My Boys!!

It has been a long time since I have posted but what can I say it has been busy :) I thought mother's day was a good time to get going on the blog again- the boys are my life. Being a mother to Jacob and Noah is such an amazing journey and the toughest thing I have ever done. Each day is a new challenge, discovery, change, or lesson (sometimes learned the hard way- for example- don't buy Trix Berry and cotton candy yogurt-it is bright pink and blue and does not go well on clothes, carpet, couches ect.) But I want to just remember this time-although so busy and full- and appreciate being a mother. I want to remember how incredible blessed I am to have healthy children and such an amazing and loving family. They are getting so big. Jacob had his first music program at preschool and it was precious. Mark and I both kind of had a moment where during the program where we just sat there and looked around and said- wow we have a 3 year old- I remember when I did this as a kid and now my child is up there and I am mouthing and singing the words to zip a dee doo daa and probably looking like a fool- we are really parents :) It was great!!!

Hollidays 2009

It is a busy time of year and so neat to watch the boys enjoy the holidays. We have tried to pack it in. We went to Destin for Thanksgiving and had a ball. Jacob loved playing out in the sand and our traditional softball game on the beach was lots of fun. Although now Jacob thinks baseball is played with an oversized tennis racket and tennis ball :) We also did Stone Mountain Park's Christmas activities. Jacob was in awe of the 4D Polar Express Movie. I can't believe he was not scared but seem to really enjoy the train ride. We also did the sing along train ride around the mountain which was good but a little chilly and wet. Jacob fell asleep during the train ride too which was not how we envisioned it- but oh well we tried. Jacob had his first camping experience in the RV with Mamaw and Pawpaw and it was a big success. He loved every minute of it and I think could have just hung out in front of the RV with the doggies all weekend and been quite content. We are now in Johnson City for Christmas and there is lots of snow on the ground. Jacob loved throwing snowballs and caught on quite quickly to that game. Noah is starting to take his first steps and is trying to beat a 3 week cold he can't seem to get rid of. He has been quite the cuddle bug! Jacob also got an early Christmas present from Great Grandpa Peep- his first big boy bike. He has torn up the paths around PTC and Stone Mountain and plans to ride in TN when the snow clears. Noah likes to chase him around too so it is quite cute. We are blessed by family and are enjoying spending time together.

Jenny is 30 Years Young!

So it was a huge weekend for Aunt Jeje. She started her big weekend with a night stay in a hotel with everyone up in Atlanta. She was completely surprised and mom had the room decorated in princesses and unicorns for our 30 year old Princess, complete with a princess pinata (filled with Lindt chocolates hand picked by Aunt Boo). We had a fabulous b day meal at a yummy steakhouse- adults only- which was a treat for everyone. Then, we had a 3 layered chocolate and vanilla cake created by Mark that was amazing. The next day we relaxed by the pool since it was almost 80 degrees and just enjoyed all being together. Then we got primed up for laser tag and whirlyball. It was a blast. My personal favorite was whirlyball, a combo of bumper cars, lacrosse, and basketball. Our competitive spirits definitely came out and it was a fierce battle :) The night ended with a dinner at Einsteins and a late night party, which the boys and I missed, but heard it was a wild time- complete with card games, taboo, and twister! What a great weekend. Jenny should turn 30 every weekend!!! Thank you Jenny for being the devoted loving sister that you are- We love you so much!

Trip to Lake Conroe Texas

So it was another traveling adventure for Mamaw, Pawpaw, mommy, and the boys. We headed out to Tehas (as mommy and Jacob like to call it) for some family time and the Lake Walden Mother Daughter tourney. It started out with an amazing flight there. Not only did we get a big plane (not the paper airplane sized ones we usually get) but the boys (yes that is right both of them together) slept for most of the flight. AMAZING!!! We stayed in a cute little house right on the water with a gorgeous view of the lake. Mom and I started the tourney off with a bang and won our first round handily. Then, we lost a heart breaker in three sets. Mom, being the super competitor that she is, ran like a teenager the whole match chasing down ball after ball on hard courts. Unfortunately she payed for it the next day and we gracefully pulled out with a 4th place finish. We are going to stick to clay courts and plan on revisiting our gold ball aspirations for the Pensacola tourney. A special thank you to Pawpaw for tirelessly watching the boys while we played-we could not have done it without you. We had some good family time with Peep and the gang. The boys got to see their precious cousin Faith, who is 4 months old and adorable. She seemed to be fascinated with Noah, the blond brute in front of her. Captain Larry took us on a boat ride on his new boat, which the boys loved. We grilled some great meals and of course went to the park, almost losing Noah down the slide as you can see. It was hectic and exhausting, but so worth it. Peep got his Christmas card picture of him and his 3 great grandchildren- wow what a blessing. Ahhh family get togethers have a different feel now- focused on the little ones and trying to keep everyone happy and on schedule (impossible we concluded). Pawpaw, the boys, and mommy had quite the adventure home. Dad said it best when he commented that if we were meant to fly God would have given us wings :) But we made it and made some great memories!!! Note about picture of Mamaw in the wheel chair- she was hurtin after the match but not that bad- Jacob thought it was great to push Mamaw around in the wheelchair :)

Rainy Days in Peachtree City

So we have had to get creative with all this rain recently. First we took at trip to the Kedron B ball court which the boys loved. Jacob attempts to dribble and we brought along the tennis racket and squishy ball too. Jacob is so cute when I say turn your side and he sticks out his little hip. Then we went to Linda's playhouse for round 2 of Waffle Decorating. I am proud to say I am the mother of the Best Waffle Decorator- he won an adorable t shirt that says " I am a Waffle House Kid". He added "squirmy wormies", golf fish, frog, and lots of whip cream. He then preceded to eat most of it- talk about sugar overload. Noah is now pushing things around the house and taking steps behind them- watch out Jacob here Noahy comes. Once he starts walking there will be no stopping him.

Blessed by Our Boys!

I just wanted to show off some pictures of my boys. I just think they are pretty darn special and I am so lucky to be able to stay at home with them and watch them grow each day. Wow- motherhood is the hardest thing I have ever tackled but wow the rewards are just unspeakable. It is hard to describe how much love my heart has for Jacob and Noah!

Augusta 1/2 Ironman

So it was an exciting and exhausting 24 hour trip to Augusta this weekend. We packed up the RV, dogs, and people, and hit the road for the triathlon. We had a good pre-race dinner at Bonefish and then went to bed early. Poor mom took it upon herself to ensure everyone got a goodnight sleep and took Jacob and the 3 dogs and "slept" in the trailer. Not much sleeping going on there. We awoke at 5am for the long day ahead and Mark, Jenny, and Rebecca (my Olympic swimmer team member) hit the Savannah River for a 1.2 mile swim which they all did amazing on. Then Jenny, Mark, and Catherine blew through the competition on their bikes to finish out the fun with a 13 mile run (Mark's personal favorite). The star of the weekend was Jenny who PR'd (triathlon talk for personal best) completing her 1/2 Ironman in less than 6 hours. Mark beat his time in New Orleans by 30 minutes and was very pleased to have it over with. All and all a successful weekend. However, I am sad to say Mark and I will not be participating in anymore races of this distance as I am just not the triathlon breed I have decided (I just can't stomach those stupid gels) and Mark said to remind him of his pain and agony if he talked about signing up for another one. Plus- Mamaw and Pawpaw were such trooper but enough of that kind of fun already! However, we are in full support of our triathlon star Jenny who plans to rip up the competition in Lake Placid 2010 Ironman!!!!! WAAAHOOO!