Father's Day Weekend

What a special day for someone in our house.....daddy!!!!  This year he got to celebrate being a new daddy again with the birth of Caroline.

Saturday during the day we hung around the house doing our normal chores and letting daddy rest from his hard week at work.  By Saturday afternoon we were all itching to get out of the house.  A community up the street was having a cookout to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton so we met the Snider's and Hoffman's out for some fun!  Shannon Tanner, a local entertainer, was playing and got the crowd all in a good mood with his fun songs and joyous characters he does.  Cannon is still too young to get into the games he plays with the kids but he recognized all the songs.  The kids enjoyed eating their hot dogs and running around.  The babies enjoyed the music and just hanging out.  The daddy's enjoyed their hot dogs with an ice cold beer.  And us mamas.....well, we just enjoy anything outside of washing bottles and changing diapers at this moment.  It's been nice having friends on the same life journey we are on right now with kids.  Special events such as this one is just that much more fun when shared with friends!

So studious looking!

Caitlin & Caroline.  Isabella is in the back getting feed by her Noni.  All future BFF's!

Addison trying not to drop her yummy hot dog!

Notice how all the dad's get to drink beer while us mama's run around taking pictures! 

It was Father's Day weekend so enjoy boys!

Sunday was yet another reason to celebrate.  Our sweet little buddy, Austin turned 5 year-old.  I can't believe it!  I remember the first time getting to meet him.  He was two months old.  Aaron and I had came to Bluffton for the night before our family vacation in Hilton Head.  Wow, how time has flown by!  Karen and Larry hit the jackpot this year with the big waterslide for the birthday boy and friends  Even Aaron and Cannon went down it a couple of times.  Not mama!  I sat on the sidelines and watched from a far.  Maybe next year!

Cannon with Meme.  She is Meme to all of us, not just her true blood family!  And we love her very much for loving all of us!

Have you seen anything as big as this?

Cannon loved it with daddy.

Katie Leigh always giving love to Cannon.  And we love you too sweet Katie Leigh!!

Cannon wanted to help Austin open his birthday gifts a little faster.

Aubrey didn't mind baby duty.  Thanks Aubrey!!

The Birthday Boy, Austin!

It's been hard this summer to schedule time outdoors.  Along with the very hot weather we have been having and the summertime afternoon rain showers.  Sometimes you just take a chance and go for it and that's exactly what we did on this Father's Day weekend.  The rain came but it didn't dampen the reason for celebration.  We love you daddy!!!

And to the birthday boy, Austin.  We are enjoying watching you grow up from a sweet baby boy to a even sweeter big boy.  You are just so cute, sweet and smart!  Hope you enjoyed your special day!

Catch A Wave!

Since the day Cannon was born he has had a head full of some good hair!  Although he did go through a short period where he was almost bald from losing the hair he was born with but that was short lived.  I've always said that good hair was one thing that made or breaks a guy from having good looks......BUT look at Aaron and you can see that I feel differently about him.  His (almost) bald head looks great on him and I think he is as cute as can be!  Wonder if Cannon will someday lose all his good hair?  Hope not!

Can you see the hair wave?  Looks like the waves in Hawaii!

Chubalicious!

 

A Special Gift

A VERY special package arrived for Caroline this week from Auntie M!  Then again, all packages from her are special because they come filled with lots of goodies from Texas!  In this package was Caroline's blanket.  Cannon received one from her too when he was born.  These blankets are those special gifts that will be folded neatly and tucked away in the hope chest so hopefully one day Cannon & Caroline can share them with their children.  I'm a very blessed girl to have such wonderful women in my life and my Auntie M and Aunt B mean the world to me. 

Thank you Auntie M for Caroline's sweet, soft and snuggable blanket!  We love you!!

If He Only Knew....

One day his chore REALLY will be to take out the trash!

A Very Special Family Visit

Lots of family fun is happening this summer.  My parents made their annual summer trip down from Texas to visit my sister and three nieces in Florida but they got to double the fun when this years vacation included visiting me in South Carolina.  And even more special, the family has grown with some additions added these past two years with Aiden, Cannon, Maddox and Caroline all being born so Nanny & Papa got to love, hug, kiss and squeeze on a lot more grandkids and great grandkids!

It's hard being away from family.  I won't ever lie about that!!  Aaron and I love where we live, the people that live here, the friends we have made, my job (not so much Aaron's at times) and now getting to raise a family of our own has been a true blessing.  But sometimes not being able to hug your mom or dad, sit at the table on Thanksgiving with aunts, uncles and cousins just gets a little lonely at times.  So that is why when family comes to visit, we make sure to remind ourselves just how grateful we are for these special times.

For this visit, my sister rented a condo in Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head Island.  Nothing fancy but it was nice to have room for all the kiddos to run around and play, access to the beach and a table to eat meals together.  Of course the temperature was hot, hot, hot and made it rough trying to have enough activities for Cannon and Aiden.  We just ended up spending a lot of time with all of them talking and enjoying each other.  My family is never short on stories so there were a lot being told the four days they were here.  Oh, I failed to mention just who all came.....ready.....my mom and dad, sister Anne, nieces Angela, Laura and Brena, cousins Aiden and Maddox.

Little Maddox

Cannon enjoying the bouncy house at Island Playground

Cannon and Aiden playing chefs

Miss Caroline's first beach trip and of course she wanted to be swaddled!

 

Notice Caroline just smiling and enjoying life while we were trying to set up and get her cousins and brother seated for a picture.

And here is as good as it gets with these kids and a decent photo!

Caroline Rae was named after her Papa (David Ray).    Can you tell he is a very proud Papa?

Cannon getting love from his Nanny!

A Year in Review

From cute babies..........

Cannon & Aiden

Summer 2009

..........to precious toddlers!

Aiden & Cannon

Summer 2010

Seriously

Caroline keeps amazing us!  Why, I'm not sure?  Aaron swears she came out of the womb already being 2 weeks old and sometimes I believe him.

Being a larger baby than Cannon, (by over 2lbs!) she is much stronger and just seems so much more advanced.   Maybe we are amazed because we really don't remember this stage with Cannon....even though it's only been a year.  Or maybe it's just because we are so thrilled Caroline is a strong, healthy, beautiful, chubby cheek, easy going, no drama (atleast for now) baby girl who brightens our days!

And by the way.....she was the baby at 38 weeks measuring between 40 and 42 weeks. So we will really never know if she was right on schedule or a little over due?  But what we do know is that we are SO seriously happy she is our baby girl, little sister and a miracle from God!!

Big Brother of the House

Cannon is still getting use to the fact that his is not the only child in the house anymore.  He usually has no clue Caroline is actually in the house unless she is crying, he sees us feeding her or we have her in one of the many things in the living room.  Up until now, the living room has been Cannon's play room!  Now you can see the "what is this?" look on his face when he has to share this space with his little sister.  I can only hope that his sweet teachers at school continue where us parents leave off about the teachings of sharing and good manners.  I'm sure they are!

I am preparing myself for the sibling fights and TWO children having meltdowns.  I'm also preparing Aaron too!  We are learning to cope with the crying, screaming, lots of dirty diapers, bottle washing, short-order cook requests and so much more that comes with having a toddler and a one month old.  These times will be temporary and short lived but we are finding out that these times are special and there are no other two children we love more than the two God has blessed us with!

Cannon is discovering and defining his role as big brother.  He loves to get down low on the floor and hang out with Caroline.  "Gentle" has become the newest word he has learned.  Sometimes he has his gentle touch and sometimes he just bops her on the head!  Either way, I know Caroline will grow up loving her big brother and we will love seeing him protect her.  And I know he will always be older BUT I'm most certain I know who will be the boss of him......her!

Notice my two sweet children.....

...now notice a sweet baby sister who doesn't have a paci, is crying AND the proud big brother trying to console her!

And there's the "gentle" bop on the head he loves to give his sister!

Sand and Smiles

Our first beach trip of 2010!!  Well, we actually took Cannon for a walk on the beach if that counts for his first birthday back in February.  I don't count that as a TRUE beach trip!  You know a trip when you come home with sunburns, sand in your car and lots of wet towels and bathing suits to wash....that's a REAL beach trip!

Our awesome neighbors, Laura and Alexa who have since moved away were back in town for the Bluffton High School graduation.  Having two young kids now I wasn't sure how to achieve the trip so daddy volunteered to stay home with Caroline and us girls took a very excited 15 month-old boy to the beach! 

Cannon loved it!  He ate sand, chased birds and ran around making friends with people.  I think all were mistaken for mommy and daddy.  Sorry to the (going) bald man who favored daddy in a way and to the two girls who were much skinnier than mommy so not sure where Cannon saw the similarities?  I guess us southerners are just friendly like that.  You can't even go to the beach without a sweet and kind little boy coming over to say hello. 

Thank you so much Laura and Alexa for all your help with Cannon.  We miss having you around the "hood!" 

Just making sure this spot had the best sand!

Look y'all....a bird!

Laura's very sweet sand drawing to us Wheat's

By far the coolest dude on the beach!

Playtime at Bedtime

Something unusual happened with Cannon on this night while getting ready for bed.....he got a huge second wind......of happiness! 

Bedtime is tricky.  Cannon can come home from daycare so tired from the day that all he wants to do is take his bath, eat his dinner and go to bed.  Without a fight!  Then sometimes he comes home over exhausted and he struggles to keep any ounce of sweetness while we go through our nighttime routine.  Those nights are even more exhausting for mommy and daddy!

But on this night, I was getting him ready for bed and his happy and sweet little personality was just so cute.  I let him play in his room for a little bit.  Of course Cannon has always loved seeing himself in the mirror so he went straight to it.....notice all the handprints!

There was just something about this night that was fun.  Maybe it's because the weather is nice and the sun stays out longer.  Or maybe it was just in God's plan to have a fun night!  Whatever it was, I'll take it because there is nothing more that melts my heart than seeing my son's smile and hearing him laugh!

We pray he never calls China!  :)

Life just doesn't get any better than this!