Life With A Ponytail

I've MOVED!!!

2011-01-12T20:22:00.001-06:00

I decided to take the plunge and get a blog that was easier for posting pictures so I took advantage of my web hosting that I had already purchased for my photography site and got myself another one, without a fee. Here is my address...

www.lifewithaponytail.com

One more day until we leave for Arizona!!!!!

2011-01-05T18:18:00.000-06:00

We are so incredibly excited because we are leaving TOMORROW for Arizona for the National Championship to see the tigers play. We plan to stay in Las Vegas first, then visit the Grand Canyon, and finally, off to our final destination...Glendale. Packing for all five of us is crazy!

I rented my first lens to take on the trip, to get some good wide angles and I had to test it out today. It's so fun!

WAR CAM EAGLE!!!

White Christmas 2010

2011-01-05T18:10:00.001-06:00

WOW! Such a beautiful thing to wake up to on Christmas morning. This is what it looked like outside before we started opening presents.

The kiddos ready to dig in to their stockings.

The kids didn't wait too long before they were ready to go out and play in the snow.

We took a little golf cart ride to the end of the street to try some sledding.

It didn't work so good really but Thomas had a great idea for later.

The kids taking a break to watch one of Camden's presents..."Space Chimps 2".

It came with some 3D glasses.

Here is our pretty pitiful snowman. I have no idea what happened and where we went wrong.

Caley's gift from Santa...American Girl Doll Lanie from 2010.

Time for a snowball fight.

Then, the real fun began.

There is a video at the end of this blog that shows all the kiddos sledding with the golf cart.

Unfortunately, I forgot my battery when we went to my parents for Christmas so I have no pictures. (sigh) AND Thomas's parents didn't get to come visit on Christmas Day because of the snow. We did get to have Christmas with them the following weekend!!

A Christmas to Remember!!!!

These two girls have had a blast!!

2010-12-29T15:35:00.000-06:00

Caley misses her so so much!! They've had such a good time playing together for the last couple of days.

More Christmas parties and a field trip.

2010-12-21T16:28:00.000-06:00

It's been a very busy day. I started my morning off getting to school at 8:30 for Part 1 of the school talent show. Then, off to Santa's Village with Carter's class; and finally, getting back to school for Camden and Caley's school Christmas parties.

Caley sang "Jingle Bells" at the talent show with a group of kids from her class. They wore their Christmas Bug shirts to school for the performance. I hate that I didn't record it!!

Then, I was off to Santa's Village with Carter.

This is Carter and his best bud.

Finally, back to school to take a peek at the parties.

Here is Camden and his best bud.

The last and final stop was to Caley's classroom.

Christmas hot potato

Tomorrow...Camden and Carter's performance in the school talent show.

Carter's school Christmas Party

2010-12-20T18:31:00.001-06:00

Today Carter had his class Christmas party at school and it was Polar Express Day so all the kids got to wear their pajamas. They started out with a little Christmas Bingo. You have no idea how hard it was for me not steal a hershey kiss...my ultimate weakness.

They decorate ice cream cones for Christmas trees.

The finished product...there was really not an easy way to eat it.

Showing his tricks.

My catch-up post.

2010-12-20T18:13:00.000-06:00

My beautiful cousin had her baby!!! Oh my goodness...she is so precious!!

A trip to Santa's Village

Caley's Kindergarten Christmas Play

"A Bugs Christmas"

Caley was a termite.

SNOW!!!!

2010-12-11T20:18:00.002-06:00

I am way behind on blogging, again, but I had to go ahead and post some pictures from our day in Nashville. I'm so glad the rain held off for a little while, because the snow was so fun to see and the kids had a blast playing in it. My mom and dad get the family together every year and plan a trip to nashville to the Opryland Hotel, and SNOW was the new activity there this year. It was actually real snow for the kids to play in. Here are some pics from our day.

Hopefully, next time I'll have a catch-up post. :)

Auburn Digital Paper Pack

2010-11-18T20:30:00.000-06:00

I've been getting the itch for a while now to design some digital scrapbook paper so here it is....my Auburn Tiger paper pack. Thought I would show it to you! WAR EAGLE!!!

You can find it here in my Etsy Shop. :)

Another day in the fields...Caley's turn.

2010-11-17T20:57:00.000-06:00

WARRRR EAGLE!!!

2010-11-16T16:49:00.000-06:00

We have had SO MUCH fun going to Auburn football games this year!! I was so excited that some of my family got to come to the Georgia game last weekend. The kids had so much fun and it was perfect weather for football. Thomas is about to go nuts trying to find tickets to the SEC championship, and even looking at flights to go to a possible national championship. We'll see! WAR EAGLE!!!

I love my boys!!!

2010-11-09T20:54:00.000-06:00

Trophy night for Tackle football.

2010-11-09T14:34:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pics from trophy night with Camden's football team. It's been fun but our family is ready for a little break....well, I guess until basketball starts. GO PANTHERS!

A new fruit...

2010-11-04T08:37:00.001-05:00

Well, we are finally getting settled in our house. I have this long list of things that need to get done but let's get real, it certainly won't all get done any time soon.

I'm proud of Caley's new recent accomplishment. She is now eating apples with the peel on. It's amazing what peer pressure can do. After eating one with the peel left on at a friends house, she now LOVES apples and I don't have to peel them for her. She only decided to starting eating apples about a month ago so this is a big step at our house.

Camden will not eat ANY fruit. The closest he gets is applesauce. Carter loves fruit but for some reason doesn't care too much for apples. Next mission: find a fruit for Camden to love. Any ideas on how to accomplish this? I think we need an intervention at our house to get rid of all the snacks and junk food. It's easier said than done that's for sure. I've tried several times and failed so now I have no idea what to do. I would love to know how you all handle snacks at your house!

She has her leotard on in these pictures because we were about to head out to her cheer tricks class.

I had to throw this one in here...I sure do love Molly Bolly.

He's a goner.

2010-11-02T20:49:00.001-05:00

Poor little Elvis wasn't the smartest fish. This would be the second time he's gotten stuck and unfortunately he didn't survive this one. The memorial service will be tomorrow after school.

The kids have been enjoying their new sport (well not really new) with dad. It's been a while since they've played so they've had some catching up to do. The weather has been so nice to hit some golf balls and the kids love it. Thomas usually lets them play a few holes too. It takes a while to to get to the end but it's fun. Even Caley loves it...she's been asking for golfing lessons. :)

Here's Caley's class from school for their Hooray for Hollywood Day. Really it's just a way to let the kids dress up in their Halloween costumes. So cute! You can't miss Daphne with the bright orange hair.

Here's a video of the Hooray for Hollywood Day!

Halloween Preview 2010

2010-10-24T18:29:00.000-05:00

From this.....to this.

2010-10-14T16:29:00.002-05:00

How she can go from this....

To this....

Molly Bolly's facial expressions. :)

2010-10-14T14:16:00.000-05:00

Happy 60th Grampy!!

2010-10-14T14:14:00.000-05:00

Here's Grampy getting ready to blow out his candles.

All the grandkids got to help blow out the candles but I think Joshua was mostly excited.

Friends + warm fire= fun times

2010-10-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

Camden's First Season of Kid Pitch

2010-10-07T21:18:00.000-05:00

Scarecrow Day at school

2010-10-07T21:06:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin pickin' with Nana and Grampy

2010-09-28T20:13:00.000-05:00

Last weekend the boys went down to the Auburn football game while the girls went to my cousins baby shower. Mom took us to a little pumpkin patch and let us all pick out some pumpkins. I love this time of year and this definitely got me excited about fall.

Here's the crew...minus my two boys, at the pumpkin patch.

This is our little wagon. Since Camden and Carter weren't there, Caley got to pick out their pumpkins.

Here's Caley's pick.

My pick.

You can tell we were ready to watch the game on TV...all the kids have on their Auburn gear.

Below are two of my cousins and my aunt Carolyn. Cortney, in the middle, is the one having a baby. I can't wait until that baby girl gets here!!! Not too much longer. The baby shower was so much fun and she got SO MANY things. I have no idea how she even got home with everything and I have no idea how I ended up with only one picture at the shower. :(

Carter turns SEVEN!!!

2010-09-26T15:43:00.000-05:00

This is Carter and and Colton, his buddy from school.

Colton, Carter, and his precious teacher!

Cookie cake for the class!!

Carter's Field Trip to Burritt Museum

2010-09-26T15:34:00.000-05:00

Go White Sox!

2010-09-26T15:28:00.000-05:00

Caley Scores a GOAL!

2010-09-26T15:18:00.001-05:00

Carter's First Flag Football Game

2010-09-26T14:50:00.001-05:00

Look for #10 on the red team.

WAR EAGLE!!

2010-09-05T12:48:00.000-05:00

We took the kids down to the lovliest village of the plain and watched the first Auburn football game of the season. We started out with lunch at Niffers, (which is where I worked as a waitress in college) then walked around town, went to Tiger Walk, and finally in the stadium . We had such a fun time and the weather was perfect!!

The pic below is the kiddos with my cousin Cortney...who I was so excited to see!! I can't wait until her little munchkin is born...only 2 more months!! Caley was excited to get a picture made with some of the majorettes...her skirt kept falling down the whole time. (the belly was not suppose to be showing) :)

Cant' wait until the next game!!! WAR EAGLE!!

Let the season begin...

2010-09-02T12:04:00.001-05:00

Camden got his first baseball injury a few days ago. A friend was pitching to him and he didn't move away quick enough to keep the fastball from hitting him in the face. This picture was taken right after it happened. You can actually see the seam marks from the ball on his cheek. It has stayed pretty swollen up until yesterday...you can tell it was getting better. He's looked like a chipmunk since this weekend. Now it just looks pretty bruised like he's been hit in the face. Needless to say, he's gotten a ton of attention from it.

Football season has started. This is the first year our boys have played football. Camden is playing tackle and Carter is playing flag...Carter wishes he could just skip flag and go straight to how big brother is playing but he has to wait one more year.

Camden had his first game Tuesday night and they won! It was so much fun to watch.

Here he is during pre-game warm-ups.

You can tell which one Camden is because of his black socks....he was determined to wear them. It actually helped me spot him on the field a lot easier.

Camden is playing center...which I'm excited about because he at least gets to touch the ball every play on offense. He also plays defense..not sure which position.

We weren't quite sure how much he would enjoy football but he LOVES it!!

Caley watched the cheerleaders the whole time. It was so cute, they made a sign for the boys to run through before the game.

It was hilarious actually because some of the boys started to fall.

There's our #95 on his knees in the middle.

Poor Carter...he wishes he was out there. I'll have pictures to post of his flag football games soon. His first game is next week.

There he is getting ready to hike it.

That's Camden on the ground going for a tackle.

Another tackle. He sacked the quarter back for a loss of 7 yards in the second half...which I missed!!

I'm back....again :)

2010-08-31T11:24:00.001-05:00

It's been too long. It's hard to get back in the groove of blogging when you've been a slacker for a while. Here is a brief catch-up of what has happened in the last month or so and then hopefully I can stay caught up for a while. We have a ton of things going on right now and I'm so excited to get started back in the blogging world.

We had a great time on our trip to Cancun. It was so strange and peaceful. The quietness was at times awkward...no kids running around anywhere at the place we stayed. The majority of the time we spent our time under an umbrella on the beach reading, which is something I haven't done in a very long time. I found myself falling in the love with the "Twilight"series and couldn't keep my eyes off of the books. Thomas had to frequently snap me back in to reality.

Would you believe that I hardly took any pictures while we were there? Thomas wouldn't let me take any pictures of him so it was easy to leave my camera in the room for the day. Even though I HATE the picture of me below, I felt like I needed to post at least one picture of us.

We stayed at the Excellence Riviera right outside of Cancun and it was perfect. I think we ate more food than our bodies could handle but we enjoyed every minute of it and I would love to go back sometime.

The pictures below are of Joshua and Macy's birthday party. Joshua turned 7 and Macy turned 2. I can't believe how quickly things are changing in our family.

Macy almost burned her little nose blowing out the candles. :)

School started for the kiddos. They started at a new school this year. We have moved into a rental house...still looking for a house to buy!!! There have been big changes going on but they've been good I think. Caley's first day of Kindergarten didn't go too well. In the picture she's trying to smile but you can tell that she's been crying. It was totally unexpected for me to see the tears because she was so excited about school. She's doing really well now though. All the kids are doing good and really liking school...thank goodness. It's so different with all of my kiddos being in school now. It's really the beginning to the end. Sad.

Also, I finally decided to jump in there and start my Photography business. I'm really excited about it and I really appreciate all of you that have been so encouraging and supportive. It means so much and I don't think I could have ever started if it weren't for friends and family that gave me that little push to go for it.

I'll have a ton more to blog about soon....football, baseball, soccer, Auburn games, etc.

Craziness at our house!

2010-07-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

Life has been a little crazy at our house this summer. We sold our house so it pretty much looks like a tornado has hit us from all the packing. With school starting in a couple of weeks, and our 10 year anniversary vacation coming up in about 10 days...things are hectic.

I needed to take a little time off doing something I love...taking pictures. I did bribe Caley with 2 popsicles to let me take a few of her.

DC - The Conclusion

2010-07-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

The first day of our DC experience began with a couple of museum visits. We spent the first part of the day visiting the Archives. Even though it didn't mean a whole lot to them, we wanted the kids to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. After that, we moved on to the Museum of Natural History. The kids were excited about this one because they had seen it on Night at the Museum II. We wrapped up the day with a nighttime tour of the monuments via trolley. This was a lot of fun and was a great way to see a lot in a few hours while getting some narration along the way. Here are some pics from our first day.

The Washington Monument...

Museum of Natural History

Dum-Dum...from Night at the Museum. This was the kids' favorite part.

Riding the Metro...the kids thought this was a blast.

On our tour...

The World War II Monument...Wow! If you've never been there, it's absolutely amazing. It certainly makes you appreciate many of the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf.

The Capitol...this was actually taken from our balcony.

Jefferson Memorial

Lincoln Memorial...I still can't get over the enormity of these monuments. The architecture is amazing.

Abe

Marine Memorial...the scene at Iwo Jima

On Saturday we took in our second game of the trip...Nationals vs. Mets. We have a pretty neat connection to the Nationals - I graduated high school with Josh Willingham, the starting left fielder for the Nationals. He's a great player and is having a fantastic season...he's an even better person. As you can see, the boys were decked out in their Willingham gear.

Taking in batting practice...

In the kid zone before the game...

Teddy...

The fam...

Our seats were out in left, so I was able to get these shots of Josh...

After the game, Josh and his wife Ginger (and two boys) were kind enough to invite us out for dinner. My cuz, Amy, was in town to visit them for a few days so we all got to spend some time together. We had a great time, and of course, the boys thought it was pretty cool to hang out with a guy in the Bigs. They're planning to be the starting pitcher and catcher for some lucky MLB team in about 15 years.

Strasburg...the Phenom.

On our final day (Camden's 8th Birthday and July 4th), we spent time following church at the National Zoo. Let's just say...it was hot.

Notice the two pictures below...any resemblance???

Three more monkeys!

We wrapped up the day with the DC fireworks. It was definitely neat to be in our Nation's capital for Independence Day. I'm very thankful we were able to take the kids....hopefully they'll remember these trips and the memories we continue to make as a family.

Road Trip to D.C. PART 1 (Baltimore)

2010-07-06T21:58:00.002-05:00

The first leg of our mid-summer road trip (after 12 hours in the car over 2 days) was the city of Baltimore. Some of you may know that Thomas and I lived there for 4 months way back in the day of being Newlyweds. We have fond memories of our time there, and this was our first time back since we left in 2001. There was a feeling of nostalgia being back in the city. We started the day with a behind the scenes tour of Camden Yards (and yes, this is exactly where we got the name Camden). The tour was amazing (at least for Thomas)! If you're a baseball fan at all, you probably know that this is toward the top of the list for favorite major league parks.

At the ticket window...

With our tour guide...this was an older gentleman who retired after 35 years with the Baltimore Gas Company...he's since been working for the Orioles 9 years giving tours. Should we ever get filthy rich by accident, Thomas has found his dream job.

Checking out the park...

View from the field...

The warehouse as the backdrop. This was originally built in the early 1900's. Anybody wanna guess how many home runs have hit the warehouse in game play?

In the dugout...

After the tour we took in the sights and sounds of the Inner Harbor. After the kids backed out of our planned Pirate cruise, they settled for paddleboats instead.

We ended the day with the game - Orioles vs. A's. 75 degrees and sunny at a beautiful ballpark...couldn't have asked for a better end to a great Day 1.

Paparazzi on the Golf Course

2010-06-28T16:52:00.000-05:00

Thomas and I have had a couple of days to ourselves (thanks to my parents and my sis). Thomas asked me to go golfing with him..... for the first time in about 8 years. I have to be honest, at first I wasn't very excited about watching him play 18 holes while I sat in the golf cart, but I actually had a lot of fun. Maybe it was because I took about a zillion pictures of him, and without one complaint by the golfer. He was very tolerant of the paparazzi. Isn't he the cutest golfer you've ever seen?

Abbie, Bailey, and Noah turn 4!

2010-06-28T16:23:00.000-05:00

Summer Days....

2010-06-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

All Stars!!!

2010-06-21T21:58:00.000-05:00

Camden started the city wide All Star coach pitch tourney this week. We really have a great group of boys this week and are going to make a run at the championship before the week is out. Check back later in the week for updates. He's having a blast...as evidenced by the picture below!

The Mayfair Park International Blue Team...from the bottom left...John Calvin, Blake, Hayes, Jacob, Connor, Chandler...middle row from left....Preston, Camden, Owen, JD, Jake, & Stephen.

Camden's been playing first base for the first time this season but has handled it pretty well.

His individual highlight of the tourney (so far!) was winning the home run derby contest. Needless to say, he was pretty stoked about it. The fact that the trophy was almost as big as he is didn't hurt. Way to go C-Buzz...we're proud of you!

Happy Father's Day!!!

2010-06-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

VBS, basketball camp, and Bible Memory Challenge

2010-06-19T23:59:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to play a little catch-up with this post so it's a little bit of random. VBS was awesome last week. We were so glad that Joshua and Marah were able to come with us and they all had so much fun. The next couple of pics are from basketball camp at church, which was terrific. I wish it would have lasted longer because Scott Stapler from Alabama Basketball Academy was the guy who organized the camp and he is awesome!! The last few pics are from the Bible Memory Challenge ceremony at church where they received their trophies for memorizing scripture for the year. I'm so so proud of them for that accomplishment!!

Time with Family and Slip-n-slide with Friends

2010-06-14T22:05:00.001-05:00

Today was a fun day...for several reasons.

#1. My sister and her kids, and my cousin have been in town and got to come spend the night with us.

#2. It's VBS week at church...more pictures to post later.

#3 Went to a friend's house tonight for slip-n-slide fun.

I couldn't let my nieces and nephew come visit without taking pictures.

I love the missing tooth :)

A large piece of plastic, baby soap, and a water hose...that's all you need for an awesome slip--slide. Everyone had so much fun!!! I had a blast taking pictures of everyone. It was such a great night!!

How cute is he?

A friday night photo session....

2010-06-11T20:19:00.010-05:00

with my only willing subject. :)

Had to add the bug-eyes. te he he

Some Changes...

2010-06-09T21:39:00.010-05:00

I'm testing out some changes to the old blog. Not sure how it will turn out but I hope it's good!!

Trying to Catch Up...

2010-06-09T13:06:00.002-05:00

I'm getting behind on blogging this summer and I'm thinking that I better get caught up before I get too ridiculously behind. We got to spend one day in Florence last week and Paige suggested taking the kids to the big fountain at the Marriott. It was absolutely jam packed with people...almost too crowded but of course the kids had a blast anyway. I took a ton of pictures but because I'm playing catch up right now, I thought I would just share a couple of Macy. She was hilarious to watch and had more fun than anyone there. I could have sat and watched her all day...if it wouldn't have been so hot.

Camden made All Stars this year so we've still been busy every night with practices, etc. This season has been so much fun and we're so proud of both of the boys and how well they've done. Carter and Caley went to spend the night with Aunt Paigie so we decided to let Camden have some boys from the All Stars team to spend the night. Here's a pic of a glimpse into our night. I'll have more pictures to post of the team in the next couple of weeks when the tournament gets kicked off.

a fun evening with some friends

2010-06-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

After a fun and relaxing evening with friends at their house in the country, I went home dreaming about how beautiful EVERYTHING was and wondering if maybe we should get out of the city. I don't think we actually ever would, but it was so so nice just sitting by the pool, no sounds of traffic or other "city" sounds...just the kids playing. They have the most beautiful house and pool outside, and the lawn...well, it could have been a golf course. This was how I would love to spend every day of my summer!!

Will...3 months

2010-06-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

You may remember me taking a few pictures of my friend Rachel's little boy, Will, several weeks ago. I was so excited when she called and asked me to come take some pictures of him again now that he's 3 months old. He is the sweetest baby and I had to share some pictures with you. Thank you Rachel for asking me to photograph your little treasure!

Cotton Row 2010

2010-06-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

We woke up bright and early Memorial Day to watch Thomas run in the 10K Cotton Row run. This was his fourth year to run this particular race and it's always such a fun one to run in and to watch. The race goes right through our neighborhood so me and the kiddos walked down the road to catch daddy at the beginning of the his 6.2 mile run. In the past, there has been no training whatsoever involved but this year he actually ran a couple of times a week before the race because he was trying the break 45 minutes.

Go daddy!

This was right before he got to the finish line. Did he break 45?

Oh yes...he did. Time: 44:42. He placed #166 in the race and that was out of about 2000 runners. I think he placed #16 out of his age group. Not too shabby. We were very proud.

Thomas signed the boys up to run the 5K this year and they did so good.

This was Carter right after the race started. He was soooo excited!

Here he is almost to the end.

This is his face when he's trying to hold his smile in (because he sees me taking a picture of him)....and then he starts to run a little faster to the finish.

Here's Camden finishing the race.

His face reminds me of what mine use to look like when I played sports in High School. I was always the one with the bright red face.

I was so proud of these guys. They ran 3.1 miles and finished the race smiling...I think they were mostly excited about the free food at the end.

The Huntsville Rockets...

2010-05-31T22:17:00.001-05:00

Before Spring ball started Camden played on a travel ball team and was able to get to play in a couple of tournaments. Now that regular spring ball is over, the Rockets coach scheduled another tournament this past weekend. They needed a couple of extra players so Carter and Joshua got to play. They had a BLAST getting to play baseball together....and be on the same team!!

The Season has ended for the Brooklyn Dodgers

2010-05-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

The boys finished off a fun and exciting coach pitch baseball season on Thursday night. Here's a short video of the team.

Caley's Preschool Graduation

2010-05-28T17:18:00.003-05:00

I can't believe my little girl is going to be in Kindergarten in the fall. Time is really flying by these days and it's really starting to hit me how my kids are just growing up too fast. Caley had her preschool graduation ceremony this week and it was really cute. I recorded a little of it with me phone so you can watch it below. The first part is Caley singing her favorite song of the program..."Your Name."

This pictures shows exactly how she feels about me taking pictures of her now...she's about sick of it.

Different ways of processing...

2010-05-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

A Visit to the American Girl Doll Store

2010-05-17T21:18:00.000-05:00

Caley had been waiting for this big day for a long time. Granny told her a long time ago that she would take her to the American Girl Doll store in Atlanta for her birthday. Boy was she excited and I have to say that I was too. It really is the neatest store.

I think this is what Caley's idea of Heaven would be like. Doll, clothes, everything that you can think of...everywhere!

I got a little carried away with pictures of the dolls but the were all so pretty to look at. Santa Claus brought her the 2009 girl of the year...Chrissa, and granny and pop gave her the twins for Christmas. She wanted to shop for clothes and accessories for them and granny let her have the biggest shopping spree of her life.

Aren't they so pretty.

Granny also let her pick our an American Girl t-shirt, which she has already worn twice since we've been home.

Caley also has the Bitty Baby, but she's looking a little rough these days. We've had her for a while and babies don't really stay in perfect shape at our house. Caley plays and plays and plays with them every single day. She loves babies and dolls more than anything.

This was the first thing she spotted in the store that she wanted. Should have known it would be something related to nursing. She has just recently been telling me that she wants to be a nurse and a mommy when she grows up. Oh..and a cheerleader.

This was her telling me ...mommy I'm serious, this is what I want.

She had so much fun. I just hope one day she'll understand how lucky she is.

Right after we left the store we had a little time to spare waiting on the guys so she immediately wanted to start taking things out. She reached for her favorite pick...the wheelchair.

Chrissa had to try on her crutches and casts.

She also went for a ride in her wheelchair in the mall, while everyone staired.

It really is such a fun place to visit even if you aren't a little girl :)

Just practicing...

2010-05-13T20:54:00.000-05:00

Caley Bug is FIVE!

2010-05-12T21:09:00.000-05:00

I can't believe my baby is already five years old. In the fall she'll start Kindergarten and I'm afraid it's gonna be like the beginning to the end. All three of my kids will be in school and I have no idea what that's going to be like.

Caley wanted to have a candy birthday party this year and she wanted the colors to match her dress. The child is already high maintenance and we have arguments almost daily about what she wants to wear. She definitely has her own opinion and she's not afraid to express it.

The party was simple and sweet...just the way I like it.

We still have ton of candy left over and unfortunately, I'm the one who ends up eating it and I'm the last one in the family that needs it.

I was so upset that I didn't get one single good picture of Caley blowing out her little cupcake candles. But here she is when everyone is singing "Happy Birthday" to her.

These two have so much fun together and they love each other so much!

We plan on going to the Busby's this weekend for Birthday party #2. I'm sure I'll have more to share on that later. :) Happy Birthday Caley Bug!!

I was so glad that we got to keep the triplets last night for a couple of hours. We took the kids on a golf cart ride and then walked down to the creek. They all had fun trying to skip rocks in the water. Then, of course, I had to try and take pictures while they were with us. Here are a few that I took at the playground. I hate it that I didn't get a good one of Abbie. :(

Oh...and a huge THANK YOU to my wonderful husband who upgraded my camera to a Nikon D90 for Mother's Day. I totally do not deserve it but I love him so much for getting it for me. I can't keep my hands off of it!

Trails, Hiking, and playing in the creek

2010-05-11T13:56:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday we took the kids on a hiking trip on some trails in our neighborhood. It was so pretty and such a fun thing to do as a family. Even Molly went. We have been enjoying taking the kids around the neighborhood in our new ride. Can't think of a good name for it yet...the Buzz Mobile? Anybody have any good ideas? It was a beautiful day, one that could not be spent indoors.

There is a gorgeous little creek that runs through the neighborhood so we decided to take a walk through it. We didn't plan on getting our feet wet but we couldn't resist once we got down there.

I think Molly had more fun than anyone. She absolutely LOVED playing in the water.

We are definitely going to go back again soon. Next time we'll know to wear some old shoes.

Family memories...these are the ones I hope they remember.

Next post...Caley's Birthday

St. Louis Road Trip...The Conclusion

2010-05-08T22:27:00.000-05:00

The Famous Arch

After the Zoo Saturday morning, we headed over to the famous Arch. We rode all the way up to the top...not good for anyone with claustrophobia...yes, all 5 of us fit in the cart below. The kids took in the view from the top...

Mom liked the view from the bottom a little better...

Saturday night we headed over to the City Museum at the recommendation of several friends. There's absolutely no way to describe what this place is like until you get there. Basically, it's a giant playground for kids and adults. They have everything from giant ball pits to humongous slides. It really was amazing - we ended up staying for four hours.

Caley Bug in the giant Slinky and the ball pit...

One of the slides...

After church Sunday morning we headed to Busch Stadium to catch the Cards' game. It happened to be Albert Pujol's MVP weekend so each of the kids got a promotional bat when we arrived...can't you see the excitement on Caley's face?

This kid wants nothing more than to be a pitcher...he loves it!

Little Brother showing his stuff...

And yes...Caley had to have a turn as well.

The view from the upper deck...we really enjoyed the stadium with the view of the skyline in the background.

If you know anything about the Big Leagues, you probably know that Albert Pujols is the Man. He's a great talent and from everything we know, a really good person as well. I've never seen so many Pujols' jerseys in my life...figured we might as well join the crowd. The three amigo(a)s below watching batting practice.

Taking in the action...

The Fam...

We had an incredible trip...it certainly won't be the last time we visit St. Louis. With so much to do (and so much of it being free), we couldn't take it all in in two days. Hopefully we created some memories that will continue to last for many years to come. Where are we headed next???

Cutie Patootie....Meg

2010-05-04T19:20:00.000-05:00

I had to post some pictures of this precious little girl that I took today. Isn't she a cutie? We went out to my friend Joy's moms house (which is a really neat place...and her mom had just about every kind of prop that you can imagine) and had fun taking pictures of her little girl. I think I found out one thing for sure about myself...I'm a headshot kind of girl. I don't know why I love the close-ups so much but they are definitely my favorite.

I still have more St. Louis pictures to post so stay tuned :)

St. Louis Road Trip...Part 1 THE ZOO

2010-05-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

This weekend has to be ranked on up there as one of my favorites. There really wasn't near enough time to do all that we wanted so a road trip back is definitely in our future. Our little adventure began Saturday morning at the St. Louis Zoo. The best part of this stop was that it was FREE. This zoo was really one of the best I've been to. You could see the animals so well and get pretty close to them. I loved every second of it and I could've spent the whole day there but we were a little rushed.

The giraffes are always a favorite.

So pretty.

Except for this one...it was kind of ugly.

The fam taking a break to see where we were going next.

I think this is the first zoo I've been to where I could get a close picture of the lions. Usually, they are so far away or behind a glass. This was awesome.

Caley said that this was definitely the Auburn Tiger.

The Chimpanzees...another favorite. They are so amazing to watch. If I had the time, I really could have stayed a while here.

That's some serious dry skin.

Not much action with the hippos. They pretty much just chilled the whole time.

It didn't take too long until Caley was asking to be carried. I was the last one tagging along in the back most of the time. I didn't like being rushed through the zoo...too many things I could miss :)

Not sure if this is a seal or a sea lion...anyone know the difference?

This beautiful peacock was spreading its feathers to protect itself. Gorgeous.

The komodo dragon...it looks like it's ready to attack me.

Cute little Prairie Dog munching on some corn.

Carter's turn to rude piggy back.

The penguin exhibit was absolutely amazing! Love it...you could get so close to them. This penguin was cracking us up because he wasn't moving the whole time. I'm not sure if he was asleep or what but he was like a statue.

Next up...the Arch and City Museum.

These Days...

2010-04-28T20:21:00.042-05:00

I've been working on this.....

And Dreaming about these....

And taking a lot of these....

I'm sorry if you all are getting very bored of portrait style photographs but I LOVE LOVE LOVE shooting them. I went to a couple of different places today...Ashley found this beautiful field of yellow flowers out at the Hays Nature Preserve. We gave it a try even though the sun was bright but I definitely plan to go back before sunset soon to get some better shots. It's so much fun shooting with someone else because you can learn so much from each other...well, at least I did :)

Next stop for the Busby's...St Louis. Thomas has planned a weekend full of fun activities and I'm very excited. Cardinals game, the zoo, children's Museum....CAN'T WAIT!! I'm sure I'll have lots to share in a few days.

Random pics

2010-04-26T10:17:00.000-05:00

Braves vs Rockies...The No Hitter

2010-04-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

Our new favorite past time this spring (or at least Thomas' favorite) has been going to see the Braves play in Atlanta. We made a last second trip (imagine that) Saturday afternoon to catch our second game of the season. The kids needed some new gear, so we picked up some new shirts along the way as well. As you can see below, Carter's favorite player is Brian McCann and although Caley has no idea yet who Jason Heyward really is, she made a very wise decision with her choice.

The first game we attended was a shutout, so there wasn't a whole lot of action for the home team that game. This game wasn't much better. Jiminez for the Rockies threw a no hitter against our team. At least we can say we saw a no-no. Anybody want to take a guess (without cheating) at how many no hitters there have been in the Majors)?

The highlight of the night was just before game time. We sat near the Braves bullpen and the boys walked down to get a closer look just before the first pitch. The guys in the pen threw each of them a little souvenir. As you can see from their pics below, they were pretty excited. Caley was satisfied with a little face painting and plenty of snacks.

Carter Busby...future Ace for the Braves, showing off his split finger fastball.

Caley at the face painting booth...

The boys and their souvenirs...

Taking in the action...

All in all, a great night at the ballpark. It won't be our last game of the season. We're hoping to take in a few more games and make another road trip or two. Pretty hard to beat some hot dogs, family time, and a little Braves baseball. Good for the soul. Hopefully we're continuing to create some great family memories for the kids - I know they are memories that Mom & Dad won't soon forget.

Sweet Sweet Baby

2010-04-19T13:55:00.001-05:00

My friend, Rachel, let me come over her house today and take some pictures of her 7 week old baby boy, Will. I desperately needed to satisfy my urge to take more pictures and little Will was my guinea pig. He was so sweet and I had so much fun just holding him.

It's so strange how all three pictures almost look like three different babies. I'm still learning little by little about photography but lighting plays a crucial roll. I have no idea why in one picture his eyes look so blue and in another not so blue. Anyone have ideas? I would love to know.

Caley Bug is playing T-ball!!

2010-04-18T20:40:00.000-05:00

Caley is playing her first season of T-ball this spring. I'm so happy for her because she actually gets to be part of a team instead of just watching the boys, which she does a lot. She is super excited to be on the Braves team this year and she got to see her first real Braves game this weekend. I'll have a post about that coming soon. Here are some action shots of my baby girl.

Molly Bolly

2010-04-16T16:42:00.001-05:00

Molly is not allowed on the furniture but this is where I find her every time I walk in the door. How can I say no to this? Sweet girl.

The Whole Clan :)

2010-04-15T17:33:00.000-05:00

The Bowerman's are in town!!

2010-04-14T21:09:00.000-05:00

We have been so excited that Paige and the kiddos are here to stay for a couple of days. It's their Spring Break this week so lucky us get to spend a little time with them. We had a little fun taking some pictures today at the Church of the Nativity downtown. I absolutely love taking pictures there. I'll have more pictures coming tomorrow when we take some with the other cousins but for now, here are a few.

Class Retreat and Dodgeball

2010-04-12T17:17:00.009-05:00

This past Saturday our Bible class at church went on a couples retreat at Double Head. We had a good time, especially later that night playing Mafia! The picture below was taken right outside the cabin.

Ryan, Thomas, and Chris

This bottom picture is from a Dodgeball tournament that Thomas got to play in this weekend. It was so much fun to watch. A few guys from work played on a team together. Fun stuff! Don't you love the shirts...if you're not a fan on "The Office" you may not get it. You can barely see it but right after the word REGIONAL it says "to the."

Brooklyn Dodgers

2010-04-09T18:11:00.000-05:00

The boys are playing on the Brooklyn Dodgers coach pitch baseball team this year. I absolutely love it when they're on the same team. ...makes things so much easier. Spring baseball gets me so excited and I love watching them play. They have played 2 games so far with a 0-1-1 record. I hope it gets better.

My boys in Atlanta at the Braves game last night.

A little photography practice

2010-04-09T13:53:00.002-05:00

I spent a little time today practicing taking pictures with a friend, and old neighbor. She has the cutest little girl (Kate) who has to be one of the easiest babies to take pictures of. They are both just beautiful!! You can find Ashley's blog here. Thought I would share a couple pictures from today. :)

Caley Bug-a-roo

2010-04-06T13:06:00.003-05:00

It's been way too long...

2010-04-04T21:17:00.000-05:00

It feels like it's been FORVER since I've been on the computer to blog. I've been far far away lately, just trying to focus on other things in my life....like cleaning the house :) It's such a strange feeling to actually have the laundry done everyday. I guess I've kept it up now for about 3 weeks or so and it feels good. I just hope it will last.

Well, backing up a couple of months...Camden played on a pre-season baseball team called the Hunstville Rockets. Carter was actually able to play in one game when they needed an extra player so getting a little extra ball time before playing spring ball was good for both of them.

The next couple of pictures are at school when they had to dress up like a character from a book that their class had chosen. Carter was Thing 1 from Dr. Seus and his friend Margaret was Thing 2. Camden's class dressed up like The Little's. He was a pilot and came up with his little costume all on his own. I was impressed....a snow hat and some goggles. Loved it.

Easter was just beautiful this year. I couldn't have asked for a more pleasant day. Saturday night we all went over to Ben and Anna's (my brother and his wife) to eat dinner and let the kids egg hunt. They had such a great time...all nine kids! My side of the family was there...I think there were 22 of us and we're all going to the beach together in July....CANNOT WAIT!

Hopefully, I'll start keeping up with the blogging now...if I can keep the house clean too :)

Brooke

Rock Star

2010-03-11T19:48:00.000-06:00

Apparently you can video on the imac. I found this little video of Carter that he recorded of himself yesterday. For some reason Thomas and I got a big kick out of it. See what you think.

The Photo Booth.

2010-02-23T16:59:00.004-06:00

No excuses, I'm such a dork. It sure was fun though.

My very brave and very scared little girl.

2010-02-19T15:01:00.002-06:00

Does anybody see anything odd about this picture? Look closely.

My brave little girl decided to get her ears pierced a few weeks ago. We had been talking about it for a while but she was just a little too scared to actually go through with it, until, one day she randomly said she wanted to get it done. I really didn't believe her so i just brushed it off and didn't put much thought in to it at all. Well, I was so wrong. While I was at our church ladies retreat, Thomas sent me a picture from his phone of her having it done. I was totally shocked! I was a little sad that I didn't actually get to see her get it done but I was glad that daddy got to experience it with her. They really need more father/daughter time together, so this was good. She is very much a mamma's girl.

Thomas said she was laughing so loud to try and hold back the tears. She was very very brave and I was so proud of her for making that choice all by herself.

Two days later, she woke up that morning with one earring gone. I tried to get it back in her ear but it just wouldn't go through. Poor thing, I poked and poked but had to give up because it was hurting her so much.

We knew what had to be done now....get it re-pierced. (sigh)

Well, today was the day. She was very excited about getting it done again and not the least bit scared...so it seemed. We got into Claire's and then she just started sobbing. I tried and tried to talk her into getting it done but no luck. She was so so scared. Believe me, she's made up her mind. She will not get it done again any time soon that's for sure. You could offer her 10 new dolls and she wouldn't budge on her decision.

So...my dilemma.

Do I take the other earring out? Or....leave it in until she decides to have it done again. (Which I honestly believe, at this point, will be a very long time from now.)

I need your advice!! Leave it or remove it??

Marah's Tea Party

2010-02-09T09:53:00.000-06:00

This picture was taken at my mom's house during Marah's Birthday Tea Party. I can't believe she's already five years old!! All the girls dressed up in their princess dresses. Too Cute.

My new friend....

2010-01-28T20:14:00.004-06:00

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my husband. Our PC was about to crash; it seriously took about 45 seconds to get from one webpage to the next. So, here it is....what I've been dreaming about for such a long time...the imac. All i've been doing the past several days is watching tutorials on how to use it. I love love love it! Thank you, Thomas!

Short Clip of the Boys in Action

2010-01-22T10:38:00.004-06:00

This is super short...just a few clips that I took from my iphone. First two shots are Carter and last four are Camden.

It's that time of year....

2010-01-21T20:24:00.000-06:00

for Upward Basketball.

The boys kicked off their first game last Saturday with Thomas coaching both teams. I really do love this sport. They are both doing great and I hope to get some video footage on here soon so you can see the Busby boys in action.

Two of Carter's big buddies....Aubrey on the left and Josh on the right.

Camden and his bud Max.

Somebody got a haircut.....

2010-01-14T15:56:00.000-06:00

Sledding in the Snow

2010-01-10T19:08:00.000-06:00

Christmas Bits-n-Pieces

2009-12-29T21:17:00.000-06:00

Who does he belong to?

2009-12-20T22:01:00.002-06:00

We finally got a chance to take the kids to Santa's Village where the real Santa is. It's fun every year but it was so so cold!! Look it even snowed.

Well, not really. It's fake snow, but it's fun to watch while you're waiting in line for Santa.

Poor reindeer, he's had a long day.

The kids decorated the gingerbread cookies...then threw them away.

Caley didn't want a picture with the soldier.

She had no problem though posing with her glasses.

Here he is..the real Santa. He's so sweet.

My kids Christmas list this year....

Camden: Football Pads

Carter: R2D2 Robot

Caley: American Girl Doll

Our Church Bible class had a Tacky Sweater Christmas Party. It was so much fun and absolutely hilarious. I think most people shopped for their outfits at thrift stores...except for this guy.

Who in the world does this guy belong to?

Well, that would be my husband.

They are definitely just alike.

Nashville Wrap-Up

2009-12-18T22:36:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, our time in Nashville had to come to an end. We had so much fun and I really didn't wanna come back home...but we did. Here are a few more pics of our trip.

My mom bought all the grandkids these cute little Christmas necklaces that light up.

We all went on carriage rides Saturday night outside the Opryland Hotel. The lights everywhere are just so beautiful. It was cold and a little rainy but we really enjoyed every second.

Waving at the grandparents across the way.

The Bowermans

The Morrows

One of these days we're gonna get a family picture of the Busby's on here. :)

Sunday afternoon the guys went to see the Titans play. Camden and Carter are really starting to love football more and more. I have a feeling it'll be their sport next fall....and they've both asked for football pads for Christmas.

I just love these three!!

And these two are just alike too!!

Nashville...Part 2 ICE

2009-12-16T21:41:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning we went to see "ICE" featuring Charlie Brown. We thought we were prepared for the cold temperature but can you really prepare yourself for 9 degrees? It was very cold!! But...it was definitely worth it. It was so so neat and the kids had so much fun.

Macy was all bundled up and ready to go.

Poor Noah didn't feel well on the trip. I felt so bad for him....and Ben & Anna. He made it throught he main events though.

They give you these coats to wear inside and we definitely needed 'em.

Everything inside was made of ice and there were a ton of ice sculptures everywhere. It really was amazing.

Daddio.

The slide was by far the best part. The kids loved it and I think almost all the adults in our crew gave it a try too. How many chances do you ever get to slide down an ice slide!! That's Camden up top.

Here goes Thomas.

Oh yeah...he loved it. :)

By now, Thomas is pretty much miserable because he didn't bring gloves. His hands were frozen.

Here goes Camden again.

Caley even tried it. She's branching out and getting a little braver every year.

Here goes Ben, Abbie, and Bailey.

Anna and Noah.

Have I mentioned before how these two are just alike?? I mean identical. Camden is just like his daddy.

Here's Marah.

Even Macy went down....and loved it!

How cute is that?

Sorry Paige, I had to put it on here. :)

Opryland Hotel...Part 1

2009-12-14T21:16:00.001-06:00

The fam, on my mom's side, (22 of us) went to Nashville for the weekend and stayed at the Opryland Hotel. This was my mom's way of celebrating her weight loss...yipee for us getting to celebrate it with her. She had a long intinerary typed out for the whole weekend....The Rockettes, Ice, Louise Mandrel Dinner Show, and lots more. We had so much fun and I did not wanna come home.

Just being in the Christmas atmsophere there puts everyone in the best mood and certainly gets you in the holiday spirit.

Of course, we all start with the cameras right when we enter the hotel. Well, actually, some of the others may have started at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was pretty hilarious...all the cameras.

As you can see, my kids were quite thrilled with getting their picture taken. :)

I told 'em to get over it and smile...:)

He's doing his best to look sincere.

My grandmother got herself a wheelchair to use because you do a ton of walkin' at this hotel. I was worn out by the end of the first night. This is Trey and Marah goofin' off while we wait for our rooms.

Ben looks super excited. te he he

Here's some of the clan....still waiting.

My grandmother and Caley.

Get use to it kiddos...I plan on takin' a ton more.

Marah and Caley had fun pushin' for a while. It didn't last long.

How cute....Rodney and Paige.

The Cascades....the section our room was in.

We're actually walking around the hotel now. But, we didn't get far before we stopped for more pictures.

Caley Bug and her "look alike" Uggs. Old Navy....$20. Well, now they're on sell for $10.

Trey and Cort....they are just the cutest couple.

The kids stopped for a train ride in the hotel...courtesy of my mom.

Camden's in the caboose...didn't get a good one of him.

They all wanted in the front.

Off they go.

Joshua Bodene, Macy Poo, and Marah Barah...or at least that's what I call them sometimes.

The girls looking at the fish

They have some huge, gigantic carp in the water!!

My christmas tree doesn't quite look like this.

Stay Tuned! More to come!!!!!!

Caley's Preschool Christmas Program

2009-12-13T21:54:00.000-06:00

I just love children's programs at schools. Seriously, parents just go crazy over watching their kids dress up in little costumes to sing. It's so cute.

Caley's preschool put on a Christmas Program this year and it was so precious. Caley was a cow.

She's hard to find. Do you see her? Look at the white outfits with the red dots.

Now do you see her?

She did so good and she sang out so loud. I'd been listening to her sing the songs all week so I knew she was ready!

My boys.

I have lots more to come....weekend in Nashville.

A little bit of Snow!

2009-12-05T19:06:00.000-06:00

Well, we got a little bit of snow. I'm ~~thinking~~ hoping that this is only a small taste of what is yet to come this winter. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

Thanksgiving....Auburn...and the DOMINATOR!

2009-11-29T20:47:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful, and busy, Thanksgiving this year. Breakfast Thursday morning at my parents house with my mom's side of the family, lunch with my Grandmother Morrow (my dad's mom) and the family, and then drove to Adairsville, GA for dinner with the Busby's.

I mentioned before that my mom has been losing weight, well now she's lost over 100 pounds!!!! I have never, in my life seen her look like this! It's so amazing and I'm so incredibly proud of her. She's only 10 pounds away from her goal!!

My parents have "Rock Band" at their house so it pretty much consumes my kids whenever we're there.

Camden loves to sing! My kids have the words to "Eye of the Tiger" and "Livin' on a Prayer" memorized. It's pretty hilarious listening to 'em!

Joshua has become the guitar master. He's so much better than me and I seriously think he could take on anybody.

Carter asked for "Rock Band" for Christmas but I told him we would just settle for playing it at Nana and Grampy's. I don't think my kids would ever take their eyes off the TV if we had it at our house. "Guitar Hero" is enough for us.

My parents.

For lunch we headed over the Muscle Shoals to my grandmother's house. Carter and Joshua bumped into each other which helped Carter's tooth come out. One little tug and out it went.

This is my Grandmother Morrow and all the girls. She was so excited to have all the family at her house this year for Thanksgiving and I'm so glad we could come!!

This is my dad's brother and sisters.... my uncle Tommy, Aunt Diann, Grandmother, Aunt Myra, and dad.

The Busby's kept our kids for us this weekend so that Thomas and I could have a weekend to ourselves. First stop, Auburn University for the Iron Bowl.

It was crazy that day for sure but it was a great game! We took a loss but it was definitely worth going to. I don't think we've been to an Auburn game by ourselves since Camden was little. We had a great time and I already can't wait until next year.

We spent the rest of the weekend in Atlanta and did a little Christmas shopping. Saturday night we went to see the movie, "The Blind Side", which I highly recommend!! It was great!

The kids were having a fantastic time while we were gone. This is their "Little Debbie" car that stays at the Busby's. Oh how we love Little Debbie cakes!!! Pop works for Little Debbie so we always get to bring home yummy cakes and treats when we visit!

Thomas used Little Debbie Nutty Bars to get me to go out with him in college. He knew they were my favorite so he'd bring them over on occasion. It worked!!

Granny took Caley to a nail salon to get their fingernails and toenails done. She LOVES getting them painted!! Granny knows how to spoil her. :)

Cute little snowmen on her fingernails.

The kids were totally surprised to find this car parked at their house. Pop bought the "Dominator" for the kids to ride on and it was a hit for sure! They absolutely love it and can't wait to go back for more!!

The kids took turns riding with Poppy.

I'm not sure when they'll be ready to ride on it by themselves....of course they wanna make it go as fast as possible.

Poppy and Carter.

Even Caley loved it!

But, I'm not sure who really liked it more....Poppy and Thomas, or the kids. :)

This is what they do when we're not there. :)

This is one of the 6 blow-ups in their yard right now. Caley likes the penguin because it's just her size!! Can't wait for Christmas!!!!