November...Memory Lane

My JuJu bean turned 2 this month.  And she is a chatty, passionate, expressive little thing.  Have you ever heard of the Five Love Languages?  Julia is hands down our touch baby.  She is the one I pick up from school, and right when she sees me she yells, "MOMMY!" and comes barreling to me for the biggest of hugs.  When she loves she loves, with everything she is made of.

For her birthday, in our attempt to get back to eating right (lets just say Florida was about a hundred and two steps backwards in our grain-free, refined sugar free lifestyle) we made a Vanilla Bean Cake.    When Derek swung home from lunch the day of Julia's birthday, I had beans cooking on the stove.  A little insight into our conversation.

Me: "Did I tell you I am making Jewels birthday cake from beans?"

Derek looks skeptically into the pot cooking the white northern beans for her cake.

Derek: "Do I need to pick up a real birthday cake on the way home?"

Me: "What do you mean?  This is going to be a real birthday cake, just made of beans."

Derek is looking at me like my head is detached, and I can see him churning his wording around in his head as to what to say without offending me.

Derek:"Yes, but it's her birthday.  Don't we need her to have a real cake to put candles into?"

Me: "It is a real cake, just made of beans.  Do you want me to show you a picture?"

Derek: "yeah."

I show him the picture, and he starts laughing.

Derek: "Oh I see.  I thought you were just going to spread beans on a plate, layer it with cheese and sour cream and put candles in it."

It did look like a real cake, tasted like a real cake, and was devoured by all of us like a real cake.  The frosting was a mess, but it tasted great.

Julia even helped me make her cake.

At the end of the month, at Thanksgiving we attempted to get a cousin shot.  With seven kids ranging from 11 months to 8 years, it is near impossible.  But we gave it a go.  This is the best I got, not sure about the others :)

Cracks me up Julia is talking on a phone.  Cole's eye is a little puffy, because there was a little cousin rough housing, and Cole got an elbow, knee, or head bump to his eye.  We just called him Spot for the next couple of days.

One more month, and then we enter the New Year!  Whoop Whoop!

Randomness

We are back to wearing coats, and hats.  Not quite our winter coats, but still.  

Julia is looking super cute in one of the hats I made her back when she was just a wee little one in my belly.  At the time I thought it looked so big.  Now it is just right.

We played outside for a bit today, but the wind was too strong for Julia.  So we headed inside.

When Derek got home I went for a run.  At times it felt like I was just running in place.  The wind was that strong.  

I recently read Sarah's Key.  It was eye opening.  So good. Humbling.  Warning:  Do not read when around others.  You will cry, maybe even blubber.  Just saying.

We are going to Chattanooga this summer.

Julia is the messiest eater ever.

Do not say the word "butt" around Cole.  He will correct you, like he did my mom tonight.  "Don't say that word Nana, it is a bottom."  She apologized.  Funny how kids make you follow your own rules.

Julia loves the word "cow."

We went to the library today.  Then to Lowe's.  We left with mulch, and lost a pacifier.

Nana made the kids blueberry pancakes for dinner.  She rocks.  My kids love her.  Just ask Cole.  

Cole:  Mom?

Me: Yeah?

Cole: I love Nana.

Me: That is great.

I love that my children love.

  

Today was the first for painting in our household.  We invited my mom over, since we snagged the finger paints from her house, and got to work. 

But first Cole put on his apron Grandma D. made for him for Christmas.  This is the FIRST time Cole has been a willing to take a photo without Julia around.  

The one with his hand in his pocket cracks me up.  Whenever he has pants or shorts with pockets he has a hand in it :)

He loved it, and after a little encouragement from Nana he loved the finger paint.

It amazes me the changes I see in Cole almost daily.

 

When I look at this picture I don't see baby chub, I see a long lean boy.  

I love him.

Summa time

We have been busy summering, and it has resulted in a little bit of a cyber vacation.  We have been going for bike rides, swimming, splashing, zoo visiting, getting slobbery kisses from the cutest 8 month old, celebrating potty training, loving, eating, reading, snuggling, napping, and enjoying time with one another.  As a result I have a camera full of pictures that need to be downloaded to my computer to share.

Here are a few pictures from last week.   

We had our first bonfire with Cole and made smore's for the first time.

Yeah, he loved them!

On the 4th of July, at my in-laws, we raced down the street with the kids in different cars. They loved it, and my husband was the fastest! Cole is making VROOM sounds here. And Julia is getting some loves from Nana :)

I love summer.

Nonna love

I was rifling through pictures and came across these from the end of May. Julia was sitting up really well for the first time here with only a little help from her Nonna, and this was the first time for her in the grass.  

She is such a doll.

Embrace the Camera ~ Easter Eggs

The other night we decorated Easter eggs.  I really enjoy festivities, but am bad about being the one to enable them.  The whole time I had to remind myself that this is suppose to be fun, life is about experiences and creating memories, breathe it's okay if some of it spills, he is two, etc.  The whole experience started by me realizing I didn't know how to hard boil eggs. Dumb right?  After asking my mother-in-law, and referring to Betty Crocker, I successfully hard boiled eggs.

Point for me.

Next thing I know I am adding lemon juice to these little tablets, adding water, and dunking the eggs.  Cole was not into having his picture taken, so it looks like he didn't enjoy it, but he did.  I think making a mess, and hearing me gasp when some dye spilled was more fun to him than anything else.  And come to find out Cole really likes to eat hard boiled eggs.  Live and learn.  

This is my favorite picture of the evening. I love this moment between father and son.

And just to prove my mom and Julia were there, here is a picture of them.

Memories were made, eggs were eaten, pictures taken, and besides a few colorful dyed fingers, nothing was ruined :)

Oh, and thank you mom for being there and taking pictures :)

Embrace the Camera ~ Four Generations

For a wedding gift almost six years ago, we received this pretty white frame that says "Four Generations" at the top.  I always thought it was for four generations of women, and have waited for a daughter to fill it.  Every time my gram, mom, Julia, and I get together we either forget to take a picture of the four of us, or one of us doesn't want a picture taken of them because of hair not being done, no make-up, or whatever.  I laugh at this because right now this frame is displayed in my house, in the room we are in the most, with a picture of four women that we don't know.  So instead of just taking a picture of us and putting it in there, we look at four strangers, ha! If I ever ran into one of these people in public, I might think I know them from somewhere :) Pathetic, I know.

And it never fails, when my Gram comes over, she mentions that we need a picture.  So, the other night when we were all together at my brothers amazing senior exhibit (more on that tomorrow), my husband got the burden of having to take our picture. 

We fluffed and primped for a minute, struck a pose, and all said in unison after the click, "Lets see it."   All had a reason not to like it, and took another.  Reviewed the next picture, and had another taken.  All of us kind of said, "Eh, it will do."  The end result is a nice blurry picture of four generations.  Generations that teach, love, and grow with one another.

“Blessed is the generation in which the old listen to the young; and doubly blessed is the generation in which the young listen to the old” 

 The Talmud.

To Nonna's House We Go

Sometimes Cole thinks he is a dog.  He barks, and licks.  Last year he got a dog costume, and Derek just brought it out of hiding, and Cole is digging it.  With a two, almost three year old, I pick my battles.  If he wants to bring me a pair of shorts, and two pairs of pajama shorts to where, sometimes I let him.  

Cole and Julia stayed the night at Nonna's house the other night, and Cole picked out his clothes before he went.  The dog costume was part of his get up.

After dressing him, in the shorts, two pairs of pants, and amazingly a matching shirt, Cole donned the dog costume, and off to Nonna's we went.

Grandparent Visits

Our children are blessed with many wonderful Grandparents.  This weekend they saw a few of them.

Saturday while I slept (after working all night) Julia spent the day with Nonna.  They went to church, and according to my moms report Julia was perfection :)

 Here they are when I dropped Julia off.

Yesterday Derek's parents stopped by to see us. 

 

I can't believe we actually got a picture of Cole on one of their laps.  Cole thoroughly enjoyed the cookie they brought him :)  As you can see Julia is really in to sucking on her fist these days. 

Thank you mom for taking Julia for the day, and for Grandma and Grandpa Dreher for the treats and visit!

Embrace the Camera with Nonna

The other day it was almost 4:30 and Julia had been napping for about 2 hours (of course she chooses to take her long nap when Cole gets up from his, *sigh*).  Cole and I were out in the living room and I though out loud, "Julia needs to wake up soon or she won't want to go to sleep tonight."  Mistake....well kind of.  Cole decided to take it upon himself to wake her up.  I went to the kitchen to get something, and I hear Cole run down the hall (his room and our room, where Julia is sleeping for the time being, are across the hall from each other).  About 2 seconds later I hear Julia whimper.  Wondering what Cole is doing I call his name and I KNOW it is coming from my room.  I go into my room and Cole is saying "Hi gorgeous," and Julia has her bottom lip perched out in the biggest frown.  I ushered Cole out of the room, and Julia dozed back to sleep for a few minutes.  It was so sweet to hear him say such sweet things to her, never mind that he had his hands in there tapping her head.
When she woke up she was pretty grumpy.   Hence the frowns and grumpiness in these pictures with Nonna.  My mom was not embracing the camera, ha!  And would not even look at me until I put the camera down. So, enjoy the top of her head and Julia's version of an au naturel frohawk/ mohawk.

 

 There was no amusing her at this moment.  I know she was just thinking, "Nonna, I am not in the mood to be loved on, just give me to my mom so I can eat.  That makes me happy."  ha!

Pink Ruffles And A Little Red Dress

Bless my mom's heart she saved some of her favorite outfits of mine from when I was Julia's age. On vacation Julia modeled these outfits for us. Julia was eight weeks in the pictures, and I was closer to three months.

The pink ruffle outfit.

The red dress

A LOT of people ask me how and why I style Julia's hair the way it is. Without a bow or headband it sticks straight up :) Every night after her bath we comb it down, and try to get it to lay flat. But, it has a mind of its own and by the time she is done eating, swaddled, and put into bed it has done its thing :) My hair did it to an extent, but I am pretty sure she has her daddy's hair which is stick straight. I guess time will tell. For now I think it is really cute.

Florida in Pictures

Our Trip to the Zoo



Great times, Great people, Great fun

This Moment

Florida Strawberries

I had no idea Florida was know for its strawberries! And they are delish! We went to Parkesdale Farm, and enjoyed strawberry shortcake and a strawberry shake. Hands down thee best strawberry shake I have ever had. We loaded up on strawberries, preserves, fresh produce, and took pictures on the strawberry queens throne. It had kind of a retro theme about it, and it has been around for generations.

Here are some pictures from our trip :)

We leave and the snow falls...

We are on vacation in Florida! And it wasn't a moment to soon, back home has gotten hit with 15-18 inches of snow! My mom and I flew with the kids and Derek drove down with my brother Bobby. Derek hates to fly. The kids did wonderful. Especially Cole who is a little rocket these days. Julia enjoyed being held, and snuggling with me while in the moby wrap. The weather here is so nice, warm and breezy. We went for a nice long walk this morning.

Here is Julia enjoying the wind in her hair! ha!

She was not a fan of the stroller, so Derek and I took turns holding her.




Like I said, he is a little rocket! Derek had him running in between us and Nonna (who was pushing an empty stroller) :)



Cole likes to race, and says, "lets race!" all of the time. It really means "come on chase me, I love it." The walk wore both of the kids out, and they are taking nice long naps! yay!

Enjoy your day!

Back to the Splash Pad!

Don't stand too close

Or it will get you!!

On this INCREDIBLY hot and humid day Cole and I ventured back to the splash pad. He was much more independent and brave this time! At first he wanted to hold my hand to go up the stairs, but after a time or two he was going all by himself.

These pictures are from the other day, it was too hot to not be standing in some of the spray and mist!! Not realizing I was standing under the above HUGE bucket of water today, and trying to keep a close eye on which child was mine, I got DRENCHED from this bucket. Shocking at first but so refreshing, ah!

Up the stairs with Nonna
(after once or twice of going up with him, he was going up on his own, thank goodness because that water comes down hard!!)


and down the slide.

Up the stairs (with dad)

and down the slide

and again

and again

and yet again :)

And when I told him he could go down the slide one more time, then we were going home he does this...

Takes off to play in the other areas!!

After resisting the slide for a little while, he went back down one more time, and we went home and took a nap :)

I believe the splash pad is going to be our new hangout for the summer. He loves it!

Hope your all staying cool!

love,
allison