Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice...

Baby Bump Week 17

2012-02-11T19:39:00.002-05:00

Glue, Salt, and Paint

2012-02-07T08:44:00.001-05:00

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Winter in Georgia

2012-02-06T11:08:00.001-05:00

This weekend the weather was just beautiful so we spent a lot of time outside. Fridays are normally PJ days for Layne since she doesn't have school. Gotta put those shoes on before you go outside though, even if you're wearing feety PJs!

Hayden was so excited on Saturday when she found out that she actually owns "maternity pants" too!! What a nut!

Daddy was blowing all of the leaves off of the driveway and all of a sudden Roxy came through the back door holding this newspaper in her mouth. I immediately thought that Jeremy had given her the paper at the bottom of the driveway and instructed her to "take it to mommy". Not sure why I thought that she was capable of that when she doesn't even come when you call her half the time!!

Sunday was a day at the school. Mommy ran and the girls and daddy played.

She could ride her bike down the hill, but that's it!

Hayden is just a little bike riding expert!

This is what she did most of the time!

Great weekend....except for the fact that Layne has strep, didn't slow her down though!

Baby Bump Week 16

2012-02-06T10:40:00.002-05:00

Click here to see the Pampers Commercial that I am talking about!

What Am I......Chopped Liver?!

2012-02-04T10:48:00.000-05:00

This was the scene last night when we got home from FX up at Discover Point. I'm sure that Sprinkles and Kit would have been in the picture too, but they were outside at the time. Such a rare moment. Normally the girls are pressed up against me on the couch. And of course Roxy is always by daddy's side!

Pinterest!!

2012-02-04T10:44:00.003-05:00

I first heard about Pinterest after I did a friend's bridal shower cake. Lots of the ladies were asking if I had "pinned" the picture of the cake. "Oh, you would get SO MANY repins, you don't even know!" they said. I had no clue what they were talking about....online pin board?! Then I got an invite and experienced it!!

It is just so great, you just have to experience it to know what I mean.

The picture above is of homemade snickers bars!! Found the recipe on pinterest!

The best way to get on pinterest, since it's invite only, is to ask someone that uses pinterest to send you an invite.

Here it's Pinterest's description of what exactly Pinterest is.....

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

Hello.....My Name is Gwynn

2012-02-03T14:18:00.002-05:00

Baby names are one of my favorite thing to talk about. It just so happens that it's one of Jeremy's least favorite things to talk about!! I drive him crazy trying to talk about names and he drives me crazy with his bad attitude towards the subject.

The naming process began early on....for me at least. I had this ongoing list of my favorite and then I would share a name or two here and there with Jeremy. He didn't like ANYTHING!! He finally had to put a stipulation on the name sharing. I could share one boys name and one girls name in a 24 hour period. I am pretty sure that Jeremy just said no to everything.

He just felt that it was a waste of time to pick out both a boys and a girls name when we were only going to have one or the other. Why waste all that energy deciding on a name that won't be used?! I looked at it like it was a very fun game with a great prize at the end!!! Oh well.

So, once we found out that we were having a girl it was time to get down to business, not more excuses!!

In case you have not figured it out yet, her name will be Gwynn. It's not going to be short for anything. The name means fair, white blessed, holy. And it's just perfect!! We are still working out the middle name.

Reality Setting In

2012-02-01T14:09:00.001-05:00

Jan had this (and a boy outfit just in case) in her office for when we found out what we were having. The first little outfit for this sweet baby. Seeing her on the ultrasound two weeks ago began the "reality check" for me. Then when Jan revealed that we were having a girl it was just another huge does of reality....this tiny creature inside me IS coming and....ready or not..... IT'S ANOTHER GIRL. That's when it really started to hit me that the Ross' really are going to be a family of 5 soon. I know that there was a point months back that I really wanted a third child, but we all know Jeremy...... and I just didn't really think that it would happen. He was very adamant about only having two.
The past few weeks have been filled with a lot of deep sighs between Jeremy and I. I think reality is hitting him as well. We are excited about all of this, don't get me wrong. It's all just still a little hard to believe. That's what's so dangerous about making your own plans. If Jeremy and I had "our way" and God consulted us when He was planning out our lives we would only have the two children and I would be running a bakery right now....not pregnant. But, could you imagine if we were really in charge of planning out our own lives?! What a mess everything would be. We do have free will and look at the poor choices we make with that!! I know that God's will and plans are far better that anything that I could come up with, even though sometimes I act like my ways are better. Since this pregnancy has been kind of a hard pill to swallow (believe me, I feel terrible typing that let alone feeling it!!) I had to dive into His Word for some much needed comfort and understanding. I needed to KNOW that He knew what He was doing and that He was going to be with us every step of the way. The fact is that we are barely making it as a family of four, how will we do this as a family of FIVE?! Well, this is what I found......

Isaiah 55:6-11

⁶ Seek the LORD while he may be found;
   call on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways
   and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
   and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways,”
            declares the LORD.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
   come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
   without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
   so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
   It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Another cool thing that I discovered is that I worked to memorize the Proverbs verses about 4 months ago!! God was preparing my heart for this sweet child before she was a reality in our minds!! He is so good and His ways are right....all the time!!
Now it's time for another reality check, giving this sweet baby girl a name!! Let the fun begin!!

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Tokyo!

2012-02-01T12:49:00.001-05:00

Last night after the ultrasound Grammy and Pop came to Tokyo with us for my birthday dinner. The girls got chop sticks and did great! Layne didn't even cry when it was "fire time".

Hayden using her chop sticks. It was a great meal and definitely a great day to find out that our precious third child is a girl. Great birthday present for sure!!

This was one of the first attempts at the balloon picture. I quickly realized (by many trials and errors) that I just had to tape the balloons to the wall and box and make it just appear like they were floating out of the box. So that's what we did! What a great day!!!

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It's Confirmed!!

2012-02-01T10:41:00.002-05:00

We will be a house full of girls!! I am so happy to finally know what we're having for Ross baby number three. Even though I was really hoping that this third one would be a boy, I am very happy that the girls will have a little sister to play with. I still can't believe that we're having a third child!! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. We totally trust that God knows what's best for us all the time....including this time too!!

Yay for GIRLS!!!

It's a Girl!!!

2012-01-31T20:22:00.002-05:00

Monkey See Monkey Do

2012-01-30T16:20:00.003-05:00

The girls just had to pose like mommy!!

Baby Bump Week 15

2012-01-30T16:18:00.000-05:00

Hayden took this picture for me since daddy is working! Didn't she do such a great job?!?!

Shoe Tie

2012-01-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

She has mastered it!!!

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Best Buds

2012-01-26T07:22:00.001-05:00

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Baby Number 3

2012-01-24T11:20:00.001-05:00

We tried to find out the gender of this sweet little baby today, but it was not ready to reveal itself yet!! The outstanding news is that the baby is active, happy, healthy, and growing! We are overjoyed. We haven't seen or heard the baby in 8 weeks, so it was wonderful to see.

The new due date is July 19th.....our wedding anniversary and 3 days after Layne's birthday!

Fortunately, the ultrasound tech is my mother in law so I can go back any time. I think we'll bring the girls next time. Maybe they can coax this baby to let us see!

Baby Bump Week 14

2012-01-23T10:18:00.001-05:00

Sleep Over

2012-01-22T18:26:00.001-05:00

Friday night the girls hung out with Grandma and Pop while mommy and daddy went out with the DP staff. The girls even have the princess poses down!!

What a priss jumping on the bed.

Saturday morning the girls woke up to Pop making them pancakes!!

Of course, the girls had to spend time with the chicks in the basement.

They even know how to place them on their backs and rub their tummies so that they fall asleep.

Rainy rainy weekend!

Jogging and Riding

2012-01-16T13:41:00.001-05:00

Today the girls and I went to the elementary school down the street so that I could jog and they could ride their bikes. Layner still doesn't ride her big girl bike. So, this is the "bike" that she brought.

Ready to ride!!

On the way to the track....

They just loved this sidewalk for some reason.....better than the track.

Layner had a little spill on the track. She cried a little, then when she saw the blood the whole situation got a lot worse! She's a tough cookie though. I thought for sure that it would be time to go home, but she wanted to keep riding.

Great times!!

They must have gone up and down this sidewalk 20 times!!
Oh, and my jog was just fine. It was so nice to be in a place where I could get some exercise and they were safe and having fun at the same time!

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Baby Bump Week 13

2012-01-15T20:44:00.002-05:00

The Penguin Project!

2012-01-14T15:23:00.001-05:00

Here's Hayden's finished penguin project! The little paper mache penguins in their icy antarctic home....complete with a sugar water feature. Hayden had nothing to do with making that considering it was 300 degree boiling sugar!!

What a fun little project!

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Arctic Animal School Project

2012-01-13T18:59:00.001-05:00

So, Hayden has her first "long term" project at school. We have about 2 weeks to do it. She has to pick an arctic animal and do a project that shows how they live. So, we are doing penguins in Antarctica.

First we blew up three little balloons and paper mached them. No pictures of that......it was VERY messy.

Then they had to dry for 2 days. Today we paint!

Hayden even let sister help paint.

When she came home with the paper telling all about the project I got very excited! Jeremy said, "Before you start the project you need to watch this week's Modern Family." I did, and it was VERY relevant to the situation. Of course, I justified it by saying that Hayden is only 5 years old and she NEEDS my help :)

So, fun times ahead!!!

Happy Belated Birthday Jesus Cake

2012-01-13T18:49:00.001-05:00

Every Discover Kid that came to Discover Point on Christmas participated in a HUGE Birthday party for Jesus AND they left with a treat bag. The treat bag contained a box of cake mix, a container of frosting, a noise maker, party hat, and a cute little note to the parents that encouraged them to bake the cake together have a Birthday Party for Jesus at home with the family.

Things have finally calmed down enough for us so we decided that today was the day of Jesus' belated Birthday Celebration!!

Time to make the cake......

Each one got to help out....

Then it was time to watch the mixer do its job.

After the cake cooled it was time to ice it.

They did a great job icing our cake.

Next it was star sprinkle time!!

Here's our finished birthday cake for Jesus! Can't wait till after dinner so we can all have a slice.

Getting Some Exercise!

2012-01-13T18:40:00.000-05:00

The other day we all went for a walk before dinner. The next day Hayden said that her legs hurt all day because of the long walk the day before! So, yesterday I had the girls run around the house to get some exercise.

The loved it!!

Then Layner got distracted and started picking flowers!

Panther of the Month

2012-01-11T12:14:00.001-05:00

All dressed and waiting for sister's assembly to begin. This is her absolute favorite outfit of all times. She was so excited that it was raining so that that she could wear her perfectly matching rain boots!!

Our little Panther of the Month!!

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Baby Bump Week 12

2012-01-08T16:31:00.002-05:00

Dave and Busters!

2012-01-08T15:57:00.001-05:00

We went to Dave and Buster with some good friends last night. It was a lot of fun!!

We sure will miss you Jonathan and Rebecca!

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Peanut Butter and Chocolate

2012-01-06T16:59:00.001-05:00

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Fashion Girl

2012-01-04T16:06:00.001-05:00

Modeling one of her new Christmas outfits.

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Steelers and More

2012-01-04T11:42:00.001-05:00

Ready for the Steeler game last Sunday. It wasn't on TV, but I listened to it and updated the girls! Thanks for the new jersey Grandma and Pap!

This glorified cardboard box is what Layne picked out for Hayden for Christmas this year. They love it! And they can color as they play!!

Back to running. It actually helps with the nausea and sensitivity to smells and foods! The cool weather is great too. Just going to keep it between 2-5 miles every other day. It's nice to get back into running...pace is a little slower though :)

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Baby Bump Week 11

2012-01-02T17:29:00.002-05:00

Last Days in the Sunshine State

2011-12-31T16:50:00.001-05:00

One day we went to Gulf Port to see Sep and Morgan's new place and they took us out to breakfast! They live in such a cute little part of town....loved it! Here we are walking to the docks.

We hung out at their place for a while. We were all entertained by the Wii!! And of course little Layner.

Assisting the girls with the Wii. They loved MarioKart.

Their neighbor has an orange tree. So, for snack daddy picked them an orange!

Then we were off to Snoballs. Hayden had one of their seasonal flavors-peppermint snowflake!

Layner had an old time favorite....sharks blood (I think).

I had the Pirates Treasure which is unreal. Jerm and Johnny had a stuffed caramel apple which was SO GOOD!

SO COLD......but I must finish!

On our last night we all went out to The Olive Garden and had a delicious meal together! Totally worth the 45 minute wait.

Back to Pappy's place for more Wii.....

Pooped!

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Semi-Annual Cookie Decorating

2011-12-28T16:29:00.001-05:00

The adults had a cookie decorating contest. There were make shift piping bags, forks, toothpicks, and many more tools used in the process.

All of the entrants. That nigh we went over to dad and Melody's for dinner. We then awarded prizes in different areas. I can't remember all of the categories, I do remember that my stocking won Best Overall!!

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Christmas in Florida

2011-12-28T09:59:00.001-05:00

This year we are spending Christmas in Florida with Pappy, Melody, Johnny, Mwende, September, and Morgan. Here are the girls just enjoying the nice warm weather on Pappy's front porch.

The other day on our way to the beach we stopped by September and Morgan's house to pick some grapefruit. I have never seen grapefruit so big! They have a huge back yard with two grapefruit trees and maybe even an avocado tree too!

Then it was off to the beach. I didn't bring suits with us because I thought that it would be too cold for them to swim that day. So, instead we just stripped them down to their undies!

I have no idea what nut ball is doing here. Maybe it's her impression of a sea gull taking flight.

The water was ice cold so the girls just did a lot of digging in the sand.

Wet toes is as far as we got!

Pappy and the girlies

Lastly, we thought that it would be a great idea to pile sand on our bums.

Yesterday Johnny and Mwende brought over a gingerbread house kit!

We all sat around the table and put it together. Some (Johnny) were a little messier about the decoration that others.

We had a major flaw in the foundation right from the start. Somebody (same person as mentioned above) turned the side boards of the house the wrong way during building. And none of us caught it!! He even trimmed the two side pieces so that they would fit that way! Oh well, it's Florida so it's an open air house!

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Ross Christmas

2011-12-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

On Christmas Eve we celebrated Christmas with Grandma, Pop, Matt, Jamie, and Mac. We had a nice day together.

Grandma made the girls these Hello Kitty hats and mittens!

Pink for Hayden and purple for Layner.

Mac had lots of gifts to open too!

By the end of the day Roxy was so sleepy!

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T17:46:00.001-05:00

The girls started with a stocking full of goodies from Grandma and Pap.

Their stockings from them even had STINK BUGS in them!

Then it was on to the stockings from mommy and daddy.

Lots of practical stuff like lotion and hand sanitizer!

Off to open presents from mommy, daddy, grandma, and pap!

Cute little black boots from Grandma and Pap.

Little Miss Muffin Doll for both of the girls one pink and one purple!

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Pizza Party!

2011-12-25T16:38:00.001-05:00

One the last day of Haydens school, sissy and I were invited to go for a pizza party!

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Chuck E Cheeses

2011-12-25T16:36:00.001-05:00

The girls went to chuck e cheeses for the first time last week ehen they went to Kendalls birthday party.
Everything was great until Hayden wet her pants! She was playing a game that involved her being on the phone with Chucky himself. She said that she couldn't stop for a potty break because Chucky was still talking!

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Gifts

2011-12-25T16:27:00.001-05:00

Here's what Hayden and Layne gave their friends....reindeer chocolate!
We made their teachers gift bags with mugs, hot chocolate, candy, and special stirring spoons.

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Baby Bump Week 10

2011-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas at Stone Mountain

2011-12-21T11:03:00.004-05:00

On Monday we headed to Stone Mountain with the Ross clan. The weather wasn't too bad at all and it wasn't too crowded either.

Mac waiting to see the Snow Angel.

The girls sitting with the Snow Angel. The look on Layner's face was priceless! She was just beside herself.

The long awaited train ride.

Christmas Village was lit up beautifully!

2011-12-20T08:22:00.001-05:00

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Baby Bump Week 9

2011-12-19T09:06:00.002-05:00

Baby Bump Week 8

2011-12-14T10:17:00.002-05:00

Christmas is Coming!!

2011-12-13T16:47:00.001-05:00

First off....I am IN LOVE with Pintrest! That's where I found this cute Christmas shirt idea. So easy and so cute! I did both of them in 30 minutes! Aren't they the cutest girls ever?! Hayden is learning how to do her own hair, as you may be able to tell.

On Saturday night we had an DP Staff and Family Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. It was a lot of fun, most fun I have had in a very long time! This is the sweater that I made for the party. Jerm's sweater, other pictures, and even video can be seen on my facebook.

Hayden's Christmas Program at school. The video is on facebook. She was so cute and did an excellent job!

One of Hayden's besties.....Hartley.

Hayden in her PJ's all dressed and ready for her Christmas Program.

I needed a specific kind of brownie for a recipe and there were a few boxes shoved way way in the back of the bottom shelf....so I sent Hayden in for the job. It was so funny.

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Santa!

2011-12-13T09:21:00.001-05:00

Baby Bump Week 7

2011-12-05T12:24:00.001-05:00

I guess I didn't know how bad I really felt until I started to feel better! Jeremy has been saying to me for weeks now, "You never smile anymore, you haven't smiled for weeks now!" I didn't really know what he was talking about since I was still a happy person even though I didn't feel so great. I would wake up in the mornings and just want the day to be over so that I could crawl back in bed, fall asleep, and not feel nauseous anymore! Was it really effecting others though? I kind of thought that I was "hiding it" and dealing kind of well. But to be honest, I wasn't even able to walk into the kitchen to make dinner without feeling sick. Truth is, I couldn't even think about the dinner menu without feeling sick, so I didn't! With the other two pregnancies I just had to make sure that I had small meals throughout the day and I would be fine. Not this this one though. So, I put it out there on Facebook....what to do for morning sickness?!? I got a lot of advice, but I decided to start with the easiest suggestion-Ice Chips! I didn't think that it would work, but it did! I started trying it on Saturday and I feel 100% back to normal! It's amazing how great I feel. Now, I still go to bed around 8:30 each night but at least I feel "normal" again!! Amazing!

Burn Pile

2011-12-02T11:30:00.001-05:00

Today Daddy and Layne headed up to the burn pile so that they could burn some yard debris. Daddy pulled some dead limbs and Layne pulled some behind her as well.

It was the cutest thing!

Then it was time to watch it all burn.

Keeping a safe distance while we keep an eye on the fire.

Daddy's little helper.
As we walked down from the burn pile I was saying to Jeremy that I didn't know what Layne would do if this new baby is a boy. She loves to be daddy's helper-what if daddy gets a boy?! Jeremy said, "I don't know what Hayden will do because Layne and the baby (if it's a boy) will be best buds....what will Hayden do?!" We shall see.

Daddy sharing his plan with Layner.

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Baby Bump Week 6

2011-12-01T11:08:00.001-05:00

Baby Bump Week 5

2011-12-01T11:00:00.001-05:00

I saw this on a girl's blog and I thought that it was just the cutest idea ever!! Every week I am going to take a picture and write some stuff to baby. One of the most wonderful things about blogging is looking back. I love looking back and remembering everything that I have documented and captured. One day I will be able to sit with baby number three and look back and share all about my pregnancy with them. I just can't wait!

One thing that Angela said to me when I told her that we were pregnant was that this pregnancy would be special. Since we are pretty sure it will be our last I can focus on every moment and take it all in and enjoy it. And once the baby comes I can enjoy every little "first" that they have since it will probably be my last baby. And since it's our third I kind of know what I am doing, so I won't have to be nervous and stressed about "messing up". I can just take it all in and enjoy the moments and memories. I just love the thought of that and so we begin with week 5!

Ross......Family of FIVE!

2011-12-01T10:39:00.001-05:00

An early Christmas present to us from God! Jeremy and I had kind of come to the conclusion that we were "done at two". Now, he reached that conclusion A LOT sooner than I did. He has ALWAYS said that he only wanted two children. And I always wavered between 2 and 3. About 2 or 3 months ago we both got on the same page about only having 2 kiddos. Now, I wasn't going to let Jerm rush off at "have the surgery" or anything extreme like that. But I felt content with the two that we have.

Then came the headache......a headache that I have only had two times (three times now) in my life. The "You are pregnant" headache! We took a test and sure enough. God just wanted to remind us that He is the one in charge here. Proverbs 16:9 says "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." How wonderful to know that God is our Director, it's so nice to know that the one that created us loves us enough to be involved in our lives. Could you imagine what our lives would look like if we were actually in charge...like we often think we are!?!? He knows our destiny already, He has wonderful plans for all of us....even this tiny little miracle growing inside of me.

This is how we told our families. We sent them these cute little Thanksgiving cards. Everyone was so excited with the news.

And this is how we told the girls. I wrote a sentence on a piece of paper and Daddy helped Hayden sound it out. It was so anticlimactic. I was expecting that they would be jumping out of their skins with excitement. But, they were pretty normal about the whole thing. They don't really get it. They don't get why my tummy isn't bulging out and why on the ultrasound it looks like a tiny white blip.

2011-11-29T20:34:00.001-05:00

The girls playing with daddy's Kindle Fire. Unfortunately, Layne is not longer allowed to play with it. She uninstalled everything the other day. Everything is A-OK now though :)

Tonight we went to Layne's school for Cookies and Coco with Santa. We started by making coco and then we were off to make Christmas Tree hats!

Hayden got to see lots of teachers and friends from last year. It was a good time!

We also got to make this cute little Santa decoration.

Layne has come a long way with the "Santa issue" over the past month. When I first talked with her about it last month she didn't even want to go to Cookies and Coco with Santa. Then she decided that she'd go, but she was NOT going to see Santa. Next she decided that she would sit on his lap but she would NOT talk to him. Today when I asked her about it she said that she would sit there long enough for just ONE picture. She even held up one finger as she told me, so that there would be no confusion about it!!

Here she is nervously waiting......

I adore the relationship that the girls have with each other. They are each other's best friend and so much more.

Ok, here we go!

Finally, a Santa picture with both of them smiling!!!!

So proud of little Layner!

Growing Girl

2011-11-26T16:39:00.001-05:00

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Thanksgiving Hats!

2011-11-21T10:02:00.001-05:00

I was looking for some cute turkey hats for the toddlers to make on Tuesday while we're up at Discover Point for A Night of Worship and I came across these. I just had to make them! So, not they have cute little turkey hats to wear for Thanksgiving week!!!

These are the hats that the little toddlers are going to make on Tuesday night. I LOVE the wiggly legs!!

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The Dentist

2011-11-16T08:02:00.001-05:00

Layner's first trip to the dentist.....

was a success!! She asked lots of questions and was an outstanding patient.

Big sister enjoyed watching her get her teeth cleaned.

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Pops Birthday

2011-11-14T08:40:00.001-05:00

On Sunday we went over to Grandma and Pop's for Pop's 60th birthday party! Here's Hayden feeding Mac! He's getting so big!!

Here's the cake that I made for Pop's party.

The other day we were over there to decorate for the party. Daddy was cutting up firewood and the girls and I were just hanging out.

Hayden was pretending that this was her "tripod" and she was snapping pictures the whole time.

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Thanksgiving at Peachtree!

2011-11-10T19:55:00.001-05:00

We were invited to celebrate Thanksgiving with Hayden and her class. All of the parents in her class were asked to bring in a vegetable side. The other classes brought in stuff too. While we waited Hayden's class put on a little surprise performance for us! They started with a little pow wow chant thing that was kinda cool.

Then they sang some songs and even counted to 100!!

Our little Indian!!

Indian and her sissy!

Hayden with her best buddy at school- Hartley!

Time to eat!!!

It was delicious and so much fun!!!

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Silly Faces....

2011-11-10T19:49:00.001-05:00

Just the girls acting crazy and making silly faces for the camera. I had them change shirts because I am going to actually use some of these photos for different projects.

We have spent that last few nights just looking at the different videos on the blog from way back when. I can't even put into words how special this blog is to me. All of these memories, stories, pictures, and videos are all in one place for me to look at whenever I want. I can't believe how much I forget-the girls sweet little voices, them learning so much, all of the "first" experiences......

What precious gifts!!

Jumping In The Leaves!

2011-11-07T21:22:00.001-05:00

Today Hayden had a great idea. As we hung out on the back deck and played Hayden started gathering a pile of leaves. When I asked her what she was doing she said she was going to jump in the pile of leaves. I wasn't sure about that, so I told her we'd go to the front yard and rake some leaves into a big pile and do it there......

Her first question was of course, "Where is the front yard?!" as we all laughed Hayden stopped abruptly and said, "No seriously Mom, where is the front yard?!"

After I introduced them to the front yard we got raking!

Then it was time for the fun!!!

Layne doing her "homework" while sissy works on hers. She did have her hair up in a little ponytail but she took it out.....so this is the style that we're sporting for the rest of the day!

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Layne Singing Her Medley

2011-11-06T20:01:00.002-05:00

Hayden Singing Rudolf

2011-11-06T20:00:00.001-05:00

Roxy!!

2011-11-06T08:47:00.001-05:00

She loves her owner!!

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Shoulder Chef

2011-11-04T17:08:00.001-04:00

Hayden got this little bugger for her birthday. It's a little magnetic disc with a magnetic guy. Layne likes to wear him on her head.

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Halloween

2011-10-31T22:10:00.001-04:00

Our little witch complete with spider webs and a spider on her nose.....don't forget the glittery lips.

And the beautiful Strawberry Shortcake!

All dressed and ready to go to the Lehman's for chili and trick-or-treating!

The crews gets bigger and bigger every year it seems. We have so much fun together every year!!

David and Rusty treated the kids to root beer floats when they got back!

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More From The Race

2011-10-30T14:55:00.003-04:00

As I passed my cheering section on the way to the finish line I asked the girls if they wanted to run the last part with me. It was only about 50 yards, but they loved it. We all crossed the finish line together.

Once Hayden finished her race they all went over to the bouncy blow up things. It was a great time killer as they wait for me.

Daddy "ran" the whole race with Hayden. It was three laps in the parking lot of First Baptist. Layne joined it at the very end....but was distracted by a dog!

Cheering on sissy!

And she's off........

Haydens First Race!

2011-10-29T10:53:00.001-04:00

This morning Hayden had her first race! It was a 1 mile fun run at First Baptist Church. The registration was only $10 and a pair of gently used shoes! So, I signed her up for the fun run and I signed myself up for the 10K. She's been training for it at Bootcamp each week.

Last night I made a sign for Layne to hold as she cheered on her sister this morning. This side has little polka dots on each letter so Layne said "this is the spicy side!"

Hayden was just beside herself with excitement this morning!

Unfortunately, my race started at 9:00 and her started at 9:15. So, I did not get to see her run her three laps in the parking lot. Daddy was with her the whole time and Pappy and Layner were right there cheering her on. She says that she wants to continue running races!! FUN STUFF!!

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Beautiful Girls!

2011-10-27T10:19:00.001-04:00

Miss Ella just brightens my mornings....especially this week! Jeremy has been out of town all week doing crawlspace work. Her smile is so contagious and that laugh is sweet music. I just adore this sweet baby! Thanks for trusting me to watch her David and Lisa!!

Crazy Hair Day at Peachtree and Arktoberfest at First Baptist. Trust me, Hayden's hair is not so tight that her eyes are half closed.....

Sweet little Ladybug Layne all dressed up for "Arktoberfest" today. Ready to get some candy and play some games!

Yesterday was PJ day. She said that her feet were sweating all day!!

Roxy getting to know Ella! Ella loves her.

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Fighter Verses App

2011-10-26T11:33:00.000-04:00

So, I have been really wanting to focus on scripture memorization for a while now. I know some verses, but I would really like to have a lot more of God's Word on the tip of my tongue and ready to go. I also know a lot of scripture in my own words, but I would really like to know it in God's words and where exactly it's located! I am excited to say that I found a REALLY cool app on my phone called Fighter Verses. Here is what's so cool about this app......

The Fighter Verses Android® application includes the following features:

Over 520 verses included – two complete five-year collections.

Add ANY VERSE you want using “My Verses” and optionally define topics for them to do topical memory. Adding verses requires NO typing!

Four Bible translations – ESV, NIV, KJV, LBLA (Spanish)

Fill in the blank QUIZ

SONGS to help you learn the verses through music and singing (ESV only)

WIDGET to display verses on the home screen so the verse is front of you every time you use your phone / tablet.

BLOG commentary from fighterverses.com each week that is directly related to the current verse in the schedule.

Spoken verse AUDIO (ESV only)

TOPICAL index for topical memory

Read whole CHAPTER / context

Configurable SCHEDULE for weekly memorization

REMINDERS to memorize daily or weekly

SOCIAL integration & sharing (Facebook, Twitter, SMS, Email)

This application works well offline as well. All verses are available for OFFLINE viewing.

Memorized Proverbs 3:5-6 this morning!!

The Half

2011-10-24T21:55:00.001-04:00

Well, Sunday was the big day. It seemed like nothing went according to "my" plan with this half marathon. It started with the training program-just didn't go as well as the other two, then it was the sickness and the hurting arches, and it finally ended with me finding out the the race was on Sunday and Jeremy was teaching that day!! I was very very close to just not even running it until my sweet friend Lisa volunteered to drive out to Athens with me and cheer me on....what a great friend! Everything went pretty smoothly that morning-except for the fact that we got there like 10 minutes before it started so I didn't get to use the bathroom (no wetting my spandex issues along the 13.1 miles though!) and they were out of safety pins for my bib. Fortunately, there were port-a-pottys at every water station (I have never seen that before!). What a blessing!! I made two stops. Pretty sure that the second stop was just because I saw a potty so I felt the urge to pee. I didn't think about the fact that it probably added 4 minutes total to my finish time. Oh well, when you gotta go ya gotta go!! This first picture was taken at about the halfway mark-notice my race bib tucked into my iPod arm band. It was so great to see Lisa and Ella. Yeah, I didn't mention that Lisa even brought Ella in the cold to cheer me on. That is one dedicated friend! The temperature started out in the high 30's and ended up in the low 40's by the end of the race. I was feeling pretty good at this point.....then came the fatigue and HUGE hills. The whole race was just up and down (felt like mainly up) up and down, hills, hills, hills.

A few weeks ago I was talking with Jeremy about one of my insecurities....my weight. I have a chart on our bathroom mirror and I weigh myself every Sunday morning and chart my progress....or lack there of. Well, after our talk I went running. When I came back I noticed that he had written "I can do all things through Christ who give me strength" on the mirror in a dry erase marker. That verse stayed with me all the way throughout the race. The fact that Jeremy was teaching that morning was also a HUGE motivator. I just kept thinking, "I have to finish, I have to finish, I can't walk, I can't walk, I have to run so that I can hear Jeremy at the 11am service!!"

We made it!

My official time was 2 hours 17 minutes which is actually my worst 1/2 marathon time, but I had two bathroom stops and it was the hilliest 1/2 marathon course that I have done so far. I'm trying not to be so hard on myself but it's hard when you train for so long and then get your worst time. I know that I shouldn't compare times since all three courses were totally different from one another and so were the weather conditions. I know, I know, I know. Bottom line is that I trained, ran, and finished....and most importantly I got to hear God speak through Jeremy later that morning!! What a blessing!

My Sweet Baby!

2011-10-24T16:21:00.001-04:00

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Crazy Dress Up

2011-10-24T08:46:00.001-04:00

This week is Spirit Week at Peachtree Academy. Today was tacky day!! Here's how the cutie went to school. She can make tacky look cute!

On Saturday we went to Abby's birthday party. Fun princess party that included a bouncy and face painting!!

And a pinata!

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Catching Up

2011-10-19T11:17:00.001-04:00

The girls went out shopping with Grandma and Pap during Hayden's birthday weekend. The both picked up their very own umbrellas! Here's miss Hayden modeling hers. Check out the shirt that Aunt Jamie made for her.....adorable!

Miss Layne got a Tinker Bell umbrella. It rained today so they were able to use them when we dropped Layne off at school!

This is how I found Layne sleeping one day last week. She had fallen off of the bed and just continued sleeping right on the floor. Hayden fell out of bed this morning too, but she didn't continue with her slumber! It woke her right up.

Layne is an animal person FOR SURE. She can not get enough of our new addition. She's not a big fan of the needle sharp puppy teeth, but she deals with it because she loves to play with Roxy so much.

Bath time for the pup. Layne really wanted to comfort Roxy during bath time because she wasn't too excited about the whole experience.

On Monday Layne, Ella, and I headed into Hayden's school so that we could take a birthday treat into her class. We were shocked when Hayden's teacher invited Layne to eat lunch with her big sis! I don't think that Layne liked it, but she really wanted to eat at big school with the big kids and her big sis.

We brought in a cookie cake and everyone sang Happy Birthday to the birthday girl!

Costumes

2011-10-17T20:56:00.001-04:00

So, all Layne wants to be for Halloween is Strawberry Shortcake. Luckily, I found a Strawberry Shortcake dress at a consignment sale! All we needed was the hair....well, we found that today. It's actually a Little Mermaid wig but it will totally work. She is IN LOVE with the hair. She wanted to wear it into Wal-Mart-I let her. I figured that you can find way weirder things in Wal-Mart than a 3 year old with a red wig on! She even wanted to wear it to bed tonight-I had to draw the line somewhere!!
Hayden really wants to be a witch. So, here's the least scary nicest looking witch costume that we could find. Of course it had to have hair because sissy's costume has hair!! Cuties!!!!

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Those Girls!

2011-10-16T21:00:00.001-04:00

Here is a picture of Layne holding the American flag so that Hayden can say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Here is Layne modeling her new pirate earrings. Funny story about that....so we got this adorable invitation to a pirate party for one of Haydens friends. We were all so excited about it....especially jeremy (that was a joke). So Jerm had to drop the girls off on Saturday because I had something else to do. As he pulled in the driveway he noticed that there were no balloons on the mailbox, no kids or parents running around or entering the house. Things just didn't feel right. He soon realized why things "didn't feel right". The party was NOT Saturday, it was Friday! So, the girls missed the party but they did get to stay and play with Oakleigh for a little bit. They were able to give Oakleigh her present and then even got cupcakes and treat bags! Jeremy's text to me on Saturday read " Party was yesterday. Thanks for that." These pirate earrings were in the treat bags. Our little gypsy girl :)

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Roxy

2011-10-16T20:33:00.001-04:00

So here she is...our newest addition! Roxy our 6 week old lab puppy. It's Jeremys early birthday present that he picked out, picked up, and brought home. She is such a good puppy!

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The Baking Bash!

2011-10-08T16:17:00.001-04:00

Pizza cake for the adults (caramel cake) and treat bags for the kiddos. Cupcakes are just extras.

The aprons are all ready to go. Once the girls arrived they got to pick their apron and put it on so we'd be ready to get baking!

This morning Grandma, Pap, and the girls headed to Party City for the balloons and to a gas station for ice.....this is what they came home with too! Check out Hayden's cupcake slippers! TJ Maxx.....love it!

Birthday balloons so that Hayden's friends would know where to go!

Layner getting ready for sissy's party!

Our early arrivers hanging out on the deck before the baking began. Morgan, Hartley, Hayden, and Kendall.

Layner had to get in the picture!

First project was making their own pizzas for lunch. They did such a great job spreading the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni on their own pizzas. Then it was off to the oven!

Next it was time to make their very own recipe book. Since none of them can write recipes down I told them that they could use it to draw pictures of some of their favorite foods.

Lots of fun, it kind of made me miss being in the classroom just a tiny little bit.

By the time they were done making their recipe books the pizzas were done and cooled!

Then it was time for the fun stuff.....cake decorating!

Lots of colors of icing!

Tons of different kinds of sprinkles and toppings!

Kendall's masterpiece!

Hartley's masterpiece

Morgan's masterpiece

Layne's masterpiece

Abby's masterpiece

Hayden's masterpiece

Oakliegh's masterpiece

Next it was time for cupcakes and ice cream!

We couldn't find a match or lighter, so we just pretended that the candle was lit!!!

Present time!

Modeling the Steeler jersey that Pap and Grandma got her and the Steeler tutu that Julie made her!! She is set for Sunday game days!!

I had an absolute blast at Hayden's party today, not sure about the girls but I had fun!

2011-10-08T15:29:00.002-04:00

The girls spent some time over at Grandma and Pop's house the other day. The played with the bunnies and celebrated Hayden's birthday a little early. Hayden got a tea set that Grandma brought back with her from China before Jeremy and I were even married. They also made a big birthday cookie!
Daddy came back from Bosnia on Thursday night. On Friday morning he had these great gifts for the girls....musical instruments!

2011-10-05T12:07:00.003-04:00

When Jeremy and I decided that it was time to expand our family and have a baby we had no idea how much that decision would change our lives. I had this idea in my mind that I would meet my husband in college or very soon after (checked that off the list), be married by 24 (checked it off the list), and have our first child before we had been married 2 years..... I couldn't understand why we weren't getting pregnant. After all, that was what I had planned. Why wasn't God following MY plan?! That was are really hard time for us. Pregnancy and babies was all consuming. I had no idea what God had in store for us, but I knew it wasn't children at that point in our lives. Once I came to that realization God revealed HIS plan for my life at that moment. He wanted me to go to Zimbabwe and share His love with people who had NEVER heard. That call was so clear that I couldn't even think about not going. If you've ever had a crystal clear calling at any time in your life you can totally relate to that. So, I went and it was life changing. I met Chenayi....my soul mate. It was such a short friendship, but it was one of the strongest that I have ever and probably will ever have. She was an incredible human and I am so so so thankful that God had our paths cross.

Unfortunately, Chenayi passed away due to a house fire but I know that she's celebrating and praising Jesus up in heaven every single day!
It was amazing though, very soon after I got back from Zimbabwe Jeremy and I got pregnant with sweet Hayden. Hayden Chenayi Ross was born five years ago on October 5, 2006 at 9:26pm. Parenting has been one of the hardest and greatest things I've ever done. It is such a humbling thing to realize that God trusted Jeremy and I so much that He gave us two of His precious gifts to raise. I love each of them to pieces and I couldn't ask for anything better. I know that this journey called parenting is just beginning for Jeremy and I but what a great time we've had so far! Happy Birthday sweet baby girl. You have brought more joy to our lives than you'll ever know....until you have a child of your own that is!!

Mini Cake Stands!

2011-09-30T13:40:00.001-04:00

These mini cake stands were so cheap and simple to make! All I did was get small appetizer plates that were on clearance at Party City and some colored plastic shot glasses. Glued them together and there you have it....mini cake stands for each girl to decorate her mini cake on!!

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Friday Friends

2011-09-30T09:40:00.001-04:00

Ella is now able to hold her own now! Layne wanted to "help Ella eat this morning.
And check out Miss Stylish! I put stuff in a consignment sale this week and that means time to shop for fall clothes. Here she is modeling one of her outfits!

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Bosnia Bound

2011-09-29T10:56:00.001-04:00

I love this man! He is such an amazing provider and a wonderful spiritual leader to this family....among lots of other things. I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else. Jeremy is headed to Bosnia with Philip and Rusty for a mission trip. Originally I was going to go but with it being all men going we thought it would be better for him to go. I cannot wait to see how God uses them for His glory. We are so thankful that we have so many amazing friends and family members that have financially and prayerfully supported him. He could not be going without you! Here is a picture of Jerm doing some work for me before he leaves this afternoon. He is cutting out gears and fish for the new design of the kids area at Discover Point.

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Not Just Your Everyday Headband!

2011-09-27T13:54:00.001-04:00

You may think that this is just another pretty headband......until she turns around! One of our friends from DP, Alisa, saw this at the dollar tree and just couldn't pass it up. Layner loves her new long "hair".

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2011-09-24T17:35:00.002-04:00

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We always love going to Hannah's birthday party every year. This year was NO exception! She had a cute little Dora the Explorer party complete with a backpack, map for each child, obstacle course, Swiper, and of course a treasure at the end!! It was just so great and creative. Thanks for the invite, we enjoyed it :)

Parties and Pizzas

2011-09-23T18:07:00.001-04:00

The girls were invited to Hannah's 5th birthday party tomorrow. Since I had some extra fabric from making the aprons I decided to make Hannah a little bag/purse and a crayon roll. The girls wanted to model the finished gifts! Then we made pizzas for dinner!

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Very Visorific

2011-09-22T15:52:00.001-04:00

We took a visit to the Dollar Tree today after school. Interesting purchases to say the least!

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To Hayden Love Layne

2011-09-21T13:21:00.001-04:00

Haydens present from Layne arrived today! It's a personalized aprons that matches the chef hat that I made her a couple years ago! I was so excited that someone on Etsy could make it for her!!

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Chef Hats

2011-09-21T13:16:00.001-04:00

Here are the chef hats that the girlies will get at the party. I did not make the hats, just the flowers!

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Growing Girl

2011-09-21T13:14:00.001-04:00

Ella is getting so big! Yesterday she tried to get up on all fours! She is sitting up now too! We are having so much fun hanging out with this precious girl every day!

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Mellow Mushroom

2011-09-20T18:21:00.001-04:00

Daddy has been emceeing trivia at MM for a few months now. Can you believe that's tonight is our first night to go and cheer him on!? Terrible....but we are here!

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Bon Appetit

2011-09-18T15:50:00.001-04:00

Well, here they all are....the finished aprons!!

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Prep For The Party

2011-09-16T21:03:00.001-04:00

Hayden is going to have a baking party for her 5th birthday. She is just inviting a few of her close girlfriends and they will bake the day away! I have begun making their party favors....aprons! Here is Layners. The girls will also get a chef hat too! It's going to be lots of fun....

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Sight Words

2011-09-13T11:59:00.001-04:00

Last week Hayden came home with her first set of sight words! We made little flash cards and we review them every night. She is doing so well!!

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Tiny Dancer

2011-09-09T09:58:00.001-04:00

The dress up and dance started early this morning for the Layner. She is so proud of her new moves. I really enjoy spending Fridays alone with my sweet second born. I love her bold matter of fact personality and her great sense of humor and her huge caring heart. I can't not wait to see how God uses her for His glory!!

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Huggin it up

2011-09-05T10:44:00.001-04:00

Check the new layner hair style!

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Friday fun...

2011-09-02T21:34:00.001-04:00

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2011-09-01T20:09:00.002-04:00

2011-09-01T20:07:00.002-04:00

My beautiful baby....just being beautiful.

Layne was so determined to button her own pj's tonight!!

She asked for a ponytail this morning. So, I got her hair nice and wet and gave her a little ponytail. I never even thought that she'd take it out at school. Well, she did and this is what it looked like when I picked her up this afternoon!!!

It was a shockingly spiky swoosh

This is what her hair looked like this morning before she left for school.

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2011-08-29T15:32:00.003-04:00

More From Florida....

This is the back of Beach Side Palms. This is where we stay every single year when we head to Treasure Island for our family vacation. Direct access to the private beach....LOVE IT!

Beach babes at sunset.

Sep and I got tattoos while we were there. They are both ambigrams. Mine says "Hayden" one way and "Layne" the other. September's says "Keep Going" both ways.

The birthday party for little Layner.

The happy couple just celebrated 1 year of marriage!

The girls and Pap took a trip out to the gas station for a special breakfast!

The family business. Sep and Morgan are pros in every aspect of the biz!!

Pap paints the girl's nails every year. He had trouble with Layner since she's so active. Lots of touch ups :)

One last visit to the shop before we headed back to GA.

Pap also got a new tat while we were down there.

Saying goodbye is no fun :(

2011-08-29T15:25:00.002-04:00

Sisters.....

The girlies spent some time at Grandma and Pop's house this weekend. They went to the Horse Park for a wildlife festival. Check out the hair!!!

Little Layner just had to get her hair done too. Just like her big sis. She was VERY proud of her pony tail. She even asked me to give her a pony tail on Sunday for Discover Point!!!

This one asked me to try to re-create this do on Sunday as well.....

Breakfast with the birds and dog on the back porch!

Sleeping Beauties

2011-08-23T15:07:00.001-04:00

Hayden has naptime at school so we ordered her this cute little nap mat so that she can get her beauty rest in the afternoon. I can't wait to hear how she liked it's today! And then there's sweet Ella who fell asleep in her bouncy seat this morning.

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