Don't Fret!

I have not quit the blogging world. I WILL update soon....I promise. I have lots to catch you up on. But in the meantime, everyone get excited cuz it's potty training time around here. Jake put away the diapers on Friday and hasn't gone back. He's been wearing big boy underwear for the 4th day in a row now and is doing great. Don't ask me I have no idea what I or we said or did that clicked this time but whatever it was worked!! {might have been that he can't go visit Riley unless he goes to the big boy potty...that might have done it...thanks Riley Mo--love ya!!}

We are all well and lots going on and I will let you in on it all soon!!! Gotta go get Will out of the dishwasher now...................

Birthday Dinner

**Pictures are horrible taken from my cell phone of course I forgot the camera**

For Will's birthday tonight we went to Rainforest Cafe. April was in town and that is her thing to do with the kids so we combined Will's birthday with April's fun outing and you get Will's Birthday Rainforest Style. It was James, me, Jake, Will, Alaina Claire, April and her sister Wendy.

He had a big time checking out all of the animals and EVERYTHING they have there. I have to admit that I am quite positive Jake likes the place WAY more than Will. Nonetheless the birthday boy had a big time. We decided that it was no birthday without cake so he got one of the Chocolate Volcano cakes they have on their dessert menu. Now for those who have never been to the RC let me just tell you---It is a big mound of chocolate cake shaped in a volcano they used to have a sparkler lit coming out the top {somebody must have gotten hurt} because now it is just a sparkly streamer deal coming out the top. When they bring this thing out from the time they leave the kitchen to the time the server gets to your table they are yelling Voooooooooooooolllllllllllcaaaaaaanoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Yep you read it right. So it was hilarious to see Will's face after he heard that and then they sat it down in front of him. He was like "is this for me? are you sure?"--he was darting his eyes around to check what everyone else was doing. He was in awe. It was too cute.


Afterwards we walked around the mall a bit and I wish I had a good picture but I don't. Will was strutting all over the mall like he owned the place. He knew it was his day and everyone better get out of the way. Mr Personality I tell ya! What are we gonna do with him?????

Happy Birthday Will

Today little man Will's birthday. It is so hard to believe that he is 2 already!!! He is definitely FULL {brimming over for those that know him} of personality. He is loving and sweet but albeit mischievous to the core. Gotta love him.

I can't ever stay mad at him too long because he just gives that cheesy grin



and then gives you the look with the puppy dog eyes

That's our little man!! Boy are we SOOOOO proud!!

Happy Birthday William Isaac, We Love You!!

The bow

Just thought I would post a picture of Little Miss one of the very few times I have had a bow in her hair. I am just not the lubricant jelly w/ ribbon stuck in it kind of girl. I mean for special occasions that is fine but I'm not doing it every day. Everything else falls out right now including these with the velcro. Still looks super cute..........until she moves. I'm not sure what she was doing here--I think it is a cross between a yawn and trying to fit her fist in her mouth. HA!

Rocking my babies

This happens all the time. I'll be rocking one {lately AC} and the next one gets jealous and decides he wants to get up there too {lately Will} then the last one decides that it surely looks like a great idea and he wants to pile on top of everyone {obviously Jake}. Normally this happens during the day while I am home by myself and cannot possibly get a pic. This time it so happened that it was while James was home so I made him grab the camera before it all went downhill because someone elbowed someone else and that one arched their back because they were mad and made everyone jump down because they were falling anyway. I love these times though----they are priceless. I can remember when I used to rock Jake all the time but now, not so often. Will still lets me but on his terms. Right now I have Alaina Claire to fill that spot. But you never know when the last time is for that kind of thing---you turn around twice and they are too big. So for now, I enjoy it when I can.

I hope that my child
looking back on today
remembers a mother who had time to play.
Children grow up while you are not looking.
There will be years ahead for cleaning and cooking.
So quiet now cobwebs.
Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
~unknown author

Daddy's little girl

Nothing sweeter than the love a father has for his daughter

SNOW

The Spence House

Well the weatherman got it right this time! We woke up to a nice pretty blanket of snow at the Spence House this morning. 7 and 1/8 inches of it to be exact--measured in our backyard --look at the right side of the ruler.

I cooked breakfast and then we had to keep the boys at bay long enough to get them dressed to go outside and off we went. The boys had a big time well we all did actually AND we built a pretty nifty snowman if I do say so myself! When we came back in to get warm Net Net came over and made yummy snow cream for us too! Check out our pictures from today. {yes I know I need to update other stuff but that will come in time I promise...}

The boys on our front porch

Will's Snow Dance ???

An even funnier Jake Snow Dance {haha}

Mommy and Jake working on the snowman


Jake kissing the snowman before he was finished--he was obsessed with eating the snow--he was just diving and eating/licking the snow off the ground--crazy kid


All Will wanted to do while we built the snowman was swing--here he is in 25 degree weather swinging--another crazy kid


Daddy and his bruisers with the snowman

Mommy and her angels with the snowman =)


Meet Huskamida the snowman--Jake named him
or as James and I like to call him St Patty since he is decked in green...so
Happy early St Patricks Day!


This is Alaina Claire's reaction when we came in and told her all about the snow and the snowman we built while she was napping--she was super excited!

Kiss & Maverick--what a pair!

Looks like I gave birth to Gene Simmons {minus the painted face} and
Tom Cruise {minus the antics}! HAHAHA

possessed eyes and all just make the picture-hee hee!

That is one smooth little dude right there {in the words of his Papa}

Snoozing

Took the boys outside today. Thought it best to just put Alaina Claire in the front pack I have so I had my hands to catch runaway kiddos if need be. I went about doing my thing and happened to see my reflection in the window of my van. Little Miss had fallen asleep. It wore her out just watching her brothers. Isn't that a sweet face.

Possessed Cat

I just thought this was a hilarious picture of Maggie. This is the cat that thinks she is a dog. She fetches, specifically rubber bands. She loves them and if you have one lying anywhere around the house be prepared the next morning that it won't be there she can sniff them out and then she plays with them in the middle of the night and you find them in random places if you find them at all. Oh Maggie!

Get Together

We had our first birthday get together of the year today with the Childress family. There was lots of catching up, good conversation, lessons on how to clean toilets and watching the kids run around. Fun times, fun times with the Childress bunch!! Among the birthdays {Johnny, Richard, Nooge, Net Net} we celebrated Will's birthday too! He got some cuuute swim trunks and a tank and some cool shirts that of course in true Will fashion he HAD to put on right then. His most favorite gift I do believe was the 4 wheeler Aunt Gale got him.

Check him out:





We always have cake of course and this time my crazy kid {that would be Jake today} watched everyone lick the candles after we sang and they blew the candles out. So he proceeds to get a candle and start gnawing at the base of it. Like he really took a bite there were bite marks which I didn't capture out of the candles. Crazy kid! Knowing that didn't taste good just because he thought he saw everyone else doing it. He knows now....or at least til next time....









MY MOST FAVORITE THING FROM TODAY!!!!!

My Aunt Phyllis, Uncle Eugene, Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Ronnie gave us a Christening Gown for Alaina Claire. Phyllis had called to ask if I had one and I foolishly mentioned I would just use the one I did for the boys and she thought I was nuts I am pretty sure! hee hee This gown is absolutely GORGEOUS and yes now after seeing it the one I had really looks like a boy's gown. I took pictures but they aren't in the best light hopefully you can see some of it. THANK YOU Nanny, Nooge, Charlotte and Ronnie I love it's guts out!! {as Phyllis would say}


Weird color picture--i know. Look at the teeny tiny pearls on the embroidered flowers on the gown, plus it has lace!

A Night Out

For our Anniversary we did actually get to go out! {by ourselves!!} Yay for us---that rarely happens. Especially now with a 2 month old. So Jake went and spent the night with Granny Gaynell---don't you know that he is having a big time. Between Samantha, Kyndall and Granny I guarantee the boy hasn't had to lift one of his little bitty fingers to have to do anything! hee hee
Will and Alaina Claire stayed with Net Net. Will spent the night though we picked AC up when we got home.

Where did we go you ask? We went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse----can we say umm umm good!! Wow it was very tasty! Neither of us had been there before. Then we made our way to see a movie. Of course we ended up taking in an earlier movie so we were home by 10 ish. Pretty funny but hey we got out and that is what matters. It was a wonderful anniversary. *clink* here's to many more!!

Helping Daddy get Ready

Will was helping Daddy get ready for his night out with Mommy.

5 Years Ago Today

****Warning Warning-- sappy post below---not your usual Rach speak****

Today in 2003, I married my one and only, my cherry on top, my sweet sweet James Kenneth! I wake up every morning thankful to God that he brought this man into my life. I look back but I almost can't...because I can't picture my life without him. I do treasure him and all of the things he has given me and taught me and all the things we have experienced, accomplished and grown together. I am positive that I don't tell him these things enough and that I take for granted that he is with me every day but just in case you don't know, honey, now is the time to read the blog, my life truly is better because of you!! =) I love you baby!

I will leave you with one of the really cool things that we did at our wedding--it was a tradition we started with a Rose Ceremony. And yes for those wondering we still do it every year--this year I got lucky with a dozen roses but usually it is just the one like we started with. Here it is:

Rachel, I give you this rose. Because it grew from a tiny seed, becoming stronger and larger until it burst into flower, it symbolizes the way my love for you has grown.

Each year on our anniversary, I will give you another rose. By doing this, I’ll remember this day and renew the vows we’ve made.

James, I give to you this vase of water.

Because the water is the one thing without which we would perish, it symbolizes the importance of your love in my life. Each year on our anniversary, I will refill this vase, as a symbol to you of my ever renewing love.

Without water, the rose would die.

Without the rose, the vase of water would not be beautiful. My gift is enhanced by yours, just as my life is enchanced by yours.

My gift is lovely because of yours, just as my life is better because of you.

Today we begin our life as one.

Now is also a very appropriate time to remind those of you family and friends that shared that special day with us how much that meant for you to be there. Thank you all for the support and love you gave us before and have given us since then. We love you all!