Messages From Miranda

Snack Time with Drew

2012-02-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

Here is the progression of events when Drew sat down for his snack. Please notice that he has his favorite "pup" right by his side.

Thanks for the snack mom.

Thank You God for my snack!

Mom told me to eat over the counter.

Oh well.

God made dirt and dirt don't hurt.

Maybe the 5 minute rule has expired???

See how big I am growing? Thanks for the yummy snacks mom.

Pennsylvania Christmas

2012-01-04T11:30:00.001-05:00

We took the 7 hour trip to New Providence, PA on Christmas afternoon. We wanted to avoid driving on Afton's birthday, so we left our house after opening Christmas gifts and letting the kids play for a while. We made excellent time and the girls were pretty excited about getting to g'ma and g'pas house. Along the way, Drew lost his beloved doggy. Fortunately, IKEA had no shortage of pups, and we got him a new one!!!!
We celebrated Christmas with Chad's family on the 27th. The cousins all had a blast playing with each other and opening gifts. We had a bright idea of trying to get a group picture. It was kind of a FAIL since we had a very disagreeable 2 year old. My camera lens is not allowing my camera to focus, so I was not able to take very many photos. I am kind of bummed about that. It seems I am getting less and less photos as the kids are getting older. Maybe my resolution for the New Year should be to take more photos???

I also want to mention that the football Drew was so excited to receive, was chewed up about as fast as he opened it!!! Thanks for the new Eagles football g'ma. It doesn't seem to be as tempting to bite. Also, Avery was more than excited to get those beads. Sorry mom, you are going to be picking up beads off the floor until next Christmas!!! ha ha!!!

Afton is 4!

2012-01-04T11:15:00.000-05:00

Where has the time gone? I cannot believe that Afton is 4! I know everyone says that time just flies by, and before kids I never realized how unbelievably fast it does go by. Last time I checked, I was working and pregnant with Avery....and now I have a 5 1/2 year old, a 4 year old, and a 2 year old.

Afton is such a spunky kid with an unbelievable head of hair. According to her cousin Claudia, its like "butter". Afton is more strong willed than all of my kids, but she has such a sweet, compassionate, and caring spirit. She is often found helping her little brother with everything. She even stopped opening her own Christmas gifts to help her baby brother open up his gifts (they were taped a little too much for the little guy). Her strong willed spirit often shows up during dinner time, bed time, and during play time with her big sister. We are working on it :-) We love her so much and she is so much fun to be with.

Here she is with her new birthday gifts. She got a new bike from mimi, a much wanted flashlight from g'ma and g'pa, and her Team UmiZoomi backpack from us. The pics didn't turn out "the best", as I have now learned, my lens is not working. Also, taking pics of kids opening gifts and impending cake & ice cream is really tough!

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T09:35:00.000-05:00

Tried to capture the kids excitement this Christmas morning. Operative word....TRIED. It was a tad too chaotic. Taking pics of kids while they open up gifts is one task to be left to the professionals. The kids were excited and enjoyed opening all their gifts. It is funny how Chad and I thought some presents would evoke the biggest surprise reactions from the girls, only to be wrong. They were the MOST excited about their Squinkies.

I love Afton's face in this one. She looks so disappointed! hahaha!!!

Thanksgiving Feast with Afton

2011-11-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

Every year the preschool that Afton attends has a Thanksgiving Feast. The 3 year old classes get to go on a turkey hunt and fish. Look at the big fish Afton caught! After the hunt, the indians get to gather around and enjoy a big feast!

Birthday Boy

2011-11-30T13:55:00.000-05:00

Turning 2 gets you 2 days of cakes!!!

2 Years of Drew Boy!

2011-11-29T16:15:00.000-05:00

Sweet Drew. We are so lucky to have this little guy! He brings such joy to our lives and he is the sweetest little guy. Everyone who ever gets to spend time with him always says what a good little guy he is and that he is just so laid back. I am kind of sad that we are hitting a 2 year milestone because he is the last baby that we will have, but I am also looking forward to all the fun toddler time we are now going to have.

Bubble Bath

2011-11-20T15:55:00.000-05:00

I was looking through our pics and came across these. I didn't even know we had taken these pics. Pretty Funny!

Another attempt at Christmas card photos

2011-11-20T15:53:00.000-05:00

Again, I tried to get the kids pictures for Christmas cards. For some reason, I cannot get Drew to stay in one spot, I cannot get Avery to keep her hands off of Drew's face, or I cannot get all the kids to look in the same direction. Now, I know that I don't have to have everyone looking at the camera, I do not need everyone looking perfect, and they can just be themselves. But....But....But....I just want the pics to look like I am somewhat of a halfway decent photographer!!!! I should have taken 200 shots instead of 75!!! Some pics I have really captured the kids personality, but there is always 1 kid out of 3 that looks kind of disoriented or something. I have a few to pick from and hopefully I can get the Christmas cards done and mailed out soon. I can't even believe I am doing them this year!!! I told myself in the past that I was going to save myself the money and stop doing them. For Heaven's sake, I have a blog & Facebook!!!! I don't know why I have this urge to send my kids photos out??? (Ok, I do know...I like to show them off) I guess since I don't want to get "black listed" off of anybody's Christmas card list, I will carry on with the "tradition". Well, here are a few shots that I took that probably won't make the cut, but I do like them.... (none of these photos have been edited)

Super Model)

I love this one of all 3, just wish they were closer together! (It would help me out for a Christmas Card!)

I absolutely love this one of Afton and Avery! It captures Afton's personality!!!

Oh Christmas Cards....should I dare try???

2011-10-30T14:24:00.001-04:00

The weather is decent today. Not too much sun, its not windy, and its not raining. I thought, lets go outside and take a few photos. Well, Drew is not so cooperative. He would rather explore, not sit still, and basically turn his head at every chance I had to get a "decent" shot. Oh well... I am not a professional, I am not pretending to be and I did my best with the material. :-) I opted to not get my kids all gussied up & fancy. I figured, nobody would recognize my rug-rats if they were all clean and dressed up. That is not them. They are usually covered in stickiness, have crazy hair, and wear mismatched clothes. The important thing is that they are happy and they are pretty cute in whatever "look" they are sporting. They had fun while posing for me, even if it was for a VERY short time. (ps: Lori, I shot them all in manual...)

Happy Halloween From Al & Peg Bundy!

2011-10-23T08:41:00.001-04:00

Al & Peg Bundy

Autumn Leaves Are Falling From The Trees!!!

2011-10-15T18:19:00.001-04:00

We have LOTS and LOTS of LEAVES!!!!!!!!!!!! Since it was such a nice afternoon, Chad took the kids out back to jump in a big pile of leaves. I apologize for such lousy action photos! I tried, so A for effort??? You can just see the absolute joy in their faces. I sometimes forget that such little things like jumping in a pile of leaves means the world to them. We could buy all the fancy toys, take them to a theme park, or spend gobs of money....but sometimes just doing the simple things are really what makes the heart happy!

Afton's 1st Day of Preschool

2011-09-26T14:44:00.000-04:00

Wow! I have really been slacking! Afton started school on September 8th and I am just now getting around to posting pictures. Not only am I really bad at posting pictures, but I am also horrible at taking them. I kind of wish taking pictures would just come naturally to me, but it doesn't. It is just one more thing I would "LIKE" to do!!! It is SOOOO Bad, that poor Drew has not gotten any pics taken of him like my girls did. No 1 year picture, no 18 month pictures, no nothing!!! Just whatever I have from his Aunt Lori. I wish I would have more, but it is what it is. (Chad hates that saying!! LOL)
Afton was a little nervous about going to school. I have no idea why??? She has Miss. Katie, just like her big sis Avery. So, Miss. Katie is no stranger to our family. Afton also goes to preschool where we attend church, so there is really no mystery there either. But, for whatever reason, Afton was a bit apprehensive about going. She hasn't put up a fight, or cried, or had a fit, but she just puts a little resistence on me when I drop her off. Part of me thinks she wants to be just like her sister and ride the bus and go to "school". Like all the "big" kids.
Enough with all the ramblings. Here are the few pics I have of Afton going to her very first day of Preschool.

Mountain biking

2011-08-27T20:08:00.001-04:00

Years ago before a wife, kids, and non-stop work I used to love mountain biking (this is Chad if you haven't figured that our yet). I was on the trails 3 or 4 times per week. It couldn't please me more to see that one of my own has taken a liking to the sport too. Afton has had no training wheels for only a week or so and is already a biking champ. And like dad, fun first, safety second.

Sniff Sniff. My first born has left for kindergarten.

2011-08-24T09:05:00.000-04:00

Trying to give little sister a hug. We think little sister is a little upset about this school thing!!!

Every time I look at this picture I get choked up. My baby is leaving on the BUS!!!!

A day of Firsts

2011-08-17T15:08:00.000-04:00

Not only did Avery actually lose her first tooth (okay, I know she knocked out a tooth already, but this is her first tooth that fell out naturally) but her and Afton both rode there bikes WITHOUT training wheels. It first started with Afton. I was sitting in the driveway with her and I said "I will give you 5 bucks if you ride your bike without training wheels" She replied while walking into the garage "Dad, take off my training wheels". Yes, we can all agree that she is easily motivated. ha ha!!!

I have been trying to post the video of her maiden voyage on the pavement. (we took a few test runs on the grass) But for some reason the video will not post!!!
I will keep trying!

"NEW" toys

2011-08-16T12:04:00.003-04:00

Since clearing out the storage unit, we now have "new" toys. We finally got the gator out of 18 months of storage, and you can see one little man that is pretty excited about it. The bummer is, the battery wont hold a charge! Now I need to buy a new one. Another item that got its freedom from storage is the pool I bought in the late summer of 2009!!!!! Finally, we to use it! Many more items were found like the indoor trampoline, Afton's scooter, and the bouncing horse. It was like Christmas again. Maybe I should of wrapped all this stuff up and said to heck with Christmas shopping this year????

OH MY!!! Get a load of them thighs.... I think the speedos are a tad small???

Little Frogs

2011-08-16T11:55:00.000-04:00

I know I have been pretty silent here on the blog. I have not been very good about taking pictures and I am trying to get my act together after moving into the new house. We have some little friends that have taken up residence in our egress window.

On its own.

2011-08-16T11:50:00.000-04:00

This tooth came out on its own, when it was supposed to, with no help (like smashing your face into the toy box or the floor)

She is pretty proud of losing her tooth and she has already put it under her bed for the "tooth fairy"

So Sleepy

2011-07-22T16:57:00.000-04:00

Afton literally fell asleep while reading.

Art Camp

2011-07-22T16:55:00.000-04:00

Avery got to spend the entire week at Art Camp. She went from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. She LOVED it! She even complained that I picked her up to early. She said I promised her that it was going to last all day. I guess 6 hours is not enough. Today was the last day and they hung there art work on the walls, kind of an art show, and then let the kids take home all their projects. Avery made me take photos of every single piece of artwork because she said that Grandma wanted to see them all. I will not post all of them, but here are a bunch! Avery certainly loves art :-)

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-22T16:45:00.000-04:00

Here it is. We are finally here! This is our new home!

Happy 5th Birthday Avery Jean!!!

2011-07-10T17:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a big day for our Avery. She turned 5 years old. Hard to believe how fast 5 years have literally flown by. Seems like it wasn't that long ago when we took her along with us to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary. She was only about 1 month old at the time. Avery has shown us how smart, sensitive, beautiful, artistic, resourceful, and lover of all things nature. She is growing so fast and we are so glad that God has given us this wonderful daughter to raise. Happy Birthday Sweet Avery!!!

We started the day off by making smoothies and having pancakes. We quickly got ready so that we could make it to Sweet and Sassy for Avery's fun little makeover. She got her nails, hair, and make up done. Lots of glitter, sparkles, and cotton candy smelly stuff sprayed EVERYWHERE!!! She loved it. We took her to some garage sales and she bought a few things, then went to lunch at Red Robin. They sang Happy Birthday to her and gave her a sundae. Unfortunately we were not prepared for that, so we did not get any photos. We then opened gifts and had cake & ice cream at home. I think she had a good day even though she didn't have a "party".

How many more times do you think they will leave the mall hand in hand???

The lighter ran out of fuel....

Oh no, what do we do? We don't have matches or a lighter!!! Aggghhh!

Lets light napkins in the toaster to get a flame...

That ought to work!

Come on daddy, hurry up with that flame!

Seriously, we need to get this cake cut!!! I am tired of waiting!

Night! Night!!

Barn sales, rasberries, and garage sales

2011-07-02T18:58:00.000-04:00

Chad here, we had a fun day of activities planned today. Well, plans changed for several reasons but it was still a fun day.

This is determined Miranda heading straight into the lightening to beat everyone else to junk at the barn sale. See the yellow and blue umbrella.

Friendly horse at the barn sale

Cocoa the dog at the raspberry patch (the blueberry farm was no-where to be found so this was plan B). He was very friendly during our picnic.

This was Afton's basket after 20 minutes of picking. Good thing they didn't weigh the kids before and after.

Garage sale makeup.

Dance party gone bad...

2011-07-01T20:59:00.001-04:00

Good enough for AFV??? Turn up your sound.

Beach Vacation

2011-06-26T15:34:00.000-04:00

Some shots that were taken by my sister in law, Lori. I did not have my camera half the time, so I relied on her to get some good pics.

Vacation time for us

2011-06-19T19:33:00.000-04:00

For the past couple of years, we have decided to go East for vacation. This trip usually consists of us staying at Chad's parents house for a while and then we head to the beach. This year the kids went to Cherry Crest Farms, Oregon Dairy, Hands On House, Dutch Wonderland, and then to the beach!!! We stayed in Fenwick Island, Delaware at the Bayside Resort. This year we went to the beach with Chad's parents and his sister Lori's family. Everyone had a great time. I unfortunately had quite a head/sinus cold, so I had my moments!! There is never a good time for a cold, but especially not while you are on vacation!!! I also had no idea I took so FEW pics. I guess I was relying heavily on my dear sister in law, Lori, (the semi-pro photographer) to be the one in charge of taking pics. :-) Here are some photos that I had taken (with the exception of the ones of me & Chad, thanks Lori).

My sister in law Lori and her husband Steve

The third time is a charm... or at least all a tooth can take!!!

2011-06-07T19:27:00.000-04:00

Well, Avery has been brutal to her teeth. This past Saturday she fell and hit her front tooth for the third and final time. It finally could take no more and after almost 2 days of barely hanging on, it fell out!!! Ugh! She is too young to not have her baby tooth!!! She is not even 5 yet!!!!

Here she is....

Last Day of Preschool

2011-05-26T12:52:00.000-04:00

Here we are on the final day of Preschool or Pre-K! How sad, but how exciting! Avery will now be a KINDERGARTNER!!! She made many friends during her time at Grace Early Childhood Center, and we loved the teachers!!! Mrs. Dray, her teacher this past year is moving to New York state so that her husband could take a job at The Word of Life Church. We are so sad to see Mrs. Dray move because Afton had high hopes to have her when she gets to go to pre-k!

Look at how much Avery has grown up in the past 9 months!!

Avery on her 1st day of Pre-K

1st day of Pre-K

Here is Avery receiving her "diploma" for completing Pre-K

Mrs. Dray (God Love Her)

Mrs. Dray gave each child a character recognition award. Avery received "Resourcefulness" Mrs. Dray said that Avery will use everything and she does not waste anything. She has been caught going after "trash" such as toilet paper rolls, or empty kleenex boxes because she can "make a craft out of it".

Because I don't have enough "projects" to do...

2011-05-16T10:10:00.000-04:00

Garage Sale'n out in Pennsylvania proved to be a major score. I got 3 amazing pieces for a total of $85 dollars!!! The best part is, I really do not have to re-do them right away. Which is a good thing for me since I already have a vanity, desk, and storage table to spray paint!!! I also bought the pictured jewelry box and blue jars for a total of $3 dollars. I bought a beautiful Ethan Allen mirror for only $3!!!! It is just the perfect size to hang above my new furniture. So excited!!!!

This buffet & the other blue piece were $65 dollars total!!!

This fun yellow piece was $20!!!

Helping Out Dad

2011-05-16T09:47:00.000-04:00

Little Drew was helping daddy put air in the tires before Mommy went on her trip to Pennsylvania.

Preschool Music Program

2011-05-16T09:34:00.001-04:00

so typical. Not all of the Thomas Family is looking at the camera & smiling.

see if you can find Avery :-)

These shots were from the day of Avery's preschool music program. I didn't get very many photos from the actual "program" since there were so many parents getting pictures, and also I did not have my zoom lens on my camera. For some reason, I cannot find it. Hmmmm.....I wonder if it is because half of my stuff is packed in boxes or is in storage???

World's cheapest lunch...

2011-05-08T14:57:00.001-04:00

...mud!!

Easter Fun

2011-04-24T13:34:00.000-04:00

I was so excited this year when I looked at the calendar and Easter was going to be at the end of April. Why??? Well, I guess I just assumed it would actually be spring. I was looking forward to being outside, not feeling goofy for wearing white shoes, and actually seeing the sunshine. Well, unfortunately this is not how things turned out. It is rainy. It has been rainy and is going to continue to be rainy. The church had an egg hunt, and of course it ended up being indoors. We couldn't "pose" for our Easter photo outside because I had a fear that my kiddos would wind up being covered head to toe in mud prior to church. So, we posed for our photos in our dimly lit rental home and had fun searching for eggs on the gym floor at church. In the grand scheme of things it really does not matter, for what matters most is that we are together to celebrate Easter. We thank you Lord for all you provide for us!

Dang Easter Bunny! Why did you put my basket wear I can't reach it!

I only wish this picture could truly capture the excitement she had when she seen her basket!

Jelly Beans (and yes, I am wearing Christmas Jammies)

Drew Boy

2011-04-22T09:05:00.000-04:00

Can you say "cheeeeeese!!!"

Try to not focus on that fantastic cabinet in the background. Focus on that little face, such a stinker!

Drew Loves his books!

Doesn't he look naked in this one??? Well he is not.... He does have a diaper on.

Hey Grandpa Thomas, the kid you needed skipped a generation....

2011-04-09T13:57:00.000-04:00

Big Boy Haircut

2011-04-02T18:56:00.001-04:00

Today Drew finally got his long hair cut off. Boy does it change his looks!!!!

Hmmm? Wonder what she is thinking?

2011-03-28T09:17:00.000-04:00

Slugs, Rocks, Dirt, Pinecones, and more dirt...

2011-03-18T14:56:00.000-04:00

One thing we like about the rental is the fact that there is a fenced backyard. It is nice to let the kids run around and explore. Although, I am not liking the fact that I have double the laundry now. I think that Avery has changed clothes twice already and it is not even 3pm. I also think Drew didn't eat much lunch today due to the fact he filled up on mud. Well, this is only the beginning I'm sure of it!!!

What's cookin' Good lookin'

2011-03-18T14:48:00.001-04:00

I was going through some email this morning, and I knew Drew was rattling around in the cabinets, but I didn't know he was trying on the pots.

See ya later...

2011-03-14T20:50:00.001-04:00

Rainy Day's, bring out the paint!

2011-03-09T10:02:00.000-05:00

Drew is napping, Afton is at school, and it is raining. Perfect time to let Avery unleash her inner artist!!!
She absolutely loves painting!!!

Anfot's learning time

2011-03-07T19:22:00.000-05:00

Valentines Day Party Cards & Treat

2011-02-14T13:54:00.000-05:00

I had some crazy idea that I would make something cute for Avery's class. Well, I found this idea to make cute little dum-dum flowers. Okay, seemed simple enough. Avery loved painting the egg carton "flowers", but mommy bought the wrong paint. Oh well, I am sure the pre-K class will never notice!!!!

Now I just need to get 15 heart shaped cookies together for tomorrow's party.... Let's see??? To bake or to buy????

My Special Little Valentine

2011-02-14T12:11:00.001-05:00

LOVE IS:
Cute Smiles, Messy Hair, Soft Lips, Sweet Kisses, Little Hands & Feet, and a sweet little boy.

My Junky Desk....

2011-02-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

We were in desperate need of a desk. I really did not want to buy a new one, because I have hopes to one day "re-purpose" an unwanted, outdated, and cheap desk. Well, I found a pretty good one on Craigslist and now it is sitting in our kitchen. It is a glorious piece of furniture. It is veneer and plywood, not really "top of the line". But, I have HIGH HOPES, and I have faith that spray paint will make her a real beauty. After all, she is going to have a home in one of the girls rooms. I think that it will be perfect :-)

Maybe I will paint her up in a nice light sage color, or maybe a light Shabby Chic Blue, oh the possibilities!!!!!! (And yes, it came with the chair!!!!)

Holy Icicle Batman!!

2011-02-14T10:07:00.001-05:00

I was away (obviously!!!) when this little picnic was taking place. I just found this picture this morning when I was uploading some pictures. This is the kind of thing that goes on around here when mommy is away. In the kids opinion, they probably have more fun when its just them and Daddy. He lets them do all kinds of silly, dangerous, and messy things.

Sweet Sister

2011-02-10T12:18:00.000-05:00

We have been in and out of being sick at our house. I had a little something, Drew seemed to have a little something, but Afton has been the one who has had "something" the longest. Well, yesterday I just knew it was time to go to the doctor. Well, come to find out the poor thing has an ear infection along with strep throat. She is feeling much better today and after she is on the antibiotics for 24 hours she is no longer contageous. No fever today and she seems to be in much better spirits. Avery had preschool today and I have to share her craft. She said that she made it for Afton and that is Afton in the picture holding the tissue. This was their Valentines Day craft and the teacher will interview the students while making the craft. They asked what do you love. Avery's answer just speaks volumes of what a sensitive little tender-heart she is (although she may not show that side of herself to her sister all the time!!! LOL)

I love finding a bargain

2011-01-24T08:47:00.000-05:00

Our MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) Consignment Sale was this past Friday. While I was there helping set up, I was also helping myself to some super duper bargains!!! Also, I love how random a consignment sale (or any kind of garage sale) can be!!! I had no interest in looking at the toy area since we just got past Christmas, but something caught my eye. I thought, this might be cute, a little cheerleader set. But as I started looking at it, I noticed it said NFL. Then I noticed it was a green outfit....WHAT??? Can it be??? YES!!!!! It was an Eagles cheerleader outfit. SCORE!!! Now I took the picture in the basement because I need to hide it from Avery. I plan on giving this to her on her birthday. She will LOVE it!

This darling little coat was only $5, I could not resist it!!!

cute! 2 bucks!

They are loving their 50 cent ballet slippers :-)

Getting Crafty

2011-01-23T21:34:00.001-05:00

I have been thinking that I need to do something constructive. So after seeing tons and tons of things that I love & think that I may be able to accomplish, I settled on these cute little felt flower clips. Please keep in mind that this was my first attempt at making them with maximum interruptions and not as many supplies as I would have liked. So, now the creative juices are flowing and hopefully I will be able to "get creative". Well, this all depends on if I get any free time.... Until then.
PS: I really think I need to add a little pizazz to these little flowers. Wishing I had some beads & or buttons. Maybe I will raid the girls play jewelry???

A few steps

2011-01-22T19:14:00.001-05:00

Drew is starting to take a few steps on his own.... (yes I know there are 2 videos. For some reason I can't delete one of them. They are identical)

Only a Dad would do this.

2011-01-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

Hands On House

2011-01-12T21:34:00.000-05:00

What a super fun place for preschool kids!!! The kids had a blast! They loved picking corn and feeding their pig, especially Afton. She was getting pretty territorial over that pig. Avery loved the face painting the best. She refused to let me clean her face off. The girls played in the grocery store and picked up grocery items from their list, they played dress up, built snowmen, and assembled some gizmos on an assembly line. They had so much fun and were so sad when we had to leave. I really wish we had a place like this close to our house. It wasn't even busy!

Decorating our version of "Thin Mints"

2011-01-12T21:09:00.000-05:00

Chad's mom had the girls dipping ritz crackers in mint chocolate wafers and then drizzling them with sprinkles. They had a lot of fun and didn't make too much of a mess. Now, I am not sure if we really should have let other people eat the cookies since they were "tasting" and "touching" everything. They were also really generous with the sprinkles!!!!

Christmas 2010 part 2 (celebrating in 2011)

2011-01-12T21:04:00.001-05:00

Our tradition for Christmas with Chad's family is to celebrate after Christmas. It has worked out really well for us, and we look forward to our visit. I especially look forward to going to Pennsylvania after the holidays because I go shopping for bargains. It was a fun visit this year and Chad surprised both Aaron and Claudia with handcrafted gifts. Aaron received a crane and Claudia got a sewing box. Chad worked many hours on his projects but enjoyed every minute of it. When the time came for them to open gifts, I think we were all waiting to see their reactions.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-12T20:55:00.000-05:00

The tree & all the gifts prior to the kids waking up.

Drew's first glimpse of the tree. He literally just got up!!!

Avery was pretty happy to see all the presents under the tree!

Afton is normally quite crabby when she wakes up, but this morning she was in a pretty good mood. Hmmmm.....wonder why???

It too many, many shots to get them all looking in my direction. I told them they couldn't open gifts until I get their pictures taken.

Angenlina Ballerina was "the gift" this year.

Every time we asked Afton what she wanted for Christmas, she kept saying "I want a robot!"

Then there is Drew. He really could have cared less. Still, he was fun to watch :-)

This one is for you Lori!

2011-01-05T18:44:00.001-05:00

dress circa 1992

This is the only "relic" I have left from my High School days. My mom brought this down to me a few months ago. I have been "dying" to wear it, and responding to your blog (Lori) was the perfect opportunity!!! Let me tell you about this precious little number! My mom took me to Chicago to find the "perfect" prom dress. Much to her disappointment (I'm sure) I did not find THE dress right away. It took....oh, maybe 6 hours and many, many stores until I happened upon this beauty. I fell in LOVE! Well, who wouldn't??? I mean, it is pink, it has beads, it has lace, it has sequins, and it is feminine beyond belief. I only wish I would have kept the dyed to match heels I had to go with it. *sigh*
Oh and another bonus to tell you about, I just happened to be watching Wheel Of Fortune a month after my prom, and there was Vanna turning letters in MY DRESS!!!!!

Avery strikes again

2011-01-05T15:26:00.000-05:00

We have been finding little signs posted around the house with the word NO on them or little stick figures with a circle and cross over them. It is Avery's way of marking her "things" off limits. Well I recently found this:

This is Drew. Not sure if the sign means to keep your hands off of Drew, or if Avery is trying to tell Drew something. Either way, very funny!

Its Hair Cut Time!!! (FINALLY!)

2011-01-05T15:16:00.001-05:00

It took me a long time to finally drag myself (& Drew) to Cookie Cutters to have little man's hair cut. It was so shaggy & cute, but it really needed a trim. Drew did so well. He was my happy little guy, smiling and having fun while the lady cut his hair. When I got home, Chad exclaimed "Did you even get his hair cut???" Okay, so he doesn't understand "hair styles"!!! :-)

Here are the "before" shots

Here are the "afters" He is soooooooooooooo cute!!!! Okay, yes, I am biased. But seriously, Drew is one cute little guy!!!!!

I absolutely love this picture. You can see how rosey his little (okay, chubby) cheeks are and I just want to eat him up. Yes, I am gushing over Drew, but can you blame me????

2011-01-02T13:22:00.000-05:00

We got the girls their own little desks for Christmas. We found this hanging on the wall over Avery's desk. Apparently this is her way of saying 'no sisters allowed!'

This is what you get for dinner at our house!

2010-12-22T19:44:00.001-05:00

Seriously Mom, I need a haircut!

2010-12-22T08:55:00.001-05:00

Preschool Thanksgiving Feast

2010-12-18T19:32:00.001-05:00

I arrived at Avery's class to find her ready to go out on a turkey hunt. She painted her face all by herself! What an artist!

I thought these rules were pretty good!

I love these rolls.

2010-11-15T08:16:00.000-05:00

The quality of some of these shots aren't that great. My "subject" isn't exactly the best at sitting still for a great shot. I thought they were still cute and wanted to share. I could just eat him up!!!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T19:53:00.000-04:00

Puzzles

2010-10-31T19:44:00.000-04:00

These pics are of Afton playing with her puzzles. Now, I know that this is not unusual for kids to play with puzzles, but Afton has been "obsessed" with them. She does them all by herself and completes them. She spends hours doing puzzles. I am amazed by it. Its even more amazing to me that she is not even 3 yet, and she is so good at doing them. Great job Afton!!!!

A few pics with the cousins

2010-10-17T19:28:00.000-04:00

This weekend we had a houseful!! 7 kids and 4 adults. I had no idea my house could hold so many people. My girls were so excited to have their cousins here visiting. I just wish I would have taken more photos!!!

I will make sure and save this picture for when he gets married!!! ha ha!!!

I know the group shots are not the greatest. It was so hard to get the kids to focus & look at the camera. This was about the best shot I got!!!

10/10/10 was a beautiful day!!!!

2010-10-10T18:20:00.000-04:00

Be content with what you have-contentment allows you to enjoy what God has given you. Hebrews 13:5

Avery picture day and her precious caterpillar

2010-10-02T10:29:00.001-04:00

Chad's Phone

2010-09-21T20:33:00.000-04:00

I downloaded all the pictures that Chad has taken on his I-Phone. It was fun to see all the pictures he has taken over the past few months and I got to see a lot of pictures that were taken when I wasn't around!!!!
The quality might not be that great, but just seeing the the pictures that Chad has taken, allows me to see the kids through his eyes. I have chosen some pics that I thought were pretty comical!

Afton passed out on the couch

checking out the picture in picture on his new I Phone

picking lima beans with grandpa (such a good little helper)

Avery must have been really, really tired!

Is this how Chad keeps Drew "contained"???

Hmmmm??? he didn't fall asleep on this pillow on his own.

I can only imagine what she was mad about

We will need to save this picture for her.

Happy Birthday to Mommy

Afton

2010-09-21T13:03:00.000-04:00

Just hanging outside with Afton on a gorgeous afternoon. She is so fun to watch.

Here she is telling & pointing out to me where God is. How precious.

Ballet

2010-09-18T21:24:00.000-04:00

Avery started taking Pre-Ballet last Saturday. This morning, she got to wear her new tights, leotard, and ballet slippers. Afton, poor thing, doesn't get to go. She really wants to be like her sister and take ballet too. I thought this was so cute this morning when we were getting ready to go. I took a couple pics to remember how sweet they can be.

Look who is peeking around the corner!!!

Avery :-)

2010-09-17T15:07:00.000-04:00

they are definitely related

2010-09-16T20:37:00.000-04:00

I am amazed at how much my girls look alike. We are often told that they look like twins, or people actually mistake them for twins. However, their personalities couldn't be more different. I am also amazed at how much Drew looks like them too. I took these pics this afternoon after nap time. I do brush their hair!!!

First Day of Preschool

2010-09-03T08:19:00.000-04:00

Thursday was Avery's first official day of preschool. It was very busy in the halls and of course, Mrs. Dray had 3 guinea pigs out. So you could only imagine how hectic thins were at drop off. I had all 3 kids, so it was a little hard to manage. I did get a couple pictures, but it was with the small camera.

love this lil' man

2010-09-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

He is just a cute boy!

Back to school....

2010-09-01T13:50:00.000-04:00

Today was orientation day at Avery's preschool. This is the day that Avery meets her teacher and classmates for the year. It is also the day that the parents get to know what will be happening throughout the year and see all the other kids & parents. It was fun to watch the kids dive right in. Avery made herself right at home in Mrs. Dray's class. Avery is in the "Kitten" class. How fitting since Avery just loves kittens. Mrs. Dray loves animals and has fish & hermit crabs in her room. On the first day of school she will be bringing in 1 of her 7 guinea pigs into class. Also, in the spring she brings in eggs to hatch ducklings. How much fun is she??? This year will be so much fun to watch Avery grow & learn, it will also be challenging for me to get to school on time~sigh!

ribbit, ribbit!

2010-08-29T10:17:00.000-04:00

Avery loves nature, and she loves to find frogs. We cannot keep her away from the creek in the backyard. She has no reservations about picking up frogs. I however say "ewwwwww!"

Avery thought that her little frog liked sitting on her bench. She also had him on many other things in our yard.... Poor frog, he is probably traumatized!

Some more birthday pics and stuff

2010-07-27T14:33:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Avery!

2010-07-09T14:27:00.001-04:00

Today, 4 years ago, our precious Avery was born! We love you so much Avery!

What Belly Fat???

2010-07-04T15:22:00.000-04:00

A few random shots while visiting Pennsylvania

2010-06-20T20:18:00.000-04:00

Bethany Beach

2010-06-20T20:10:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at the beach. I wish I had taken more pictures, but there is just something about getting out your camera when there is sand everywhere mixed with sunblock. It does not make for ideal "picture taking" conditions!!! The girls had a blast and I am sure they wish they could have stayed longer. We took them to the boardwalk too and they rode a ton of rides & ate a bunch of junk. Poor Drew doesn't know what he is missing!!!!

Dutch Wonderland with just the girls

2010-06-20T19:53:00.000-04:00

Cherry time!

2010-06-14T11:45:00.000-04:00

Today we went to Cherry Hill Orchard and the girls had fun picking cherries. We think that Afton may have eaten her weight in cherries...or she may have gotten more on her clothes & face than in her mouth. It was a beautiful day & the cherries were abundant!!!

Last day of 3 year old preschool...

2010-06-03T13:53:00.000-04:00

We had our very last day of being a "Teddy Bear". We couldn't have asked for a better year with Miss. Katie. She was such a great teacher and she also gave each child a scrapbook of their whole year in preschool. It was so neat to look back at all the things Avery has done through the year and how much she has changed! Growing, growing, growing!!!!

My little supermodel...

2010-06-03T13:39:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we did our hair, dressed up, put on makeup and had a little "photo session".

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-01T10:22:00.001-04:00

We went to Apple Valley for Memorial Day. The kids got to swim in the lake, go for a ride in the boat, and have lots of fun playing. Drew enjoyed the water and didn't cry at all the whole day! The kids had an absolute blast and they just loved playing in the mud & dirt!

Hanging Out on a Friday Night

2010-05-09T19:17:00.000-04:00

It was so beautiful out Friday evening, we stayed out until dark...even forgot to have dinner! Drew was perfectly happy just hanging out with us, Afton snacked on some sidewalk chalk, and Avery enjoyed swinging in the breeze. (it was really, really breezy too!) Too bad Saturday ended up being so darn cold! Can't wait till every night is this nice :-)

Getting bigger everyday....sigh

2010-04-24T11:37:00.001-04:00

Shennanigans

2010-04-24T11:34:00.000-04:00

I was uploading pics to the computer this morning, and I seen some photos that I did not take. I wonder what really goes on while mom is away????

Birthday time for Daddy!!!!

2010-04-12T19:23:00.001-04:00

Avery and I went to the grocery store to get some stuff for Chad's birthday. She pushed her own miniature cart through the store and picked out chocolate cake mix, chocolate frosting, pink candles, and sprinkles. She also decided that her daddy would love a punching balloon and a whoopie cushion. Yes, these gifts were exactly what Chad wished for!

I was asking Avery these questions about her daddy, and I wrote her responses....
Here is a picture of the busted punching balloon
Here is a very, very unhappy Avery!

Drew!!!!

A little garden

2010-04-12T19:20:00.000-04:00

Chad built the girls (and us) a raised garden. Yes, the plants look puny now, but I am sure we will have an abundance of fresh veggies for Avery and Afton to turn their noses up at. Well, maybe they won't be so picky with veggies since they are the gardeners!!!!

Easter

2010-04-12T19:14:00.001-04:00

As you can see, one little girl does not want to cooperate.

Okay, now this is more like it!

Just a new member of the family

2010-03-30T20:06:00.001-04:00

Just Lounging Around

2010-03-18T20:27:00.001-04:00

Just hanging out in my easy chair tonightOh, and look who decided to join me. Well I am sure she will behave herself.
Okay, she looks like she might be up to something but I will still hang out with her anyway.
Okay, now I see where this is going... Its always fun and games around here.
****I (mommy) did not post the other photos because they looked worse than they appeared. I am sure you can imagine what transpired after this photo was taken... At least there was no crying & nobody got hurt :-)

We're BACK!!!!

2010-03-12T08:06:00.001-05:00

It has been a busy month or shall I say a busy year so far. It has been a challenge with having a 3 year old, 2 year old, and a 3 month old. Getting out of the house is also a feat that can only be managed if we start getting ready 2 hours prior to us having to leave!!! Drew has finally started sleeping through the night, although he sleeps all night, he still gets up too early for me!!! I am okay with getting up after 6am, but I don't like 5:30am but I don't want to complain, as it has been great to have a solid 6 or 7 hours of sleep! Avery has been going to preschool and learning lots & lots. We got her mid-year progress report and she is right where she should be for her age. Afton and Avery both go to their church class on Wednesday evenings. They absolutely love that. They sing, listen to bible stories, play with friends, make crafts, and have loads of fun!
Drew has been growing like a weed. He is probably 15 1/2 lbs now but it feels like 25 pounds when I have to carry him around all day! I think I finally got his pooping issue figured out but the spitting up problem is not going away. He spits up chunky stuff when he is on regular formula and just watery spit up when he is on the more expensive gentle formula. I don't like spending 25 dollars a can, but I also don't like getting puked on all day!
I took a few pictures and yes, that is a cute little flower tattoo on Drews big belly :-) The girls loved it. The picture above is Afton posing with her tattoo...and I tried over and over to get my blogging above the photos, but for whatever reason it wasn't working for me.

The little kitty next door

2010-02-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

Today the girls went out with dad to help shovel the driveway. Unfortunately, I had to stay inside with Drew so we did not get any photos of all the fun. However, we did get a chance to get a picture of Avery with the little black kitty that lives in the "neighborhood". I say neighborhood because this little black kitty likes to get in our garage, our neighbors garage, and the neighbors across the streets garage...well basically anyone's garage/house/porch etc... I have no idea why our one neighbor even got this cat since he is NEVER home. Poor thing lives in the garage and hardly gets any contact with humans, I feel bad since he is super friendly & is desperate to be inside. I am sure we will be seeing a lot of him throughout the spring and summer along with dead birds & such.
Avery came inside to inform me that she found a black fuzzy kitty...I am waiting for her to ask if she can keep him.

gettin big

2010-02-06T11:19:00.001-05:00

I weighed Drew the other day. He was 13.5 lbs. Although, he is probably full of poo since he hasn't went in a few days!!!! He has been having some trouble in that department. I don't understand why, since he certainly did not get that from the Thomas side of the family!!! :-)
The girls are doting on him as usual. Afton loves playing with "baby Dew". He is getting so big & strong. Before we know it, he will be rolling over & crawling. But first we need to master sleeping for more than 4 hours in a row :-)

Farm Show

2010-01-16T09:50:00.001-05:00

Chad and his dad took the girls to the Farm Show in Harrisburg, PA. They both loved the animals, however they did not like the tractors. Go figure. They all had a good time though.

Afton "milking" a cow. Not a real one though.
Sharing some cotton candy with gramps.
Playing in the corn sandbox.
Afton and her friend.
The tractor they didn't like.