Bits of Cheer {Week #2}

First of all, can the merriest of months please SLOW DOWN!!! I feel that the month of December is just flying by and it makes me a little sad! I have moments of being torn because I am ready for next week to come and go because I will be on holiday for 2 weeks but then Christmas will also be coming and going and it makes me a little depressed to think about. So, I plan to soak up every single minute of every day (whether at work or home) and enjoy all of the magic and bliss this season brings! 

Now on to a few "Bits of Cheer" from this past week!

-ONE-

We have a nativity especially for littles. It is exciting to bring it out for Levi every year because it is like having a brand new toy. J and I spend time telling him the true reason that we celebrate Christmas and reading the Christmas story to him. He does understand that the baby Baby Jesus and that we are celebrating his birthday. We have not quite mastered the names of Mary and Joseph but do know that they are Jesus' mommy and daddy. In our storytelling and conversations, we have told him that Baby Jesus did not have a bed and so he had to sleep in a manger with hay. He refuses to call it a manger and consistently refers to the manger as a "stoo" (stool). I love watching his sweet little mind process everything around him and make connections to vocabulary that he knows. Such a precious little one...I love him so!

He also holds Baby Jesus very carefully and often asks me if I want to pet him. Bless his sweet little heart!

-TWO-

After over a week of work, our Christmas decorations are finally completely finished and the boxes have been tucked away until after the season. I am SO glad that this is done and my living room is no longer a storage unit for large tubs of decor. It was making me CrAzY!!! We are enjoying them and Levi's favorites are "all the toys (ornaments)" on the tree and the loud, obnoxious train that circles the foot of the tree. 

-THREE-

Saturday we took Levi to see Santa. We were not quite sure how he would respond to the jolly old elf. Last year's visit included kicking, screaming, and flailing to get away. This year proved to be quite different and I must say that J and I were in complete shock. I mean...how stinking precious is this picture?!? I die!

-FOUR-

While our precious Brady has not made his grand entrance, we are including him in all of our Christmas giving this year! So this week his sweet little stocking came and has joined the rest of the stockings hanging by the chimney with care. I'm sure that Santa will be sure to fill his stocking too!

-FIVE-

JiNgLe has been showing up in some crazy places after his nightly adventures at the North Pole. Friday night he brought a fun Christmas cookie baking set. Levi has had so much fun cutting, baking, and sharing these cookies. I love that Levi is understanding JiNgLe more this year and wakes up anxious to find him every morning. We cannot wait to see what else our silly elf has up under his hat. 

We tried to get Levi to help bake real cookies but he only wanted to bake the pretend ones. I'm sure when the frosting and sprinkles come out he will be a little more excited! 

I am excited to see what other "Bits of Cheer" show up in our home this week! We have a busy week with lots of events so I am sure there will be lots of fun to share! 

Bits of Cheer {Week #1}

Oh My Goodness! I cannot believe that December is here! It is one of my favorite months of the year and I am SO excited. I hope this post finds you joyful and jolly about December and the upcoming season!

 I feel like it is taking for.ev.er. to decorate my house for the Christmas season! I'm not quite sure what to attribute this to; however, it could possibly be a toddler's schedule, shopping, life, holidays with family...and the list goes on. But nonetheless, the decorating has begun and our humble abode is filling with Christmas cheer.

We started this process Saturday by putting out all decorations throughout the house with the exception of the tree. Sunday afternoon, we successfully found the perfect tree for our home (it always takes me quite a while to find the PERFECT tree). We got it in the stand and inside but decided it best to string the never-ending collection of twinkling lights (that still does not seem like quite enough) after the little one was tucked in for the night. J and I finished the lights and proceeded to place the topper and a bit of ribbon décor on the tree before turning in for the night. As of now, the tree is STILL NOT finished being decorated. Every ornament must be strategically placed since little, chunky, precious hands are very interested and curious about these “toys” on the “tee.” I am very hopeful that this will soon be finished so that I can get the huge mound of tubs and boxes out of my living room floor and enjoy ALL of the decorations, magic, and splendor of this season.

My “Bit of Cheer” for this week is my little bundle of love placing the first ornament on the Christmas tree. On a recent trip to Pigeon Forge, TN, he chose a “Thomas the Train” ornament. He adores this ornament and especially likes that Thomas is wearing “Ho Ho’s” hat. I am not quite sure how much time this particular ornament will spend ON the tree but it will most definitely be enjoyed.

This is the first year that he has really started understanding Christmas and the meaning behind this special holiday. I could not be more excited to share the spirit of Christmas with my sweet little family. Merry Christmas!

Three Things {Thanksgiving Edition}

So I have gotten the idea for this blog post from a blog that I love following, Momfessionals. It is super fun to read and a great way to preserve the small moments of everyone in the family. 

I figured that there was no better time to start than now with our top three things for which to be thankful! Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Relationships. 

I am thankful for the relationship that I have with my Lord and Savior! With Him, all things are possible. He never fails us and continues to abundantly provide for us and bless our family!

My relationship with my precious husband continues to grow stronger with each new day. He has a huge heart and a giving spirit! The Lord truly blessed me and gave me my heart's desire by answering my prayers regarding this Godly man. 

My adorable and loving little boy who melts my heart on the daily! He has a sweet spirit and is always ready for fun and action (a typical boy). I love him so much! A day does not go by that I am not lifting up praises for the precious gift that I have been given. This is the closest understanding I have of God's love for his children. It is truly an amazing love!!!

I am also thankful for the new little one that we will be welcoming in February. Another darling boy will join us and we could not be more thrilled! I am looking forward to the sweet moments and relationship that we will all have with him! 

And last but definitely not least, all of my family! They are so special and precious to me. Their love and support for me and my little family is always generous and unconditional. I love them all dearly and I am so glad to love life with them all! 

2. Health. 

With so many diseases and different types of cancer, I am thankful that I have good health and that I am free of these devastating sicknesses. I am also thankful that my Daddy is free of lymphoma and that my mother-in-law is free of uteran cancer. God has blessed us in this area and we are ever grateful to Him. 

3. My Country. 

I am ever grateful for the ability to have daily freedoms that many do not have. To worship as I choose. Celebrate as my family desires. Move about my everyday life with ultimate freedom. I am thankful to all of those men and women who sacrifice their lives and time with their own families to provide a safe place for

others. We are forever indebted to you for your hard work and dedication. 

Due to lack of time and tardiness in posting this, three things from my boys will be included next time. 

A Few Favorites

-ONE-

J and I took Levi to his first dentist appointment yesterday. He was a trooper and we were super proud. He was not quite sure about the moving chair and the vibrating toothbrush. I'm sure that felt a little strange to him since he has only used a regular toothbrush; but, we have added a spinning toothbrush to our list for Santa!

-TWO-

I am currently loving every second of a week away from work as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving! Our sweet little family is SO blessed and we have a tremendous amount for which to be thankful! So today, we are heading out of town for an overnight trip with some precious friends. We are taking our littles to ride The Polar Express in Bryson City, NC. I am SO excited and Levi is beyond ready to ride the "choo choo tain!" I plan to post more about this trip soon. 

-THREE-

We have been reading a few Thanksgiving books this month. These are a few of our favorites. 

These have been very fun reads! We will read them a few more times before we begin reading our massive Christmas collection. 

-FOUR-

Christmas pillows. For some reason, I have a new love for Christmas pillows. I am in total search mode for the perfect additions to my decor for the upcoming season. I suppose this is because I am excited and SO ready for all things Merry & Bright and to revisit the sweet traditions that we have started in our home! My vision is possibly red, lime green, white, gold, and possibly a splash of burlap. We will see what pops up in my shopping cart in the near future. 

-FIVE-

As we were resting with Levi last night, we told him it was time to be quiet so we could go night-night. This obviously hurt his sweet little sensitive heart because he proceeded to say "Daddy, you making my fwy." Bless his sweet heart! This melted my heart but made me laugh at the same time. 

These are just a few happenings in our household right now and a few sweet memories to hold onto too! 

Baby G #2 {24 Weeks}

24 weeks but using a picture from 23 weeks! Ha!

Oh my goodness...I am DEFINITELY not receiving any "Mommy of the Year" awards. It has been almost 12 weeks since my last update. So much has happened since the 12 week mark and I have been very slack about documenting my pregnancy journey with Baby G #2. But...I have often felt like my life is spiraling quickly out of control with just the day-to-day. Needless to say, I am looking forward to a week (or two) away from work to relax and refocus my mind. Which really means to step away from school work and concentrate on the millions of projects that need to be done at home. Sigh. It's never ending!

How Far Along: 24 Weeks
I was measured at my 24 week appointment today and measured right on target.

Symptoms: I am still feeling pretty fatigued at the end of most days. I am constantly going and often work long hours at work. I definitely look forward to bedtime every night.

Cravings/Aversions: Ugh! I would not say that I have any cravings right now...well except the occasional orange soda at night. I do, however, have a major aversion to food! Let's just say that I am pretty much sick of eating! Nothing sounds appetizing and I am tired of eating the same things over and over. Most of the time I fall back on pizza or something with tomato sauce. My precious husband feels like he is turning into a pizza and will regularly ask me if I would just like to have a jar of Ragu with a straw for dinner. Eating seems to have become a chore for me. My littlest love keeps me going and I do provide plenty of nutrition for him.

Size of Baby: You are almost 12 inches long and are about the size of an ear of corn.

Sleep: LOVING IT! I just can't get enough! I seem to have some crazy dreams but those mostly occur when I am up and down a lot going to the bathroom. I have researched it and it says something about the sleep cycle and the stage that you are in...I don't know. It was too much for me to understand at the given time so I quickly moved on to more important things! You love to move around at night and practice a combination of kick boxing, tae kwon do, Pilates, and yoga. It's definitely interesting trying to figure out what you are doing in there but SO fun to feel you moving around. I think you move regularly to keep me from worrying about you! I do have a tendency to do that from time to time.

Workouts: While I have not made ANY trips to the gym, I definitely feel that I am getting a workout daily. Speed walking up and down the hallway at work multiple times a day, playing with Levi, and lifting him (all 32 pounds of him) keeps me feeling like I have worked out anyway.

Clothing: I am wearing maternity clothes most of the time. I still wear my regular shirts and yoga pants. Jeans and dress pants are maternity along with a few shirts and sweaters that I have picked up.

I would really like to try a Piko but have been a bit hesitant. I get the feeling that it may look like a garbage sack on me but I guess I will never know until I try it. Plus, I am the queen of returns and I am quite sure that I could return it if needed. Maybe it is time to pull the trigger.

I am also in the market for a pair of booties. I have ordered several pair but have returned them all. I am just not quite satisfied. Hopefully soon, I will stumble upon the perfect pair to tuck under a pair of flares or boot cut jeans. After all, this mama does NOT do skinnies. It is a BAD look for me!

Gender: It's a BOY! We are beyond excited to be welcoming Brady Michael into our family! We cannot wait to meet our sweet addition.

Nursery: Today has been a very busy day. We have worked diligently to clean out our guest bedroom in preparation of Levi moving into a new "big boy room." We have donated multiple trunk loads of stuff to Goodwill and The Macon Rescue Mission. After this weekend we should be ready to proceed with painting Levi's new room and move him in over the next few weeks. Following this project, we will paint walls and furniture for Brady's nursery. I have chosen his bedding from Carousel Designs and it has all arrived. I am very excited to move forward with these projects. Lots of hard work but SO much fun! It is beginning to feel real! Eeeek!!!

Best Moment this Week: When you have the most precious family, it is impossible to choose one moment as the best. Levi is so incredibly sweet and loving toward Brady and it just completely melts my heart! 

*"Daddy, you wanna pet Bady? Come pet him!"

*Our sweet family of three went to my 24 week appointment today. Levi was SO excited to hear Brady's heartbeat. "It says Boom Boom!"

*Since today was Veteran's Day, J and I were both off from work. We kept Levi home and decided to have a family day. After naptime, we took Levi to see The Peanuts Movie. It was a super sweet movie and Levi loved it. He asked to watch it again and when we told him we would watch it again another day, his sweet blue eyes filled with tears. Bless his sweet little heart!

*In preparation for an upcoming trip, we went to our local monogramming shop to have some pajamas monogrammed. While there, Levi found a basket of "Fuzzies and Bing-Bings (lovies)." We told him that he could pick one for Brady. He proceeded to choose a super sweet and soft brown bear for his baby brother. He even picked out the thread color for Brady's name to be monogrammed. He chose a vibrant, fire-engine red. This precious gift will be wrapped and placed under our Christmas tree for Brady from Levi. I die!
This is not the first gift that Levi has picked out for Brady. In fact, we have several things to wrap up for Christmas. These gifts are all toys and it absolutely melts my heart to watch him choose things for his baby brother without prompting. It is completely on his own. My precious, precious boy!

Baby G #2 {12 Weeks}

It has been a CrAzY 4 weeks around here! School has started back and is DEFINITELY in full swing. It is keeping me busy, busy, busy and I have been very tired! I am hoping that things will soon settle and my energy level picks up as I prepare to move into the 2nd trimester.

How Far Along: 12 weeks

Symptoms: Fatigue (Mostly from starting school.)
This pregnancy has been completely different so far. With Levi, I was sick from about 6 weeks to 13 weeks and it was ALL day EVERY day. Thank goodness this one is so much better.

Cravings/Aversions: Sheet Cake (white cake with buttercream frosting), chewy candy (Air Heads, Skittles, Chewy Spree, etc.)
Aversions: Sheet Cake (white cake with Cream Cheese frosting)! DISGUSTING!!! As much as I used to LOVE a Diet Coke...I can't stand the thought of it at all!

Size of Baby: Currently the size of a lime.

Sleep: I am definitely enjoying my sleep these days. My trips to the bathroom during the night have dwindled and I am ever thankful!

Workouts: Nothing new here. Between work and home I feel like I am constantly working out. Ha!

Clothing: Again, this pregnancy has been completely different in SO many ways. I feel that I am showing sooner than I did when I was pregnant with Levi. I began wearing maternity clothes at week 20 with Levi but I have already pulled out a few basics for extra comfort. I must say that this worries me just a bit!

Gender: It is still too soon for us to find out but...only 3 more weeks! We cannot wait! We will be finding out September 12th at 1:00. AAAHHH!
Jason and I go back and forth with our preconceived notions. Our guesses change daily and sometimes hourly.

Nursery: No plans yet. We have started cleaning out our guest bedroom which will soon become Levi's big boy room. I also may or may not have picked up a few things for his new room! Nursery renovation will begin after Project Big Boy Room is complete. Oh my goodness...lots to do in a short amount of time. Only 6 months...holidays and birthdays, school, gymnastics, weekend trips with friends...it's about to get even crazier around here!

Best Moment this Week: Since my last post, we have heard our sweet baby's heartbeat twice. It is one of the sweetest sounds! Levi is so precious and never ceases to amaze me. He was taking a split second of his day to listen to all of our hearts. He proceeded to place his plastic stethoscope on my tummy to listen to the baby's heart. He heard it...it said "boom, boom!" Be still my heart!

Baby G #2 {8 Weeks}

Surprise!

It is SO hard to believe that my sweet little family of three will soon be expanding! We are beyond excited to be welcoming a new baby into our family in February 2016! After one month of trying to get pregnant...it happened! We were able to see our new little love and the tiny flicker of the sweet heart which is such an overwhelming feeling.

I kept a pregnancy journal when I was pregnant with Levi but will be attempting to journal this pregnancy on the blog. 

How Far Along: 8 weeks

Symptoms: Lower back pain, nausea (but nothing like what I experienced with Levi), fatigue (chasing a 2 year old around is not always easy)

Cravings/Aversions: Frozen Coke or Icees and Iced Water 

Size of Baby: Currently the size of a blueberry. 

Sleep: Sigh. Sleep is great when I actually get to. I spend the majority of the night up going to the bathroom and tossing and turning. It did not start this early when I was pregnant with Levi. 

Workouts: Chasing around a sweet little 2 year old boy is all for now but...the doctor has approved a workout plan to begin. I'm hoping to be in action soon. 

Clothing: I'm still wearing my regular clothes. Sometimes my pants are a little more comfy when I use a ponytail holder to close the button. 

Gender: Too early to find out but Levi says it's a girl. We will see!

Nursery: No major plans yet. I have ordered fabric swatches and have a few ideas in mind. 

Best Moment this Week: Getting to see the sweet little flickering heartbeat on the first ultrasound. We are so blessed and thankful!!!

Levi is 2 1/2 {July 11th}!

Oh My Goodness! Where in the world has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday we brought the 6 pound little bundle of love home from the hospital. 

My sweet boy, you are just growing way too quickly! You are an absolute JOY to be around! Your personality is growing and developing very quickly these days as you are showing Daddy and me your opinion about things and your likes and dislikes.

 It is SO much fun to watch you learn new things and experience things that you have never seen. You are a very smart little boy (I am only a little biased though). You are working hard to learn your colors and shapes. Some of them are easier than others. You have mastered identifying red, blue, green, orange, purple, and white. You recognize black sometimes but still need some prompting for that one. Yellow is often mistaken for orange but hey...they are close. Brown is not really in your vocabulary unless you are talking about Brown Bear. 

You are also able to identify the following shapes in a variety of environments (not just in books or on Umizoomi): circle, square, triangle, diamond, star, heart (and you always say boom boom after you identify a heart), and crescent (you sometimes call this a moon). 

Daddy and I have recently started working with you on scripture memory and you are soaking it up! The verse that you are working on now (this is our first) is Psalm 34:4, "I prayed to The Lord and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears." This is the verse that the preschool department is studying at church so we decided that you could probably learn it. You enjoy doing this and often tell Mommy and Daddy "No" when we try to offer prompts. You enjoy listening to Bible stories and we always know when you want a story from the Bible as you will say "read Jesus." Of course this melts our hearts! Each night, we say prayers as a family before we lay you down for bed. You say your own prayer and it is ABSOLUTELY precious! It always sounds like this, " Jesus, Thank you. I love you. Amen." *sigh* 

Your little imagination is just running wild right now and that too is fun to watch! You sit with your toy cars or trains and roll them and talk, talk, talk! I am SO happy to see you developing this playful side of your personality. 

These are a few more of your favorites:

TV Shows/Movies: Umizoomi, Paw Patrol, and Little Einsteins

Toys: Paw Patrol Cars, trains, Little People Barn

Foods: chicken nuggets (fried only...any other kind is NOT chicken), meatballs, French fries (pinch pies), PopTarts (Wildberry or Blueberry or as you say "puple none" or "white none"), toast, rice, quesadillas ("dilla"), and sometimes ice cream. It is quite comical to watch you eat ice cream from a spoon. You think that it should be licked whether from a spoon or cone. If we give you an ice cream cone you only want to eat the cone. 

You, my sweet love, are FULL of life and Daddy and I thank God for you each and every day! It makes me proud to watch you grow and learn to love and care for others! You are such a blessing and will never know how much Mommy and Daddy love you! 

Weekending in Pink {Cherry Blossom Festival March 28, 2015}

Pink Pancakes and Fun at the Park

Yesterday, Jason, Levi, and I had the privilege of getting one-on-one time with our sweet Libby! We had already planned to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival at Central City Park,  so we kept those plans and took sweet Libby with us.

We started out pretty early for a Saturday morning...if the dew is still on the ground then that signifies early for me! And it was very chilly too! We headed out to the park for a pink pancake breakfast hosted by our local fire department. Pink pancakes are always yummy...Libby and Levi thought they were rather tasty too! After breakfast, we ventured over to the carnival rides since there was a free rides promotion from 9:30-11:00. Levi and Libby were able to ride several rides and LOVED every second of each one. Their favorite ride was the Nemo fish ride. They both cried when Jason and I took them off; however, we got right back in line to do it again. It would have been much easier to just let them stay in the same place but the classy carnival worker continued to say "Come getcha youngin!" So, we had no choice but to go get our "youngins". They also rode the train, boats, and dragons (aka ducks according to Levi). They were so well behaved and were SO sweet to each other...my heart was just a big pile of mush! 

First ride...choo choooooo!!!

Nemo 

Boats

Dragons (aka Ducks)

Flying High!

Mulberry Street Arts and Crafts Festival

Before driving over to the Arts and Crafts Festival, we said a sad goodbye to Libby who was going to spend the afternoon with Jannie and Papa. We SO loved spending time with her and watching she and Levi interact, play, and give each other sweet hugs...Be. Still. My. Heart!

The Mulberry Street Arts and Crafts Festival is a Cherry Blossom event must for me; however, this year I was not able to find a lot of things that interested me. It seems to have downsized quite a bit as many spaces were empty as you strolled along the streets. This year I only bought a bird feeder made from a Mason Jar. It is hanging in the backyard and Levi and I are already loving all the birds that have found tasty snacks. Even though I didn't walk away with a lot of loot, it was great to be outside and enjoy the amazing spring weather with my sweet family.  

Party on the Green

On Sunday afternoon, we packed a cooler for a picnic, a blanket, some chairs, and toys and headed over to Wesleyan College for Party on the Green.This is another Cherry Blossom Festival event and is usually the end of the festival. This event is another of my favorites as it is SO much fun and is also relaxing. We arrived shortly after the gates opened at 5 p.m. to meet some dear friends. They have a little girl a few months younger than Levi and we were looking forward to the two of them spending some time together outside. Levi had a great time playing and eating chicken nuggets and cheese balls with his sweet friend, Bailey. The dinner of champions...I know. Around 8:15, the fireworks began. Levi has seen fireworks before but it has been a while. We weren't sure how he would respond to the loud booms. He LOVED every second! His sweet face was priceless and his comments melted my heart! He frequently repeated "OH WOW!" as his sweet chubby finger pointed to each new firework. Jason says he gets his love of fireworks from me...I do LOVE fireworks and I have lots of favorites. 

So many people and things to watch!

Picnic Time...Sharing chicken nuggets and cheese balls

Watching the fireworks with Daddy! Pure sweetness!!!

"Oh Wow!"

This weekend was SO much fun! I REALLY hated to see it come to an end! As for now, I am loving the memories and looking forward to our next adventure!  

Gymnastics

A little over a week ago, Levi participated in his first gymnastics "ni-nat-nicks" class. This class only has 4 or 5 two year olds who are full of energy and eager to learn and play. They are called the Cubs and my little darling definitely fits the bill. 

My expectations of the class were apparently low because I was amazed at what all these tiny ones did. Floor exercises, balance beam, bar, rings, trampoline...everything! The first night he was wide open and wild, trying to join the older girls class which was working on back handsprings and round offs. Since parents participate in the class with the child, I was sweaty and exhausted! I immediately told Jason that he was participating in the next class. In the midst of my heavy glistening, I felt discouraged. My child did not follow directions, did not complete all of the activities, and most certainly did not stay within the designated space. Aaaahhhh! A teacher's nightmare!

Thankfully, we have since had another class and he did SO much better. There is hope! Jason did participate in the second class and also left sweaty and tired! It is totally a workout! We are looking forward to 7 more weeks in this session and seeing what all he learns to do! He often needs reminders at home that we are not at gymnastics as he tries to dive from furniture throughout the house. I'm sure this will continue as we go through the coming weeks. 

First time on the balance beam!

Floor exercises...marching, galloping, running, and stretching! So fun!

Hanging on the bar by himself for the first time! He has since learned to pick his feet up completely! 

Weekending

Happy Monday...I guess! I am desperately trying to abide by the saying Keep Calm and Pretend It's NOT Monday! It has to be the absolute hardest day of the week! Especially following such a beautiful, fun, and glorious weekend. Our sweet little family stayed pretty busy this weekend but it was a fun busy which is always good! Here are a few highlights of a good time and great memories!

Friday night Jason and I took Levi to Disney on Ice. He SO enjoyed this show...he sat with his mouth opened the majority of the time. Even after paying for tickets, a special outfit for the occasion, overpriced cotton candy and an obnoxious spinning glow light, I would not trade it for anything. My sweet baby's face was just adorable and priceless throughout the show but particularly when some of his favorite characters made their grand appearance! Donald Duck, Pluto, and Woody mesmerized him. And Mickey and Minnie weren't too bad either! 

These are the darling duds that my little man wore on this cold and dreary night...I was hoping for spring-like temperatures to go with this adorable madras plaid but no luck there! 

Mickey, Mickey Ears, and Spinning lights after the show!

One tired boy...he was asleep before we got out of the parking lot. 

Saturday began with a darling Thomas birthday party for my nephew Carter. It is SO hard to believe that he is already 3! He asked for his party to be at a nearby Burger King in town. It happens to be a newly renovated one with nice decor and a huge play area. It was a perfect setting for a birthday party with small children who have bundles of energy! This is definitely a contender for Levi's next birthday! 

Saturday afternoon (following nap time, of course), we headed out to my aunt's house for a little fun on the farm with the cows, tractor, and wide open spaces! Levi is quite afraid of dogs and cats but is always overly anxious to feed the cows at Mo's house. He feeds them treats, moos at them, and watches them very carefully.  

After several rain showers and overcast days, there were quite a few mud puddles and squishy spots which were perfect stomping grounds for a little boy with new farm boots! 

Levi was also super excited to check out Mo's new "tactor." 

Sunday morning, we were off to church bright and early as usual. I snapped several sweet pictures of my little man. I. Could. Not. Handle. The. Outfit. Blue and white seersucker with a white polo and little tan boat shoes...I die! I wish I could get a full body picture but that would require standing still! Lol...not happening!

Sunday afternoon was filled with nap time, grocery store trips, ice cream dates, and outside fun in the sun! 

With my two loves and nice weather, it's no wonder I dreaded Monday! 

Until next time...I'm loving the memories! 

Take 1 {A Trip to the Movies}

Today marked an exciting first in our sweet little family. Jason and I decided to brave a matinee with our little man. At just 25 months, we were a bit skiddish about how he would handle the many foreign features of the theater atmosphere. The darkness. The Volume. The sitting still for an hour and a half. The staying quiet. The last two are the real kickers...no wonder we were so apprehensive. But, Paddington was recently released (January 16th) and was playing at our local theater. So, since it was a rainy afternoon and Levi is loving the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin, Jr. and seemed to be interested in the movie trailer, we headed out for the 3:45 showing. Levi had just gotten up from a nap and we planned for a snack during the movie (popcorn...of course). 

As we pulled up to the theater, Jason and I realized that it had been over two years since we had been to see a movie. The cost of a ticket has gone up in price to $7.50 (FOR THE MATINEE...REALLY?!?!) and a small popcorn was ringing in at $6.25. I hate to sound like an old fogey but dang...this is OUTRAGEOUS! 

With our popcorn (tiny flecks of gold added) in tow, we headed towards the theater to take our seats. My mind was flooded with questions about how he would react to this new place and excitement for a new experience with my little one.  As we walked inside, Levi was talking up a storm about "Bown Beah." I continued to offer gentle reminders about staying quiet. Of course, he parroted back exactly what I had said to him. But to my surprise, as we took our seats, he crawled into my lap and became completely intrigued by the HUGE screen in front of him. He crunched a few pieces of popcorn but mostly stared in awe as the story of "Bown Beah" unfolded. His sweet voice uttered a few words in response to what was taking place but he mostly sat in silence. 

As the credits were rolling, Levi proceeded to clap for "Bown Beah" and look up at me and say "Again?" Be. Still. My. Heart. He absolutely LOVED it and wants to watch it again. I cannot wait until this comes out on DVD...it will be a must have! After all, it was the first movie he saw in the theater. Our outing was a HUGE success and I must say that Jason and I are still shocked beyond belief at how much he enjoyed it! 

So excited!

Ready for "Bown Beah!"

{We had a bit of a cheek-on collision with the mini trampoline at church this morning-little bruiser on his sweet cheek.}

It's SO hard to find the perfect piece AND watch the movie!

Daddy's Home! {Georgia Aquarium}

A few weeks ago, Levi and I got the dreaded news that Jason would be headed out of town February 18th for a business meeting in Connecticut. I would be on Winter Break (which is a major positive), but why does he ever need to go to a meeting out of town. Really?!? Don't these people know that I have a two year old and need him and want him at home with ME? My complaining  about this did not help...he still had to go! 

So...Wednesday morning, Levi and I got up bright and early to take Jason to the Groome station before heading out for "Mommy and Me" time. We had a great time but...we always miss Daddy when he's away! 

And today is the GLORIOUS day that we got to go pick him up in Atlanta. Since his flight was supposed to come in early this morning, we planned a little trip to the Georgia Aquarium. Levi LOVED it! He was mesmerized with all of the fish and would literally scream "PISH" every time we came to a new tank. 

These were some serious kiss-kiss fish!

Beluga Whales

Sea Otters

Penguins

And Sea Dragons were fun to look at 

but...

Our favorite was Dolphin Tales (dolphin show)! It was AMAZING. We have never seen anything like it! Levi could not stop talking about the "doltins." Even waiting for it to start was fun!

I don't have any pictures of the dolphin show. Photography was against the rules. 

The Aquarium was SO much fun but our best present was Daddy coming home!

My heart is melting...my sweet boys! 

Five on Friday {First One Ever}

Well here we are again welcoming another weekend! This week has been a bit of a doozy so I am definitely looking forward to some relaxation and lots of time with my sweet little family and some dear friends. This is my first Five on Friday and I am pretty excited! So without further adieu, here we go...

1. A few weeks ago, we had 2 year pictures with our sweet little one. I am overly thrilled with the results. Our precious photographer, Julie Brooker, met us in Milledgeville on a blustery Sunday afternoon at the old train depot. The venue was just my style with lots of exposed brick, huge wooden doors, and an old yellow tractor. The tractor was parked on the side of the train depot and we totally took full advantage. Although we woke my darling boy from his afternoon nap, he woke up ready to perform. Here is one of my favorites from this beautiful day. And of course, on the tractor! 

2. The day after our photo session, Jason decided to see if he could get Levi to smile on command...perfect timing, I know!!! These are the results of his efforts! Love!

3. We have SO loved reading this little children's book this week. So stinking cute!

4. As Levi and I were preparing to leave for work and school yesterday, he happened upon the ice cream cones in the pantry and insisted upon having one. After tons of talking and plenty of promises, I finally convinced him to leave the cones on the counter. The promise made was that he could have an ice cream cone after dinner and could even choose chocolate or vanilla ice cream. He proceeded to say "And Mommy?" I assured him that I would eat one too. So of course..."And Daddy?" So I assure him that Daddy will eat one too. After dinner, promises were kept and everyone ate ice cream...and who in the world wants vanilla when "chockit" is available?!?

5. I am SO looking forward to a fun morning with a sweet friend tomorrow. Local boutiques host a warehouse sale once a year with deeply discounted products. I look forward to scoring great deals on shoes, jewelry, and baby gear!