the coffey grind

Yes and No

2011-03-15T14:09:00.000-04:00

Emory June is really coming into her own. (I have missed quite a bit of time here, but I will try to go back and blog about that later). She is so sweet, but is starting to have an opinion of her own, even if she doesn't know what it means. Check it out.

First Friends

2011-03-03T19:56:00.000-05:00

It is fun to watch your kids make friends. Granted, they don't have much of a say in who they hang out with at first, but that starts to slowly change over time, and they actually remember people by name, and say that they miss them or want to see them. Here are a couple of friends. (Side note: I've really been a slacker with the camera as of late, so many dear friends are not on here - we still love you!)

EmJ and Elliot

Owen, Jackson, Liam, and Georgia

Jacoby, Georgia, Landyn, and Jackson

Now just being silly.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-28T23:35:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving – I know, I am one holiday behind. I am secretly proud of myself for getting this up before New Year’s, so I am not two holidays back…haha.

Anyway, Brian’s family came up for Thanksgiving this year: His mom, brother Justin, Uncle DJ, cousin Aubry, and Gram. It was so wonderful to have the house full of family. My family came over as well on Thanksgiving Day, and we enjoyed a meal with 15 or so people. I love sharing the kids with them. We just think that they are wonderful (good thing, huh?) and it is fun to see our family get to see and experience what we get to live with every day. Mary, Brian’s mom, took the kids to StrideRite for her traditional shoe shopping spree for them, and Georgia came home with 3 – yes, 3 new pairs of shoes! Jackson was beyond thrilled with some light up dinosaur shoes, and EmJ has so many shoes passed down to me from my friend Amber that I don’t know if she will ever be able to wear them all, so we passed on shoes for her. Georgia got to spend a few nights with Grandma at her hotel – she thought that she was hot stuff. DJ taught me how to make a new and simple recipe for fudge (want the recipe?) – Rachel Ray brought this to Oprah – so easy and only 4 ingredients! Aubry is a senior in high school and is pleasant and thoughtful. Gram is continually work, work, working away. The woman never has an idle moment. She knitted Georgia a little purse, which she loves. She is probably the most unassuming, thoughtful, selfless person that I know, and I hope to be like her someday. Justin was attacked by the kids from the moment he arrived, and I love that the kids love him!
We truly have so much to be thankful for. God is good and we are blessed.

Aubry and Justin

This girl is so cute, I just can't take it!!!

Gram and Mary

EmJ getting some good Uncle Justin time.

Gram and DJ

Is this boy handsome or what!?!

Justin and Georgia just hanging out - haha (ok, lame pun).

My brother, John, and Jackson

Brian and Justin - outside putting up Christmas wreaths.

Mary and her boys - they both have turned out to be wonderful men and husbands...I know she is proud!

Spotlight on Emory June (and Happy Birthday too!)

2010-11-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

So, Emory June is our youngest, and is full of spunk. Seriously, most who encounter describe her as "smiley" and pleasant. Probably because between her brother and sister torturing, er - playing with her, she is just happy to be alive. When the other two at times can tire us from having to constantly discipline and redirect (they of course have their shining moments as well), EmJ is our little ray of light. She is getting around everywhere now, and close to walking. We just celebrated her 1st birthday, and I cannot believe a year has flown by already. I am so excited to see her grow up into her own little personality - we just see little glimmers of it now - and how she interacts and bonds with her brother and sister. Love you, Em!

Video of EmJ groovin'!

Mommy and EmJ on her b-day!

Happy Birthday, Emory June!

Up the stairs (so fun!) - Grandma took this great picture.

I love this one of her - she always has her little tongue sticking out.

Em obviously enjoyed this meal....

If I could just get a little more!

EmJ as a little ladybug for Trick-or-Treat

And, last but not least, one of EmJ's first words. Besides "dada" (and that wasn't really even directed at Brian) and "alldone" - which is hit or miss, this is her first word. You will have to watch the video to witness it.

Spotlight on Jackson

2010-11-18T20:56:00.000-05:00

Jackson is our sweet soul. He will lean over and say, "I love you mom". He will grab onto your cheeks and just look you in the eyes - so innocent (not to mention those long eyelashes!) Jack can play so well on his own; he likes to have the entire couch to drive his cars on..."Where my bir-day cars, mommy?" is a frequent question. He has some cars from the movie Cars that he received for his b-day, and has since referred to them as his bir-day cars.

Here is a little conversation with Jackson. He is a talker in the morning...yap, yap, yap. Brian and I have both noticed this in him, and Brian said something like "I know I wasn't like that as a kid." I know, try not to laugh out loud at this comment. So, I present to you an unofficial poll - which 2 year old would be more likely to never stop talking: 2 year old Brian or 2 year old Molly?

Spotlight on Georgia

2010-11-17T22:15:00.000-05:00

So, I want to do a little post on each of the kids. I love how they each have their own unique personalities, faces, mannerisms, yet they are each a part both Brian and me. It is fun to see some of us in them as well.

Georgia, our oldest, is full of spunk. She is dramatic. I have no earthly idea how she got so girly, as her mom is not into the girly stuff at all. She has some very expressive faces. Georgia is a great helper (sometimes a little too good). I love how if I crawl into bed to snuggle with her, she will put her arm around me and kiss me on the head. I was reading her a book ("Just in Case you ever Wonder" by Max Lucado) and it talks about how heaven will be wonderful - there will be no crying, no being hungy, no mean people. Georgia asked, "Mommy, where do all the mean people go?" I promise, those were her exact words. Funny that she thought through that. I explained to her that we can all be mean sometimes, and Jesus forgives us so that we can be with him in heaven. Crazy the questions that 4 year olds have. I love you, Georgia girl.

Georgia's self-portrait

Good morning!

This is her puzzled face - LOVE IT!

Georgia plays soccer!

2010-11-14T21:44:00.001-05:00

Georgia played soccer for the first season this fall. It was so fun (and hard) to watch her play. I am not sure if you can even call it "playing" at this age - we were glad if she was just able to kick the ball! Having grown up playing soccer, it was difficult to watch the kids just run around in a big group. Mostly, Georgia just ran where everyone else did, whether the ball was there or not. We had many a pep talk ... "watch the ball, not the people". Overall, a really fun experience. I definitely will always remember when Georgia was in the first game, she just had a grin on her face the entire time. She ran by me, grinning, and waved. It just warms my heart even thinking about it now. :) At the bottom if a brief clip of how 4 year olds look when they play soccer (if you can handle watching it!)

Georgia and her friend, Siena, passing the ball.

Jackson LOVED playing soccer - he always was saying "that's MY soccer team"!

Georgia all lined up ready to score!

GOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL! You can't see the ball, but it went in. Look how subtly proud Georgia is. Love it!

Jackson was probably one of the best players even though he wasn't on the team! He did have a few minutes of playing time when I was the substitute coach. He did great!

Liam and Jack cheering on the team.

The ball is somewhere in there - it pretty much just moves around in a big glob of people like this.

Team Portrait. Top Row: Coach Sarah, Sammy, Liam, Megan, Coach Ellie. Bottom Row: Sam, Georgia, Jack, Siena, and Izzy

Best Friends

2010-11-11T21:38:00.000-05:00

I love watching my 2 "big kids" interact. I think that there is nothing sweeter than seeing them enjoy life together. Thank you Jesus, that they have each other. EmJ gets more involved with them every day. I hope that they can continue this close relationship as they get older.

Sharing a stool to be able to watch the trashman

This is one of their new favorite dance moves.

Apple Pickin'

2010-11-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

Love this one!

Everyone had an apple...may have been off a tree, maybe off the ground...who knows?

So sweet!

Georgia and Ava collecting apples

Wow - there were a lot of us!

It's been quite some time now, but we went apple picking earlier this fall. The kids loved it. It went quite a bit faster than I anticipated (not sure why I thought it was going to take a long time to pick apples off of a tree). I think that I spent most of my time making sure that Georgia didn't put apples with worm holes in my bag, that Jackson didn't run away to Lord only knows where, and that EmJ wasn't eating any rotten apples! Brian and I went back a few weeks later to get a pumpkin. We'll definitely be back

You know that you are a parent of kids under 5 when...

2010-11-05T15:32:00.000-04:00

1. You find yourself always speaking in the 3rd person, even when you aren't around your kids..."Mommy - er, Molly needs to go potty, be right back, ok?"
2. You guessed it - you now refer to going to the bathroom as the potty. "ma ma, da da, pee pee, poo poo, and boo boo" are all part of your vocabulary now. What's up with all the doubles?
3. Speaking of the potty, it has been quite some time now since you have been alone in the bathroom.
4. You lose your kid in Kohl's because he thinks that it is fun to hide in the clothes racks, but he doesn't know to answer when you call for him. You leave the 3rd kid strapped in the double stroller which you managed to snag there (can I just say for the record that if you don't have any kids in Kohl's with you, PLEASE, I beg of you, don't take the double stroller cart. You don't need it.)Where was I? Oh yes, leave kid #3 in the cart and chase around madly throwing clothes up in the air looking for your two year old who things that this is the greatest game ever. You finally find him, and thread your way through racks of clothes back to the stroller by following the screams of your youngest who is peeved that you have left her there alone.
5. The word "ineegopee" makes you jump out of your seat, scoop up your child, and make a mad dash to the closest potty (there's that word again).
6. It is physically impossible to get anywhere with all children before 9 o'clock.
7. You smell something a little funny while you are showering, and look down to see that your littlest one has pooped in the shower. You are all wet, so you don't want to get out. You carefully consider if the turd is small enough to shove down the drain using the heel of your foot. Decide against that. Too risky. If it gets stuck, then what? You pick up the log with your bare hands, gracefully fling open the shower door, and lob it across the bathroom to the awaiting toilet (which is open, by the grace of God). You swish the remnants down the drain with your foot and continue your shower. This is a proud moment for you.

Have you been there?!?

You Are the Only Exception

2010-09-01T08:11:00.000-04:00

Ok, for those of you who don't really like the funny (or at least I think they are funny) videos of the kids doing stuff in the car, skip this post. Otherwise, proceed...So Jack and GA are now starting to remember lyrics and sing along to songs in the car. Neat and scary at the same time. The latest song: Only Exception. Enjoy.

First Day of School

2010-08-30T15:17:00.000-04:00

It is interesting to think about it, really. Students have a restless night of sleep in anticipation of the coming day. Well, so do teachers. Brian started his new job at Linden McKinley STEM Academy (I know, sounds impressive, huh?) with students last Wednesday. Needless to say, he came home exhausted. And, now that I am a mom, I felt the need to take the official first day of school pics. Thought you would enjoy these.

Honey, I'm home!

Working hard...I think he said something here like, "Man, I'm exhausted! This year is going to be a lot of work!"

Spaghetti Reprise!

2010-08-27T23:10:00.000-04:00

Emory June at 8 months. If you are thinking that this picture looks familiar, you are right. Check out Jackson below.

Jackson - quite awhile back - March 2009, about 10 months old

COSI

2010-08-26T07:57:00.000-04:00

We met the Shmidt's at COSI the other day. The kids loved playing together. It's good to have friends to enjoy these crazy toddler/kid days with.

Georgia and Ava rockin' the hula hoops

Jack and Sophie, not so much

Friends

Let's all get in the phone booth (with mom screaming "Watch your fingers!")

Memorable Moments

2010-08-25T23:13:00.000-04:00

A couple pics I just had to share...

I bought these nets for $1.25 at Old Time Pottery - have I mentioned that I LOVE that store!?! Best buck twenty-five I ever spent. The kids play with them for hours, and we get them to pick up the walnuts in the backyard...I know, genius! Jackson had a rather unique catch the other day though.

Owen (neighbor down the street) and Jack play on Owen's firetruck sprinkler - they had a blast soaking each other and their mommys!

Liam (our new next door neighbor), Jackson, and Georgia enjoy some corn from Miss Lisa (or missyeesa, as Jackson calls her) on their front sidewalk.

Little Friends

2010-08-22T22:55:00.010-04:00

We watched Landon for our friends, Steve and Della, awhile ago. A few snippets of the kids' interaction.

Emory June: Oh, I am so happy my friend Landon has come to visit.

Emory June: Is that food I see?


Landon: EmJ, your mom's not looking, quick, let's give eskimo kisses. Emory June: No Landon, I want the real thing.

EmJ: Ok, she's looking again...pretend like we are just both going after this toy.

Landon: What can I say? I'm a ladies' man.

Uncle Justin & Aunt Alli

2010-08-21T07:51:00.000-04:00

Justin and Allison came up to visit this month. We had a great time seeing them; the kids just adore them. They brought with them a cool picnic table for the kids with an umbrella to go with it. We took them to COSI as well - next time we will just send them with the kids.

Justin, Allison, Georgia, and Jack in the carriage in "Progress"

EmJ loved playing at the water table.

Sisters!

2010-08-20T15:38:00.000-04:00

Georgia and Emory June LOVE each other. Fast forward about 20 secs in this video to hear the most amazing sound on earth.

Tractor Days at COSI

2010-08-19T08:05:00.000-04:00

COSI recently hosted "Tractor Days," where they had HUGE tractors on the back patio. The kids could climb up in them. Even I was surprised at how big they were (not to mention how expensive!).

I love how the kids could fit inside the wheel of this giant tractor.

Jackson ran at this one saying something like, "I want that one!"

Fascination with the fountains

They even got to "milk" a cow

Love that face - he was giddy about it

Georgia tried her hand at milking - she would be a great farmgirl

She even took a spin on the tractormobile

Georgia is 4!

2010-08-18T22:10:00.000-04:00

Georgia's birthday was July 2nd (sorry for the late post), and we celebrated at Benny's Pizza in Marysville. Why, you ask, would anyone who has all of Columbus at their fingertips decide to go to Marysville. Benny's. Yes, food. It happens to be a HUGE motivator in my life. Many of my happy memories either center around food, or I can remember exactly what I was eating when it happened. It is such a great place. You can hang out on the outdoor patio - all fenced in - and listen to the band. I made Georgie a cake and we sang happy birthday - she loved it!

Showing Off

2010-08-17T22:33:00.001-04:00

Georgia and Jackson perform for the camera - who am I kidding? I was doing anything I could to occupy them in the car on the way home from vacation. They wore themselves out playing and laughing at each other, and then fell fast asleep!

Hello Cavallaro's!

2010-08-16T15:21:00.000-04:00

We spent the weekend on the way home from the beach with our good friends, the Cavallaro's. Etienne and Julia are both in the army, and they live near Ft. Bragg. They have two girls, Gabrielle, who is in between Georgia and Jackson, and Olivia, who is a couple weeks younger than Emory June. We knew them even before we were married, and it was great to get our whole families together for a few days.

Etienne and Julia had video monitors for the kids. Absolutely fascinating. Emory June had just started crawling, and we had her in Olivia's bed. As we were watching, we saw EmJ pull herself up (c'mon, she had just started crawling that day) and she was leaning over the side rail of the crib. We are watching this on video, certain that she is about to go head first out of the crib. I rushed upstairs and made a dashing rescue in the nick of time. Needless to say, we ordered them off of Amazon the next day. (Side note - do you know that you can buy practically anything on Amazon.com? It is a mom's best friend. Why drag 3 children into a store when you can find it on amazon and it ships free? Seriously. A few of our favorite purchases: shoes, video monitors, books, and our snowblower).

Etienne took us to his base to see the Blackhawk helicopters that he flies/flew in Afghanistan. Very cool.

The girls taking their turn in the Blackhawk

The boys, showing off

Gabby and Georgia playing in the pool in the backyard

This boy is so cute!!!

Vacation at the Beach

2010-08-15T22:20:00.023-04:00

Ah, I love the beach. There is something about sand getting in every crevice known (and unknown) to you that just screams SUMMERTIME! We have some wonderful friends who offered their place to stay in South Carolina. So beautiful. I even had some moments of peace watching the sunrise by myself. I can't remember the last time I did that! We had a great week just living the good life with some great friends, the Rozelle's.

Jacob, Georgia, Jackson, & Sarah. Yummy - Who wants ice cream?

Sarah and Jackson snuggling on the couch

The "big kids", Jacob and Georgia

All 9 of us piled on this golf cart to go to the beach - a sight to behold.

The sunrise...georgeous!

The whole gang: Jacob, Jay, Katie, Sarah, Molly, Emory June, Georgia, Brian, Jackson

I just loved this time with the kids in the water - they just savored every minute of it. I just wanted to bottle them up and keep them this way forever. It seems as though the time slips through my fingers so quickly. Never grow up, little ones!

Summer Photo Shoot!

2010-08-13T15:46:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine, Jess Seed, is starting a photography business. We had her take some family pictures, and I couldn't be more thrilled with how they turned out. Her fee is only $75, and you get a full sitting, plus the CD of all of your photos! Check out her website at http://www.seedling-photography.com/

Groovin'

2010-08-12T21:58:00.000-04:00

I know, not the greatest song, but they are cute nonetheless!

Her First Masterpiece

2010-08-11T22:06:00.000-04:00

Well, we decided it would be a good idea to let Georgia paint her room. "WHAT?" is probably what you are thinking. Why not? Ok, here is the reasoning behind the madness. When Emory June (by the way, that is what we are calling her now - story to come in a later post post) is a little older, Georgia and she will share a room. Jackson will then move into Georgia's current room and his room will become the guest room or new baby room - whatever. Anyway, her walls are white and boring! She has been asking to paint it for quite some time. Brian thought it would be good to let her do it herself. So, I drew some lines, leaves, and a circle where the flower should go, and here is how it turned out. "Molly," you are thinking, "I know you, and I know you are way too cheap to buy paint for her to do this." Well, right you are my friend, right you are. Thankfully (and not so thankfully), the previous owners of our house used every color of the rainbow in the house. Not kidding. Red - kitchen, Orange - half bath, Yellow - dining, Green - Den, Most Awful Royal Blue You Have Ever Seen - Kids bath, Navy - hall, Purple - Our bath. We also have brown and white. I digress... Anyway, I found some of these old paint cans in the basement, and we mixed them up and went to town. I think the girl has got some talent.

By the way...Emory June has been crawling since 6 and 1/2 months...just got around to telling you

2010-08-10T14:21:00.000-04:00

And here's the proof!

You and Me Go Fishin' in the Dark (or Light)

2010-08-09T22:05:00.001-04:00

We had a wonderful fishing outing with our friends, the Sterlings. The kids enjoyed themselves thoroughly. I think that Jacoby and Georgia spent more time running back and forth to get worms than they did trying to catch fish. Everyone caught one except Amber, who, despite her more rural upbringing, could only catch seaweed. Here are a few captured moments...

AHH!!! Who gave Jackson the pole to cast by himself?!?

Daddy caught a fish!

Jackson, Georgia, Jacoby, and Landyn

I love this one of the two men in my life - so blessed!

Corey won the prize for the most fish - I had to hold EmJ most of the time, or I would have easily beaten him.


Georgia and Jacoby - they loved it!

Georgia, The Photographer

2010-06-12T23:28:00.000-04:00

My camera has been missing quite a few times as of late. Here is documentation of its travels.

Well Hello, Camera...

Poor Jack

Belly Shot with Car

Serious Face

Bella

Hmm, how exactly does this work?

Bella again.

I don't even know what to say about this one. I was thinking future facebook shot.

Ok, let's try a happy one.

One more of Bella. Ah, yes. That's the shot she was looking for. (By the way, there were literally 23 shots of Bella over 3 different sittings)

The 'chill' shot. Yes, this is Jackson's pacifier.

Behold, the next great photographer of our time.

Siblings

2010-06-10T23:38:00.000-04:00

Amidst the craziness of three kids 3 and under, we have some fun times. I love that they are close enough in age to really bond and be friends.

A Fond Farewell

2010-06-08T22:54:00.000-04:00

So the latest fun thing around the Coffey household is the myriad of caterpillars crawling around. The kids love to catch and keep them as pets. Georgia recently caught one, and kept it in a jar. It survived the night (a minor miracle considering the amount of crap she stuffed in that jar with it) and the next day we put it into a little type of bug cage - really just some netting with a zipper to keep the bugs in. Well, after her nap Georgia was looking for the caterpillar. She unzipped the netting and was moving twigs around to find it. I went to do something in the yard, and when I returned, Georgia was standing uncharacteristically still with her hands behind her back, staring at the cage. I asked her what happened. Georgia: The caterpillar is stuck
Me: Where?
Georgia: In the zipper.
I approached the scene of the accident to find half of the caterpillar on the ground below the cage, and the other half stuck in between the teeth of the zipper.
Me: What happened?
Georgia: He was trying to get out so I closed it and he got stuck.

So sad. Goodbye, future butterfly. Some photos to honor your memory. And your caregiver/death-bringer.

Jackson is 2!

2010-06-06T23:21:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, Jackson! I can't believe my little boy is 2 years old. My Gram made Jack a cake that looked like a truck. Jackson didn't care about the cake, but he sure did like the Oreos that she used to make the wheels. We got him a basketball hoop, which he loves! My aunt Rachel got him some cars, which were an immediate hit. So fun to have a boy!

Had to throw this one in here of Nana and EmJ - too cute!

Scary.

2010-06-04T23:24:00.001-04:00

Not too long ago, we had that experience that every parent dreads. We were hanging out with our lifegroup on our back porch when our neighbor came around and said, "There's been an accident. Georgia is in the ambulance and they are on their way back to your house." Brian and I hear only "Accident. Georgia. Ambulance." Ellie, our next door neighbor, was watching Georgia and Jackson and had taken them back to the park. I got through my head that they were on the way to our house, but why were they not here yet? We waited for what seemed like an eternity for the ambulance to arrive. It was not coming, not coming, not coming. Thoughts were running through my head like, 'What if it is worse than they thought and they are taking her to the hospital? What if, what if, what if?' So, I did what any irrational mother would do in my situation - if the ambulance would not come to me, I would go to it. I started walking up the hill from our house toward the direction I knew the ambulance would have to come to go to our house. I finally spotted it down the street and they stopped to let me on. Georgia was doing ok - a little upset, but handling it ok. She was trying to climb on the jogging stroller and fell off and cut her head. It is pretty amazing how much blood can come out of a tiny little cut on a 3-year-old head. Ellie, our poor babysitter, did a great job taking care of everything. Although Georgia had a rough time, I would say that it was probably the best night of Jackson's life. He hopped off the ambulance at home saying, "Truck! Amb-be-ence!" Well, Georgia was fine, more scared than anything. When I was putting her to bed that night, she said "The ambulance was pretty fun. They didn't have to give me a shot. I was cried a little because I was a little scared." I could not say enough about the paramedics that helped her. They invited us back to the firestation that weekend to see the trucks. Here are the pics from our visit.

Spring Photos!

2010-05-09T22:23:00.001-04:00

The lastest photos of the Coffey Clan - they are growing as fast as weeds!

Emory June is cuter by the day!

Just hanging out at the park - cute outfit courtesy of Nana.

You can probably tell by the look on Georgia's face that she is squeezing Emory right here, but EmJ doesn't seem to mind. You can always tell when Georgia is going to have a little burst of energy by looking at her mouth - when those bottom teeth stick out, beware!

I love this picture of Jackson! It is just like a little piece of his personality captured in a bottle. Our sweet boy.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2010-05-08T22:09:00.000-04:00

Well, my dad celebrated the big 55 on April 25th. We had cake over at my Gram's house, after a day of gardening. The kids are starting to really get into the whole birthday thing. Jackson watched dad, "Poppy", with fascination as we sang to him and he blew out the candles. Jackson is enamored with my dad - there is no other word for it. It is amazing. They have a bond. It has been so neat for Brian and I to see how much he loves him (Both Jack to Dad and Dad to Jack). When we go over there, Georgia yells, "Nana!", and Jackson yells, "Poppy!" Grandparents. Let the spoiling commence.

Mom, I got some on my hands!

Yeah, I like it alright. :)

DC

2010-05-07T22:01:00.000-04:00

We recently returned from a trip to Washington DC to visit Brian's mom. It was a wonderful long weekend. Mary got a separate apartment for us just down the hall from her (now that we have 3 kids, it is a little more difficult to just crash somewhere). We went to the Air & Space Museum, Ben's Chili Bowl (a famous restaurant - one of the few to survive the riots after MLK was assissinated), and Brian and I even had a date night at Old Ebbitt Grill (a really neat restaurant by the White House frequented by past presidents). It was great to see Brian's mom - Jackson added "gema" - his version of grandma - to his vocabulary, and all of the kids were, of course, spoiled rotten! We swam in the pool and did a lot of eating - the beauty of vacation!

Friends and Family

2010-05-06T22:00:00.000-04:00

It is so neat to see the kids interact with their friends - aka, the kids we put them around. Here are some quick snapshots.

Eli comes over on Monday mornings. Jackson was fascinated with Eli's glasses and found Georgia's sunglasses to match him. He said, "Look, E!" These two will probably go to school together and grow up together - so neat to watch the beginning of their friendship. Mostly Jackson just wants to wrestle Eli, and Georgia is trying to teach him to walk.

(Emily, Georgia, Emory, Jackson, Ethan)

Julie, my cousin, watched all 3 of my kids the other evening. She said that it was an effective form of birth control since she and her husband, Bob, are probably done having kids. I am so thankful that we are in town with family and my kids get to grow up with cousins like I did!

Easter!

2010-05-03T07:51:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I know Easter was a month ago, but I never got a chance to post these...so here goes. I sang in the Easter choir for church (we only have a choir twice a year) and it brought back memories of the good old days in high school. I really enjoyed singing, and I got to meet some more people from church too! My parents and brother, Joey, were out of town in Florida, so we hosted Easter at our house. My brother John came, along with my Gram, aunt Rachel, Aunt Martha & Uncle John, as well as their children (Sara/Wes - w/daughter, Emma, Mary, Matthew/Renee, David). A good time was had by all. Martha even set up an Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddos - eggs filled with goldfish and animal crackers (what a good idea!)

Thankfully, my mom was on top of things, and brought over Easter Egg dye and the kids colored eggs. Jackson pretty much just threw the eggs into the mugs, splashing dye all over mom, but it sounds nicer to say that they "colored" eggs.

The kids LOVED finding eggs all over the yard. Jack would find one egg and open it up, examine the contents, sample it, and then go look for the next one - hence, he ended up with about 3 eggs. Georgia, on the other hand, flitted about the yard, scooping up as many eggs as her little hands could gather. We had to make sure that she saved a few for Jackson and cousin Emma.

Georgia, Emma, and Jackson waiting to hunt for eggs. They could barely be contained, as seen in the annoyed look on Georgia's face. Jackson, as usual, is up for whatever. :)

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

2010-04-01T22:45:00.000-04:00

So, it is great what the kids say sometimes....here is the latest.

#1 We were at the park swinging, and some people came by, walking their dog. It was a HUGE dog - a Great Dane, I think - and the kids were enamored. Jackson, in his almost 2-year-old wisdom, pointed, and exclaimed, "Cow!"

#2 I was loading the dishwasher after breakfast, and the kids were running around the kitchen. It was a typical breakfast - eggs, yogurt, OJ, etc. Georgia noticed some juice that had pooled in the bottom of the dishwasher, and asked me, very seriously, "Mommy, did Jack pee in there?" - The tone was the best, like she was almost chastising me, thinking, "Really, mom? C'mon. You let him pee in there?"

Last Snow...Hopefully

2010-03-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

Well, somehow, the Lord decided that we needed 3 more inches of snow before April came. Unfortunately, Brian did not benefit with a 2 hour delay or anything - the snow had all melted off of the roads by morning. But I decided that we needed to take advantage of it, so we broke out the snowsuits, boots, hats, and mittens and made our way outside. I toted EmJ around while the big kids played and played!

Emory was loving being outside.

And they're off!

Yummy!

Georgia made a snow angel!

The Ultimate Showdown

2010-03-26T10:47:00.005-04:00

Brother vs. brother....no, we aren't talking the Civil War, well, not technically. Yes, today is the day that Tennessee faces Ohio State in what we call March Madness. Having been planted in Columbus, Ohio, my hubby feels it is a necessity to dress all of our children in orange to protect their Southern Heritage (or something like that). So, here are some pics of the cuties - EmJ is sleeping now, may add more photos later. Fear not, my shirt is Tennessee also, but the writing isn't showing!

Here's a few others from last summer for posterity's sake.

The Daily Happenings

2010-03-17T08:49:00.006-04:00

Well, here is the latest of what is going on around here - oldest to youngest.

Georgia is VERY ready for spring. We had a couple 60 degree days and she was not about to go back to winter when we had another cold snap earlier this week! Notice the flip-flops and dress, covered by the jacket, mittens, and hat. She rode her bike in circles in the garage. I thought the sunglasses were a nice touch!

Here are the two big kids playing a game when family was over. They would both get in the cabinet, close the doors, and we would say, "Georgia, Jackson, where are you?" and they would bust out, thinking they were hilarious. We thought it was pretty funny too.

Jackson continues to be able to say more and more words. On this occasion, though, he thought my foot was the funniest thing God ever made. So sweet!

EmJ is teething, so she is more like a puppy than a baby. Anything she gets remotely close to with her mouth, she gnaws on. She was playing on her little floor mat, pulling on these animals, and she pulled the monkey off. She immediately attacked it, I am sure, feeling great satisfaction at her accomplishment. I also love this one of Emory with my mom, Nana.

Waking Up

2010-02-22T07:27:00.003-05:00

EmJ is following in line with her sister in that they look identical as they are waking up. As a baby, Georgia would always stretch and purse her lips as she was waking up. Here is baby EmJ as she arises from slumber.

Dead asleep

Why can't you leave me alone?

Yawn.....and stretch

Purse purse purse (this is what Brian and I always say as she purses her lips - our favorite part)

Ahh, I'm awake and happy!

Look at my Beer!

2010-02-22T07:25:00.002-05:00

Georgia likes to give herself a bubble beard in the tub. But she thought the word was "beer" - so funny!

Would you still love me...

2010-01-22T09:08:00.005-05:00

If I looked like this??? (Yes, this is how we pass some of the time while daddy is at work)

Ok, Photo Booth on the MacBook is proving to be totally the entertainer! EmJ is sleeping, so you don't get funny pics of her - maybe next time.

Rock-A-Bye Baby

2010-01-22T06:57:00.003-05:00

As I type, this sweet girl is sleeping. Yes, it is 2 minutes to 7, and she went to bed at 10 last night - yea!!! We went through a week and a half where she was sleeping about 10:30-5:30, but this is the first time of this magnitude! Thank you Jesus (and Emory)!Sometimes we take pictures in Photo Booth (on the mac) and send them to Brian at work. :)

Finger Painting!

2010-01-15T21:52:00.003-05:00

Finger painting - what fun! The kids were loving this. Georgia loves to make handprints, while Jackson has patented a new style of art by driving his truck through the paint to make a design.

Georgia showing off her work.

Ah mom, get it off my fingers! (The OCD strikes again!)

Jackson creating his masterpiece...Yes - he both tasted the finger paint, and stuck it up his nose.

Capturing the moment...

Emory Talks!

2010-01-15T21:51:00.003-05:00

Emory was all smiles the other morning! I snapped a few of these great faces, and got some talking too!

Winter Wonderland

2010-01-15T21:47:00.004-05:00

We have had some beautiful snow around here as of late. The kids went sledding in the front yard - a great plus that we live on a little hill. We are starting to see little of the OCD in Jackson; he hates having snow on his mittens and constantly comes up to you asking you to brush it off. Hmmm....wonder who he gets that from?

Emory, on the other hand, was snuggled up warm and cozy in the handmade sweater my mom got her for Christmas - so sweet!

Christmas - I know, a little late!

2010-01-10T21:53:00.008-05:00

Well, Christmas came with a bang at the Coffey household. It started out with Brian's brother Justin, and his wife Allison coming up from Tennessee on their way to New York to see Allison's family.
Allison, Emory, Georgia, Justin, and Jackson

We celebrated with our Lifegroup from church - how can you not have a good time when you have 14 adults and 14 kids all in the same place?!?
Too many people to name! We are so blessed by our church, Vista.

Brian's mom arrived on the 23rd - her first time meeting Emory. Georgia had been asking for Grandma every day the week leading up to this. We went to Mombo's (my dad's mom) for Christmas Eve. Santa made his annual appearance, with mixed reviews from our kids. Georgia would sit on his lap, but just long enough to get her candy - that's momma's girl!
Ahh, the spoils!

Jackson would hardly sit on his lap long enough for me to snap this photo. I have a feeling that this experience will require counseling later on in life.

EmJ sat on his lap in the arms of my mom. There was no lack of attention for her with both grandmas and 2 great-grandmas around.

Jackson eating his candy - he has a sweet tooth like mama.

The family photo - It looks like we are at the White House or something!

Georgia opening her gift at Mombo's. Upon seeing its contents (baby dolls), she exclaimed...

"But I wanted a dress!" Yes, loud enough for all of the relatives to hear...I guess that is part of being 3. Thankfully, to both the relief of mommy and Georgia, she received a beautiful princess dress like the one she was seeing all of her cousins open.

Jackson woke up first on Christmas morning. He still has no clue about gifts, etc., so he just had some good "only child time" with mommy and daddy.

I love this face that Jack makes - like, "Oh mom, you already told me I was cute today!"

Emory got to spend some quality time with Grandma.

Jackson (thanks to my cousin, Julie) got a tool set for Christmas. Georgia was the big sister showing him how to do things.

The girls wore matching jammies - I had polka dot pj pants too - so sweet!

It was a wonderful Christmas. Georgia is starting to understand that we celebrate because it is Jesus' birthday. When I told her that we should make him a birthday cake, she said, "Yeah, but he can't eat it, because he is a baby so he can only have milk. You forgot, mommy!" Smart girl.

The Latest...

2010-01-07T10:56:00.008-05:00

Here are the latest goings on around here...

Well, the famous mullet pictures have finally arrived! Sorry it took so long to put them up, but Georgia had taken - and hidden - my camera. She then forgot where she put it. When I found it under the tree skirt when we took down our Christmas tree, I asked Georgia where she put my camera, to which she responded, "I don't know". When I told her that I found it under the tree, a look of epiphany came on her face. She said, I put it in the back of the tree. Ha. Anyway, here are the pictures of what happens when your 3 year old gets a hold of the scissors.

Yup, both sides got hacked.
We took her to Amber (our friend who does hair) after a call to her of desperation. I think that my exact words were "Amber, I am having a hair emergency! HELP!" I'm not going to lie, I may have shed a tear - I have worked hard to grow this hair out for 3 1/2 years!!! We brought Georgia in the following day and Amber did as much damage control as possible. I hated taking her in because, as you can see, Georgia LOVES to get her hair cut! It almost felt like I was rewarding her for chopping her hair.
Well, the final product!!! Amber did a phenomenal job and what she couldn't cover we just stick a big bow there.

Brian and Georgia went to Tennessee to take care of some things for our family as well as visit Uncle Justin and Aunt Allison. They also saw Aunt Chay. They had a wonderful time. Alli taught Georgia to sing that Gap commercial song: "I love my comfy sweater! How cute are these boots!" While our daughter can be cute doing just about anything, let me just state for the record that I despise that commercial!!! While it is very catchy, I do NOT want my child to be one of these girls in a few years. If you haven't seen it, click here to watch. Here is Georgia's rendition.

While they were gone, Jackson, Emory and I had a relaxing time. It is amazing how removing one child from the family equation makes things seem so much more calm. Jackson was so sweet to EmJ, sharing his cars with her - he usually is willing to share them with no one! He really wanted her to hold them in her hands (as you can see at the end of the video).

2009-12-10T14:37:00.003-05:00

Well everyone, Emory is over 2 weeks old now - hard to believe how the time has flown! We are settling in and getting adjusted at home. We are loving it! Georgia and Jackson adore EmJ. She definitely is not lacking any visual or auditory stimulation around here. Jackson will hold Emory and just say "Hi baby" over and over again. He tried to hand her a car the other day - pushing it into her hand saying, "Car? Car?" So sweet - I know it will be fun for them when she can interact more. Georgia is the loving older sister. She will lay on the couch with EmJ on her chest for a good half hour. She just relishes the time with her. Georgia is still not quite used to calling her by her name yet - she mostly asks and talks about "the new baby". We call Emory "June Bug" sometimes (her middle name is June) and Georgia likes to call her "Lady Bug" or "Sweet Darling". I am not sure where she got that last one, but is is so neat to watch the way she loves her little sister. I never had a sister, and so I am thrilled that Georgia and Emory will be able to have this relationship. Here are some more pics! At home, not even a week old.Snuggling with DaddyNo, we didn't forget about the other kids - they play so well together. Jackson feels so special when we let him hold EmJWalking home from the park - boy, the double jogging stroller sure comes in handy!

GA and J love to spin - Brian and I love to watch Jackson "wind-up" before he takes off.

The rest of the story...

2009-12-01T21:41:00.003-05:00

Diaper cake made for us by one of Brian's students - wow!!!
Getting ready to leave the hospital.
John and Joey (my brothers) with Brian and EmJ.

Ok, for the rest of the labor story! Where were we...back home laboring together. Contractions still about 6 minutes apart, but continuing to get more intense. Every time I would get up to pee I would have 3 or more contractions just to walk the 15 ft. to the bathroom. I would brace myself against Brian and breathe through it. Brian ran to my parents' house at 8 and picked up Jackson to put him down for bed. About 8:30 or so I was holding onto Brian's shoulders trying to walk to the bathroom. He said, "Hey, it's kind of like middle school dancing." He said that when I didn't laugh at that at all, he knew it was time to go to the hospital. He called our friend Tonya (who has done this 3 times before) and she agreed with him. We left the house shortly after 9 o'clock to go to the hospital and passed my mom walking with Georgia to our house. Mom told me later that Georgia kept asking her who was watching Jackson - such a thoughtful big sister! For those of you thinking of calling Child Protective Services, my parents live only 3 blocks away and Jackson was probaby not alone more than 3 minutes. We made it to the hospital about 9:30. While we were turning into the hospital the guy behind us honked - probably b/c Brian was turning slowly because I could feel the smallest bump and turn - and Brian said he wanted to give him the what-for, but I was in the middle of a contraction so he couldn't. Ha - good husband. I was 6-7 cm when we arrived and they put us in a room. We spoke to the midwife about breaking my water to get things moving. She had another mom who was at 9 cm, so she said that after she delivered that baby, she would come back to do it. So, about 10:45 they broke my water - which, by the way, doesn't hurt. But what does hurt is the contractions that hit you like a brick wall afterward. They were on top of each other and were really intense. I was doing the really deep, low breathing - think gorilla who has been shot and is moaning his last breaths. By the way, Brian is doing great this whole time, so encouraging, "Focus on your breathing - nice slow breaths, you're doing great..." After about 5-7 of these contractions, I am ready to push. For those of you who have never felt this sensation before, there is no way to describe it. When you say, "I need to push" what you really mean is "I feel like I am about to poop a watermelon, so somebody better be ready to catch this thing." Well after a good push and a half (not exactly sure what that means, but that is what the midwife said it was), Emory was born. Let's not mention how my throat was sore from semi-screaming her out. Sorry for the men out there reading this :). One thing that I find really amazing is how easily everyone can give you directions as you are doing the hardest thing you have ever done. Comments such as: keep your chin to your chest, bottom down, deep breaths, don't scream - all sound so easy off of the lips but they are not the one who is doing the work. Really, all I am thinking during the pushing phase is the harder I push, the faster this baby will come out. Leave it to me to be logical. Well, she arrived, a beautiful baby girl. Let me just say for the record that Brian and I were both really wanting a girl, so we were thrilled! They put her up on my chest right away. Boy, was she pink! We had asked for them to delay her getting eye drops and the vitamin K shot because I wanted to try to nurse her right away. So, I held her there on my chest and and got to nurse her until probably 1am - so amazing! It was such a neat time to bond with her, and that is something that I will never forget. What an amazing miracle to have a baby. God has truly blessed us, and we can't wait for all of you to meet our newest blessing!

Emory June

2009-11-26T21:09:00.005-05:00

So sweet.
Here she is!
Nana gettting to hold Emory for the first time.Daddy giving his newest girl some lovin'
Just a few minutes after she was born!

We are so blessed to welcome Emory June Coffey into the world on November 24th, 2009 at 11:26pm. She weighed 8 lbs 0 oz, and was 19.4 inches long! I felt my first contractions on Monday evening, and felt them throughout the night. Brian stayed home from work on Tuesday because I was still having contractions pretty regularly. We got out and about a bit in the morning, trying to stay active and keep labor moving along. Brian said that when I was having a contraction at the mall, some women looked at me like they knew exactly what was going on - I didn't really care what anyone thought, just was focused on breathing through it. :) When we got home, the kids took a great nap (thank you, Jesus!) and I tried to lay down too. That was good for me to get some rest before things got really intense. I went for a walk when I got up. I got home and the kids were up and we were all going to talk a walk together to drop the kids off at Nana and Poppy's. I was having a lot of contractions, so Brian walked the kids down and I went around the block. Every 15-20 steps I would feel a contraction and lean against a tree to breathe through it. One of our neighbors was out doing her Christmas decorations and I just walked up to a tree in her yard and leaned against it to breathe, and then kept walking afterward. I am sure it was a bit interesting to her, but I was not really in a place to explain. By the next contraction I heard Brian running down the hill and he was behind me rubbing my back and talking me through it. We headed back home to labor there more. My contractions were 6-8 minutes apart, but pretty intense 90 sec - 2 mins long.

Ok, Em J has to eat, more to come soon.

The Belly Shot & Typical Sibling Interaction

2009-11-18T10:17:00.004-05:00

Georgia and Mommy. Yesterday morning I said to her, "You're mommy's girl, aren't you." She promptly replied, "No. I'm daddy's girl. You can have Jackson." At least she's honest!
Well, for those of you who have wondered how huge I am, here ya go. Georgia is the photographer once again. :) 39 weeks - almost there!So, these are typical faces seen around the Coffey household. I always warn people with small children that when Georgia's bottom teeth come out, beware! She is about to have a Brian moment (haha, not in a negative way - just a big burst of energy). You can see the result of this little bit of energy being transferred to Jackson.
Ahh, friends once again. She got it out of her system.

Good Friends

2009-11-18T10:08:00.002-05:00

The Rozelle's came out to visit the other weekend. Jay, Brian, and two other guys (Tom and Ben) went camping, and Katie and I stayed here with the kiddos. Of course, we went to our favorite hiking spot. It was a beautiful weekend, and it was great to get outside to remember our friend Paul's birthday (he loved the outdoors!). The kids play so well together - it is neat that the kids remember each other even though they don't see each other all that often.

Fall Hiking

2009-11-18T10:05:00.002-05:00

When we can't get out to go to Old Man's Cave, we like to go to Indian Run Falls in Dublin. You would never think that this place could be here. For you followers of the blog, you have seen video of this place before. Well, we took the kids out earlier this month when the thermometer on the car said that it was 80 degrees outside!!! They just thrive being outside!Georgia took this picture - impressed?!?
I love this picture - Jackson just adores Brian, so neat for me to watch!

All Dressed Up

2009-11-13T21:22:00.002-05:00

Ok, for all of you who have been anxiously awaiting to see if I ever decided to update this thing again, here we go. Trick-or-treating was great, mostly because of all the candy that the kids got (and Brian and I ate!). Thankfully, I have such a big belly, you can't tell what is candy and what is baby. We are just under 2 weeks out now. I have made a list of things that I want to get accomplished before baby bean #3 arrives - we will see how that goes. I plan on accomplishing lots next week as I have started my maternity leave for work. I still have a few loose ends to tie up, but boy, does that feel good! High up on the list is packing the bag for the hospital (nope, haven't done that yet) - been too busy cleaning out the refrigerator - it looks sweet!!! Anyway, will try to do better. Be patient with me. I covet your prayers for a speedy and easy labor, as well as a healthy baby. Feel free to comment with any last minute name suggestions!!!

A neat day...

2009-08-25T10:46:00.003-04:00

Well friends, my camera cord is missing, so while one is on order, words will have to suffice. Two things happened last week that I wanted to share - one funny, and one just neat. We'll go neat, then funny.

Neat: I was playing my guitar on the front porch sitting with Georgia (who was more interested in watcing the trashman than my playing). I had just grabbed the music to "Prince of Peace" because Georgia likes to sing the echo songs. Well, as the trashman made his way up the street, he stopped in front of our house. He walked up to the front porch and asked if he could listen. Not sure why God picked me for this task, because my guitar skills are very limited. (If you find yourself thinking, "I didn't even know Molly played the guitar," you are not too far off track). So, the trashman sat on the steps of the front porch and I sang to him about Jesus - Lord of Lord, and King of Kings. A divine appointment - neat.

Funny: I was playing with the kiddos in the backyard. I turned on the sprinkler and put their suits on and let the burn some energy. When we finished, Georgia wanted to put her clothes back on (the girl changes clothes at least 4 times a day - no exaggeration. 1 outfit is always the black dress that she wore when she was a flowergirl, and the other is usually a red, Spanish, "flamingo dancer" dress that some friends brought her from a trip to Spain.) Before I know it, the girl is squatting in the middle of the yard, telling me she has to go pee. At this point, I feel a mix of pride and laughter - pride at the fact that I have taught my little girl that it is ok to pee in the woods and I am laughing at the fact that she thinks our backyard is the woods. I explain to her that when our house is less than 10 feet away, it is better to just go inside and pee on the toilet. She responds with her new favorite bathroom phrase, "Mommy, I need some privacy" and dashes around the side of the house. At this time, Jackson is wandering into the neighbors yard, so I have to go after him before I chase my naked 3 year-old around. I grab Jack and begin my search for Georgia. I am hoping that she is being discreet because 2 male neighbors are outside working on their house. I can't find her on the side of the house, so proceed toward the front. I am looking, looking, calling for her, and then I spot her. She is squatting down in the front yard behind a small Japanese maple and in front of a bush. I do have to say that if I were going to pick a place to pee, this would be it. And, besides a little mulch on her bottom, she performed quite nicely. :)

Visit to Tennessee

2009-08-11T22:11:00.005-04:00

We had a wonderful trip to Tennessee a couple weeks ago. We stayed with Brian's brother, Justin, and his wife, Allison. They were great! We took the kids swimming in the pool, which is great entertainment. Although there was a brief moment when I thought Jackson was going to drown. I was sitting in a chair on the edge of the pool (no, not the big pool - those of you who are dialing children's services can hang up the phone now) and the kids were playing in the water. It was 1 ft. deep, and Georgia was swimming around like an alligator and Jackson was just standing there watching. Well, not sure what exactly inspired him to just try to take off, but he tried to run after Georgia and his upper body was moving a little faster than his legs in the water. As you can imagine, this sent him face first into the water. AHH! Mother alert goes off, instincts take over, and before you can blink an eye I am in the pool (skirt and all) pulling him up. Thankfully, God installed children with this reflex where they gasp for air when they are about to fall in the water (startle reflex maybe?) and Jackson was just fine. He wasn't even coughing or anything. And, not that anyone cares about this, I didn't even really get wet! I attribute this mostly to the lifesaving classes I took in 10th grade and a little to the fact that the water was only 12 inches deep. Ah, the joys of parenting.

Mommy and GeorgiaDaddy and Jackson

Here is a pic of Allison and Georgia together - Georgia was LOVING that they were both wearing orange! Allison is a TV anchor, so when Georgia saw her on TV wearing orange, she was thrilled that they matched!

Summer Photo Shoot

2009-07-14T22:15:00.003-04:00

I love these photos because they seem to just epitomize my kids. The individual shots are the little faces that they make all the time but are so fleeting that you can't seem to capture them on film (or whatever digital cameras capture them on...we'll stick with film because it sounds so much more romantic). Have I mentioned that we just love these little kiddos?!?

Catch-Up Time

2009-07-10T21:21:00.009-04:00

Busy, busy summer days. I do not post as often as I would like to, but a good friend told me that if I were going to err, it would be better to err on the the side of making the memories rather than documenting them. I concur; which is why I am just posting after quite a bit of time here. Well, here is what we have been up to the past few weeks.

We met my parents up at Lake Erie - they have a little cottage up there. It is so relaxing and peaceful! We took the kiddos on the boat, and they loved it! They both sat with Nana and watched Poppy (we are trying to get Georgia to call him Popeye because we think it will be funny) as we cruised along. I took Georgia below deck into the little cabin and we bounced up and down as we went over the waves. It took Jackson about 5 minutes of listening to the hum of the motor before he was asleep and Georgia followed suit shortly thereafter.

We visited COSI as well (for those of you out-of-towners, this is an absolutely FABULOUS science museum geared toward kids. The kids and I rode in the space module - very cool, and Georgia learned that with the right set-up (proper use of a fulcrum, I think?), she could lift a car! There is a car attached to a giant steel beam with a rope at the other end. The center of balance is positioned so that you can pull on the rope and lift the car. Well, of course Georgia wanted to give it a try. She grabbed onto the rope pretty high up when her end was low and the car was in the air, and then when we let the car back down, Georgia did not let go of the rope, and it took her soaring above our heads. A moment of panic ensued with Brian's arms wide open, ready to make the catch of a lifetime and me pulling with all of my weight to bring her end back down. This, I must mention, is the first time I have been happy to have those extra pregnancy pounds! :)

July 2nd marked Georgia's 3rd birthday! I can't believe that our little girl is growing up! She got a bike helment and is now riding her "big girl bike" - which, I got as a steal at a garage sale for $7! We had family over to our house to celebrate with us. Georgia is such a sweet girl and I love her more and more every day. When she arrived, I remember feeling a new kind of love that I had never known before and that could not have ever been explained to me until I became a parent. But if you would have told me that my love could grow even more, I would not have believed you. But, alas, it has. I feel so blessed that God has given us these little ones.
Gram holding Georgia as we sing to her - the cake was yummy (my favorite: yellow cake with chocolate icing!)

We went to the 4th of July parade in Dublin. Let me just say, we got more candy at that stinking parade than at Halloween! I like to think that it is that my kids are so dang cute that people cannot resist handing them candy. But, I probably should take into account the fact that I was watching like a hawk for the candy passer-outers, and taught Georgia (as any good mom should) to hold out both hands and say 'please!' Jackson was the dark horse in it all - people walked up and gave him candy too and if his hands were full, they just set it by his feet. Brian and I already ate all of the good stuff, but the kids are still enjoying the dum-dums suckers.

Haircuts All Around!

2009-06-19T22:46:00.004-04:00

We went to the Sterling's for dinner not to long ago, and the kids both got their first haircuts! (Yes, Georgia is almost 3 and has never had even a trim!!!). Jackson's hair was growing over his ears and he was beginning to form a bit of a mullet. Amber did a GREAT job. Jackson was very amused by a popsicle, and then a lollipop when he had polished that off. Georgia was SO desperate to get her haircut too that she sat still like an angel with no bribery needed. :) While we were along for the ride, I got my haircut too. Two days later, I cut Brian's hair - just buzzed it. Amber and Cory were right in saying that it is not a good thing for your marriage - ha! I am not so swift with the clippers and Brian is a bit of a perfectionist (bad combination). I guess I would rather fork over the $15 than go through the stress of the haircut. Actually, it wasn't that bad. It was actually my best haircutting job yet (I think I may have done it 3 other times, so really, the only way I can go is up!). Brian only had to touch up a few spots and he even complimented me on my work afterward! Yea. But, I think in everyone's best interest, I'll leave the haircutting to Amber.Jackson loving his purple popsicle. He may have eaten equal parts popsicle and hair.The final outcome - so handsome! Amber is a pro!Georgia is eating this up!!! She begged to have it cut - Amber maybe took 1/8th of an inch off, but it was the greatest thing ever in Georgia's eyes.Georgia now says everyday, "Mommy, I need to get a haircut again!" = she would have it everyday if she could!

Fun in the Sun!

2009-06-16T23:08:00.007-04:00

So I let Georgia and Jackson play outside in the sprinkler the other day because it was so hot. Who needs a pool membership when you have a good old garden hose and sprinkler to run through?!? They LOVED it!!! Georgia was getting the biggest kick out of spraying Jackson - Brian and I keep saying that he is going to be one tough cookie when he gets older!

A few more pics of the day...

Officially Walking!

2009-06-03T07:53:00.003-04:00

Well, Jackson had taken 7 or so steps on his birthday, but he now likes to walk everywhere. It was about 5 or so days ago when he decided that he would rather walk than crawl. He gets himself to standing and then takes off. He is not quite keeping up with Georgia (but at her pace, it may take awhile!) but he does just fine! Check him out!

Fun in the Bunny Fountains!

2009-05-30T09:07:00.005-04:00

We had dinner the other night with some good friends, the Kearney's. We walked down to the Bunny Fountains - aptly named for the 3 dancing bunny statues on the top of the hill, which, by the way, Brian thinks are kinda creepy. Logan (Sarah and Blake's little boy) and Georgia were LOVING running in the water.
Jackson enjoyed himself as well, and even walked straight through the water!

Birthday Bash!

2009-05-30T08:21:00.007-04:00

Happy 1st Birthday Jackson! We had a wonderful birthday for Jackson.
We had some friends over and had cake and ice cream and jumped in the bouncy castle. (Jackson attacked his cousin Emma in there).
Brian cut him the biggest piece of birthday cake I have ever seen! Of course, the boy ate all of it - no messing around there!
The next day we went to El Vaquero (only the best Mexican restaurant ever!) and all of the servers there came in and sang to Jack. He even wore the sombrero - Ole!I can't believe our little baby boy is already 1! He seems so young compared to Georgia - the time has just flown by. We just love him so much and it is so incredible to see his little personality coming out already!

Been A Long Time Gone...

2009-05-10T23:04:00.007-04:00

Well everyone, it has been awhile. Here is a brief synopsis of the past month...

The last time I wrote, we were in Tennessee. We had a wonderful time hiking around the Smoky Mountains. Georgia loved it! She hiked up a muddy 1.5 mile trail to see some waterfalls. Brian carried her down as she was pretty tired afterward.

Brian's brother, Justin, got married the following Saturday. The wedding was beautiful. Georgia was the flower girl. Although she did walk down the aisle, she did not throw a single flower, but who cares? I was just happy that she walked down and didn't try to throw all of the petals down the storm drain (the wedding was outside and she actually did this at the rehearsal). What more can you ask from a 2 1/2 year old? Here is a picture of the first dance. Allison was beautiful (as always!)

The following weekend we had some old friends come out from Fort Wayne, the Rozelle's. It is always so fun to see them. Jay and Katie have two kiddos (Jacob and Sarah) who are right about the same age as our kids, so that is always fun. They played together like they hadn't missed a beat, and we had a great time catching up. There is something special about spending time with friends when you have a history together that makes it really relaxing and enjoyable. This picture screams future wedding slideshow to me!
Other than that, not a lot has been going on! We have been trying to get more settled into our house and make it our home. Brian and Georgia are getting good at the tag-team lawn mowing.

We had a wonderful Mother's Day. We dedicated both kiddos at church on Sunday. We are having an open house/Jackson's 1st bday party on Saturday from 1-3, so if you are reading this, we would love for you to stop by. Call if you need directions. Oh yeah, and one more little thing...we're pregnant!!!

Rocky Top

2009-04-13T21:16:00.003-04:00

Well, you'll have to just settle for words for now, because I don't have the cord to upload some pictures. We are in Tennessee - Gatlinburg right now. Brian's brother, Justin, gets married Saturday, so we are spending the week down here on a mini-vacation before the wedding! Brian is in the wedding, and sweet Georgia is the flower girl! We took a nice hike today. Georgia has amazing balance - she really only has two speeds: fast, and faster. She ran down the rock-strewn trails with two nervous parents and one happy-go-lucky little brother lagging behind.

We closed on our house on Thursday, and thanks to the help of some wonderful friends, we moved in that night. So, our house is still in boxes and we will be doing some major unpacking when we get home. But what a feeling to be settled! Thank you Lord! God has truly blessed us and we are looking forward to having some of you all over to see the new place!

This Is What Happens When You Give a 2 Year-Old a Marker

2009-03-30T10:46:00.003-04:00

Look at that face! Can you believe that I was doing the dishes when this all went down, and I didn't hear a peep out of either of them!

Poor guy - he had no idea! Thankfully it was not permanent.

On Top of Spaghetti...

2009-03-22T22:01:00.003-04:00

Sooo sweet! Jackson went to town on spaghetti the other night. I made that comment in front of Georgia, and she said, "I go to town on that too." It is amazing what they come up with. Jackson is definitely a messy one. We ate at Pei Wei (cheaper version of PF Chang's) the other night, and I literally scooped up 2 platefuls of rice off of the floor. The busboy came over and told me that I didn't need to clean it up - so kind. I think he probably just wanted us out of there as quickly as possible. But when you look at him, how can you not love that face?!?

There's No Place Like Home!

2009-03-16T13:53:00.002-04:00

Well friends, we finally are in contract on a home! It is beautiful, and we feel incredibly blessed. It is in my parent's neighborhood (nice!), and on such a great street. We love the front porch and it has a screened in patio out back (there's something about eating outside that makes the food taste better...). We couldn't be more thrilled. God has taught us to be content whatever our circumstances, but boy! It is going to be so nice to have a little room to spread out!!! We are looking forward to hosting all of you. Keep the calendars clear for moving weekend in early April - ha!

It's a Great Day to be Alive

2009-03-09T09:21:00.006-04:00

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL!!! Here is a little video of our adventure hiking - we stopped at this little spot and had a picnic lunch. Makes you wonder why we ever thought of moving south - ha! But I guess they have this weather much more often. We love to hike here - just a short little walk, but great to get the kiddos' energy out. We feel like kids are similar to dogs, if you don't take them out and run them, they don't behave as well! (contrary to Georgia disobeying mommy at the end of the clip). :)

Our Trials are our Tutors

2009-03-05T21:57:00.002-05:00

Interesting thought that I heard tonight. Maybe the pit of despair is my trial (or one of them). I say this is half a funny way, half a truthful way. I'm going to try to be more teachable through this to see what God is trying to say to me - not to be so consumed by the things in my life, for one. The longer the trial stays with me, the more I have a chance to learn.

I'm baaack!

2009-03-03T22:08:00.003-05:00

So fun - Jackson riding Georgia for a change!

Well, shamefully, I have not been into the world of blogging since 2007 - I know, why have a blog if you aren't going to use it? But, having seen some friends' blogs, I decided it was time to dive back into the blogging world. This will be a good way to stay in touch with you out of towners...many of whom have been missing my great stories about the "pit of despair". Oh my, where to begin.

Brian and I are in Ohio now. We are renting a little place - "the pit of despair", or sometimes known as our "cozy cottage in the woods" (totally depends on my mood or the weather!). We are hoping to move to a house soon - we are thinking Worthington area. Brian and I are both teaching - he at a school and me from home. How does that work I hear you asking. Well, I have office hours and it works much like an online college course would go.

Anyway, I faithfully promise to work on my blogging skills. So strap in and prepare for the ride.

Is this thing on?

2007-03-26T22:00:00.000-04:00

Well, here goes. Does this thing work?!?