mollieperez

AAHHHH...My e-mail has been hacked

2012-01-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Please do not open any weird e-mails from me. My e-mail was hacked yesterday and I changed the password and then it was hacked again. I have changed my password three times now in the last 12 hours so hopefully it is resolved now. How violating! YUCK. Just know that I will never send anyone just a link to some unnamed website. Stupid HACKERS! Sorry if you recieved anything weird from my AOL acct. I've had that e-mail address since 1998 and every single contact I have ever written or recieved an e-mail from was probably sent something yesterday...yikes. I guess that's why they say you need to change your password often...and 14 years is NOT OFTEN. ha!

Reasonable RESOLUTIONS

2012-01-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

So I have outgrown the old "lose weight/work out more" New Year's Resolution routine. I am happy with the body that God has given me and this year I am going to go easy on myself. While I am going to try to be more healthy, I am not going to try to be more thin. On that note, I have made one resolution that would fit into this category: DRINK MORE WATER. I have a list of health complaints that would probably all go away if I would simply stick to this one resolution. My goal is not a lofty one but a reasonable one: Drink 70 oz. of water a day. I have to drink at least 8-12 oz. right when I wake up to take my thyroid medication so this should be a good way to get my water drinking habit started. My other resolution is to read more books to my children. I used to have to put a limit to the number of books we would read to Caroline every night because if she had it her way, we would read and read and read...all night. Somehow we have gotten into a bad habit of watching T.V. before bed and the reading has nearly been forgotten. As a former teacher, I should be ashamed. But more than ashamed, I am usually pretty darn tired. HA. So, more reading, less T.V. I know these are not too terribly exciting but I have to document them so I will have a little accountability for whoever reads this. If you see me, ask about these two areas if you remember! Happy 2012.

Growing Up

2011-12-27T10:03:00.000-08:00

As I write this blog post I am listening to the sound of the shower running in the next room. My baby Caroline (5 years old but always my baby) can now start the shower for herself and get clean with no help from her mother at all. This growing up thing sure is bittersweet. While I am glad she can do things on her own, I am also sad because she really doesn't need me for everything anymore. I realize that one day she won't need me to start her bath, to help her out, to put on her jammies, to take her to school, to make her lunch...Hopefully she will always need me as much as I need my mother now...which is A LOT! Just in different ways. I'm giggling right now reading this because it seems like just yesterday that she was a fussy baby never wanting to be put down. I honestly dreamed of the day when she would become more independent. My, how things change. In just one week, Tony and I will go to tour and register her for KINDERGARTEN at Wesleyan. I am excited and anxious about this big step for our little girl. I'm anxious as any parent of a Kindergartener would be and probably overly concerned from the good and bad things that I have seen/experienced as a former elementary school teacher. However, after much prayer, I know that everything will fall into place just as God has planned. He will guide, protect, and nurture her while she is at school and also while she is at home with us. This is one of those seasons in life where I just want everything to freeze. Life as a mother and a wife brings me a joyful sense of peace that I have never felt before. I have always had a pressing forward kind of feeling in life and have always wanted to rush on to the next exciting phase. But right now I just want to put it all on hold. I thank God for this time in life and I know that He will be right there with me for all of the transitions that are to come. Even if they are coming a little sooner than I would like:)

New Pictures to end 2011...What a BLESSED YEAR!

2011-12-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Alisha Schwanke was kind enough to share her time and talents with us. These are some of the beautiful photographs that she took of our family that we will treasure for a lifetime. God has certainly blessed her with an artistic gift and we are so thankful that she has shared that gift with us. www.alishaschwanke.com

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

2011-12-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

And Duke goes on to play Stanford tomorrow at 1pm for the NCAA National Championship! I'm so incredibly proud of my Uncle, Robbie Church!!! He deserves this and has worked so hard to recruit and built this championship team! He is such a wonderful person in every way! GO DUKE!!!

GO DUKE!!!

2011-11-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

My wonderful Uncle Robbie is the head women's soccer coach at Duke University and they just made it to the NCAA Final 4!!!! I'm so proud of him and the awesome team that he has built at Duke!!! GO DUKE!!!

A DREAM COME TRUE

2011-10-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

My older brother Jason has always dreamed of owning his own business and today that dream opened it's doors and came true! For months and months both of my brothers and my Dad have been pouring their hearts into this new business. Today Once Upon A Child - Raleigh opened it's doors! The store is beautiful and in a great location (with a super target, Old Navy, and others)and did I mention it is run by a solid crew:) I'm so proud of Jason for chasing a dream and putting in the hard work to make this all happen! Today was their grand opening and they broke company records for grand opening numbers!!! If you are ever in the North Raleigh area (Poyner Place shopping center) please visit them! The store is FULL of anything (new and gently used) that you would ever need for a child! I'm so proud of my guys and thankful for a hard working, wonderful, patient, beautiful young lady named Cindy:)...behind every great man is an even better woman, right?!!! YES!

Here are a few pics of the store from a few months ago when they first got in.

Happy Fall Yall

2011-10-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Our FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR!!!

Does anyone else notice how big my babies are getting???

Of all places, we have the best time...

2011-09-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

AT THE GROCERY STORE! ha... Mommy goes to the grocery store several times a week and we always enjoy our time there! Today we went to another store (other than our usual Harris Teeter) and they had little customer shopping carts! Too FUN! Mommy didn't even have to push a "real" cart b/c the cute little helpers filled their carts with groceries!

Fun pushing the cart OR

We even have fun UNDER the cart!

thirty-one

2011-09-11T06:11:00.000-07:00

No, it's not the in-home sales totebag line that I'm referring to...it's my AGE! Yesterday I celebrated my 31st birthday. My wonderful husband, my precious children, my sweet family, and dearest friends made the day extraordinary for me. Thank you to everyone who had any part in making me feel so special. It's amazing how meaningful a phone call, card, flowers, gift, or visit can be when you feel the love from someone close to you who celebrates the day you were born!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I joined the sportscenter for my birthday (Thank you Tony for that wonderful present). Well, to enjoy my gift yesterday I went and swam 50 laps in the pool. To pass the time and to keep up with which lap I was on, I thought about each year of my life. I started on about lap 16 and thought about where I lived, important events that happened in my life, how I celebrated my birthday that year, holidays, friends, good times, and so on from each year of my life. My time swimming passed so quickly that by the time I got to my 31st lap (and current age) I just couldn't stop. So I swam on thinking about my life, where I have been, what I have done, and what I want out of the coming years in my life. I know I must have been smiling up and down the lane. What a beautiful exercise of mind and body to think back on wonderful memories of high school, college, getting married, having children, friends past and present, friends who I will see again in Heaven, trials I've overcome, wonderful experiences I have had, and thinking about the exciting future ahead. Birthdays are a day to be thankful for the life you have and to think about where life has taken you since God brought you into this world. So on day one of my thirty first year, I thank God for a full life and I look forward to many, many more years of being and feeling ALIVE. I have learned to appreciate growing older because the other option is a little less lively:) God Bless You! XOXO, Mollie

Apples to Apples

2011-09-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

Caroline, 2 years old, 2008

Maggie, 2 years old -2011
I'm comparing Caroline's first day of school in the apple dress to Maggie's first day of school in the apple dress! How time flies.

Preschool 2011

2011-09-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

Before I write anything, I must give praise to God for answering my prayers. I have prayed for months and asked Him to ease Maggie's anxiety about being away from Mommy and that she is able to enjoy all of the joy that preschool brings. I have also prayed for my worries to be replaced with faith and trust because I know that Maggie is in God's loving care in all situations. This morning could not have gone better and I have my wonderful Lord and Savior to thank for it! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! God is soooo good!

Caroline is now a "senior" at her preschool! She has been looking forward to Mrs. Cash's Pre-K since the day school let out for the summer! She is ready to learn and is eager to meet all of her new friends and see her old friends again. She loves every single thing about school and is a social butterfly for sure! Every teachers dream!

As for Maggie, she was excited to go to school and was as cute as a button! She was thrilled to go in with the big kids and by the time the teacher took her hand in the classroom, I was gone. The teacher sent me a text and said that she was doing wonderful! I pray that she enjoys school as much as Caroline does! I'm on my way out the door to pick them up now:)

Here are a few pics of the first day of school! Oh and as for me, there were no tears. It all happened so fast that it took me a few minutes to realize that I was alone. No worries though, I went straight to join the sportscenter and I look forward to working out and hopefully meeting some friends for coffee every now and then!

Another Bittersweet Moment in Parenthood

2011-09-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is a little milestone that I, as a stay at home mother, have looked forward to for some time now. Yet in the same breath, I am a little sad and anxious about the time actually arriving. My little Maggie Moo will go to preschool for the first time. She has never gone to the church nursery, gym childcare, or any care for that matter outside of our home or my parents. To say the least she is attached...and well, so am I.
Maggie had a very scary entrance into this world so Tony and I have always been very protective and cautious with our little miracle. After her near death arrival we battled breathing issues, nebulizer treatments, and countless ear infections on top of all of the "normal" baby/toddler viruses. Needless to say, it was never worth the risk of picking up a virus from the nursery just to go to the gym or sit in church for an hour. SOOO... many Joel Osteens and walks in the neighborhood have kept me moving up until now. Tomorrow I hand over my sweet, precious, tender little girl's every need to her teachers. I pray they can interpret her jibber jabber and enjoy her funny little personality as much as I do every single day.
As I re-read this, I DO realize how silly this seems given that she is only going for a couple of hours a week. It's not really the time spent at the preschool that makes this tough, it's the TIME OF MY LIFE and the fact that she is no longer a baby but a big girl getting her first little taste of independence that really makes this bittersweet.
So tomorrow at about five minutes after nine, I wonder who will be crying, me or Maggie?

O.I.B. 2011

2011-07-26T10:59:00.001-07:00

"Ive been pickled" T-shirts. You have your family reunion t-shirts and I've got mine...ha! Everyone's name is listed on the back...Thanks for making these Sara!

Lauren and her sweet dad David. This is such a great pic I just had to post it!

Me and Mags on the Beach

Love me some Lomax! Katie, Lance, and Reid. Great family pic I must say!:)

Kathleen and Caroline at the beach music concert. This picture looks familiar...but it used to be me holding Kathleen and now she's holding my little girl:)

Emma Kate and Caroline playing barbies...what a special friendship. I know Sara and Jed were just as happy as Tony and I about them playing together sooo well. Inseperable all week!

You play hard, you sleep hard! Another bonus!

We celebrated my wonderful Dad's 65th birthday! I can't think of a better place to be on your b-day!

The chicken wing crew...these boys fry up some mean chicken wings every year! I think they have more fun making them than we do eating them. And that says a lot b/c they are delicious! Jason, Lance, Jason N. and Kyle who came straight from Africa!

The Perez Family Beach Picture. Thank you Katie for the wonderful photographs!

Lastly, the GORGEOUS sunset from the front porch. What a blessing.

I HEART OCEAN ISLE BEACH but even more than that I love the family that comes together once every year at this beach. I have the fondest memories of summer family vacations at O.I.B. It really is my favorite week of the whole year and this year was no different. Just perfect. 25 + people all staying together in a beautiful home. The house booms with laughter for seven straight days and nights and everywhere you look people are relaxing and happy. As I was upstairs getting ready one evening, I just sat there and listened to the laughter that was coming from several different areas of the house. Five families come together for a week and become one big family. When we are there it would be hard for someone to come in and know who went with who. I'm smiling right now just thinking about the bond that has been nutured over the last 30 years. This year a group got together and made everyone t-shirts to celebrate. We have an on-going joke going that every new person that comes has to eat a pickled egg (if you have never had the pleasure, all you need to know is pink, boiled eggs floating in pink horrific vinegar). Great memories were made again this summer and I HAVE A T-SHIRT TO PROVE IT! Until next year...

I'm the proud mother of 2 little FISH!

2011-07-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have always loved being in a pool whether it is swimming, water aerobics, or just relaxing. These days I like to call it my "water therapy"...not physical therapy, just therapy. It clears my mind and relaxes me. I was on the Sedgefield Country Club swim team at the age of 4 and swam competitively until I was a junior in High School. I thought I loved the water and started young but my little mermaids have blown me out of the water. Caroline and Little Maggie are so comfortable in the pool and NOTHING could make me happier. Caroline can swim to the bottom of the deep end, do flips under water, and is a pretty dang good backstroker! And today (can you tell I'm a proud Momma) Maggie started swimming! Thankfully my dearest friend Rebecca was there with her phone to catch it on video! It's just a tiny clip but we captured her first little swim. Caroline started swimming when she was 3 years old but Mags just turned two in May. I'm impressed and just as proud of them as I can be!

MAGGIE MOO IS TURNING TWO!

2011-05-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

I can not believe that two years ago today our precious Maggie was born! She is so full of life and such a joy to be around. Mags loves anything her "sissy" does as well as swimming, dancing, and watching Elmo. She is such a beautiful child on the inside and the outside. We thank God everyday for her life! Happy birthday sweet Maggie! She was on "who's turning 2" on News 2 this a.m. It was really neat!

We Are Loving Spring!

2011-04-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

My baby girl

2011-04-04T10:53:00.001-07:00

is really growing up. Cherishing these sweet moments. Thank you Alan Palmer for this beautiful picture.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY 2011

2011-03-17T13:19:00.001-07:00

These beautiful little girls are loving this gorgeous and very GREEN St. Patrick's Day! We aren't lucky, we are sooo blessed!

so here's what we did...

2011-03-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

...we fullfilled a childhood dream of OURS! Tony and I were like kids buying this...it looked sooo cool! Every kid wants bunkbeds! Now Maggie is in Caroline's bed and Caroline got a sweet new set up. WE hope one day they will bunk up together when Mag gets a little older!!! Caroline is thrilled to go to bed now...bonus!!!

Crib Climber UPDATE

2011-02-22T04:25:00.000-08:00

Well, Maggie the little crib escapee has done it again. Every night now she climbs out. I came in at 6:45 this morning just to check on her and this is how I found her. She's not sleeping IN the crib but now she is sleeping UNDER THE CRIB! FYI: She was asleep in this picture, she managed to get her PJ pants off sometime in the night, and I had to pull her out from under the crib....as my grandmother would say...OH MY WORD! Let the crib drama continue....ha. :)

Monkey Maggie

2011-02-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid we have a "climber." Maggie climbs on everything and touches anything she can get her hands on. We told Caroline one time to "not touch" something and she wouldn't give it another thought. Heck at 12 months old we have video of her walking around and pointing at things (like a candle, the stairs, etc.) and saying "no, no!" She knew not to mess with things. However, Maggie is VERY different. First of all she is very tender and gets her feelings hurt easily, very easily. She doesn't like to disappoint. But man, she likes to tinker and mess with things....Curious George! Recently, she has been waking up a lot in the middle of the night. We try to let her cry and put herself back to sleep but her room is right beside of Caroline's so unless we want two kids awake at 2am, we have to go in. Two night ago Tony rocked her for a while and she didn't go to sleep so I went in and gave it a whirl. After about 30 minutes I got a wild idea (due to lack of sleep and desperation...and honestly I think most parents would do just about anything to get their kids to sleep at 3am)and I crawled in the crib WITH HER! The thought that I could break the crib did cross my mind, again my desperation kicked in, and I hopped right in. You should have seen the way Maggie was looking at me...funny! She did go to sleep but was still making noises every 15 minutes or so. So Tony comes down to relieve me and can't find me. After circling the house twice and looking in the garage he came back in Maggie's room when he saw me throw my hand up and wave at him from the crib. Again, you should have seen the look on HIS face! Even better than Maggies! Ha! He thought I had disappeared into the night but no I was all nestled up in THE CRIB with Maggie. Long story short...she was hungry. Must be in a growth spurt. She went to sleep BY HERSELF after eating a snack and slept great until 8:30am. Well, the crib saga continued last night. She started crying again at 2 am and I convinced Tony to let her cry. I know the mother is usually the one who doesn't want to let them cry but Tony hates to let his precious Maggie Moo cry down there. It's actually very sweet. They have an incredibly close bond b/c he so often goes and "rescues" her at night:) Anyway, we were both exhausted last night and so we let her cry for some time...I have no idea how long b/c it's all a blur at that timeof night. She stopped and we all slept nicely. Tony and I got up bright and early and went down to MAggie's room to find her ON THE FLOOR! At some point she climbed/jumped/fell out of her crib for the first time. We had the monitor on good and loud and we didn't hear a thump or a cry of pain...so i'm assuming she gracefully climbed over and out. She had thrown all of he blankets out and was asleep on the floor. It is humerous now but at the time we felt TERRIBLE! She's totally fine, no bumps or bruises. So I guess this is the beginning of a trend or she now knows not to do that again. Either way, she probably won't be "crying it out" anytime soon. Ha.

MMM, MMM, MMM

2011-02-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

Somebody give me a spoon because

I COULD JUST EAT HER UP!!!

Maggie is really coming into her own. She has such a cute personality. She gets into everything and has a sweet, yet mischievious side. She loves her big sissy and loves to do everything she does! She does not talk as much as Caroline did but that probably has something to do with the paci that she LOVES so much! She is a very late teether like Caroline was so I let her have the paci to help with that. She CAN talk and it sure is cute when she does. Anytime I hand her ANYTHING she says "THANK YOU Momma"! Maggie Moo starts to dance when she hears anything that resembles music and she has some good little moves too. Her most favorite thing in the whole world is Buzz Lightyear. She is obsessed with Toy Story...I can't tell you how many times we've watched all three movies. She is an angel and is such a blessing to our family. Her little laugh brings so much joy into our home! Here are a few pics of our precious Maggie at 20 months old! Not a baby anymore:(

A White Christmas

2010-12-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-12-27T12:25:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-22T16:53:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-12-06T05:07:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-03T06:09:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-11-20T17:07:00.000-08:00

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ...

2010-11-19T07:33:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-10-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-06-30T17:30:00.001-07:00

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

If you want to live happily ever after...

2010-06-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

...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

2010-06-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-09T11:39:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-17T08:20:00.001-07:00

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!

A very Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-17T08:14:00.001-07:00

What a great mother's day. These two little girls give my life meaning! What a wonderful day!

One year ago...

2010-05-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

our world was blessed with Maggie Elizabeth Perez. She was 6 lbs, 1oz of pure love and joy. She has been the most pleasant, easy, loving child. Her first birthday is on Sunday, May 16th. We love you so much Maggie Moo!
Here are a few pics from this time last year! What a great year it has been!

Happy Baby Gets A Tooth

2010-04-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

Look closely and you will see Maggie's first tooth. Caroline didn't get her first tooth until 14 months old...so we are excited about this. This precious child lights up our world. Her laugh is soo precious.

Good Grief

2010-04-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard me mention that I am "in school". I am a little over half way through with my Master's degree in counseling. Counseling is a BIG field as you can imagine (Marriage counseling, school counseling, career counseling, and so on) and I am happy to say that I have found my calling in this big world of the counseling career. Just the other day I asked a woman who is a practicing therapist right now if she did marriage counseling and her answer was "Hell no that's like jumping on a sinking ship"...now that's not how I feel about it just yet BUT that is not the area that I have been led to focus on...just though that was kinda funny:)
I know God led me to this field, that He set my inner spirit on a journey to find meaning in a career. The progression has gone something like this:
Liked teaching but LOVED talking with my kids...hmm, maybe I should be a school counselor.
Liked the idea of counseling but HATED the idea of being in the school system again...maybe I should do family and marriage counseling and get an office and have appts...
Sounded good to me so I set off to begin working on my Masters while staying at home with my babies.
Began school, loved the classwork, thought I would focus on counseling expecting parents but then...
my best friends husband dies...scarist thing that has ever happened to me.
I HAD to know more.
Attended grief counseling workshops and bought every book I could on grief counseling. I am facinated...I am passionate...about grief counseling. Through Candice's tragic ordeal and the loss of my VERY good friend Tello.. I have found an area that I think I could be helpful in. There is a need and God has placed a fire in my heart to work in this area. Tony and I have talked about my career path in the future and I recently told him I was going to open up a counseling center called "Good Grief"...we laughed but really there is a good (healthy) and bad (unhealthy) way to mourn and grieve. I'm still learning sooo much and I pray that I can raise these two girls, be a good mom AND a good student so that I will have a new career that I am passionate about when they enter school. Can you tell I've been reading one of my books today? :) They are all by Dr. Alan Wolfelt in case you are ever curious.

Spring update

2010-04-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Maggie is almost 11 months and Caroline is 3 and 1/2. The sounds of laughter and squealing fills our house everyday. We could not be happier with these two little angels!

We are so mean...

2010-04-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

but dang this is CUTE! Maggie eating a lime...look at that face. PRECIOUS!

Easter 2010

2010-04-08T10:39:00.001-07:00

The Perez Family

Caroline and Gram made the bunny cake...she's very proud!

Maggie's first Easter

Caroline is very happy that the Easter Bunny came!

BAMMM! There it is!

2010-04-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

" C A R O L I N E BAMMM...There it is!" This child is so funny! I was a little scared that she would be in Kindergarten before she learned to spell her name...it's a long one! She's 3 going on 13 for sure! I tell her everyday "Caroline you make my heart sooo happy"...she really does. She has a great sense of humor, a beautiful smile, and her little 32 lb presence lights up our whole house! What a blessing she is!

CLOSE CALL

2010-03-29T06:53:00.001-07:00

We had a very close call last night. A tornado touched down about a half a mile from our house. It was a terrifying night but we are so thankful that no one was hurt and our house was not hit. We got out this morning to see people standing in the street starring at their destroyed homes...it is awful. Many, many prayers for the people of High Point today and in the weeks to come. Here are just a few pictures of the wreckage.

Notice any "thing" ???

2010-03-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

This is Caroline's latest drawing of Tony. Notice anything? Any "thing" at all?

Good News

2010-03-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

The good news is that my class is over! Even better news is I made an "A". Miracles DO happen :) Heck, I just wanted to pass...couldn't be happier! I'm now a little more than half way through the degree in Family and Marriage Counseling. I'm going to owe several people BIG by the time I graduate (my parents, Tony, Rebecca, and several others). I want to encourage anyone who is interested in getting a degree to look at Liberty University (www.liberty.edu) They have bachelor's, masters, and doctoral programs in many, many fields. On-line or on campus. I really can not say enough about the program and how wonderful the people associated with L.U. are!

10 months old

2010-03-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Miss Maggie Moo is ten months old. I can't believe it! She is crawling (finally) but really prefers to be held and to snuggle. She is a chunk-o and just too cute! She has been ear infection FREE for several weeks now (lifetime record for her)...we are so thankful! I can not believe she will be a year old in two months. Time flies! Here are a few recent pics.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

Love, Maggie, Caroline, & Mollie

Our family is on a new diet

2010-03-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

AND I DON'T ADVISE YOU TRY IT! It's the stomach virus diet. Wow...started last week with Maggie, quickly followed by Tony, and now I am sick. This bug is relentless, painful, and doesn't go away quickly. Maggie is still not 100% a week later. Thank God for wonderful grandparents! When both parents are sick, it's a tough situation! We had to call in the help! However, with this GREAT weather (that I haven't been able to enjoy:) this house is getting aired out. We'll all be better soon, I just know it!

Tubes are In

2010-02-25T11:24:00.000-08:00

Miss Maggie did GREAT! The procedure went very well! They removed the fluid and said she had a little scarred tissue from the prolonged infection but nothing that should damage her hearing in the long run. This simple 7 minute procedure all began this morning at 5:30 a.m. and we returned home right after 9 a.m. Needless to say we are all extremely tired and hopefully little missy will feel good and start sleeping better! Thanks for all of the prayers and concern for our sweet little angel.

Caroline is funny

2010-02-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

Caroline: Mommy, I am sick. Why is my nose always running?
Me: I don't know sweetie. Must have a runny nose germ or something.
Caroline: I must have the flute.

The Flute - 3 year old term for the Flu...she always keeps me smiling!

Tubes rescheduled

2010-02-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

Now we are having the tubes put in on Thursday. They could not get her in until 10am Monday. She could not eat anything after midnight the night before and we felt that was entirely too long for a 9 month old to go without eating. By the time she got any food/liquid it would be almost noon. This day will already be stressful enough, we don't need her to be starving on top of that:) So we are planning on surgery on Thursday BRIGHT AND EARLY. Thanks for your prayers and support everyone! xoxo, Mollie

Prayers for Mag pie

2010-02-19T06:32:00.000-08:00

Little Maggie is having tubes put in her ears early Monday morning (Feb. 22). I know it is a simple, routine procedure but there is something about putting a 9 month old to sleep that I really don't like. She will only be away from us for 20 minutes tops they said. Just say a little prayer for her on Monday morning. I sure hope she feels better after all of this! I will be sure to update!

Oh My CUTENESS!!!

2010-02-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

Enough said...

Stork Rental

2010-02-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

My wonderful and incredibly talented friend Rebecca has started a new business. She is renting this precious stork to announce the birth of your new baby! When Maggie was born I was so surprised and THRILLED to have this in my yard when we arrived home. You too can rent the stork to annouce the birth of a special baby in your life! The stork stays for 4 days or a week (you choose) and the parents get to keep the keepsake bundle for their baby! We LOVE ours and it looks great in Maggie's nursery!
Contact Rebecca at rcs713@hotmail.com if you would like more information!

Lots going on around here

2010-02-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

Well here is what has been going on around the Perez household:

1. Not a lot of sleep. We go tomorrow to the ENT (Ear/nose/throat) to see about getting tubes in Maggie's ears. She has had 6 ear infections since November..or maybe she's just had one that has never gone away. Either way we've had a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of hurting ears (hers from infection, mine from the crying), and way too many rounds of antibiotics for an 8 month old. Oh yes and to make things worse she had a really bad cough and wheezing so we had to do breathing treatments with a baby nebulizer for awhile. AWFUL. Hoping to get this precious, sweet baby feeling better real soon!
2. A Balancing Act- Balancing grad school, two little kids, several snow storms (which means preschool has been cancelled a LOT), trying to be a good wife, sister, daughter, grandaughter, and friend is HARD. I don't do a very good job most days but dang I'm trying! I really am.
3. Swimming - Sweet Caroline has only had three swim lessons and she is already going under! We are thrilled! Just tonight we were throwing coins in our deep bathtub and she was going under to get them. Goggles really helped with her fear of going all the way under! She will be swimming like a fish in no time. I give her another lesson or two and she'll be a little mermaid! (If anyone needs a fabulous swim instructor...call me..shes the best!)
4. Working- Tony is busier than ever at work! Wow...I don't know how he manages to do so much at the office and come home and be THE BEST Dad I've EVER seen. He amazes me. These little girls sure are lucky.
5. Progress-Caroline is starting to write her name, knows most of her letters, and is growing like a weed. She is full of energy and is a fantastic big sister. Maggie will be 9 months old in about a week. She is still so sweet natured even though she's had a rough go at it this winter. She's standing and pulling up and saying MaMa and DaDa. I seriously could eat her with a spoon!

GO WOLFPACK!

2010-01-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

Proud to be Wolfpack fans (well this week at least...ha!)

getting BIG

2010-01-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

This morning as we were sitting around doing our normal "morning" things (breakfast, getting dressed, etc) I looked around at these two girls and thought to myself.."they are growing up way too fast!" Maggie is sitting up, trying to crawl, loving baby food, and chuckles like a 300 lb woman....she is too precious. But what happened to my 6 lb newborn? The past 8 months have flown by! AND CAROLINE...my goodness...she wants to do EVERYTHING by herself. She can tell you just what she wants and how she wants it...of course communication has never been a problem for her. She is like talking to an adult. She is doing GREAT in preschool. She is the youngest in her class by far but it keeping up with the other kids very well. She is also going to gymnastics and LOVES that! The child needed some physical activity b/c she likes movies (yes full length movies) way too much! She asks me if she can watch Alvin and the chipmunks at least three times a day. And the strict mother that I am...I usually only let her watch it twice....ha:) JK! WE just signed her up for swim lessons so that is our next big hurdle. We want to toss those swimmies in time for summer. Never too early to learn to swim when there is a pool in the backyard! I tell her everyday I'm going to put a brick on her head and she always says "no Mommy I want to grow up just like you" so sweet!

2010

2009-12-31T05:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I kind of hate to see 2009 go...it's been a great year! As I think back on our year, the birth of our precious Maggie was definitely the highlight(May 16, 2009). We are so blessed and thankful that her delivery turned out the way it did (it sure wasn't looking good for a while there for either of us). Her smile and laughter has added so much to our family...you really should see the way both she and Caroline light up when they see each other. The bond b/w sisters is not one that I had anticipated when we had another child. What a special, surprising gift that is everyday!
I can't wait to see what this year has in store. Our little family unit (me, Tony, and the girls) has become so strong and brings me such happiness! My soulmate and I team up and work together to try to raise these precious children to be good, sweet, loving little girls. We may not get to see our friends as often as we like but we know when they have a child or two they will understand. In a few years they won't want anything to do with us and we will have plenty of "friend" time then. Bittersweet isn't it.
Happy New Year to you all. I hope God Blesses you this year and always! Thanks for keeping up with us this year through my blog. Would love to see you soon. xoxo
Love,
Mollie

Mags first snow

2009-12-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

We took a boat (from the pool) and tied a rope to the end of it. Tony acted as the horse, the raft was the sleigh. Tony and I took the girls on a ride around the neighborhood in the middle of the snow storm (note the umbrella). Maggie fell asleep. I imagine it was pretty peaceful. Fun was had by all!

Now this grin makes me smile

2009-12-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

Maggie Moo - 7 months old

couple new pics of my sweeties!

2009-12-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

This inspires me...

2009-12-03T12:04:00.001-08:00

HOW TO REALLY LOVE A CHILD

Be there. Say yes as often as possible. Let them
bang on pots. If they are crabby, put them in
water. if they are unlovable, love yourself. Realize
How important it is to be a child. Go to A
movie theatre in your PAJAMAS. read books
out loud with joy. invent pleasures together.
remember how small THEY are. GiGGle A lot.
surprise them. say no when necessary. teach
feelings. Heal your own inner child. learn about
parenting. Hug trees together. Make loving safe.
Bake A cake and eat it with your hands. Go
Find elephants and kiss them. plan to build a
rocket ship. imagine yourself magic. make lots
of forts with blankets. let your angel fly. reveal
your own dreams. search out the positive. Keep
the gleam in your eye. Mail letters to GOD.
encourage silly. plant licorice in your garden !
open up. stop yelling. express your love ! a lot.
speak kindly. paint their tennis shoes. Handle
with caring.

We say "Merry Christmas"

2009-12-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

...and have been saying it since the middle of November! We love this time of year so much we start a little early to get the full enjoyment of the season!

Maggie can sit up! Our big girl!

"The tree's tickling me!"

Ceremonial hanging of the first Christmas ornament!

Maggie LOVES the lights!

Me beside the tree....What a big girl! 3 years old and LOVES Christmas as much as her parents!

Thanksgiving and one from Halloween too!

2009-11-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful thanksgiving with all of the family! and one of joe dirt and carmen miranda from halloween!

Willow Winds

2009-11-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

If you are ever looking for a great mountain get-away Willow Winds in Asheville is the place! We have been 6 years in a row now and love every second we spend there. Here are a few pics from the weekend!

Look how shes grown

2009-11-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of Caroline when she was 3 months old. It was taken at the cabin we go to in Asheville. When we went last weekend we took another picture of her in the same chair sitting on her daddy's lap. Three years later...my how she has grown!

This pic warms my heart!

2009-11-25T10:08:00.000-08:00

This is Caroline with her best friend Uncle Mikey at her Thanksgiving program at preschool! This sweet pictures makes me smile!!!

Maggie laughing...this will make your day!

2009-10-27T14:53:00.001-07:00

New pics of my babies!

2009-10-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

This picture...

2009-10-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

-was taken of Maggie at 5 months old
-makes me smile b/c she is so darn sweet
-makes me want to have like 10 kids, which makes me smile again at the thought of Tony reading this...ha
-is so perfect b/c Maggie is always smiling
-makes me laugh b/c if you look real hard there is a lot of crap in the background...nice

Caroline's 3rd birthday

2009-10-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

Pics from Caroline's birthday weekend

2009-10-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad had a family party for Caroline before her birthday and then we went to the great wolf lodge for the weekend. What an incredible place! I just can not say enough about how much fun we had and how family oriented that place was. Wow! We will be going back soon! 80,000 sq. feet of waterpark which has just as much for adults to do as for kids. SERIOUS waterslides that are not kiddie at all... SOO much fun! I haven't had that much fun in years!

Happy 3rd Birthday to Princess Caroline!

2009-10-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

This precious child has made my life!! Happy Happy birthday my beautiful Princess! Big birthday weekend starting today!

Maggie's Baptism

2009-09-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

Maggie was Baptized on September 27th. It was a beautiful day and she did soooo well. She was just precious. The Pastor carried Maggie and the asst. Pastor walked Caroline around to meet the whole congregation. All of our dearest friends and family were there. It was a very special day. God bless our little Maggie.

Many new posts and pictures

2009-09-23T18:40:00.001-07:00

Many new posts...be sure to scroll down!

Incentive chart

2009-09-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Want your kid to do something? Use this idea! We used to have such a hard time getting Caroline to eat and obviously nap time was always a battle. So her Mommy came up with a little chart to help her along. Eat breakfast...get a star, eat lunch...get a star, Take a nap...get a star, eat dinner...get a star, use the potty all day with no accidents...get a star. 5 stars = a trip to the treasure box (which Tony loaded up with awesome toys). Let me just tell you that this system has worked for us...big time! Wish I would have done it sooner. So maybe my education and time as a teacher had some benefit in my new job of mommyhood! :)

It's EATIN' Time Baby!

2009-09-23T18:26:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my little Baby Maggie is already big enough to start eating solids. This is a pic of her first taste. We didn't get much down but she tried it.

We went to the dr. this week and she weighs 15 lb. and 14 oz. She has grown two inches and has gained three lbs in the last two months. Growing like a weed. She is still such a GREAT baby and I can't imagine our family without her!

Taking tailgating to the next level!

2009-09-23T18:19:00.001-07:00

We had a blast with our great friends Rebecca, Ryan, Morgan, and Bill!

Sleeping on the way home...big perk to having an RV!

The SET UP!

Tony loves this...NCSU football and driving "Da RB" - That's what Caroline calls it "Da RB" and it's our license plate...2 funny

Raising the girls right...to be wolfpackers!

We have taken tailgating to the next level in the motorhome lot this year. We have gone to every home game in the RV this year. Now this is my idea of tailgating! Bathroom, bed, air conditioning!

Precious Sisters

2009-09-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Caroline is such a great big sister. This is a video of them laughing together. I swear Maggie loves Caroline and knows who she is. Caroline can always get her to smile, coo, and laugh! Too sweet!

So girly! I love it!

2009-09-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Caroline got her nails done for the first time today! She loved it! Would you believe she talked and talked with the woman doing her nails about all kinds of stuff. Of course the lady could barely speak English...geez. Sometimes getting her to speak is like pulling teeth...ha! She picked bright purple nail polish...Precious.

Birthday, Baby, and more

2009-09-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

First day of 3 year old preschool

2009-09-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

My baby is growing up! This is Caroline in her new dress and new shoes...all ready for the new year. I don't know who was more excited, me or her! She had a great 1st day!

15 weeks old

2009-08-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Miss Maggie is now almost 15 weeks old. She is cooing and giggling and is just the most precious little baby! Everyone she meets just falls in love with her. She is playing with little toys now and tries to reach out for things. This is a pic of her in her baby einstein play station. She loves it.
As for me I am getting lots of sleep (unlike when Caroline was a baby)and am happy being at home with my precious little girls. Caroline starts preschool 3 days a week very soon which is great b/c her mommy is running out of things to do to keep her days busy and interesting. We've exhausted all of our 2 year old crafts, movies, and the pool. Her latest "favorite thing to do" is play mermaids. She has a few dolls and if you walk through our door, she will try to get you to play mermaids too. This week has been a tough one b/c I think I have a herniated disk and have had trouble walking, picking up Maggie, and moving in general. Not good. This is a reoccuring problem and is most inconvenient with having a newborn. A very very big thank you for Tony for all of the work he has done to help me and our children this week while I was unable to move. My parents and friends (Rebecca, Christina, and Megan) have also been a huge help to get me over this hurdle! Thanks everyone!

Wyndham FUN

2009-08-23T12:20:00.001-07:00

Let me just tell you...IT IS HARD TO DIET when there are so many parties and beer buckets around for allof the Wyndham festivities! Even though I have not stuck to my nurtrasystem diet for every meal..I have still ost 11-12 lbs in 4 weeks! Yeah! I just reordered so we will see if I can fit into my old clothes by my birthday! Cross your fingers..ha!
On another note, I just have to mention the party my parents had on Sat. night. What a BLAST! I actually thoughtI was winding down after the Bullocks and the Bucys great parties but the night turned into one of the most fun nights I've had in years. We had at least 60-75 people over...great mix of my friends, my parents friends, both of my brothers friends, and neighbors. I don't know how it happened but my parents kitchen turned into "da club". At one point there were at least 25 people in the kitchen dancing like it was their job (me, my parents, and brothers included) This went on for hours! I swear the best parties are the last minute, nothing fancy, dropby kind of nights. Great time had by all! Sure wish I had a pic to post...think my bro might have snapped some..i'll try to get my hands on them!

Now this is cute!

2009-08-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

This is how I define cuteness! Caroline - 2 years, 10 months Maggie - 12 weeks

Baby weight

2009-08-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

So it's now time to lose the extra 25 lbs that are left after Maggie's birth. I would normally not announce a diet on my blog but I'm doing nutrasystem (yes... you've seen it on tv with dan marino)...I'm doing it out of curiosity and in hopes that it works...so i'm trying it for a month as an experiment to see if it really works. I've always wondered so i'm giving it a shot. I recieved my month worth of food last Tuesday and have been pretty good for a week straight. I have had a couple glasses of wine during the week and had a piece of fish at bonefish on sat. night but other than that I've been eating out of my box of food for the month. Believe it or not, it hasn't been too bad so far. Looks a lot worse than it tastes. For me it's been better than measuring food and counting points. I really haven't had time or the energy to exercise much this week either... Lost 6 lbs my first week. I know that is probably a first week thing b/c I went from extreme eating and drinking to this diet (after my glutenous week at Ocean Isle. I will keep you posted...hope it works so i can wear my clothes this fall and put the moo-moo's away for awhile...ha.