Memorial Day Weekend 2012

Our Memorial Day Weekend started on Thursday afternoon at the Brown Bag Lunch concert on the Square.  We met friends, enjoyed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the kids danced their hearts out.

 Emi Grace taking Ella Kate and John to the fountain :)  Ella Kate insisted on wearing her Cinderella dress to the "concert".  We had such a fun time that we made plans to meet up with Becca, Emi Grace, and Ty again next Thursday and Ella Kate and Emi Grace decided that next week they would both wear their Snow White princess dresses :)  I must say I am really enjoying this dress up Princess stage and will be a little sad when it ends.

 Ella Kate leading John out to the dance floor.  She was a dancing machine!

 John loved having all the ladies dance around him!!

 Happy Boy!!  He loved dancing too.  :)

Nana came in town Thursday afternoon and we were so glad to see her!  We continued our Memorial Day celebrations on Friday by meeting up with friends at the Friday Night Concert on the Square.

 Happy Boys!

 John pointing out the moon to Nana.

 So glad Nana got to join us.

 John hanging out with one of his girlfriends, Caroline!

 Ella Kate and John dancing together!  This makes me so happy!!

 John adores his "Sissy"

 My little dancing princess!

 John very serious about holding Brook's ball.

 Uncle Kenneth messing with Baby John :)

 John and his buddy, Brooks!

 T-R-O-U-B-L-E

On Saturday we made a morning and afternoon trip to the Pool for our neighborhood pool opening party!  I did not get any pictures but we had a great time with friends!  Ella Kate swims like a little fish and John loves the water too! 
On Sunday Laura and Baby Kaleb met us at church and Ella Kate loved showing Aunt Laura "her church and Sunday School class room".  After church we went out to lunch and then headed home for naps to prepare for Ella Kate's big dance recital!!!  We were not allowed to take pics during the recital but I did order the video and as soon as I get it I will post it!  The girls were perfect!!  I mean they were all just perfect!!  I enjoyed every minute of it and love the little girls in Ella Kate's class like they are my own!  Ella Kate was so lucky to have so many fans in the audience.  Papa and LeLe even drove back early from the beach to watch her!!  Thanks Papa and LeLe we love you!  Ella Kate's fans included Mommy, Daddy, Nana, Aunt Laura, Papa, LeLe, Gan, Aunt Emmy, and Uncle Kenneth!!  Thanks everyone for cheering on our little ballerina!!  We are so appreciative of all of you!  Ella Kate saw Gan, Uncle Kenneth, and Aunt Emmy as I was taking her back stage before the recital and right after her dance when I picked her up backstage the first thing she said was "Is Aunt Emmy still here?"  I thought that was so sweet :)  Ella Kate was such a trouper at the recital b/c while she was sitting in the audience watching the rest of the recital a fever hit her hard and fast!  Poor little thing started freezing and shaking!  After the recital once we took her home, washed the makeup and hairspay off, got some Tylenol in her and got her settled I asked her "Did you feel bad while you were dancing"?  Ella Kate replied, "Well I felt a little bad but I did not cry Mommy!"  This broke my heart and made me so proud all at once!  She smiled and danced perfectly on stage and you would have never known she was not 100%.  I of course never like my baby girl to be sick but Dave and I are so proud of her for handling it like a super star!  We could not be more proud of you Ella Kate!!

Today is Monday and the last day of our long weekend!  We were planing on going to the Annual Memorial Day Celebration with Bobby Hobbs and the ATL boys like we always do but since my princess was not feeling great Dave and John went without Ella Kate and I this year!  I hope Senior and Junior are having a great time!!

Happy Memorial Day!!!  Thank you to everyone whom so selfishly serves our country!

John is 18 Months Old

I can't believe my baby boy is 18 Months old!  I am completely smitten with this little man.  He loves his Daddy but he is a total Mommas Boy :)  I pray that he always stays that way!  His Daddy is definitely a Mommas boy so I am thinking I have a good shot :)  HaHa
Some things about my baby boy that I always want to remember at 18 Months Old:
1.) He hugs with all that he has.  He wraps his hands around my neck and just squeezes. 
2.) He loves to snuggle!  He likes to get a book and climb into my lap.  No matter what I am doing if I am sitting on the floor he will bring all of his toys over to me and sit in my lap and play.
3.) He will sit for hours and race cars down a Fisher Price ramp that he was given by a friend for his 1st birthday.  It never gets old for him.
4.) His favorite toys are balls and cars.
5.) He loves Ducks!  He says "Quack, Quack, Quack" at the site of a duck and/or anything that remotely looks like a duck (i.e. bird, etc.)
6.) Regular words in his vocabulary consist of (Duck, Bird, JoJo, Sissy, Mama, Dada, Papa, Yeye, Nana,  Bubbles, Car, Ball, KoKo (this means train - KoKo is his favorite train on Chuggington), Up, Down, Cup, Outside, Boat, Shoez, Cat, Dog....  I know he has several more but they are escaping me at the moment.  Over the last couple of months his vocabulary is starting to really increase.  He is starting to say two word sentences like "Bye Yeye" and I am looking forward to having more and more conversations with my little man. 
7.) He ADORES his Sissy.  Ella Kate is so good with her little brother.  Don't get me wrong they both have their moments when it comes to sharing, etc. but for the most part they play very well.  Nothing makes Dave and I happier than watching them play together :)
8.) He wants to play outside every second of the day.

Dave and I thank God every day for blessing us with a little man!  We love you so much baby John!!!

John and his best buddy, Brooks!  Nice tummies boys!

Spring Family Photo Session

Our Spring Family Photo Session.  Thanks to my sweet friend, Joanna, for taking these great pictures!  We had fun!

Ballet Dress Rehearsal 2012 - The Pink Ducks

Today was such a fun day!!  It was a day that I have been looking forward to the second we found out we were having a little girl!  Yes, it was Ella Kate's Ballet Dress Rehearsal!  I am so thankful that Ella Kate loves ballet and dance as much as I do!  Looking forward to many more dance classes in our future :)

 Ella Kate and best buddy, Livie! 

 Rebecca, Ella Kate, and Livie.  Three Little Musketeers!!  Could not love these sweet angels any more!  They are perfect and I am enjoying every second of them growing up together.

 Waiting patiently for their turn to practice on stage.

 It is really hard to be patient when you are three, wearing a tutu, and lots of make-up. :)

 Now they are waiting "patiently" on the steps.  HaHa

 L to R: Hannah Kate, Rebecca, Livie, Felicity, Ella Kate, Lucy, Wynn. 

 Thanks so much LeLe for coming to watch!!  We loved having you there!

 My little ballerina!  So proud of you Ella Kate!  You are a sweet precious little girl.

 Ella Kate, Wynn, Rebecca, and Mary Caroline.

And Thank You John for being such a sweet brother!!  He has been so patient waiting for Ella Kate this year during dance class.  Since Ella Kate takes ballet on the Square Johnny Boy and I often go check out the train and fountain while we wait on Sissy to finish up dance class. 

 I love this little boy and his Red Keds. 

 I know I am partial but I sure do think he is one handsome boy :)  Thanks LeLe for making this precious Jon Jon!

 One of John's favorite activities on ballet days.  I always go to ballet equipped with lots of pennies for the fountain.

A boy and A Train!