The Butts' Family

It's Birthday time....(Kain and mommy)

2009-10-14T06:20:00.004-05:00

Hard to believe that 7 years ago today, on my 21st Birthday, I was at the hospital having Kain!Words cant even describe the minute that Corey and I laid eyes on him. He was everything that we had hoped for. Kain is truly a blessing from God and we cant imagine life without him.

Kain- I hope that you have a very Happy Birthday! You were the best birthday present ever!

I love you sooooo much!

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

2009-09-27T12:03:00.003-05:00

Kailyn had to dress up as a nursery rhyme character. She picked Mary, Mary Quite Contrary. She is the one with the straw hat and pink bow on it. She did an awesome job!!

Trip to the circus....

2009-09-27T11:54:00.002-05:00

The kids and me took a trip down to Newport to go to the circus. This was more like a "talent show" than a circus since it was so small, but the kids had a great time!

Here we are.... Look how big these kids are getting!

I love the look of "awe" in her eyes.
Kain was amazed too.....

She is the one that they were both amazed by.

Kain's favorite part was "Michael Jackson" yes, he was there (hehehe) Kain tries SO hard to dance like him. It is hilarious to watch Kain dance.

Kailyn's favorite part was the girl hanging from the ceiling.... when she got home that night, she was raising her leg up and she said "Look, mom... I am just like that girl"

We had a great time :)

Kailyn is loving Cheer!

2009-09-27T11:43:00.003-05:00

Kailyn's first year of cheering and my first year of coaching has been fun! My hat goes off to my mom who was the coach of my cheer squad... these girls wear me out. They are full of energy.

Here is Kailyn with Savannah. Savannah's mom is also a coach.

I just had to put this picture on here so I could point out Kailyn's little bootie. Hehehe.
YAY! Tiny Mites.... Kailyn is the one that dropped her pom pom on the front row.

"Big G, Little o.... Go, Go"

Kailyn, Emerson, Savannah

Soooo adorable! Kailyn loves her friends!

Trip to the fossil museum

2009-09-27T11:36:00.003-05:00

Kain's class took a trip to Aurora, NC to the fossil museum. They were able to do a little digging of their own. They were all wanting to find those shark teeth.

Kain and his best buddy Caleb.
No one told him to pose like this. Everyone else in the class got in the sharks mouth and had a nice smile for the camera. This is what Kain did.... silly boy!

Go Rams!!!

2009-08-12T19:29:00.002-05:00

Is she not the cutest little cheerleader you have ever seen?

Okay, maybe I am a little biased... but I think that she is adorable!!

GO RAMS!!

back to school.....

2009-07-28T07:31:00.005-05:00

Kailyn is loving being in Kindergarten. Kain told her that she was a "kinder" she quickly corrected him and said, "it isnt Kinder, it is Kindergarten!!" She loves telling me all about her day (I am so thankful for that because Kain is the opposite, he doesnt want to talk about school when he gets home.... I just like to know how his day was, but the answer I always get is "good")

There are 25 sight words that she has to know before 1st grade (the goal is to know a lot more than that, but those are the ones that she has to know) She is 4 shy from knowing all 25 already. I must say, this year is easy for me because I know what to expect with her since we just did this all last year with Kain. Kain (being the awesome little teacher that he is) has already taught her a lot that she will be learning this year. So, as Kain would say, "this is easy smeasy" Last year, it was all new... didnt know anyone, didnt know what they would do in Kindergarten, but this year we are... well... I guess you could say veterans.

Kain is loving first grade too. Had his first spelling test on Friday... got all 10 words plus the 2 bonus words correct :) He is reading very well. (level 18...whatever that means, I need to see if I can find some info on this) and he has an awesome imagination! I love getting his writers workshop stories sent home on Friday to see what he has wrote about all week. It varies from ants to him waking up and having a triangle nose and a rainbow tongue. Hilarious!

This school year is starting off great! We have been blessed with awesome teachers that believe parent involvement is important. I love that because I love being at the school! PTO meetings will be starting soon (I will be serving on the board this year... secretary) Looking forward to that and a lot of volunteering! I love being a parent at Arthur W Edwards Elementary (AWE) Where year round education ROCKS and AWE ROLLS!!!

Happy Birthday Kailyn!!

2009-07-20T08:29:00.004-05:00

Look how far we have come! Hard to believe that 5 years ago she was in the NICU fighting to survive. God is so good!! We love our little girl!

Happy Birthday sweetie! We love you!!

First day of school....

2009-07-20T08:16:00.005-05:00

Kain is so excited about being a 1st grader!!

My little princess is going to kindergarten.
This is just so precious to me.... (this was actually Kain's 2nd day of school, but Kailyn's first. The first day kindergarten just had orientation)

Kain and his awesome teacher.... Mrs Hamric

Getting right to work.... he loves school!

Kailyn and her awesome teacher.... Mrs Mross

Let the FUN begin!! She is so glad to be in Kindergarten!

Beach Fun with the Family....

2009-07-20T07:54:00.004-05:00

This past week, we had family visiting! There is nothing better than having a big family fun day at the beach!! We all had sooo much fun. It was baby Charlie's first time going to the beach and he loved it!

Kain digging in the sand

Papa, Nana, Kain and Kailyn. Kain was attempting the boogie board.
awww....so sweet, I really like this picture of Papa and Kailyn.

Check out that tan line.... she is so tan!!

Kain and Papa checking out the sand crabs that Kain found.

The kiddos with Aunt Erin

Kain and his new swimsuit. He thought that it was cool!!

Varessa and Charlie.... look how cute he is in his adorable hat!

Corey and his dad. "The beach is that way!" Heehee.

me, Erin and Varessa getting our tan on. In the background Corey is covering Kain with sand.

How precious! I think that this is my favorite picture from the beach trip. He is just sooo cute!

heehee.... Kain loved being under the sand!

Kain, Kailyn and Charlie

Uncle Corey and baby Charlie

All grown up now....

2009-07-10T09:31:00.002-05:00

Congrats to Ricky and Heather! They are MARRIED!! Welcome to the family Heather.

Ricky- where do I start.... first of all congrats to you. I know how much you love her and I pray that you and her will be happy and have many happy years together.

I write this with tears in my eyes cause you are supposed to be my "little" brother. You know, the one that does everything that I dare you to do and takes the blame for everything that we get into?!? Being my student EVERY time that we played school, doing cheers with me (no denying this one, we have you on video) teaching me how to ride the motorcyle, oh... and dont forget that I was nice too... I would give you rides in the wagon when you had a broken leg, and I made sure that you had plenty to drink and eat.... gas and bb's. (haha!- remember us trying to get that gas taste out of your mouth, you were burping fumes for days!) oh, so many memories! Cant believe that you are all grown up now! Just know that we love you and we love Heather. Hope that your wedding day was great.... so sorry that I couldnt be there. Love you!!

4th of July....

2009-07-10T09:22:00.002-05:00

Here are a few of the shots that I got from the 4th of July. It is hard to get good pics when everyone is in all different directions. This was a busy day.... BBQ, homemade icecream (YUMMY!) Ricky and Heather's shower and then to finish it all off with fireworks. We all had a GREAT time!!

Here is Kailyn with Uncle Jimmy.... He was showing her the "trick" to blowing the bubbles.

Family shot.... well, at least some of us are in the pic. Others were in the pool or riding 4wheelers.
another group shot....

Kailyn was sooooo tired. It had been a long day!!

Silly string WAR!!!

2009-07-06T13:32:00.010-05:00

I think that the picture says it all..... Silly string "fights" are something that happen a lot at Nana and Papas house! FUN FUN FUN!!

Cows...

2009-07-06T13:26:00.002-05:00

Kain and Kailyn love watching the cows at grandmama and grandadddy's house. This time, we decided that we were going to try to feed them. Honestly, I thought that they would run from us, but they did just the opposite. They were very interested in what we had to offer them. Here are a few shots of Kain and Kailyn with them.

Summertime

2009-07-06T13:22:00.002-05:00

What is better than rocking on the front porch and drinking an ice cold Coca Cola on a hot summer day? I just thought that this was the perfect summertime picture.

I have 2 little fish....

2009-07-06T13:11:00.003-05:00

And what cute little fish they are!!

Kain started swimming last year, but this was the first year with no floaties for Kailyn. And let me tell you, when she is in the water, she is going non stop!

They also have cute little tans to show just how much they were outside!!

Kailyn about to jump...

3...2...1.... JUMP!!

Kain's turn....

JUMP!

Kindergarten is over.....

2009-06-10T08:08:00.002-05:00

I am going to see if I can get through this without crying. *tears* I am so proud of all the accomplishments that Kain has made this year and he is SUPER excited about going to first grade. I cant help but be a little sad to think about my lil man growing up.

This is a picture from his first day of Kindergarten (July 2008)

And.... the last day of Kindergarten (June 2009)

This morning when I was taking him to school, I was trying really hard not to let him see me cry, but it didnt work. He asked me, "Mom, why are you crying?" in the sweetest little voice and I tried to tell him that I was just crying happy tears. Who would have thought that the last day would bring me to tears like the first day did.

To Kain- Mommy is soooo proud of you. You have come so far this year. I love listening to you read me books and you are the best little story writer that I know. You are going to have so much fun in first grade! I love you!!

Okay, I must go... cant see through the tears. Just wait til next month when I am sending both him and Kailyn to school, I am sure that will be a sobby post too.

A rainy day trip to the aquarium!

2009-06-06T18:34:00.005-05:00

Living by the beach on a rainy day isnt always a bad thing.... instead of having our toes in the sand today, we decided to take a trip to the aquarium. :)

Cheese!!

"Hi Mr Fish" I thought that this was a cute picture of Kailyn. Not sure what she was thinking about, but I can tell that she is in deep thought.

On the frog....
Oh no!!!

Now Kailyn has to have a turn too!

Kain petting the stingrays

Me and my babygirl...

Kailyn didnt want to pet the stingrays, so she just watched them swim by. Here she is with Corey

Me and my little man

In the sharks' mouth...

Ewwww!! I would NOT touch the snake, but the kids loved it!!

Family picture!!

Kailyn the crab

Kain the crab.....

Kitchen Helpers

2009-06-06T18:23:00.002-05:00

I love my "Kitchen Helpers" Kain and Kailyn love being able to help out in the kitchen.

Maybe I should think about getting them some chef hats! I know that they would love that!

Daddy sure was happy when he got home from work and found out that we had made some brownies :)

This was their first time helping me make meatloaf. They were not too sure about getting their hands in it at first, but once they put them in there, they didnt want to take them out.

Kain said, "mom, this is soooooo cool, look at it sticking to my hands"
Kailyn said, "ewww.... Kain, this is so sticky"

Kisses

2009-06-03T11:27:00.003-05:00

Every morning when I drop Kain off at school, he blows me kisses.

This morning was no different, but before he got out of the van he said, "mom, I am going to miss you. Wish that I could stay home with you today like Kailyn"

Today instead of just the usual one or wo kisses that he blows to me, he was blowing them the whole time he was walking into school.

I was honestly afraid that he was going to run into something or fall down because he wasnt watching where he was going because he was turned around to see me.

I wonder how old he will be before he will not want to hug or kiss me in public. I am just going to enjoy these moments now while I can.

Several parents and the teachers standing outside to help get the kids out of the car looked at me and smiled almost like they were saying "he is so sweet"

I love kisses and I love my little man!!

Kailyn got the camera....

2009-06-02T19:12:00.002-05:00

Kailyn loves to get my camera and take pictures of random things around the house. These pictures include anything from ceiling fans to shoes by the front door. When I was downloading pictures from our beach trip to the computer, I ran across some pictures that she had taken on Friday.

This was one of the ones that she took. This is Corey's bootcamp picture with my Willow Tree figurine (holding the folded flag) in front of it. I thought that it was an awesome shot. Actually gave me chill bumps when I saw it.

Broccoli and Carrots in the bathroom....

2009-06-02T10:57:00.002-05:00

Yes, you read the title right. Corey was cleaning out the trash in the kids' bathroom and he found broccoli and carrots in the trashcan. Just so happens that we had chicken stirfry for dinner and Kailyn didnt want to eat her veggies. (she just wanted to eat the chicken and rice) We told her that she had to take a bite of the carrots and broccoli before she could leave the table. I guess when she got up she went straight to the bathroom. She had to have had those hid in her cheeks because we thought that she ate them. Man, she thought that she was pulling one over on us.

When I asked her about it this morning, she got the biggest smile on her face. You know, the smile that melts your heart and you just have to smile back at them. :)

BeAcH FuN!

2009-06-01T09:42:00.004-05:00

Trip to the beach.... success!

What is better than hearing the waves roll in, hearing children playing, smelling that "ocean smell" and feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin?

We had so much FuN!!!

Kain LOVED it! Such a big difference in this year and last year since last year he wasnt so sure about going out too far. This year, he was jumping into the waves and when he had his goggles on, he was swimming on the bottom to see what cool seashells he could find. When it came time to leave, he was sad and says that he cant wait to go back again!!

Here is Kailyn ready to tackle the waves. She says that she wants to learn how to surf and live at the beach.... heehee. She had so much fun building sand castles and playing in the water.

My three kids.... heehee. Corey had just as much fun digging in the sand as they did. There was even one point during the day that both the kids were in the water and Corey was still digging int he sand :) I guess we all have a little kid in us.

Taking a little break..... By the time that we left, they were sooooo tired.

Corey and me had a blast too!

Looking forward to next weekend when I can have my toes back in the sand!

We are so ready for all the family to come up and visit next month so we can take them all for a fun day at the beach!!

Trip to the pier...

2009-05-25T19:26:00.003-05:00

Monday afternoon we decided to take a trip down to Emerald Isle. I love going there to walk out on the pier. Okay, so yes, it does smell kinda fishy from everyone that is fishing.... but if you can get past that and make it to the end of the pier where you can go up on the 2nd level (a deck) then you will have the best view!! It is one of my favorite places. Just to feel the ocean breeze and smell that "ocean smell" It is truly a little piece of Heaven on Earth.

These are some pics from our trip.....

Kain and Kailyn decided to take a stop right when we got on the pier. I guess they wanted to see the view of the sand? heehee. They were loving watching everyone there playing football and flying kites.

This picture is so hard for me to look at. Why? because look at how big they are getting. Kailyn looks like such a big girl in this picture. No more babies around here (although, they will always be my babies!!)

Cheesin' it for the camera.

I really like this family shot of us. We are all looking at the camera!! That hardly EVER happens!

Oh, and we knew that Corey's long arms were good for something. (thanks for taking an awesome picture sweetie!!) I was studying this picture earlier and looking at how much the kids look like each of us. They have both of us in them for sure. From my nose, to Corey's eyes and chin. No denying that they are ours.... :)

Kailyn and her daddy. You know that she has him wrapped around her pinky!

Me and my baby boy. I cant let him see that I wrote "baby" on here because he would correct me and tell me that he isnt a baby, he is a big boy!!

The view from the 2nd deck....

My favorite Kailyn in the whole wide world. There is nothing that compares to having her as a daughter. Love you sweet little girl!

and.... my favorite Kain in the whole wide world!! Momma's baby and daddy's little man.

A day at the river....

2009-05-23T21:45:00.004-05:00

We decided that today was a beautiful day to be outdoors! We knew that the beach was going to be over crowded today so we decided to take the kids to the Neuse River. It was so much fun watching all the boats. The kids were able to see ducks and ducklings (soooo cute!!)

Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed our day. We cant wait to go back again!!

Pictures!!

2009-05-20T20:56:00.004-05:00

Thought that I would post some pictures of what has been going on around here the past month. We have been busy! Loving the weather and getting ready for summer!!

This is the welcome home sign that the kids made for Corey.

(I love that they put butterflies, flowers, airplanes and helicopters!)

They had to have their picture in front of the bear at the airport
So ready to see her daddy!!

YAY!! Daddy is home! the kids were so excited to see him! (and mom was too!)

Kain wanted to wear Corey's helmet. We didnt dare tell him that it was on backwards. He was so proud that he was like daddy!!

Kain's field trip to Kirkman's Farm

He didnt like the way that the goats tongue felt on his hand, so he dropped the food.

"This is so much fun mom!"

Kain and Kailyn in the back of a plane at the 2009 airshow

"Marine Brats"

Kailyn was out! she was SO tired!!

Spring or Summer?

2009-05-10T16:41:00.004-05:00

(a pic from the school fair)

Which is it? Spring or Summer?
It has been so hot this past week, I am thinking that Spring forgot about coming to Eastern North Carolina!!

Thats okay, we are enjoying the nice weather! Kids have been playing in the pool, I have been doing lots of laying out in the sun and Corey is enjoying grilling out! We are enjoying the longer days and the kids being able to stay outside longer! Seems like this time of year just makes everyone happier!

We are down to about 4 1/2 more weeks of school! This year has went by so fast! Kailyn is all registered for Kindergarten and Kain is ready for 1st grade. I am not really ready for both of my babies to be in school, but I am looking forward to being able to volunteer a lot more than I did this year.

We are looking forward to our trip this summer to GA and we are SO excited to be heading down to Florida in Sept. (most of you already know this, but the kids go to a year round school, and the first break will be in Sept.) We are going to Universal and Sea World (we were going to do Disney too, but the kids are not all that excited about it. That might change once we get there! I am up for whatever they want to do. We are looking forward to seeing the family while we are there and Corey's mom and sister might be coming as well.

Next weekend is the airshow! We are used to the "small" airshows in Louisiana when we were stationed there, from what I hear, the one here is a "big deal" Cant wait to check it out. I will have to update and let you all know how it is.

We are thinking about trying a new church. Our lead Pastor, Tom, has a son, Bryan, that is standing up a church. We are excited about trying it on Sunday. Praying that God will show us where he wants us. We are enjoying going to Liberty and the worship is great, but I feel that God is calling us to be somewhere else. Corey and I have been praying about it and Church Relevant (the new church) keeps being revealed to us.

Okay, thats the update :) Hope that everyone is doing great. And that all the mommies out there had a Happy Mothers Day today!!

My babies are not babies anymore....

2009-04-27T19:09:00.002-05:00

Just thought that I would share a recent picture of the kiddos.

I just cant believe how big they are getting!!

I will be going to register Kailyn for school on Friday.... I cant believe that she will be in Kindergarten!!

Where does time go? They just grow up WAY too fast!!

Time for an Update!!

2009-04-12T19:18:00.004-05:00

We are way overdue for an update!!

We are SO happy that spring is here.

Corey is training out in Arizona right now. He has been gone since the first week in March. We have 18 more days til he is home and we are SO excited that he will be here soon!!!

Kain has lost 3 teeth in the past week... the tooth fairy is staying busy. heehee. I have been making him say Mississippi all day... it is hilarious!! He says that he cant wait to go back to school to show all of his friends!

We are so proud of all of his accomplishments this year in school. He LOVES reading and he writes awesome stories!! He says that he is ready to be a first grader now. The school year is flying by soooo fast!!

Kailyn is counting down til July! she is ready to turn 5 and start school!! I still cant believe that my little girl will be going to school! Where has time gone? She is such a girly girl and a silly one at that. She keeps us laughing with her silly comments.

One minute she says when she grows up she wants to be a ballerina and the next minute she is telling me that she wants to be a marine like daddy.

We have been in GA the past 3 weeks enjoying our spring break from school (that is one plus going to a year round school... we get long breaks!!) We had an awesome time there being able to see family and just relax a little!!

While we were home we were able to meet Charlie. He is Corey's brothers son and we were so ready to meet him (cant believe that he will be a year in July and we are just now getting to see him!!) He is ADORABLE!! and so calm! We just love him to pieces!

As most of you already know, I had a miscarriage about 4 weeks ago... the kids took it a lot better than I thought they would. We are taking it day by day and I know that God has His plans! We know that the best is yet to come and we cant wait to find out what He has in store for us!!

I hope that everyone had a Happy Easter and is remembering why we celebrate it! He has RISEN!!! I am so thankful for what Jesus did for me.

Love and Miss you all!!

2009-04-12T09:23:00.002-05:00

Picture Time!!!

Kain's tough face... and Kailyn rolling her eyes at him!

I think that he is telling her that she talks too much... lol.

My precious babies! I cant believe how big they are getting!!!

Getting a picture with baby Charlie! Kain and Kailyn were so happy to finally meet their cousin!!

Ultrasound 2/16

2009-02-19T09:25:00.002-06:00

This is the ultrasound picture from 2-16-09. The little ones are measuring right on track. I am now 7 weeks pregnant. Baby A heartrate was 149 and Baby B was 131. They are measuing 7.9mm (sooooo tiny!!)

I should have another ultrasound in about 3 weeks. I cant wait to see how much they will have changed by then.

We are very happy to be so blessed! Kailyn ask EVERYDAY how many more days until the babies are here. She is SO ready to be a "big" sister. It is so sweet to hear Kain and Kailyn pray for the babies and they also pray that the babies will be nice to mommy and stop making her belly hurt. So thoughtful!

As for the sickness- it is tough to deal with. I just pray that it will be over soon. The doctor said that since my hormone levels are higher with twins, that sickness is to be expected. I am fine in the mornings, but afternoons and nights are really hard for me.

Well, that is our baby update. Thank you all for your prayers during this time. They are appreciated. We love and miss you all!!!

We are pregnant....

2009-02-10T09:42:00.004-06:00

So, I havent updated in awhile.... and what better way to update than to let everyone know that we are expecting TWINS!!! My due date is October 6, but the doctor says that the little ones will be here in September.

Kain and Kailyn are so excited! Kailyn says that there is a boy and a girl. We shall see :) Kain just keeps talking about being the "big brother" to 2 babies! And Kain also came up with our show name (if we ever decide to do one... heehee) Bel and Cor plus 4!! what can I say? We watch way too much Jon and Kate plus 8!!!

There is a lot of planning that is going to have to take place over the next few months. We plan on getting an early start on the diaper buying! heehee. Luckily, I have a few friends that are moms to twins... so I am sure that I will be asking LOTS of questions!

This is the ultrasound pic from last week. I will have another one on the 16th and will post it as soon as I can.

We are so excited! Your thoughts and prayers through this process are appreciated! We cant wait til our precious babies are here!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2008-12-31T19:10:00.003-06:00

From our family to yours.... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We hope that the new year brings only good things for you and your family. We are bringing in the new year at home. We are watching movies, snacking and having pizza for dinner. At midnight, we have sparkling grape juice (which the kids are super excited about!!)

To all of our family in GA... wish that we could be there with yall to bring in the year. We love yall and really enjoyed being able to visit with you all over Christmas! Cant wait to be back to see everyone again in March!!!

Once again... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Bring on 2009!!!

Kailyn's bookshelf.....

2008-12-28T22:47:00.006-06:00

I found this bookshelf that I wanted Kaliyn to have in the Pottery Barn catalog. It was selling for around $300. I then remembered that my father in law is great with making things like this and asked if he would like to make it for Kailyn for Christmas.... He did an awesome job!! It has the window and door on each side... and the roof is green (just like in the top pic) The pic on top is out of the catalog... below you will find Kailyn very proudly taking a pic with Papa and her new bookshelf..... Thank you so much Papa!! we love it!!

Our Families....

2008-12-28T22:42:00.003-06:00

We are so blessed and thankful to have the family that we do. We are all so close. The pictures are missing some people.... it is so hard to get everyone together during the holidays because there are so many different places that we have to be. There are a lot more people than this in our family, but this is who we were able to spend our Christmas with while we were in GA. It was a awesome trip!! We love you all so much! And cant wait until we are back there again for another visit....

SaNtA came to see us!!!

2008-12-28T22:38:00.003-06:00

Santa came!! We LOVE all of our new stuff!!

Baking at Mrs Sony's House

2008-12-28T22:32:00.004-06:00

Here we are baking some cookies and dipping pretzels in chocolate. We have so much fun helping in the kitchen. (I am sure that mom and Mrs Sony had fun cleaning up after us too.... heehee)

2008 HMLA 467 Christmas Party

2008-12-17T19:30:00.005-06:00

Here are some pictures from the Christmas Party at daddy's work. (HMLA 467) We had SO much fun! Santa flew in on a Huey, we had a YuMmY lunch, and best of all.... PRESENTS!! Oh, and we got to meet Buttercup and Gumdrop (Santa's Elves) Soooo cool! They were flying in the Huey with him.

Enjoy the pictures!!

Making Cookies

2008-12-17T19:24:00.002-06:00

We decided to get into the Christmas spirit and make some Christmas cookies. We had a BIG mess to clean up when we were finished, but it was SO much fun!!!

Kailyn getting a little help from mommy. She was having a hard time getting the cutter all the way through the dough.

Time for icing!!! Not really Christmas colors, but hey... they were YUMMY!!!

Pics from the trip to Beaufort

2008-12-06T23:16:00.005-06:00

Just thought that I would share a couple of pics that I got while we were waiting for the parade to begin.

I love this one!! they are too sweet (well... most days. haha!)

Family shot... My everything!!

Another visit with Santa....

2008-12-06T23:09:00.003-06:00

Tonight down on the waterfront in Beaufort, they were having the Flotilla parade (Christmas parade on the water) The kids were able to see Santa and Mrs Claus while we were there. Kain was a little confused as to why this Santa looked different than they one at the mall. Guess we are going to have to start answering more questions like this. Kailyn was acting like she was shy and just HAD to introduce Santa and Mrs Claus to her newest addiction, her stuffed teddy bear "Beary" If you read in one of the previous post she just had to get Beary in the pic with her the day that I was taking pics of the Christmas tree. maybe this is like her imaginary friend? Anyhow, we had a really good time while we were there... More pics to come.

We are Elves!!

2008-12-04T08:43:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Kailyn

2008-12-03T09:45:00.003-06:00

I was taking pictures of the tree to share with everyone and Kailyn asked if I could take her picture too. Notice, we are still in pajamas today... LaZy!

She wanted to hold the Tigger ornament in her hand and she just had to make sure that her bear, "Beary", got in the picture as well. "bounce, bounce, bounce" she said "Tigger likes to bounce, bounce, bounce"

Our tree.... (well... one of them!)

2008-12-03T09:37:00.005-06:00

Our Christmas tree!

This is one of the 3 trees that we have up (2 are in the kids rooms) . We normally have 4, but this year I decided not to have the Marine Corps tree and just combine all the ornaments. I am so glad that Christmas is only a few weeks away.

Pillow Fort

2008-11-28T16:00:00.005-06:00

The kids decided that they wanted to show Papa, Nana and Aunt Erin how we build pillow forts. (this includes EVERY pillow in the house) They had so much fun. Afterwards we had to have a pillow fight....

In this first picture, you can't even see Nana, but she is under all the pillows!!

My beautiful Kailyn, she was hiding under the pillows. She was pretending like it was a cave and she was a baby jaguar

Doing what Kailyn does best.... pouting!

"Hey Kain, lets make it bigger!!"

Playing outside...

2008-11-28T15:55:00.005-06:00

Here are some pictures of the kiddos enjoying their time outside. The past few days, we have had nice (cool) weather instead of cold, so they have been able to get out and play. Kain decided that he was going to cover Kailyn in the pine straw.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T09:32:00.003-06:00

I am thankful for all my family and friends. There are times that I find myself wondering where I would be without them all. Good friends are few and far between, so be thankful for those that you have. I know that I am. Just take a moment today and just thank God for everything that you have been blessed with and remember how fortunate we are. I hope that you all are having a Happy Thanksgiving. Be safe... and dont eat too much! haha!!

"WAKE UP SANTA!!!"

2008-11-22T20:24:00.007-06:00

A little elf called me on Thursday and told me that Santa was in a deep sleep and that if the kids wanted to get gifts from Santa this year, all the elves needed helping waking him up!!

They informed me that the event would be Friday night and that he had to be awake by 6:30.

So off to Jacksonville we went to help wake up Santa! And let me tell you, he WAS in a deep sleep. There were kids EVERYWHERE yelling for him to wake up and ringing bells and he was still sleeping!!

FINALLY!!! After about 15 minutes of calling his name, and yelling "WAKE UP SANTA!!!" he sat up in his bed!! the kids were all screaming and clapping!! We are going to get presents!!!! Santa is awake!

Kain and Kailyn were excited to be able to help the elf wake up Santa! Here they are pictured with the one that they enjoyed the most, he was a great juggler! The kids were impressed!

Waiting in line to see Santa, so we thought that we would get a picture by all the pretty poinsettias. They were beautiful!

Silly faces with the elves while sitting on Santa's bed!

And finally SANTA!!! Kain informed Santa that he wants ALL the Star War toys and Kailyn asked for a Strawberry Shortcake doll and a Barbie dollhouse.

Auburn/ Georgia Game

2008-11-15T15:06:00.001-06:00

I really didnt even want to watch this game after the season that Auburn is having. I thought that it would for sure be a HuGe Bulldog victory. BUT!! it was a close game! I am proud of how my boys played! 17-13 Georgia only beat us by 4 points. I was honestly thinking like 27-0 or something like that.

WAR EAGLE!! hoping for a better season next year! now, I have to get through the Auburn/ Alabama game.

I just need to vent....

2008-11-12T15:25:00.002-06:00

I know that we have no control over our children being sick. I know that Kain is exposed to more germs now that he is in school rather than being home with me all day, but enough is enough.

Kain was out of school all last week with strep and fever. He went back to school on Monday and here we are today, Wednesday throwing up. I called the school to speak with his teacher and she said that last week when Kain was out of school with strep that there were other children out with a stomach virus.

He is so pitiful laying over there with no energy. I feel awful for him. I dont want him missing any more school since he has missed a total of 7 days now, but what can I do? He cant go to school throwing up.

Sorry that this is a vent but it is hard watching him be sick and there is nothing that I can do. Praying that we will be over this soon so that he will be back to school and praying that we dont miss anymore days.

Happy Veteran's Day!

2008-11-11T10:07:00.003-06:00

Please remember to thank a vet. Thank you to all of those who have served and are currently serving.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!!!!

The dryer?

2008-11-09T21:46:00.003-06:00

Dont worry.... playing in the dryer isnt something that we do daily. For some reason Kain insisted on getting in the dryer to take pictures. I honestly didnt think that he would fit, but he was DETERMINED to get in there to take this picture. And... monkey see, monkey do. Kailyn just had to have her pic made in there too. So, here are pics to proove that my big 6 year old can fit in my dryer.... heehee!

Gingerbread House

2008-11-08T11:11:00.013-06:00

Today we decided that we would make a ginderbread house.

Corey doing his part... the icing.
The kids had so much fun decorating with all the candy.

There is nothing better than a childs laughter. They were so proud of their house that they helped make.

The finished product.... as you can see in the pic, there was a crack in the wall, but we made the best of it. Now, the kids are ready to eat all the candy.

A day on the Ferry...

2008-11-07T21:54:00.003-06:00

The ferry that we have here is so much fun! We are used to the 5-10 minute ride on the ferry in New Orleans. This one is a good 25-30 minutes. The kids LOVED it! And the best part... It is FrEe! So, last weekend, we got out took a ride over to Minesott Beach and then came back home. It was a GrEaT time! Here is a pic of the kids. Kain was pretending he was the captain.
Kids and their imagination.... gotta love it!

Young Love... haha!

2008-11-07T21:49:00.002-06:00

I had to share a pic of Kain and his "girlfriend" Emerson. They are just adorable. He came home one day and this was the conversation.... "Mom, my friend Jaylin told me that I have to ask you before I can marry Emerson, soooo Can I marry her, PLLLEEEAAASSSEEE!!!"

I was shocked. I guess that he has his first case of "puppy love"

This is his fav pic of them!

War Eagle...

2008-11-06T07:30:00.003-06:00

Okay, So I know that this isnt the best year to be an Auburn fan... We are not doing so well in the "winning" department, but I wanted to share some pics with yall of the kiddos in their Auburn gear....

Barack Obama

2008-11-04T23:29:00.002-06:00

This is our new president. I must say that I am a little shocked. There are some that say they are scared. Well, I am not scared because I know that God is in control. My God is bigger than any president. No matter who is in the White House, God is still my God. He protects me and my family.

I pray that God will be with Obama during his term. And I also pray that God will soften my heart towards him so that maybe I can understand his ways more that I do right now.

I have faith and I am leaning on that. All that I can do now is pray and the power of prayer is amazing.

Election Day!!

2008-11-04T14:30:00.002-06:00

I hope that you all got out there and voted, wether you were an early voter or voted today... I hope that you prayed about who you were voting for. As for us... We voted pro God, pro life, pro america! McCain/Palin!!! I am at peace with my choice because I have spent a lot of time praying about it. :)

We are spending this rainy day indoors... Kain and Kailyn are both sick. (fever, strep throat, vomiting, and rash from head to toe... want to come help me. haha!)

Hope that you all got out there and VOTED!!! It is your duty!

It's November!

2008-11-02T09:46:00.003-06:00

Wow! The month of October flew by!! We had a busy month. Welcoming Corey back home from California, Kain's birthday, my birthday.... Fall parties at school and Hallelujah Night at church.

Hallelujah Night was SO much fun!! Kailyn won a YuMmY cake at the cake walk. The kids got lots of candy! And they loved the face painting (Kailyn got a butterfly and Kain got a pumpkin)

We are looking forward to an eventful November as well!! Family will be coming to visit us for Thanksgiving and we are looking forward to it. Last time everyone was here, we had just moved into the house, so everything wasnt put together yet.... I look forward to them being able to see at least some pics on the walls and curtains hanging. ha!

Still dont have the photo program on here yet, maybe I will be feeling better tomorrow and will work on that (I am coughing and Kailyn has a fever, so I am not sure what we have, but we are praying that it will go as fast as it came!)

I hope that you are all doing well! We love you all!!!

Once again.... behind!

2008-10-29T21:08:00.002-05:00

I think that we as humans, need to slow down every once in awhile. I feel like we are go, go, go all the time. I often wonder if my friends think that I no longer care about them because I dont call or maybe they just think that we have fallen off the face of the Earth. Which ever it is that they think, I hope that I will be able to slow down a little and show them that I care about them and just how thankful I am that God has put them in my life.

Things are great here in NC!! We are really liking the "cooler" weather. (it was quite chilly today) Wondering if we will get snow this winter. The kids would LOVE that! The trees are beautiful, the air is crisp, the pumpkins are carved... it is FALL. How could anyone not like this weather. It feels great to bring out the warmer clothes... the light jackets....and to put the flip flops in the back of the closet. It has been awhile since we have been able to enjoy seasons since we were living in Louisiana the past 3 years or so (seems like it was always warm there) We are enjoying every minute of it.

We will be having Thanksgiving at our house this year, we are looking forward to everyone coming!! It is going to be nice to be able to sit and relax with family. We are planning on going home for Christmas, but only for a short trip (4 days) Corey's Christmas leave is going to be in January this year. Cant wait to see everyone!

So, my sweetest boy, Kain turned 6 a couple of weeks ago... I CANT believe it. He was just a baby! It really makes me sad to think about how fast the years go by. He is so independent now.... doing REALLY well in school and he is more and more like his dad everyday. He loves helping Corey out with "projects" I think that Corey really enjoys him and the little man that he is becoming.

I am so sorry that I am not putting up any pics, but my old laptop DIED!! So, I have this new one, but I dont have my photo program on here yet to download pics off of my camera. I will work on that... i promise. I know that there are a few of you out there that check this a lot looking for pics of Kain and Kailyn... they are coming (mom) I promise!

I hope that everyone out there is doing well, I just wanted to let you all know that we are okay here. I am going to try to do better at keeping in touch with everyone! Love you all! ((hugs))

Just an update....

2008-09-13T15:16:00.003-05:00

So, this is the first time since we have lived here in NC that Corey has had to leave. I am glad that we were able to be here for a little while before his trip to California so that we could learn our way around.

The kids are missing daddy. Kailyn ask about him a lot. She wants to know "is daddy flying?" "does daddy have a bed" It is so funny to listen to her questions and she what she has going on in that beautiful head of hers.

The kids and I made a trip to Ft Bragg (Fayetteville, NC) earlier this week. It was a nice trip. There is something about motel rooms that my kids love. I have never been on an army base before and Ft Bragg is HuGe!!! There are so many gates, that I will not even begin to count them. It was kinda like a maze. We will be going back again sometime when Corey gets home to show him the area and they also have several tourist attractions that I want to check out.

Kain is still really enjoying school and he loves being able to pick up a book and read it. I am amazed!! Kindergarten is so different that it used to be. Kailyn is still missing him when he is at school, but I do think that she is getting more and more used to it everyday. He is really teaching her a lot.

Well.... that is my little update. I will post more pics again soon!!
I hope that everyone is doing well. That all the family in GA, CO, TX and FL are doing okay. We love and miss yall lots!!! Cant wait to see yall around the holidays!!!!

Making a cake....

2008-09-01T09:16:00.005-05:00

Kain and Kailyn really enjoy being able to help out in the kitchen. I try to make it a learning experience as well as fun to them.

In this picture Kain is learning about measurements.

HAHA!! This has to be the best part about making a cake, right? They cant wait until we are finished with the mixer.

YUMMY!!! This cake is delicious!

Praying for my friends....

2008-09-01T08:46:00.002-05:00

Here we are almost exactly 3 years after Katrina and I am sitting watching the news to see what this hurricane has in store for New Orleans. I am very thankful that we no longer live there, but this brings back so many memories and feelings from when we were going through it just 3 short years ago.

The fear, the unknown, the anxiety of being able to go back "home" Those were some of the many emotions that we felt while evacuated to GA. I know that my friends that are evacuated are having some of the same feelings. During times like this it is so important to remember that God is in control and that He has a plan. Our God is bigger than any cat. 5 hurricane and that we have to trust and believe in Him. I will never forget hearing on the news during Katrina that Plaquemines Parish was GONE and that the Gulf Of Mexico was now where it was. I was devastated. I remember asking God why? How could this happen. Corey just got home from Iraq we just started living together again as a family after being away from eachother for a year and then this happens. I was only thinking the worst at this point. I could just vision water in my house and all my things floating around. What an AWFUL feeling. Then the phone call saying that everything on the base was fine, no damage. Tears of relief rolled down my face. Then the questions started again.... "How did we have no damage?" We were in the parish that was declared a disaster area and we had no damage. I give God the praise and glory on this one because that is the only answer that I have.

Last night, watching the news I was thinking "cafe du monde is right around the corner from where they are standing" "look there is the ferry" "that is where we stood during the Mardi Gras Parade" We have so many memories there! New Orleans isnt a place that I think that I would ever want to move back to, but we have memories there and those memories will never be forgotten.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those that had to evacuated. I pray Gods mercy on LA and that they will all have something to go home to. I am trusting and believing that all the areas where my friends live are going to be okay and that they will be able to go back home and get back to "everyday life"

We love and miss you all!!!!

I am SO behind!

2008-08-25T21:18:00.002-05:00

I know that you are all wondering why in the world we have a blog if I dont keep it updated....
I am so sorry.

We are busy around here. Let me see if I can get you all up to date:
Kain is enjoying school.... 2 girlfriends already Emerson and Katie. Mrs Blair says, "the girls love Kain and Kain loves the girls" Looks like we are going to have our hands full when he is older *sigh* He is learning so much, so fast. He is reading level one books, knows about 50-60 new words and walks around singing the months of the year and days of the week. I think that the most shocking thing thus far was when he was in the playroom and I heard him in there with his flag in his hand, "one nation under God....with liberty and justice for all" WOW!! such a smart boy. We are proud!

Kailyn is doing great!! She is learning so much from Kain. Counting is getting so much easier for her (we are up to about 50 now) She knows about 15 of Kain's sight words and is trying to read books with him. She too knows the pledge (Kain is an awesome little teacher!) She and I really enjoy our time together during the day. Trips to the library, park and did I mention how easy it is to shop with one.... haha!! She just finished up her swim lessons and is asking when she can go again. She is a water baby!! She is such a big girl now. I often find myself looking at her and how much she has changed. She amazes us more and more everyday!!!

Corey is doing good! He is really enjoying the squadron that he is at. The short commute to work is a HuGe plus! There are several guys in the squadron that he knows from the past and it is nice to reconnect with them. He will be leaving on Sept 6 to go out to California to get the helicopters from the squadron that is closing down there. They are expected to be back the first week of Oct. This should be the only trip that they have to take for a few months. The next one is scheduled for Feb. It is so nice to have him home more in the afternoons and no working on weekends since we are no longer in a reserve squadron. Family time here is awesome. We get a lot of it!!!

I am doing well. I am really getting adjusted to the area and I love it. The area where we live is so much like home in GA and then we can drive 25 min. East and be at the beach. It is like the best of both worlds. I am enjoying being home during the day with Kailyn and being able to spend one on one time with her that I have never had the opportunity to do. I am meeting new people through Kain's friends at school and through church.

Our church is AMAZING!! It is so nice having a church family that we know we can call on. We are currently going to the "Newcomers" class to learn more about the church. In the class we have met others that are just moving to the area. Small world- the pastor of our church is best friends with a pastor of a church in Carrollton (my hometown) how cool is that?!?!?! And I know his best friend, when I used to work at Carrollton Eye Clinic, I fit him for glasses!! It truly is a small world!!!!

Well, that is our update.... I hope that everyone is doing well!!!!
All God's Best!

watch out... Kain is in Kindergarten!

2008-07-18T08:26:00.002-05:00

KAIN'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

The backpack was packed, lunch was packed, Kain was ready to go and mom was crying. That is what was going on at or house Wednesday morning.

"bye mom, I love you"

Those were the last words that I heard before I turned to leave my "little" boy at school. He was so excited. All the kids in Kindergarten had to wear red on the first day and he was very happy about that because it is his favorite color!

When we picked him up he said "I love this place, they have a playground!!!!" and then asked "can I go again tomorrow" Little does he know that this is just the beginning.... one day he will be saying "do I have to go?!?!?"

His teachers are very nice and we are looking forward to a great year with them!!!!

Kailyn turns 4

2008-07-18T07:40:00.009-05:00

MY PRINCESS IS 4 TODAY!!!!!

7/18/04

Words cant describe the excitement that Corey and I felt when we found out that we were having a little girl.....

The Dr said the due date is Sept 9. But little miss Kailyn had a plan of her own. She showed her beautiful face on July 18 instead. At 32 weeks she was perfect. Tiny fingers, tiny toes and the cutest little nose that I have ever seen. Looking at her now you would never know that she was a 3 pound baby!

She is such a blessing to us. Having Kain before her, we really didnt know what to expect with a little girl. We call her a "girly girl" She is always playing dress up and babies. And she has her own "fashion taste"

We cant help but laugh when she comes out of the bedroom dressed in high heels, a princess dress, a scarf, ballcap, and every piece of play jewerly that she owns.... :)

She is mommy's baby and daddy's girl.

She amazes us more and more everyday with what she is learning and doing. She is mommy's big helper. She always wants to be in the kitchen helping or putting away the clothes.

And I forgot to mention that we sometimes call her "grace" not because she has it but because she lacks it. She is constantly running into something or tripping and falling..... but she gets right back up almost like "I meant to do that" she looks as us wondering what we are laughing at.

She says that she wants to be a princess when she grows up. You and I both know that she isnt going to be a princess, but she will always be "our" princess. We thank God for her daily. We know that God has a will for her and we pray that with his strength and guidance that we will be able to bring her up in a Christian home where she learns about the love of God.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAILYN!!!

We love you so much babygirl!

-daddy and mommy

Its been a while.....

2008-06-14T01:57:00.002-05:00

So, I am a little behind in the blogging department. Lets see if I can get you all caught up.
We left New Orleans last Monday stayed in GA for one week and then my grandmother and me came here to North Carolina to meet the movers and start unpacking. They delivered our stuff yesterday (thursday) and we are FINISHED unpacking already. We have been working nonstop since the movers left. I didnt realize how much stuff I had! The apartment that we were living in was a 2 bedroom so a lot of our stuff was in the garage (storage) but this time we were able to unpack it all because we have LOTS of room. We are tired but oh so glad that we are finished!!

Corey has had a rough week this past week. Someone on base ran into his truck and didnt leave any info or anything. Then yesterday he went to crank his truck and it wouldnt start. Poor Guy! Just praying that things are turning for the better. I cant wait for him to be here with us and out of Louisiana!

Kain has been at Nana and Papa's house this past week (Coreys parents) and Kailyn is here in NC with us, she sure is missing her brother. Kain has been to the toy store a couple times and to Monkey Joes. I think that he is having a little more fun than Kailyn since she has been here with a house full of boxes. But, I must say that she is great at entertaining herself!

It is 3 in the morning and I should get to bed, just wanted to update a little and let you all know what we are up to..... Coreys last day in New Orleans is June 20 and then we will all be here in NC. Cant wait to get in the new routine here!!!

Sending my love to you all!
Be Blessed!!

Family night out....

2008-06-01T22:39:00.005-05:00

So, tonight we decided to go out for Hibachi. We went to Shoguns in Metairie. It was so YUMMY! This was Kain and Kailyn's first time there. They were very impressed watching him make our food and they loved catching the shrimp in their mouth. Kain caught one of his Kailyn still needs some practice!!

They were using their chopsticks and everything!!! They are too cute.

Fun at the Pool

2008-06-01T22:33:00.004-05:00

We took a trip to the pool here on base in Belle Chasse and we were able to spend a little more time with our friends Meg and Nate. They are really going to miss eachother. Nate says that we are moving to North Carlolina. It is so cute to hear him say it.

Lindsey and I were talking about how when we met they were all four in diapers WOW!!! They are all best buddies and we def plan on getting together to see eachother after we move.

How many Marines Does it Take????

2008-06-01T22:26:00.004-05:00

So, this has to be the funniest thing that has happened in a long time. How many Marines does it take to get keys out of a truck?? They were working on it forever! It was hilarious watching them attempt to get this thing unlocked. And the funniest thing..... All the Staff NCO's (including Corey) were standing there watching them telling them what to do..... HAHAHAHAHA!! They say that is just how it is at work too!

Girls Night Out!!

2008-06-01T22:20:00.003-05:00

On Saturday night I went out with the girls! Lindsey, Heather, Grace and I had a GREAT time!! Nothing like getting out with the girls!!! When we were walking out of the restaurant, there were fireworks (and Lindsey says that she had them planned for me and Heather since we are moving... she was kidding!) Heather, Lindsey and me all got here to New Orleans at the same time 3 years ago.... where does time go?

I have some great memories with them and it is sad to leave them behind, but I know that we will see eachother again in the future!! I love you girls ;o)

PS- I took my camera to girls night out, but forgot to get it out.... so the pics are from before I left and Kailyn wanted a pic with me!

A little update.....

2008-06-01T22:14:00.002-05:00

So the movers came on Thursday! We are no longer in Gonzlaes!!!! We are finally on the way out of LA. The past few days we have been here in Belle Chasse/ New Orleans. We are leaving here tomorrow morning (Monday) heading to GA.

We have really enjoyed being here the past few days!! We have been able to see lots of our friends and tell them good bye! They are going to be missed.

Amanda- you better believe that i am going to take you up on your offer of coming and staying with you duriing Mardi Gras!!!

Steve & Barry's

2008-05-27T15:26:00.002-05:00

So....

I have to do a little advertising here for Steve & Barry's. I saw a little news clip on this store a few days ago and remembered that there was one here at the mall in Baton Rouge. This store is GREAT!

They carry several different lines including one from Sarah Jessica Parker and EVERYTHING in the store is $8.97 and UNDER!!!! I couldnt believe it! They have everything.... shoes, swimsuits, shirts, shorts, whatever you are looking for. (adults and children) And right now all their winter stuff is 3 for $12.

If you have one in your area, you have to check it out!!!!

5 days....

2008-05-24T12:56:00.003-05:00

That's right, 5 days until the movers are at our house packing up!! So much to do in so little time! Seems like this month has flown by. Hoping this next week goes by a little slower since I have a lot to do (packing to go to mom and dads, cleaning the apartment, Dr appointments, etc)

Tomorrow will be our last Sunday at our church in Gonzales, LA. We are sad about it. The church has been awesome and it is such a great feeling to have a church family that you know you can turn to! We have met amazing people here!

Daily we are praying that God will continue to guide us to the church that He was us to be at. We are trusting and believing that it will be great like Household Of Faith in Gonzales!!

Change of subject here.... we are driving down I-59 right now, I am sitting in the back of the van with the kids and I LOVE it!!! Can I have just one ounce of their energy? I know that they have their moments where they dont get along, but today is NOT that day. They are playing together so well and sharing.... Totally makes the 8 hour ride home and enjoyable one! They are hard work most days, but so worth it. I often wonder what I did with all my time before I had them!

Well, we are playing the princess game on Kailyn's leapster and it is my turn.....
Hope that you all have a happy and safe hoilday weekend. Remember all those who have served!

Our house in NC

2008-05-24T12:48:00.002-05:00

So, here is the pic of the house that I said I would post. As you can tell it is a town house. We are going to be living in the Carolina Pines Golf Community. It is SO nice!! We figure that we will live in this house for the first year that we are there until we decide what area we would like to buy a house in.

We are going to be about 3 minutes from the back gate at the base (a huge difference compared to Corey's 60+ mile drive to work now) and about 5 minutes from Kain's school.

On the way to GA!

2008-05-21T12:50:00.002-05:00

HEY!!! I must say that I am a little sad to be leaving my future "home"

I LOVE NC!! We have had the best time there the past couple of days. We found a house. WOOHOO! Kain is registered for school and we went to the beach! (You have to have a little play time too, right? heehee)

It is so nice to be back on a Marine Corps base and feel at home! The commissary is g.r.e.a.t.! The gas stations on base are nice and gas is a little cheaper than out in town, there is a bowling alley, theater, pools, marina, etc.... And lots of "I love my Marine" stickers on cars! Marine Wives.... ;o)

And the biggest surprise..... are you ready for this?!?!?! I GOT A NEW CAR! I know I know, I just got one in January, but the ride up there made it VERY obvious that a car just DOES NOT work for us. So, a van is our new family car (Honda Odyssey) Kain is liking it... I am liking it... dad is liking it.... now we just need the approval of our little angel. (We have missed her and cant wait to get to GA to get one of those big wet kisses from her)

There is our update.... pics coming soon of the new place/ car

Here in Georgia

2008-05-17T13:06:00.002-05:00

Hello from Georgia! We are here. Our day started really early yesterday (we left the house at 5:15 AM so that Corey could go into work for about an hour) The kids and me sat in the car and waited on him. We were in New Orleans when the flood gates opened. I seriously have never seen so much rain/ lightening. Our drive to GA was pretty good with little traffic.

After getting here, we went out with all the family to celebrate my Uncle Jimmy's Bday. It was fun and once again great to see everyone. My brother watched the kids (can you believe it, he is growing up.... they were fed dinner and in bed when we got home) We didnt get home until after 1:00 AM So, that was a 21 hour day for us since we were up at 4Am. WOW!! Needless to say when we got back home, we were out!!!

We are leaving here in the morning to continue our trip to NC to house hunt. We are excited to go and check the place out. Kain is going with us so that I can get him registered for school, Kailyn will be staying here with my grandmama.

Praying that God will make the place we are supposed to live obvious.

My Babies!

2008-05-15T15:12:00.003-05:00

As I was sitting here watching the kids play today, I got a little teary eyed. Where does time go? Where are those 2 babies? They are not babies anymore. "We are big kids now" Before I know it they will be graduating high school.

Trace Adkins sings a song "You're gonna miss this" Talks about how when we are younger we want to grow up, then we just keep wanting more and more a house, a car, babies..... Then we have babies and we dont realize how fast they are growing until it is too late. The song has really made me stop and think.... laundry can wait, dusting can wait, I need to spend some time with my kids. They were God's gift to me and I love them more than anything in this world.

Now, I know that some of my close friends that are reading this are thinking... yeah right, Bel not cleaning.... that would NEVER happen. Well, believe it. This house is a mess and I truly give that song credit! HA! Hug your babies a little tighter because they wont be babies forever!

what a night

2008-05-15T08:14:00.003-05:00

Weather. Wow! This has been a crazy storm moving through here. Started about the time that Corey left for wok (5:30 AM) and it is still going strong. As you can see from the pic we have our own little river in our front courtyard. Schools are closed, so I am watching a friend's kiddos. Praying that my power doesnt go out. Kain and Kailyn ended up in bed with me right after Corey left, crying because they were so scared. Kailyn is finally back in dreamland, but Kain is wide awake. This is going to be a long day....

Here we are!

2008-05-14T22:56:00.000-05:00

Wow... so here we are in the blogging world. I guess that we should jump on with everyone else. (Thanks Lindsey for the idea) We hope that this will make it a little easier for everyone to keep up with what we are doing and where we are. Just bare with me as I am trying to figure it all out.

As most of you know we are getting ready to make our move to NC. We have spent hours and hours in front of the computer trying to find somewhere to live and get all the school info that I can so that I can get Kain registered for Kindergarten. Hard to believe that he will be going to school! Kailyn will be staying home with mommy (I am planning on doing some online classes while I am waiting to get into the Radiology Program) I am looking forward to some one on one time with her since she has never been able to get that from me.

Corey is really looking forward to getting to his new squadon! I am not even sure that "excited" describes it! I am hoping that his will be a good change for us. We are trusting God through this all. I know that this is where He wants us to be and that He will help us find a new church home when we get there.

Now, let me get back to trying to figure out how to add some pics, etc. :)