Family Reunion

Saturday the 24th (four days ago) we packed up for the day and trucked an hour away from where we live to attend a family reunion on my husband's side of the family. Granny and Pa (Don's parents who live within walking distance of us) went to the reunion as well. Don's family rented a cabin at a state park here, and we all gathered there for the day. It was a beautiful area right on the water. It was hot, but a pretty nice day. Calista enjoyed it for sure. I really wanted to share some of the pictures from that day...So here they are! (I may add a few more later from granny's camra)

I also forgot to mention that Don's older brother, wife and son Connor came down to visit last Wednesday and stayed till Monday. So they were here for the Reunion also. Here are some pics we took while they were here:
I posted a 3 month old pic of Connor in the blog entry: Additions to the Family back on September 5, 2007

Outside Work Day

Last Saturday (the 17th) was our outside work day. We just decided to get some yard work done...picked up sticks, raked, and mowed the little grass we have...mostly just weeds! We did spread out some grass seed though.

Anyway here is an adorable pic of Calista blowing a Dandilion...and some others of her helping in the yard.

Special Birthday Evening

Well, as some of you may know: friday was my 23rd birthday, and this sweet man of mine planned with his mom and dad to have them watch the children so he could take me out for the evening. And he really could not have picked a better place to take me: Olive Garden. I love that place! I just absolutely love Italy so eating there was like a little passport to one of my favorite countries. I really enjoyed myself, and the food could not have tasted better- it was so delicious, the service was impecable, and I can't explain how relaxing it was to just sit and have a nice meal with my hubby...no diaper bags, no spit up, no messes. Just grown up conversation with my favorite person in the whole world: my husband! So Thank you Sweetie! I really loved everything!

A slightly younger us...

Since I'm on the subject: Just thought I would show everyone this picture that was taken of us right after I came down to Florida in January of 2005. So I was 19 in the picture and he was 26, and we were not yet married. It is a picture of a picture so the quality is kinda bad, but anyway here it is...I totally forgot about it when I was blogging about us the other day.

Three happy years!

Today marks the end of the third year that I have been married to my best friend, and the first day of the rest of our life together! Since it is our anniversary today, I thought I would take a few minutes to praise my wonderful husband, and give everyone a little history. Some of you might not know this, but I've known Don since I was 9 years old and at the time he was 16. Yes we are seven years apart. Of course, at the age of nine I was not planning to marry him yet, but he has always been like an older brother to me. Growing up, I was the oldest of eight children (seen in the montage below), and he was always around: playing with us on our farm and spending time with my family. Almost every memory I have as a child, he is somewhere in it. Around thirteen I developed a little crush for him, of course it was one way: he was too old for me at that time in life. Then, at fourteen, my family moved to Delaware and I lived there for five years, missing him, and our time spent together, dearly. Then at nineteen, feeling very nostalgic for everything I had left in my childhood: my Pastor, church, and friends- I came back to Florida to visit. Seeing him (Don) again for the first time after five years...nothing had changed. I still felt the same way about him after all that time and distance. Well, one thing had changed....we were older, and this time the feelings were mutual. I didn't go back to Delaware, except to visit. Then on May 13, 2005 I married, literally, The Man of My Dreams! I'm really serious about that. He is honestly the only one I have ever wanted to marry, and if by some chance I had married someone else, I would have spent the rest of my life wondering: what if?
Now, three years later, I feel the same! I love him now more than ever, and I'm so proud of the man he is and the wonderful husband and father he has become! Love you, Sweetie!

This Montage below are some pictures of my seven siblings several years ago.

Kayla is 21 now! How time flies...miss you guys!

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

My Husband took us out to a Japanese Hibachi resteraunt for lunch this Mother's Day.

Here's Calista checking out another table before they did our table.

Trying to master the art of chopsticks. Cute!

"Never mind...I'm gonna starve! I'll just use my fingers."
YIKES! FIRE!

Yaaay! Good Show!

"Whew! I'm stuffed!"

Calista's fortune cookie said: You always bring others happines. Couldn't be more true!

Towel Head

A couple days ago I put this towel on her head and took this picture. I told her let me take a picture of that....she was just so cute in it! Then today, after my shower, I put a towel on my head like I normally do. When she saw me she said, "Mommy, can I take a picture of that"

I also wanted to tell you that we were watching a movie the other night and a house caught on fire in the movie, and Calista said, "Look! There's fire! That's why we don't play with candles." Really, insightful there, dear!

On a different note, I wanted to say: you all may have noticed a little scar above her left eye that's been there for quite some time now. She got the injury on a coffee table about five months ago. Worried that it will never go away, I broke down and bought some Kids Mederma (a topical scar med). Well I've only been applying it for about a week now and it seems to me that it's fading. In fact I went to put it on her last night and for a second, couldn't find the scar! Normally it's the first thing I notice when I look at her. It's supposed to take like three months for old scars to smooth out and I can already see a difference. Whew! Maybe she won't have to live with such a prominate scar forever! Just pray y'all. I know it's not a really important thing, but it matters to me. I don't want my little baby scarred.

Some pictures of the children together:

Here are some cute pictures of the children together...

Ponies

Some of our friends have ponies. Here is Calista at their place, with the ponies. She was a little scared of them. She said they were going to eat her...funny! That's why she's sitting like that. But it turned out to be a really cute picture. My adorable little Cowgirl!

Seeing a Specialist

Not to long ago we took a little trip to a town about 60 miles from where we live so our little baby Carson could see a specialist out there. Not to worry! Nothing really serious...just out of the realm of his pediatrition. He (the pediatrition) ran into a little complication when he was trying to circumcise him, and they said he needs a little reconstructive surgery before they can do the circ. So we had to take him for a checkup, and then in August he'll have the surgery at Sacred Heart. It sounds much worse than it is...but they are gonna have to put him completely under: which of course, I don't like; but what mother would? Above are two pictures from the occation. The first one is Calista getting us an elevater, and the second is Carson enjoying a sticker on the wall while he was laying on the examination table waiting to be seen by the doctor.

Anyway, on the way home we decided to stop at a Dairy Queen. Don stayed in the truck with Casron, while Calista and I went inside to see what we wanted. I told Calista that we could put her ice cream in her little purple tumbler cup for the ride home. Then the cutest thing happened: when we got up to the counter one of the ladies that worked there was cleaning a machine or something and said she'd be with us in a minute to take our order. Then Calista put her cup on the counter and said, "Miss ma'am, could you get us some ice cream, please? Could you put it in my cup, please?" It was so adorable and so polite! I was really proud of her.

I would like to conclude by telling y'all some cute things she says...without going into much explanation. Here are some of her little phrases:

I can't. I'm busy.

I made a messy, mommy. Could you clean it up? I'm being very careful.

I better watch my noggin.

I'm gonna break my neck!

Whoa, baby!

I'm upside down, like an acrabat.

This is an emergency! (from the SAVE-UMS cartoon)

Are you gonna save it to later? (instead of "save it for later")

It's too loud. (Then she turns down the radio or tv....)

I'm just like a duck. (as she waddles like a duck)

I'm just like a frog. (as she hops like a frog)

I'm just like an elephant. (with her arm in front of her like a trunk)

Hold on a second.

How did that happen?

That was excellent, Carson!

Plus she's been using the word "also" in her sentences and the other day she said, "possibly"

You have to watch this...

Turn up your volume to hear the narraration...