The Penuel Family

Sweet Bass

2012-01-27T10:37:00.000-06:00

This is Bass, our sweet 8 year old yellow lab.

He had to have some surgery this week to remove a mast cell tumor. He is recovering GREAT and we are praying for good results from the biopsy. We have been loving on him lots! He had to wear a cone for a few days after the surgery. As sad as it is, it is also kind of funny.

And... Andrew has had quite a fun time playing with it!

Lunch with Daddy!!

2012-01-27T10:28:00.000-06:00

One of the reasons we chose the house we are living in here in Texas is because it is so close to Thad's office (6 miles!!). In Marietta he had a 35+ mile commute around 285 to Stone Mountain. Needless to say we never were able to just stop by his office for a visit... but now we can!! Last Monday, the kids were out of school so we got to go see Daddy's office and he took us out to lunch! Just another confirmation that we made the right choice for our family!

Exploring!

2012-01-17T09:21:00.000-06:00

While my mom and dad were still here Thad and I took a quick trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards to go to Billy Bob's Texas. It is the worlds largest honky tonk complete with an indoor rodeo! It was very exciting to watch, but really scary!

Thad is a BIG Willie Nelson fan and he was playing, so a trip was necessary (especially with babysitters here!) We have now seen Willie at a Country Club in Dublin, Ireland, at Red Rocks in Colorado, and at Billy Bob's... not to mention every time he was in Auburn!

We spent the day this past Saturday exploring our new town. There was a lot to be seen! Grapevine Lake is so close to us and there are hiking/biking trails and camping spots. I am sure there will be some overnight campouts in the near future!

It's a good thing we had AG and her map or we might still be lost!!

The kids had a chance to run around the football field at Flower Mound High School. They LOVED it! The stadium is huge and we are already getting pumped for the fall! I knew that football was big here, but I realized just how big when they kept announcing the score of the Greenbay/NY game over the loudspeaker at the grocery store!

We ended our day of exploration with some yummy Mexican food (we may all turn into tacos before too long so hurry up and come visit us!)

Texas Bound!

2012-01-12T10:35:00.000-06:00

Well... It has only been 19 months since my last blog post... better late than never! I figured that now is as good a time as any to get this thing back up and running again, especially since our family and friends are a few states away.

We've been here for almost 2 weeks now and things are going very well. Mom and Dad made the ride across Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and into Texas with us. Having them here for the first week was awesome! We were able to get so much stuff done around the house. I am pretty sure that if they had not been here we would be sitting on boxes all over this place, but instead, everything is unpacked, put away in it's place, hung on the wall, and ready for us to enjoy! I don't think they will every know how grateful we are for their help.

Thad is LOVING his job. It has been so awesome to have him home every night. Most nights he has been home by 5:15 (one day he was home at 3:45 and I almost had a heart attack because I was sure someone was breaking into our house!). The 6 mile commute is making for one happy daddy/husband! The work environment at this new job is so different (good different) than his old job and it really shows.

Will is enjoying his new school. He is such an adaptable kid which is a great gift. His mind does not stop though, which is exhausting (especially for those of us who are having to answer his 642 questions per day). He stayed up until midnight Monday night to watch Alabama win the National Championship. If you would like a play by play, just ask him...he will give it to you with crazy accuracy!

Annie Gray started at her new preschool yesterday and did great! She walked right in and wasn't going to look back... her teacher had to ask her to come and give me a goodbye kiss. This was such a relief... We were sure that she was going to have a very hard time with the changes. I guess this was just another proof that God's hand is covering us every step of the way!

Stinker pants is just that... a stinker pants. He is testing me constantly, which I love and drives me crazy at the same time As I type this, he is smooshing Fruit Loops into the carpet and proclaiming, "a MESS!!" I am pretty sure if he would sleep through the night things would be a lot easier! It is hard to believe that he will be 2 next month. The last blog entry is about his time in the hospital. Thankfully, God helps us to forget those moments that are so difficult while we are living them.

That is one thing that comforts me during this move. God's conformations have been amazing and with us every step of the way. As much as we will (and already do) miss our friends and family, we know that His plan is much greater than ours and that the things He has in store for us here are beyond our wildest dreams! Thank you, to all of you who have encouraged us and prayed for us along the way (keep 'em coming!)

Now... my goal is to keep this blog updated in 2012 (and I don't mean just this once), but I need your help, encouragement and reminders!!

2010-05-15T08:38:00.002-05:00

The first few weeks of Andrew's sweet life were a bit hectic! We came home from the hospital on Friday and Thad had to take Will and Annie Gray to the doctor... they both had pink eye. I had to take Andrew to the pediatrician Monday and Wednesday for weight and billy rubin checks (all ok). Then Friday, after a week of being up multiple times during the night with the baby, I was back at the pediatrician with Annie Gray, then a quick visit to the hospital for x-rays... pneumonia. She went and stayed with GiGi and GaGa so that the baby wouldn't get sick... well that didn't work as planned. Andrew started coughing and I was at the pediatrician's office with him on Wednesday. His blood oxygen levels were low (80%s)so they sent me to the Scottish Rite emergency room. Thank God my mom and dad were with me! I had to call Thad in Florida to have him come home. It was very scary having this precious 2 week old in the ER. After a few hours of x-rays, tests and observation they sent us home and said he had a cold. When Dr. Colon called that evening to check on him, she was not very happy. Needless to say, I was back at her office on Friday. He had a low fever and was coughing to the point that he was turning purple and having a hard time catching his breath and his blood oxygen was very low again (this time it was in the 70%s). This time she sent me to Kennestone ER since she knew that Aunt Manny worked there. They treated him so wonderfully. He had to have blood drawn, more x-rays, urine samples and a spinal. After 5 hours they determined that he had RSV and sent us (by ambulance) back to Scottish Rite. My sweet baby was on oxygen for 6 days. They did breathing treatments and suctioned him out a couple of times every day. Thanks to the power of Facebook we had lots of dear people praying for him. In God's time Andrew improved and was able to go through the night with out needing oxygen to keep his blood oxygen level in the 90s. It was so comforting and encouraging knowing how many people were praying for his healing. He is doing wonderfully now!! He never even needed to have breathing treatments outside of the hospital. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

At home before the sickness set in!

It was so hard (physically and emotionally) to hold him with the IV, oxygen tubes, and monitors. All I could do was just hold his sweet body and pray.

I stayed at the hospital with him every night. My parents were a huge help with Will and Annie Gray. They would come and see Andrew in the morning and then go get the kids so that Thad could spend time in the hospital with Andrew and me. Thad's mom came over and helped with the kids later in the week also. It is such a blessing to have such amazing family and friends that live so close.

Andrew Thomas Penuel

2010-05-15T07:03:00.003-05:00

Born February 23, 2010 weighing 7 pounds 5 1/2 ounces and 18 inches long.

Very proud big brother and big sister!!

California!

2010-03-07T10:52:00.006-06:00

Before the baby arrived, Thad and I went to California for a week. Our main reason for going was for the National Championship game (I know... Thad is an Auburn grad, but an Alabama fan.) We spent the first few days in Hollywood doing tourist things: a tour of the stars homes (looking through the pictures, I have lots of pictures of beautiful homes, but can't remember who's is who's- I guess that is what you get for going at 32 weeks pregnant! Mush brain!), burgers at In 'N Out, walking down Hollywood Blvd., hot dogs at Pinks (after an hour long wait in line), and just enjoyng being together.

Thad said that this was a sign that Alabama was going to win!! I guess he was right!

Thad with Alabama's star- pretty fitting!

Mid week we took the 2 hour drive to Joshua Tree National Park and met Thad's Aunt and Uncle. It was well worth the drive! An amazing park! The Joshua Trees are so cool and "Seussical". They only grow in this part of the world- it is really an awesome park and not nearly as many people as many other National Parks.

Enjoyng a fire with Tom and Gail at the awesome place where we stayed- Spin and Margie's Desert Hide Away- very secluded and decorated with a fun, eclectic feel!

Back in LA we made a visit to the Getty Museum. Very cool, but a lot of walking for a pregnant girl!! :)

One of Thad's "famous" nature shots!

The boys (Thad and Tom) went to the football game and Gail and I opted for a visit to the spa and watching the game from the comfort of our Bed and Breakfast!! (No pictures of the game... our camera was too bulky to take, but they won!)

On the Santa Monica Pier the day after the game. It was a lot of fun to see all of the Southerners walking around sporting their Alabama and Texas shirts. Sadly, I even caught myself telling a few people "Roll Tide"- It did go against everything I believe, but I got caught up in the spirit of it all!! :)

Putting our feet in the Pacific!! Notice the belly (like you can miss it!!)

Enjoying the sunset in Malibu.

It was in the high 60s the whole time we were there and it was in the teens and snowing at home!! A great way to spend a winter week!!

We really had an amazing trip! Thank you, Tom and Gail for EVERYTHING!!! Thanks also, to Grandmomma, Granddaddy, Gigi and Gaga for watching Will and Annie Gray so that we could go on our trip!

Christmas

2010-03-07T10:08:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas time- celebrating the birth of Jesus and being with family and friends. It is always a busy, special time of year.

Nona, Mommy, and GiGi took Annie Gray to see Cinderella at the Strand. It was a great way to spend some time together and she LOVED it!!

Will singing with the Joy Choir at Church.

A visit with Santa... AG was not so happy!

Family Shot!!

AG enjoying Will's new bike!

Our big boy hittin' the road!!

But Daddy's not too far away!

A new addition to our family- Neon the Sock Monkey!

Thanksgiving

2010-03-07T09:53:00.004-06:00

I know... I am so behind, I've been a little busy!! :) So...I am just going to post some pictures form the big events from the past few months!

We spent Thanksgiving up at Laurelwood (my parents cabin in North Georgia) with family and our great frineds the Esteps. We had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful weather and each other. We played on the playground, the boys went on a hike and we tested the water in the new hot tub!

Papa, Miller, GaGa and Will

Daddy Kev, Miller, Daddy Thad and Will

The "Big" Boys on their hike

All the Munchkins: AG, Will, Miller and Hayes

Calling the horses

Posing in our Christmas PJs

Hot Tub Time

Loving on one another! Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall

2009-11-18T19:43:00.003-06:00

Here are few pics of the kids playing in the leaves. They had the best time just throwing them in the air and rolling around. The fall is my most favorite time of year! The cooler weather, the leaves changing colors and falling to the ground, football, Thanksgiving, friends and family. Thank you, Lord for this beautiful time of year!

Halloween 09

2009-11-04T15:58:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!!

BOOO!!

Luke Skywalker, Snow White and Elle the Mermaid

Raggedy Annie Gray

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-03T16:46:00.000-06:00

We spent the weekend up in North Georgia at mom and dad's house. On the way up we went to Burt's Pumpkin Patch. Lot's of fun and Aunt Manny took some great pictures!

We also got to test out the new hot tub!

Fishing Rodeo

2009-11-02T19:20:00.005-06:00

We took a family (minus Kate) trip to Destin a few weeks ago. Destin in October is unbelieveable! It is nice and cool, but warm enough to enjoy the beach. October is the Fishing Rodeo in Destin. We went to the harbor a few times and watched the boats come in and weigh their fish. We had a great time and the kids really enjoyed it. Here are a few pics! We missed you Kate!

It's a...

2009-10-02T14:48:00.002-05:00

BOY!!! We had our ultrasound today and baby #3 is a boy! Thad and I watched Will and Annie Gray's ultrasound last night, so we are pretty much experts on how to tell if it is a boy or a girl and we both saw it before the tech said anything. He looks healthy and we are right on track! We are so excited! Will and Annie Gray went with us so that we were all together to hear the good news. Will's reaction was the best! When she said, "You are going to have a little brother!" Will said, "YES!!! This is going to be so much fun!!" We were laughing so hard (I was crying too, but that is expected!). Annie Gray will be the official queen bee!

On another note... one of Will's funny thoughts for the week... In the car today he said, "God protects us. He always protects us from things. You know, like pandas and bunnies. Pandas and bunnies scare me and God protects me from them." Silly monkey!

Baby #3

2009-09-28T21:11:00.002-05:00

Thad and I are really excited (and a little scared) about the arrival of baby #3. We find out the sex of the baby this Friday. I don't really have any kind of feeling of whether it is a boy or a girl. I guess that since we have one of each I haven't had any dreams or wishes for either a boy or a girl. I was very lucky during my pregnancies with both Will and Annie Gray. Just the usual back aches and indigestion. I have had some pretty serious, recurring headaches this go round. This past Saturday I had a pretty bad headache and Will asked me what was wrong. I told him that my head was hurting again and that I was just ready for it to stop hurting. He looked at me, with those big, sweet blue eyes and said, "Mommy, I will pray that your head feels better." And he folded his hands, bowed his head and said, "Dear God, Please make mommy's head stop hurting. Amen." Of course, I started crying and just hugged his sweet, little body. It made me so happy and proud.
Weigh in on what you think the baby is and look for an update next weekend!!

Will and AG's Birthday Party

2009-08-27T19:47:00.005-05:00

Since Will and Annie Gray both have August birthdays I am going to do their birthdays together for as long as possible! We had a pool party with friends and family. Will became a little fish this summer and AG thought she was one! She has no fear at the pool at all! She jumps off of the side with or without floaties and does it over and over again. I think that everyone had a nice time... I know Will and Annie Gray did! Thad and I had been keeping a pretty big secret for a couple of weeks and were able to share it at the birthday party. Annie Gray opened a present and in it was a t-shirt that said "Big Sister". It was so fun to be able to tell our family and friends that we were expecting baby #3 at the kids party. Here is Sisty with her Big Sister shirt on!

Happy Bithday Will!

2009-08-26T19:41:00.004-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL!!!

My sweet baby boy is 4!! He had a wonderful birthday! We had a few friends over for a "Happy Meal Party" (aka: bring your own lunch! :) cupcakes and ice cream. We had a great time and enjoyed our friends. I made him spaghetti (his favorite) for dinner and Gaga came over to eat with us. He got his first set of Lego's for his birthday and has played with them everyday since!

Will is such a sweet boy who has some serious passion... he loves his Cars cars, he loves watching movies (he will watch the same one over and over again- most recently Madagascar, and will quote it all day long! ), he loves to swim and has made HUGE improvements this summer, he loves his friends and gets so excited when we talk about them and get to see them, he loves his sister- although she bothers him most of the time, he loves his daddy and misses him desperately while he travels.

He makes his mommy and daddy so proud everyday. I love when he hugs me and whispers in my ear that he loves me. I love to hear him say his prayers and thank God for things like his "mommy, daddy and sisty, soccer balls, and the whole world." He seems genuinely excited that there is going to be another baby at our house (that may change at any moment, but for now he is excited!). He still says the funniest things (I just can't remember them or remember to write them down) and is always making us laugh. It is so amazing that 4 years have gone by and so scary to think that in 4 more years he will be in 2nd grade!!

We love you so much Will! Mommy and Daddy thank God for you everyday and pray that you will continue to grow into a smart, strong, faithful man. Happy Birthday, Willie Bean!

Celebrating Mandy's 30th in HHI

2009-08-25T19:27:00.003-05:00

Katie and I attempted to surprise Mandy by a girl's weekend in Hilton Head. We got our wires crossed a few times and she ended up figuring it out, so the surprise was not so surprising, but we did manage to keep the weekends activities a secret! Mandy and I arrived on Friday night to Kate fixing boiled shrimp, homemade guacamole and Thomas salad (if you have never had it, look in GA on my Menu... our Godmother's recipe! Yumm!). We enjoyed dinner with Kate's sweet roommate Jean and then played a great game called Times Up! We woke up bright and early Saturday and headed to the Hilton for massages and mimosas. What a great way to relax! Then we did what girl's are suppose to do on a girl's weekend... SHOPPING! After massages, shopping and naps we headed to dinner at a great place on the water. Crab cakes, shrimp and grits and salmon... more yum! Sunday morning we went to Kate's favorite brunch place, Sunrise, and enjoyed mimosas, bloody mary's and some delicious breakfast! Then we headed to the beach. It was so weird to spend 5 hours on the beach without kids! I read a magazine and just relaxed- no sandcastle building or fetching water... crazy! I think that Mandy had a nice weekend. It was so fun to be able to spend such quality time with my sisters. I love them both so much and miss having them near (although Mandy has just moved back to Marietta and I am so excited to have her back home!!)

Hiking

2009-08-24T19:42:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures of us taking the kids hiking at Soap Creek (right around the corner from our house.) We don't take advantage of the great things that are right here as often as we should. The kids had a great time and Will actually hiked the whole time. At one point he did say, "This is not so much fun anymore." But we were so proud of him and he did have a fun time!

Sisty was on one of our hips or shoulders almost the whole time!

Daddy and his mini-hikers

Will's walking stick that he stole from AG

AG and her walking stick... soon to be stolen!

We got INTERNET!!!

2009-08-23T20:23:00.002-05:00

Sorry there have been no updates lately... Very busy and Thad has been traveling alot! My goal this week (since we now have internet at home!!) is to update once a night. To come:

Hiking with the kids
Mandy's 30th in HHI
Will turning 4
Will and Annie Gray's Birthday Party
The Naked Chef
Back to school
Annie Gray turning 2

Welcome Cousin Mikah!

2009-07-18T15:34:00.003-05:00

Thad's sister Rebekah had her baby this past week! Here are a few pictures of baby Mikah!

Will and Annie Gray can't wait to play with you and teach you everything they know! Welcome to the world Cousin Mikah!! Love, Uncle Thad and Aunt Alli

The Beach- Week 2

2009-07-18T14:46:00.007-05:00

Week 2 at the beach was wonderful! We got to enjoy some time with my Mom, my Nana, Aunt Lollie, Cousin Steph and baby Isabella. Will and Annie Gray loved playing with Izzie. Everytime she was out of Annie Gray's sight AG would put her hands up and say, "'Ere baby? 'Ere baby? " The word "vacation" is not quite the same as it used to be. I used to love to go on vacation and read a book a day, open a beer whenever I wanted, take a nap whenever I wanted... pretty much do whatever I wanted (or didn't want) to do. With an almost 4 year old and an almost 2 year old, you just can't do whatever you want! A friend of mine said that it is no longer called a vacation, but just a change of scenery. Although the change of scenery was beautiful and wonderful, I was exhausted when we got home! Here are some more pictures taken in Destin and at the cottage:

Harry T's has reopened in Destin! It was always one of my favorite places to eat, so we had to get the kiddos their famous T-shirts!

Daddy and Will in their matching outfits! Cute!

Sisty in the sand...

Izzie playing peek-a-boo with her Lollie.

AG destroying someone's castle!

Izzie enjoying a graham cracker and a little sand.

Steph and Isabella

AG with her Gigi and her mommy.

Aunt Lollie teaching Sisty how to eat corn on the cob!

Now she is an expert!!

The Beach- Week 1

2009-07-12T13:56:00.005-05:00

I have been blessed, my whole life, with a wonderful house at the beach. My Nana owns the house and it has been in our family for 50 years. Will and Annie Gray are the 5th generation to make memories at The Cottage. We love coming down here and playing on the beach, sitting on the porch, eating great seafood, laughing and enjoying one another. We came down last week with our friends the Kelley's and the Pace's. We had a great time and were so happy to be able to share our vacation time with such fun friends. It is so neat to watch our kids make new memories down here with their friends... So many of my childhood memories are from Destin and The Cottage. Here are some pictures from week 1 at the beach... Nana, Aunt Laurie, Steph and Izzie are on their way!! More pictures to come!

Sisty and her Ocotodog!

Hiding

Running down the boardwalk
A pretty decent family picture!

Sweet Reagan Kelley

Travis, Reagan and Lauren

The Kelley Girls

Will making one of many sand castles

AG getting used to the sand.

Lauren and her Superstar glasses!

4th of July

2009-07-10T10:56:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures of us at the 4th of July parade and at the fireworks (of course they are not in the correct order and I can't move them around...). We had a great day with friends and were so happy to celebrate our freedom and honor all of the men and women who have fought (and continue to fight) for our United States of America! God Bless this wonderful country!!

2009-06-10T22:03:00.002-05:00

I was playing around with Photobucket and found a fun site, Scrapblog, where you can do some easy "virtual" scrapbooking. You have to pay for many of the theme packets, but some of the designs are free. I used a few of the free ones and re-did my header (after A LOT of trial and error) and just played around with it for a while. It is so much fun! I made this one for Sisty! Check it out and let me know what you think!

Field Trip

2009-06-04T06:39:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we took a little "field trip" from Hilton Head over to Harbor Island to visit Garrett, Missy, David, Livie and their Annie, Nannie and Aunt Lindy. It is fun to play on the beach with your brother or sister, but it is LOTS of fun to play with friends!! They chased each other, played baseball and golf, built castles and wore each other out!

Aunt Kate and Aunt Missy found a sand dollar. Always looking for a good opportunity to learn something new! It only held our interest for a few minutes because Will really needed the bucket it was in!!

After we got all cleaned up we went in for lunch and David and Livie's Annie had made a very special beach lunch: Octo-dogs! It was so cute and the kids loved them! She took a hot dog and cut it so that it had eight little tentacles and spread it out on a pile of mac n cheese. So cute and clever!! Thanks Annie!!

We tried to get a shot of Garrett and I with all of our munchkins, but it was not very successful!!

Thanks so much for letting us come and visit for a few hours! We had a blast and it was so much fun to be able to spend time with you all! Some of my favorite memories as a kid were spent at the beach with Garrett... I hope that Will and Annie Gray will be able to cherish these new memories made with David and Livie!

Visiting Aunt Kate

2009-06-02T21:05:00.005-05:00

We have been in Hilton Head visiting my sister Kate. We have had lots of fun times and new adventures!

Annie Gray was not so sure about the sand at first but is now a professional sand "drip" castle builder!

We got to spend some time with Teddy (the little boy who Kate nannies) and he and Will got along great!

We are all sleeping in Kate's room... close quarters!

The biggest and best adventure so far was the 7 foot long ALLIGATOR who crossed the street right in front of my car!!! I know there are alot of them here and I actually asked Kate earlier today if she seems them often. She said she does see them in ponds sometimes. Kate has lived here for 4 years and this was the closest she has been to one!! We did get a few pictures of the big guy!!

DC

2009-05-27T19:06:00.005-05:00

Thad and I got to spend Memorial Day weekend in Washington, DC with my sister Mandy. She has been living there for a few months as a nurse. We had a GREAT time!! We crammed in so much in 4 days! The highlights: Smithsonian American History, Natural History, and Air & Space (we were there the same time as Tom, Katie and Suri), the Newseum (wonderful!!!), the Spy Museum (fun... a little cheesy), a Nationals game (they lost in the 12th), an Orioles game (they won in the rain), lots of food and lots of drinks!!! I was so proud of Mandy! She got us around that city like a pro! We could not have done half the stuff we did without her help! I know that she is 29 years old, but she is still my baby sister, and I am so proud of her!

Enjoying the Nats game.

In the 10th inning and after quite a few beers...

I am pretty sure we were the first people to take a picture like this! :)

My anniversary gift... ;)

Monuments by Moonlight

Had to go see my favorite cake bakers!

Camden Yards

Thanks Mandy!! We love you and had a Wonderful time!!

Last days of school and soccer

2009-05-27T18:41:00.005-05:00

Schools Out!! Here are a few pictures of Will's last few days at school and his end of the season soccer picnic!

Will with his two best buddies: Katherine and Hailey

Will and Ms. Crowe! He had a wonderful year with her!

Will and Mrs. Harding! His best buddy!
PIZZA!

Chores

2009-05-11T19:36:00.004-05:00

Will has been doing a great job on his chores. When he wants to, he really can be a big help! He does little things around the house like folding wash cloths, emptying the trash cans, taking the recycling to the bin, taking his plate to the sink after meals, watering the flowers, and using the mini vacuum cleaner! Thad and I are praying that he will be a responsible young man. It is never too early to start training him to be so.

Annie Gray even helps around the house too!

Gone Fishing

2009-05-04T20:13:00.005-05:00

Thad and Will went fishing on Saturday at Anderson Farm with lots of other Daddies and kids from our church. Will didn't catch anything, but loved watching some of the other kids catch them. He insisted on changing the bobber ever time he threw it out. He also kept all of the bobbers in his hat! He looked so cute in his fishing overalls! I am so glad that Will and Thad are able to have special time together to do "boy" things.

What am I gonna do??

2009-04-20T21:26:00.002-05:00

Annie Gray is ROTTEN!! I love this little girl with all my heart, but she is BAD! She hits her brother and messes up his toys. She walks up to the refrigerator and starts throwing the ABC magnets all over the kitchen. She secretly puts her food in her seat so it looks like she has eaten everything. Now, don't get me wrong... she is not like this all of the time. She can be so sweet and loving, but, when she is bad... she is BAD!

Today, as I was signing her in at Mother's Morning Out, she was standing next to me holding her bag on her shoulder (she will yell BAG until I let her carry it). I exchanged a few words with Miss Amy, the sweet girl who works at MMO, and then turned to pick AG up and take her to her room. She was not standing there anymore. I looked in the hall... not in the hall. I looked in the first classroom... not there. I ran down the hall... not in her classroom. I ran back to the office. By this time Miss Amy was up and looking for her too. Not in the gathering space, not down the pre-school hall. Now more teachers are looking for her. She is no where to be found. There was probably only 60-90 seconds that have passed, but it feels like forever! I keep saying to myself, "We are at church... she is safe." I ran back up to the office and saw the elevator (right next to the MMO office). Miss Amy pressed the button to check it out while I go back down the pre-school hallway to check the bathrooms again... still not there. I ran back up to the office and Miss Amy is holding her! She was in the basement of the church!! That little booger pressed the button on the elevator, got on it, pressed the button inside the elevator, rode it down and got out!! And it is DARK in the basement!! Now you all know why I put her in the squeaky shoes!! What am I going to do with this munchkin?!?!

Will's Words- Vol.6

2009-04-04T07:09:00.004-05:00

"Sometimes Daddy goes to the gym after work so that he can make his body nice and shiny and clean."

To Annie Gray after she tackled him: "Dude, you are freakin' me out!"

Will: "Mommy, where is the Easter Bunny?" Me: "Well, since bunnies live in holes I guess he is in his hole somewhere." Will: "No. I think he is at his house making those eggs so he can sell them."

While sitting at LaParilla he busts out with, "That's the power of OxyClean!"

Thad and I were sitting on the couch looking on the computer at pictures of a house that is for sale. Will scoots up next to Thad and looks at the pictures. He says of the dining room, "Those curtains will work." Maybe I should lay off on the HGTV!!

Will is a thumbsucker. I asked him one day why he sucked it. "Because it is tasty." Me: "What does it taste like?" Will: "Cookies! Girl Scout Cookies!!"

At breakfast one morning he ate half of his bowl of cereal and pushed it away and said he was finished. I said, "But you didn't eat it all." Will: "The rest is for God. He is inside me." And then he ate the rest! :)

Will's first soccer game

2009-03-22T21:08:00.005-05:00

Will and "Coach"

Will started soccer this weekend! He did a great job with the drills and practice but wasn't very excited about playing in the mini-games. He kept trying to get his daddy (Coach) to leave during the games. He kept saying that he was done and Thad tried to explain that they couldn't leave because he was the coach. Will said that there were other coaches there and it was okay for them to leave! I kind of thought that he might be the one who is more interested in picking weeds and looking up at the airplanes flying by than actually playing. Hopefully he will start to enjoy it more! He might not have liked playing, but he sure looked cute!!

Annie Gray- 18 months

2009-03-14T09:00:00.005-05:00

SUPER STAR!!

Our sweet baby girl is 18 months old! She is getting so big and is finally starting to talk!! She had her check up yesterday and apparently she is going to be tall, skinny and smart! :) She weighs 23 lbs 3.5oz (25%) , is 32 inches high (50%) and her head is 18 3/4 inches round (75%). Lots of brains in that big head!! She loves playing cars with Will and will drive them around and around the coffee table. She copies everything that he does! She loves her big brother!! She also loves to play with her baby dolls. She rocks them, loves them and feeds them bottles. She loves to dance! Her favorite part of the day is when daddy gets home and she and Will get in the car with him and listen to Led Zeppelin. She is a true rock star!! Since we had a few days of warm weather we have been playing outside and she is all about digging in the dirt! She will eat it too if I don't catch her first!! Some of the words that she is saying are: juice, thank you, doggie, car, Elmo, ball, no, yea, please, teeth, nose, mouth, ears, cheers (she holds up her sippy cup and likes to do cheers... never too early to practice that!!), Mommy, Daddy, Gigi, Gaga, Nona, and Will (when she says it there are about 5 syllables). She loves her blankie- "Gankie". We can't leave home without it and it is very difficult to get it away from her so that it can get clean!! Her hair is getting longer and the warmer it is outside, the curlier it is! She can even wear piggy tails!! She makes us laugh everyday! We love you Sisty!!

Kennesaw Mountain

2009-03-08T19:20:00.004-05:00

We spent this beautiful Sunday at Kennesaw Mountain with our good friends the LaSota's. Will and Elle are the same age and so are Annie Gray and Matthew. They really seem to love playing with one another (and the mommies and daddies enjoy each others company, too!) Will and Elle hiked up the mountain with Thad and Steve. Elle did a great job and actually hiked the whole thing! Will, on the other hand, had daddy carry him quite a bit! Jennifer and I took to the road with the little ones in their strollers. If you had passed us on the road, you might have thought it was 110 degrees and we were climbing Everest!! It was tough pushing those munchkins up the hill... especially since the exercise has been non-existent lately! I absolutely love living in the south, but I wish that Spring and Fall lasted a little longer. These days of being outside and enjoying the beauty of God's creation are priceless. I hope that there are more of these days to come!!

Elle, Will, AG and Matthew taking a rest.

The Daddy's and the big kids at the top!!

Will strengthening his mountaineering skills.

Annie Gray and Matthew holding hands during the stroll... no wonder it was so hard to make it up that mountain!!

Attempting a family shot... can you find Will?

AG chasing Matthew so that she can share her water with him!

Will and Elle holding hands! Fun friends!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T16:29:00.006-06:00

I haven't had much computer time lately to do any blogging, so sorry to you guys who check it often (Missy and Margaret)! Everything is going well here at the Penuel house and we are enjoying 2009 so far! We had a busy weekend last week.... Thad's 15 year reunion, Jessica and Dusty's wedding and a room "makeover" for Nona (Thad's mom). We were exhausted, but had a great time! (Partied like we were 21 until 2:00 in the morning!!)

Here we are at the wedding (it was beautiful and in such a neat place!)

The kids are growing like crazy! We really enjoyed the beautiful weather last week and spent alot of time outside. Will, Annie Gray and I went on a picnic on Monday and played at the park. Here are a few pictures:

Here is a new video of Annie Gray- Our future Rock Star! Not too many rockers who sport smocked clothing!! :) (Thanks to Aunt Mandy and Aunt Kate for the new Flip video recorder!! So fun!!)

We have had a nice, semi-peaceful Valentine's day... just a few screaming kiddos!! They both send their love! They love you THIS much!!!

Grandaddy Penuel

2009-01-22T21:21:00.003-06:00

Thad's sweet Grandaddy, Lloyd Penuel, passed away last week. He was a wonderful man. I am so glad that I got to know him and have him in my life for the past 8 years. He was almost 90 years old. He and Grandmomma have been married for almost 65 years. He had 7 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. He was an incredible role model for Thad... an amazing father and grandfather, a wonderful husband, and a faithful Christian. He touched many lives and will truly be missed.

Will got to spend some time with Grandaddy over the past few years... I pray that he will remember his time with him.

Vent

2009-01-12T20:02:00.002-06:00

I just want to vent a little bit about some people's parenting skills. Not any of my friends or even anyone that I kind of know, but the people at the mall. First of all, is it necessary to have your child on a leash? I mean, my kids are NOT perfect!! But, if they don't stay in the stroller or they start to act up, I leave or I take them aside and have a firm word with them, maybe even a spanking if necessary. I don't put them on a leash like a dog!!
Second of all, who do they think they are?!?! As I was walking through the dreaded Town Center Mall the other day, I saw a little girl (3ish) standing, yes standing, on the coffee table in one of the little seating areas (you know, where the old men sit and wait on their wives). She was singing, very loudly, "Bringing home a baby bumblebee". Not only did her mom not tell her to get off of the mall coffee table, she was sitting in a chair in front of her coaching her, like she was a contestant in the Little Miss Town Center pageant! I was shocked! I mean save the coaching for home!! Be a parent! Take her off of the mall coffee table and spank her fanny!! Don't encourage it!
I think I am done now!
By the way, I don't claim to be a perfect parent, but I do try to make good decisions!

A good season

2009-01-04T20:18:00.005-06:00

Most of you know that Thad and I met at Auburn, but you might not know that he is a big Bama fan. Well since Auburn didn't have much of a season this year I have to admit that I did a little pulling for Alabama there towards the end. I guess our kids are going to be pretty confused on down the road. Will likes to wear his Alabama jersey and his Auburn hat on game day... and don't forget the Cheez-its. Thad was upset when Bama lost in the SEC Championship game but said that the loss saved us lots of money (I guess we would be in Miami right now if they had won!) We let Will stay up for a little while to watch the first part of the Sugar Bowl. After the first quarter, when the score was 21-0, Will started patting Thad on the back and he said, "Those are the Alabama players Daddy, but this isn't Alabama football." I think that about summed it up for Thad. Oh well! It was a pretty good season!

Tis the Season...

2008-12-23T12:18:00.009-06:00

For visiting Santa...

For attempting to get the PERFECT Christmas card picture...

Not there yet...

Not yet...

Everyone is looking... no one is crying...
PERFECT!

For putting the Angel up on top!

For making goodies for your classmates...

And celebrating and singing with them...

For Celebrating the birth of Christ with friends...

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Thank you for all of our many blessings!

May God Bless you all at this special time and through out the new year!

So Sweet...

2008-12-14T18:49:00.002-06:00

My little boy has learned how to write his name. I am so proud of him! He practices on his drawing board all of the time. While Thad and Colleen and I were having our Christmas dinner tonight he brought his board to the table and showed it to us. There was his sweet name and a little round blob. He said, "This is my name and this is my heart that is in my tummy that has God in it." We all got a little teary eyed... so sweet!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-09T20:22:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in North Georgia with family and our wonderful friends the Esteps. We have been spending Thanksgiving with them since I was in elementary school and it has been so fun to see our families grow up and increase in number! It was a little tough to see Auburn lose to Alabama for only the second time since Thad and I have been together, but he was happy! Dad planned a scavenger hunt for us around Helen and we had a ball! It is amazing how many pretend animals and mullets you can spot in downtown Helen!! Here are a few pictures of our fun week in the mountains!

Annie Gray in her rocking chair

Papa and Miller

Sweet Miller

Silly Willy
Will and AG playing dominos!

Will's Words- Vol.5

2008-12-01T20:01:00.003-06:00

It has been a while and there are lots of funnies! Sorry if some are a little gross, but remember, he is a three year old boy!

-While driving around listening to his Bible songs CD I was in the front seat singing along. From the back seat Will says, "Mommy, mommy! Stop! Let's let them sing, not you!" Stinker!

- I walked into the bathroom and realized that he had tee-teed in the potty, on the floor and into the trash can. I told Thad that he needed to have a word with Will about using the potty. While Thad was talking to him in the bathroom he said, "We have to use the bathroom in the potty, not on the floor or in the trash can. This is not funny." Will's response: "Daddy, it's a little funny."

-Over Thanksgiving Aunt Manny was talking to Will. She asked him where the Pilgrims came from and he said England. Then she asked him where they landed. He looked at her and said, "New Jersey."

- I was putting him to bed the other night and he was (like all kids) picking his nose. I told him that he needed to stop. He looked at me a smiled so big, "OK, but when you leave I will!" :)

- Once again... in the car... he starts freaking out.

W: "Mommy! There is a problem! There is a problem with my peepee!"

A: "Buddy what is it?"

W: "My peepee! It's lining up!"

Not really sure who to handle this, and assuming that "lining up" means that he has gotten an erection, I say,

A: "I think that sometimes that happens when you are a little boy. I don't know how to help you."

W: "I'm just going to wiggle it around a little bit, OK."

And so it begins...

2008-11-16T19:48:00.006-06:00

Just a few pictures of what has been going on at our house. We had a few days of runny noses and fevers and a few more with lots of coughing. We are all feeling better now and looking forward to Thanksgiving. (I have been having a hard time getting pictures to match the descriptions, but you get the idea!)

A family shot in front of my parents famous spider web (well it is famous in their neighborhood).

Annie Gray will finally sit still to listen to a book. Will loves 'reading' to her.

We got this box after a visit to Costco and it was hours of fun! Will would push AG and then she would try to push him. They laughed and laughed!

Annie Gray has learned that when the camera is out that she needs to stop and say cheese! She won't say momma yet, but is good at cheese!

A little art time! Will's new favorite thing to do is paint and AG loves to color (and chew on the crayons!) It is a fun activity to do so that I can get dinner started or unload the dishwasher!

Raking the leaves... not a fun task, but they made it much more fun! Will would run into the pile and yell "Cannon Ball!" It is amazing what kids do without being prompted. Our arms hurt after bagging those 12 bags of leaves, but we sure did laugh!

Sweet baby girl 'cheesing' in the bathtub! She is so sweet and fun and is getting so much of a personality!

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-03T21:10:00.002-06:00

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell!

Mountain Fun

2008-10-26T18:40:00.007-05:00

We had a little scare Thursday night... Will pulled a scrap piece of our new countertops down onto his foot. It landed on his big toe and there was a lot of blood! He was so brave! We took him to the Emergency Room (the ER is a whole new blog that I won't get into... some people think that universal healthcare is a good idea!!! UGHH!!) After a 2 hour wait and a few X-rays we got to see a doctor. Will was laying in that big hospital bed and kept yelling, "Hey! What's the big idea?" We really were so proud of him- he is one tough boy! To our surprise-no stitches! (Thad was a little disappointed- he was kind of looking forward to Will's first stitches!) It took most of the nail off of his toe and a big chunk of skin. He has been hobbling around but it looks much better! Great Job Will!!

After all of the toe excitement we headed to North Georgia... What a fun time we had in the mountains! We spent the weekend with Gigi and Gaga and the Kilgo's. After the rain on Friday rolled through it was absolutely beautiful. The leaves were at their peak and the temperature was perfect! On Saturday, Will, Daddy, Gaga, Matt, and Patrick played in the creek, threw rocks and went to visit the waterfall. We ate (A LOT), drank and were merry! We even moved the TV outside to watch the UGA/LSU and UA/TN games (Thad was a happy man after another Alabama win!). We all went on a little nature walk on Sunday and looked at all of the beautiful leaves. We are so lucky to have a place to visit in such a beautiful setting that is only an hour and a half away! Thanks Gigi and Gaga!

The boys playing in the creek.

Pigging out on hot boil'd peanuts! Yumm!

Nature Walk

Sweet kiddos!

The sweet boys watching Cars.

Fun day with Will

2008-10-20T19:11:00.008-05:00

Will and I got to spend the day together yesterday. Thad and Annie Gray were not feeling well, so Will and I left them at home and went out for a day of fun! We went to church together which was so special. We are usually rushing to get to Sunday School on time, but yesterday we were a little early. He held my hand the whole way from the parking lot to his classroom. This never happens! He is always so silly and busy and doesn't seem to have time for mommy anymore. It made my heart smile walking hand-in-hand with him.

Later in the day we went to the first of 2 birthday parties! Will's sweet friend Elizabeth Matthews was turning 3 and she had a pony party! Will was so excited that he got to dress up like a cowboy for the party (complete with Sheriff badge and lasso!) There were bunnies for the kids to feed and pet and two ponies to take rides on! I was afraid that he would not want to ride, but he had no problem and hopped right on the pony. He even fell off of one of them after it bucked and he told me he didn't want to ride that one anymore, but that he wanted to ride the other one. Susan did a great job of organizing a fun party for Elizabeth- Thank you! We had a great time!

After Elizabeth's party we headed across town to Lewis Park for Elle LaSota's 4th birthday party. Jennifer also did a great job of making a special Fall Festival birthday party. There was bobbing for apples, wagon rides, cupcakes and popcorn. The kids were dressed up in their Halloween costumes and were precious! Matthew was the cutest shark I have ever seen and Elle's costume was a beautiful mermaid (I can't imagine who made it! :) We had a great time playing on the playground and meeting new friends. I am so glad that I have reconnected with these two special women (Susan Haverly Matthews and Jennifer Park LaSota) and I look forward to our kids sharing many more memories together.

After birthday partying we headed downtown to Clyde's house for dinner. Aunt Kate was in town and it was a great time to spend with her, Clyde and my parents. We made a fire in Clyde's fire pit and sat outside enjoying a beautiful, cold, fall evening. After a delicious dinner of burgers we roasted marshmallows and made smores! Will was not so fond of the smores, but he liked the marshmallows and chocolate separate!

When we finally left Clyde's Will was exhausted. I am so lucky to have such a beautiful, sweet, smart, healthy little boy. It makes me sad to see how quickly he is growing up, but I am also so excited to see what the Lord has planned for his life.

I love you Will! You make me so happy and proud to be your mommy every day!

Auburn

2008-10-12T19:17:00.007-05:00

Thad and I got to go to Auburn this weekend (by ourselves)! We love our children so much, but it was great to have some time away from them and with each other. We were throwing a wedding shower for one of my best friends from Auburn. Jessica was a sorority sister and my roommate for 2 years. We have lots of memories together... KKG formals and parties, lazy days at our apartment, trips to the beach, late nights in Auburn. There are very few memories of my college days that Jess is not a part of. I was so happy to have her as one of my bridesmaids and I am so glad that she has met the perfect man for her. She and Dusty are so happy!

Dusty and Jessica

We threw Jess and Dusty a tailgate shower. It was a great time to catch up with old friends and enjoy being in Auburn again. It has changed so much in the years since we left. The campus has gotten so big and there are so many new buildings. When we were there, there was not much parking, now there is none! The students have changed so much, too. Well, at least the girls have. The standard 'going-out' outfit when we were there was black pants and a cute top or sweater. Now, the shorter, the tighter, the lower the cut, the better. It was actually quite amusing to watch these girls and see just how short and tight their outfits were!

Leanne, Mary Dodd, Meredith, Jess, Lizzy, Laura, and me

One of the things that I love the most about Auburn is game day. We have not been back in so long, I almost forgot how much fun it is. The weather was perfect, the company was wonderful, the food was great... the game... was terrible! I am glad that we decided to stay and tailgate instead of seeing my tigers get beat by those hogs! Sitting around and visiting with old friends was much more fun than the actual game. War Eagle anyway!

Thanks to Jess for the rest of these pics!

Cagle's Dairy

2008-10-10T15:46:00.009-05:00

Today we went with some friends to Cagle's Dairy. We got to feed a calf, see how they milk a cow, how they process the milk, and go on a hay ride. Will and Annie Gray had a great time and they really enjoyed the chocolate milk that we got at the end of the tour. Thank you Joy for organizing! We had a great time!

It took Will a while to approach the cows. He had his hands over his ears and kept saying, "Why are they mooing so loud?" He finally took his hands down and actually fed the babies!

This was Annie Gray's expression almost the whole time. She did start to say cow while we were there. One more word!!

Fun with the Paces

2008-10-05T09:37:00.007-05:00

Jamie, Emily and baby James came to visit this weekend! We had a great time with these wonderful friends. They got in on Friday evening and we took them to Wild Wing (our favorite!). Things really change when you have babies... going out to eat is just not as fun as it used to be! We got to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful fall weather and the kids enjoyed listening to the "guitar man".

On Saturday morning the big boys (Thad and Jamie) got to burn the wood pile... always a fun fall activity. I stood in the window ready to dial 911! :) We loaded up the cars and headed to a BBQ fundraiser for Breast Cancer. We got to introduce Jamie and Emily to some of our Marietta friends. It was another beautiful day to enjoy the outside! After lunch it was football time!! Alabama won and Thad was happy... Auburn got beat by Vandy and the rest of us were mad. That's SEC football for you!! Will and Annie Gray loved being with James. His visit encouraged Annie Gray to start using a new word- baby. She would walk around saying, "baby" and looking for him. Here they are in their Auburn attire... too bad it didn't pull us through the game!

It is hard to believe that James is already 2 months old! He is so cute and sweet. He was the perfect house guest! I think he looks just like his daddy. We love you James! Come back and see us again soon!

A few pics of my sweet baby girl!

2008-09-30T21:37:00.007-05:00

Enjoying "Football Saturday" in her Auburn shirt.

I found her in her room, all of the toys from this basket were on the floor, and she was in the basket pretending to read her bible.

Having so much fun on the swing set. She laughs hysterically the whole time. She loves being outside!

Sliding... Head first! This girl has no fear!!

Fall!

2008-09-27T09:21:00.002-05:00

I know I have said this in a previous post, but I love FALL!!!
I love the leaves changing colors and falling so gracefully to the ground.
I love the cooler weather and enjoying time outside.
I love seeing pumpkins and scarecrows on people's doorsteps.
I love the sound of football. WAR EAGLE!!
I love how the air smells different.
I love the HUGE candy displays at the grocery store.
I love candy corn!
I am so happy that fall is here!
I am so excited, I have already made the kids Halloween costumes!
Treat or Treat!!

Things I couldn't live without (as a mom)

2008-09-21T19:55:00.008-05:00

~Publix- I love going to my local Publix. They are always so helpful and friendly to the kids. I love the products that Publix has now. They are priced much better than the name brand things and I have only found one thing that doesn't taste the same as the name brand (Jello- there's kind of tastes like cough syrup.) We go through bags of the frozen veggies from there- couldn't live without them!

~Speaking of Publix... I am by no means "green", but I have been using the bags that they sell at Publix for my groceries (I guess every bit helps.) I love them! It makes unloading the car a breeze! They hold so much stuff and are very sturdy.

~Shaker Cheese- at least that is what we call it (thanks to my Aunt Sharon Gordon). If there is any food that Will is not sure about eating, we put a little Shaker Cheese on it and it is gone!

~My "As Seen On TV" Swivel Sweeper- It is great on hardwood floors, especially with two dogs and two kids who tend to make lots of messes. I just grab my Swivel Sweeper and clean it right up!

~Clorox wipes: I use them all over the house- kitchen, bathroom, highchair, toys, even in the car! Since we are raising our kids in a germ-a-phobic world, we might as well disinfect at home!

~NutriGrain Bars- We could eat these every morning- in fact when Will was in daycare, he did! Thad and Will prefer the blueberry, I am more fond of the apple. Whatever floats your boat!

~Costco- We are Costco junkies. We really try to go only once a month, but sometimes it is more often. We buy all of our meat there and freeze it in portions that are right for our family. We are also big advocates of Costco diapers and wipes... much cheaper and work just as well! When you drop a couple of hundred dollars at a time it makes you feel like you are not saving, but in the long run it really does save.

~Any brand 2-in-1 Shampoo- who has time to wash and condition?!?!

~Oxy Clean Stain booster- I add a scoop or two to every load of the kids clothes. If I missed any stains, it seems to get them (aside from the green crayon in the dryer debacle!)

~Target- I mean do I have to explain? I have withdrawals when I don't go for a week or two! I don't even have to buy anything... I just wander. I love to wander the isles of Target. Who doesn't?

Let me know what you can't live without! I might have to try it!

Football!!

2008-09-13T21:20:00.004-05:00

Since I am not all too excited about the way my Auburn Tigers are playing, I am going to update my blog! We love all that the fall brings! Football, cooler weather, leaves changing, Halloween. Will wakes up on Saturday mornings this time of year and puts on his jersey. As soon as he sees football on the tv he starts asking for the Cheese-its. Last night we went to the Marietta High School game. We got there early and enjoyed the Four Guys tailgate (such good burgers!!). Will's pre-school teacher, Kelly Crowe, was there and went out of her way to talk to him and gave him a high five- it was hilarious! He was so happy to see her at the game- I really think that he think she lives at the church! The kids had a great time playing in the field and tackling one another. It was so neat to see so many familiar faces from high school and their children. I have really started to feel old lately... I don't feel like I have aged since high school, but when I see the kids that are in high school now... I feel REALLY old! It is hard to believe that it has been 14 years since we graduated. Here are a few pictures of them playing (Thanks to Garrett for the photos- I forgot my camera again!)

Annie Gray- ready to hang with the boys! Bringing down her brother!

Daddy's Girls

Will and David- ready to play for Coach Friday!

We are looking forward to a great fall- Auburn and Alabama are both looking good (despite the 3-2 score), the leaves are beginning to fall, now bring on that cooler weather!!

Family Outings

2008-09-06T13:17:00.003-05:00

Last Monday, Labor day, we took a family trip to East Cobb Park. For those of you in the area, it is off of Roswell Road (120) on the way out toward the Avenue. It is a great park! It is clean and has great equipment. It also has a few walking trails and a creek that is very clean and not duck infested! We took a little hike and played on the play ground. It was a nice little outing. While we were there we saw a little boy who was riding a bike. He was decked out with his helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. Will thought it was very cool. Since he doesn't have any knee pads, he made himself some when we got home... Isn't he so creative!!! :)

We also live very close to Wheeler High School. Last night we decided to walk over and take the kids to the football game. We had a nice time listening to the band, watching the cheerleaders and cheering for the football players. During the National Anthem, I told Will that he needed to take off his hat while they played it. I think he misunderstood me, because every time the band played he took off his hat and stood up. This went on for the whole first half of the game. The band would start to play, he would stand, remove his hat, the band would finish, he would clap, sit down, and put back on his hat. It was hilarious! Thad and I just watched him!

Happy Birthday Annie Gray!

2008-08-30T15:15:00.007-05:00

Annie Gray's 1st Birthday was yesterday! She is getting so big! We had a pretty good day, despite still being on antibiotics for an ear infection and sinusitus. She got a 'kitchen' for her birthday and she loves it!

I made her favorite dinner for her- hotdogs and fruit! Then she got to dig into her cake. Not quite as aggressive as her brother was, but she made a good mess!

She is walking all of the time (no more crawling), she has 6 teeth, she loves her brother, her baby dolls, rubber duckies, and things that make noise. She is not talking too much- dada, duck, Guinness (to the dog- not a request), and we are working on book and balloon. She gets so excited when her daddy gets home from work.

Oh yeah... She also LOVES AUBURN!! WAR EAGLE!!!

Goings on...

2008-08-27T21:14:00.011-05:00

~Annie Gray is a little Houdini... she figured out how to do just the right amount of wiggling to go from sitting in her high chair to kneeling on the tray. We tried a little something different with her... it seems to work.

Just kidding... we don't really make her eat like this!

~Will started Preschool this week! He loved his first day and sang the songs that they sang all day long. He impressed his teacher by being able to pick his name out of all of the others. This was his 'first day of school' pose and him with his carpet square in his classroom. Look out Mrs. Crowe and Mrs. Harding! He is a mess! :)

~Annie Gray is walking- EVERYWHERE! Since I had yet to put her in shoes, I decided that it was time! I got her the cutest shoes that you have ever seen! (Not too practical, but so cute!)

**More to come on AG and her first birthday!**

~I caught Will standing in his chair this morning eating his yogurt. I guess I startled him when I firmly asked him to sit down, because he dropped his yogurt on the floor. I stomped (don't I sound mean!) over to him and was getting on to him for standing in his chair, "This is why I don't want you standing in your chair! You could have fallen down! You could have gotten hurt!" Around this time he said, "Mommy, wait! I think I see an alligator and a whale!" I just looked at him, thinking- he is so good at distracting me and changing the subject! He was pointing at the floor- "Look Mommy!" I looked down at the yogurt splats on the kitchen floor- this is what I saw.

I guess he will do well on those ink blot tests!!! (Yes- I did take pictures of the spilled yogurt!)

~At dinner tonight, after trying to get out of eating yet another meal, Will said, "Mommy, mommy! My pee pee! My pee pee!" Me: "What is wrong sweety?!" Will: "My pee pee wants me to take my shorts off!" How can you not laugh when he says stuff like this!?!

Welcome Cousin Izzy!!

2008-08-22T17:42:00.007-05:00

We are so happy to announce the birth of my cousin Stephanie and her husband, Chad's sweet baby girl- Isabella Claire Green! She was born Thursday, August 21st in Birmingham, AL. She is a little, bitty thing- 6lbs 1 oz and 18 inches. Stephie has been a very special part of my life and I couldn't be more excited for her. When we were growning up people always thought that we were sisters because of our red hair. I have tried twice for that redheaded baby and couldn't produce... she got her on her first try!! :) We love Stephie and Chad and only wish that we could see them more often. I am so happy that our baby girls will be close in age, like Stephie and I are. I know that Annie Gray and Izzy will be great friends!

Isn't she beautiful!?!

The proud mommy and daddy!

2008-08-17T11:42:00.002-05:00

I am hoping that we are going to be getting back into a schedule again soon. Will starts pre-school in 2 weeks, we aren't supposed to be out of town anytime soon, Thad isn't traveling as much... hopefully life will get a little less chaotic! We actually made it to Sunday School and church today. It is so hard to get to both (especially since Annie Gray is still taking a morning nap). We love our Sunday School class, but miss going to "big" church. We attempted both today since our good friend Garrett Hunter was joining the church. We sat in the back so that we could sneak out if we needed to, but Will couldn't see the singers. When he found out the Garrett was there he wanted to see her (she was at the front of the church) then he had to go potty (again)... needless to say, we didn't make it very long. When we got in the car Annie Gray passed out. It was noon and she is usually down for her morning nap around 9:30. I looked in the back seat and saw that sweet baby girl, sound asleep. Will looked at me and said, "Sisty is out of gas." That is exactly how I feel sometimes... out of gas! Hopefully, getting back to church and regular routine, I will get a full tank!

Will's Words- Vol. 4

2008-08-09T20:08:00.003-05:00

- While watching the Olympics (men's gymnastics), we were explaining the pommel horse. One of the gymnasts was doing his routine and the announcer said, "This is a tricky element." Will sat up and said, "That is not a tricky elephant!"
- Will noticed the other day that he has small toes and Thad has big toes. He looked up at Thad and said, "I have small toes daddy, but one day I will have big toes like you... and then I will be a daddy."
- I had a few special moments with Will today. He was not running around or asking questions. He was just snuggling with me in my lap. I gave him a few kisses on his ear and he slowly reached his hand up to his ear and felt it. I asked him what was in there. He slowly turned his head toward me and said, "Somebody's wet kisses."
- Kate and her friends Hannah and Leslie came home for Will and Annie Gray's birthday (we were so glad that they shared the special weekend with us!) Will got a little crush on Leslie. When it was time for her to leave she was telling him goodbye. He got very sad and told her that he didn't want her to leave. Of course, this made her day. After she said that she had to leave he looked at her and said, "I don't want you to wear that dress... will you please put on that blue and white polka dot shirt." I guess he knows how he likes his women and how they dress!!

Leslie, Kate and Hannah

Welcome Friend!

2008-08-07T21:05:00.002-05:00

We are so happy at the Penuel house to have a new friend... James Stanley Pace III! He was born on Sunday, August 3rd. His Daddy, Jamie, and Thad are lifelong friends and we know that he will be one of ours. James is so lucky to have a terrific Mommy and Daddy who will raise him to be a wonderful, Christian gentleman. We can't wait for the friendships to build with our children over the years! Welcome James!!

Will and Annie Gray's Birthday Party

2008-08-04T12:06:00.006-05:00

We had a joint Birthday Party for the kids this year. I figured that I won't be able to do that for too many years, so now is the time. We had a pool party with lots of our good friends. Will loves the pool, so it was perfect. We kept it pretty low key and just ordered pizza and had cupcakes and ice cream. I think that everyone enjoyed themselves... we sure did! Here are some pictures from the big day!

3 years

2008-08-04T11:45:00.003-05:00

Will's birthday was Sunday and we had a fun filled weekend with friends and family. The past three years have gone by so fast! I can not believe that my baby boy is three! He is acting so BIG all of a sudden. He is talking so much and doing things on his own. The other morning, after he woke up, he said, "I am going to go potty and then go put on my underwear and some play clothes." I almost cried! I want to still help get him dressed... I don't think I am ready for this! He has always been helpful (especially with Annie Gray), but now he is starting to do "Big Boy" chores! He takes the recycling out to the recycling box, gets things out of the pantry for me and will go around the house and get all of the trash cans. Before we know it he will be mowing the grass!! Here are pictures of Will at 1, 2 and 3. How fast they grow!!

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Thad and I are so thankful for two beautiful, healthy children. We thank the Lord for them, love them immensely and laugh (with joy) at them both everyday.

Ticket!!

2008-07-31T11:25:00.002-05:00

I got a speeding ticket yesterday. I have been driving for 15 1/2 years and have never even been pulled over!! I have prided myself on this! It was a motorcycle cop that pulled me over on Barrett Parkway. Will and Annie Gray were in the car with me and Will was in the backseat with lots of comments! "Look at the motorcycle police man Mommy. He has his lights on. I like his sun glasses. What is he doing Mommy? What is he coloring? Where did he go?" I finally just said, "That police man is giving mommy a ticket." His response was, "I sorry you got a ticket, Mommy." Me too!!!! UGHHHH!

Things overheard at the beach...

2008-07-28T21:52:00.003-05:00

-After we told Will that his birthday was only 2 weeks away... "When I get big, on my birthday, I am going to drive to preschool." After this comment we were walking around WalMart and he was picking up everything and saying, "I want this for my birthday!" When I say everything... a box of Rice-a-Roni, an onion, juice boxes, a bag of carrots... everything!

-Thad told him he could not have another juice box... "Daddy, that is unfair and unjust." I mean really!! Where in the world!?! Not only that he knows those word, but that he used them in the correct context!

-Will came outside with his Elmo underwear on inside out and exclaimed, "Elmo is tickling me!!"

-On the WHOLE way from Destin to Panama City- "Daddy, what are you doing? Mommy, what are you doing?" After we asked him to not interrupt and to say "Excuse me."- "Excuse me, Daddy! What are you doing? Excuse me, Mommy! What are you doing?" (while waving his hands in the air.) Thad: "Will, you need to be patient... Mommy and Daddy are talking to one another and just driving to the beach." Will: "But Daddy, I always talk." This is his new thing... "But, I always sing at the table."; "But, I always hit Sisty."

-One morning he ran around the house for about 30 minutes singing (screaming) "Rise and Shine and give God the Glory, Glory, Glory to Ole Auburn!!" At least he was combining two good songs! :)

The Sneaky Little Booger

Busy Summer

2008-07-18T07:38:00.003-05:00

We have been so busy this summer!! I have not been a good blogger! After our week in Jackson Hole we had to get our boy back... I think he was mad at us for being gone so long. It took a full week to get him to act sweet again! Annie Gray is not walking yet and when she is occupied she is great... when she is not, she only wants to be held! My back is paying for it! We are at the beach now and are so lucky to be able to be here for 2 whole weeks!! We have had a great time with Gigi, Aunt Kate and Aunt Manny. Gaga got here on Wednesday and Thad is coming tonight!! We have celebrated Gigi's birthday all week! Mandy and Kate and I made her favorite dinner for her- crab cakes and tomato and mozzarella salad. Yum! We have also been playing her Wii that she got for her birthday- SO much fun and hilarious!! Everyone is leaving on Sunday and it will be our little family of 4 here for next week. We will be going over to Panama City during the day for Thad's stepmom, Ruthi's, family reunion. We are looking forward to seeing them and spending time with cousins. I will post more pictures as the week goes by!

Jackson Hole, WY

2008-06-28T08:27:00.005-05:00

Thad and I have had the unbelievable opportunity to spend the past 7 days in Jackson Hole, WY. This was the first time that we have been away from the kids for this long... we needed it, but we sure do miss them!! (Thank you GiGi and GaGa for taking care of them while we were gone!) The trip was a Christmas gift from Thad's uncle and aunt, Tom and Gail Cosby. They are such wonderful people and have always been so special to Thad. We are so thankful for the trip, but mostly that they are a part of our lives. Tom and Gail have been out here 6 times, so they know the ropes! We went hiking on some of the most beautiful trails in the US. The Grand Tetons are so massive and beautiful... they are almost unreal. The scenery was indescribable! We saw moose, elk, antelope, bison, and beautiful wildflowers and birds. We took a day trip up to Yellowstone and saw Old Faithful. Thad's sisters, Laurie and Rebekah, his mother, Mardi, and uncle, Dan, were also here. It was a great opportunity to get to know them all better and just enjoy being with family. Thank you, Tom and Gail, for a trip of a lifetime!

Going to the Country

2008-06-15T21:24:00.010-05:00

We went down to Ashford, AL last weekend to spend Father's Day with Thad's Dad and Grandfather. We got to see Will and Annie Gray's cousin David play baseball. Will kept yelling "Go Chipper!!" He thought we were at the Braves game! I am not sure that I will ever be ready to spend my whole weekend at the ball park.

We also got to spend some time with their other cousins Clara Marie (the movie star) and Trent. Will got to ride on the Four Wheeler- Daddy was very careful!

We also got to spend lots of time with Will and Annie Gray's Great Grandparents. They are so lucky to be able to get to know so many of their Great Grandparents!

All of the cousins came over from Moultrie on Sunday. Will had a blast! They were so sweet to him and let him tag along. All of the kids had ice cream sundaes and rode the golf cart all over the place.

Will's Words- Vol. 3

2008-06-15T20:39:00.004-05:00

-While having lunch in a crowded sandwich shop Thad asked Will if he would like to try some Root Beer. Thad got him a small amount and let him try it. In the mean time Thad had walked back over to the coke dispenser. Will decided that he liked his Root Beer and yelled across the restaurant, "I want some more Coke Beer like Daddy!!"... but coming from his sweet mouth it sounded like, "I want some more Cold Beer like Daddy!!" Everyone in the place looked at us and started cracking up.

-As Will was recapping his day he said, "I woke up, then I took a bath, then I played, then I sleeped down." Wake UP- Sleep DOWN... It only makes since!!

-This one is a little crude... sorry! Whenever Annie Gray is not feeling well Will says, "Sister has a beaver." We try to correct him and tell him it is a FEVER, but he always says beaver and it makes us laugh.

-This one is not so much words, but actions- he insisted on shaving with daddy the other day. Here are a few of the pictures!

The Lake

2008-06-08T09:07:00.005-05:00

We got to spend the day yesterday at the lake. Thanks to Jamie and Emily for always being wonderful hosts. They have been having us to the lake for years. The dynamics have changed quite a bit over the years, but it is always a great time. Thad and his buddies are a tight group. Most of them went to school together from 4 year kindergarten through 12th grade (a few of them through college too). They are so good at getting together. I have enjoyed growing to know them all over the years. It has been so fun to be a part of weddings, births, beach trips, lake trips, etc. It is such a blessing for Thad to have such wonderful friends (and for them to have wonderful wives and girlfriends for me to hang out with!) We only wished we all lived closer together!

Flay Rhoads with Henry and Martha Flay

Caden and Riley Conolley

Emily with Forrest and Taylor Alexander

Sweet Martha Flay

Annie Gray, Emily and Baby Pace!!

Daddy and Will

The Newest Additions: Katie Grace Carlee, Mac Alexander and Annie Gray

Nona and "Bahkah's" Birthday

2008-06-02T20:11:00.004-05:00

We went to Birmingham a few weeks ago to help Nona and Aunt Bekah (Will pronounces it- Bahkah) celebrate their birthdays. We had a WONDERFUL lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Of course we all ate too much! Here are a few pics of our visit.

The "Birthday Girls" with the best kids around!

That face would make anyone have a Happy Birthday!!

2008-06-01T09:31:00.002-05:00

Will likes to talk about what Mommy and Daddy call each other. He says- "Sometimes Daddy calls you Alli and you call Daddy Thad." Last night he said, "Sometime Mommy calls Daddy Thaddeus." I asked him what Daddy calls me. "Daddy calls you Mommeus." We laughed a lot.

Annie Gray- 9 months

2008-05-30T15:44:00.006-05:00

It is so hard to believe that my baby girl is 9 months old! It has flown by! She is crawling all over the place and pulling up on anything that will hold her. She is talking up a storm- her most discernible words are "Uhh-Oh!", "Hey!", "Dada", and "Bye" (which is about 3 syllables long!)

She is still not sleeping through the night which is wearing Thad and me out!! She loves eating Cheerios and we have introduced a few other things, but still mostly baby food. She does exactly like her brother when she is eating and sticks her thumb in her mouth after every bite!

She loves bath time- especially with her brother.

She doesn't stop! I finally put in a Baby Einstein video today (I really hate doing that... but) and she actually sat still! She sat and watched about 15 minutes worth. I can't figure out how that Baby Einstein lady does it, but she is a genius (a RICH genius!).

On the potty...

2008-05-30T15:28:00.003-05:00

Potty training is going pretty well. We are still having some poopy problems, but other than that he is doing great! I walked in the other night and this was what I saw...

Watch out Preschool- Here he comes!!

Mother's Day and Grandma's 80th

2008-05-18T16:39:00.007-05:00

Last weekend we went up to Laurelwood with all of the McPhersons to celebrate Mother's Day and Grandma's 80th birthday. We ate, drank, fished , laughed, and enjoyed time together. Here are some of the wonderful pictures of the weekend that Aunt Mandy took!

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-05-18T16:32:00.002-05:00

I thought it would be fun to do a slide show with pictures of both Will and Annie Gray between birth and 8 months. It is amazing how much they look alike! Thank goodness for digital cameras and dated folders on the computer or we might get them mixed up- the pink and blue help a little, too!

The Aquarium

2008-05-14T18:04:00.005-05:00

Last week, after a greasy meal at the Varsity, we went to the Aquarium with Aunt Manny, Cousin Jessica, and Great Aunt Sharon. Will loves going and Annie Gray enjoyed it this time, too! (We really need to invest in a family pass.) Mandy had never been so it was fun to be able to go with her. The Aquarium opened soon after Will was born and since he and Mandy both have August birthdays we got them 'fish scales' for their birthdays in 2005. The first picture is of them pointing to their scales. I am so glad that we purchased them because it helped a little financially with the Aquarium and it is something that will always be there! I am also grateful that they are low because we have taken a picture of Will with his scale every time we have gone- it will be a neat way to watch him grow. We are so lucky to live in a city that has such wonderful places that are kid friendly. We need to get out and do those fun things more often!

Pictures from the week

2008-04-27T15:45:00.003-05:00

Here are just a few pictures from this week- busy, busy, busy!

Will pretending to be a butterfly with the lining of AG's laundry hamper.
Playing at the park with our good friends Mrs. Garrett, David, and Livie. Can you tell that Annie Gray had a handful of David's hair!?

Will and Annie Gray enjoying their swing set (it's not really dark- the flash made it look that way!). Will is working so hard on pumping his legs.
Annie Gray trying to get up the stairs! She was MAD! Will and I were in the kitchen and not in the den with her!!

All boy

2008-04-27T11:56:00.005-05:00

It got quiet at our house this morning after we got home from church. I got Anne Gray down for her nap and realized that I couldn't hear Will. Thad said that he was out back playing. I went to the kitchen window and this is what I saw.

Notice the outfit... his 'hunting' hat that he found in all of Thad's old hats that he wants to wear all of the time now, an Elmo shirt, camo 'boxers' (yes- his underwear- not shorts!), and his crocs. When I went out to check on him he said that his hands were dirty and that he was washing them in the puddle. We let him play for a while before I had him come in to take a bath. I asked him to take his clothes off on the porch so that he didn't track the mud through the house. He said, "Mommy, are you going to wash my Elmo shirt in the puddle?" He is more and more boy everyday!!

Yoga Baby

2008-04-21T15:30:00.005-05:00

If the tongue is out- we are happy!

Annie Gray is crawling! FAST!! She is all over the place! She loves to chase after Will (we can't decide if she wants to be near him or if she wants to play with his Crocs- which NEVER leave his feet- thanks Aunt Kate!) Every once in a while she will stop and prop herself up on her hands and toes. She looks like she is doing 'downward facing dog'. She will also arch her back and look to the sky in what looks like another yoga pose (I don't really do yoga... so I am guessing!). Her knees are beginning to get calloused and her arms and elbows are constantly red! She is also standing up in her crib... she can't get herself all the way up on her own but when we she is standing- she is all smiles! I noticed this past weekend that she is reaching for me now, too. I love it! It makes me so happy to see those chubby little arms reaching out for her Momma!

Our little Yoga Princess

Just 1 Night... PLEASE!!!

2008-04-19T08:42:00.005-05:00

Annie Gray has not been sleeping through the night. At 8 weeks she started sleeping through the night and it was wonderful! Then came January and her first ear infection. Since then there have only been a handful of nights when she has not been awake at 3:00am. Night before last we tried to let her cry it out... an hour later I finally got out of bed and gave her a bottle. Last night we tried something different... and it worked!! She slept until 7:30 this morning!! I know that you are thinking- Great! The Penuel's got a good nights rest! WRONG! At 3:00am, Annie Gray's usual wake-up time, I had a 90lb dog panting in my ear!!

Guinness is our 'Scardy-Dog'. He is afraid of strangers, big trucks, thunderstorms, and apparently RAIN! It was raining this morning- no thunder, no lightening- Just RAIN!! He was at our bed breathing his hot, stinky breath all over me! There goes our first 8 hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep in weeks! Can someone send us the Dog Whisperer???

Potty Training

2008-04-17T22:39:00.002-05:00

We have been working on potty training Will this week and surprisingly it has gone very well. The first few days were rough, but we made it through it (along with lots of big boy underwear). He has really impressed us! After just 2 days he was going into the bathroom by himself and going potty. He (of course) has said some funny stuff during this whole process. Here are a few of his funnies:

- He has figured out that when he sits down on his little potty he either needs to point his 'pee-pee' down or learn over so that the tee-tee goes in the potty and not on his underwear. As he was leaning over he looked up at me with big eyes and said, "Mommy! My penis is a circle!!" I guess he had never really looked down before!

- Of course we have been praising him like crazy- high fives, M&M's, ice cream, etc. He loves when we say that we are proud of him. He now believes that EVERYONE is proud of him. When he 'does his business' (as he says) he will look at me with those sweet eyes and say, "Gigi (Gaga, Daddy, Cockeen- fill in the blank) is so proud of Will."

- While sitting on the potty he tooted. He said, "Will tooted. I want to look at it." It is hard to explain to a 2 year old that you can't see toots!!

It is so hard to believe that our sweet baby boy is growing up so fast! He is in his big boy bed, going potty, pulling the chair up to the "food-er-ator" to get his own water, carrying on a conversation on the phone, helping with his baby sister- SLOW DOWN TIME!!

Will's Words- Vol. 2

2008-04-12T21:36:00.005-05:00

-We kept seeing golf carts while we were at the beach and Will loves them! He would get so excited. We have been trying to talk Nana into getting one for down there for years. I told Will that he needed to ask Nana to get him a golf cart. She told him, "Nana would love to get you a golf cart, but she doesn't have any money... Uncle Sam took it all." A little while later we saw another golf cart and Will said (with a frown), "Will wants a golf cart, but Nana don't got no quarters." Of course we laughed hysterically. When we got home I tried to get him to repeat what he said to Thad- he told him, "Nana can't get Will a golf cart, cause she don't have no quarters... Sam took them." It is amazing what he remembers and the connections that he makes!
-I guess that we really have to watch what we say these days! I have lots of nicknames for both Will and Annie Gray and Will has started picking up on them. He was in the backseat with Annie Gray and kept looking at her and saying, "Hey sweet pea... Hey princess... Hey sister pooter." It was so sweet to hear him using the endearing words that we use, but I will be sure to watch what I say if someone cuts me off while I am driving!!
-As you can tell from above, Will has been speaking in the 3rd person. He rarely says 'I'. "Will wants a snack... Will needs a clean diaper... Will wants to play basketball." It has been cracking us up! We can't wait to see what WILL needs next!

Our week at the Beach!

2008-04-10T19:57:00.002-05:00

Will and Annie Gray and I have been at the beach all week! We went down with my Nana, Gigi and Aunt Manny. It was Annie Gray's first trip and Will enjoyed it much more this time around. He played in the sand and learned how to ride his tricycle. Annie Gray took a while to get on her schedule but had a great time playing in the baby pool. The weather was nice... warm enough for Mommy to get sunburned!! Here are a few pictures of them thanks to Aunt Manny!

Annie Gray- 7 months

2008-04-04T16:56:00.006-05:00

It is hard to believe that she is already 7 months old! She has 2 teeth on the bottom and another one trying to come in. She is doing the backwards scoot and trying so hard to move forward. She has been eating fruits and veggies and is the opposite of her brother- she prefers the veggies over the fruit. She has also started eating the puffs. As you can see she loves them!

She is also sitting up pretty well. She prefers to be rolling around on the floor or in her jumpy seat, but it is so cute when she does sit up for a while. She looks so proud! She is very ticklish and just cackles when you kiss her tummy.

She is always laughing at her brother and watches every move that he makes. She loves watching her other brothers, too (Bass and Guinness). She has figured out when Bass is about to lick her and she scrunches up her face to prepare herself for the licking. It was hard to believe (while I was pregnant) that we could love another little one as much as we do Will, but we sure do!! They both make my heart smile everyday!!

Honey Cool

2008-04-02T10:19:00.002-05:00

When we finally got back into the swing of things after AG arrived, we started going back to church. I was so sad when we went to take Will to the nursery and they told us that he was in an actually Sunday School class! Tears began to well up in my eyes as we walked down the big kid hall towards his new Sunday School class. Of course, he loved it! For the first few weeks he kept calling it Honey Cool. He always tells us what he learned about and he really loves it when the guitar man comes and he gets to sing. Last week when we got home I asked him what he learned. He told me that they got to sing 'thwee' songs- "Ahh-yay-you-ya, Pways ye da Yord... and anoder one." More tears!

Camping Pics

2008-03-30T17:56:00.003-05:00

Will likes to fish!

Sitting around the campfire with Daddy.

Will and Grayton in the truck.
Jamie teaching Will the rules of fishing.

Happy Camper

2008-03-30T14:26:00.003-05:00

Thad took Will on his first camping trip this weekend! They went to the Talladega National Forest in Alabama with a few other friends (Jamie-aka "God our Father", Emily and Howard). Our friend Jason Carlee and his little boy Grayton also went so Will had a buddy to play with. He had a ball! They went fishing and hiking (Thad did most of the hiking with Will on his shoulders!). He ate hot dogs from the grill and saw lots of wildlife- crawdads, lizards, snakes, toads and even a Water Moccasin. Will managed to wake everyone at the campground on Saturday morning. He was so excited when he woke up in the tent and could hear the birds. He said to Thad, "It's a beautiful day, Daddy!" Thad had to open all of the windows in the tent so that they could see the trees. He was even more excited when he realized that his clothes were right there- in the tent! They were out playing frisbee by 6:30 am. He was filthy and absolutely wiped-out when they got home. I am so grateful that Thad is such a patient and loving father to take a 2 1/2 year old camping. We are truly blessed!

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T20:20:00.003-05:00

Sweet Annie Gray in her Easter dress. Our special friend Elizabeth Mountcastle (Miss Lizzy) made it. We thank the Lord everyday for such wonderful, healthy children!

2008-03-24T19:38:00.003-05:00

Here is Will playing in the creek near Gigi and Gaga's house in North Georgia. He and daddy were throwing rocks. Will got a little too much momentum and took a dive into the creek! Chilly!

Will's Words- Vol. 1

2008-03-23T20:06:00.002-05:00

Here are a few of the latest things that Will has said...

- While I was changing his diaper the other day he was pointing at his testicles. He said, "Mommy, what is this?" Not really knowing what we should call them, I said, "We'll have to ask Daddy." He then looked at me and whispered (because he was telling me a secret of course), "It's hiding behind my penis!"

-Last week we had a chance to go and visit our friends the Paces in Birmingham. Jamie and Emily are Will's Godparents. On our way to their house Thad told Will that we were going to see his Godfather and Godmother. When we got there he kept saying, "Is this God Our Father's house? Where is God Our Father?" I guess that later down the road when Will starts arguing with his Sunday school teachers that God's name is Jamie... we'll know why!

-I had Bunko at our house last week (didn't win :( ). Thad was down in the basement watching the kids while my Bunko group was upstairs having dinner. Between dinner and playing, I went down to check on them. When I opened the door, Will said, "You go back upstairs and fix us some dinner!" I was shocked, but I thought that Thad was going to wet his pants he was laughing so much! It sounded just like and episode of SouthPark!

-More to come!!

March 17th

2008-03-16T20:31:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Love,

Our Little Leprechaun

Smarty Pants

2008-03-14T19:32:00.003-05:00

On the way home from dinner tonight we smelled smoke in the air. Will was in the back seat and said, "The firemen get in the truck and go save people." Just from smelling the smoke in the air, he made that connection. Well, of course, Thad and I looked at each other and were thinking- how in the world does he know the things he does?? I said, "How did you get so smart, Will?" He said, "Like Daddy." And I said, "What about Mommy?" His response... after a long sigh, "Your a girl!" I thought Thad was going to fall out of the door he was laughing so hard. We'll see boys!!

Enjoying Early Spring

2008-03-14T10:49:00.004-05:00

We went to the park yesterday to enjoy the beautiful weather with our friends Caroline and Isabella. We strolled around the lake and honked at the geese and quacked at the ducks. Will and the girls had a great time playing on the playground. Annie Gray had fun watching from the baby backpack. It was not easy to get them all off of the slides, but the mention of Chicken and 'Fry-fries' made us run for the car. I hope that spring lasts a while and that we don't go straight into a southern summer!!

Little Rosie

2008-03-14T10:36:00.004-05:00

Well, Annie Gray's fever was not due to teething. She was much better on Monday, but on Tuesday she had a rash all over her tummy, back and head. I took her to the doctor and she had Roseola. There is nothing that can be done to treat it and as of today she is all better. Just a little scary to see that little body with red splotches all over it! Here is a picture of her after her bath with her rash.

Sunday, March 9

2008-03-09T13:12:00.004-05:00

Will is the next American Idol! Here is a pictures of him playing the guitar and singing into his microphone (both made from TinkerToys). He was hilarious! Today he looked at me and my new haircut (he just realized... I got it cut on Thursday) and said, "Mommy, you hair is crazy! You need a haircut." I am hoping that this will be a good way to keep everyone up to date on the funny things that come out of that boy's mouth!

Here is a new picture of Annie Gray. We call this her "Sunday Going to Church" hat. She has been running a little fever but I think it is just teething. She is developing a great personality and I catch her all of the time giving her daddy the sweetest "love eyes."

First time Blogger...

2008-03-08T21:59:00.000-06:00

Today we set up our 4 man tent in the den and played in it all day long! Will kept bringing in more toys. It was a good day to be lazy and do nothing! We kept the tent up and Thad and I watched the Duke/ UNC game from the tent! Annie Gray is getting her second tooth and will sit up for a few seconds by herself, before falling over. She is growing so fast! I was going through some old pictures of Will earlier today (I have to remind myself of what is next with Annie Gray) and I came across this one of Will. It makes us laugh so much! We call it "Crazy Hair!"