I've Been Tagged by...My wonderful Sister-In-Law Kristen

8 Favorite TV Shows:
1.The Closer
2.Women's Murder Myster Club
3. Medium
4.CSI
5.The Unit
6.The Amazing Race
7.Bones
8.Criminal Minds

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Tried to Take the Kids Ice Skating
2.Scored Some Great Halloween Decor @ Cracker Barrell for 70% off
3.Got Birthday Donughts for Charles-Allen
4.Went to A Christmas Open House
5.Cleaned my House
6.Wrapped Christmas Presents
7.Got out Christmas Decorations
8.Ate lunch with Neal and the Kids at the Park (again)

8 Things I look forward To:
1.Early Morning when the Kids Are Safely Asleep
2.Holidays
3.A Clean House
4.Hearing"Mommy I luzs you"
5.Shopping
6.Going to Deep Bottom
7.Emmy Tracking Out
8.The Pregnancy Sickness to Be Over

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1.Cracker Barrell
2.Applebee's
3.The Country Squire
4.Logan's
5.Smithfield's
6.The Melting Pot
7.La Rancharitas
8.El Rodeo

8 Things on My Wishlist:
1.New Counter Tops (please Neal, please)
2.A Clean House
3.Easy Pregnancy
4.Healthy Baby
5.My Children to Grow up and Know How Important the Church is
6.Loose Weight
7.Never to Have Dental Problems
8.Always Have Neal

8 People to Tag
I think everyone I would tag has already been tagged. But if not anyone who would like to.

Ally Thinks She's a Boy

Ally's belly button sticks out way far. She loves to pull on it and play with it, which really gives me the creeps as I can't stand for my belly button to be touched. However, she has now found a new thing to do with it. She has been following Charles-Allen to the bathroom, and apparently observing him while he pees, and now she's decided she can be like him. She hikes her shirt up, grabs her bellybutton and holds it over the potty just like her brother. Charles-Allen gets a real kick out of this so she likes to do it when he's in there because she likes to make him laugh, but the other day I was putting on my make up and she walks to the potty, puts up the seat, pulls up her shirt and grabs her belly button. When she's done she puts the seat back down and flushes. She totally thinks she's a boy!

NC Stake Fair

We got to go to the NC Stake Fair (that's what Charles-Allen calls it) again this year and it was a blast. We love the state fair and try never to miss it. So here are some pics of the good time we had.

This is what they won. They're so proud of these tiny toys.

This is the only thing I'll ride.

Our kids love to see the animals and hold the chicks and ducks, but it took forever for us to get a pic. with Charles-Allen holding one. However, since we've gotten home he keeps asking if he can go back tomorrow and hold the chicks.

We love the food, but I think the corn was our favorite this year.

It's Been A While....

Neal and I went to our 15 year high school reunion last weekend. It's been a while since we've seen so many of our old friends. It was neat, but weird at the same time. Neal and I dated throughout high school and we have a lot of the same friends. It was neat to see how some people haven't changed much, and weird to see that some have changed a lot. I also got to see a dear friend that I taught with for 5 years. I miss her sooo much and it was good to catch up and see how her oldest daughter has grown. Time sure does fly by.

Neal and my best friend since 1st grade Joelle.

Me, Debra and Melanie-I taught with Debra and Melanie before moving up to Wake County and I went to high school with Melanie.

We have this exact pose from our Junior and Senior proms.

Boo

Sometimes I like to pretend I can decorate and today I tried to make these cute pumpkins that I saw on someone's blog. She said she bought her's, but thought they would be pretty easy to make and I loved them so much I thought I would give it a try. I went to Michael's and purchased the 3 white pumpkins for $9 (which i thought was a steal) and went home to attempt them. The first and only problem I encountered was free handing the letters. Not something I'm really good at. But after trying it on paper and then just going for it, with a Sharpie marker not doubt, I was done in no time (meaning about 2 hours). I had to paint over the letters because the Sharpie didn't cover as well as I liked and Emmy painted the tops of the pumpkins green. We then found some old candle sticks that I had packed up and this hideous mirror that I use to love and now not so much. And of course, ribbon from my vast collection. It seems I can't ever get enough of ribbon. But I am surprised at how good I think it turned out. And I just love that I can use it again next year!

Ode To Summer

I can't believe another summer has come and gone. It seems like it goes by faster and faster every year, so to honor it I thought I would recap some of the highlights of another really great summer. First Emmy and Charles-Allen both started sleeping in their beds all night long. Wheeew! Thought it would never happen. So to bribe them, I mean celebrate, we got them both bikes and they learned to ride them.


Look at my little man ride. He's only 3 and so proud of himself!

Emmy's too busy posing to ride. She has her priorities straight. Such a girl!Here's Al Al, she would rather eat the wheel. That's much more fun to a 1 year old.Other than riding bikes all summer we went to Myrtle Beach 4 different times. It was so much fun every time we went, but I must admit we love being able to have Cory and Kristen and their kids with us. So that was probably our favorite trip to Myrtle Beach. And who can forget a week in the oppressive heat at Camp Singletary with Neal's wonderful family. We only went home to Topsail Beach once this year. I wish we had gone more, but we had a blast with Heidi and Madi and Kristen and the kids, and we literally stayed all day.


Myrtle Beach at Broadway at the Beach.
We also went to Williamsburg, Virginia and to Water Country USA. This was the only trip that Ally didn't go on and we really missed her.Here the kids are in the pool in Virginia and this is the first time they ever used "sloppers". You know the webbed feet that you put on to swim faster, sloppers. Everyone knows what sloppers are.Emmy had the biggest summer. She lost a tooth. Started 2nd grade and she hadn't even turned 7 yet. This was the first year I didn't cry on her first day. Go Me! She also had her hair cut shorter than it's ever been since she was about 6 months old and went to the Jonas Brothers Concert with her best friend Elise.

Okay, I know I've posted this pic. before, but seriously it cracks me up! I don't think I will ever get tired of it. I got one word for ya, "boys". What in the world are they thinking?

Ally also had a big summer. She had her first birthday and learned to walk and say her first word which of course was "da da". She is the first one of our kids not to say ma ma first. How sad for me.

Yeah Ally! What a big girl.

All together now, "Boys! What are they thinking?"

So all in all we had a fabulous summer. We celebrated birthdays of many family and friends, got to spend time together at the beach, went to a wedding and basically enjoyed be parents of 3 terrific kids. We are so blessed. Now for my final accomplishment and the reason I haven't posted in over a month. We managed to also find time to get pregnant with our fourth child. We are so excited. I have always wanted to have 4 kids. However, I would have liked to have had a little more space between #s 3 and 4, but I'll take it. We are expecting the baby on or hopefully before April 19. Charles-Allen is telling everyone, "My mommy is pregnant for a boy" so we're going to let him live the dream as long as he can. I'm 13 weeks so it shouldn't be long before we can find out if he's right or not. Keep your fingers crossed.

Just to show you how different Neal and I feel about summer I found some quotes that totally sum us.

Neal: On vacations: We hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings.*Erma Bombode*

Amanda: A life without love is like a year without summer.*Swedish Proverb*

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.*John Lubbock

Go Heels Go!

We took Charles-Allen to his very first Carolina football game on Saturday. He was soooo excited. We were playing McNeese State and it was a 6 pm game time. I thought this would be perfect, especially compared to Emmy's first Carolina game. Her first time was horrible. She was three and it was so hot. We played Miami (or at least some team that wore orange) and lost after 3 overtimes, not an ideal game for a 3 year old little girl. I thought this time it couldn't be as hot or as long. Well I was right about the first one, but only because during the second quarter the game was delayed for 2 hours due to a major thunderstorm. It was after midnight before we got home. It was so worth it, the kids had a blast and Neal and his brothers had the joy of the first win of a new season. Wheeew! That was close. Nothing is worse than having to ride back with Neal and Cory after Carolina has lost. Go Heels Go!

We're #1, we'll at least #1 Tarheel Fans!

Even Uncle Eric has a smile. Thanks goodness we won. These men can be difficult when their team doesn't win.

Cheap Seats, actually not, but they're not ours. They belong to some fans that left after the storm.

Ian made it almost til the end, but he couldn't hold out any longer.


Charles-Allen didn't fall asleep until we were well on the way home. Isn't that pitiful? He fell asleep on his football. He's so cute, especially when he's sleeping.;)