This is the Martin Way of Life

Family Fun Night

2010-03-05T13:47:00.004-06:00

Go Oilers! Ty has been wanting to go to a hockey game. A game finally came up that started early enough in the evening where we could go without wrecking the kids bedtimes. Had great seats - three rows up from almost center ice and boy, oh boy did we have fun!!! Ty and Laci loved all the hockey action, the music and all the freebie activities. Ty and I were lucky enough to catch a ball they threw from the ice for a lottery win (didn't win the prize - but did catch the ball!). Laci, however, was the big winner! A man with a camera came down and kept filming her, we didn't know why until a little later when the cheerleader came down and said "She, won!". Won, what we said....she was the cutest little kid on the kid cam on the big screen winning a free Build-a-Bear gift card! Then, during play one of the Oilers threw Jason a puck to give to Ty! Ty and Laci thought that was so cool and so cooold!!! We got a little restless about 30 minutes before the game ended but we had the whole row to ourselves so they were able to get up and walk around. And, lastly.....the Oilers didn't win - but the Martin family felt like we hit the jackpot! What a fun night!

Yum...dippin dots!

Love that cheese!

ArenaCross!!!

2010-02-24T13:31:00.005-06:00

Okay....I've been doing my chores this morning and after making the bed in the front room (where the computer is) and was thinking about what I should work on next. I basically told myself I wasn't in the mood to clean toilets or vaccum and I can't snack (watching my weight for the wedding) SO.....I realized I haven't posted anything lately.....I chose the last folder that I updated pictures to and wa-la....Arena Cross!

I must say I really enjoyed myself....It wasn't too loud and the kids were a hoot to watch! Ty was not feeling his best, but he mustered up enough energy to have fun. And, our little Laci....she loved every moment! The motorcycles, the cheetos, dippin dots - the works!!! She must have gotten up and down a million times. In Daddy's lap, Mommy's lap, Aunt Beth's lap, relished being in her own seat, messing with Ty, studying all the people around us.... headphones on, headphones off....oooing and ahhhing at everything! Then Ty wanted dippin dots....Sissy had to have some too and when they dropped on the floor she didn't hesitate to take her napkin and clean the floor! Aunt Beth, so nicely leaned over told me what was happening and said that she was my daughter totally - through and through! It's funny sometimes you don't notice yourself sometimes in your children until someone points it out and boy, is she right! I just hope they pick up on the good stuff not all the not-so-good stuff!

Anyhoo....all fun must end and we did stay til the end!

Ready!
Here Sissy...I'll protect your ears!

Cheesy mouth!

Ty and Aunt Beth!

Motorcycles jump so high!

So cute!!!

Boo!

2009-11-11T13:10:00.004-06:00

As you can tell Ty was Batman this year and Miss Laci was Minnie Mouse (only felt it was fitting for Laci to be Minnie as Ty was Mickey on his first "trick-or-treat" Halloween). As you can see she's not wearing the ears....she traded those in for Ty's cape. He didn't want to wear it and she really did, however, they are still the cutest on this block!! We had a fantastic night! We first went to Grandad Mike and Nana Maryann's for our first candy grab, then back to our neighborhood for more trick-or-treating and then topped it all off with our pumpkin pizza and homeade pumpkin pie!

We're ready.....

2009-10-30T12:19:00.005-05:00

We are excited and ready for Halloween! This week we've been wearing our gear and finally picked out our pumpkins and got them carved. Ty and I got on-line and searched for just the right face for our pumpkins and Ty gave Daddy a scary face and he was able to copy it on his! We did this in stages one day. Cleaned them up before Laci's nap and then Ty and I carved ours while Laci slept (thought nap time would be the best time to bring out the knives!). When Laci woke up we then brought her out and let her color her pumpkin with markers. Everyone was happy and loved their punkins! Daddy has been working long and hard this week so we helped him out by cleaning his out and then he was able to come home early and carve!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Can you guess who's is who's??

Field Trip

2009-10-26T13:36:00.005-05:00

Wednesday last week was Ty's field trip to the pumpkin patch. The weather was right for fall - cool, windy and cloudy.... sure got us in the mood! Laci was able to attend this field trip and was so excited! We stopped off at the park to play and eat our lunch before heading to the pumpkin patch. Ty had great fun with all his friends and Laci loved playing in and amongst all the big kids! Ty needed no help feeding the animals and Laci learned how to climb a fence! I thought for a moment she was going to scale it and jump in with the goats (or puppy, as she calls them). They both were having so much fun I could barely pull them away!

Pictures

2009-10-15T16:44:00.007-05:00

I'm finally getting around to getting pictures done of the kids. 11 months late for Laci and at least Ty is still four for his fourth year pictures. After using just hurry, quick photographers and then after the last try with a new photographer in town Jason just said go back to the wonderful girl that took Ty's first year pics, Machelle! We discussed how we loved every shot she got, plus she's experienced and great with kids! We had our studio shoot this last week and then we'll go to the park in the next few weeks for more. She is working on all the photographs now, but was able to put a few up on her blog. Thought you might like a taste.

My babies, courtsey of Mac Photography.....

http://studiomacphotography.blogspot.com/

News

2009-09-10T13:13:00.005-05:00

A month or so ago the media interviewed Jason again on progress at the convention center. Below is the video and I've attached the link for the actual article that was in the paper. Ty loved to see and hear his Daddy on the video and this really confused Laci as she could hear him but could not see where he was at all times. She just kept saying "Dad-ee, Dad-ee".

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=334&articleid=20090802_11_A11_JoeyAg213561&archive=yes

Great job, babe - we love you and are so proud of you!

2009-09-10T13:13:00.001-05:00

video platform video management video solutions free video player

2009-09-03T23:17:00.010-05:00

Since I heard from double the two (Judy and Amy) I will try and do better at posting.

This was a freebie picture that was taken a month or so ago. I am not very pleased in the photographer who took this picture but considering the circumstances...this was the best one of the two and of course free. The deal was they sent me a mailing for a free sitting fee and photograph. That's to draw you in and once I got there and I quickly realized why it was free. I had to do all the work. I ran around constantly placing the kids in poses with hardly any direction. Very awkward and very weird. Fine....I stuck it out and hoped for one good shot for my freebie, sweat and all. Their mailer mentioned that they were new and offering this incentive so they could get their name out there and start a reputation. Well, I'm not sure this is going to help them. I took my freebie and ran. They are not an experience photographer for children. Needless to say we are going to go to an established photographer in town who doesn't charge $60 for an 8x10. Crazy..... but these kids are cute no matter who takes their picture!!!

Is there anyone out there?

2009-08-11T14:05:00.003-05:00

Hello out there, does anyone look at this thing anymore?

If so, I'm going to be better about posting updates! I thought that the only people viewing were Judy and Amy but found out some of the Fitzgerald/Cox family misses the updates after Amanda's wedding recently. So....if there are more than just two people viewing I'm going to give this thing my best effort and update you all on our Martin happenings - if you're interested???

Sweet Sister

2008-11-22T10:11:00.007-06:00

Thursday was Laci's six month checkup, all is well except for we've got a cold. Ty has had a cough for several weeks but Wednesday evening it hit Momma and Sister pretty bad. I'm just praying that Ty doesn't get any worse and that Dada doesn't get it at all. We are trying to survive, but I'm feeling like I need to take a "sick" day! HA! Anyhoo.....

Laci weighed in at 16lbs and 11oz and is 27.5 inches long. What a big girl she is! She's sitting up and rarely falling over these days! She loves her baby food and there hasn't been anything she didn't want to take in, personally I think she just likes to make a mess! She continues to be such a happy, happy baby! Minus all this sickly stuff she's sleeps great, plays great and Ty is her greatest pastime! When he's at school, not only does she take a terrific nap, but she looks all around wondering where he went! Here's a few pictures from the past weeks, maybe months.

Even as I'm sleep deprived and a little cranky, like Sister, I'm still so very thankful for my babies. They both individually and together bring light to my life. Lately, when I see Ty taking care of her, playing or talking to her my heart just melts. He too calls her, his sweet, baby girl! I'm honored to have been given this job and I won't trade these days in for anything! As the days are busy and sometimes trying I know they won't always be. Jason and I come together and so enjoy being this family of four and that's what I'm thankful for!

Don't fall down sissy.....

She loves her feet, so when they are uncovered she goes nuts!

Ahhhh, I love my sissy

Ty want to do it, Ty want to do it too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-22T08:42:00.004-06:00

Boy, do we have so much to be thankful for this year! Ty is having a great time at school and is making such special things and learning a lot! Each day when I asked him what he did at school he says....."Sssh, it's a secret". Every now and then I manage to pull out a few things. He loves playing on the playground, sliding down the blue slide and the sandbox is a also one of his favorites. He's making some friends but is still on the shy side. I wish I could be a little fly on the wall sometimes. In fact, just last week Miss Lisa told me that she caught Ty and Christian in the potty having a cute little conversation but she ducked out so they wouldn't see her so they would continue. He looks forward to each day and can't wait to make something "special"! Thursday they invited us to their classroom to hear them sing their songs they learned this month along with the Indian attire they made. They colored their vests themselves and Ty wanted me to now he picked a red feather for his headband because he has red hair! Here are the pictures and the video, as you'll see Ty had a little stage fright again.....but Momma is still so proud!!!!

So proud....

2008-11-21T13:32:00.006-06:00

I must share....

Jason has been working on the Convention Center for about six months now and was interviewed this week at the jobsite. I think there were a few that didn't realize it was him until they read his name, not knowing that he was growing a beard.

Baby, I think you did a great job on the interview and Ty, Laci and myself couldn't be more proud of you!

http://www.newson6.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=3150172&at1=News&h1=ConventionCenter Expansion Underway

Arrrr....matey!

2008-10-30T11:47:00.013-05:00

This morning was Ty's Halloween party at school. What a cute pirate he is, however, the costume is a little itchy and of course doesn't quite hold up to toddler activity. But, nonetheless he didn't care he just wants to say, "Arrrr". First thing (so Mommy's could watch), the kids all lined up for their "candy" walk. Each church staff member in the office was armed with a basket of candy and the kids marched in line to receive and then back to their classroom where they sang to us. Well, Ty didn't sing, but joined in the "BOO" at the very end. Even though he didn't sing (maybe he was still trying to figure out what was going on), I'm still very proud of my baby! How grown up he is!!! After all the singing it was time for us to leave and the kids to have their party!

And the songs.....

Punishment interrupted.....

2008-10-24T14:34:00.009-05:00

I know that this looks bad, but I had to take a picture. I always think that it is nicer to ask Ty what he wants for lunch instead of making him what I want him to have. I figure this way he'll eat a good lunch because its something he's chosen. Well, so many times he'll tell me what he wants and then he won't eat. I absoultley hate wasting food! Usually, I ask and ask him to finish and remind him that HE is the one who told me he wanted this. Well, one afternoon he was behind me while I was feeding sister, I was trusting that he was eating. I found out that he had sucked the PB&J off the bread and didn't eat anything but that and the fruit and left broccoli and yucky soaked bread on the plate. All this after he even asked for it. Well, I decided enough was enough and this was the day to teach him a valuable lesson. He was to sit there and eat at least the broccoli before he could get up. I sat back down to finish feeding sister, turned around because all was so quiet and realized my plan BACKFIRED.......

Oh What Fun....the Fair!

2008-10-20T20:56:00.004-05:00

It was fair time again not long ago and Ty was really able to get in to the whole fair thing this year. He loved the rides again, of course but really wanted to eat this year. It really worked out well for all of us and the food. All three of us shared everything so it didn't seem like we were really pigging out. Ty loved everything and as always doesn't mind and really wants to share with us! Jason and I realized that now that Ty is older, going to the fair isn't and won't be about us leisurely walking around all the buildings and looking at the booths. Its about rides, kids zones, food and what he wants to do. I guess when you think about it, what three year-old wants to see the latest mop or set of pots and pans!!! And, it does make us happy to see that big smile when he's coming fast down that slide..... no fear - that's one of the many things I love about him! Now, Laci on the other hand, probably would have rather stayed home. She was a little out of sorts trying to figure out what all the loud sounds were and all the lights seem to be a little bothersome, but she was a real trooper! Next year, I'm sure will be a blast for both!

Ty had to get into the trucks in the IPE building

Enjoying a mini-donut!

The girls

Ty sharing his ice cream!

Chugga, Chugga, Choo, Choo!

2008-10-19T22:09:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Thomas the Tank Engine chugged his way to Oklahoma City and we traveled to see him. We bought the tickets about a month before and oh my goodness, boy did we use this as a reason to learn patience! Just about every day Ty would ask if today is the day we go see Thomas and if it wasn't he wanted to know why. (Why, Momma Why!!!) Finally, the day came and I tell you what, he had a great time. I almost think that even if Thomas wasn't there he would have had just as great of a time, its the train ride he loved the most. Even though we were given strict instructions to keep heads, arms, feet and bodies inside the window you'll see we were just a little too excited to remember them! There were lots of activities like a magician, videos, putt-putt, train tables, a jungle gym and staged pictures with Sir Topham Hatt and Thomas himself and much more! Ty wanted nothing to do with the staged picture taking so mine actually turned out better.

Grumpy's Grandkids

2008-10-19T21:42:00.008-05:00

One last thing....

Lindsey put together a nice board at the celebration with pictures of all of Grumpy's grandkids and I wanted to put a few of the pictures here to show the love he had for all of them. He so enjoyed telling them stories, giving big hugs and teaching them all about "the loving, the caring and the sharing"!

So, again to you Grumpy.....your grandkids (Austin, Lexi, Alice, Bella, Ty, Kylie and Laci) will treasure the time they had with you and it is upon us to keep telling them your stories so they never forget.

One of the many chess games between Grumpy and Austin

This lap is always big enough! (Lexi, Grumpy and Alice)

Grumpy with Alice and Bella

Grumpy with Ty

One of Grumpy's "great" stories!

Grumpy with Kylie

Grumpy being "grumpy" with Ty

Grumpy with baby Laci

We love and miss you each and every day.

To You, Grumpy....

2008-09-25T23:04:00.010-05:00

September 11, 2008 we lost a beloved man, our Grumpy. He battled a long, tough fight with cancer and now he's pain free and with our Lord in Heaven, with his Dad (Papa, Pampa) and his son, Bryan. These past several weeks have been a long, rough road and Saturday we held a celebration in honor of him and his life. He would have been so proud. It was wonderful and in true "Jim" fashion. Grumpy, we love you and I personally have learned a lot from you in a short amount of time. I will promise to show my kids the time of their lives and teach them about love. I will also teach them that life is worth living to the fullest and I promise to live every single day without regret. We will miss you more than words can say. I wish we had just a little more time.....we will again see you some day...

Jimmy ready to take on the world!!!

Jimmy's High School Photo

Jimmy, Bryan and Pookie

Jimmy, Amy and Jason sharing his famous chocolate malt!
Family ski trip (Grumpy, Grammy, Amy and Jason)
Jimmy and Vic
What fun!!!!

Amy and her Daddy....need I say more

Jason, Papa(Pampa), Jimmy and Cayne

Whitney, Amy, Jimmy and Lindsey
life on the lake!

Grumpy, Minnie, Lindsey, Amy, Whitney and Jason

feeding his baby, Mocha!

Cayne, Jason, Amy and Jimmy

Minnie and Grumpy

Jim and the famous possum!

This is why we love you!

Our special day with him!

Just the three of them!

Father's Day 2008 (Jason, Jimmy and Cayne)

Just like Daddy!

2008-08-22T14:14:00.004-05:00

It's in his blood and like his Daddy, Ty looks so cute in a hard hat! Jason's been putting a hard hat on his head practically since birth and it seems like finally after three years he can actually wear it and hold his head up! I snapped these a week or so ago when Ty was playing with his tools that Timothy gave him and he realized he was forgetting one very important piece - the HAT! What a cutie!!!

All Grown Up!

2008-08-21T21:38:00.006-05:00

Today was Ty's open house for preschool which starts on Tuesday. We went for an hour this morning to get to know his teachers (Miss Lori and Miss Lisa) and make new friends! If I remember correctly I think there will be nine boys and three girls in his class (the teeny-tiny boy pottys are going to be busy!!!!). A few of the other boys had some bad feelings and by no means felt comfortable. As for Ty, we are lucky in that this is the same classroom he has Sunday mornings for church. So, he walked in and headed for the kitchen as always! No problems....

His teachers are fantastic and have so many fun activities planned for the year. They even sent out an email tonight thanking us for participating in the open house. I replied to them both saying how it eases my worries and warms my heart that my baby is in such good hands each Tuesday and Thursday. Ty is making leaps and bounds in the "growing up" department which makes me so proud and so happy but in the same makes me cry that he's not a baby anymore. Ty will do great on Tuesday, it will be me that you will need to worry about!!!! He's ready and I'm ready for him to go because this fulfills one of those guilt things I have about not spending the time I want to with him.

I better get the fridge cleaned off for all those great works of art!!!

Sweet Talk

2008-08-13T20:59:00.004-05:00

Laci is making new strides all the time. She's holding her head up strong, kicking like nobody's business and she is all a chatter! When she starts her motor, she really gets it going! She talks, sings, giggles, blows bubbles and makes the most sweetest noises! I love talking and singing to her because I think she's actually listening and she talks and sings back to me. Here are some sweet noises I'd like to share with you all. Of course, its short-lived because Brother is being a little loud which startles her and makes her a little upset.

Ty's little red wagon

2008-08-13T20:36:00.007-05:00

Grammy promised Ty a wagon when he started to keep his pants dry. AND, WELL HE HAS DONE IT - TY IS POTTY TRAINED!!! WOO-HOO!

Ty has been wearing big boy underwear for almost two weeks and has only had two accidents, and this is staying dry all day AND night! I just couldn't be more proud and more happy! I really would have liked for this to have happened sooner, but it wasn't up to me....we had to wait until Ty was ready. I have been actively training since he was about 16 months old, I thought if Amy and Jason were trained at 18 months surely I could do it too. Well, it wasn't for the lack of trying, he just didn't have that brain to penis connection. After Nana's big party, Monday Grammy took Ty to pick out his wagon and he's been in love since. We've been out first thing in the morning, before lunch and after nap. He loves everything about this wagon, especially for us to pull him through the puddles in the street and sidewalk. Today he's been taking "things" for a ride since Sissy didn't want to sit quietly and watch us. Grammy, the wagon is a hit - thank you so, so much - we love it and love you!

For Today....

2008-07-18T13:19:00.005-05:00

Laci has been very happy and Ty has been such a good helper this morning and I can't believe that they are both sleeping at the same time! I betcha I shouldn't have said anything because I'm sure that's about to change very quickly!!! These are from this morning in her special outfit from her Auntie Amy! She's beautiful in it Auntie, thank you and we love you!

These are from Sunday evening. It was bedtime and as usual Ty says goodnight to Laci, except this night he wanted more - he wanted her to lay down and go to sleep with him. He settled for her blankie which he still hasn't let go of almost a week later!

Big, Tough Girl!

2008-07-17T13:46:00.007-05:00

Today was Laci's two-month check-up and my goodness how she's grown! I knew she'd filled out some and her cheeks have gotten chubbier, but I didn't realize until the scale told me. She weighed in at 11 pounds, 2 ounces and is 23 and 3/4 inches long. She's doing all the things she should be at this point. She's putting her fingers and fist in her mouth, she puts weight on her legs, smiles and makes those cute little noises and lifts her head and turns toward us. Now, that's the big part and I must say she showed me how tough she is when they came in with the shots! Thank goodness for only three shots and then one of the vaccines was oral! They only hurt her for a very tiny bit but I think it hurt Momma much worse! Needless to say after a morning at the doctor we are taking a good nap today (or maybe that's due to Ty being gone and she's finally getting some good quiet time to nap!), in fact she's snoring for the first time ever. Sorry to bore some of you with these 28 seconds but I had too - its so cute and so dainty!!!

There's nothing sweeter.....

2008-07-15T23:20:00.008-05:00

than a love between a brother and his baby sister...... Ty amazes me and the affection he shows for his sister and it couldn't make me more happy or bring more happy tears to my eyes. These are from a week or so ago and only show you a smidge of how he is....sometimes very tender and sometimes he wants to pull her close to him not realizing he might be pulling a little too hard. He just wants to be close to her and cannot wait until she's big enough to play with him. - During these times when he doesn't realize he's being too hard I know its not meant in anger, he just doesn't realize how fragile she is so - all in all, he's just terrific with her. What's funny is before she came he did not want to share anything of his from when he was a baby or anything currently and now he wants to share his blankie of all things. He also talks of how he can't wait to play with her with certain toys. I guess this just shows that he's all talk!!!!

Yummy Waffles!

2008-07-11T13:35:00.004-05:00

Friday evening after all the fireworks and fun we just knew letting Ty stay up so late would backfire on us. Like other kids, the more tired Ty is the more battle he fights to stay up and the harder it is to get him to settle down and go to sleep. Well we thought we had a good plan. We told Ty if he would go right in settle down, go to sleep AND sleep in, we'd go have breakfast at his favorite place......."The Waffle Place" (Waffle House). He did just that, he went to sleep and slept until 8:15 - makes me wish I had gone right to bed too! Anyway, Ty loves "the waffle place" probably the fact that you can sit up close to the cooking and he can hear the waitor/waitress scream the orders to the cooks and most importantly - get a hat! Earlier this week Ty was wearing his hat and making waffles for us from his own kitchen.....what a chef!

More Weekend Pics

2008-07-08T21:16:00.004-05:00

Here are some miscellaneous photos from the weekend....Ty and his popsicles, fun at the pool and Ty helping give Sister a bath.

Saturday we decided to go over and see Grumpy and go for a dip in the pool. Ty is doing better in the pool this year. Loves the water and wants to get in but only as far as the steps. He did "motor-boat" with Dada and actually got on the raft too! Baby steps, baby steps....

Sister and I found a nice shady spot to sit and watch the boys! She actually got to dip her toes in the water and didn't seem to mind it at all. The weather was HOT and the breeze was nice - perfect time at the pool!

Happy Birthday America!

2008-07-07T21:32:00.009-05:00

What a great day we had celebrating Independence Day with Aunt Beth and our friends Jordan and Laura and their boys, Dominic and Donovan! We started the day off with fun in the sun in the backyard. The boys had a great time in the water especially when they got the hose and sprayed the guys down! They needed to be cooled off as the temperature reached 90! Ahhhh, the summer heat! Jason grilled up hamburgers, hotdogs and made homemade ice cream. We ate and ate and then it was time for fireworks. We weren’t quite sure about the fireworks and Ty this year since last year Jason fired up a tank and Ty was really, really upset about the whole thing. We only purchased a few loud things and the rest were kid friendly ones, like the poppers, fountains, sparklers and such. We shot off a couple on Thursday and Ty was still not impressed and didn’t like the fact that they were loud. But, on Friday Aunt Beth was able to work with him to get him interested, before we knew it he and Dominic were out there throwing down the poppers and having a blast! Later on, Aunt Beth worked with him on the sparklers and again he was getting the hang of it all! Even though some were loud and he had his ears covered I think he still had a blast! We had a late night, I think it was 10:30 or even 11:00 before we got him to bed and that was after he needed a cheesyburger. With that said, we had a great holiday – very relaxed and just enjoyed being home with the kids, our family and friends!

Sweet talk with Aunt Beth!

popsicles and fun!

Poppers poppin'!!

some smoke bombs!

Too Loud!

Time out for some rootbeer!

Ty had to get the chairs all lined up!

and lined up again.....

Nice time for a break to mow!

Sparkler fun!

Ty helping with the clean-up!

Making cute faces

2008-07-05T21:56:00.003-05:00

Our Laci girl is changing daily it seems like. She's very aware of our voices and really turns her head to try and find us when we're talking to her. It seems like she is noticing her mobile and enjoys the music it plays too! We also are having more and more happy awake times during the day which makes a great opportunity to take some cute pictures!

Love that drool!

Momma-isms....

2008-07-02T14:06:00.004-05:00

I can honestly say that being a Momma of two is wonderful and also the hardest work I've ever done! I listened to all the advice and all the stories everyone told me but I really didn't realize how "number two" changes your family. I thought I would hibernate like I did with Ty, I have a little but with an active three-year old I've had to pick up and try to go just like before - just be better prepared!! (I'll never make it to Amber standards - she was at MOPS two weeks after Kate was born and didn't even skip a beat!) I still am not fabulous at taking them both out, if the three of us do go out its under two hours. I know that this too will take time and will get better but I'm dealing with a little bit of guilt as well. I feel like I'm parking Ty in front of the tv or saying "in a minute" one too many times. When do you do the laundry? If you have a plan for dinner, how do you get it cooked? Some days I start dinner at lunchtime - hoping to just get it finished by 6:00 pm! I spend the time I used to have taking care of the house spending some time with Ty and I'm just not the multi-tasker. I feel like when we start something like building our train track or working a puzzle, I'm called away. How does that make him feel inside? Am I hurting his feelings, does he understand it won't always be this way? I don't want to be SuperMom, I just want to be a good Mom. I'm finding that my heart has grown, it loves each of them with everything I have and in different ways. There's enough to go around and then around again. My relationship with my husband has changed as well, I am depending on him so much more now when before I wanted to do it all, I wanted to try to be SuperWife and SuperMom but that just can't happen now. We are working well together, when one of us needs a break the other is there to give it and I believe there is more understanding and our love is only growing stronger. My prayers haven't changed much though I'm asking for more patience. Mainly that I have patience with this three-year old and his new world. May we live through potty training and all the "NO's" he's dishing out. The time-out chair is rarely sitting empty these days. This newborn doesn't like to be patient but on some days she does and will wait (not so quietly) and I just pray that she too will understand one day, that Momma's not perfect (will never be) and that I'm doing the best I can. All I hope is that we can raise two children to be loving, respectful, obedient and all this in God's eyes. I may have a rough day here and there but I've been given a job and I try to remember that I can't lay down on the job. The rewards are everywhere and I'm still so grateful that I'm home each day to be with them. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Here are a few pictures from the end of May of my most precious gifts.....

Taste of Summer.....

2008-07-01T08:55:00.015-05:00

Boy, it tastes good!!! Saturday the Blue Bell ice cream plant in Broken Arrow hosted a "Taste of Summer" festival with all the ice cream you could eat and many, many fun things to do! We took the plant tour, jumped on the jupiter jumps, played basketball, tossed rings, played golf and sat on the tractors! After all that we met the BA Policemen with their remote control car and the BA Firemen showed us their rescue raft and ate and ate more ice cream!!! They had cow milking and craft tents, but Ty didn't want to do either. Maybe if the cow would have been real and not wooden he would have wanted to participate! I really thought that Ty was going to end up throwing up or with a terrible tummy ache, but to my surprise he handled all the sugar very well as did Momma and Dada! You just can't resist Blue Bell ice cream!!! Yum, Yum!

9:30 am isn't too early for a popsicle is it?

Hole in Three!!!

Did ya see that?

I'm drivin' a tractor!

Round two - Two dips of cherry, I think!

Radar, BA's remote control police car!

How's that work?

Ahhhh, he's after me!

Wait, he's winking at me!

He's chasing me!

My turn....how about a push!

Row, row, row my boat!
Is this on right?
Jump, Jump!

Round three - another popsicle!!

What water can do....

2008-06-27T21:50:00.003-05:00

As most of you know for the two years we've lived in our house we've had an issue when it rains. As Ty would say, "It rains in our house". Shortly after we moved in we quickly realized that when it rains the water seeps in the dining room wall, soaks up the sheet rock and runs down the wall soaking the carpet. The builder was quick to determine the problem, which they thought was a vent above the window. They bricked it in, rearranged the dining room, pulling up the carpet, tearing down the sheetrock, insulation and rebuilding our wall. The vent obviously was not the problem and we've continued to have water. The builder is doing right by us and is going to start over tear down the stone, replace the window, add more waterproof sheeting - rebuild inside and out. So, Wednesday it was loud in here as the masons chipped and hammered all the stone - so Ty and Laci didn't sleep well. Thursday, we had a hole in the house as they replaced the window and put up the Tyvek. Today, the stone was going to go back up but guess what....it rained. You'd think the construction would stay at work, instead Ty gets to live and breath it right here at home - AGAIN - what a lucky kid!!!

Comforting Brother

2008-06-24T23:02:00.008-05:00

I have been trying and trying to catch this on video and finally!!! I wanted to show you all what a good big brother Ty is to his Sissy!!! As you will see Ty likes to sing to his Sissy when she is crying....and ONLY when she is crying. He tries hard to soothe her with "his" lullaby and "Jesus Loves Me". I just think this is the cutest thing ever!

"Papa" or is it "Pampa"?

2008-06-20T09:04:00.007-05:00

Looks like I've started a family feud! With all this talk about Papa, I thought I'd post a picture I found when we were unpacking of Jason and Papa and pay tribute! Over the last couple of days there has been a debate that everyone called Papa, "Pampa" except for Grammy and Jason. Jason begs to differ, so cousins Jan and Val are going to be called in for clarification. There is even a bet on the line so this is looking very interesting!!!! Now, Grammy brought up a very good point. She believes that the grandkids all called him "Pampa" when they were young and outgrew that and switched it to "Papa" when they got older. That could be very possible as Ty couldn't say "Grammy" for a while and called her "Gee,Gee" but then once his vocabulary came in he switched and now calls her "Grammy"!

I wish so much I would have had the chance to meet Papa. From all the stories I've heard he was the perfect definition of "Grandpa". He instilled a strong work ethic and responsibility with fun and most of all with love to all of his grandchildren. He took the time to kick the ball around and play but when there was a job to do you rolled up your sleaves and helped out wherever it was needed. You didn't question, complain or criticize - you just did it and in the end you were grateful for the lessons he taught you and the time you had spent together. As I have recently lost my Grandparents, I so wish I would have spent more time, I would have said I love you just one more time but I find comfort in that its only a matter of time that my Lord will come and get me and take me home to see Him and them again. So, I will get to meet Papa and hear these stories from his point of view and then we will see who's right!!!!

I love you guys and sometimes starting a family debate is really fun!!!

Jason and his Papa

Storms...storms go away, come again some other day

2008-06-19T22:07:00.015-05:00

I'm not sure about you guys but I'm ready for the storms to come to an end. We are getting used to hearing the thunder, seeing the dark skies, having the news on constantly and having an extra somebody in bed! I've been so tired, I'm getting used to having feet in my face or his head in my back. And why do I just squeeze myself onto that inch at the edge of the bed? I'm afraid I might wake him from his deep, deep sleep? I'm really due for a massage now! Saturday afternoon a couple weeks ago when a storm came through Jason saw the dark sky and tried to get at least the backyard mowed before the rain came. He knocked on the door with a suprise for Ty, after a quick mow Dada was back inside - good thing because look what came crashing down in the 70-mile an hour winds!!!!

Hello Mr. Toad!

This one's for Nene!

2008-06-18T21:57:00.002-05:00

Nene got this outfit for Ty for his birthday in April and I've been bad, I only recently washed it and got it ready for him to wear. This is the second, maybe third baseball outfit she's given him and I believe there is a story behind the outfits. If I remember Jason's Mom telling me correctly, Papa (Pampa - for Amy), Nene's husband - Jason's Grandpa, used to buy all the grandboys a baseball outfit and Nene has so graciously carried on the tradition.

On a side note, last week Dada picked up free tickets at QT for a Drillers Game and took Ty. They had a "guys" night and of course, had a blast! They had jupiter jumps, played games, had hot dogs, ice cream, popcorn and I think they watched a little of the game too! I'm glad they had such a special night just the two of them!

I must share this smile!

2008-06-18T21:45:00.004-05:00

Can you believe its been six weeks already? Our sweet Laci girl is smiling and I'm hoping its not just gas!!! I'm going to be better at trying to take more pictures and getting them on the blog for the few of you who come to visit! So, bare with me. Here's a few I took today. I tried and tried to get Ty to jump in them but of course, when I want him to he won't and when I don't have my camera he does! Go figure.....

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-17T07:44:00.011-05:00

What a day! We actually got up and got everyone ready for church without major complications, but of course rushed right out without getting a picture of Daddy and the kids. We (really Jason) then went into another rush of preparing a meal and homeade ice cream for Grumpy and we then headed to his house to celebrate with him. We then celebrated a belated Father's Day with Pappy last night. So, please forgive my lack of picture taking - it just isn't the same as it was with Ty. I had so much more time to take them that go round!

I would just like to wish my husband a very Happy Father's Day and I hope you know how blessed I am to have you as husband and the Father of my children. You've grown into a great Dad and you're even getting better! These last six weeks I've been seeing a change and I'm watching you grow again. It's awesome to see your relationship with Ty get stronger and watch you bond with your daughter. Not to mention our relationship is getting stronger again as we embark on yet another chapter, and - how wonderful! The lazy days at home seem to have gone by the wayside and I don't recall you complaining once. You've seen the need for giving Ty special attention and have just jumped in to give it! As we dated, I knew in my heart you were the one, the Father of my kids and I knew that you were going to be a playful, involved, caring and compassionate Father and I'm only watching you become more than that! I love you with all my heart and I thank our gracious Lord for bringing you into my life and giving us these beautiful babies for us to raise. I hope you had a great day, I know I did. However, you did work too hard - hopefully next year it will be more relaxing!

Laci couldn't get enough of Alice!

Fun, fun, fun in the pool!

Bella and her babies!

Now, that's how you eat a hot dog!

The Martin men!

My boys!

Whitney and Alice!

Ty and Alexa playing "Ring and around the Rosy"

Laci talking to her Pappy

Kisses from Brother!

What in the world was that?

2008-05-30T09:41:00.003-05:00

Ty wanted to hold his sister once more before going to bed one evening. As soon as I put her on his lap we both heard an explosion! Amazing.....that a noise like this can come from a sweet, beautiful, teeny-tiny, ASLEEP baby! We all got a good laugh!!!

Our Princess

2008-05-23T13:38:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from this morning of our precious princess. It's almost deja vu....If I didn't take these and sweet Laci wasn't lying on a pink blankie, I'd swear this was Ty! I'm still amazed how much she looks like he did when he was a baby!

Home....

2008-05-17T13:17:00.007-05:00

We came home late Wednesday afternoon where we were greeted with a delicious meal Grammy prepared for us all and a huge threat of tornadoes. The sirens went off twice after we finished dinner and Jason and I were about ready to see if all six of us would fit into Ty's bathtub! Luckily, we just got a bad storm but I'll never forget her first night home! These are just a few pictures from family who visited right after we got home. (Thanks again to all of you who've been taking pictures for us!)

Laci's family

2008-05-17T12:58:00.005-05:00

Sweet Laci was greeted by many friends and family in those first few days at the hospital. (Thank you to all of you who took pictures for us!!) We were blessed to be surrounded by all our loved ones during her arrival and appreciate everyone taking time off to come see us and be apart of this glorious time!

World's Best Big Brother!

Sweaky Clean!

2008-05-11T14:58:00.003-05:00

And, next the bath.....Dada, Pappy and Nana B accompanied Laci to her first bath!

Sissy's Here!

2008-05-11T14:22:00.006-05:00

The Lord has blessed us with another precious gift, Laci Jordyn Martin was born on Monday, May 5th, at 2:27 p.m. weighing in at 8 pounds and 20.25 inches long. These first moments are so indescribable and so different from those first moments with Ty but neither is more or less special - just special in their own way. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to explain exactly what and how I felt, only that it was simply heavenly, amazing, glorious and so much more! The Lord has moved me and warmed my heart yet once again. We are so thankful for this wonderful little lady and are all ready whole-heartily in love! These are just a few from those first few minutes....

Sibling Class

2008-04-26T20:14:00.010-05:00

The hospital offered a sibling class and we thought for $15 we would see what it was all about. Ty was first given a tour of the hosipital where Mommy would be staying and a stop at the nursery window. He was really excited to see two babies, one a girl and the other a boy. We moved onto the classroom where he was then given a baby and taught how to hold her, burp her, change her diaper and swaddle her in a blankie. Ty was all about the feeding part and the diaper part and did try all the other tasks but was quick to move on. Ty didn't even need instruction with the diaper, he pulled the old one off, took the wipe and cleaned her up and didn't need much help at all with putting the new one on! (I think we're going to have a great little helper!!!) After he accomplished something he wanted us to try it afterwards. He was the youngest in the class so I'm not real sure how much he was able to grasp, but I was glad he behaved and gave a good try and listened to the teacher. They played a video which covered a lot of ground with a silly, kid appeal and he didn't make a peep. And, at the end of the class all the kids were presented with a certificate, Ty's was for being a terrific big brother!

Yum, yum baby!

Here Dada, you burp her too!

He's not afraid to change that poopy diaper!

What a good cuddler!

Wonder what she tastes like?

Maybe she can get more milk this way!

Graduation!

Ethan's Birthday!

2008-04-24T13:57:00.006-05:00

Our good friends, Reid and Alissa invited Ty to their son, Ethan's birthday party on Sunday afternoon. Ethan turned the big 2! The party was held at "Bounce U" and all the kids just had a blast bouncing, climbing, sliding and just running around having a good time. Ty has grown up a million times since we've been to Pump It Up (another bounce place) and the last time we went I was having to help him up the slide and through the obstacle course. Well, not anymore......Ty just climbed up, slid down and hung on the ropes all by himself, he needed no assistance from anyone! Reid and Alissa just put together such a fun "Elmo" party and the adults, as much as the kids, just had a terrific time!

Ethan and Ty on the slide

No fear!

Cars go in the garage....

then you can move the whole garage around!

Ethan playing basketball!

Ty turns 3!

2008-04-23T05:34:00.008-05:00

Saturday we had a close, intimate family party for Ty to celebrate this third birthday! I still am trying to grasp the fact that my baby is three, growing up, communicating so well and becoming so independent! This last year has flown by and in just a few weeks our entire world will change yet again. But for today, we are still floating on cloud nine after Saturday. I know Ty and the kids had a terrific time and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day! Thanks to all our family who helped us in so many ways to make such a memorable day for Ty - we love you! (And, to Jason who took all the pictures!)

In preparation

2008-04-22T07:32:00.007-05:00

Friday Ty and I worked on his birthday cake! I spent a couple months ever so often asking Ty what kind of party he wanted for his birthday and every time he answered he said, "Mickey" - so "Mickey" it was!!! As most of you know Ty loves to help in the kitchen and I thought it was only appropriate that this time he not only help with the mixing, but he should get the gift of cleaning up all the bowls and utensils with is mouth - he loved it!!! He made a big mess and it was so worth it!

Side note on the cake: Last years cake was a not as I would have liked and I wasn't about to give up only after one year. So, this year I received some wonderful advice from a professional and my great friend Alli! Now, not everything went perfectly smooth and one ear was thicker than the other, but all in all I was pleased with the result! I'm sure each year I'll get a little better as I keep trying! These pointers, however, did lead to an easier preparation and a delicious tasting cake! I think Ty loved it and all his family did too! Thanks Alli!

Don't miss a lick!

I love that tounge!

Coming Soon....

2008-04-21T14:17:00.005-05:00

Last Tuesday I saw the doctor and I am dilated to 1-2 centimeters. She told us to start looking at the calendar if we wanted to induce. She likes to do this a week to 10 days early but our only stipulation was that we wanted this baby to be born in May. We would like to avoid another April birthday at all costs and have decided to induce, our dates were between May 1st and May 5th. Not only were we debating a name for this child but the day she would be born. What big decisions!!!! We've chosen Monday, May 5th - that is if she doesn't decide she'd like to come early. So, stay tuned - we'll keep you posted!

Also, with much deliberation we have come up with a name as well. We are going to call her Laci Jordyn. I must say this was much, much more difficult this time around and I have a feeling that I'm not going to brake the habit of calling her "Sissy" as I have done for almost nine months now. We'll see.....

We appreciate all of your prayers over this pregnancy and hope that you will continue to keep us in them just a little longer as we reach the end of this journey and begin our the next! We love you all and are so fortunate to have such a supportive group of family and friends!

Happy Birthday Aunt Beth!

2008-04-17T05:47:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Aunt Beth's birthday! We all met in Owasso for some great Italian food and a nice celebration! I think Ty was most excited as towards the end of dinner he was running circles around the table and the birthday girl! Happy Birthday Aunt Beth we wish you nothing but the best and we're so glad we could spend your birthday with you!

Tim and Aunt Beth

Tim, Aunt Beth and Ty

Happy Birthday Grumpy!

2008-04-15T14:23:00.004-05:00

Sunday was Grumpy's birthday! Nene had a small group of family and friends in Henryetta Sunday afternoon for lunch to celebrate both Grumpy's and Jason's birthdays. Nothing is ever small at the dinner table at Nene's, she had pan fried steak, potatoes and gravy, salad, veggies, and much more for all of us and of course a cake for the boys to blow out their candles. Since Ty's is coming up too, all three of them took a shot at the candles! All afternoon Ty just couldn't get enough of Uncle Cayne. Everytime he left the room Ty wanted to know where he went and all the way home....Uncle Cayne this and Uncle Cayne that, I'm sure when he graduates and moves to Tulsa Ty will be happy to have him closer to home! Poor Cayne couldn't even get a nap in the backseat on the way home, Ty just talked his ear off! We had such a great afternoon and wish Grumpy a very Happy Birthday and were so glad we got to spend it with him!

Ty is lickin' his lips....ready for cake!

Great job!

The Martin men....Uncle Cayne, Ty, Dada and Grumpy!

Grumpy, Austin and Ty

Birthday hugs are the best from Mama!

Nene and Uncle Cayne

Dada and Nene

Aunt Cecelia and Dada

The Lord's color palette

2008-04-15T14:13:00.002-05:00

Showers were hit and miss as we left Stillwater Saturday leaving a beautiful rainbow in the sky for us to see just about all the way home. I believe I have never seen a complete rainbow or at least seen both ends and now I finally have. I couldn't get everything we saw in the picture nor can I really even express what we saw. These colors were so vivid, bright and so beautiful I was truly moved. Only the Lord makes sights like these and I believe he does so we can realize that He created this world and all its beauty!

Spring Game!

2008-04-14T14:45:00.005-05:00

Part II of Jason's birthday was a trip to Stillwater to the Cowboy's Orange/White Spring Game. Jason and I had been discussing how we thought Ty would do at a football game. We did take Ty to a TU game before but some time had passed and we thought before we pack up the family and head to Norman, a "free" game and a short trip to Stillwater might tell us what we need to know. We got on the road late so Ty could nap, had a great lunch at Joe's and then headed to the game. As we entered the gates, big as Dallas, there were two Jupiter Jumps. We proceeded into the stadium and found us some seats. Ty sat for ummmm, maybe three or four minutes and then he and Dada were off to climb the bleachers! He wanted to go jump but they were already taking the inflatables down. He wasn't too upset, but was disappointed. Our suspicions were correct, he isn't quite ready for the games! So, we headed for a short walk around campus and finished with a drive looking at all the construction going on and Ty's already decided that he too wants to go to college, (Mommy go too - he says)! Even though we didn't make it through the game we all enjoyed our day out in Stillwater!

Ty's "cheese" face

Ty's ready for baseball!

How about hockey, Mom?

Happy Birthday Dada!

2008-04-14T14:31:00.005-05:00

Thursday was Dada's turn for a birthday! We had a small intimate family party here at the house. Dada wanted a home-cooked meal (which hasn't been happening lately) and just a relaxing evening. I think Dada was making it easy on Mama. We enjoyed a nice meal, opened a few presents and cards and then we told Dada to put up his feet and relax! Happy Birthday to you and we wish you a year full of joy and happiness - We love you oh, so very much!!!

Birthday Fun!

2008-04-14T14:00:00.006-05:00

Last weekend was cousin Bella's birthday party, she turned three years old! The party was full of fun, great food with family and friends. It's so hard to imagine these babies growing up so fast like they are, Bella is quite the young lady!!! Here are a few birthday moments!

Jason, Ty and Bella

Lexi, Alice and Ty playing ball!

Time for presents!

We hired the project manager to put together Bella's parking garage!

Alice, Ty and Kylie are all his subcontractors!

We are up and running now!

Alice with a mouth full of cupcake!

Ty stopping to say "cheese"!

Yes, those are high heels!

Ty played guitar and we danced!

Ty DRIVING to Grumpy's house after the party!

Two hands on the wheel, but he needs to work on keeping his eyes on the road!

Shower Time!

2008-04-10T14:19:00.010-05:00

What a beautiful day Saturday was for a wedding shower! Stephanie's bridesmaids all chipped in to help throw her a shower which was full of beauty, elegance, great food and drinks and most of all beautiful friends and lovely conversation! This is just the beginning of her showers and an exciting countdown to the wedding date in June! Here are just a few pictures of some of the girls....

Stephanie and me

Stephanie and Alissa

Robbin, Rachel, Kristen, Stephanie, Marcia and Jeana

Jessica and Stephanie

Jessica, me, Stephanie, Alissa and Judy

Saturday with Nene!

2008-04-09T13:44:00.004-05:00

Saturday was Stephanie's wedding shower so Dada and Ty headed off to Henryetta to see Nene! Ty was excited to go on the road trip to see her, but when he found out she needed his help digging around in her flowerbeds, he couldn't get there fast enough! By the pictures Jason took looks like they had loads of fun!!!!

Ty's Big Show!

2008-04-08T13:26:00.004-05:00

A week or so ago, Ty and I went to see "Sesame Street Live" at the Mabee Center. Jason and I carefully debated this and wondered how he would do. Last year, even a few months ago I didn't think he'd even sit still for a show like this and we finally agreed that since he's clued to the tube now days, he might just love it! And, he did! We were able to get great seats on Friday which meant Dada wasn't able to go with us. We were very sad and said many, many times how much we missed him and how we knew he wanted to be here with us, but that didn't damper out spirits too bad. Ty sat in his seat like a big boy and paid very close attention to what was happening five rows in front of us on the stage and of course, all around us! He took it all in and was on his best behavior. At intermission, they brought out balloons, he was interested but still didn't go crazy asking for one, so I decided afterwards I'd purchase one for him since he did so great! $8 dollars later, a balloon and a smile that could melt mountains carried us off to McDonalds for lunch as a treat as well. It was worth every penny and I was so glad that Ty and I had this special one on one time before "sissy" arrived. Here's a couple pictures for us to remember!

This is amazing.....

2008-04-04T14:05:00.005-05:00

Most of you that know the "Duke" side of the family know Pappy and Ginny are the worst at keeping their eyes open for pictures. Aunt Beth, however, is the best and always takes great pictures. I can't tell you how many pictures I have that someone has tried and tried to get a good photo but one or the other of us has our eyes closed or caught in the middle of a blink. Nana "B" was able to get a great picture of us all and she mailed it to us so I thought I'd post it! Now, all we're missing is her - thanks Nana "B"!

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-04-04T13:27:00.008-05:00

Saturday before Easter Broken Arrow had a community wide Easter egg hunt which we decided to attend again this year. Last year, I believe the temperature was below freezing and the hunt was held in the Community Center. This year the temperature was much, much better and Ashlee was able to be here and help Ty hunt for eggs! Nana, Grammy, Aunt Amy, Larry and Ashlee all were in town and able to go with us! It was still a little cold for Nana and Grammy but they made it through Ty's hunt and to see Ty and Ashlee play a little then it was in the car to warm up during Ashlee's hunt as different ages hunted at different times. We all had a super time and Ashlee even won a special prize in her egg! I think could have left the hunt behind, he just wanted to get to the inflatable slide and jumper!!!

What a good egg hunt helper!

I better try a piece of this candy right now!!!

Yup, it's good!

Ashlee on her hunt!

A hug from the Easter bunny!

Ashlee and Ty with the Easter bunny!

The kids at lunch!

Big Girl!

2008-04-01T22:32:00.011-05:00

We had our final ultrasound today. "Sissy" is doing terrific. They estimated her weight at 6 pounds, 2 ounces. Doctor thinks that she could be bigger than Ty was, maybe even 8 pounds!!! The tech was able to get a picture of her fists, this is now the third time we've seen her with her fists clinched! I guess she's going to come out fighting!!! Doctor said that if she enduces it would be a week to 10 days early. So....we could just be four weeks away! I think I have really hit panic mode now!!! Jason and I have been looking at the calendar and he suggested Cinco de Mayo - how about that for a birthday party???

Jason has been sick but graciously agreed to letting me have a girls night afterwards with my MOPS friends. The girls had planned a surprise baby shower at the Mexican restaurant which just had me floating on cloud nine! Alli and I are both expecting and they just went above and beyond for both of us! Not only did they have for us balloons, cake, and such precious gifts but realizing my special friendships with these wonderful girls is what truly warmed my heart! I am so blessed and so thankful to the Lord for bringing these girls in my life! Amber, Holly, Leanne, Megan and Michelle thanks for making me feel so special!

Getting ready for the hunt!

2008-03-20T14:00:00.003-05:00

Sunday afternoon we colored eggs. Well, maybe I shouldn't say "we". Last year, I think we colored maybe six eggs and that was too many. So, this year I only increased it to eight, I thought surely coloring only eight little eggs would hold Ty's attention. Not really. Jason was involved in the race on T.V. and Ty just wanted to play around in the dye and then really dunk the eggs in until they cracked! I expected a few cracks and that does happen but really what time he spent with it he had fun so.....that's all that matters. I think he stuck around to pull two eggs out of the dye and wasn't really impressed. It was beautiful outside and he was ready for our walk. So, Mommy finished coloring the eggs and in 15 minutes we were ready to move on!!!

Spread 'em

2008-03-19T14:21:00.003-05:00

I think each and every family have pictures of the kids wearing around Mommy and Daddy's boots and/or shoes. I know my Mother and Daddy have pictures of Bethel and myself, I think its just the "kid" thing to do! Morning time, while Jason is dressing for work, is usually the time that Ty likes to play in Dada's shoes. (Honestly, after bath time is the perfect time too, so most poses are just Ty in his birthday suit and the boots and/or shoes! (I love these, of course, I just don't like to put the naked ones on the internet) Just this morning he had on one foot Jason's tennis shoe and on the other foot a flip-flop, both on the wrong foot of course. Jason is trying to get out the door and Ty's trying to walk in the shoes and ends up tripping himself up all over the place! Well, one morning it was the boots (which actually were Grumpy's boots) and I was able to get a couple pictures.

Too Big!

2008-03-18T13:15:00.003-05:00

We've been unpacking Ty's baby stuff and cleaning it up for "sissy" and Ty has been there with me every step of the way! He has reacquainted himself with all of his old stuff and has almost fallen back in love with each and every item! No matter how I try to explain....whether its clothes he can no longer where or the car seat that he simply doesn't fit it any longer. These are "his" things and for now - its "no share-sissy", "no-share". My idea, whether or not it will work, is to bring everything out now so he has a couple of months to fall in-love with it all again and then out just as quickly. We'll see.....

Update

2008-03-08T14:13:00.006-06:00

All is well! Last week's check-up ended up with an unexpected ultrasound. I had voiced a concern about some pressure I've been having and she ordered an ultrasound to measure cervix length. I really hate to complain about anything because I really don't have many symptoms like a lot of girls, but I was encouraged by some to report. After an awful examination, that left me crippled and uncomfortable for the evening, I returned the next day for the ultrasound. Everything came back just fine, I believe the P.A. was just being extra cautious since the doctor was out of the office. The tech was nice enough to take a look at our active little girl and send me home with a picture. She's getting much, much bigger and she already has her chubby cheeks! That was really neat to see! She is so much more active than Ty was with only one episode of the hiccups so far! (Ty seemed to have the hiccups several times a day by this point!) I am finally showing which is really exciting and I'm just amazed that there is only two months left!

Almost Spring!

2008-03-05T13:04:00.004-06:00

These last couple of weeks we've been teased with a couple of 60 degree days which have been just wonderful. They sure cured us of our cabin fever, but as you know one day is 60 then the next is 32! We've tried to take advantage of those nice days and get outside. I snapped this quick of my happy boy enjoying the beautiful, sunny, warm day!

Union Station - Kansas City

2008-03-04T13:53:00.005-06:00

Weekend before last we took a family trip to Kansas City to celebrate Grammy's birthday and visit Larry, Amy and Ashlee. Amy planned a fun weekend for us which included the science center and railroad exhibit at Union Station. Ty and Ashlee didn't stick together much only because the years that separate them took them in different directions. So, I didn't get many pictures total but got less of them together but here's what I did take.

Dada heading in the tunnel after Ty!

I think Ty was more worried about the stamp coming off his hand!

Ty in the "topper"

Mama, Ty and Ashlee in the heli-"topper"

Loading up the coal!

If this only really moved!

Ty on the tracks!!!

busy building

Sweet Alice!

2008-02-20T13:42:00.008-06:00

On February 3rd, cousin Alice turned five years old! She invited us to her birthday party at Little Gym and we all just had a blast! The youngest were cousins - Kylie, Bella and Ty. He was the only boy but that didn't bother him one bit! He, Bella and Kylie just ran around and had the best time - the joy of being young and carefree! Alice was a beautiful birthday girl and she and the whole group had a great time! I can't believe its been five years and what a young lady she's growing into be! Here are a few shots from the evening!

Snow Day!

2008-01-31T15:13:00.000-06:00

All week they have been forecasting snow - I never hold my breath. At first it was 1 to 4 inches with Tulsa not really getting that much and last night they started saying 4 to 8 inches. Well, they might just have been right on target this time! I could hardly go to sleep last night because I was so excited - I couldn't wait! We started getting snow this morning, I mean big flakes! Ty couldn't get his snow boots (thanks Grammy!) on fast enough for us to go out and play. I love the snow and I'm so glad Ty loves it too! We had a great time throwing snow (he, more than I), making choo-choo tracks and of course we couldn't not take the lawnmower out for a spin! After a few runs, he realized that going backwards was a little easier as the snow got thicker!!! I could barely get him to come inside he was having so much fun! We'll probably go out again and play when Dada gets home and because I'm sure tomorrow you'd never know it snowed!

Ruff...Ruff

2008-01-25T13:48:00.000-06:00

I had to show you our new puppy dog! Aunt Amy got it for Ty for Christmas and he is just the most adorable thing ever! The flopysy ears, the big brown nose and the long tail are just a few of his features and boy, when he gets out of the tub - watch out.....he's wild!!!

Happy Birthday Pappy!

2008-01-20T13:53:00.001-06:00

Last week we went over to Pappy's to celebrate his birthday. Nana "B" had a great party planned, with a wonderful dinner, a neat design to the birthday cake and Alexa and Ty played with Pappy like he was goin' outta style! Let's just say Ty slept so good that night, I'm sure Alexa did too! Of course, we couldn't go over to Pappy's and not get out the "boy-yo" (front-end loader) no matter how COLD it was!

leaves work just as well as dirt does

Head that way, Pappy!

That's my son - mouth wipe open and full of food!

The little boy on the horse is Pappy!

Nana "B" cutting up some yummy cake!

Group hug!

Alexa wanting a piece of Pappy's present!

Engineer hard at work and Alexa always ready to pose!

Who's having more fun?

tube time!

There's even room for Dada!

The End - of yet another season!

2008-01-16T13:40:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure how it is at your house, but when college football is over for the season it is quite sad around here - we are left wondering what to do with ourselves. At least we have a few more weeks of Pro-football, that will give us a little comfort but it is going to be a long wait until August! But, we'll be waiting!!!! The night OU was getting ready to play Ty got excited as well and wanted to warm-up just like the boys on T.V. Dada couldn't be more proud!

Remember to hold on to the ball!

Are you ready?

Why is it so dark in here?

Do I have this on right?

Here we go!

Let's play some ball!

Okay, that's enough!

Headed to Branson

2008-01-12T13:09:00.000-06:00

Friday morning we headed off to Branson for our mini-vacation. Unfortunately it was without Larry, Amy and Ashlee. Larry was still sick so they just headed on back to Kansas City. We were sad that they couldn't make it but were still going to go and make the best of it! We had several things already planned. We wanted to make it to Silver Dollar City to see the tree and all the beautiful lights, the Dixie Stampede and of course hit some of the outlet malls! Our first stop was in Ozark for lunch at Lambert's (home of the flying rolls). We were able to met up with Keith, Jason's college roommate, for lunch and a quick visit. When we arrived Friday afternoon we checked into the hotel, went and purchased our Dixie tickets and headed to Silver Dollar City to be there when they turned on the lights. It was awesome - COLD, but awesome! We rode the train, of course and strolled around soaking up the cool mountain air and all the beautiful lights! Friday during the day I had to clean out Ty's eye of what I thought was just sleepy, didn't think too much about it, but I should have known. We were awoken in the middle of the night to Ty screaming frantically, understandably, with his eye completely matted shut. I called the doctor's office (who luckily is open on Saturday mornings) and the nurse said it sounded like "pink-eye" and we should get to the minor-emergency clinic for medicine. Okay, the third now to get sick. For my first minor-emergency experience - this was a piece of cake! The whole thing - including wait time lasted about an hour and a half or maybe less. Needless to say, we got the medicine and went on our merry way. Back to Silver Dollar City that afternoon to catch the last day and hit the things we weren't able to on Friday. All is well until late Saturday, early Sunday morning - I was now the NEXT to get sick. I was so sick all night that we had to pack it in and head back home. Thank goodness we were able to refund our Dixie tickets, but I just felt awful to cut our trip short and ruin everyone else's time. Jason thinks it was food posioning - whatever it was - was awful! The only good news is that since I had absolutely nothing in my stomach I was able to feel baby girl's every move! We all really could have done without all this sickness (and so strange that each person had something different) and I guess we need to count our blessings that it wasn't all at the same time and nothing too serious! - So, after all that you'd be surprised to know that I didn't get many pictures - but here are a few.

Jason and Keith

the boys

Thanks Pappy and Nana B for the suitcase!

Ty was too busy flirting with the girl across from him to smile for his Mama!
(get used to it, right?)

Swim Time

2008-01-12T12:30:00.000-06:00

Larry, Aunt Amy and Ashlee were scheduled to stay a couple of days here and then head with us to Branson on Friday for a mini-family vacation. They stayed at the Radisson just a few miles away which had an indoor water park. Thursday we asked Ty if he wanted to go swim with Ashlee and he couldn't get his swim trunks on fast enough! Jason and I thought this would be another go round like at Grumpy's pool, but this took a completely different turn. Ty loved it! I think maybe because of all the small kiddie slides, the toys and the water was never above three feet. He was in complete control, could walk around and just had a blast. Grammy, Aunt Amy, Jason and I all enjoyed watching Ashlee and Ty play in the pool! Yes, we are missing someone and that would be Larry. He was the second to get sick. He spent most of the day in the hotel room trying to shake the bug. Here are a few pictures from our adventure at the pool, these are courtesy of Aunt Amy!

I thought this was just a kiddie slide!

Cleaning Up

2008-01-09T13:48:00.000-06:00

How come the trash and the boxes the toys come in are sometimes more fun than the toys themselves?

More Christmas

2008-01-08T13:03:00.000-06:00

Grumpy and Uncle Cayne came by the evening after Christmas for some football and leftovers. Shortly after - Larry, Amy and Ashlee arrive after a very, very long day in the car. They drove from Livingston, Texas to Tulsa - I think about eight hours! We ate, visited a while and opened presents before they headed to the hotel for some rest. Ty couldn't wait until Ashlee got there dragging her to his room the minute she got there to play! They were both wonderful and we were so glad they finally made it home!

Aunt Amy, Larry and Ashlee brought Ty some "choo-choo's"

Yes, those are panties....

Grammy must have put panties in Amy's stocking

Tools!

More Tools....thanks Aunt Amy, Larry and Ashlee!

Mom's new purse

The battle has begun..... (Amy's OU and Larry's UT)

Oo, a Wii

Jason must of said something good - look at Grammy's face!

Choo-Choo

Merry Christmas

2008-01-07T15:56:00.000-06:00

Although our family was plaqued with sickness over Christmas and New Years we managed to make the best of it all! Nana got it first, not only was she sick all Christmas Day but she felt bad the whole time she was here. We enjoyed a delicious Christmas meal and enjoyed our family the whole day. Aunt Bethel, Tim, Pappy and Nana B all came over in the afternoon/evening to share in the festivities as well.

Grammy showing Ty Handy Manny!

Ty's ready to help Dada eat the candy from his stocking!

Something for baby girl!

I've got this all figured out now!

Grammy helping Ty get to his choo-choo's

Nana B helping unleash the doggie bed!

I love it - "night-night"

I'm ready to go with my choo-choo suitcase!

Pappy helping Ty put on his new watch!

Here Pappy, let me help you!

Let's build something, Pappy!

Some of these pictures are courtesy of Aunt Bethel. I wanted to post this one espeically, since she was so tickled by Ty eating his pumpkin pie. It was time for dinner and we brought out all the leftovers and the only thing Ty wanted was pie and he wanted Aunt Bethel to fix it for him. She managed to catch him with a nice big bite with whipped cream! Yummy, yummy!!!

Aunt Bethel and Tim

What did Santa bring?

2008-01-06T15:24:00.000-06:00

All these months leading up to Christmas Ty wanted nothing to do with Santa. He didn't even want us mentioning his name. When he woke up Christmas morning to find out that Santa left him a kitchen I must say he was very excited. After this he didn't hesitate to tell you what Santa brought him. He hurried off to get cooking wanting to boil everyone an egg, take our phone calls and put all his groceries away. Watch out Food Network, he could be come the next Iron Chef!

Christmas socks

2008-01-06T15:12:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve was a nice and relaxing day. Ty and I started our day off with a visit to see how Grumpy was feeling and then dropped off Christmas cookies to Alice and Bella. We returned home for lunch with Aunt Bethel and then Nana and Grammy arrived for their stay with us for Christmas. Jason was able to get off work a little early, he and Grammy unloaded her car, we headed for an early dinner then finished off the evening with a candlelight Christmas Eve service at church. It was a beautiful service preparing us all for what tomorrow is all about.

Before Aunt Bethel left that afternoon Ty wanted to put on his socks for her, technically they are socks - just really big ones!!!

A Ride around Rhema

2008-01-04T09:04:00.000-06:00

The eve of Christmas Eve Dada treated us to a buggy ride around Rhema for a look at all the Christmas lights. Ty loved the lights, but I think he loved the "clip-clop" of the horses hooves even more. And as the ride ended the last to see was the nativity scene and he said, "Mama, Baby Jesus"! I don't think we even noticed the cold.

Christmas with Nene

2007-12-23T16:48:00.001-06:00

Friday evening was Christmas with Nene in Henryetta. Nene was, as always, such a gracious hostess and by the amount of food there - she spent a week in the kitchen. The dining room table was filled with just desserts. We all ate well and Santa came early to Nene's house. Ty had a good time playing with the all the kids! I didn't get many pictures, but did get some of the kids and I added a few from September when we visited with Nene but never posted.

Jonathan and Cheyenne

Cheyenne

Santa brought a Hummer!

Santa brought Stephen a truck too!

Ty with Nene

Peek-a-boo in the drapes!

Pregnancy Update

2007-12-17T20:00:00.000-06:00

Today we had a doctors appointment for a peek to see how things are going. The doctor was unable to see us and therefore couldn't exam the findings so in a month we will really know how things are progressing. But, on my end - I'm feeling so much better than the months before! I have already moved into my maternity pants. This is happening a little sooner than I expected - a lot sooner than last time! I started to feel her move a week or so ago and I usually feel "something" each and every day! I'm so excited to share pictures that you can actually make out. The first one the tech actually wrote on the print-out that it was her fist and elbow. The second is a face shot, third is her spine and the last one she is doing a tap dance! She was so active, dancing all over the place. The tech really took her time to point out things and explain what everything was, this technology still amazes me!!! So, all that's left is to pick out a name.....a girl's name!!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2007-12-17T18:57:00.000-06:00

Saturday we had our first snow of the season. Ty was very excited to see all that white falling from the sky, sure made it feel like Christmas! It didn't stick around so I'm glad he at least walked out in it! Some of you have asked about our last week during the ice storm. We survived and better than others. The news today reported some people that still don't have any power so I feel really very blessed. A week ago Sunday an ice storm hit Tulsa and we lost our power during the night. The temperature in the house was dropping about two degrees an hour and by lunch time on Monday I called Jason at work and told him we couldn't make much longer. With no wood-burning fireplace I felt like we needed to find some place warm and fast! I quickly realized that trying to keep a very busy two-year old underneath the blankets wasn't going to last and he really didn't want to wear 15 layers of clothing! Jason said that his Dad had power and so we packed up and headed that direction. It was a blessing because we really got to spend some quality time with "Grumpy" before he went to OKC for surgery. Tuesday we came home to check on things and still no power but came home to rotting food. So, in the dark we cleaned out the fridge and freezer to nothing. We tried to salvage some things but we eneded up throwing away a lot! Did you ever realize how dirty your fridge is until its completely empty? On Wednesday we came home to check on things and the power had come back on that evening. Hooray!!!! We ended up staying at Grumpy's house until Friday to help watch the dogs. So, just like everyone else I've lost a week and now its a mad dash to make-up for lost time, clean the fridge, get the laundry done and get ready for Christmas! I feel very blessed compared to some of the stories I heard and Sunday at church there were still 100 people there for shelter so I thank the Lord for keeping us safe and unharmed and Grumpy for having power and letting us set up camp!

Placement of the first Christmas tree ornament

2007-12-16T23:30:00.000-06:00

A week ago Saturday we ventured out to find us a Christmas tree. We wanted to get one before the ice hit and thank goodness we did! We weren't able to get it all decorated before having to pack up and leave but we were able to get a good start! So, at Thanksgiving Grammy game Ty some presents early and he was excited to find out one was a "Bob the Builder" ornament for the tree. It was Ty's honor to hang the first ornament and we had to find just the right spot. And, believe me he tried out several spots to find just that right one!

Ty's cold is mostly gone - only an occasional cough and runny nose remain. As you can tell his nose/face was still so red and raw. This cold put us under for a week, he started to get better then the storm hit. He was somewhat getting better, the lights went out and then I got sick. So, after all the sickness and a week away from home - we both are on the mends.

"Boy-yo, Boy-yo"

2007-12-16T23:03:00.000-06:00

"Boy-yo" is the universal word for lawnmower, tractor or really any type of construction equipment. Months ago there was a separate word for the mower and construction equipment but since, he's just combined them for ease. Obviously these are older pictures since Ty's wearing shorts. I believe this was October when Aunt Beth was here and Ty wanted to show her how he mows the lawn. He couldn't mow without his gloves, because Dada mows with gloves. These were just too cute, I had to share them.

Daddy's Little Helper

2007-12-16T22:47:00.000-06:00

I'm a little late in posting these (okay a lot late in posting and taking any pictures for that matter) but several weeks ago Jason was ahead of the game and put up our Christmas lights while the weather was still so nice and I snapped a few. I can't tell you how exciting it is for me to have lights up on the house. Last year after Christmas, we purchased all the lights on sale and I stayed up late one evening and inter-changed bulbs so we could be ready for this year! Green and white lights, it just gives me a thrill to drive down the street and see our home all lit up! My job was to put the clips on and Jason's was to attach them to the house. Now, Ty had to have his job as well! Nothing simple held his attention and the ladder seemed to be the attention getter, so up he went with a little help from Dada!

Trick-or-Treat!

2007-10-31T20:47:00.000-05:00

All treats for Bob!!!!

We started off on a little rocky start but after while Ty seemed to get the hangof trick-or-treating. At first, we'd walk up to a door and he would say "No, No, No", but a few times back home and watching the other kids he was soon saying "more, more" or "next, next". I was really surprised we made it to 8 o'clock (I'm sure the candy along the way helped!) and very happy with the turn out of his costume! He kept everything on the whole time and I only had to carry his treat bag off and on (only because he had suckers in each hand and couldn't hold the bag too!). He did great and came right in and said "sucker, sucker" - very proud of his treats and had to show Daddy! I couldn't have been a more proud when most of the people at the door or on the street commented on him, I too think he's the cutest Bob!!!

Punkin' Time

2007-10-29T09:07:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we carved our pumpkins (or "pies" as Ty calls them). Ty was definitely more interested this year with the carving or maybe he just liked pulling out the guts and laughing at the faces Daddy and I made on our punkins. Ty's pumpkin was a little small, Daddy thought maybe too small to carve, but Ty insisted on Daddy carving it too - so here's our family of pumpkins, can you guess which one's mine and which one's Jason's?????

Lookin' Good!

2007-10-26T13:56:00.000-05:00

We went in yesterday for a check-up and everything's looking really good. I know these are really difficult to make out, I myself can barely tell what anything is, but at least you have some sort of visual. The only thing the doctor could find on the hand held device was my own heartbeat and my stomach grumbling. So, she wasn't the least bit hesitant to bring in the ultrasound machine to check in on the baby. The baby was moving around like crazy and is developing all those wonderful things like arms and legs and the heartbeat is good and strong. She provided new options to help with all these crummy feelings but really, hopefully we are getting close to being over the "hump"!

Panning for Gold

2007-10-12T13:22:00.000-05:00

The next stop was successful as we searched for gold! We all found some, but I think Ty was more intrested in playing in the nice, cold mountain water!

Tweetsie Petting Zoo

2007-10-11T14:49:00.000-05:00

We had a lot of fun feeding the animals. We only saw the goats, deer and pigs. If there were more we didn't make it that far because the goats were really hungry and the deer were just so sweet. Ty was a little apprehensive at first especially when they started to stick their heads (or in the goats case, squeeze their entire bodies through) through the fence and take what the wanted. The feed came in ice cream cones and if you got too close, they took it all! We've never gotten to feed deer at any other petting zoo so this was a real treat for us! Here's all our new friends!

Uncle Dick helping Ty feed Katie and Kevin

(hee, hee - I love all their heads sticking through the fence)

Katie must have been the most hungry!

There's Grammy feeding Bambi!

Too sweet!

Yummy, Yummy

Love all those noses

finished....onto the next stop!

Tweetsie Railroad

2007-10-10T13:52:00.000-05:00

Sit tight.....this one's going to be the big one!

Our fun-filled day at Tweetsie Railroad began very early! I don't think I've ever been to an amusement park quite like this and I'm sure I was not acting my age! Tweetsie is an real coal-fired steam engine from the early 1900's, or maybe even earlier, that traveled through the Blue Ridge Mountains and it is now the center of park. I could go on and on about the history which I think is so interesting, but I'll save you. So, if you're ever in North Carolina I highly recommend this, we all just had a blast!!!!

We arrived at the park when they opened and we stayed all day. So, you can imagine all the pictures I have to show you all. If you can imagine......seven adults accompanying one little two-year old boy! While this was my first time, the others were reliving past memories from being here before. Amy mainly, since this was where she lost her sunglasses on the train from looking out over Dead Horse Trestle.

Our day began and ended with the train ride. As Tweetsie circled the mountain it made frequent stops as we ran into train robbers, gun fights and all kinds of other excitement!

Tweetsie!

He's ready to go!

Choo...Choo!

Another Driving Segment

2007-10-09T13:45:00.000-05:00

I know you've seen plenty pictures of Ty driving and playing in all of our vehicles and know how much he loves to pretend drive, but this one IS actually different. Uncle Dick actually let Ty drive (with assistance of course). He drove from the picnic site around to the restrooms. Ty really thought he was something. Look out, he may really become the next NASCAR sensation!

Linville Falls

2007-10-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

One of our days we went to Linville Falls and what a beautiful sight - the forest, the cliffs, the waterfalls and we couldn't have picked a better day for it! Ty really enjoyed the hike and all the "nature" around him especially when Dada was showing him how to skip rocks. We finished up our day with a picnic which was just a perfect end to our day!

picture perfect

looking for flat rocks to skip

Oops, sorry Amy - cute picture though

Aunt Mary and Ty

This was too funny.....Seems like always, I am the one that can't keep my eyes open for the picture. So let it be known that I did try...fourth times the charm,but Ty couldn't hold on for that last one.

Lots of obstacles, thank goodness for Grammy!

This is how Ty rode some of the way

ahhhh, Mother and son

Another one of our self-portraits

The whole gang!

Hello Hello

2007-10-08T10:50:00.000-05:00

I would first like to apologize for the lapse in postings lately, I'll return to vacation photos after this post. Most of you know the news already and we wanted to try and tell everyone before making a blog entry and I'm sure I've missed a few......So, if you don't know already - Ty is expecting a sibling in May!!!!

I haven't been feeling well which is why blogging has somehow floated to the bottom of the list. I must say Ty has been a real trooper and Jason has really stepped up and has been taking over in the evenings and on the weekends. I've been praying and I'm sure it won't be long until I'm back to myself again which my family and house will be so glad! We love you all and are looking forward to the exciting months ahead and sharing this experience with you!

On da boat!

2007-09-17T13:52:00.000-05:00

Lake James is a beautiful lake! David and Jason went skiing earlier in the day and then we all went for a ride later on. Ty did great on the boat and we all thought he was really enjoying the ride, the water and the scenery but we tried two other days and he wouldn't have it. Kicking, screaming, and crying were all involved and of course we didn't make him but we just couldn't figure out what had scared him off. There were plenty of other things to do, but I think Dada, was especially sad because he's the boat/lake lover!!! There's always next year!

Jason's up

Fancy move from David!

Our brave captain!

Anything with a steering wheel!

Co-captain, Ty

The gang in the rear....

The girls in front - Aunt Mims, me and GeeGee

Ty and his Nana

Mama Spider

2007-09-17T13:23:00.000-05:00

Each day outside Uncle Dick and Aunt Mary's house was like watching the Discovery Channel especially when we noticed the wonder of new life happenings outside the breakfast nook. Amy and I were excited to see what Mama was doing each day. I normally do not like spiders and the thought of them gives me heebeegeebees, but when we noticed that this paticular spider wasn't going anywhere we figured she was setting up shop for babies (probably thousands and thousands of them). We were fasinated to see her intricate web weaving abilities and wondered why she was doing what she was. Her plain web turned into a zigzac web then we watched her (we think) lay eggs and roll them up into a portion of the web and then tuck them somewhere on her body. Fascinating to say the least! We were unable to see what happened after all this, but I felt like I had to share since we watched her closely for the whole eight days!!! Here she is, yellow and beautiful - if you can call spiders that (and as long as they don't enter my house!)

It's whole other world in this backyard!

2007-09-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

Each day provided a new and exciting world outside Uncle Dick and Aunt Mary's house. The woods...Each time Ty found a pinecone, a stick, a toad, a leaf, a lizard or a rock was an exciting moment to say the least (lots of WOW's where always heard). The site I loved the most was in the mornings before just before the sun rose, to see the fog lifting up off the lake and that wonderful brand new day smell. Amazing and so relaxing!!!

We're Back!

2007-09-13T13:20:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone!

Well, we're back from North Carolina and what a wonderful time we had. Thank you Uncle Dick and Aunt Mary for having us all in your home for eight glorious days! I think I know where I want to retire - in the mountains and on a lake! What beautiful country surrounds you and it truly makes you realize that this is something only God could create.

I have many pictures and stories to share with you and I'm already behind. I'll try and post a few every couple of days or so. These are some from our journey to North Carolina on the plane. Ty did a fantastic job traveling, or as well as can be expected for a two-year old. Especially, on the flight home (that story to come a little later). We had extra airline miles to upgrade us to first class, which really was a treat!

I can buckle my own belt, thank you!

A little boy in a very big seat!

Ahhh, room to stretch !

Ty loved seeing all that was going on out the windows!

Thank goodness for Bob the Builder!

Ty and his GeeGee!