The Thompson Tales

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mall Day

2012-02-06T21:59:00.000-05:00

We took advantage of a rainy Saturday and went to the mall to do all the fun stuff with the kids.

Playing with the trains in the book store.

Waiting to be hooked up (she was just barely over the weight requirement at 32 lbs).

So excited to jump on the trampoline.

Getting the hang of it.

Ha!

Don't quite know the reason for the protective eye wear, but it looked pretty cute!

Chess got pretty high.

50 cent ride

I'm pretty sure they got off before the ride was over. These are not very exciting after jumping on a bungee trampoline.

Carousel

We finished the day of mall fun by eating Chickfila.

The end.

These Two

2012-02-04T21:52:00.000-05:00

Look at these two girls. I sneaked (snuck is not a word, in case you were wondering) up on them to try and take their picture while they were looking so cute watching a show together, but obviously, they caught me. The looks on their faces make me laugh. I love the way their heads are tilted together and they are sitting so close. They really love each other.

At any given moment in a day they could be sitting peacefully like this, playing and laughing together, or they could be crying and getting upset at each other. The relationship is full of ups and downs. All. Day. Long. But, they are getting sweeter with each other (overall) as they get older.

I love these peaceful moments.

Winter Happenings

2012-01-30T15:29:00.001-05:00

Well, it hasn't been too winterish around here, but we have still been doing a lot more indoor things.

The girls each made a paper plate snowman since we haven't had any real snow.

Having a little fun with breakfast - use raisins and cheese to decorate toast faces.

Chess is about to enjoy a chocolate muffin she helped me make. Love her baby blue eyes.

This green onion experiment is all over Pinterest. Save the white parts after cutting and place in water to put on the window sill. The onions start regrowing themselves! It works! But I only got one growth out of them. If you cut and use them again, they don't have enough nutrients in the bulb to regrow continuously.

Lera insists on picking out her own clothes. Almost every day is tacky day at our house. Stripes on stripes anyone?

Jared took Chess to the Home Depot kids workshop for the first time. They built and painted this little house that is a bank. It's really cute and she loves to put money in it!

Enjoying some popcorn for family movie night. I love that both girls can now sit and watch a movie with us now.

Chess helped me make peanut butter blossom cookies. She worked really hard unwrapping all the hershey kisses and helped put them on, too. She also rolled the dough in sugar - these are a great cookie to make with kids.

Girls being silly.

Girls being cute.

A story: We have a calendar on our fridge, and each month has a seasonal or holiday-typed picture. January has an icy/snowy tree scene. I told Chess it was almost time to change the calendar to February. She looked at the calendar, then at me and said, "But it hasn't snowed yet!" She thought January was supposed to be snowy, and it's no wonder with the crazy snow and ice we had last year. I'm okay with it, though!

Sweatshirt Dresses

2012-01-19T14:34:00.003-05:00

From this:

To this:

I got some Hanes sweatshirts from the thrift store in new condition, and repurposed them into dresses for the girls. I made my own pattern using clothes the girls fit into currently. Chess is bigger, so she didn't get as full a skirt as Lera, which she didn't like. But both girls enjoy wearing their comfy sweatshirt dresses!

Catch Air

2012-01-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

We have been to Monkey Joe's before, but this place is much better for small kids. Our girls had so much fun and were busy for almost three hours. At Monkey Joe's, they were tired after 1.5 hours because the climbing is so intense for little legs. At Catch Air they had more things for kids to play with, not just climb. They had a couple of big inflatables, too, but a much bigger variety, which we loved. This is not an advertisement for this place, but we had a lot of fun!

I snuck a jump in the balls, too!

Chess LOVED the dance party. I didn't know we had such a dancer on our hands!

Our lunch at Zaxby's after our fun time at Catch Air.

Chess writes her name!

2012-01-14T16:04:00.000-05:00

I have been working with Chess this school year on some writing skills. Whenever I have helped her write her name, I have written it with a capital C and the rest lower-case letters. I heard that if you teach children to write in all caps, they have a hard time changing it when they start school.

Well, Chess happens to have a very difficult name to write, with all curvy letters. She has loved practicing her C's, but when it came to the other letters, she'd just get frustrated and say she couldn't do it. She's still young, so of course I didn't push it.

Last week Chess had her first day in the Sunbeam class at church. Now that she is three and it is a new year, she goes into the big primary room with all the older kids. Then, she goes to her class with her teacher and the other three-year-olds.

Well, she did great in primary and had a great time. When she came out and showed me the picture she colored, I saw her name on it. It was in kid-handwriting and in all caps. I asked if her teacher helped her write her name. She said no, she did it by herself!

This child really needs time away from me to learn and grow. I'm not saying she doesn't learn from me, she does. But she does not really branch out and challenge herself while I am right there beside her. She doesn't like me to watch her do something new and amazing (to me, of course). That's hard for me, but it's fun to know that she can accomplish these things on her own and be proud of herself.

As far as writing in all caps, I guess we will continue practicing her lower-case letters, and as she masters them, she can write them in her name. Hopefully that will work!

W.W.

2012-01-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

Shooting Range Date

2012-01-10T15:45:00.000-05:00

After 6.5 years of marriage, we finally accomplished one of our goals: we got a gun. We bought a .22 rifle and went out to shoot for the first time over Christmas break. Thanks, Andrea, for babysitting!

I wish we would have taken pictures with our targets, but I forgot. Next time!

Grandma and Grandpa

2012-01-07T15:30:00.002-05:00

We are so glad Jared's parents came into town this holiday season. We were able to spend some time with the after Christmas and on New Year's Eve. The last time we saw them was when Lera was a baby, two years ago. Of course, the girls loved them right away and didn't waste any time being shy or timid around Grandma and Grandpa.

This is after opening their Christmas presents from Grandma and Grandpa.

They love their new dress-up clothes.

Enjoying some root beer freezes with their cousin, Lincoln.

Lera, getting some kisses from Grandma while sitting on the table.

On New Year's Eve, we went over to Jared's brother Trevor's house. We had a great time talking and eating. We even had a few early fireworks since we knew we would be leaving to get the kids in bed.

Chess and Lera are getting some cuddle time in with Grandma.

Chess loved the sparklers.

Lera did not love the sparklers. She is making her scared face (puts her hands over her mouth).

Jared lit a lot of sparklers at one time. Notice Lera's scared face again in the bottom left corner.

Neither one of the girls liked the bigger fireworks. It's weird because they enjoyed them on the 4th of July. I think they just didn't expect to see them so close-up.

We had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa and the rest of Jared's family we got to see. We will try not to make it another two years before we see them again!

Christmas!

2011-12-27T14:55:00.002-05:00

After making Santa's favorite peppermint chocolate cookies, we had some family time and read The Night Before Christmas.

Chess wanted to stay awake to see Santa, so we told her that Santa will not come unless they are asleep. As she said her prayers that night, she asked that she would be able to fall asleep so that Santa could come. Then, as Jared and I were watching TV, she came out of her room and told us we needed to go to sleep so Santa would come! Sweet girl.

The next morning, we got up around 7:00 so we would have time to open presents before church. It was a little bit rushed, but we all enjoyed it.

A chocolate sucker in the stocking brings a smile right from the start.

Going through all the goodies in the stockings.

Princess Belle - a favorite.

Melissa and Doug magnet dolls, Lera's favorite.

I think these kids would have been happy with just suckers.

Daddy is adjusting the bike seat correctly.

Chess got a balance bike from Santa.

Attempt 1

Attempt 2 (that's all the attempts I got)

Then we ate breakfast and got ready for church.

Here we are in our church clothes under our Christmas banner the girls and I painted.

Chess put together her new puzzle with a little help.

At lunch time, we headed to the church to eat with the family, and have our Christmas program.

Chess did a great job helping all the kids with the traditional Tommy Toad and other songs. Lera mainly ran around and danced, but she still did a great job.

We let the girls eat their snowman cookie pops on the rainy way home.

As we pulled into our neighborhood, I caught Lera nodding off. She had half her snowman head eaten, but did not get a nap that day.

Later, Mimi and Poppy came by to see what Santa brought.

What a busy and blessed day. I hope you had a very merry Christmas, as well!

Christmas at Mimi and Poppy's

2011-12-26T14:55:00.003-05:00

A few weeks before Christmas, we have a party at my parents' house.

We brought our bb gun to let Chess have her first experience with shooting. Jared just bought our first "real" gun, so he and I will be going out to practice shooting it very soon.

The little girls were impressed.

Chess was so excited to open this. She was squealing and laughing and doing a little jig.

Lera loved her presents, too.

The chaos.

Our personalized shirts from our Daddy.

We made some beautiful cookies.

Like mother, like daughter.

Playing with their toys the next day. Thank you Mimi and Poppy!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T11:37:00.000-05:00

Magical Night of Lights

2011-12-18T23:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a sweet family at church, we got to go to the Night of Lights using their visitor pass. It normally costs $40-$60, so we would not have gone otherwise. We all had a great time.

Lera refused to wear a coat at first. Chess is covering herself because her face is cold.

The girls enjoyed the lights, but they really loved the carnival. I was in shock because Lera actually wore her coat sleeves down! I guess she realized what a cold night it was. Plus, having gloves on might have helped.

The girls' first carnival ride ever!

We decided to ride a really fast one as a family. Lera was barely tall enough to ride with an adult. The man looked at me like I was crazy for wanting to take her on it! It was pretty crazy, but she had a fun time. Both girls did, and they wanted to get back on after it was over...

...instead, we put them on this. When it started going around, Chess said, "Why isn't it going faster?"

They both liked this one pretty well, though.

On the ferris wheel.

I must admit, I got a little freaked out sitting at the top of the ferris wheel while they were letting people on and off below. It felt kinda wobbly up there.

We ran into some nice people who were about to leave, so they offered us some of their tickets they weren't going to use. We had so much fun. I'm glad the girls like rides like me and Jared do. Next stop, Six Flags!

Town Tree Lighting 2011

2011-12-16T23:25:00.000-05:00

We have made it a family tradition to go to our little town's annual Christmas tree lighting. It's not that exciting of an event, but it's a fun atmosphere and we all have fun.

My daughter, Lera, refuses to wear her sleeves down. It doesn't matter how cold it is, she shoves those sleeves up past her elbows whenever I put a shirt or coat on her. Her little hands and forearms were pretty cold this night, but she will not have it any other way.

photo by Chess

This girl was having so much fun on the train you would have thought it was a roller coaster.

Tree lighting 2010

Tree lighting 2009

Tree lighting 2008

Merry Christmas!

Christmas-y Items

2011-12-16T23:04:00.000-05:00

After seeing the idea on pinterest, I made this box out of an old wipes box. I needed somewhere special to put our Christmas books, and I didn't want to buy a decorative storage box or basket for $15+, so this is how mine turned out. I love it! See the original idea here.

I spied some mistletoe growing in our bradford pear tree a little while back. Since it is a parasite and all, I went ahead and chopped that thing off and decorated my home with it!

These little sock advents were everywhere last year. So after Christmas, I got lucky at Target's dollar section b/c the socks were 75% off. 12 pairs of socks for $4? Yes, please. I simply put scripture cards, each telling part of the Christmas story, in the socks. The girls love picking the sock each night. And Chess is really noticing how close we are getting to number 24!

I made Chess a comfy sweatshirt dress. I used a little dress she already has as a pattern.

These trees were a perfect craft the my girls' ages. Chess did most of the cutting herself, and both girls glued their tissue paper pieces on by themselves. They love seeing the light shine through their trees.

I saw these adorable mice on Martha Stewart's website. I made them for the kids in my nursery class at church. My favorite is the light blue/gray one.

W.W.

2011-12-14T10:41:00.000-05:00

Seeing Santa, take two

2011-12-13T22:50:00.001-05:00

We started out the day with breakfast at Waffle House.

Then we head to Bass Pro Shop to see our favorite Santa.

Jared is wrestling the girls to keep them in line. They were so rowdy.

I love Lera's expression. "I will sit in Santa's lap. I will not cry like last year, but I will not smile either." Here are our pictures from last year.

Some things that I've made...

2011-12-13T22:39:00.001-05:00

Whenever I see plain t-shirts for the girls on clearance, I snatch them up. This fall, I had some long-sleeved shirts that needed a little something extra. I made this tree shirt for Chess using lots of fabric scraps I have piled up.

I have two nephews, so I tried my hand at making some boy items. Little ties! Aren't they cute? The bigger ties are made from this tutorial. It was really good and really easy to follow. The little ones are adapted from a tutorial that I can't remember right now. It is just a tie shape cut out and stitched together with two fabrics.

Wasn't I cut out to be a model? I was getting all dramatic in this photo shoot. I finally made myself an apron! I have been wanting to for awhile, so I checked out a book from the library and followed a pattern in it. It is meant to be reversible, but I plan on just using one side of it. I especially love how the tie wraps around and ties in the front.

Last thing for today - marshmallow shooters! I followed a youtube video to learn how to make these. They are easy, so I made one for each member of the family. The girls had a little spit problem in their guns, but Jared and I got pretty crazy shooting each other. Let's just say a marshmallow to the neck does not feel very good!

Amicalola Deer Park

2011-12-04T20:20:00.000-05:00

Amicalola Deer Park is an animal preserve near Amicalola State Park. At Christmas time, they have Santa there and his reindeer, and it is so much fun! This was our first year going, and we loved it.

First we walked around and saw the animals. All the animals there are rescue animals.

Look at that face. Chess was in heaven here and was not afraid of any of the animals. We brought celery and carrots. This little pony loved the carrots, but not the celery so much.

Lera made this face whenever an animal got too close to her.

This picture cracks me up. She liked the IDEA of feeding the goats, so she had a carrot in hand. Well, these goats were not shy and started following her. In this picture she was backing up as fast as her little legs would carry her.

Chess let the goat eat right out of her hand.

This little guy is eating the strings hanging off the rip in Jared's jeans.

Llamas!

Holding the sweetest, softest bunny ever

So, after looking at and feeding animals, you wait on the "sleigh" to come pick you up and take you see Santa and his reindeer. We went on a nice ride with one of Santa's elves driving the tractor, I mean sleigh.

Then we got to feed the reindeer, which were really beautiful. I think this one here is Comet.

Then we saw Santa! All the kids got as much time as they wanted with Santa and moms and dads could take all the pictures and video they wanted. Lera seemed skeptical at first, but when she saw the jar of candy canes, her mind was made up for her.

When Santa asked Chess what she wanted for Christmas, she looked around and said, "a Christmas tree." Santa kind of laughed and said, "I'm sure you'll have one of those. Do you like baby dolls?" Ha! Good fall-back, Santa.

Cheese!

These girls are crazy about candy!

Then Santa did some magic tricks and we rode back.

They did a great job at the deer park. I highly recommend it. Make sure you bring cash. Or check. Not credit cards. I know from experience. :)

Christmas is in the Air

2011-12-02T20:16:00.001-05:00

Our little Santa, going through the Christmas boxes.

Hanging the ornaments

Really working hard to figure out how to hang the ornaments

Awwwww.

Lera got to put the star on top.

The tree and mantle are all festive!
Now if only they would stay that way.
I love the decorations, but I don't love picking them up off the floor 10 times a day. Oh well, the trade offs.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Family Pictures

2011-11-30T22:09:00.001-05:00

My kind and talented sister, Andrea, took some family pictures for us last week. I think they turned out pretty good, considering some uncooperative participants.

1. Put this one on our Christmas cards. Chess's face is not happy, but I think this may be my favorite.

2. You'll notice that a certain three-year-old did not want her picture taken.

3. This was going on a lot during the photo shoot.

4. This is definitely the best as far as our faces, but I don't like the background as good as #1.

5. Lera was happy as long as I was holding her.

6. Playing = happy Chess

7. Candid

8. Sliding

So, which would you put on your wall? #1, #2, or #4?

Thanks, Andrea, for taking the pictures!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T21:33:00.001-05:00

We decided to host my family's Thanksgiving here at the Thompson home this year. It turned out to be quite homey and fun, in my opinion.

The girls and I made this Thankful Turkey and have been putting on one feather every day in November. Each feather lists something Chess or Lera said they were thankful for that day. Some of the answers were pretty funny - they are still trying to grasp the concept of what they are thankful for. Both girls did say they were thankful for Momma and Daddy, and Lera said she was thankful for Chess and herself. The most popular type of answer was to name something that was in their immediate line of vision: turkey, doll, chair, cup, etc. When I tried to gently guide Chess in a certain direction, she became very determined to name a random (although important to her, I'm sure) object, such as markers and toy cars.

We made a few different kinds of turkeys. There are just so many things to do with turkeys! I feel bad that the only reason we use turkeys in crafts is because we eat them. I just don't enjoy making crafts of Indian corn and cornucopias. Maybe next year we'll branch out.

I forgot to photograph the hand print turkeys and pasta turkeys, which were so cute.

Here are the pumpkin turkeys.

Everyone came over to eat a delicious meal. I made a turkey, homemade rolls, and pumpkin pie cheesecake. All the food was great. We lined up some tables to have room for everyone.

We had a little table for the little kids and their helpers, Bailey and Halle. Those girls are so good with the little ones. My girls LOVE playing with them.

After eating and relaxing a bit, we went to see Arthur Christmas. It was a cute movie. Lera stayed home with Jared to nap. Chess loved watching the movie and getting popcorn from Stacy and Paw-Paw. It was quite the treat.

We came back to our house to hang out some more and eat some more. I am so thankful for my many blessings, especially having almost all my family nearby to celebrate with! Happy Thanksgiving!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T07:09:00.000-05:00

LEAVES!

2011-11-27T19:07:00.001-05:00

Our Favorite Place

2011-11-24T21:41:00.001-05:00

Halloween Night

2011-11-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

This is the last Halloween post!

Mimi and Poppy came to see the girls in their costumes.

We are so lucky to have two cute little girls the same age as our girls who live across the street. We went trick-or-treating together.

The two big girls got so excited knocking on doors and yelling "Trick-or-treat!" as loud as possible. They would run up to the door and start giggling like crazy. It was so cute. The little girls had a hard time catching up, but they didn't really care.

Daddy handed out candy to all the kids.

After our girls got some PJs on, they helped hand out candy, and also grabbed some extra pieces for themselves. Sneaky girls.

W.W.

2011-11-16T15:30:00.001-05:00

Halloween - Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-12T15:01:00.001-05:00

The girls were really funny about carving the pumpkin this year. They were so anxious to do it, but once we told them to stick their hands inside, they got all squeamish.

Lera can't wait to cut that thing.

Ahhhh! It's so slimy!

Chess helped me design the face. She wanted a pretty girl-faced pumpkin. I thought the hair was a funny touch.

Halloween - Trunk or Treat

2011-11-10T14:49:00.000-05:00

The girls costumes are based on the show "Super Why" about some little super readers who go into storybooks and help the characters while learning a lesson at the same time. We love the show around here.

My little Wonder Red.

My little Princess Presto.

Getting ready to go to the church for trunk or treating.

Holy cupcakes!

We all took turns making funny faces.

Chess took this picture of me.

Pure joy and delight after getting some candy in her bag.

The trunk or treating turned into hallway treating because of rain.

Happy Halloween!

Lera got only a foot in the door before dropping down to check out her candy.

For some reason, lolly pops are the favorite.
I'll take the chocolate any day.
And I did.

W.W.

2011-11-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

Pre-Soccer

2011-11-06T14:36:00.002-05:00

I found some little girl soccer cleats at a thrift store and got them for Chess. She loves putting them on and playing soccer. She is a very fast runner, and good on her feet.

I think she has pretty good control of the ball, too, for a three year old.

Our neighbor was out walking her dog and asked if we had her playing on a team. I said no, but maybe next year. She said we should because she is really good.

I guess I'm not the only one who thinks she's talented. But, she is only three. I think it will be so fun to watch her play one day. What age did you put your kids in sports? Just curious.

Lera, running down the hill.

Chess, dribbling down the hill.

Lera's Birthday Day

2011-11-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

Last birthday post, I promise.

Chess, making a birthday card for Lera.

Lera, seeing all her balloons and decorations when she woke up.

Seeing the card Chess made her.

We went to Toys R Us and got some birthday balloons, so they are jumping on my bed, playing with them.

This is my favorite action shot.

Since we just had cake a few days earlier, we combined Halloween with the birthday, and made sugar cookies to celebrate.

Mmmm, look at that big pile of black sprinkles right in the middle.

I think Lera had a great birthday celebration!

Lera's Birthday Party

2011-10-30T20:07:00.000-04:00

We had Lera's party at a little pumpkin patch called Kinsey Family Farm. It was the perfect weather and a great environment for my little two-year-old's family party.

I have had some people ask me about the cake. The tutorial for the rose cake is here. I thought is was so pretty. I just added a little yellow food coloring to match Lera's outfit. It was easy to make, too, and mistakes aren't very noticeable.

Look at this cute girl. Chips in both hands.

Couldn't get a good picture of both girls with the pumpkins.

Lera loved pulling the wagons around everywhere.

The hayride.

They had some goats and cows to pet and feed.

We had a great time. Thank you, family, for coming and for the awesome gifts. Lera loves all of them and has been sharing nicely with Chess (who says it's almost her birthday, even though it's six months away). :)

W.W.

2011-10-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lera!

2011-10-25T07:51:00.002-04:00

Well, my baby is two. She is such an awesome girl. She brings so much fun and personality to our family. Here are some things about Lera.

She loves to cuddle with me in the mornings. It is lovely. She wakes up around 6 or 6:30, and comes in the bed with me. Sometimes she falls asleep and sometimes she doesn't, but we always have some good cuddle time. What a great way to start the day.

She loves to eat. She is always saying, "I hungy." She mostly loves to snack, but she eats her meals well, too. She will try almost any food. Her favorites are fruit, cottage cheese, eggs, mac and cheese, grits, and crackers. She is a messy eater, too. She always tries to get down from the table and carry her food all over the house.

Lera is a rough and tumble little girl. She loves to climb and explore. She is always trying something new. She has great balance and strength for a two year old, but also has her fair share of falls. She is tough, though, and doesn't cry very much when she gets hurt.

She is great at sharing and playing with her big sister. It has been amazing to see Chess and Lera grow into the best of friends and playmates. Lera can now talk to Chess and play games with her. She has shared all her new birthday toys lovingly.

This girl has amazing abilities at getting dressed and undressed. She loves to take off all her clothes, right when we are about to leave the house, usually. She can get her clothes on, too, and loves to say, "I do it!" She can even put on socks and shoes sometimes. Her pants and shirts may be on backwards, but I am surprised she even finds the right holes for her arms and legs!

Lera is such a smart girl and is talking so much. She repeats pretty much everything we say, as well. She has been using the potty on demand for a couple of months now, and I think we may go diaper free before long.

We love you so much, Lera! Happy Birthday!

The Zoo

2011-10-23T21:16:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Picnic

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Nan-Naw's and Paw-Paw's

2011-10-16T20:45:00.000-04:00

We recently spent a gorgeous fall day at Nan-Naw and Paw-Paw's house. Both my sisters and my mom were there, and the little cousins had so much fun playing outside.

Paw-Paw swinging Chess.

Paw-Paw swinging Lera.

Getting teddy grahams.

Lera posing with Nan-Naw.

Lera and Will were getting teddy grahams and putting them in their pockets to eat where ever they went.

Three blonde stair steps.

With Mimi and Raven.

Lera and Will started throwing stuff out the play house window and thought it was hilarious.

I went in to see where Lera was standing to throw things out, and this is what I found.

Morning in Atlanta

2011-10-14T20:35:00.000-04:00

There was a free museum day I read about so we decided to go to the Museum of Puppetry Arts.

Some parts of the museum were a little creepy, but most of it was very cool. We saw Big Bird and Ernie and lots of Jim Henson stuff. They also had some fun puppets the kids could play with.

Afterwards the girls had their first Varsity experience.

Fries.

Frosted Orange. F.O.

Yum. Yum.

Love this last picture of the girls.

Fish Hatchery

2011-10-14T20:25:00.001-04:00

We went to the fish hatchery again this year.

The girls loved feeding the fish.

Lera was running around like crazy throwing fish food in.

Chess loved being with some other little 3-year-olds.

The end.

Happenings at Home

2011-10-08T21:50:00.001-04:00

The girls have enjoyed painting lately, and sometimes I get in on the action. They have even been known to get out the paints and brushes, fill the cups with water, and start their masterpieces, all before I even know what they're up to. They are getting so big and independent.

Playing outside! We have loved it with this beautiful fall weather. We are out every day enjoying the mid 70's and all our outside toys.

This little velcro game got stuck in Chess's hair. It made me laugh. :)

Dress up. The usual dress up consists of tutus and leotards, but I got Chess to put on these scrubs and she had fun with her doctor kit examining me and Lera. Isn't she the cutest little doctor you ever saw - with her little tool (not sure what it's called) in her front pocket?

We are still doing Momma School, but we have had some major failures. I thought Chess would love this pumpkin matching game (upper and lower case letters), so I spent a lot of time cutting and making it. Well, she did not love it, and refused to do it. After much regret, we just put the game away. She likes most of the games we play and activities we do, so it's not all failures.

Lovely Lera. This girl is hilarious and always keeps me on my toes. She is really starting to talk and is as rough and tumble as ever.

Although having little cooks in the kitchen is trying on my patience, I think it's important, so we have been making a few treats around here.

Perfect.

Will not sit still. Snacks all over the house. Enough said.

At least one child likes getting her picture taken with me. I think Lera has my green eyes.

Crazy climbers.

Lera put something up to her mouth and got a nice little rounded mustache.

Here we are "watching" conference. It was hard for me to get much out of it this time around. I wonder why?

We'll end with a craft the kids actually did love. I got these foam pumpkins last year for about $0.40 and I cut out black shapes, so the girls made their own jack-o-lanterns and glued them in place. So much fun.

Overall, I love my life and my family. We are blessed.

New Nephew

2011-09-20T16:22:00.000-04:00

My sister, Amy, had her fourth baby - Samuel was a Labor Day baby, born on Sept. 5. He is so sweet. I was able to take a few pictures of him in the hospital. Here are my favorites.

Sam and his momma.

Sam, with his favorite aunt (sorry, Andrea).

Hillcrest Orchard

2011-09-17T16:19:00.001-04:00

We had such a great time at the apple orchard last year that we decided to go back again this year.

Lera was really excited to be involved in the activities this year. She was just a baby last year (see link above).

Chess was the perfect size for the John Deere tricycles this year. She rode them for a long time.

Stacy was so sweet to help Lera.

Lera, jumping with cousin Halle and her friend.

Lera loved this cow. She did not want to leave her. Both girls got a turn to milk Buttercup.

On the wagon ride. This smile is priceless.

Our family.

I love this picture. Everything about it.

Everyone got involved in the sliding action! Lera was fearless and continued to climb that big hill by herself and go down the slide over and over again.

Cool picture I got of Lera at the top of another slide.

These were the pedal carts for adults. Lera HAD to ride and this guy was so nice to push her around the track, twice. Those things are not light.

Raven enjoyed her first farm experience, too, I think.

Getting ready to watch the pig races. They were especially entertaining this year since Bob and Halle got to participate!

Sweet sisters sharing a delicious apple cider slushy. That thing was heavenly (when I could get the girls to give me some of it).

The end.

W.W.

2011-09-14T10:16:00.000-04:00

Elvis

2011-09-11T15:57:00.000-04:00

Nan-Naw and Paw-Paw were kind enough to take Jared and I on a double date. We had a great dinner and saw Elvis!

He was a great Elvis and Nan-Naw and Paw-Paw have seen him several times. He really put on a good show and had a wonderful voice.

Look at that lip! He had the whole personality!

Thank you Nan-Naw and Paw-Paw! We had a great time!

Momma School

2011-09-09T15:57:00.001-04:00

I wanted to do a little bit of an organized learning time with Chess this year. She is three and asked to go to school (after hearing about it from her cousins). Well, I am not ready for her to go anywhere, but I thought, "I'm a teacher, I can do some school with her!" Thus, Momma School was created.

I used my fridge space to put our calendar up. We do "school" on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour or two. The girls love singing the days of the week song and using the pointer to find the date.

I bought Chess a Kumon workbook. I love the way they start with the most simple letters to write, instead of going in ABC order. Chess has just started to hold the pencil correctly consistently. She is doing great with straight lines and the letters L, T, and H. Although her name has some of the most difficult letters to write, she loves working on her C's and tracing her name.

I love that this time gives the girls time to work together and practice sharing. That is something we need a lot of practice with. They did great putting this puzzle together. Lera is very good about finding pieces that go together, but doesn't have the ability to line them up easily. She would give the pieces to Chess, and Chess could see the correct placement and make it work.

We also made some homemade wheat bread together. The girls always want to help me cook, and I must admit I need to learn some patience with this. I tried to relax and let them help as much as possible. There were a few tears, but overall it was successful.

I just love this picture of Lera. Our little shadow student. She thinks she is as big as Chess and wrote and colored right along with us.

Chess loves her color by number/shape book, but I have to work with her on doing it nice and slow. She's used to just scribbling on each page in a coloring book and flying through all the pictures. As she was working on her butterfly, she kept wanting to do the bird on the next page. I really want her to learn to put time and energy into one thing at a time and make it beautiful and feel proud of her work. She's learning how to fill in the shape instead of just putting a little scribble inside.

Here is our bread all finished and ready to snack on - yum!

I made the girls their own boxes. Those letters have already been ripped off. Hmmm. I think all three of us will be learning a lot from this Momma school experience!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T20:42:00.000-04:00

Cleveland/Helen Get-Away

2011-09-06T20:49:00.003-04:00

We took advantage of a day off for Jared and went on a little day trip.

First we went to Babyland General.

I made the dress that Chess is wearing. Read more about it on my craft blog.

Then we walked around Helen for awhile.

We enjoyed some chocolate from Hansel and Gretel's candy store.

And we played in the river. Here we are watching some people tubing. It was such a beautiful and fun day.

Summer Swimming

2011-08-15T19:13:00.000-04:00

Summer Watermelon

2011-08-14T19:10:00.001-04:00

Good to the very last bite.

Water Spray Ground

2011-08-13T15:48:00.000-04:00

The girls had so much fun at Ellie's birthday party!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T09:24:00.000-04:00

G-Braves 2011

2011-08-01T21:24:00.000-04:00

We had a great time a the game. The girls loved seeing the mascot, Chopper. We lucked out by going on free kids' meal night - that was a nice bonus. And we even made it over two hours at a 7:00 pm game!

Chess took this one and I love it.

Thanks to my dad, Rick Turner, for winning us some Gwinnett Braves tickets! He is a radio prize-winning extraordinaire!

Moooooooo!!!!

2011-08-01T21:19:00.000-04:00

I had a great time going all-out for Chick-fil-a's Cow Appreciation Day this year (for those of you who don't know, Chick-fil-a gives you a free meal if you dress like a cow from head to toe one day a year, and a free entree if you just throw on a few spots or something).

One unhappy calf and one perplexed calf (yes, that makes me a momma heifer).

Check out Andrea's homemade udders!!

I got lots of family to join us.

Eating some nuggets.

Thanks, Chick-fil-a!

Blueberry Picking

2011-07-23T19:56:00.000-04:00

Last year we picked strawberries. This year we thought we'd try out the blueberries.

We found a local, organic u-pick blueberry farm not too far away from our house. They had some pet goats we could feed.

Lera loved carrying around her bucket, although she didn't really get any blueberries in it.

Chess was an expert picker, though. She learned very quickly to pick the dark blue blueberries, not the green, pink, white, or purplish berries.

Lera does have berries here, but it is because we unloaded some of ours.

Some of Chess's pick.

Me and my girls.

It was a beautiful blueberry-pickin' evening!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T07:44:00.000-04:00

Fourth of July

2011-07-19T19:56:00.000-04:00

Our July 4th tradition includes walking to the park from our house with whatever family wants to join us. We set up our area for the adults to talk and the kids to play in the middle. We enjoy and evening of dancing (the kids), games, eating, and fireworks.

Look at my little girl - she is so adorable.

I love this picture, too. Bailey blowing bubbles for the girls, Chess trying to pop them, and Lera just admiring.

My love.

Nothing like a spoonful of peanut butter.

Bailey and Halle are so fun to play with!

Mimi and Lera

The Thompson family, getting ready for some fireworks.

I hope everyone else had a fun and safe Independence Day, as well!

Mayfield Dairy 2011

2011-07-19T19:48:00.000-04:00

Milking the cow was a hit with Chess. Lera was really scared of it, though. I think she thought it was real.

Love this face. That is true concentration.

Enjoying some strawberry ice cream.

Bubba

2011-07-16T14:48:00.001-04:00

Bubba was the name of our tadpole/froglet.

It was fun to watch him grow.

He's a cute little guy, isn't he?

On our way to release him, Chess was kissing him through the cup.

This is the little pond where we found him as a tadpole.

We hope he grows up to be a big, strong frog. Bye-bye, Bubba!

Summer Rain

2011-07-14T14:45:00.000-04:00

W.W.

2011-07-13T14:47:00.001-04:00

Father's Day

2011-06-25T14:39:00.001-04:00

Summer Camping

2011-06-20T10:28:00.001-04:00

Jared and I enjoy camping. We have always done so in the fall. Until now.
We wanting to do spring camping, but the weekends just kept slipping by, so it was June before we knew it. We loaded the 4-Runner and headed north to Dick's Creek for some real, authentic, no-bathrooms camping.
It was hot, but the shade and mountain water kept us cool. There were bugs, but not so many that it was unbearable. (We had a major battle with a horsefly that Jared won. That thing would not stop until he or one of us was dead.) We were dirty, but only for a few days. Overall, it was a great experience.

We started off setting up camp and getting right in that water.

I was an expert hot dog cooker (and Jared was an amazing fire maker).

Getting the girls to sleep was quite the experience. Lera didn't know what to do with herself without the walls of her crib to keep her in. She wandered from person to person, sitting on us, rolling over us, hugging and kissing us. She eventually gave it up and slept great. It was perfect sleeping weather - probably in the high 60s at night.

Did I mention the girls got dirty? I knew better; I packed grungey clothes for the occasion.

One of our little hikes.

The beautiful waterfall and swimmin' hole.
Later in the day we came back to this area and it was pretty crowded. Jared joked that everyone over the age of 12 had a tattoo. It was pretty funny.

To the right of the picture you'll see the only potty we had. Of course, only Chess had the pleasure of sitting on a potty while we were there.

How about a little game of climb in and out, in and out, in and out? Hey, whatever keeps you entertained.

Our home for the weekend.

Everyone did pretty great "roughing it." Something about camping makes every situation very extreme with kids. When the girls were exhausted or hurt or unhappy, you knew it! The crying reached its loudest I think I've ever heard at some points. But when they were having a great time, oh boy, it was fun for everyone. The laughter and joy of splashing in the river, playing with sticks and rocks, following little bugs around, and experiencing new things was priceless.
Plus, not freezing at night like we usually do in the fall was a plus, too. I think we may have more summer camping in our future.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T10:10:00.000-04:00

Getting Sprayed

2011-06-13T10:21:00.000-04:00

We have been having so much fun in the evenings with the water hose. The girls just run and run and slide and spray (mostly Chess - she's dangerous when she gets a hold of that hose). I love these memories we are making.

I know it's blurry, but I love the looks on their faces.

Run!

They're laughing because they're out of reach, for the moment.

Chess is waving her finger at Daddy saying, "Don't spray me right now!"

Taking a quick break.

Nothing beats a wet swinging session.

I'm looking forward to many more summer evenings outside with the hose.

Birthday Stuff (for the 30-year-old)

2011-06-13T10:11:00.001-04:00

I had such a fun and drawn-out birthday (just the way I like it). I truly recommend going to the "free birthday stuff" link on the left side of my blog. I love getting emails for all kinds of free things during the month of May. We do not eat out much, but thanks to the free birthday goodies, I get lots of treats this time of year.

Eating at Red Robin for my free burger.

Sharing my free Rita's Italian Ice with my girls.

The wonderful people I got to enjoy my birthday dinner with at Fish Tales (not free, but used a restaurant.com coupon).

Yes, I know I'm making a goofy face, but I'm really excited about my crab legs!

Chess even got to play in the sand after we ate.

And we got to look at a lot of beautiful boats.

I also had a wonderful birthday party with my family.

I am so blessed with the amazing family I have. Thanks for making it another special birthday!

Pigtails

2011-06-11T22:08:00.000-04:00

I can put Lera's hair in little pigtails now!

Lera Reading Scriptures

2011-06-06T18:27:00.000-04:00

Every night when we read scriptures with the girls, they each have to have a turn reading, too. I got Lera's "reading" on video. And, of course, Chess is doing her thing in the background. Two busy and cute girls. Life is never boring!

Mother's Day

2011-05-26T14:44:00.001-04:00

Something happened between this picture and the others. I don't know what, but we couldn't get a good picture of me and both girls.

This is what we got instead:

Trying to grab 'em.

Holding 'em really tight.

Release grip and make some adjustments.

Daring her to run away with my motherly stare.

Grab her again and smile quick.

She'd going no matter what, so I might as well ask for a kiss.

Jared's Birthday

2011-05-26T14:41:00.000-04:00

You may not believe it due to a lack of blog posts, but Jared had a birthday between Chess's and mine. He is not big on BDA (Blog Displays of Affection), so I'll just say the girls and I like him a whole lot and we are very glad he is in our family.

Happy 33rd Birthday, Jared!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T14:52:00.000-04:00

Sisters

2011-05-24T14:40:00.000-04:00

Eating cake pops.

Opening Easter goodies from Grandma and Grandpa.

Relaxing.

Painting.

Sitting.

Posing.

Reading.

Swimming.

These two sisters sure do a lot together. I am so thankful they have each other. I love them!

Rain

2011-05-24T14:36:00.000-04:00

We had a lot of April showers. This is one of those.

Look at the joy on Lera's face.

Helping Lera step in a puddle.

Hmmm, wonder how my umbrella broke?

Addendum to Chess' s Birthday

2011-05-24T14:33:00.000-04:00

Mimi and Chess after Mimi took her to Build-a-Bear for her birthday.

I got to take Chess on a little date to get her pictures taken at the mall.

Playing by the fountain.

Isn't she pretty?

Her birthday chocolate cupcake.

3-0

2011-05-21T10:12:00.001-04:00

This is a picture of me and my parents exactly 30 years ago.

This is the year of 3's. Chess just turned 3, me 30, and Jared 33.

I have now lived three decades. We'll see if some "switch" happens and I start feeling more mature. Maybe now I will listen to talk radio or get news from somewhere other than facebook* (I know that is sad).

To document this special day, I am making a list of 30 things - things I like or have accomplished or just random facts. You will not hurt my feelings if you don't want to read this list.

1. I am named after my dad - his middle name is Allison. My name has one "L" b/c in the baby book my parents read, the boy version of Allison had two, and the girl version of Alison had one.

2. I am also named after my grandmother (her maiden name) and great-grandmother (her married last name). My middle name is Joy.

3. I love my thermos water bottle. I use it every day and carry it with me everywhere.

4. I love my job as a mom. I would not trade if for anything.

5. I don't step on the drain when I take a shower. I think it's gross.

6. I wanted to be a veterinarian for years when I was little. It was in middle or high school that I decided I wanted to be a teacher.

7. I got my first cavity this year, at 29 years old.

8. I love to create and make something beautiful out of something old or messed up.

9. I love Jared.

10. I was a cheerleader in middle and high school.

11. I went skydiving twice.

12. I have the best parents and parents-in-law ever.

13. I am addicted to chapstick.

14. I loved my pets growing up, but don't want any now.

15. My favorite books are the Harry Potter series and the Chronicles of Narnia.

16. I am a very picky eater.

17. I have the best girls imaginable. Have I mentioned I love being a mom?

18. I love going to plays.

19. I change clothes as soon as I walk in the door to be more comfortable. Even if I'm wearing jeans - jeans are not comfortable to me. I'm talking elastic waist - oh yeah.

20. My eyes used to be blue when I was little. Now they are blue around the pupil, then a ring of green, then yellow around the edges. I usually just say green for short.

21. I am terrible at history. The only class I ever got a B in in high school was U.S. History with Mr. Coffee.

22. I love gymnastics. I took as a kid, for cheerleading, and classes in college. It is also my favorite sport to watch.

23. I have worn a size 10 shoe since I was in 6th grade.

24. I gave birth to two huge babies naturally.

25. I don't have a big desire to be a world traveler. It would be neat to see the world, but I'm happy going driving distances mostly (I would love to go to Hawaii though).

26. It is hard to think of 30 things about yourself.

27. I taught 3rd grade for four years in a very low-income school. I loved my sweet kids there.

28. It has been way too long since I have seen Tommy Boy (got rid of the VHS tapes).

29. I currently teach the nursery kids at church.

30. I am looking forward to the next 30 years!

*I also get news from Jared. He is very good at keeping me up-to-date on the most important things going on in the world.

Easter Sunday

2011-05-17T22:03:00.001-04:00

I know there are a lot of fun things to make and do at Easter. But I am really excited that Chess is now old enough to get what Easter is really about. At least some of it. I have been talking to the girls a lot about how at Easter we celebrate Jesus' life and that he died for us and was resurrected. I am so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and loves all of us. I am so grateful to be able to share this truth with my girls at Easter time, and hopefully all year long.

Easter: at Vogel (and a Birthday Party)

2011-05-04T21:48:00.004-04:00

We had our Easter eggs hunt on Saturday and also had our family party for Chess's birthday. We went to our favorite place, Vogel State Park. If you've never been there, you really should go. It's lovely.

Be prepared for many pictures.

Twin T-shirts!

Chess, in her brand new pink chair from Mimi and Poppy.

Look at this cousin staircase! Can you believe we got this picture?

This one cracks me up. Chess knows the plastic eggs have candy or other treats inside. She also knows the hard boiled eggs, created with love and care, do not. Here, she is generously giving Lera one of the hard boiled eggs she found.

Raven's first egg hunt.

What do you see in there, Lera?

A necklace!

Mimi and Poppy with all the grandkids.

This is how Lera eats cake.

Thank you, everyone, for the great presents.

Finding (and eating) jelly beans.

He's a good Daddy.

Chess found a friend to play in the river with.

Easter: at home

2011-05-04T21:48:00.000-04:00

We did a few fun Easter activities.

Chess was pretty good at dying eggs this year.

Lera was a mess, as most 18-month-olds are.

The finished products.

Baskets, waiting to be found.

I did a little treasure hunt this year. It was fun to see Chess working through the clues and running from place to place.

The chocolate bunny became headless immediately.

Three-Year-Old Interview

2011-05-02T15:49:00.000-04:00

I have seen other people do these interviews. I decided to do them with our kids around every birthday, starting at three years old. I imagine they will adapt and change some as they get older. So without further ado, here is the first of many birthday interviews:

What is your name?
Chess

What is your birthday?
April 19

Where were you born?
In a stable

How old are you?
three

Who is your Momma?
you

What does she do?
Press on the 'puter (computer)

What is your favorite thing to do with Momma?
Read library books

Who is your Daddy?
At work

What is his name?
I don't know his name.

What does Daddy do?
He works

(What does he do at work?)
he just works

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
Play with toys

What is your sister's name?
Lera

What does Lera do?
Plays with me

What is your favorite thing to do with Lera?
Play toys

What is your favorite color?
pink

What is your favorite animal?
giraffe

What is your favorite food?
Pasta

I laugh and ask again b/c she always says she does NOT like pasta. So she says:
granola bars

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A woman

Where do you want to live when you grow up?
A stable (still thinking of that Christmas story)

What do momma and daddy do after you go to bed?
I don't know.

What is your favorite song?
Ernie (an Ernie song I used to sing her every night – I'd Like to Visit the Moon)

What is your favorite movie?
Frogs (Leapfrog)

What is your favorite place to eat?
Outside (at her picnic table)

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Blue

Who is your favorite person?
Momma

Who is your best friend?
Lera

What does Momma say?
I don't know.

What does Daddy Say?
I don't know. (I ask again and she started making up words.)

What is your favorite book?
Monsters (I have no idea what book, if any, she is talking about. She loves her books, but has had it with these questions.)

What is your favorite toy?
Dinosaur (What? We have one tiny dinosaur that someone gave us, but it doesn't really get played with. She is done answering me!)

Birthday Festivities

2011-04-30T21:50:00.000-04:00

Chess woke up feeling good and getting birthday greetings from me and Lera. When we got downstairs, she saw all the decorations and gasped. I asked her what they were for and she said, "My birthday!"

When I asked Chess awhile ago what she wanted to eat on her birthday, she said, "Chocolate." I said we could have a chocolate cake, and what kind of food did she want to eat? She replied, "Chocolate food." She takes after her momma on that. We ate waffles with whipped cream and chocolate chips as a compromise.

We went to the library and park, two of Chess's favorite places. After lunch we played outside with the new water table, which both girls LOVED.

Chess "helped" me frost her chocolate cake.

When Jared got home we had homemade pizza, a favorite for everyone, and chocolate cake with white icing.

She's got that "cheese" face down pat.

If you'll notice, Lera has frosting on her mouth. That's because as soon as I got the cake on the table, she leaned forward and took a bite out of it.

Then Chess opened her present, a Melissa and Doug wooden house with keys, locks, doorbells, and little people to go inside. Chess saw it awhile back and wanted it, so I went back and got it for her.

We had a great day celebrating our three-year-old. We love you, Chess!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T08:28:00.000-04:00

The Accident

2011-04-26T14:32:00.000-04:00

From here on out, don't be surprised when you see this face:

My poor little Lera had an accident the other day. We went to the fountain to let the girls run and play and have fun. They did have a great time for about 15 minutes. That is when Lera fell on her face and slid a few inches on her nose. She lost some chunks of skin, so it took awhile for it to stop bleeding. I scooped her up and tried to apply pressure, but you can probably guess how that went. She was more upset about not being able to get back in the water than about being hurt.

It is healing slowly, and we are trying not to touch it much. Just don't be alarmed when you see it in all Chess's birthday pictures, AND Easter pictures to come. We will never forget this well-documented accident, for sure.

I Love to See the Temple

2011-04-25T14:30:00.001-04:00

The Atlanta temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has been closed for almost two years, and will soon be rededicated. The past few weeks it has been open for tours. As soon as it is dedicated, it will only be open to members of the church with recommends. I love going to the temple and it was such a blessing to be able to take our girls there, as well.

She found a little caterpillar.

On the beautifully manicured temple lawn.

Interesting...

2011-04-24T20:36:00.002-04:00

This is what Chess did one day during her "rest" time. She took out EVERY piece of clothing hanging in her closet in placed them about the room. At least she kept most of them on the hanger and helped me put them back. She's a sweet little stinker.

At the Car Wash

2011-04-24T20:32:00.002-04:00

Three Years

2011-04-19T07:17:00.000-04:00

I have been a mother for three years now. I am so thankful for the little person who came into this world on a spring day and changed my life forever. She has gone from a chubby, happy baby, to an energetic, driven girl.

(Chess, one day old, with her swollen and bruised face from delivery - she was 10 and half pounds!)

I plan on doing a three-year-old interview with her soon, but until then her are some pictures, along with some random facts about my Chess.

(4.5 months old)

She loves learning about letters and their sounds, and knows all of them. She is constantly identifying letters and sounds and has even taught Lera what the A and B say.

(9 months old, struggling to get up on those chubby legs)

She loves fruit and has become very self-sufficient in eating it by herself. She will get an apple, wash, dry, and eat it on her own, and has become a pro at peeling and eating clementines, as well.

(1 year old)

She likes to fall asleep with her light on, but she'll often have a book or blanket over her face to block the light.

(18 months old, she became a big sister)

She loves her sister and sometimes calls her, "My Lera." For example, the other day at the park, a little girl said something to Lera and Chess turned to me and said, "She's talking to MY Lera," matter-of-factly.

(2 years old)

She is shy with any adults when when we first come into a new place. It takes her awhile to warm up, but then she will talk your ear off if you let her.

(2.5 years old)

She is super social with other kids. At the playground she goes up to kids and plays with them. The bigger kids she just follows around. We are working on her introducing herself and asking to play.

(3 years old)

Chess, you are such a joy in my life. I'm so glad you made me a mother. I love you more than you know.
Momma

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

Zoo Atlanta

2011-04-09T22:00:00.000-04:00

We were able to go to the zoo with a few friends the other day and we had a great time. It couldn't have been a more beautiful day. Chess and Lera both loved seeing all the animals. It was a little difficult maneuvering my mammoth double stroller through the crowds, but it was worth it.

I know zoo pictures can be a little boring to people who were not actually there at the time, so I only posted pictures with the girls in them. I'm sure you've all seen pictures of orangutans, pink flamingos, and the like.

Lera was in awe in the aviary. There were dozens of parakeets flying all around.

Giraffes in the background.

Chess says giraffes are one of her favorite animals.

My sweet, sweet girl.

The sign says "Do not climb on the statue," but EVERY kid was doing it, of course.

Elephant behind us.

The girls with one of their friends - by the tigers.

Okay, now this is probably the cutest thing I have ever seen in real life. Only four zoos in the country have pandas, and this is one of them. The little guy is only five months old! He was climbing and playing on this tree. He was SO adorable. I could have watched him all day.

I love the way this goat looks like it's smiling with Chess for the picture. She was bringing all the goats hay that were lying down.

We parked on the street and there were all these beautiful steps leading up to the houses. It was such a pretty area of Atlanta.

The girls had a juice box and relaxed before we got in the car.

What good would a fun, busy day be without falling asleep in the car? Actually, Lera was so exhausted that she screamed for 10 minutes straight before finally conking out. Chess, who never naps anymore, only slept for about 25 minutes.

It was definitely a good day.

Recently

2011-04-03T11:04:00.000-04:00

I love how Lera sniffs the flowers.

Lera had some ink done, courtesy of Chess.

This one makes me smile so big.

Chess with her cousin, Jimmy.

Life has been good. We are so blessed.

W.W.

2011-03-30T07:13:00.000-04:00

Things I will miss about winter

2011-03-25T15:41:00.000-04:00

I am loving the warm weather we are having. It got up in the 80's last week and it seemed that spring had passed us by. But it has cooled down a little and it is now perfect spring weather. I enjoy all seasons and I am so thankful to live in an area where we have four distinct seasons that are equally beautiful in their own ways. But, this recent heat has had me thinking about what I will miss about the winter. Now don't get me wrong, I like warm weather better, and I have about 100 or more things I love about the spring and summer. But for now, at the turn of the season, here are the things I will miss about the cold time of year:

1. Wearing my hair down. I can't stand to have my thick, heavy hair on my neck in the summer. It adds such a humid and sticky heat, so my hair is always up in the summer.

2. No ants in the kitchen. Yes, those little pests are already showing up in my house.

3. No other bugs to bug you. My girls have been running from bees all week.

4. The consistency of my butter. The butter in the butter dish is perfectly spreadable, yet firm at winter room temperature. Come summer, it practically melts off the dish.

5. No weeds in our yard. Okay, there's no grass either, but no weeds is a plus.

6. Cozy, good sleep. I love sleeping in a cool house with my warm, heavy, down comforter. With the house heated up, I can only stand a sheet on top of me and I have been sleeping terribly.

What will you miss? I have a lot of friends that would say, "Nothing! I hate the cold!"
Now, let's see at the end of summer if I have a longer list of things I will miss about the hot weather (I know one will be my girls' cute little legs and feet - they are so edible in their shorts)!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T15:12:00.002-04:00

W.W.

2011-03-16T15:03:00.002-04:00

New Camera, New Pictures

2011-03-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

It's been weird not posting for so long. We got a new camera - another point and shoot. We are liking it just fine. I'm thankful to be able to take pictures of my kids again. They are really cute.

W.W.

2011-02-23T15:59:00.000-05:00

Fire Station

2011-02-22T20:59:00.000-05:00

We got a chance to go on a field trip with some friends to the local fire station. The kids had such a fun time. The last time we went to a "touch-a-truck" event, Chess was scared to get too close, but she really enjoyed being inside the truck this time. She got to "drive" it and be strapped into the seat belt. Lera had fun running around and touching everything she could. Thanks to Melissa for letting me use her camera to take pictures of my kids and giving me the photos. For any who haven't heard, I lost our camera a few weeks ago. Totally my fault. So mad.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T18:00:00.000-05:00

Callaway Gardens 2011

2011-02-11T14:19:00.000-05:00

We went to Callaway Gardens a few weekends ago. Remember that weekend it was 70 degrees, sunny, and gorgeous? It was the perfect day for hiking through the woods, picnicing, and looking at beautiful scenery. It is free to go to Callaway in January and February. There may not be much in bloom, but it is still gorgeous.

The girls wanted to look at the water beneath.

Lera wanted to run and be free.

Once we started our actual hike, we put Lera in the backpack. I thought Chess would do fine walking since it was pretty short. Well, of course she wanted to ride in the backpack. Jared carried her for awhile so we could be on our way.

She did enjoy the freedom of walking after the tantrum wore off (and after we promised her she would get a turn in the backpack later).

We always stop on every bridge to throw stuff into the water.

This is in the butterfly conservatory.

The butterflies were moving a lot, so I didn't get any good pictures of them. The girls loved seeing them. Lera was pointing and having a great time.

Well, you guessed it. Chess got her turn in the backpack.

We told my parents where we were going, and they sure thought it sounded like a great idea. So they went, too!

We ate lunch together. I am really loving this picture.

This is in the greenhouse. It has so many beautiful flowers and awesome landscaping in there.

It was a fun, family day. I think we are making it a family tradition. See here for our trip last year.