A FOUR YEAR OLD FIREMAN

We celebrated Tyler's 4th birthday today (a week early) and it was a blast! We invited a few of his close friends for a tour at the Woodstock Fire Station and then some treats and gifts at our house.

We all met at the fire station at 2pm, just in time to see one speed off on a call. It was actually the last one there, since the others were at a large fire nearby. Just our luck, I guess! But, the ladder truck was back in no time and once everyone arrived, we began our tour. First they gave all the kids helmets and stickers, then they took us through the fire station and showed us where they work, take classes, eat, watch t.v., etc. They even demonstrated the fire pole! YES! They had one of those, too! After that part of the tour was over, they took us to the main garage where they keep the trucks. All the kids sat down on the floor while one of the firemen demonstrated how they quickly get dressed in their gear when they have a call. Then, he went through a fire safety lesson, in which the kids were able to participate. It was too cute! Once they were done with that, they had a free-for-all on the firetruck! They got to climb inside and out and play with the lights and gear. Tyler accidentally set-off the sirens (leave it to the birthday boy to do that, and I tend to believe it wasn't an accident), which they were trying to avoid due to how loud they are inside a garage! After many pictures and laughs, we finished up our tour, thanked the firemen and left them with some yummy goodies. What heros!

Once we left the station, we had everyone back over to the house for some quick treats and gifts. It was a perfect party!

ONE MONTH AWAY FROM ONE YEAR!

Can you believe how fast the past 11 months have gone by? We can't! It seems just like yesterday, we were bringing our sweet little Mallory home for the first time. She isn't walking yet, but is close. She has six teeth (4 on top, 2 on bottom) and still no hair. (Don't worry, I've been able to figure out how to put a bow on that head!) She has such a sense of humor and is hysterical to watch. She has done so well with foods and has tried just about everything. We continued feeding her homemade foods and, now, we just feed her what we eat. It was a great way to start her on solids, and we are so glad we did it. She has done so well with it all and loves to eat! She has been on the bottle 100% for a month now, and we'll soon introduce her to whole milk. Here are a few pictures of our little girl over the last couple of months...Showing off those teeth!First attempt at crawling up the stairs.Still going........and at the top! Time for a gate!Sitting so pretty!Eating bananas.

AN ASHEVILLE GETAWAY

I surprised Tim with a night in Asheville, North Carolina over Valentine's Day weekend. Even though it was during that specific holiday, it was more of a "thank you for helping me with Lily Pad during holiday season" gift and a belated anniversary trip. So, we celebrated many things! We had a great time touring the Biltmore grounds, tasting wine, shopping and eating lunch. Afterwards, we headed to the Grove Park Inn where we stayed the night. It was very nice! Gorgeous views and a fabulous resort. It was a perfect escape!A waterfall at the bass pond at the Biltmore Estate.The Grove Park Inn (viewing the back side of the Main Inn).A view of The Spa at Grove Park.

FUN IN THE SUN (ON A FEBRUARY DAY!)

No snow yet this season, but lots of sunshine! We have been fortunate to have as many warm days as cold! A little snow would be nice.....

After taking a trip to my parents' house to feed the kitties (they were in Hawaii with my sister - lucky ducks!!!), we stopped by the playground for a little warm weather fun. This was Mallory's first time on a playground! She loved the swing.

BIG BRO & LITTLE SIS

These two are so cute together and I just have to share some of the moments we have managed to capture on camera. As Mallory gets older, the two of them have really started to grow a strong bond and it is so amazing to see. They are a little mischievous at times, though. We wouldn't doubt that for a bit with Tyler's track record. She is already a little stinker and is following in her big brother's footsteps very well!Playing on the floor.Tyler giving Mallory a bottle.Tyler feeding Mallory dinner - what a big helper!"Okay, Tyler, you aren't going fast enough. I'll do it myself."Watching a movie together.What cutie pies! We are so blessed!
(And, they both look just like Tim. I am ready to see some resemblance to me.)

LOTS OF FUN IN JANUARY

We did a little bit of this and a little bit of that during the month of January. For the most part, we took a nice long break from all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays and Lily Pad's show season. October - December flew by so fast! Christmas had arrived before we knew it and was gone in a snap. Lily Pad had a very successful show season and is gearing up for a fantastic 2009!

Here is what we were up to as we re-cooped:

The DeMauro Family was in town from Charlotte and paid us a visit one evening. It was great to see them, again! Mason is growing so big - he'll be 2 years old in April!Me with Mallory, Mason and Tyler.
Let me just say how hard it was to get these kids to smile and look at the camera at the same time!

Melanie and Mallory.Chris and Tyler. Love ya Godfasha!


I got to enjoy a girls night out with some of my sorority sisters I hadn't seen in a while. It was great to catch up over drinks and tapas!Brooke Myers, Brooke Ford, Jami Vansant, Me and Nicole Barrett.Me and Melissa Dalton.


Our sweet little Madelyn Clifford turned one! What a special birthday! Mallory and I got to attend and celebrate with our special friends.Madelyn enjoying her first taste of birthday cake!

TYLER'S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM AND PARTY

My mom and dad were able to attend Tyler's Christmas stuff at school, but unfortunately, Tim was not able to get off of work. So, we took a bunch of video and photos to share with him. Since this was Tyler's first experience performing in front of a crowd, we weren't sure what he would do or how he would react. He was great! A little timid at first, but then he broke out of his shell and really performed the part! They sang Christian songs with arm motions, while a few other children acted out the scene at the Inn. It was adorable!

Me and Mallory with my parents

Me and MalloryOur proud little man walking down the aisle towards the stage.

I wasn't able to take many pictures during the actual performance, due to video taping, holding Mallory, and laughing so hard I was crying. Believe me, it was the cutest thing ever!

Ms. Karen is reading the children a story.

Me posing with Tyler.
(Notice how he is sitting between two girls - his favorite two in the class)

Tyler introducing his baby sister to his friend.

Papa helping Tyler decorate his treat.