A Day At The Park With Hannah Banana

Perfect ending to the perfect day.

Chocolate Mousse....mmmmm!

Camryn helped herself to Hannah's ice cream
every time it came close.

The girls were getting tired and wanted to hitch
a ride.

Taylor took this pic. Lighting is off
but she did good.

That's one handsome man.

BFF's

Hannah posed for every pic.

One of my faves.

Mommy and Camryn on the slide

Daddy helping Camryn down from
the lookout tower

On the way down...

Two beautiful girls.

Three beautiful girls.

Aunt Jo Jo and Cammie

I told Taylor she could pick one friend to spend the day with her last Saturday. Our intentions were to take them to a carnival put on by Taylor's future elementary school but they postponed it till the next Saturday. So, we had lunch with the Fink's (love that family), took the girls to Palmetto State Park and then to Marble Slab for ice cream. We then went to Lowe's and bought seeds for our gardens and that was quite interesting. Hannah wanted every seed ever made while Taylor and Camryn fought over who got to hold what seeds. By the end of our excursion, they were all wiped out. I promised Jo Jo I would take lots of pics so here they are.

Facebook Tag

So I've been tagged about a million times on FB to list 25 facts about myself. In order to do that, I have to tag 25 people and I just don't feel like doing that so here's my Facebook tag on my blog...
1. Hello, my name is Becky and I'm addicted to chocolate. I have to have something with chocolate in it every day.
2. I lived most of my life thinking I would never have kids and now I have 2 a love every minute of it.
3. I may have 2 more. Hopefully not the way Tasha is doing it.
4. I'm a bit sarcastic and I get it from Jason:)
5. The second I saw Jason for the first time, I knew I was going to marry him. It only took him 3 years to ask me out on a date and another 9 years to marry me.
6. I started working out at the beginning of Dec and I'm actually enjoying it. I've been pretty slack the last two weeks though.
7. I have a pooch I can't get rid of.
8. I got fitted for a bra for the very first time yesterday. I heard Oprah a long time ago saying that most women wear the wrong size bra...maybe she IS always right.
9. I can carry a tune in a bucket. I guess it's a step up from a joyful noise...Tara.
10. My favorite movie is Dan in Real Life.
11. I hate to read. I sat down about 4-5 times to read Kate's new book and have made it to page 40.
12. I met Kate Gosselin. We had a long conversation and I gave her lots of advice on how to chillax. Just kidding. We said Hi.
13. I'm sure there is some way I can get famous or at least rich off my sister and brother-in-law but I'm still working out the details on that one.
14. Jason and I love to play pranks on friends.
15. I have an extra long second toe. I'm actually typing with it right now.
16. I cannot wait to finally have a nephew here in Charleston to love on. Looking forward to meeting you Hunter!
17. I am very disorganized and lose stuff all the time.
18. I said I'd never work after I had kids. Now I'm working with kids and looking for more work. Hey, times are tough!
19. I have guns. Not the bullet kind. It's the bicep kind. Back in middle school I would arm wrestle boys and beat them. I have man arms...without all the hairiness. YUCK!
20. I have to see the Cardiologist every 2 years just to hear her say everything looks great and pay her hundreds and hundreds of dollars. I guess that's better than bad news, huh?
21. I dream of owning some land out in the country with a house(at least 3000sq ft), a mother-in-law suite(you never know who's gonna need it), and a 4 car garage for our SUV, pick up truck(because we can't sell it), Porshe(for hot dates), and a boat(for fun and fishin).
22. I would LOVE to learn how to play the guitar. I'm so jealous of my brother! You're so good, Kelly!
23. My favorite place to be is my own bed.
24. I have an amazing and very hot husband whom I love with all my heart and will NEVER stop loving.
25. I LOVE my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and enjoy talking with Him every day!!!

Taylor is 5!!

My beautiful family

Like two peas in a pod

Hurry up already!

Littlest Pet Shop

My so very sweet 5 yr old.

Me and my big girl

Camryn is cheering on big sis!

Pancake birthday cake

Love the excitement.

Daddy and Taylor bowling

Daddy taking Taylor's place in the back seat

Mommy taking Camryn's place

Camryn is very excited about Taylor....

taking over at the wheel. YIKES!

My very first newborn baby.

Miss Dimples

Love the pigtails

Getting bigger...

and bigger..

We celebrated Taylors birthday last week for about 3 days. Day 1-we took her bowling. She had only been bowling once before and I knew she would love it so we surprised her. When we got there she was so excited and she did great! Mimi and Poppa were able to join us and we all took turns helping her roll the ball. By the end, she was throwing it herself and doing quite well. Day 2-It was her actual birth day so I knew I needed to do something special for her. I asked her what she wanted for her b-day breakfast. She said, "I want a big pancake, orange slices and a candle.". So, of course, I made her b-day wish come true. She loved it! Day 3- Birthday Party! She chose Littlest Pet Shop for the theme. We have LPS overload at our house. Anyway, the party was in our church gym. They made LPS houses/garages out of shoe boxes and jumped in the jump castle. She had a ton of friends and family there to celebrate the big day. She got about a million presents because she didn't get enough for Christmas. I made cupcakes with little paw prints on them and I have to admit they were pretty delicious. When everyone sang happy birthday, Taylor looked like she was about to cry. She has never liked a lot of attention. She was so embarassed. That's just her personality and I love it. Taylor is such a sweet girl. She was the easiest baby in the world and she continues to be a very easy child to raise. It makes my life a lot less stressful than it could be.
On Jan 2, 2004 I delivered my very first child. I remember thinking labor was pretty easy. It started around 6am and I stayed home most of the day. I had to see the Dr. at 2:30 and I was 3cm. By the time I got into my hospital room around 3;30 I was 4cm and I delivered her at 7:09pm. She was 7lbs 13oz, 20 1/2 inches long, and beautiful!!!! As soon as they laid her on my chest I remember thinking, "I could do this again and again.". Thankfully, I gave myself a little break. Her sister is quite a different story but that's for another day. The nurses told me that Taylor won the best baby award both nights she was there. She was quiet as a mouse. She took forever to nurse but overall that went well.
She started sleeping through the night at 12wks, had an amazing vocabulary by 1, and took her first steps the day before her first birthday. Year 2 she started using the big girl potty and moved into a big girl bed.
By year 3 she ws completely obsessed with horses so I through her a party with a real pony. It was the best party so far! At 3 1/2 she became a big sister. I was so nervous about this. I didn't know how she would do. I felt horrible for taking so much attention and time away from her but there was never a reason to worry. She is the best big sister ever! She adjusted better than I ever imagined. She loves Camryn more than life itself. They are going to be so fun to watch over the years. BFF's, I'm sure!
Year 4 was so much easier for me. She has been so independant. She is writing words and starting to read...a little. She has a much better understanding of God and Jesus and I love taking every opportunity I can to teach her more. She looks after her sister and goes to extreme lengths to protect her. This is also the last year for thumbsucking. I told her that 5 yr olds don't suck their thumbs anymore so she quit. Just like that! Well, with a little help from some hot stuff I painted on her thumbnail. It worked!
Now my little girl is 5. Wow! I'm having to think about school for the fall. I'm having to think about not having her around during the day. I'm having to think about the influences of the secular world. I'm having to think about her growing up and it scares me to death! Of course it makes me sad and excited too. You know, all the emotions of a mother. As I'm wiping away tears, I have to say that I love being a mom. My girls make me so proud, happy, and loved. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I know the coming years will bring so much laughter and so many smiles with two girls in the house. Lots of funny sayings and hilarious stories to share. I can't wait!
Speaking of stories to share...I have 2 from this past week. I think 5 has brought a whole new light to Taylor's eyes. She thinks she has more authority or something. I came home the other day and was exhausted. I laid Camryn down for a nap, put a movie on for Taylor and put myself down for a nap. Next thing I know, Camryn is talking and laughing. She doesn't do this at nap time unless she has company. I was too tired to fuss so I let it go. BAM!!! I hear someone fall and go running into the room. I see Taylor smiling and Camryn crawling across the floor. Taylor had used Camryn's diaper bag as a step stool and pulled Camryn out "...by her shoulders.". Thank the Lord they both fell on the diaper bag. Somebody would have had a few less teeth or broken bones if they hadn't. I nipped that in the bud real quick:)
Taylor got a new dvd and it has a brief cartoon that shows Jesus hanging on the cross. So...I heard Taylor yelling something at Camryn a couple of days ago and I went to investigate. Taylor was pointing at Camryn and yelling, "Crucify him, crucify him!". My first reaction was probably the same as yours. I stopped her and asked if she knew what that meant. She said no so I explained it in kid terms. She teared up and looked at Camryn and said, "Camryn, I'm sorry. I was just kidding. I'm not going to crucify you." Oh my, what's next?

Time To Update..

Crazy face

Cute pic sitting on top of the seat in Moe's. I know
they just love us coming there.

Taylor putting on make up from her new (very big)
make up kit. Thank you Aunt Judy!

Reading the Christmas story.

Big Cheese!

Opening presents was not her strong suit.

Taylor was so thankful for all her gifts.

Camryn in her hot rod.

Taylor's new bike.


Well, so much has gone on since I posted last. I don't really know where to start. I guess the most exciting week was when Cindy, Billy and Libby came to town for a week. I love it when they are here. Taylor has someone to play with, I have someone to talk to, and Jason has someone to fish with. Poor Camryn just sits around telling people what to do. She's our bossy one. For example, a couple of weeks ago she had finished nursing (I've weaned her now) but I wasn't paying attention so she bit me. My immediate response was a loud "NO!" It hurt! Her lip puffed out and began to quiver. Big tears began to fill her sweet eyes. She sat up, crawled over to Jason and laid her head on his chest. Feeling just awful about this, I tried to get her to love me again and said "Camryn, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. Please forgive me, blah blah blah." She kept her head on Jason's chest, still looking away from me, lifts her finger and points to the door. Taylor laughed histarically and said, "Momma, she just told you to get out!" Yes, she did. My 14 month old told me to leave her sight. BOSSY!
Jason and Billy went fly fishing in Georgia over their vacation. Billy must really love fishing to drive to Charleston for 22 hours, a couple of days later drive 5 hours to Georgia, drive 5 hours back and 24 hours later start that 22 hour trek. I think he might have a slight obsession with fishing but that's not what I want to focus on. Jason caught a ton of fish. He had the time of his life and I'm sure he will never forget it. Thank you Billy for making one of Jason's dreams come true. You're his hero!!! Okay, he'll probably make me erase that but he is very grateful.
While the Foote family was here, we celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family and had a wonderful time. Camryn didn't really know what to do with all the craziness but Taylor did. She tore open presents like the Tazmanian devil. I don't think I saw her open half the stuff. It's so much fun watching her get excited at Christmas time. It reminds me of when I still believed in Santa. I would look up in the sky on Christmas Eve and see the red blinking light on top of the tower and think it was Rudolph. Those were the days, but I wouldn't trade them for what I have now. I not only get to play Santa with Jason, but I get to share the true meaning of Christmas with my girls. I think it's going to take a little more time to really sink in but Taylor does now understand that we are celebrating Jesus' b-day and is beginning to understand why He came in the first place. It's so neat watching her little brain work and hearing her explain it all to me. It amazes me that little children can understand and accept what Jesus did for us on the cross, that God made the world and everything in it, but intelligent scientist can't. Speaking of believing, I was able to see my Aunt Jenny who got saved several years ago. She is such an inspiration. Everytime I see her she has a smile on her face and is so excited about Jesus and what he's done in her life. Well I am too! Her daughter Arlyn and her sister Barbara are also fairly new believers and it's wonderful to see the change God has made in their lives. Jenny had some very encouraging words for us and it was really good to hear them. Sometimes you just need that. Now we have one more Aunt on my moms side that needs the Lord and I ask that you pray along with us that the Lord will reveal Himself to her in every way and show her what an awesome change can happen in her life if she would believe in Him and live her life serving Him. We are praying for you Aunt Marion!!! We love all of you!!
Okay, back to Christmas. We did make it to the Festival of Lights and had a blast. The Foote family and my brother Kelly and his pregnant wife came with us. The kids ooooed and awwwed over all the beautiful lights. Camryn kept saying, "COOOL!" It was too cute. Of course we couldn't leave without a ride on the carousel so off they went x's 2. It still wasn't enough for Taylor. She could ride horses all day. Fake or real. We ran into some friends of Kelly's who graciously gave us a big bag of marshmellows, chocolates, and graham crackers. It was an unexpected surprise. We all stood around the fire stuffing our faces with more sweets..smore sweets:)
I was sad to see the Foote's leave but I knew they wanted to spend Christmas at their house for the first time this year. I don't blame them at all for that but I miss them terribly. The girls did spend the night at our house while the boys went fishing so it was like a grown up sleep over. FUN FUN! I haven't shared a room with my sister in like 14 yrs or something.
My girls had a great Christmas. I think they got everything they wanted and more. Santa brought Taylor a big doll house and she didn't even acknowledge it for the longest time. Now she plays with it all the time and it's really cute listening to her pretend to be a mom. Taylor also got a bike, a cupcake maker and about a million other things. Camryn racked up too. I think her favorite toys are the ones Taylor got but that's just fine with me.
Both girls got toy overload with all the presents from the grandparents. The one she loves the most is her big wheel. Do you remember having one of those? I do. I remember when I had my heart surgery they had one in the play room. I would ride it up and down the halls as fast as I could. Every time I passed the nurses station, a nurse would jump out and give me hugs and kisses. I ate it up! Taylor rides the big wheel all over the house. I don't think she even walks anymore. Camryn got a sweet ride too. It's decked out with music, noisy buttons and a mirror. She looks like such a big girl in that car.
I mentioned earlier that I am no longer nursing. My last day was on Christmas. It was and is still a bit emotional for me. Camryn is adjusting well, as long as I don't take her into my room first thing in the morning. I learned that very quickly. She cried, screamed, hit me and would not drink anything. Now my mornings start even earlier. I have to pick her up and take her straight to the table for breakfast. If I do anything different, she pitches a fit. That's just my little Cammie.
I would like to brag on myself for a second. I have been working out for about 15 min every night for almost a month. This may not sound like much but it's a big deal for me. I'm actually enjoying it and Jason even bought me the adjustable weights I had been wanting. He made sure to tell me that this would not have been his choice for my gift and that he doesn't think I need them at all. He just got them because I wanted them. He's so funny. He's such a man covering all his bases.
Taylor will turn 5 in 2 days. I won't even go there. Another Christmas, weaning and now my oldest turns 5...that's just too much for me to talk about right now. We are celebrating her bday on Saturday and hope to have pics soon. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.
This blog is dedicated to Shannon for reminding me that I don't update my blog as much as Tara:)

Taylor's Voting Advice

We were on our way to vote today when I told Taylor what I was doing. She replied, "Remember it's Mccain Momma, NOT Rock Obama." Well Taylor I do hope Mccain Rocks Obama's world tonight!

Sound the alarm!

No, I didn't set off our fire alarm. We visited our Fire Museum with several of our friends on a very rainy day. We saw all different kinds of fire trucks and the kids were able to slide down a pole. Taylor had a blast with her friends and Camryn was able to roam around on all fours. That makes for a good day in her book.

Pumpkin Patch

It's a cat! Can't you see it?!

I have to give him credit. He was very close.
Closer than Jamie:) Nice booty, baby!

Gotta love those forced smiles.

She'll pose with any horse.

Daddy and his big girl picking out the
perfect pumpkin.

Cute

As long as no one is looking...

I had to put this one in cause he's so hot!

The sun was a little bright.

All 4 of us.

Last Sunday we went to the local Pumpkin Patch with our wonderful friends Tara, Jamie, Grace, and Moli. We had a great time picking out a pumpkin, letting the daddy's attempt to prove their masculinity by tossing balloons at a pumpkin, and feeding the cows on the hayride. Neither one of the dads were able to win us a free pumpkin but it was fun watching them try. I got a good lick on the back by one of the cows and Camryn was clinging to Jason's shirt while the cows showed off their enormous tongues. Taylor had lots of fun playing with her friends and most of all...seeing horses. She can never get enough. The next day, Taylor and I carved a cat on our pumpkin. We did an okay job. I'll try something a little easier next year. Pumpkin carving takes forever!