Loving Life from A to Z!

Christmas Fun!

2012-01-17T10:52:00.002-05:00

I know! I know! It has been forever! Life is so crazy busy that I feel like I have less time to do the things I love...like blogging! I am really going to try to focus on it more as well as the other things that I have stopped doing! Poor little Addie...her scrapbooks and baby book from her first year aren't even finished yet! Zach's was finished and on display at his first birthday party! Amazing how drastic life changes with two! I have promised myself to get better :)

So Christmas was a blast this year! Zach was totally into it and LOVED all the festivities and presents! We did our traditional holiday gathering with our Urban side of the family and all the kids made gingerbread houses! It was so much fun! Christmas Eve was spent with my side of the family playing games...more gingerbread houses...and of course our family tradition of making Jesus his birthday cake! This year the kids picked cupcakes to serve! They were also very excited about leaving Santa his cookies and milk and of course carrots for the reindeer! Zach really got a kick out of this in the morning we he woke up to find the food missing and the carrots half eaten! It was a wonderful time celebrating with family!

Getting our cupcakes ready!

Santa came to visit us twice! Zach was so lucky!

It just doesn't get any cuter than this!

Grandparent's Day!

2011-11-18T20:28:00.003-05:00

Today was such a fantastic day! We celebrated Zach's 2nd Grandparent's Day at his preschool! I feel so blessed that he has both sets of his grandparents in his life who love him and enjoy spending time with him!

Addie Bug had a great time at Grandparent's Day too!
Super involved in circle time!

Zach's Class job this week was "Flag Helper" so here he is holding the flag during circle time!
You can see, he takes this job seriously!

Participating!

Addie taking time out to help her brother do his seat work!

Thank You Granna, Grandad, Nona and Poppop
for making this day so wonderful for our sweet little
Zachary!

xoxo

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T19:48:00.003-04:00

We had such a great time trick or treating last night! Zach and Addison both loved it! Addison would walk up to all the doors and say Trick-or-Treat! It was so stinking cute!

My sweet Minnie Mouse and handsome Captain Hook!

Addie Trick-or-Treating!
She loved it!

Addie with her buddy Blake!

Here we are at Dutch Wonderland for Happy Hauntings!

My Boy!

Zach's Fall Field Trip!

2011-10-30T22:07:00.003-04:00

Zach had his fall field trip to Papa John's again this year! He had so much fun with his Best Buddies Bennet and Carter!

Zach and Bennet on the hayride!

The Boys!

Zach and Bennet standing in front of the class with the teacher fully engaged!
Mrs. Renee has informed me that Zach is the social one in the class!

With his classmates actually listening!

Taking a little cheese break with the cow!

Zach and Carter!
How sweet!

My most handsome guy!

Granna's New Ride!

2011-09-06T21:22:00.000-04:00

So...Zach is obsessed with driving! He will sit in anyone's car and just drive! Needless to say, when Granna got this newbie...Zach was beside himself!

He is fascinated at the fact that he can touch one button and the back door will open and shut!

Little Addie following in her brothers footsteps!

Back to School!

2011-08-29T12:55:00.004-04:00

Today was such an exciting day! Zachary went back to school and started his second year of preschool in his new 3 year old class! He was so happy to be reunited with his friends! I can't believe he is already beginning year two! Time is going by too quickly!

Trying to put his arm around Addie!

Waiting patiently for his friends to arrive!

Then his girlfriend Gianna arrives!

In they go!

Inside he found Bennet and the two are already busy at work!

My Little Troopers!

2011-08-18T12:34:00.004-04:00

We have had a fantastic week so far at the beach! The kids have been amazing! Little troopers...napping everywhere and allowing us to fit in all the fun stuff! Addison is taking full advantage of sleeping in as she did not rise until 10:00 this morning! Zach is doing a little better...7:30 is actually sleeping in for him too!

We have enjoyed the beach, the pool and Zach's favorite...all the rides on the boardwalk! I can't believe we are half way through the week already!

Addie and Granna being silly!

And then Zach being silly!

*sigh*

My sweet babies playing in the sand!

*sigh*

Zach floating in the pool with Addie's float until he got brave
enough to venture out there on his own!

more to come...

Silly Fun!

2011-08-08T19:48:00.005-04:00

Whew Wee! It has been a super busy, fun filled summer! That's why I haven't posted in a while! We have been enjoying this time as a family traveling around and visiting friends! It has been wonderful! Here is a little bit of what we've been up to...

Here is Addison in the tub showing off her new ear rings! Yes...I did it! I pierced my child's ears! I think it was more painful for me than her!

Aunt Sonia came over for a visit and here she is playing pirates with Zach!

Snuggle Time!

Zach taking a break from teaching Aunt Sonia how to ride his new bike to sneak in a kiss!
Little Charmer!

Girlfriends!

Zach also got to meet Addison's future husband...Baby Leo!

Sweet Kisses!

We took Zach to see the Urban Pirates!
He loved it!

Here he is working his magic with a few other pirates!
Ahoy Matey!

We also ventured to Dutch Wonderland with The Urban Family!

Our summer journey continues with our yearly beach trip planned for next week!
Stay tuned...

Another 1st for Addison!

2011-07-14T20:13:00.002-04:00

Today was Addison's 1st day at Gymboree!
She had such a great time too! I started Zach in Gym class when he was 8 weeks old, but with Addison, it was just a little more difficult to get there that young. Especially with a 2 year old running around at the time! Now that Zach is in school and Addison has cut out her morning nap, Gymboree will work for us!
Here is my little princess on her 1st big day!

Cars 2

2011-06-28T19:01:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, Zach experienced his 1st movie inside a movie theater! Chris took him with 2 of his friends and their dads! He LOVED it! He cried when the movie was over and he had to leave. Cars is his new favorite movie and popcorn is his all time favorite snack, so he was super excited about this whole experience!

Here he is getting ready for the show!
#1 for Granddad!

Hats!

2011-06-19T08:25:00.004-04:00

Aunt Rachie had these awesome hats made for Zach and Addison for their birthdays to use this winter! They came all the way from Germany!
I love them!

Thanks Aunt Rachie!
xoxo

dutch wonderland...

2011-06-01T21:15:00.005-04:00

We just spent a fabulous weekend in Lancaster, PA! We had so much fun taking the kids to the touch museum and to Dutch Wonderland! Zach's favorite part was the pirate ship playground located at our hotel!

Zach can make friends anywhere! Here he is on "his" ship with one of his new friends, Katelin!

Addie enjoyed rocking with her daddy on the porch!

Granna and Grandad treated us to a day at Dutch Wonderland!

*sigh*

Grandad and Zach...number 1

Zach's favorite ride...the airplane, of course! He rode it a billion times!

Addie is going to have a sweet tooth!

At the museum...Addie enjoying a little dress up time!

Zach driving the ship!

We had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back!

splish splash...

2011-05-31T14:26:00.002-04:00

I took Addison swimming today for the first time, and she loved it! She was like a little fish.
So cute!

precious moments...

2011-05-26T20:56:00.007-04:00

Today was one of those days that I will cherish forever...my little boy "graduated" from his first year of preschool. It was such a wonderful day and truly a moment that warmed my heart!

I was a little nervous with how Zach would do because he is not typically the child that likes to be the center of attention, especially around people he doesn't know! So putting him in a room full of people he didn't know...I knew could possibly not go well.

When the kids got up to perform, he was definitely "that kid" that got everyone's attention and made them laugh!

Here he is with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face...wanting no part of being up there!

It gets better...here he has really decided not to participate! At one point, he turned his body completely around.

So sad...because for weeks all I have heard is him belting out all of his songs!
Before the ceremony began, he was a very happy camper hanging out with all of his school friends! Addie even enjoyed hanging out with the boys!

Once he got back to his classroom, he was happy again!

Zach and his best buddy, Bennet!
Terri and I are two proud mommas!
So happy to have met this wonderful family and have certainly developed a friendship that I cherish!

This is such a sweet picture and I am so glad my mom was able to capture it! Totally unexpected of my little man! He is so sweet!

Our family came out to support Z's big day!

Look at that sweet face! It just doesn't get any cuter!

a little piece of love...

2011-05-24T21:41:00.004-04:00

Some of the sweetest moments for me is time spent with my children and my niece and nephew! Zach and Addison absolutely love playing with their cousins Kate and Connor. Here are a few cute photos of my recent visit with them!

*sigh*

Addison's Celebration!

2011-05-24T09:31:00.004-04:00

What a wonderful celebration it was! So many friends and family came out to celebrate Addison's 1st birthday! The weather was perfect and my little princess was so happy! Here she is in her cute little hat and dress waiting for her first smash cake!

She takes after her momma...not a big cake fan! She doesn't like to be dirty so she wouldn't even touch the cake!

Granna has already put her spell on Addie Jean because Granna is probably her most favorite person on this earth!

The only cake she would eat was when Aunt Shelley fed it to her! She was a happy girl!

Me and my little man!

Me and my little princess!

Happy 1st Birthday Addison Jean!
xoxo

Addie turns ONE!

2011-05-18T19:39:00.001-04:00

One year ago today, God blessed me with this amazing little girl! I just can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. We had such a special day today celebrating her first year of life. Earlier today we went out to lunch as a family and then this evening, we had the grandparents over for dinner to celebrate! A tradition that we treasure! Addison of course got lots of great presents and Zach is certain they are all for him :)

Here is my little peach eating her first birthday cupcake!

She really wasn't quite sure what to do with the cake!
I will post more pics soon, as the celebration continues throughout the weekend with family and friends!

Happy 1st Birthday my sweet Addie Jean!

A Sweet Mother's Day!

2011-05-17T10:51:00.002-04:00

I feel so blessed in my life. I have an amazing husband and two beautiful children. My Mother's Day was so special this year. It was my first to celebrate with Addison, which warms my heart. I have these two amazing little people that I get to provide for and take care of each and everyday. They bring so much joy to my life.

My amazing Mother who has guided me throughout my life. Not sure where I would be without her.

My sweet little man who makes everyday an adventure!

Carnival Fun!

2011-05-16T12:29:00.003-04:00

A year ago...I couldn't get Zach to ride anything...and now...I can't get him to stay away! My little dare devil wants to ride it all! Last week we enjoyed a fun family night out at the carnival with his best buddy Bennet! Both boys had so much fun!

This is Bennet's "say cheese" face!

And yes...he even rode the huge ferris wheel with daddy!

Now we are certainly looking forward to our Dutch Wonderland trip next weekend!

Whew!

2011-05-10T15:12:00.001-04:00

Whew is right! I feel like the older Zach gets, the busier we become. His social calendar is out of control! Last weekend we attended a zoo field trip, a 1st communion party and 5 birthday parties! Needless to say, we were all exhausted but it was so much fun!

Zach at the zoo taking a snack break!

At the zoo, he rode his very first ride independently! Of course it was an airplane!

Here we are before attending the communion, Zach still in his pj's!

My sweet Addie at Connor's Birthday!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:27:00.004-04:00

We had such a great time today celebrating this wonderful holiday with our families! It was so special as it was Addison's first! The Easter Bunny was very good to them this year and Zach is especially, loving all of the candy!

I Just Can't Believe It!

2011-04-19T10:58:00.003-04:00

Mt sweet baby girl is 11 months old! Where did that year go? It went by so quickly. So much faster than Zach's first year! We are in full planning mode for her first birthday party and I can't wait to celebrate. She amazes me everyday! Soon, she will probably be walking. She has been pulling up and crusin' around everything. She is starting to stand on her own and has really began to babble! She says ma ma and da da like a champ!
My little baby is turning into a toddler!

Hello Mr. Bunny!

2011-04-11T15:24:00.003-04:00

We had such a fun day today visiting the Easter Bunny! Zach was all about it! He kept waving to him and saying..."For Easter, I would like a lollipop!" and then of course he added..."please." I bet that bunny was super happy with that cheap gift!

Addie of course was all smiles. She was so cute because when I first put her on his lap she just looked at him! And then got totally into it as you can see from the pic!

Happy Easter Everyone!
We wish you all a very blessed holiday!

Little Miss Tutu

2011-04-07T09:08:00.003-04:00

So sorry I have not posted in a while. My camera is broken and I am waiting to have it replaced! But my dear friend Allison has once again worked her magic! I am preparing for Addison's 1st Birthday party and I wanted a cute photo to post on her invitations! I got this tutu idea from something else I saw so I asked Allison to help me out! Here are two of the shots she captured of my little princess!

A Sneak Peek!

2011-03-15T11:08:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, my dear friend Allison is our family photographer! She always amazes me with the photos she takes of my children. Recently, I had her come out to take Addison's 9 month photos and once again she has amazed me with her talent. Here is a sneak peek at the first photo she sent my way...

Zach turns 3!

2011-03-07T19:11:00.005-05:00

I just can't believe my little man turned three! We had such an amazing week and weekend celebrating! First, we celebrated with the grandparents on Z's actual birthday with a Pirate Party. Zach and I had so much fun making his pirate cake! Here he is blowing out his pirate candles!

On Saturday, we celebrated with all of his friends at Pump It Up! Addie had to support her big brother with a special shirt of her own!

Zach going down the slide! His favorite part!

All of the babies celebrated too!

Zach's amazing airplane cake!

All of Zach's friends and cousins!

Happy Birthday Zachary!

The weekend ended with a wonderful birthday celebration for Granna!
Here Zach is helping his Granna blow out her birthday candles!

Zach and Grandad cuddling on the couch after a long Birthday Blast of a weekend!

Happy Birthday Zachary and Granna!

My Birthday!

2011-02-26T18:11:00.002-05:00

My birthday celebration this year was amazing! My family took me to Sakura and it was the best! Zach absolutely loved it. Probably the only time I was able to have him sit still in a restaurant! He was amazed by the big fire and the volcano! After the dinner, my mom had a wonderful surprise party planned with all of my family and my close friends! It was an amazing day!

At the end of dinner, my little man having a little dessert!

Sitting with Granna, mesmerized!

I don't know who was more excited about the fire...Zach or Granna!

And then the newest addition to the celebration this year! My sweet baby girl!

Aquarium!

2011-02-25T09:21:00.004-05:00

This week we took Zach and Jordy to the Aquarium! This was of course Addie's first visit there and it was so much fun! Zach had such an amazing time! It's really neat to see how he is totally into things now that he is older!

The Trio!

I LOVE this photo!

Zach loves his Aunt Marcel!

They were so excited to find Nemo!

Addie at the aquarium!

I can't believe...

2011-02-18T17:27:00.001-05:00

My sweet Addie Jean is 9 months old today! On this gorgeous day, we were able to get outside for a little bit!

Look who's standing!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T07:43:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful time today celebrating Addie's first Valentine's Day! We surprised Granna at work with beautiful roses and a box of chocolates! Zach was super excited to surprise her! We then went out to lunch! Such a great day!

Here is my little Valentine!

Here is my other Valentine licking his lollipop from his Valentine gift bag! He was still able to manage a few licks even though he was feeling under the weather!

Joy of Love:Day 12

2011-02-12T19:17:00.001-05:00

Day 12 lesson was to focus on the eyes!
I love how both of my children have these amazing blue eyes! Today, I was able to capture Addison's Baby Blues!

Water Park Fun!

2011-02-12T12:36:00.004-05:00

Today we ventured to the indoor water park. Last year, Zach had a blast...this year...not so much! But I was able to capture a few photos of him in the beginning. Now that he knows and understands fear...he is so cautious! Needless to say, we didn't stay very long!

Here is my little princess in her new suit!

Both of my babies!

Zach checking things out!

He was very interested in the rafts until he fell through...that was when it was all over!

Riding the waves!

Checking out the water slides!

Chris took him down the slide and here he is getting in trouble because you can't go down as a couple!

Addie taking a dip and Zach on my hip!

And that was the end of our journey!

My Love!

2011-02-11T14:09:00.002-05:00

Chris and I on the Family Ski trip!

Joy of Love:Day 10

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

Day 10 is all about where they are most comfortable! Zach's favorite place to relax is in my bed! He LOVES it! Here he is having breakfast in bed in his most comfy clothes...his pj shirt and undies!

Joy of Love:Day 9

2011-02-09T18:48:00.001-05:00

AIRPLANES!

My lesson for today was to focus on passions or hobbies...so I decided to capture Zach with his airplanes! This is a huge passion of Zach's! He has loved airplanes since he was about 1 years old. He is fascinated by them. He will stare at them closely as if he were an engineer! We have well over 100 matchbox airplanes and probably 50 or more different types of toy airplanes and helicopters! I tried to capture Zach playing with his airplanes, but tonight he was focused in me taking the photo, so naturally he wouldn't cooperate! So here is one of his airplanes with him in the background! Best shot I could get :)

Yum!

2011-02-08T18:51:00.001-05:00

Tonight for dinner, I made spaghetti. I usually don't give Addie much adult food because I am so afraid she will be a horrible eater like her brother...so I want her to stay on baby food as long as possible. But tonight I couldn't resist!

She loved it!

Joy of Love:Day 8

2011-02-08T14:37:00.001-05:00

This precious gift is "From the Heart." After giving birth to both of my beautiful babies, this precious pendant was given to me by my husband. Each pendant has my little ones name on the front, their birth date on the back and their birthstone attached. I absolutely cherish this special gift from my husband. It is pretty much the only necklace I wear. I adore it!

Watermark!

2011-02-08T09:44:00.000-05:00

The more I learn about photography, the more I get sucked in! I just learned how to leave a watermark and I am so excited about it! Here is my first photo of my first watermark!

A few of my favorite things...

2011-02-07T12:17:00.001-05:00

Now that I am taking this class...I have really started to get into playing around with my photos. Here is my first story board of a few of my favorite things!

Joy of Love:Day 6 & 7

2011-02-06T14:33:00.005-05:00

This assignment from Joy of Love really warms my heart! It is a post about two people who are the closest to me...my mom and my grandmother. Lesson 6 focuses on "Who they Love." When I think of the "they" I am thinking of my children and other than my husband and myself...they absolutely adore their Granna! Granna can walk into a room and both of their faces light up! Zach of course runs to Granna with open arms as he has already had almost 3 years of being spoiled by her. Addie isn't quite sure yet of the meaning of Granna but she knows that this lady is super special. When she sees Granna, her feet start kicking, her arms reaching and the smile on her face...priceless!
Granna is a very special lady to my children!

Lesson 7 is all about generations! My grandmother is one of the most amazing people that I have ever known. My prayer was always to be able to give birth to my children and have her be around to know them. God is so good the way he answers prayer. My grandmother began to struggle with alzheimer's before Zach was born...so naturally I was always concerned she wouldn't know or remember him. Zach has become a huge sparkle in my grandmothers eyes! Here is a generation photo taken of the four of us when Zach was four months old.

When Addison was born, my grandmother's memory hadn't gotten any better...but with the power of prayer...she does know her sweet great-granddaughter Addison Jean...who is named after her! Addison is three months old in this photo.
Here is our generation photo with Addie Jean!

We love you so much Granna and Mauzy!
(Laura Jean Cope)

Memories!

2011-02-05T22:07:00.002-05:00

I was just taking a peek through several of my old photos and I came across this one! It made my heart melt and gave me a little chuckle! Oh how I love this boy!

Joy of Love:Day 5

2011-02-05T17:52:00.001-05:00

Finally being all caught up...today's assignment was what you "Love to Hate."
I love, love, love my hubby...but oooh...sometimes! A few things that drive me nuts around my house...

his shoes! He leaves them everywhere!

his shoes blocking my front door along with the trash that needs to go out!

and finally....the recycles that will sit in my kitchen for days!!!!!

I love this man and I know he is a super hard worker...provides for his family, etc! But he could use a little lesson in how to be domesticated! Non the less, he is my big baby...and I love him all the way to the moon and back!

Joy of Love:Day 1

2011-02-05T13:26:00.000-05:00

As I continue to get caught up with the Joy class...Day 1 is titled "What they Do." I had to capture my sweet husband in this session doing what he loves to do...play the guitar! He just got a new guitar for Christmas which has been so exciting for him. Over the past few years he has dedicated so much time into playing and has really gotten to be very good. He really enjoys playing in our church band and every time I watch him, it really warms my heart! I am super proud of him!

Joy of Love:Day 4

2011-02-04T19:19:00.004-05:00

Today's assignment is all about what your loved ones wear! I got really excited about this particular task because since giving birth to a baby girl...I have so much fun dressing her! Shoes make the outfit! So naturally, Addison has several pair. I have selected two of my favorites!

This particular pair was a gift from my sister-in-laws mother. These sparkly pink sneaks come from a cute boutique in California. They look so precious on Addison's sweet little baby feet!

This next pair is from the company known as Pediped! My absolute favorite kids shoe store. I am a huge polka dot fan, so this sweet little pair was a must buy! I like to dress them up with cute little tights or dress them down with sweet little baby bell bottom jeans! They also look just as sweet with bare baby feet!

Here is my sweet Addie! Not only have I become addicted to baby shoes...I also love the sweet bows! The shirt that she is wearing in this photo comes with matching jeans and an adorable purple belt! This outfit is currently one of my favorite outfits to dress her up in!

Joy of Love: 2

2011-02-03T18:42:00.000-05:00

Since I joined the Joy of Love a few days late, I am trying to catch up on the assignments. Day 2 was all about catching a loved one "doing" something. Well the one thing that Zach loves to do is play with his pirate ships. He could honestly entertain himself all day with these ships! I love to see and hear him use his imagination. He talks to his ships as though he is the captain and it is absolutely adorable.
So here is my little man "doing"...

The Joy of Love!

2011-02-03T14:25:00.005-05:00

So I recently came across this photography class that I can take for free online. One of my very dear friends, who is a photographer brought it to my attention and I am so glad she did. I have never really been interested in photography until I gave birth to my own children. It was at this time that I splurged and bought a really awesome camera! For the past 3 years, I have grown to love capturing photos of my little people! Although I will probably never have enough patience to do all the editing required to be a professional photographer...I think it will be neat to go through this experience and learn as much as I can so that I can continue to capture those special moments of my children.

The class is called The Joy of Love and everyday I am given an assignment to complete. Today's assignment is to capture a Then and Now shot. So here is my then and now...

This photo of Zach was taken by my dear photographer friend for Zach's 1st Christmas photo. He was 9 months old in this picture!

Then...

And now here is my little man just a few months ago!

Now...

The assignment was to capture a close up picture and try to crop out all of the background. Since the first photo was taken by friend, you can see that I still have some learning to do based on my second photo!

I am super excited about this journey and looking forward to learning as much as I can about the world of photography!

Family Fun!

2011-02-01T09:53:00.006-05:00

We had such a fabulous weekend getting together with family members we have not seen in a while! Zach loved playing with his cousins and had a fit when it was time to leave!

If there is pirate gear involved...Zach is all about it!

Momma's Girl!

Addie meets Buzz!

Addie & Grandad!

All the cousins!

Sweet Mandy and Addie!

Uncle Chris with the girls!

One of the most amazing people I know...Uncle Duke!

Such a wonderful time and good memories to treasure!

Marley Bounce Party!

2011-01-28T14:53:00.002-05:00

When the weather is so snowy and yucky outside, always finding other things to do can be fun! Especially when my little one isn't a huge fan of playing in the snow because he hates all the snow gear! Today we ventured to a new place with Zach's best bud, Bennet! Marley Bounce Party was so much fun!

Addie joined in on the fun too!

Addie and her best girlfriend, Kennedy!

Snow Days!

2011-01-27T14:53:00.004-05:00

Well...we got our first real snow of the season...so I decided to take Addison out in it. She could have really cared less about it...but as her mommy, I had to capture the moment! Plus, Grandad got her this awesome snow suit, so we had to put it to good use!

Zach was not at all interested in going out in the snow during the day...but when daddy got home he was all about it. So we got him in his snow suit and he was ready to go!
Here he is...

Zach has never really been a huge fan of the snow! Lucky for me because I don't have to worry about playing in it! I think this time around though, it was all the snow gear...not really the snow itself. He likes to just go out in his regular clothes and make footprints! And that's about it! We are definitely beach people in the house!

Granna Time!

2011-01-26T12:35:00.000-05:00

For some reason, Granna always brings out the silly Zach! We always look forward to our Wednesday nights when Granna comes to visit. Last Wednesday this is what Zach got into...

He absolutely LOVES wearing adult shoes and since he never wears pants at home, he is enjoying showing off his Big Boy undies!

Time Flies!

2011-01-18T10:13:00.002-05:00

It seems like yesterday that I gave birth to Addison...and today she is 8 months old! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by! I wish I could just freeze this time because it is my favorite age!

Big Helper!

2011-01-15T17:10:00.003-05:00

Zach absolutely LOVES to feed Addison! It really is the cutest thing ever!
Notice Zach's Big Boy undies! Potty training has begun and is going great!

Zach's new Ride!

2011-01-04T17:54:00.001-05:00

Grandad showing Zach how to work his new police car!
Could it possibly run in the family?!?!

Christmas as a family of 4!

2011-01-04T17:51:00.001-05:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas this year! I felt this was the first year that Zach truly understood the meaning! He was very excited for Santa to come and when he woke up Christmas morning, he came running into my room asking if Santa came! It was so cute and it melted my heart. Addison of course had no clue what was going on but she did like playing with the wrapping paper! Santa was very good to us all this year and it was neat to celebrate with our newest addition...sweet baby Addison!

Zach hanging his very first Christmas made ornament!

Santa came to celebrate with us on Chiristmas Eve. Zach LOVED this!

Addison in her new wagon!

Aunt Mary & The Snowballs!

2010-12-16T18:18:00.001-05:00

Aunt Mary came over to see Zach today and decided to take him outside to play in the first snowfall of the season! She taught him how to make snowballs and then throw them. He thought that was the best thing ever! I think he's really going to LOVE the snow this year!

A Visit with Santa!

2010-12-15T19:25:00.002-05:00

Today was the day that I decided to take Zach and Addie to see Santa. I was so nervous about how Zach would do, that I had a friend of mine meet me there just in case he wouldn't participate. I wanted to make sure I at least got Addison's photo with him and I knew she would do just fine. He was a little hesitant at first but then walked right up to him and stuck his hand out for a hand shake and the proceeded to hop on his lap. I was in shock! He sat there for quite some time as the photographer took several photos to try to get them both to smile. Here is what she captured...

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Thanksgiving Away!

2010-12-13T18:02:00.005-05:00

I decided to take the kids to Tennessee to see my grandparent's for Thanksgiving this year! Zach has not been home to see my family since he was 3 months old and of course Addie has never been. It was so special for me to take them down there so my family could see my kids :) We had a super fun time!

Here is Zach with his cousin Emma enjoying a carpet picnic!

Four Generations!

Zach loved that Mauzy and Pauzy had an "Americhant Flag" in their backyard!

Happy 1st Thanksgiving to my sweet baby girl!

Addie getting her first sink tub! I have this same picture of me when I was a baby in this same sink and Addie looks like my little twin! I will have to post those pics side by side so you can see :)

My brother came to see his new niece!

And my closest cousin from TN is having twins around Christmas time!

Zach and Mauzy on the "tractor"!

I'm Back!

2010-12-12T18:02:00.000-05:00

I know it has been forever since my last blog! It is so hard keeping up with this while chasing two little ones around! We have been super busy these last few months. We had a wonderful time celebrating Halloween...Zach was so into it. It got to the point where he would not let us walk him to the doors to say trick or treat. Mr. Independent wanted to do it all on his own! He is still enjoying preschool very much and has made many new friends. Addison is growing up way too fast. Last month, we celebrated her 6 month birthday. It's hard to believe she is now 7 months old! She is sitting up all by herself and trying to talk! Here are some cute photos my photographer took of her 6 month milestone!

We spent a lot of time in October at the farm! Zach absolutely loves feeding the animals and riding the hay ride!

Here is Zach dressed up as a "farmer" for school! He looks so grown up here!
*sigh*

Our little princess was a sweet little lady bug for Halloween!

And of course we celebrated with Captain "Noony" from the Backyardigans!
I know...he will kill me one day for the mis-matched sneakers!

Addison turned 6 months! Ellie wanted in on the celebrating as well!

She was facinated with the bows from her gifts!

My Little Pirates!

2010-10-02T10:29:00.002-04:00

Now that October is here...we are trying to figure out Halloween costumes! I have already returned 2 for Zach because he won't wear them! I finally think I have one that he LOVES! His new obsession is pirates, so here he is with his new pirate hat...just like Captain Moody, from the Backyardigans of course!

And of course...my little miss pirate...Addie Jean!

Making Memories!

2010-10-02T10:16:00.005-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since I have made a post! We have been very busy this month "Making Memories." September was a fun month as we went on our family beach vacation. For Addison, it was her first! The kids had such a great time, especially Zach! Now that he is older, he really gets it and enjoys telling us what he wants to do :)

Addison proving that she can sleep anywhere! Here we are outside playing mini golf and the background noise was loud motorcycles as it was Bike Weekend!

Zach's first adventure at mini golf...which he loved!

My Little Princess in her new hat!

Addie's first experience with the ocean!

Addison rolled over for the first time on this trip! It was such an awesome moment!

Silly Zach!

Beach Baby!

Her toes in the sand!

Zach loved "hiding" his feet in the sand with daddy and grandad!

Special Moments

2010-08-31T18:23:00.005-04:00

We had such a wonderful weekend making special memories. Addison had her baby dedication and Zach started preschool!

My sweet angel!

My little man!

Big Brother Love!

2010-08-05T10:45:00.005-04:00

Zach loves when he gets to hold Addison. Here are a couple of cute pics of him giving his little sister some love!

Kisses!

My Sweet Princess!

My little homeboy!

Just the cutest!

A Little Ray of Sunshine!

2010-07-26T11:42:00.002-04:00

I can't believe my sweet baby girl is 2 months old! The time is going by so quickly and I just want it to slow down!

4th of July!

2010-07-06T15:32:00.005-04:00

Chris and I had such a great weekend celebrating the 4th of July with the kids. We took them swimming to my parents pool where Addison sported her first swim suit! Zach was a little nervous about the pool and only managed to get his feet wet :) My cautious little boy!
We had a super time!

My Little Diva!

Her first 4th of July!

Month One!

2010-06-25T10:12:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that my sweet little angel is already 1 month old! The time really goes by quickly!

Water Table Time!

2010-06-22T08:33:00.003-04:00

Zach loves playing outside! Yesterday we decided to use the water table and since it has water...he is all for it :)

He loves pouring the water on himself. At this point we have no clothes on because they are soaked! Now it is just a matter of time before the diaper needs to be removed!

Yup...It's about that time!

The New Big Brother...

2010-06-16T10:29:00.002-04:00

Zachary loves being a Big Brother! He is so cute with Addison! He really enjoys holding her and giving her kisses on her head! I am so proud of my little man!

Just precious!

2010-06-15T18:37:00.002-04:00

The Story of My Life...

2010-06-15T13:44:00.002-04:00

Just the Four of us!

2010-06-03T10:56:00.002-04:00

And then there were four...

2010-06-02T10:50:00.002-04:00

I am in love...

2010-05-29T14:54:00.004-04:00

Welcome to the World Sweet Princess!

2010-05-26T15:01:00.006-04:00

Chris and I could not be more excited about our newest addition...Addison is here!

Zach meeting his baby sister for the first time!

Big Kisses!

Getting ready to come home from the hospital!

My grandmother and Addison!

Zach loves Addison's crib!

Touchdown RAVENS!

Eight Days Old!

Clark's Farm

2010-05-05T20:13:00.001-04:00

Chris and I decided to go on one last outing as a family of three! We took Zach to one of his favorite places, the farm. He of course loved it and when we left, we had to carry him out screaming! He loves all the animals!

Helping Daddy feed the goats!

Gardening with Daddy!

2010-04-16T09:28:00.001-04:00

Zach is the typical boy...loves to play in the dirt! Chris planted bushes along our patio last weekend and Zach was such a big helper! He was very interested in the worms. He knew exactly where to place them once they were dug up.

Hooray Spring!

2010-03-31T21:46:00.001-04:00

We are really excited that the spring weather is here because Zach loves playing outside! He got a swing set from his wonderful grandparents and just loves it!

Here he is taking a ride down the slide!

Look at those Big Blue Eyes!

This is the "flower" he planted with Granna!

He loves picking the cherry blossoms off daddy's tree! Not so sure daddy would love that :)

Zach turns 2!

2010-03-10T16:11:00.005-05:00

I can't believe my baby is 2! These two years have been amazing and have gone by so quickly! Chris and I had such a wonderful time celebrating with Zach. On his actual birthday, we spent some good quality family time at the aquarium! Zach absolutely loved it. He kept saying "ishy" for fishy! It was so adorable!

Zach's BIG present from us!

Blowing out his candle!
Happy Birthday Buddy!

At his friends party, we celebrated with Pablo of course! Here is the amazing cake my friend made for Zach!

Zach attempting to break the Pinata!

Singing Happy Birthday!

I got a little emotional! I just can't believe he is two!

Another view of the cake and cupcakes!

I LOVE this picture of us! Look at our faces!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my Sweet Baby Boy!
I love you Zachary!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-17T07:30:00.004-05:00

Chris and I had such a wonderful Valentine's Day with Zach! It was the perfect family day complete with presents and dinner out!

Zach coming down the stairs to open his present!
I love that at this point in his life...I am his Valentine!

At Christmas, he wasn't that into opening presents! Today he was...so now I am really looking forward to his 2nd birthday!

Zach and I... with baby Addison getting bigger!

Zach helping daddy open his new laptop!

He loves his new laptop. I am hoping this gift will make him no longer want to play with mine :)
Wishful thinking!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Zach's 1st Ski Trip!

2010-01-31T20:42:00.000-05:00

We just returned from our very first ski vacation with Zach! The Family all went to celebrate Nona's 60th birthday! We had such an amazing time. Zach was so excited about the snow but didn't quite know what to do about the big tubes. He just stared at them, amazed.

Caged Up!

2010-01-05T16:20:00.000-05:00

This morning, while looking for Zach...this is what I found...

Little Drummer Boy!

2010-01-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

Zach is a little rock star...always has had a love for music! So grandad bought him a new drum set which he LOVES!

Shocker!

2009-12-29T19:26:00.001-05:00

For those of you who know us well, you are aware of all Zach's sleep issues!
I was in shock when I walked into my bedroom to see this...

Zach never falls asleep anywhere except his crib! Maybe this is a sign that our sleep struggles are coming to an end! Fingers crossed!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T20:07:00.001-05:00

Not a Fan!

2009-12-15T13:56:00.003-05:00

Obviously Zach was not Santa's favorite today!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-12-02T11:01:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! Hard to believe it was Zach's second!

Zach clearly did not want to have his photo taken and my husband looks high!
Gotta love those great family moments!

Here We Go Again!

2009-11-16T15:13:00.003-05:00

Chris and I are very excited to announce that we are expecting Baby Number 2!
Here are a few pictures from our 13 week sonogram!

Touching Toes!

Rubbing face!

Profile!

Fall Fun!

2009-11-13T18:30:00.004-05:00

Zach really enjoys the nice days when he can play in the leaves! This is a new passion of his! He loves hiding his bear in them and then trying to find him :)
Super Cute!

Oh The Memories...

2009-11-12T12:41:00.002-05:00

My friend Allison emailed me a picture of our boys when they were little and it just made my heart ache! They are so sweet and so little. It's also a mini Chris and Mick!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T09:32:00.005-05:00

We had such a great Halloween this year! Once Zach got the hang of it, he loved it :) It's hard to believe how much he has changed in a year!

Our Little Spider from last year...

And this year...PABLO!
Our Little Backyardigan!

A Little Pre Halloween Party with Uncle James!

Trick-or-Treating with Daddy!

Loving It :)
Bear came along too!

Two Proud Parents of our Little Pablo!

And of course...we had to eat candy!

Happy Halloween!
2009

Pumpkin Carving!

2009-10-28T17:36:00.003-04:00

This afternoon Zach and I decided to carve our pumpkin!
It was so much fun :)

Big Helper!

Not happy that I took the paci out of his mouth :)

Ellie poses with the pumpkin!

Zach and Bear saying hi to the pumpkin!

Alyssa's Visit!

2009-10-28T11:56:00.006-04:00

Zach and I had such a great weekend! Alyssa and baby Keilah came to visit from Arizona! It was such a special visit for us because Alyssa has never met Zach. She finally got to spend some good quality time with him and I got to meet Keilah! I certainly missed seeing Selah and Micah and can't wait till they all move back to DC!

Here are the two cuties having a slumber party!

We attempted the bath together...a first for Zach! You can see just how interested he is!

Zach teaching Keilah all his naughty tricks!

Here goes the toilet paper!

Alyssa watch out...she's totally into it now :)

Zach takes a break to brush Keilah's hair :)

Gettin' Ready!

2009-10-15T16:54:00.004-04:00

This is absolutely my favorite time of year! I love when the holidays are approaching! Especially now that I have a child. It makes it so much more fun :)
We are certainly getting Zach into the spirit!
Here he is sporting his new Halloween PJ's!

Puppy Lovin

2009-10-02T10:14:00.001-04:00

Oh how Ellie has patience!

My Handsome Boy!

2009-09-29T19:17:00.004-04:00

With the gorgeous weather today, Zach and I had a great time playing outside. He just loves it! Of course I did not take my camera out there, so when we came in I had to capture a few shots. His outfit was just to adorable!

Thanks for my Tyrone shirt Uncle Lew!

Clearly his mood changed, and rather quickly!

18 Months!

2009-09-18T07:45:00.006-04:00

We are finally at the stage where taking portraits is not easy! Yesterday we had Zach's 18 month photos taken....and oh what a challenge! You can tell because there are only 7 photos AND the lollipop was certainly not part of our plan!

We were able to get a few cute ones....

Look at his little foot!

This one is my favorite! Love the tongue and he looks like a little man!

OMG...This one looks like a school picture! Can you imagine!?

This one is sweet also...

A Fun Day!

2009-09-10T13:51:00.000-04:00

Today Nona took all the grandkids to the Zoo! It was such a fun day! Zach LOVED that he was able to walk around everywhere and did not need to be in a stroller. Here are a couple of cute pics from our day!

Zach and Mommy going down the slide. Look at his cute little face :)

He loved the goats! He kept patting them :)

Introducing...

2009-09-01T08:31:00.000-04:00

Pablo!

Pure Sweetness!

2009-08-28T08:55:00.000-04:00

A new first!

2009-08-26T14:34:00.001-04:00

Zach learned how to drink from a drink box yesterday!
Hooray!

Hanging with Nona and Pop Pop!

2009-08-24T10:14:00.001-04:00

This weekend we enjoyed a fun trip at the aquarium with Nona and Pop Pop!
It was a great day :)

Sharing a kiss with Nona through the glass :)

Mesmerized at the Monkey!