Bringing Up Luke and Anna

Anna's First Science Project

2009-10-03T22:31:00.004-05:00

I just had to share. Anna had her first science project to do for school. It's due Monday, and we finished it up today. She really did a great job. It was really hard for me to not take over and just do it for her, but I let her do most of the work. Great job, Anna!

Luke Loves Jesus

2009-08-17T09:11:00.003-05:00

I have a cute story to share... Saturday night, I was giving the kids a bath and Luke was playing with his little fishing pole and decided he'd put the little magnetic hook in his mouth. Well, I told him he shouldn't put things in his mouth because he might choke, but he doesn't quite understand about choking, so I explained that it could get stuck in his throat and he wouldn't be able to breathe and he could even die. (I wanted him to grasp how dangerous it was.) So, he said, "Will I come back to life?" And I said, "No, your body will be dead forever, but your soul will go to heaven and live with Jesus." And, he just got the biggest smile on his face and said, "When I see Jesus, I will run to him and give him a big hug and a kiss!" Is that priceless or what? I love that boy!

My Baby Girl is 6!

2009-07-28T07:47:00.005-05:00

I say the same thing every year, but I can't believe my baby is 6 years old!!! She's growing up so fast. I'll never forget the day she was born. It was the most thrilling event of my life up to that point. I had no idea how my heart would melt as soon as I laid eyes on her. Miracles happen every day, folks. Thank you, Lord, for my precious Anna. She changed my life completely. I love her more than words can express. Happy Birthday, my sweet angel-girl!!!

Anna at about 4 months, I think.

Anna and her pink "Sharpay" Mustang.

Maw Maw and Paw Paw sent Anna a GC to Build-A-Bear Workshop. She had a blast!

We had Anna's party at Fun Factory. It was lots of fun and I didn't have to clean up! This is Anna sliding with Alexis, one of her little friends from church.

Anna and Alikah. What beauties!

Anna's Tinkerbell cake.

Vacation Bible School

2009-07-22T07:48:00.004-05:00

Man, I'm way behind! Last week, we had Vacation Bible School at Church. I was director this year and I learned quickly that it's a lot of work! I also learned a few things that I will change to make next year a little easier. In the end, it was so worth it. The kids had a great time and learned so much. Luke and Anna didn't want it to end. I think they would have gone to VBS all summer! Maybe next year, I will send them to some of the other churches, too, and just let them "VBS hop" all summer.

This is Sage, Abi, and Anna. Sage and Abi were both in Anna's kindergarten class last year. Can you believe Anna and Abi are the same age? Anna's like a foot taller than her! And, Sage... what a cute little boy. I just want to mash him!

Luke working on a craft with Miss Amy.

Luke and Anna in the "Worship Rally Oasis."

I love being creative, so I decided that I would go all out on decorating the sanctuary for our worship rallies. I got lucky and was able to get some refrigerator boxes from Acker Appliance. I had so much fun making the pyramid and palm trees.

Luke playing a game during recreation time. They stayed inside most of the time because it was just so HOT outside.

What a blessing I received last week to even be a part of VBS. Children are a precious gift from God. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

- Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

Lake Trip

2009-06-04T08:19:00.006-05:00

I'm so far behind on this blog! A few weeks ago, we went to Tupelo and spent some time with Justin's family. The weather wasn't perfect, but we managed to get enough time on the lake.

The stare-down between Luke, Little Fil, and his friend, Will.

On the pontoon.

Anna posing

Pretty girl

Luke, "driving" the boat

"Cheeeeese!"

Luke fishing with Daddy

Having fun with Grandpa

Kindergarten Graduation

2009-05-22T08:02:00.005-05:00

Well, Anna (and her mommy) survived kindergarten! The school held a "pseudo" graduation last Thursday. Anna has learned so much this year. She can read, write, add, and subtract. She's still a wonderful artist and loves music. She's made lots of new friends and has come out of her shell quite a bit. I'm so proud of her and I'm glad to have her home with me for a couple of months!

Anna holding her "diploma"

Lily, Felicity, Anna, and Connor

Alikah, Anna, and Abi

My pretty girl

Dance Recital

2009-05-22T07:57:00.003-05:00

Anna's 2nd dance recital was last Saturday. It was so cute. Their tap routine was to "Rock Around the Clock." The ballet was called "The Doll Shop," and Anna was an "Old Fashion Doll." Her group was sooooo good. Those little girls have come a long way. I am so proud of Anna for working so hard and doing such a good job.

Anna in her tap costume

Anna and her BFF, Sydney, after the show

Anna and her teacher, Miss Tessa

Easter

2009-04-19T10:08:00.007-05:00

I love Easter for many reasons. Most importantly, Easter reminds me of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Also, I love that it's a special time at church and with family. I love spring, Easter clothes, and egg hunts. This year, our original plans to have Mama and Daddy here for Easter fell through because my precious Uncle Kendall had to have open heart surgery. So, at the last minute, we threw together some after-church lunch plans with Prathima, Melody, and Kristen. The weather was great, and we had a nice afternoon.

Melody and Kristen in a rare moment

Our family

Me, Justin, Luke, and Anna

Prathima and the girls

Justin and all his "babies"

Our beautiful children

Luke and Anna ready for church

Easter Bunny!

Daddy's Birthday

2009-04-19T09:52:00.006-05:00

My daddy turned 60 on April 6th, and we had a birthday party for him to celebrate. Many of our family and friends were there. I think everyone had a great time. Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you!!!

Karaoke time

Luke, Anna, and Olivia

Daddy and Uncle Johnny - Best Buddies

Speech! Speech!

Aunt Twi giving Daddy a hug

Granny and Mama

Presents - mostly bourbon :)

Luke loves to help Paw Paw open his presents.

The cake... I thought this was one of my best cakes ever.

Park, Brotherly Love, Dance Costumes

2009-03-20T12:46:00.003-05:00

I'm just not doing a good job of keeping up my blog these days. We've just been trucking along, doing what we do. The kids had the flu a couple of weeks ago, but we're all fully recovered now and looking forward to spring. We've had some beautiful days this week.

Last week, I took Luke to the park and he was so proud of himself for climbing the BIG ladder. It made me a little nervous, but he did it over and over and I cheered for him every time.

What can I say about this picture except it perfectly depicts their relationship. Luke is such a lover-boy and Anna doesn't want to be touched.

Anna's spring recital is coming up in May. I love the costumes this year. This is her ballet costume. She's an "Old Fashion Doll."

This is the tap costume. Their dancing to "Rock Around the Clock."

That's all for now.

SNOW DAY!!!

2009-03-06T13:18:00.004-06:00

Yep, we had about 3 inches of snow last Sunday. Anna was still sick with the flu, but no fever, and how often do we get snow in Alabama??? It was so pretty - for a little while - and the kids couldn't wait to get out there. We got all bundled up, which took a good half hour, to spend about 15 minutes in the snow. :) It was worth it, though.

They were so excited to wake up to snow.

Tooth Fairy, Visits, and a Haircut

2009-02-11T11:24:00.005-06:00

Luke's needed a haircut for a couple of weeks and Monday, I tried everything including pomade, to make it lay down, and it stuck straight up all day! So, Tuesday, I took him for a haircut and ended up letting the lady give him a clipper cut all over. Now, he's all face. Good thing he has such a handsome face. It's kind of hard to see in the pictures, but it's really cute. On the way home, Luke said, "Now I'm a baldy head like Daddy!" I love it!

Last weekend, we went to visit my parents and also got to meet the newest addition to our family, Hadley Grace. She had a rough beginning as her lungs were full of mucus and had to be in the hospital for an extra week after her birth, but she's doing great now! She's already gained 3 pounds and she's so cute. Luke just loves babies, so of course, he had to hold her. He's going to be such a good daddy one day.

And, finally, Anna lost her first tooth a couple of weeks ago. It basically fell out because it was so loose. Her permanent tooth was already growing in behind the loose one! The tooth fairy left her a dollar and she was pretty excited. She's got a couple more that are loose, too. I guess my baby's growing up!

Wii Bowling Prodigy

2009-01-29T11:27:00.006-06:00

I knew it was only a matter of time before my kids got into video games since their daddy loves them! Anna decided she wanted to try Wii Bowling and she was so good at it even the very first time she played. I thought it was just beginner's luck, but she just keeps getting better. Her high score is 234!!! And, one day last week, she bowled 9 strikes in a row!!! She's so serious about it too and gets pretty upset when she doesn't get a strike or at least a spare. Here is a short video of her bowling... a strike, of course. I just love her form! Hilarious!

By the way, i do know she's in her panties. She got hot from playing and had to take her pants off!

Yo Gabba Gabba!

2009-01-16T16:28:00.009-06:00

After much deliberation, we decided to celebrate Luke's birthday with a Yo Gabba Gabba party! The kids love that show - and so do Justin and I! They have the coolest music and it's just so over the top ridiculous, that it's hilarious. It turned out to be the biggest party we've ever done with a total of nine kids, plus parents and other family and friends. The kids danced, played, and ate cake. I think they all had a pretty good time. I know Luke did and since it was his day, that was most important, I guess. I tried to get lots of pictures, but i'm just not a very good photographer.

Dance party time!

Luke's "kickety kickball"

Luke and John Evan - two crazy overtired boys - rolling on the floor laughing

Luke with Maw Maw and Paw Paw

Anna in the DJ Lance hat and glasses

Luke in the DJ Lance hat and glasses

Luke and Jackson - I tried to get John Evan, but he was too busy playing

"The big sisters" - Anna, Sydney, and Emma - how cute are they?

Cake time!

Make a wish!

Justin greeted every guest as DJ Lance Rock. Some of the kids were a little scared of him.

Nick Jr. has lots of party decorations that I printed out. I was so disappointed that I couldn't find any Gabba partyware, but i just used bright colors that match the show's characters. It turned out really cute.

I was proud of how the cake turned out. I made DJ Lance's boombox and Justin had the idea to put a picture of DJ Lance peeking over the edge. It made me laugh.

I also made cupcakes of the characters because I just thought it would be fun. I thought they turned out kind of ghetto, but everyone else thought they were cute. It was so funny because some of the kids wanted a cupcake and a piece of cake.

Anyway... we had a great time and we just enjoyed having so many friends and family to help us celebrate Luke's special day. IT WAS AAAAAWWWWWSOOOOOOOMMMME!

Happy Birthday, Luke!

2009-01-13T19:04:00.006-06:00

My precious baby boy turned 3 years old Saturday. I can't believe he's 3 already. We celebrated with a Yo Gabba Gabba party and I'll post more about that later. For now, I just want to post a few pictures of him from baby to big boy. What can I say about him that I don't say all the time? He's such a character. He makes me laugh all the time. He's extremely stubborn and has a terrible temper, but he's also so loving and affectionate. He loves to play, dance, sing, and watch TV. I think music is probably his favorite thing. He is truly a blessing to our family. I love my Luke!

Luke and Anna in their Gabba friends t-shirts

Luke in his farmer costume last fall

He has the most awesome, infectious smile and he's always smiling.

He's about a year old in this picture. Look how fat his face is!

What a cute baby Luke was. I think he was the biggest baby I've ever seen.

He's only 3 months old in this picture!

2 months

Going home from the hospital. Sweet!

"Where does Jesus live?"

2009-01-03T22:45:00.003-06:00

I just love the way kids think and the questions they ask sometimes. I have to set this one up... During the Christmas season, a local restaurant, Taco Casa (the kids' favorite), aired some commercials that referred to Bible scriptures and showed pictures of Jesus. Every time Luke would see the commercial, he'd say, "Mommy, is that Jesus?" And, I'd say, "Yes, that's a picture of Jesus." So, a few days ago, out of the blue, Luke asked me where Jesus lives, and I told him that Jesus lives in heaven. And, he told me, "No he doesn't. He lives at Taco Casa!" I cracked up!

Even More...

2009-01-01T22:36:00.006-06:00

We left Paducah (KY) on Friday and stopped at my sister's house (Tracy) in Smyrna, TN. Mama and Daddy were there and we had our family Christmas time with them. Justin and the girls drove on home that night, but the kids and I stayed until Sunday. It was a nice visit and we'd never spent the night at Tracy's before, so it was fun, too. The only thing was Anna had a fever on Saturday and a very croupy cough, so she just laid around a lot and didn't feel good. Luke, on the other hand, was in rare form and kept us cracking up all day.

Paw Paw and Luke in their PJs.

Diana in her new Bama jersey that we gave her.

Tracy is a fitness freak, so we gave her the Jillian-something or other fitness game for the Wii. She's the trainer from "The Biggest Loser." I personally think she's too man-ish. Tracy looks happy, though, right?

Luke helped everyone open their presents.

Maw Maw and Paw Paw gave Anna this awesome dollhouse. If I'd had that thing when I was a kid, I would've never left my room!

Ah... puppy love. Luke was all about Stella. Here, he's under the table with her.

Tracy and Diana gave Justin a glow-in-the-dark football and this book. He's really become a big football fan the past couple of years.

"See my presents!"

"Cheese!"

More Christmas

2009-01-01T21:11:00.007-06:00

The Hancock House - I love the lights!

We went to Noble Park Christmas night. You just drive through and they have lights throughout the park. I tried to take pictures, and i think this one turned out best.

The kids, except Anna, love to ride the golf cart. Unfortunately, it rained a lot while we were there and they didn't get to ride as much.

Thank you hugs after opening gifts...

Yay! Presents! Luke really ripped into his and Anna was very careful with hers.

Santa brought Luke a "Cars" playmat (Radiator Springs from the movie), Mack the truck, and a set of die cast metal cars, including Lighting McQueen and Mater. Anna got a Barbie Mermaid bath playset with two big dolls and two little ones that squirt water.

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-01T11:11:00.005-06:00

This is the first of several Christmas posts that I'll try to get around to. We spent Christmas in Kentucky this year with Justin's family. It was a long trip - almost 7 hours, total - but we had a lot of fun. The kids were really good on the trip up there and back. Luke kept everyone entertained with his usual antics and Anna was her usual sweet self. Melody and Kristen helped out a lot with the kids, so I actually got some time to relax! It was our turn to host the Hancock Christmas Eve party, so everyone was pretty busy up until then, but it was a great party. It was nice to see everyone.

I love pajamas - especially Christmas ones.

The Joe Hancocks - Melody's kind of hidden behind Grandma

Our family - do we look good or what?

The kids - Luke was in a mood! I took the picture anyway! I thought it was so funny that his sweater said, "Good Boy," because he was so rotten that night! He really showed everyone his temper when we started singing Christmas carols. He wanted to sing Jingle Bells first, and pitched a fit when we sang something else. Everyone cracked up, but I was a little embarrassed, too. We could've won AFV by a landslide if we'd caught that one on video!

All dressed up!

Happy Birthday, Maw Maw!

2008-12-19T09:39:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday, Kristen!

2008-12-18T09:54:00.003-06:00

Kristen turned 12 on December 5th! Kids really do grow up fast! We celebrated with a family dinner at O'Charley's. Kristen is really turning into a little lady. She still loves to play, especially "tickle fight," but she has really matured over the past year or so. She is such a sweet beautiful little girl, and she's an awesome big sister to Luke and Anna. Happy Birthday, Kristen! We love you very much!

Opening presents... we gave her some Christmas PJs and a #62 Bama Jersey. She was so excited. I think Terrance Cody is her favorite player. So, I guess we'll call her "Mount Kristen?"

Thanksgiving and other stuff

2008-12-11T08:39:00.008-06:00

I'm having a little trouble finding time to update my blog these days! For Thanksgiving, we went to my parents house for an extended visit. It was nice... we had our Thanksgiving dinner - lunch, actually - at my Granny Esther's house and everybody was there. The food was great and it was nice to see everyone. Our family just doesn't get together that often anymore, so there's a lot of catching up to do when we do. My Granny was so happy to have everyone there and sad to see us leave. I also got to watch the Iron Bowl while we were there and that was fun. I can't remember the last time I've watched the Alabama-Auburn game with Daddy and Tracy. It was awesome! These pictures aren't exactly in chronological order, but they never are...

The Hancocks on game day - we were all decked-out in our Crimson Tide apparel!

Anna and Tracy - Anna didn't want to have her picture taken for some reason.

Maw Maw and her "grandbabies."

Me and Daddy - my daddy hates having his picture taken, so he always makes this funny "fake smile" face. :)

Mama and Granny

Brett Favre... I mean, Justin... playing football. He played ALL DAY!

Luke and Anna played with their cousin, Olivia, all day. They really had a great time. Olivia and Anna are only a few months apart, but look at how much taller Anna is!!! They were so sweet together gathering acorns and leaves and playing pretend. It's a shame Anna only sees her about once a year.

Justin got an early Christmas present - an electronic drum kit - and Luke LOVES it. Check him out...

We actually put our Christmas tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving. I decided to let the kids put the ornaments on and I didn't even care that they were all clumped together! They had so much fun and were so excited to see the tree all decorated.

Parties!

2008-11-13T13:15:00.003-06:00

We've had a few parties lately. Anna's kindergarten class had a Halloween party on Halloween Day and the kids wore their costumes to school that day. They were so sugared up, it's a good thing the party was at the end of the day! Luke went with me. The little blonde boy on the right is Tyler. He's the one that Anna says she's going to marry!

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Mikayla's birthday party - she's the one in the wings. It took Anna a long time to warm up because she doesn't get to see Mikayla and Zoe much now that she's in kindergarten, but she finally participated in a game and won.

And, last but certainly not least, last weekend was Sydney's birthday party. Anna's convinced that Sydney will go to kindergarten now that she's five, but I tried to explain that she still has to wait until next year. Not sure if she gets it. Anyway... what a great theme, especially with the awesome football season we're having. The party was on the quad at the university and everyone wore their favorite team's colors. Of course, most of us wore crimson! There were about a ba-zillion people there! Luke and Anna were kind of clingy to me, but we had fun. Happy Birthday Sydney! Great party, Caroline!

Trick or Treat

2008-10-29T13:11:00.005-05:00

We took Anna and Luke to the University last night to trick or treat on sorority row. I think this is the third year we've done that. It's usually a lot of fun. Last night was not quite as fun as usual because it's homecoming week and i think the girls are more focused on their lawn decorations, etc. Plus, it was FREEZING! The kids still had a pretty good time. Of course, they wouldn't put on their jackets until we were almost done because they didn't want to cover up their costumes. Anna was Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty and Luke was a "sarmer" - that's "farmer" in Luke talk. :) They were so cute. Luke has been through about a half dozen costume ideas before finally deciding to be a farmer. He's a pro at trick or treating. He just reaches right in and gets a handful of candy! It was pretty funny.

These pictures are in reverse order. I always forget that they upload backwards. Anyway... this one was taken in back of the stadium. The kids were so cold! But look how sweet they are to each other.

Posing

"Sarmer Luke"

Princess Aurora

My cuties

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-10-28T14:09:00.005-05:00

Well, i'm late, but I had a birthday October 8th. I can't believe I'm 39!!! I had a fabulous day, though. The kids were so sweet with lots of hugs and kisses. And my friends and family wished me lots of "happy birthdays." My sweet Justin got Miss Gina (best babysitter ever) to watch the kids while we went to dinner and a movie. We saw, Fireproof, which I highly recommend to anyone, especially couples. I posted this trailer so I wouldn't have to explain what it's about. Anyway... thanks, Justin, for the awesome birthday date. I love you!!!

Anna's First Field Trip

2008-10-23T12:20:00.007-05:00

Anna went on her first field trip recently to The Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden. I and several other parents went too. I don't have much to say about it except I thought a lot of time was wasted just standing around waiting. We took the hayride down to the pumpkin patch and all the kids picked out a pumpkin to bring home. We also rode their little train and ate lunch while we were there. The weather was pretty icky - wet and cold - but i think the kids had a pretty good time. I think they were happy just to be away from school. I think Anna's favorite part was riding the school bus over there. :)

Sunflower Girl

Nice pumpkin!

The girls - Anna, Lily, and Felicity

On the train with Johnathan, Conner, and Alikah (looks like a double-date, doesn't it?)

Anna's class

Friends

2008-10-09T21:21:00.003-05:00

I just can't find time to post anything these days! Plus, I haven't taken many pictures lately. Here are a couple of cute pictures. We had Sydney and John Evan over Friday night a couple of weeks ago. They played, played, and played until they were all so tired. The plan was for Sydney to spend the night, but when it was time to for Caroline and John Evan to leave, Sydney got upset. She couldn't decide if she wanted to stay or go - she wanted to do both. She was so tired, and you know how tired kids want their mommy. She's such a sweet little girl. I hated to see her so upset about it. Finally, Caroline decided that she would just go home and we'd try a sleepover some other time. Anna was pretty upset that Sydney didn't stay, but she understood. It was a fun night anyway. Even Luke and John Evan played pretty well together!

Back in September, Anna went to a birthday party at Brookwood Park. It was for her friend, Felicity, who is one of her new kindergarten friends. She had fun playing with her new friends on the playground.

Felicity is the one with her arms folded on the table, looking at the cake.

Sweet 16

2008-09-24T17:33:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Melody turned 16! I can hardly believe it. She was 10 when Justin and I got married. Time really flies. She was such a cute, sweet, smart, little girl. And, now she's a gorgeous, still sweet, brilliant young woman. Happy birthday, Melody! We love you very much!

Melody on her 11th birthday. She had just gotten her ears pierced.

Melody at the lake this summer. She has the best hair!

We all went to Tokyo for Melody's birthday dinner. It's been a long time since I've had Japanese. It was so good. Melody got her driver's license yesterday and got to drive her new car to school today. I could tell as soon as Justin got home yesterday that he was pretty emotional, but wouldn't really admit it. I think this picture says a lot about how he feels about his little girl reaching this milestone birthday.

Anna was terrified that they were cooking right in front of us. She covered her face for long time because the cook was doing his fire tricks.

The kids

This is possibly the only picture of all six of us together.

Election Funny

2008-09-12T21:49:00.003-05:00

Okay... so everyone who really knows me, knows that I'm 100%, all the way, without a doubt, supporting John McCain for president. And, I'm a political news junkie. I just can't get enough. I've never been so absorbed in an election before. But, we all need a little comic relief every now and then.

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Kindergarten, Potty Training, etc.

2008-09-10T17:02:00.004-05:00

Well, I thought it was time to give another update about the goings on at the Hancock house. We've gotten into a pretty solid routine now that we're in the second month of kindergarten! Can you believe it's been a whole month since Anna started school? Time FLIES! She is doing great at school now - thank God! I still walk her to her classroom every morning, but she goes right in without any problems. She seems to really love school, too. She tells me all about her day when I pick her up in the afternoons, and sometimes, she plays school with her stuffed animals when we get home. That's how I really learn what went on that day. She's learning a lot, too. She's learning her letter sounds so quickly and she wants to tell me what everything starts with. I'm so happy that she likes school. I was a little worried those first couple of weeks.

I think Anna's favorite thing at school is her art class. She really loves to draw and she's so creative.

Anna's latest thing that she's into is headbands. A little girl in her class wears them every day, and Anna really likes them, so we've bought a couple and she loves to wear them. They are cute, and they keep her hair out of her face.

Luke and I have really bonded lately since we're together all the time. I thought he was going to be a little more independent than Anna ever was, but now that he doesn't have Anna to play with all day, he wants me to play all the time. So, I try to play with him and get a few things done in between, but I'm so not good at playing boy stuff. I don't know how he's supposed to learn how to play like a boy when his mommy and sister are the girliest of girls! He loves playing with stuffed animals, "Littlest Pets", and Barbie dolls! Occasionally, he'll play with cars or Little People, but he just loves playing pretend, and he's learned from Anna, so what do I expect, right?

We went to the park Monday, and Luke had fun until the heat became too much for both of us. Here he is on "Barney," as he calls him.

I guess our biggest news of the week is that Luke is potty training! I've been preparing to start for about a week, and we've been talking about it and pretending to go potty, and he just decided yesterday that he wanted to try it. I couldn't decide if he should stand up or sit down, but he wanted to sit... BACKWARDS! It works great! The pee pee goes right into the toilet. Anyway, today was the first full day of potty training, and he went in the potty 7 times! He did have a couple of accidents, including a very messy poo poo, but I am so proud of how well he did on his first day. And, he LOVES wearing his big boy underpants, as we call them. I think he may be an underwear model someday. Check out his poses. He cracks me up!

"I'm too sexy for these underpants!"

Kids sure do grow up fast. It seems like Luke was just born last year, and now he's about to graduate from toddler-hood to big kid.

Photo Booth

2008-08-29T21:36:00.004-05:00

Our computer has this cool tool called Photo Booth that I just discovered yesterday and we've had so much fun playing around with it. It basically lets you take pictures of yourself with several different fun effects. I was laughing so hard, I almost pee'd my pants! Here are a few samples...

Kristen

Justin

Luke (he had trouble staying still for the picture)

Anna

Pretty silly, huh? Well, it took away our boredom for a little while.

Random Stuff

2008-08-27T21:47:00.006-05:00

Well, i guess it's been a while since i posted anything. Not much to report, though. Anna is adjusting to kindergarten... finally. She didn't cry this morning, so that's a big relief. She's getting better and i can tell she likes school. As for Luke, I think he misses Anna, but likes having his mommy all to himself. He's such a little talking and singing machine these days. He plays his "tar-tar" (guitar) everyday. I think he's going to be a rock star.

I sang a "special" at church last Sunday. I was so nervous it made my back ache. Is that weird or what? I so love to sing - especially at church - but i think i just have serious stage fright. Anyway, I'm sure Jesus enjoyed it. ;) I sang a song by Selah, called "Glory." It is such a beautiful song. Here are the lyrics:

Glory

One day eyes that are blind will see you clearly

And one day all who deny will finally believe

One day hearts made of stone will break in pieces

And one day chains once unbroken will fall down at your feet

So we wait

for that one day

come quickly

Chorus:

We want to see your Glory

Every knee falls down before thee

Every tongue offers you praise

With every hand raised

Singing Glory

To you and unto you only

We'll sing Glory to Your name

One day voices that lie will all be silent

One day all that's divided will be whole again

One day death will retreat and wave it's white flag

One day love will defeat the strongest enemy

So we wait

for that one day

come quickly

[Chorus]

We know not the day or the hour

Or the moments in between

But we know the end of the story

When we'll see

[Chorus]

What else is going on? I learned how to alter men's pants. Justin is getting so skinny and he had to wear a suit last week as he was a witness in a big scandalous trial, but his pants were falling off - literally! So, I went online to find out how to alter them because we didn't have time to take them to a seamstress. He needed them the next day. And, I have to say, I did a great job! You can't even tell they've been altered and they fit great. Yay! I love learning something new.

Kindergarten Update and More

2008-08-19T08:27:00.000-05:00

What a stressful week!!! Anna had a great first couple of days of kindergarten, but starting last Tuesday, she decided she really misses her mommy and school is really long and she cried every morning when I dropped her off. Do you know how hard it is for a mother to leave her crying child, knowing it'll be 7 HOURS until you see her again?! Well, if you haven't experienced it, let me tell you, it is heart-wrenching! I've done quite a bit of crying myself this week. Sunday I thought I was going to just fall apart at church because our pastor's sermon really hit home. I've been so stressed and I'm such a control freak, but there are so many things that are simply out of my control and I need to turn them over to the Lord. I just have to be reminded a lot - like, every day!

Luke misses Anna a lot, too. He's so bored without his favorite playmate every day. I've been so absorbed in my own depression about kindergarten, that I haven't planned any fun activities for Luke, but that's all about to change. We're going to start going to CHOM again and the library and when the weather cools off a little, the park. I'm also hoping to set up some playdates with John Evan and Drew. Luke is always excited to see Anna when we pick her up and they play, play, play when we get home.

We got some fresh corn, tomatoes, and eggs from the Morrisons and they were all delicious. Luke loves tomatoes! He can eat a whole one by himself. I made my first skillet corn with the corn we got and it was awesome. I really love to cook. Anna had fun cleaning the "hairs," as she called them, off the corn.

Saturday, our little friend Zoe celebrated her 4th birthday at McDonalds. There were a bunch of kids there, and although Anna and Luke didn't want to play (they were pretty tired), we had a great time. I, personally, enjoyed the social time.

Zoe the birthday girl: I just think she is so gorgeous - and sweet.

Mikayla and Luke eating ice cream.

Zoe wanted her picture made with Anna, but Mikayla wanted in on it, too, which really ticked Zoe off. It was kind of funny because Mikayla just kept smiling no matter now upset Zoe got. I managed to get this picture of Zoe pouting. She really has one of the best pouty faces I've ever seen. Poor Zoe.

Zoe finally got over it and I got this sweet picture of all three of them. Aren't they so cute? Anna is missing her playdates with all her friends who didn't go to kindergarten this year.

First Day of Kindergarten!!

2008-08-07T12:15:00.000-05:00

Well, today was Anna's first day of kindergarten. She was so excited! She popped right out of bed at 6:30 and was ready to go by 7:00. Of course, she wouldn't eat any breakfast, but drank her chocolate milk and ate a few dry pieces of Honeycomb cereal. I was a nervous wreck the whole morning, but I did manage to get a good night's sleep. Anna didn't seem nervous at all. We said a little prayer before we got out of the car asking God to watch over Anna while she is at school. As I walked her into the school, she seemed to become a little nervous, probably because there were so many people coming and going. We made it to her classroom and found her seat. There were a few kids crying - mostly boys, but I noticed one little girl with her head on the table. I felt so sad for them, but I was so proud of Anna. A year ago, I thought she'd be one of those kids. She didn't cry at all. She didn't want me to leave right away, though. I stayed for a few minutes and got her started building a little castle with some blocks the teacher had put on the table, and then I kissed her, told her I love her, and that I'd see her later. She said, "Okay, Mommy, I love you too." And that was that. I almost made it out of the school before I started crying and then I cried all the way home and for about an hour after that. I wouldn't even eat until 11:15 because that's when Anna would have lunch and she had not eaten breakfast, and of course we both were starving before then! Anna said she might eat two pancakes tomorrow. :) I felt so relieved when I picked her up this afternoon because she came out smiling. She seemed so happy and excited. She said she had a "super great" day!

Birthday Party!

2008-07-29T16:52:00.001-05:00

I have to admit, one of my absolute favorite things is throwing birthday parties for my kids. Yes, I get all stressed out planning it and I always bite off more than I can chew, but it's so much fun. And, when it goes well and the kids have a blast, it's so worth it. This year, Anna wanted a Littlest Pet Shop party, so I ordered the decorations and started planning. These pictures are out of order, but they usually are.

Anna got several Barbie dolls and accessories, some Littlest Pets, a Ponyville set, and a couple of cute dresses. She was very excited about all of her gifts. I made the dress she's wearing. It's a pillowcase dress, which was super-simple and we'd found a really cute pink leopard-print pillowcase, which went along with our "pet" theme.

Luke was just as excited as Anna about all her new toys. I caught him and Paw Paw playing Barbie dolls and had to capture the evidence for blackmail later.

Later in the afternoon, everyone was hot, so Justin got in the pool with the kids and Tracy.

Anna, Zoe, and Mikayla were very excited about the cake. How cute are they???

Luke enjoying some chicken nuggets and fruit salad... yummy, yummy!

Here we are doing our "Littlest Pet" adoption.

Anna adopted a pink owl which she named, "Owly," of course. Each child got an "official" adoption certificate with her pet.

Anna blew all 5 candles out in about 3 tries. I think this was the first year that she wasn't afraid of the candles.

Zoe, Anna, and Mikayla playing with the pets and their little houses. Zoe and Mikayla are so cute and sweet. We've had a few playdates with them this summer and they've had so much fun together. I wish we could have more, but alas, Anna has to go to kindergarten.

Ta-da! The cake was so cute. I didn't do anything fancy this year, but the girly colors and cute LPS toppers made it one of my cutest cakes, I think. It was strawberry cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. Delish!

The kids made little houses out of craft boxes. They did a great job with a little mommy help. They decorated their houses with stickers, glitter, and pom poms. These became homes for the pets they adopted.

Luke entertaining the crowd. He's totally going to be a rock star!

The food. I made a fancy fruit salad in a watermelon basket, pasta salad, Mary's party sandwiches, and chicken nuggets.

Anna with Melody and Kristen. Thanks to Prathima (again) for taking pictures for me.

Happy Birthday, Anna!

2008-07-28T13:50:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Anna is 5 years old! She is growing up so fast, and this past year has really flown by. It's amazing how much she's grown - physically, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. She's such a sweet, smart, creative little girl and I'm so thankful for such a precious gift from God. I can't believe she's starting kindergarten next week! Luke and I will miss her so much every day. We had a "Littlest Pet Shop" birthday party Saturday, and Anna had a great time. I'll post pictures from the party soon. For now, here are a few pictures of my sweet baby girl. I love her so much!!!

Anna (5 years old) and her baby brother, Luke

Anna at 1 month old

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

We spent our 4th of July weekend at the lake with Grandma and Grandpa. Aside from a couple of rain showers, it was a great weekend. I actually got to go "tubing" twice, which left me pretty sore. It was a good sore, though. Still couldn't get Anna to go with me. We did get her on the Sea Doo, but she started screaming as soon as we got out there, so we took her back. Even Luke didn't want to do it this time. Oh well... Phyllis's sister, Kitty, and her kids, Beth and Ryan, were there too and it was good to see them. We haven't seen them in a few years. Luke and Anna spent a lot of time talking to and playing with Ryan. He's really good with kids. They also took a lot of pictures while we were there and were willing to share them with us.

Anna and Grandma floating in "Big Bertha"

"Where are my pants?"

"Cheeeeeeeeese!"

Cool dude

Hollywood

"I'm ready!"

"I'm not so sure about this."

Family Photo Time!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T14:50:00.000-05:00

I hope all the daddys out there had a happy father's day. I think Justin did. We didn't really do anything special for him except make him a cute card and gave him some new sunglasses and swim trunks. It's so hard to buy presents for men. But, this father's day was a very special day for us. A few months ago, our pastor asked Justin if he'd deliver the sermon on father's day and after giving it a lot of thought, Justin agreed to do it. He worked so hard on preparing the sermon and how he would present it. The title was "Mission: Dad." I didn't read it or listen to it before Sunday because I just wanted to be surprised. He did such a great job. It was a really touching, moving sermon that made us laugh, think, and even cry. I was so proud of him, I couldn't stop smiling. (You can listen to his sermon on our church website, www.bighurricanechurch.org.)

Justin really is a good daddy. He spends time with Luke and Anna every day, even when he's exhausted. And, he always helps take care of them, not just plays with them. He wipes snot and hineys. And, when he's with Melody and Kristen, he tries so hard to make up for lost time. He's affectionate, playful, attentive, understanding, and so patient. He's the most brilliant and sweetest person I know. I love you, Honey! Happy Father's Day!

Such a "cut-up"

Justin LOVES the water!

I wonder how many miles Justin drives the Sea Doos when we're at the lake. He pulls the kids on the tube all day!

Anna's turned into such a daddy's girl lately.

Just a Couple of Cute Pictures

2008-06-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

Obviously, Luke doesn't get enough sleep. He falls asleep in the car and watching TV most of the time. Sometimes, he can sleep sitting up for a long time. Justin and I walked into the living room one day to find him in this position. Thank goodness he's so flexible, I guess.

I just thought this was a cute picture of Anna. She's taking ballet again this summer and is all excited about it. She loves it and loves her teacher, Ms. Tessa. She tells me she wants to take dance until she's a mommy and she might be a ballet teacher one day. I think that would be awesome!

Lake Trip

2008-06-13T22:05:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we went to Tupelo to visit Justin's parents. We had so much fun! We stayed at their cabin on Lake Piomingo, as we usually do. The weather was beautiful and the water was just right. Anna has really turned into a little water bug. She swam and swam. Luke goes in short bursts, but he's quite the water bug too. If only he could get enough rest, he'd have so much more fun. He really fought sleep all weekend and ended up several hours short of what he needs, so he was a little crabby much of the time. I didn't get a picture of it, but Luke went tubing with me and loved it. I couldn't talk Anna into it. Maybe next time. Thanks, Joe and Phyllis for hosting. We always have a great time on our mini-vacations to the lake.

Luke and Anna with Grandpa Joe... Luke's almost as big as Grandpa!

My water babies. Those floats ROCK!

Luke and Mommy after tubing - look how tired he looks!

Our beautiful kids: Kristen, Luke, Melody, and Anna

Kristen on the "Tiger Tube." She's grown so much since last summer!

Finally, on Sunday, Luke fell asleep about two hours before we were leaving and slept until we put him in the van! It took him a couple of days to recover.

Luke and the Dentist

2008-06-09T22:44:00.000-05:00

Luke and Anna had a dentist appointment last week. It was Luke's first visit and he was such a good boy. He was awful in the waiting area and I thought I was going to have to take him in the bathroom and spank his hiney! But, he was great in the chair. He let the hygienist brush his teeth and Dr. Smith checked him out. I'm so glad he didn't pitch a fit!

Look at my sweet boy!

Anna's New Haircut

2008-06-09T22:36:00.000-05:00

Well, we did it again. Anna decided she was tired of all the tangles that come with long hair, so we got her a cute, short haircut. She loves it - and so do I! It's very little girlish. And, evidently it's the hot, new trend among four-year-olds this summer. It seems that all the little girls are getting this haircut.

I was trying to get a good picture of her new haircut, and she gave me this look...

Cute little bow-head.

Beach Trip

2008-06-02T15:48:00.001-05:00

FINALLY!!! I'm posting some pictures from our beach trip. A couple of weeks ago, we spent five days at Ft. Walton Beach with my parents. We had a great time. Ft. Walton is such a nice quiet beach. The weather was beautiful with temperatures in the low 80s most of the time. The water was a little too cold, but we enjoyed swimming anyway. Luke and Anna had a great time despite Luke's major eczema flare-up. We went to Fudpucker's and Gator Beach one evening and it was a little disappointing. I thought it would be cool, but in my opinion, it's WAY overrated. Oh well... we also went to the Gulfarium, which Anna really enjoyed, but it was too slow for Luke. And, on our way home, we stopped by Eglin Air Force Base and visited the Armament Museum. It was very interesting for the adults, but the kids were bored after about 10 minutes - after the excitement of seeing the big airplanes wore off. The rest of the time, we just hung out at the beach, the pool, and the condo. I hope we can do it again next year. Thanks Mama and Daddy for inviting us to go!

Ready for the beach!

Gator Beach

Tired Mama and kids at the AF Museum

Yay! A family picture!

Skinny Justin and his chubby wife!

Paw Paw and Luke

My cute beach babies

more museum

Miss Hollywood on the beach

Counting seashells

Indiana Jones walking to the beach

Just chillin'

Surfer dude

Dance Recital

2008-05-13T06:56:00.001-05:00

Of course, these pictures are out of order because i can never remember in which order i'm supposed to upload them, but here goes... Anna had her very first dance recital Saturday afternoon. It was so fabulous! Our little girls did a GREAT job! A year ago, I would never have believed that Anna would move a muscle on that big stage in front of all those people. She really has surprised me how much she has grown in the past year. Her class is a combination ballet and tap class. They performed two dances. The first was a tap dance which was part of an "I Love New York" sort of theme and they were dressed like little Rockettes. It was so cute and the routine was pretty tough, but they managed to pull it off. My favorite part was when they lined up and kicked like the Rockettes. Everyone clapped. The second dance was part of a ballet called "Betsy's Birthday Party," and Anna was a "guest with a baby doll." She did a great job on that one too. I just felt so proud of her, I teared up several times during the performances. Actually, I felt proud of all the girls because they worked so hard.

This is Anna in her "Jon Benet" make up. Eyeliner was the trickiest part.

Here's the little Rockette standing by Paw Paw and Luke. I love this costume.

After the recital, we ate an early dinner at Wings. It was so good. I haven't eaten wings in a LONG time. Anna got a huge strawberry shortcake for dessert, which she shared with Luke and Maw Maw, but she ate most of it.

That evening we played outside for a while to burn off some of that wings and shortcake. The kids got so sweaty. Here they are with Maw Maw and Paw Paw.

Luke's sweaty faux hawk.

This was actually taken before the dress rehearsal on Friday.

Look at this hair. I curled it myself and it took like 40 minutes. She sat so still the whole time.

Waiting at the theater...

Anna and her best buddy, Sydney. Sydney's such a poser.

I didn't get too many shots of Anna in her ballet costume, but here she is posing with Sydney. Sweet little ballerinas!

Play Ball!

2008-05-13T06:48:00.000-05:00

Kristen decided to play softball this summer. I've always thought that she's so athletic. We went to her game last Saturday and it was a lot of fun. For me, it brings back such good memories of playing ball when I was about her age. There are about 22 girls on her team, so they have to take turns playing the positions, and they bat all the way around. I personally think their rules are weird. We always followed Little League rules which are very similar to real baseball. But I guess they gotta do what they gotta do. Anyway, Kristen played great! She only got to bat once, but she got a hit! Yay! She's a lefty, so she's a natural first baseman. I hope she'll stick with it because with experience, I think she'll be quite the little softball player.

Hanging out after the game. Anna and Luke had so much fun cheering for their big sister.

Anna the Elephant

2008-04-30T22:26:00.001-05:00

Anna's preschool had circus fun day this week and the kids were supposed to dress up like clowns (which most of the kids did) or a circus animal. Well, Anna insisted on being an elephant and of course we didn't have an elephant costume hanging in the closet, so I made her some ears and a trunk. She loved it. She's been wearing it for two days! I think it's looks ridiculous, but so cute at the same time. I just love the way she always wants to be different.

Yo! Yo! Yo!

2008-04-30T22:15:00.001-05:00

Luke and Anna love it when Justin turns this silly cap sideways and raps. He makes up the silliest things and they just die laughing. Of course, he puts on a big show, too. I know, you're thinking, "Not Justin!" Anyway, the kids try to do it too and one day last week they really got into it. Luke just walks around saying, "Yo, yo, yo!" It's hilarious.

Sunscreen Allergy

2008-04-24T22:55:00.000-05:00

Are you kidding me??? As if being allergic to milk, soy, and fish aren't enough, I now believe that Luke is allergic to some ingredient in sunscreen. The last two times I've used sunscreen on him, he's ended up looking like I poured hot grease on him. On the bright side, after much research, I think I've found something he can use - California Baby sunscreen. It doesn't have any chemical sunscreens, just pure ol' titanium dioxide, which makes you look like a ghost when you first put it on, but it soaks in after about 30 minutes. Anyway... if you click on this picture and enlarge it, you can see what a mess his face was in last Saturday night after using sunscreen that day.

ROCK STAR!

2008-04-24T22:38:00.000-05:00

While we were visiting my parents, Luke became obsessed with this little guitar that my mama had. He played it so much that I think it even started to get on mama's nerves! I thought it was so cute that he tried to copy the way Paw Paw played it with his eyes closed.

Jammin In The Car

2008-04-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

Okay... Luke and Anna LOVE music. They have their favorite things to listen to and you might be surprised that it's not Disney. They mostly like contemporary Christian (Mommy music) and 80s rock (Daddy music). We hardly ever watch the DVD player in the car anymore, even when we're on long trips. I got this video when we were on our way to visit Maw Maw and Paw Paw. They were rockin' out to Genesis, "No Reply At All," in case you don't recognize it.

Kindergartener For A Morning

2008-04-24T22:07:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Anna got to be kindergartener for a morning. She was so excited! She got to spend a couple of hours in a classroom, take a tour of the school, and eat lunch in the cafeteria. Of course, she didn't like anything they served. Ha! Big surprise, right? I can't believe she'll go to "big school" in August! It seems like she was just born. I thought it was funny that her favorite part was getting to go on a school bus. Too bad I won't be letting her ride one to school.

2008-04-22T15:36:00.001-05:00

Easter

2008-03-30T14:43:00.000-05:00

I am so far behind on my posts! We had such a wonderful Easter this year! This was the first Easter in many, many years that I was in church on Easter Sunday, and it was the best Easter that I can remember. I was so happy to have my parents and sister visiting and they all went to church with us. It was very emotional for me. I'm so happy that we made the decision last summer to join a church. My life has changed for the better in so many ways. I love Jesus and thank him every day for the amazing sacrifice he made for me.

Anna was so excited that Maw Maw, Paw Paw, and Tracy went to church with us, too. Anna and Luke were both pretty sick the week before Easter and Luke still wasn't himself. He was pretty fussy all weekend and cried all through Sunday school. Poor baby! He went to "big church" as we call it and fell asleep during the musical. We had an egg hunt after lunch. I was so upset because the battery died in my camera after getting only two pictures of the kids hunting eggs. They looked just precious in their new Easter outfits.

Anna dying eggs

Luke dying eggs

All dressed up for church

Luke hunting eggs (with his gardening gloves on)

Anna found the first egg, of course

My Little Dancer

2008-03-05T17:50:00.000-06:00

Anna's spring recital is coming up in May and they had pictures Saturday. I think she looks like a little doll in her costumes. Here's a sneak preview...

Anna's Ballet Costume

Anna's Tap Costume

Emma, Sydney, Mary Claire, and Anna

After pictures, we went to TCBY, and of course, Anna chose the most colorful ice cream!

Luke's First Haircut

2008-02-29T20:54:00.001-06:00

Okay... so I'm way behind on my blogs! There's just been too much going on at my house and uploading these pictures is time-consuming. But, anyway, Luke got his first big boy haircut last Tuesday - over a week ago - and it is so cute! I didn't want to cut his long curls for a long time and I kept putting it off, but when he started wanting to wear hairbows, I knew it was time. We went to a kids' salon called Kidz Kutz and he sat in the airplane chair. He didn't fuss or squirm. He was great! The woman who cut his hair (Dawn) was really good with him, too. She put on an Elmo video for him to watch while she cut his hair. He loved that! Anyway... here are some picutes - before and after. He looks like such a little man now! I love it!

6 Facts About Me

2008-02-15T20:53:00.000-06:00

Ok, so Caroline "tagged" me and I'm suppose to list, I suppose, some little known facts about myself. Of course, I'm an open book and most people who know me probably already know everything there is to know. Or, at least, everything that i'm willing to share. ;) So, here goes...

1. I used to love being in pageants. I know what you're thinking... Well, I was Conecuh County's Junior Miss when I was a senior in high school and got to compete at the state competition in Montgomery. I hated it!!! I couldn't even call my family for a whole week and I had to stay with total strangers while I was there. It was a good experience, but felt pretty lonely that whole week.

2. I weigh myself like 3 times a day. I'm obsessed with it. I guess I need confirmation that I'm still fat. LOL!!!

3. I'm a political news junky. I watch Fox News EVERY night (O'Reilly and Hannity and Colmes). I'm so into this year's election that I have to find out what's going on every single day. And, I'm so conservative now, I guess because I'm a mommy and I just want my kids to grow up in a moral society, but I used to be so liberal! If Hillary Clinton were running for president 10 years ago, I would've voted for her! Crazy! I did vote for Bill. Anyway...

4. I love mayonnaise. Every now and then, I get a craving for mayo on saltines. LOVE IT!!!

5. I think farts are funny. Now, most women won't admit this and they probably even use manners about it, but I honestly think they're hilarious. Do you think I'm gross now?

6. I sang background vocals on a CD that my sister recorded several years ago. And, I used to sing with her on some of her gigs. I don't think i sing that great, but i do love to. I just joined our church choir and it feels so good to just SING!!!

So, that's it. Thanks for tagging me Caroline! I could probably list a whole bunch more, but I don't want to incriminate myself too much. But, I have enjoyed these few minutes just focusing on myself while I drink this fabulous glass of my favorite wine that my dear husband bought me for Valentine's Day. I guess now I'm supposed to tag someone, but I don't have a bunch of blogger friends. Hmmm... I guess I'll tag Tracy.

Random Cute Pictures of My Cute Babies!

2008-01-24T21:46:00.001-06:00

Okay, let me explain. Luke likes to do everything that Anna does, AND he's obsessed with hats and shoes. So, that said, he likes to wear Anna's hat's and shoes, too. I promise I didn't do this to him. He did it himself! Pouty Face
Mmmm... cake batter.
"I'm all sugared up, Mommy."
"Ta-da!" Another artist!
See, Luke is just copying his big sister. Unfortunately, she's extremely girly!

Snow Day!

2008-01-24T20:28:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting our snow day pictures. We were so excited to get a little bit of snow this year! I can't remember the last time it snowed here. We thought we were going to get a little bit more than we did, but we got enought for the kids to enjoy it for a couple of hours. I'm glad Melody and Kristen were here that weekend because it made it even more fun, especially for Luke and Anna. And, of course, Justin had someone to snowball fight with. It was soooooo cold, for us. We don't really have what I'd call snow clothes, but we bundled up as much as we could. Poor Luke could barely move his arms. He was like the kid in "A Christmas Story." These pictures are all out of order, but I always forget in what order they upload.

Doesn't our house look pretty all covered in snow?
This is the pitiful snowman that Justin built and then Luke knocked it down before I could get outside with my camera. But Luke tried to stack it back up again. He loves snowmen!

It's snowing!
Kristen LOVES the snow. She played outside until there wasn't a single snowflake left!
Anna trying to catch a snowflake on her tongue.
Kristen helps Luke make a snowball.

Daddy and all his babies.

"Okay, I'm ready to go inside."
Snowball mafia
Is he cute or what?
Anna's about to get me with a snowball. Of course, she misses. How can she miss such an easy target???

Snow Day Video! Click Play!!!!

Luke's Birthday Party

2008-01-17T21:57:00.001-06:00

I'm so behind on my posts, but last Saturday we had a Farm Theme birthday party for Luke. He had lots of fun. Our best buddies, John Evan and Sydney, were there along with their cousin, Drew. Melody and Kristen, Luke's Maw Maw and Paw Paw and Aunt Tracy were there, too. We had "country" lunch with fried chicken nuggets, potato salad, corn on the cob, and baked beans. The kids loved the corn! After lunch, the kids played for a little while. I had no idea this game would be such a hit, but I drew farm animal faces on balloons - cows, sheep, and pigs - and put them in a "barn" made of a cardboard box. We let the animals "escape" from the barn and the kids had a blast rounding them up and putting them back into the barn. They wanted to do it again and again. After that, we had cake and ice cream. Luke was so excited about his "bawn" cake. I made the cake myself and learned that you have to put a ton of red food coloring in white icing to make it red and was determined Luke would not have a pink barn cake! Well, unfortunately, I didn't know that red dye is a fairly common allergen and OF COURSE, Luke had a reaction! I noticed Saturday evening that he was getting a rash, but didn't think much of it because he has sensitive skin anyway. Well, Sunday he was covered in it, and still is. I've been giving him Benadryl all week. Poor little guy. It's always something, right? Anyway... Luke - and Anna, too - had a great time at the party. Thanks to everyone who celebrated his second birthday with us!!!

Happy Birthday Luke!

2008-01-11T00:21:00.001-06:00

Remember this guy? Luke was 3 months old in this picture! He was the biggest baby that I'd ever seen! I can't believe he's 2 years old today. It seems like I just brought him home. He's such a sweet, loving little boy - funny, too. He makes me laugh everyday. And, he melts my heart every time he wraps those little, short arms around my neck and slobbers up my face. Luke has brought so much joy to my life. I love my little man so much. Happy Birthday, Buddy!

Christmas is Over. :(

2008-01-04T15:13:00.000-06:00

Well, Christmas (and New Years') is over. The anticipation of it is so exciting, but it happens so fast, and then it's over. I'm not complaining, though. We had a great Christmas. We visited my parents for over a week and the kids had so much fun. They really enjoy spending time with Maw Maw and Paw Paw. Tracy and Diana came down on Friday, so we got a long visit with them too. My Aunt Lish (short for Elisha) had a party on Saturday night before Christmas. We ate fried shrimp and oysters! It was so yummy! We got to see Dewayne and Dewight and their families. It was a lot of fun getting together with them. We didn't really do anything Christmas Eve except I made everyone sing Christmas songs and Justin read Luke, chapter 2, out loud to us. We left some of the cookies that Anna and I made and a cup of milk out for Santa. The kids were super-over-tired that night. Christmas morning was fun. The kids and I slept until about 9:30! I couldn't believe it. When I was little, I know I never slept past 8:00 on Christmas morning. Tracy was usually up around 6:00! Santa had left Anna a bicycle with training wheels, a couple of Furberries, and the Littlest Pets "Round and Round Pet Town." She was very excited. Santa left Luke an Inchworm and Tonka Dump Truck. Then, we let the kids open all their gifts from us, Maw Maw and Paw Paw, and Tracy and Diana. Needless to say, they had plenty to play with for the rest of the day! Then the adults opened gifts. Mama cooked a delicious meal. And, we just hung out playing with all the kids' new toys.

Tracy and Diana gave the kids this spring horse. It even makes sounds like a real horse and plays "Home, Home on the Range." The kids love it!
Maw Maw and Paw Paw sprung for this cool Mustang! Anna only had minor accidents her first day: she hit the Cadillac and a shrub (twice, i think). She almost ran over Maw Maw. And, she went through the swingset and almost took Luke's head off. Fortunately, Diana is fast and pushed the swing up allowing them to just go right under it. Thanks, D!
Anna in her leapard print robe, which has her name on it.
Luke really likes the "sossy."
Stella resting under the couch.

Christmas morning.
Furberries!

Luke on his Inchworm, which is almost impossible to bounce.

A few of the cookies we made. It was really fun decorating them with Anna. I've never done Christmas cookies before!

Awww... aren't they sweet on the porch swing?
Luke and John Henley. John Henley is about a month older than Luke - he's normal-size.
Opening gifts at Aunt Lish's house.
Tired Mommy and her babies.

It's Christmas Time!

2007-12-16T22:41:00.000-06:00

Well, the season is definitely in full swing! I haven't even had time to post anything since Thanksgiving! The Hancocks are very excited about Christmas. Since my last post, we've decorated our tree, done lots of shopping, gone to Christmas parties, had family portraits made, and even visited Santa. Here are a few pictures of the kids...

I tried desperately to get a great picture of the kids together for our Christmas cards, but Luke wouldn't cooperate. Decorating the tree...

Anna and Luke just playing together...

I'll get you!
Luke "getting" Anna.

Dressed up for the party.

Anna in Santa's lap. Luke just wouldn't do it. He did give him a high five, though.
Dressed up for family portraits.
Hanging out by the tree.
Anna posing.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-25T23:02:00.000-06:00

I think everyone already knows this, but our Thanksgiving plans were canceled because Justin came down with a bad case of pneumonia. It started last Saturday night when he got a fever after not feeling 100% all day. But as usual, he just kept on going - washing the cars, playing outside with the kids, doing housework, etc. Well, Sunday morning, he was burning up with a fever (104.2), so I tried to get him to go to the doctor, but he just wanted to sleep. He stayed in bed all day and I thought it was either the flu or pneumonia. Sunday night, I went to check on him and his breathing was very shallow and rapid, and I knew it must be pneumonia, so Monday morning we got ready and I took him to Med Center, but I didn't realize just how sick he was. I didn't want to take the kids into the doctors' office because I was afraid they'd pick up some bug, so I just dropped Justin off and waited for him to call me when he was done. I took the kids to run errands, eat lunch, etc. Well, Justin never called and when I tried to call him, his phone was off. So, after three hours, I decided to just go check on him and if the kids get sick, they just get sick. He was so sick, he couldn't fill out all of his paperwork. He couldn't even remember our phone number. The nurse told me to take him immediately to DCH, that they were expecting him. He had severe pneumonia in his lower left lung. So, we got the the ER at about 2:30-3:00 and they took Justin to one of the exam/treatment rooms where they gave him fluids and antibiotics. The kids and I stayed with him for a little bit, but I could NOT keep the kids at the hospital, so we left and I got on the phone. My dear, sweet friend, Caroline, who has two little ones of her own offered to watch Anna and Luke that evening so I could go back and be with Justin at the hospital. When I got back there, he was still in the ER and not too happy about it. He just wanted to go home. He was still there when I left at about 9:00 to pick up the kids. He finally called me at 10:30 that night to let me know they finally got him in a semi-private room. He was in the hospital until Wednesday at about 5:30 and he finally got to come home. Needless to say, we didn't do anything for Thanksgiving, but Phyllis, Justin's mom, came over Tuesday and prepared a feast for us on Wednesday, which we ate on Friday. I did cook the turkey myself and it was pretty good (a little dry). The meal was great and I was thankful to have it. I was also thankful that Justin was home and much better. I'm thankful for so many things because I've been blessed with so many wonderful things in my life. I have a sweet, loving husband who is always there for me. I have two beautiful, sweet children whom I have the priviledge of loving, teaching, and taking care of every day. I have two brilliant, sweet step-daughters. I have awesome parents and a sister who are always there for me. I have very cool in-laws. I'm healthy. I have all of my basic needs met and many of my "wants." I am so thankful for all of these things, but I am most thankful for God and His son, Jesus Christ, who died for my sins. Without Him, none of this would even matter. I'm very thankful that God is in my life now.

Birthday Parties

2007-11-17T21:16:00.000-06:00

Anna was invited to a couple of cool birthday parties this month. The first was for her best buddy, Sydney, and it was a gymnastics party at "Tumbling Tides." It was fun because the kids got to use the gym equipment and got to run, jump, and play the whole time. Anna decided after the party that she wants to take gymnastics, too. We'll see...

Anna climbing over one of the little obstacles.

They did a parachute activity that was pretty cool, except sometimes 3 and 4 year olds don't quite understand what they're supposed to do. It was still fun, especially to watch. :)
Anna enjoying her yummy ice cream at the end of the party. I never did get a picture of Anna with Sydney. There were tons of kids there! Sydney stayed pretty busy.
Another cute party was at "The Doll Shop" and it was for one of Anna's preschool friends, "Anna M." They dressed up like fairies and learned a little dance that they performed for the parents at the end of the party. It was cute. Anna did pretty good. I guess those ballet classes are paying off!

Anna H. and Anna M.
Anna checking out the birthday cake. That girl loves some cake! Just like her mommy.

Look at all these fairies!

They serve the cake and ice cream on nice china. And, look at that red punch in that wine glass. Anna didn't take one sip! She wouldn't dare risk spilling or breaking that glass, you know.

Anna and her best preschool buddy, Caroline. She's really shy, like Anna, so they play together a lot at school. I'm so glad the teachers paired them up.

It was a really cute party and, of course, Anna wants to have her next party there.

Luke's Antics

2007-11-17T21:05:00.000-06:00

Life with Luke is never boring. He is always up to something and he's so "dad-gum" funny. For example...

He loves to run around naked after his bath and just has a fit when you try to get him dressed. This is his new "mad face." It's hilarious and he pretty much does it on command.
This picture explains why I am still spoon feeding him most of his meals. One would think that chopped up hamburger patty and french fries would be harmless - it's finger food. But Luke loves to "experiment" with his food, so it ends up everywhere, including on his head! I'm proud of myself, however, for letting him "feed" himself supper every night this week.

The Barnyard

2007-11-17T20:47:00.001-06:00

We recently visited a new petting farm with some other moms and kids and had so much fun. It's a really cool place. They had several small farm animals for the kids to pet and feed. Luke was pretty brave to pet the animals, but he and Anna both were a little timid. The sheep were just walking around loose and they pretty much freaked out when one of them decided to walk right up to us. Our friend Sydney really got a scare when the sheep just walked up and started eating from her bucket. They also had a small playground for the kids and we got to take a little boat ride in the pond to see the ducks up close.

Luke pets a chicken. And a bunny.
Anna gets a look at the eggs in the chicken coop.
"Uh-oh, eggs!"
Anna got brave and decided to take a pony ride. She did great!

Drama King

2007-11-11T23:10:00.000-06:00

Okay, let me explain. Luke fell from the second step of the stairs and I thought he was going to bump his head so I sort of gasped and of course he kind of milked it for some extra lovin'. He then proceeded to pretend to fall from the steps and would look up at me and pretend to cry. Justin and I just fell out laughing. He did it a couple more times and I had to get the camera. We laughed so hard. And he knew he was being funny. He's such a funny boy.

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-03T22:42:00.000-05:00

We had such a busy week with Halloween! We went to sorority row for trick-or-treat and that was lots of fun. Luke got scared right off the bat when he saw a kid in one of those Scream masks. He dropped his pumpkin and turned around and grabbed my legs! We tried to avoid scary costumes after that. The kids got lots of candy. Only one sorority girl knew who Luke was dressed as. Everyone kept calling him "Bob the Builder," but he's so obviously "Handy Manny!" Don't they watch Playhouse Disney? Of course, everyone loved Anna's Belle costume and many of them said they were Belle once, too. That made me feel kinda old. Oh well... Here are some cute pictures of Anna and Luke in their costumes.

Fat Lip

2007-10-29T08:08:00.001-05:00

Saturday, we were playing outside with the kids. The weather was so nice after having rain for a whole week. Luke was just running around like he always does and just tripped up on the driveway and fell right on his face! He screamed and when Justin picked him up, I just saw blood pouring from his mouth. Once we cleaned up the blood and got it under control, we could see that it was just a busted lip. I was so glad it wasn't his teeth. He had a screaming fit when i tried to put ice on it, so it swelled pretty bad. We tried giving him a popsicle, but that didn't seem to help very much. It did make him stop crying though. :) These pictures were taken right after it happened. His lip actually got even bigger before it started going down. Today (Monday) it is still swollen a little bit and it's all scabbed up. I'm sure this is just the first of many fat lips that my little man will have to endure.

Cheesy Kids

2007-10-14T21:27:00.000-05:00

Anna and Luke just love it when Melody and/or Kristen come over. Justin got this picture Friday night while they were having lots of fun with Kristen. Are they cheesing hard or what?

Grand Ole Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-08T22:04:00.001-05:00

We decided to have a family outing to the Grand Ole Pumpkin Patch in Clanton this past weekend. It was so much fun. A little hot, but fun. The kids really enjoyed it. We rode the tractor-pulled hay wagon out to the pumpkin patch and picked our own pumpkins.

Here, Anna and Luke are walking through the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin. They found them, with Daddy's help.
Awww... she really does love him.
A ride on the "Twactor Twain."
Pumpkins, pumpkins, we like pumkins...
Anna and Luke in the tee pee.

They had the most beautiful sunflowers. There was a huge field of them.
Luke going through the obstacle course.
Anna going down the BIG slide!!! I couldn't believe she did it!
Luke and Justin going down the big slide. Luke loved it!

More Beach Pics

2007-10-07T22:48:00.000-05:00

We tried to squeeze in a little more beach time the last day we were there. It was very windy and the water was pretty cold, but the weather was beautiful.

Me and my babies. Maw Maw and her babies. Check out her hat.
Anna-poo.
The ride home was so quiet! They were both so exhausted!

The Wedding

2007-10-07T22:34:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Amanda's wedding. It was a very emotional ceremony. I think Amanda cried through the whole wedding. It was very touching. The setting was beautiful. The ceremony was outside with a nice view of the ocean. The reception was fun with plenty of dancing and the food was pretty good, too.

Anna posing - as usual.

My cute babies
Time for a power nap.
More posing.
Mommy and Daddy... Justin and I never get our picture made together. I thought this one was pretty good.
Justin and Anna had a little Daddy/Daughter dance before we left.

Fort Walton Beach

2007-10-02T18:54:00.000-05:00

Ah, the beach. We haven't been in two years, but we finally did last weekend. The weather was awesome. We went for my cousin's wedding and extended our weekend by a couple of days, and voila - a mini-vacation. The kids had fun. Of course, Maw Maw and Paw Paw went with us and helped with the kids a lot. Luke and Anna just love them so much. Here are a few pictures at the beach. I will post more of the wedding and other stuff soon.

Luke singing at the beach

Anna posing - notice her hands, i think she learned that in ballet.
Luke taking Maw Maw's hand to go to the water.
Justin and Luke building a castle
Mommy and her big baby
Luke didn't really like the ocean that much.
Anna let the water get to about her knees and that's it.
I love this picture of Anna with Paw Paw.
Playing in the sand.
Anna going back to the water.

Big Boy

2007-08-29T20:55:00.000-05:00

Luke had his 18-month check up today. Of course, he's actually 19 1/2 months now. Anyway... he's healthy - and big. He weighs 35 lbs, 11 oz, and he's 36 inches tall!!! His weight, head circumference, and now height are all above the 100th percentile. He is slimming out, though, because his height has caught up with his weight. I just think he's the biggest, cutest baby boy I've ever seen.

First Day of Preschool!!!

2007-08-28T22:31:00.000-05:00

What an emotional yet exciting day! Today was the first day of preschool for Anna and Mom's Morning Out for Luke. I woke up at 6am and woke the kids up at 7:00. Anna was so excited about preschool and I was afraid she might not get to go today because she has a terrible cold. But, no fever, so we went ahead. She had already decided that she would wear her brown and pink Hello Kitty outfit with matching shoes. She looked so cute. By the way, she also had her Hello Kitty backpack. I was so worried that they would be hungry because they just won't eat breakfast that early, but between the two of them, they ate a whole piece of toast. So, I don't know how we did it, but we pulled out of the driveway at exactly 8:00 and arrived at school at 8:30. Here are the kids about to get in the van. Don't they look excited? Luke has no clue what is about to take place.
All buckled up.
We arrive at school. Anna can't wait to get to her classroom. She seemed so relaxed like she's been going to school for years. Luke is still clueless.
Anna's classroom. I know she looks sad, but she's really just looking down at her nametag, which says, "Anna H." As we were driving home, she asked me why it has an H on it and I explained that it was for her last name, Hancock. There are two Annas in her class and the other one is Anna M. After a few minutes, she said, "I wonder what the other Anna's last name is."
Luke started crying before we even left Anna's room and by the time we got to his room, he was very upset. I left him screaming. It was hard. As soon as I turned around, my eyes welled up with tears. Needless to say, I had to have a moment in the bathroom... and in the car. They were just fine when I picked them up and Anna even said she had a great day and her teachers are so nice! She didn't even have to ask them to help her snap her pants! :)

Wisdom Teeth

2007-08-28T22:13:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, I had my wisdom teeth removed - all four of them. I've always been so scared to have it done because I just knew it would be painful. BUT, they were starting to cause problems, so I mustered up the courage and went for it. I have been so pleasantly surprised that I've had absolutely no pain! My jaws have been a little sore and my gums were tender, but I haven't needed anything more than a little ibuprofen. Crazy, right? Anyway... my sweet little sister drove all the way from Nashville to watch the kids for us because Justin had to go with me, and stay with me for the surgery. I think they had a great time. They just love Tracy. "She's so silly," says Anna. I'm only disappointed about one thing, and that is that Tracy didn't get to change a poo poo diaper. Oh well, maybe next time. Here's a great picture of Tracy with her favorite niece and nephew. Thanks, Tracy!!!

CHOM

2007-08-23T06:59:00.000-05:00

The kids and I went to CHOM (Children's Hands On Museum) the other day and had so much fun. They just love going there. I feel like I'm actually getting a break when I take them there because they play so well on their own and I can just sit back and watch. Luke in the "Art Studio"
Anna putting on a puppet show with the "Orca Whale"
This is Luke "posing" and saying something that kind of sounds like cheese. He's on the back of the produce truck.
Anna carring some produce

Yummy Popsicles

2007-08-19T22:26:00.001-05:00

Anna and Luke are popsicle addicts just like their daddy. Notice they are in their pajamas because they had just gotten out of the bathtub when they came downstairs and noticed that Daddy was eating popsicles. Of course, they had to have some too. So, here they are sitting so sweet on the couch watching Baby Einstein and eating their beloved popsicles. I cleaned them up pretty good afterward.

Just Pictures

2007-08-10T22:59:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to post a few cute pictures of the kids... "Cheeks"
"Cheese!"
Sprinkler Fun
Kool-Aid Mouth "Oh, Blankey!"

Anna's Birthday Party

2007-07-31T07:16:00.000-05:00

Anna's birthday party was Saturday and we celebrated with a Hello Kitty theme. She loved it! She's obsessed with Hello Kitty. It was a cute party. We had Hello Kitty everything, including these bows that I made for the kids to wear. Of course, I had to wear one, too. Anna looked so cute in her new birthday dress.The cake Eating cake
Luke couldn't wait to get his hands on that cake!

Sweet Sydney posing for me John Evan playing with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Anna and Mommy
"The Girls" - Kristen, Sydney, Anna, and Melody

Sydney working on her craft
"Ta-da"

Girls' Day Out

2007-07-24T23:37:00.000-05:00

What a fun day we had! For Anna's birthday, I decided we should spend and little mommy/daughter time together, so Melody (my super-sweet stepdaughter) watched Luke for us and we went to All Fired Up to paint some pottery. Anna, being the artist that she is, loved it. She painted, of course, a cupcake. It turned out pretty good for a four-year-old first-timer. We also went to the dance studio and registered Anna for fall classes. She was most excited about wearing a leotard. And, finally we had lunch together at Wendy's - that's what she wanted. It was so sweet as she sat there eating her frosty, she was smiling so big and I asked her if she was having a happy birthday and she said, "I'm having so much fun with you, Mommy." I felt my eyes immediately fill up with tears. I'm such a lucky woman to be the mother of such a sweet, loving little girl.

We had planned to go out for dinner tonight, but Anna decided she wanted to stay home after having a late lunch and snacking this afternoon. But we did go ahead and give her our birthday present for her. I can't wait to see what masterpieces she creates with her new paint brushes on her new easel.

My Baby is 4 Today!

2007-07-24T08:15:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe Anna is four years old today. Four is kind of officially "big girl." The past four years have really gone by fast. Anna has changed in so many ways, but she is still Mommy's baby. She's turned into such a sweet, smart, beautiful little girl and I love her so much.

A Morning at the Park

2007-07-19T21:43:00.001-05:00

Brookwood has the nicest park for such a small town. Anna had been begging to go to the park for a few days, and although I really hate being hot, we went the other day. It was cloudy so it wasn't too bad. The kids had so much fun. Anna has gotten so brave lately. She just climbs anything and slides down the tallest slides. Nothing like she was just six months ago. And, Luke, he's such a daredevil, I have to keep my eyes on him at all times because even though he's barely 18 months old, he thinks he's 3! Of course, I took a few pictures...

Anna and Luke in the spinning thing - I call it the saucer. This was the first time Anna ever wanted to try it and she loved it.

Luke and Anna on the teeter-totter. It's kind of cool that they weigh about the same so they can ride things like this together. Of course, this one just bounces.

Anna on the "Big Foot" slide. Justin calls it the "Big Poot" because the F looks like a P on the slide.

Luke at the bottom of the tunnel slide. He actually slid down it a couple of times.

Anna on the balance beam. She was so proud of herself for not falling off.

She's the queen of the world! I thought this was a neat picture because the sky is so dark. Looks like it's about to storm, but it never did.

Luke absolutely LOVES to swing - and the higher, the better. Every time I swing him high, he just laughs.

Weekend at the Lake

2007-07-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

We took the kids to visit Grandma and Grandpa this weekend and we had so much fun. The kids were great. Anna and Luke were so brave in the water. Melody and Kristen were so much help with their little brother and sister. We rode the Sea Doos, went tubing, went swimming, and Justin even went skiing. These are some of my favorite pictures from the weekend...

Justin and Luke swimming

Luke on the dock

Riding the Sea Doo

Our sweet kids

Everyone (except me) swimming

Kristen, Anna, and Luke playing in the sandbox

Anna loves playing in the sandbox. Grandma has cool sand toys.

Kristen was so sweet to play with Anna and Luke so I could have some fun on the water. She even changed a poo-poo diaper! Thanks, Kristen!

Luke's a little wind-blown after his Sea Doo ride.

Big sister, Melody. She's growing up so fast. I try not to stand next to her when we're in our swimsuits. :) She was also a big help with the little ones this weekend. Thanks, Mel!

I almost didn't put this one on here because I don't like my hair slicked back like that, but it's the only picture of me with my babies.

Dog Tired

2007-06-29T15:43:00.000-05:00

We had our usual playdate with Caroline and the kids Monday. And, of course, Luke didn't nap all day. But shortly after they left, he bounced himself to sleep in his chair. I didn't realize that he was chewing on a wooden block while he was bouncing. I just looked over and saw that he'd fallen asleep with the block in his mouth. Now that's tired.

Sweet Little Girl

2007-06-29T15:34:00.001-05:00

Anna's gotten to where she loves for me to take her picture. She always "poses" for me. I thought this one was cute. She was dressed up in her Cinderella dress. I think she knows she's cute, too because last night in the bathtub, I told her that I have the two cutest babies in the world, and she replied, "Aaaawww, especially me." What a booger!

What we're up to this week...

2007-06-28T08:45:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, we visited a church in our community. We really liked it and will probably continue to go there. Anna liked it so much, she cried when we left because she wasn't ready to go. I thought the kids looked so cute dressed for church. I'm so used to seeing them in their play clothes all the time.

First Time

2007-06-27T08:12:00.000-05:00

So, this is my first attempt at "blogging." I thought it would be a cool way to let everyone know what's going on with me, Justin, and the kids. We're having a pretty good summer so far. The kids love playing in the swimming pool in the backyard - it's the only way we can stand playing outside with this heat.