A White Christmas

What a beautiful white Christmas we had! I do not remember EVER having snow on or anywhere near the BEST DAY OF THE YEAR! This year was so special with these two sweet little girls. It was just magical...really. Here are some pictures from Christmas 2010 (with my new camera:)

Now Read This...

Wow, I have the pleasure of knowing (and reading the blog) of Tony's cousin Danielle. She is wise beyond her years and writes like a seasoned author...I am on facebook, yes...and I have to admit I am guilty of doing some of what she is referring to...I think we all are...read on...click on Danielle's Blog to the left. She is witty, smart, interesting, and right on the money!

For all of the Dads out there

This is hilarious and sadly kind of true...my fav part is the Dad talking about his man cave and his huge flat screen...and watching Disney movies on it...oh...this is sooo funny.

If she jumped off of a cliff would you?

YES, she would! 18 month old Maggie jumping like the big kids...it was wild to see a baby on this...she's our wild woman:)

Christmas in the eyes of a 4 year old

This time of the year is nothing short of magical especially when you have a 4 year old and a little sister that follows her every move. They are both enjoying the elf on the shelf that we named Jingles and all of the decorating, parties, stories, shopping, and other festive activities! Caroline is learning how to write and tried to write her own letter to Santa this year. She's so proud (despite the fake smile that I captured in this pic...ha) Caroline and Maggie have both been such good little girls this year and I know Santa will come to visit! We are so blessed!

Caroline's first cheerleading competition...

AND THEY WON! Her little team totally rocked it too! So dang cute!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ...

MY BEST FRIEND, THE BEST HUSBAND, AND THE VERY BEST FATHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD! I LOVE YOU TONY! HAPPY 33RD BIRTHDAY! (you'll always be 17 to me:)

Back Surgery

Back Surgery is no joke. You have no idea how much you use your back until it is out of commission. Seriously every movement you make involves your back in some way! No twisting, bending, or arching...pretty much no moving...ha! I can laugh now knowing I have survived this week. :)

On Monday, November the first I had part of my disc and vertebrae removed out of my lower back. Dr. Pool said that the disc was literally "crushing my nerve." I spent Monday and Tuesday at Moses Cone and was in the bed for almost 4 days straight only getting up to use the restroom or to walk the required few steps they told me to take each day. I haven't slept this much since college and for that matter I can barely remember Monday-Thursday at all. On Friday evening (5 days after the surgery) I seriously thought that I might never be "normal" again...scary moment. I was no better five days after the surgery than I was 5 minutes after the surgery. Not good. I was in a ton of pain and the swelling and muscle spasms were causing me to feel like I was being electricuted every time I moved the wrong way. So after talking with two on-call neurosurgeons and taking countless medications I changed my game plan and decided to have a serious talk with the only One who could heal me. Prayer works my friends. I woke up Saturday morning and felt better, not by leaps and bounds, but better. Today is Sunday and I feel much better today...I have hope that I may be "normal" once again! It is hard to believe less than 36 hours ago I thought that I would never be the same...I was just talking to the wrong people to get healing. So I Thank God for healing my body this weekend and giving me a light at the end of this tunnel. I also need to thank all of my wonderful friends and family for the visits, phone calls, meals, care packages, and prayers! All of your efforts have kept my spirits high...and that means more than you will ever know. And I have to give a shout out to my WONDERFUL husband who has taken such great care of me and the children. This house is cleaner than it has ever been and he has taken care of a teething baby at all hours of the night all while he is helping me with my many needs all day and night this week. He really is a saint and I am amazed by his energy and by the amount of TLC he has given me and the girls. Thank you so much Tony! I love you more than you will ever know.

I'm hoping by the end of this week I will be able to drive again and possibly pick up my sweet Maggie Moo. She is really having a hard time understanding why Mommy is always in the bed and unable to hold her or play with her. I will be back to myself soon! I hope:)

Maggie's Photo Shoot

We are lucky enough to know Kate Campbell who is not only sweet and beautiful but she is also a talented photographer! These are untouched photos as a sneak preview for us...thought I'd share. Second children very rarely get a photo shoot of their own and I thought this little cutie deserved one!
Maggie Elizabeth-17 months old

No Fun November

When Caroline was 6 weeks old, which was almost exactly 4 years ago, I did something awful to my back. I really was just holding my sweet Caroline (all 10 lbs of her) with my feet planted and twisted at my waist...this led to a major back injury. Not very exciting huh? For about 3 days I could hardly move from standing to sitting without feeling like I was being electricuted. Probably the worst pain I have ever felt. Well, since then (the past 4 years) I have been dealing with the pain of a torn disc. My neurosurgeon recently told me some very valuable information that cleared up the whole mystery surrounding why a disc would just tear for no reason on a 26 year old healthy woman. Apparently, the last few disc/vert. in my lower back did not fully form when I was in the womb. They appear to be there but are non-functioning. Therefore this disc that tore was just worn out from taking all of my lower back stress/pressure/work...as the other disc were not doing their job. In the last six months the pain has gotten a lot worse and my dr. has advised I get surgery soon as to not have any permanent nerve damage in my back and leg. So, on November 1st I will be going in to have a micro discectomy...basically where they move the nerve aside and remove a portion of the disc. I will be in the house for at least 2-3 weeks as I am not allowed to ride in a car and will be receiving intensive help with the children as I am not allowed to lift anything over 5-10lbs. Maggie weighs 24 lbs and this is where the problem lies. Thank the good Lord we have many wonderful people to help. Please pray for my speedy recovery and for Dr. Pool. But even more so please pray for my children. I know that they will be confused by all of the commotion and shuffling around while I recover. Maggie will be especially confused b/c she is attached to my hip (which I thoroughly enjoy every second of it)! I will miss it more than her...but we can snuggle while I am in the bed healing. There is never a good time to have surgery like this BUT I will be up and back at it by December...in time to enjoy the holidays!

A BIG Texas Wedding!

Everything is BIG in Texas...including weddings! I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid in one of my dearest friends weddings in Houston on Oct.2nd. Yes, that was Caroline's birthday too so she came along for her very first airplane ride to see my precious friend Kelly get married! The flight was great but the gorgeous wedding was even better! The church, the reception, the flowers, the food, the bride, and the groom were more than beautiful and just perfect! Kelly married a wonderful guy named Jason and he is such a gentleman and soooo much fun! They are the perfect couple! Congratulations to the new couple Kelly and Jason Hughes...Love you guys!

Baby Jack

One of my VERY best friends Rebecca gave birth to a precious little boy today! Baby Jack was born at 1:14pm and weighs in at a whopping 6 lbs, 4 oz. The precious little boy gave his momma an easy delivery into this world! Good boy already! You may think arranged marriages are only in India but they are here too...this is Maggie's little boyfriend:) JK! We already love im and can't wait to get to know him! God is so good!

A "gluten free" me

I recently was trying to educate myself on hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone disorder) and I ran across some information that sparked my interest greatly. I read that there was a link between autoimmune disorders, which hypothyroidism is, and gluten (gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley. Some peoples small intestines will not digest it and actually attack it as a toxin. This attack wears down the villi that absorb vitamins and nutrients in the small intestines). As I investigated further I found that gluten is also linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which I have been battling since I was 13 years old. I bought a great book, figured out just how to be gluten free, and started down the path to eating a gluten free diet. There are over 250 symptoms that can exist from your body "attacking" gluten in your body if you have an intolerance or a sensitivity to it. In the extreme cases, some peoples small intestines can be permanently damaged if they have Celiacs Disease and they don't know it. It is amazing to me how many parts of your body can be affected by gluten other than the obvious gastrointestinal parts. Tony is doing this with me and we are on a mission to see if this helps my health improve. I am only on day 3 but I really feel like this is going to be a great thing for us. Yes, I will miss my carbs...I literally had to clean out my cupboards to get rid of the 6 boxes of cereal, most of the crackers, chips, and other yummy wheat filled things that I have always eaten (really about 90% of my diet was bread, wheat, crackers, cereal, etc.) Thankfully, whole foods has a huge gluten free section where I stocked up on gluten free cereal, snacks, and sweets! If you are curious about gluten and want to know more go to www.celiac.com
I will def. post again and let you know how it's going. My body better thank me b/c this isn't wasy...ha!And yes, you knew I was going to say this...Man, I'm getting old:)

Way Back Wednesday

CAROLINE 3 1/3 months old (Jan 2007)


May 2009- Caroline 3 and 1/2 years old, Mags 2 weeks old

A friend of mine always does Way Back Wed. on her blog...it was so cute..thought I'd go back and look at some old pics on my computer...Can you tell I'm getting sappy about this BIG 3-0 approaching...:) My babies are getting older and I'm just getting OLD

The last few days of my 20's

My 30th birthday is quickly approaching. I used to laugh at my "older" friends and think how silly they were being for dreading their 30th birthday. However I am realizing, as the day draws nearer, that I am in the same boat. It sounds so much better to say you are in your twenties, even if I do have two kids, an extra ten lbs, stretch marks, body parts sagging, a herinated disc, and many other glamourous things happening to me! :) The day Caroline was born, as I have told many people before, I believe I aged at least ten years. So really when she was born I felt at least 36, not 26, and now that the girls are getting a little older I am finding my "old" self again..isn't that an oxymoron...ha. Raising little ones is VERY exhausting and very rewarding...it is selfless and selfish (in how much joy I derive from them)...it has been the second part of my 20's. So as I dread 30, I also look forward to it. And my sweet hubby is taking me out for a big treat...shopping! I am throwing out my "old" clothes which consists of lots of maternity clothes and other clothes that fit me and were in style when I was 25 (before kids) and when I was working.
I'm going to enjoy and tell every stranger I meet for the next ten days that I am in my twenties...and then in my new updated (and mature wardrobe...ha) I will gracefully enter my 30's with a huge smile on my face holding a precious baby girl on one hip and holding the hand of my other little three year old! Happy life!

Ocean Isle Beach 2010

The View...so beautiful


Mrs. Lomax and Baby Reid Lomax


Sun bathing Sisters...ha, that lasted for about 3 seconds:)


Big girl shoes..had to slip this one in here... Mags is getting so BIG,15 months old



We always look forward to our favorite place, The Frink house at Ocean Isle beach, every July. We go every summer (ever since I was a baby) with a big group of friends (25 or more) whom are so close I consider them family (The Mitchells, Simpsons, Lomaxes, and my family). We always have more fun than we really should but this year with two kids...it was more of a trip than a vacation. Maggie does NOT sleep well in her pack n play so it was a tiring week for Tony and myself. However, we did manage to still enjoy everyones company and have good family time with our little ones and a little adult time with our friends. We are hoping for more of that next year though:)We know they are only little for a short time so we are savoring all of the "baby" time we can get...even if that means giving up some of our fun now and then. Here are a few pics from the week. Maggie started walking about a week before we left for the beach (beginning of July) and is growing so fast. I had to include oa pic of her in her big girl walking shoes...she looks so old. She is actually 15 months old today. Caroline is loving life and entertaining everyone around her. She will be 4 in October even though she thinks she is 14 :)


Yes, she is eating sand...and seemed to enjoy it


More sand eating...We joked that she was going to make a drip castle in her diaper....nice, huh?


Maggie Moo loving the beach. She really enjoyed it, last year she was only 7 weeks old


Surfer Chick Caroline

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Precious Maggie

We love you Mgat

The world lost one of it's brightest lights. Matt was Tony's best friend from childhood, his college room mate, and one of the most special people that I have ever known. He encouraged Tony and I very early in our relationship and always supported us in every way...hell, he was even there on our first date. Tony was too shy to go alone :) oohhh...the memories, my heart is broken....He is and always will be so so so dear to all of our hearts. Words can not express the pain. In this post I want to celebrate a wonderfully unique (he always teased that his name was spelled Mgat and that the "g" was silent), special, precious man who was loved by everyone and also beg for your prayers...They are very needed.

Sisterly LOVE

Right when Caroline started sleeping really well, I got all of my baby weight off, and life was getting "easy" again...Miss Maggie Moo came about and we started all over again. This makes all of the stretch marks, extra pounds, and sleepless nights all worth it...(well Maggie's precious life that God entrusted us with makes every second worth living but you get my point) Like I have said before I didn't anticipate the precious bond between sisters....so beautiful! Look at those love filled hugs and kisses...too sweet! I could literally EAT THEM UP!

Baby Shower for Rebecca and her little peanut Jack

We had a lovely shower for Rebecca and Ryan's "Little Peanut" on Sunday. I have a little obsession with elephants as Caroline's MUST HAVE has always been Pinky...the softest pink elephant on the planet (we now have 4 of them). So I found myself drawn towards elephant things when planning this shower...There are not alot of elephant decorations out there...so I made some. I figured out how to make little elephants out of diapers...turned out to be really cute (and easy if anyone ever needs to make one). Megan and I ran with the elephant and little peanut theme and made little favor boxes and a little peanut bar...all different kind of peanuts to fill your box (chocolate covered, M and M's, honey roasted, etc)...yummy! I forgot to take one pic during the actual shower but I did manage to snap a few before. Fun day. We can't wait to meet you Baby Jack (due 10-8-10)!

How did she get up there?

And btw....i cropped myself out of this pic...but the child does love to climb!

If you want to live happily ever after...

...then marry your very best friend! Happy 6th Anniversary My Love. I'd LOVE to do it all over again!


Many new posts...scroll down!

Cheerleading and cuteness

Caroline has started cheerleading this year for GAC. She is on an under 5 team called the starlites...sooo freaking cute. She loves it! WE can't wait for the season to begin. FUN. And I also had to post this cute, cute pic of Magarita sitting in the frig...this seat is just her size. Funny.

Flight of Honor

Conrad, our hero, holding Maggie


Maggie almost pooped out waiting for the flight to arrive.


Conrad, his trip escort(a true angel...volunteered and paid her own way)and MeMe


Welcoming home the Flight of Honor..there were thousands of people there. I actually ran into several of my great neighbors there who were just there to support all of the men.

My grandfather Conrad Fox is a true American Hero. When he was just a teenager he fought in the battle of the bulge and liberated a concentration camp. Recently, he and other WWII vets were honored by a wonderful trip to Washington DC. They were met early that morning with a hero's welcome, the news station was here, two fire trucks sprayed an arch that the airplane drove under on it's way to take off, and a huge pack of bikers with American flags lined the rode leading into the airport. When they arrived in DC, they loaded a bus and Conrad said that the road all the way from the airport to the WWII memorial (which was many miles) was lined with people cheering for them with flags and signs...umm...brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Here are a few pictures of their welcome back into Greensboro that night. I have never been more proud of Conrad and all of the men but more than that I was proud to be an AMERICAN. If you get a chance to support the flight of honor..do so. It is long overdue for the guys and it literally MADE Conrad's year.

R.I.P. Madison

Our beautiful boxer Maddie went to heaven on Thursday after a long, fun filled life with our family. She showed me what unconditional love really is. Her little stubby tail wagged uncontrollably everytime she saw someone she loved...which was everyone. Her sweet, big, sloppy kisses will be missed greatly. A little part of my heart has gone to be with God. I am thankful for our time with her. Rest in Peace sweet, sweet Madison! We love you so very much!

Maggie's Berry First Birthday

Since this precious child was born right in the heart of strawberry season I thought we should have a "Berry" special first birthday for her! She enjoyed the day sooo much! Happy 1st birthday sweet Maggie Moo!