But they still had fun! My parents stayed with Taylor, her best friend Juel, a.k.a. Juel-Bug and her daddy. They all wear t-shirts from their school so that it is easier to keep up with them. Please forgive the way my child looks. Apparently, her jeans were a little long so my mom rolled them up...very fashionable and her hair, well, I'm not really sure what was going on there...any way, they had a great time!!

Mom and Dad

My parents took a much needed and deserved vacation. They went to Marco Island and had the best time! Me, Todd and Amy are convinced that mom was either drugged or is just a different person when she's not around us as she did things we never thought she would do! She went on an air boat ride. This woman refuses to get on a plane or on a boat but yet she got on a boat made out of a plane???

The happy couple enjoying a sunset cruise


Isn't this precious? They wrote their names in the sand...they are sooo cute!!


Yes, my mother is an idiot! When asked what the heck she was doing she said she was holding the sun in her hands....I'm so embarrassed for her!


These are very rare pictures that you will probably never see again. My dad hates the beach. He never took us when we were little, even though we lived 20 minutes from the beach. But I guess when you are with your best friend you will do anything!



These are the pictures of them on the air boat ride. They actually saw a ton of alligators as they were in the Everglades. Apparently, there was some other woman on the boat ride who got extremely scared at one point and jumped in my dad's lap! My mom said she had the best time...again, I believe she was drugged!!






But I tell you what, I'm so thankful and so blessed to have these two crazy people as my parents! They are so in love with each other, with their children, with their grandchildren and especially with the Lord! They are amazing examples and I am still learning from them every day!

I love you guys!!

It's starting already

Yesterday morning as I was getting Taylor dressed for school she saw the shoes I was about to put on her and she said "Jewl-bug is going to wear tennis shoes today" I told her that was great but that she was going to wear her brown ones (Jewl is her best friend at school). So, when I got to school sure enough Jewl had on new tennis shoes that sparkled. Taylor was sure to point them out to me.

So, on the way home she said "I need to get a Hannah-Tanna shirt" I knew where we were going with that one as Jewl-bug had one on that day. So at dinner Taylor tells Mark that she needs one of those shirts and he said "You can get one if you can tell me Hannah Montanna's real name" Taylor thought about it for a minute and then said with excitement "Sarah!!"