A New tradition?

For my birthday this year I asked Scott if we could go to the beach for a day or 2- just the four of us. Of course, the beach being- Ocean City, Maryland! Where we have gone for years and love it. So, this past week we got a great price on a hotel room and were able to stay for 2 nights.

This is a picture of our room- notice Abigail down at the bottom, crying. She was so funny and cried when we put her down in the room the first couple times. I don't know if she thought we'd leave her or something.

The day we got there it was windy and a little chilly but she loved sitting in the sand.

Scott and Caleb had a great time digging and even went out when it was raining.

We went to the boardwalk one night and Caleb got to ride a couple of the rides. I think he rode 2 before we told him we only had a couple tickets left for 1 more ride. He thought a minute and then said, "Well, I think I'd just like to go play in the sand now." :) Scott says, at least he knows his limits.

Abigail had a good time in the stroller watching Caleb on the rides.

A family picture? Well, it's funny that neither of the kids are really looking- but oh well.

Our final day at the beach was warm and sunny!

Caleb got to jump in the waves. I think both Scott and I are thankful that he loves the water!

The indoor pool was nice too. Scott and I took turns taking Caleb to it when Abigail needed a break or a nap. Abigail and Caleb did great in the car which was a huge relief! It was such a fun time and we can't wait to go back in August with our families.

A lot to Celebrate!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband!

June 21

6 years ago we said, "I do" and were married.

7 years ago I said, "Are you kidding me? Yes, I'll marry you" and we got engaged.

10 years ago you said to my dad, "Rachel and I are just friends" and then kissed me that night! That was the start of our dating relationship.
Can you believe 10 years has gone by?

It's been wonderful for me and I can't wait to see what God has planned for us in the next 10 years. Thanks for being such a Godly man, terrific husband and incredible role model for our children.

On that note...

Happy Father's Day!

Thank you for all you do to provide for our family. We are so thankful for all the sacrifices you make and the ways you meet our needs. You make each one of us feel so special and we can't wait for you to come home from work each day. It is a joy to raise our children together and watch them grow.

On that note...

Happy 8 month birthday, Abigail!

You really have turned into our little joy (as your name so redundantly points out). :) You are sleeping great now, about 12 hours a night and 2 long naps during the day! You always have a smile and a laugh for your big brother and love getting Daddy's attention by "yelling" at him. Though you have been able to sit up on your own for a while now, you have shown no effort to crawl. A fact that makes us all laugh as we wonder when you'll do that. :) You love to eat and will gobble up ANYTHING we give you. We are so thankful for you!

I think that concludes the list of celebrations.
Happy Father's Day to all the fathers!

All Done!

We finished the landscaping job! Last week we all piled in the van and went to Lowe's to pick out bushes and flowers for my parent's yard. I can't tell you what everything is, but enjoy the pretty pictures. :) Caleb thought it was pretty fun to play in the dump truck after the mulch was dumped. I can tell you though- he wouldn't be smiling if he had seen the camera!

The right side of the house. Here's my simple description: bushes in the back, some azaleas in the middle and flowers in the front.

The left side of the house. Bushes in the back, a Gerber daisy on the left end, azaleas in the middle and flowers in the front.

All planted! Dad put the paver stones back in this week (to the left of the sidewalk).

We had a great day working and it was much nicer than pulling out all those yew bushes! My mom's friend, Kim, came over and played with the kids for us while we worked. That was such a nice help and a break for me! :) Thanks Kim!

Hope you enjoyed this tour. If you'd like any landscaping done on your property please contact Booker Landscaping. Of course, this is NOT a non-profit company and fees will be applied. :)

I'm a big boy now

The Choice: The Binky or The new Handy Manny tool set


The Decision: To cut up and throw away all binkies

The Evidence: Broken Binkies

The Reward: Handy Manny tool set with dancing, usable TOOLS!

The Result: A very happy handy man

So, giving up the binky was WAY more stressful for me. Without Scott around to keep me strong there was no way I could have done this. :) We decided it was time because although Caleb only uses his binky in his bed, he has of late been climbing into his bed at random times during the day to use his binky. Not to mention the fact that he must always have his binky and "the other binky" while he sleeps. Many a night we have searched his bed and under the bed for "the other binky." So, the binky had to go.
I took him to Kmart and let him pick out a toy (yes, it was a $28 toy) and told him when he was ready to cut up and throw away his binkies he could have the toy. He did this right away and has LOVED the tool set. The first night (Friday) he stayed up until 11:30, just sad that his binky was gone. Since then, we have had very few issues, PRAISE THE LORD! I have been in constant prayer about this and have no doubt that God has seen me through, uh I mean seen Caleb through, this challenge. I am so glad that it's over!
Can anyone tell me why this was WAY more stressful for me than potty training him? Did I write a post about that? :)

Bob the builder?

Meet... the Yew Bush

My parents have been wanting to get rid of the yew bushes in front of their house and redo the landscaping. So, as a Mother's Day present we spent last Saturday at their house working in the yard removing all bush and shrub in sight. It was a huge task, but I think it turned out great! This was made possible by the fact that I married an incredibly skilled landscaper. :)

This is one side of the house before the demolition. I forgot to take a picture of the whole house before we started pulling things out, but I'm sure my family will be the only ones interested in this post and I'm sure you all can picture the house. :) Try not to notice Mom working here. I tried to get her to sit back and enjoy watching her Mother's Day present, but, well, you know Mom.

We borrowed a dump truck and began pulling out the 6 huge yew bushes. Caleb was occupied the whole day by playing in the dirt and "helping" us.

This is my parents' house after everything was uprooted.

I put this picture in because of the size of the roots! Look at them. These bushes were planted before my parents moved into this house, well before I was born.

Caleb had the best time finding worms and putting them in the little wheelbarrow.

Here's the 3 men working hard.

And finally, the finished, well semi-finished product. This coming weekend we hope to go back and plant a few shrubs for dad as a Father's Day gift. :) Hopefully, I'll take some of those pictures.

I must say, the kids did a great job of being happy and content while we worked.
Here's a sweet picture of Dad and Abigail relaxing.

What do you do with sand?

Recently our landlord got tired of Caleb digging in the dirt in our backyard. So, my parents decided it was time for him to have a sandbox. They bought him this cute crab-shaped sandbox. He loves it! He's able to take "his guys" (trucks) into it and dig to his heart's content.

Abigail wanted to join Caleb in the sandbox and it wasn't long before she decided to taste the sand.

Apparently, it didn't taste too bad because she soon started putting handfuls of sand into her mouth. Much to my own mother's horror, I have been letting her taste and eat the sand a little bit. My hope is to get her used to it and maybe over this fascination before we head to the beach in August. Can you imagine her delight, at the beach, if she thinks sand is some sort of delicious food? Oh no!

And lastly, this is the happy couple: Marc and Joelle. Scott and I were able to go to their wedding this past weekend and stay overnight. We had a great time! Other than Abigail getting up at 6 in the morning, I think my parents and the kids had a good time at home too. :)