Ouch!!

I think it's safe to say Bo gets a new boo boo about everyday. But this kid is so darn tough and gets right back up after a few tears and sometimes no tears. Here is his latest boo boo. I guess he fell and hit the edge of the table just right!

Visit from Papa T and Grandma JoJo

We were excited to have Gary's parents from Wyoming visiting us for a week in May.  Thorman, a.k.a. Papa T hadn't been to GA since Carter was a newborn so that was a big treat to get him back to GA.  We also had Gary's brother Pat and his family over from Greenville to celebrate Kezi's 4th birthday.  I can't believe she turned 4.  The boys loved having everyone here.  Jo is coming back in a few weeks to watch the boys while we are in the Philippines.  Carter asks daily when Grandma JoJo will be here.  He'll ask me "mommy will she be here Monday, Friday, Tuesday, Wednesday?"  That's the order of his week.  We're working on that, but when he gets excited he mixes up his days.  I guess I should get something visual for him to countdown her return.  Here are some pictures from their visit.

Spring Family Update

Bo got his 1st haircut in April. I always have such a hard time cutting my boys' hair for the first time. Still to this day I never like their hair after a cut b/c it's always too short, but I've learned it grows back sooo fast. Here's a before and after of Bo's hair. This is his 1st sucker too and he's loving it.

Carter just finished his 1st sports camp. He started with 4 weeks of soccer then 4 weeks of t-ball. He was definitely much more interested in t-ball. I was shocked to see they used metal bats at this age. He's always uses his light, plastic bat in the backyard, but did pretty well using the metal one. Carter also took gymnastics this spring, but the parent day was when we were out of town so I never got to see all that he learned. He seemed to really enjoy it though.


We took our 1st trip to Stone Mountain last weekend. We decided that despite the yucky weather forecast, we would continue our plans to camp. Yes, we were that determined. This was really our only open weekend all summer to do something fun with the boys so we were going to make this happen. It worked out perfect b/c it stormed terribly on our way to Stone Mtn., but had completely stopped after dinner at Miss Katie's. If you're ever at the park and want some yummy Southern cooking then you have to go here. We sat down and had sweet potato fries, fried onions, and friend pickles waiting on us. Those went by waaaay too fast. Within 5 minutes, we had our meal of fried chicken and some yummy veggies. The best part was that you had to catch your dinner rolls if you wanted to eat them. Of course, none of ours were hitting the ground. We definitely splurged and went for the pecan pie. Yum, yum, yum is all I can say. After dinner we set up our tent and walked around the area. The boys fed the ducks and met new friends at a site close by. We then went over to the laser show. The boys weren't crazy about this because the music was way too loud and it was several hours past their bedtime. We headed out of the show early and went back to our campsite to sleep. One of the things I remember about my childhood was sitting outside telling stories under a flashlight. I started this with Carter and we've done it every night since the trip!! The boys did great camping. Bo slept in his pack-n-play and Carter slept in the bed with us. The next day we went to the park and had a blast. The boys favorite things were playing in The Barn, petting the goats and sheep, climbing the mountain, and the foam zone. We can't wait to go back when they can both do the ropes course. Fun times!!









Carter is swimming again this year and Bo is not far behind him. This child is fearless. We take him out in the deep end with us and he wants to swim so we let him go and he kicks his legs and comes up smiling ear to ear ready to go again. He'll definitely be swimming next summer. Carter hated the water when we first went swimming this year, but after about 3 times at the pool, he's swimming like a fish and jumping off the side of the pool into the water.
Bo is saying more and more everyday. He can say Bailey, brother, bubble, ball, mama, dada, Bo, gama (grandma), Bugsy, boat, more, milk, morning, bird and several animal sounds. He has a few phrases like "that's a bird" and "that's a ball." He's super busy and curious and loves to make a mess with anything he does, but especially eating. He feeds himself completely with the spoon and fork. His favorite thing to do is chase his brother around the house and steal whatever toy he's playing with. Carter is definitely having to learn patience and sharing with Bo. He's a wonderful big brother and continues to amaze me more everyday with his loving spirit. Bo has pooped in the potty twice now. If I was more disciplined, I could probably start training him to poop everytime, but that's a lot of work I'm just not ready for. :) I think that's about all that's happening with us for now.

Our Favorite Things About Springtime

Camping

Flowers Blooming

Starting our Garden

Playing at the park with friends

Playing Outside

And most of all....eating watermelon

Why I Love My Mom

I had all intentions to post this before Mother's Day, but I've been slacking on my blogging so I guess it's better late than never. This year, my parents came up to spend Mother's Day weekend with us. It was special having them go to our church and then brunch afterwards. Until I became a mom, I probably never fully appreciated all that my mom did for me. Now, I'm fully aware of the many sacrifices she made for me and my brother's and the unconditional love she has for us.

I decided to make a list of 10 Reasons Why I Love My Mom:

1. She taught me the meaning of unconditional love, selflessness, and patience.

2. She loves spending time with her grandchildren.

3. She believed in me and always had high hopes for my future. She told me I could be anything I wanted to be.

4. She had breakfast waiting for us at the table every morning. She knew this was my favorite meal so I really treasured her thoughtfulness.

5. She came to ALL of my sporting events and concerts. I can't remember a time or game that she wasn't there being my #1 fan. Well, maybe once in college, but only because I told her the wrong time to our game. :)

6. She always had my back. If you all know my mom, you DO NOT mess with her kids. Just ask my dad, she'll throw her shoe at you. :)

7. She would take me on shopping trips to Atlanta where we'd shop til' we dropped, and then we'd catch a movie and eat popcorn for dinner. :)

8. She took care of all of my needs

9. She's happily married to my dad.

10. She was a gift from God and had me and my brothers in church every Sunday. She was a huge part of my salvation and that is what I'm most thankful for!!

I love you mom!!

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

Best Buds

It has been awesome to see the unique bond develop between Carter and Bo these last few months. Carter loves for Bo to chase him around the house. I love hearing their giggles. Some of their favorite things to do together are to dig in the sandbox, play peek-a-boo under the table, read books, and play trucks and cars. When one isn't around, you can tell they miss each other. We pray this relationship just continues to develop over the years.

Instilling Responsibility At A Young Age

As many of you know, Gary and I work with high school kids at our church. One of the things we keep seeing with this generation of kids is that they're lazy, irresponsible, and feel entitled to more and more stuff without having to earn it. One of the many traits that I admire about my husband is his work ethic and the pride he takes in his work. I'm so thankful for this because our kids will notice this about their dad and hopefully want to emulate him. Recently, Gary and I have had discussions on chores, allowances, and having a happy spirit when helping around the house. We've been trying to decide whether or not kids should receive $ for their chores or are chores just something they should do because they are members of our family? If we want to eventually get into the 3 jar system of giving, saving, and spending, then how should our kids receive an allowance? We would love to hear ideas on what your family does. Carter frequently helps around the house by making his bed, setting the table, cleaning up his toys, putting up his dishes and cups, and helping with laundry, but he doesn't have a set list of chores every day or week. I wish I could say he does his chores with a happy spirit, but there is often complaining that comes with them. Any suggestions on how to change his attitude? I know the biggest example is for me to show him joy when I'm doing my chores around the house. We want to be very intentional when we parent and one of our hopes is that we raise responsible, hard working children. Here are a few pictures of our boys helping out around the house.

The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Proverbs 13:4