The Things We Love - Letter L

Quinn - Lip Gloss

Quinn has far too many tubes of lip gloss - more than any child needs as evidenced by the pictures above!  Before Quinn went to Kindergarten, she used to spend one day a week with her Nana.  On their special days together, they made their weekly trip to Wal-Mart to grab a few items.  Quinn was allowed to pick out one small thing each time and she quickly gravitated each week to the lip gloss section.  Nearly 60 tubes later, Quinn has quite the collection.

Sad thing is - Quinn has her sister equally hooked on lip gloss.  Unfortunately for Sullivan, her parents don't trust her with a tube of her own yet!!  Visions of Sullivan eating the lip gloss or the lip gloss being smeared on the walls or on the furniture has hindered her ability to have some of her own!  In due time...maybe!  :)

Sullivan - Legos 

Sullivan loves to build with the Legos.  She doesn't necessarily care for her age appropriate Legos - you know the ones that are bigger and less of a choke hazard if they are put in the mouth.  Heaven knows these are the ones she should be playing with - especially after the cracker-in-the-nose incident and rock-eating (and chocking) incident of late.  It is obvious she will be the one that will probably stuff a little Lego in her nose, her ears, or some other hole in her body! The ER will most likely have a visit from us someday.  But these Legos, the little ones, are the ones she loves to build with.  She and Quinn love to build together.  Mostly Quinn gives the instructions and Sullivan listens. Typical big sister play!

Ryan - Le Tour De France

Ryan has watched "the tour" for years.  He got hooked on it back in the day when Lance Armstrong was the champion of riding. He followed it, and still does, pretty religiously.  On the weekends, he watches each stage early in the morning when he wakes up.  The stages that fall on a work day are recorded and watched all night long when he gets home.  I cringed at the sight of the tour when he first introduced me to it.  I didn't understand what was so fun about watching a bunch of men ride a bike up a hill.  But I do have to admit, he sort of got me hooked.  It is something that I sort of watch and follow during tour season.  Outside of the Tour De France, you won't find me watching any type of bike racing event!

Audra - Leaves  in the Fall

This is my favorite time of the year.  I love the weather, going to the apple orchard, picking out and carving pumpkins, picking out costumes for the girls, and I most definitely love the changing leaves on the trees!  Nothing beats a Tennessee fall - with the rolling hills covered in brightly colored autumn trees. It was the most beautiful sight...I miss that!  But the changing leaves here are beautiful too!  I have fond memories of going on walks with my mom and my sister when we were very little looking for different colored leaves that had fallen off the trees.  We would collect the leaves and make leaf books with the ones that we had collected.  It was so much fun!

Stylin' Sullivan

Sullivan's motto in life is "go big or go home."  She lives by this motto in all she does - she plays hard, she sleeps hard, she even accessorizes like crazy.  Check out the barrettes she insisted she wear...

She is so passionate about what she wants and what she does... she won't let anything stand in her way or let anyone walk all over her!  I love that about her.... I love that she is confident enough in what she believes in to stand her ground.  It may cause us some trouble as she grows up, but it will serve her well in life!

And It's Revealed...Finally!!!

Ask my sister - I have been hounding her like crazy to reveal the sex of the babies for quite some time.  Each and every time, she has responded, "We don't know what we are having - honestly!"  Although she's said this,  I have thought that they have known for quite awhile or at least had some strong suspicions and were keeping it a secret.  At every opportunity, I have been looking for Meredith to "slip" up and share that she knows what they are having.   Turns out they went in for their ultrasound last week and really didn't know before that.

To reveal the sex of their babies, they had us over for a cookout last night and ended the evening with two gender cakes.  For those unaware of what gender cakes are, they are cakes that are made with either blue or pink frosting/cake on the inside.  So when you cut into the cake, the gender is revealed.

We all took our guesses before the cakes were cut into... most but not all around the table thought that they are having one boy and one girl.  

The first cake was cut into and.............

IT'S A BOY!!!!

The second cake was then cut into and......

IT'S ANOTHER BOY!!!

TWO BOYS!!!!!  To say the least, I was shocked beyond belief.  There was no way on earth that I ever thought they would be having two boys.  I truly thought one of each, and if not that, it would be two girls!! Goes to show you what I know!!

We couldn't be more thrilled and more excited to welcome these two little BOYS into our family.  We are over the moon excited!!

Congrats Meredith and Matt!!!

Not a Moment's Peace

Like most households with small children, finding a moment's peace is rare - very rare!  We are not an exception to that rule.  In our house, one can not go to the kitchen without a trial of begging children behind you.  One can not go out in the garage to get something without two lively children pleading to play outside.  One can not go to the laundry room to start a load of laundry without someone wanting to dump in the detergent or "help".   And one can not even take a shower or a bath without an audience.

Every.singe.morning Sullivan Grace gathers all of her most cherished belongings - her blankets. her pillow. her bear. her pile of books. and sometimes even her breakfast and joins Ryan in the bathroom while he showers.

One may cringe when you see how close she lays to a toilet that is used by the man in our house.  I cringed too.  I tried to change it once upon a time - but in all honesty - it was a losing battle.  I dealt with it and moved on to bigger and better issues!

While Sullivan was laying next to the toilet (ugh!!), Quinn decided she didn't want to be left out of the party.  She carried in her stool, grabbed her toothbrush and brushed her teeth while Ryan showered.

 I am keeping my fingers crossed that this trend continues - I may have a bathroom to myself by week's end!

Another New Beginning...

Quinn started another new chapter in her school career last night.... her first night of homework!!!

Her homework consisted of tracing and writing some letters (letters O and P). Then she was asked to draw a picture and write a short sentence about the picture.  She was SO excited to have homework!!

One can only hope her enthusiasm for school continues! We are so proud of her!

Our Obsessions - Letter K

Quinn - Kindergarten

It's no surprise that Quinn loves Kindergarten and everything about it.  She loves Mrs. Mediger, her classroom teacher.  She loves "center time" and recess and the new friends she has met.  She loves picking out a book from the library each week and loves going to Art and Music.  The only thing that she is not yet a big fan of is PE - she must get that from me!  She wakes up each and every morning excited to go to school.  She has recently broken her dad's heart.  She no longer wants him to walk her onto the playground.  She prefers that he just drop her off on the curb so that she can go find her friends to play.  While this makes him sad, we couldn't be any happier that she is thriving in school and loves to be there!  We can only hope that love of school continues forever!  

Sullivan - Ketchup

Sullivan could eat ketchup on anything - literally.  No lie.  I caught her the other day dipping her apples and grapes in ketchup, along with her cookie for dessert.  Yuck!  My dear, sweet daughter goes through globs and globs of the wonderful condiment each week.  She's not really a fan of any other condiment - no mustard, mayo, ranch dressing or syrup.  Just ketchup!  

Ryan - Keloland News (any news really)

No joke... Ryan loves the news.  Nothing wrong with that.  He is informed, up-to-date on the latest happenings in Sioux Falls, and always knows the weather.  But Ryan might cross the line into obsession when it comes to the news.  At 10:00 each night he watches KSFY live and records KELO.  (For those of you not in Sioux Falls, they are both local news stations here.)  He watches KSFY until the weather comes on, then switches over to the DVR recording of KELO and watches that through the weather. Each. and. every. night.  No exceptions to the rule.

This is just the nightly news... this doesn't include reading both the Argus Leader and the USA Today each morning, CNN online each day, and the national news each evening.  Did I mention he loves the news?!?

Audra - Kids' Names 

With Meredith and Matt expecting twins, I have been sort of obsessed with baby names lately. To be honest, I have been more obsessed with knowing the gender of the babies - just ask Meredith! I just love looking at baby name books and I love trying to find that "perfect" name.  Can't wait to find out what my niece and/or nephew will be named - time will tell!

As Ryan and I were talking about this blog post, he reminded me just how obsessive I was picking out our own children's names.  I had certain criteria that had to be met before I would agree to the name.  Ryan liked common names, I like unusual names.  The baby's name couldn't fall within the Top 100 names on the Social Security Administration's official website of baby names (yes the SSA tracks names by year, by state, by popularity and more...it's pretty cool).  When Quinn was born, her name was near 550th most popular girl name for the previous year.  Sullivan didn't even make the top 1,000 (surprise, surprise)!  Guess my obsession started year's ago!

To My Dearest Angels...

Dear Quinn and Sullivan,

I found this quote once upon a time and fell in love with it.  It says everything that I hope you already know about yourselves and will always remember.


"If there is a tomorrow when we are not together...there is something you must always remember.  You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.  But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you."   - A.A. Milne

I love you girls more than you will ever, ever know!  You are the light of my life!

Love, Mom

What We're Obsessed With - Letter J

Quinn - Jewelry

Check out those wrists - not sure that Quinn could fit anymore bracelets on them if she wanted to!  This girl is obsessed with jewelry.  She has three million necklaces, two million bracelets, and half a million rings.  Oh, and half a million watches as well.  She certainly didn't get her love of jewelry from her mom, but maybe from her Nana! Her taste in jewelry is affordable now - let's just hope she is always so easy to please!

Sullivan - Just about all kinds of "canny"

From the archives... her sweet tooth developed long ago!

Sullivan inherited her love of sweets and "canny" from both her parents.  There isn't much she will turn down in terms of sweets. She can be downstairs playing and hear someone in the kitchen opening up a food wrapper.  Within 30 seconds, Sullivan will be up there seeing what you are eating and most likely she will beg you for a bite.  She loves all sorts of candy - but her favorites include M & Ms, Tootsie Rolls, Smarties, Jelly Bellies, and Skittles.

Ryan - Jelly Bellies

There once was a guy who refused to eat the jelly beans that his girlfriend asked him to try.
"No thanks. I don't like jelly beans," he said.
"Oh, but I think you'll like these," she insisted.  "They are not like any other jelly beans.  These are really, really good!"
With some hesitation and a lot more coaxing, he tried the jelly beans.  This boy fell in love on that day.  Not with his girlfriend, but with Jelly Belly jelly beans.
The rest is history... that was 1998.  He has been obsessed with and enjoying Jelly Bellies ever since!  So much so, that he really doesn't like to share with his two daughters (who are equally obsessed with them!).
His favorite flavor you ask?!  He has two.  The Sours mixture and Pomegranate. 

Audra - Jazz Fest

I love, love, love Jazz Fest.  There isn't anything like sitting in lawn chairs, listening to good music, enjoying the outdoors and eating great food.  The only problem?  It is always held in the middle of July - right in the middle of our heat wave of a summer!  No lie - the past two or three years have had heat indexes in the 100 degree range.  Way too hot to take your children too.  Way to hot to enjoy the outdoors or the great music.  I guess I am a fair weather fan, but I am crossing my fingers that next year provides us the opportunity to partake in Jazz Fest!

9/11 Remembered

It goes without saying that 10 years ago today, millions of people's lives were forever changed by the attacks of 9/11.  We can all probably close our eyes and remember where we were when we heard the news.  It will be an image that sticks with me forever.  The days and weeks following the attacks are so vivid in my mind.

I remember that for days after the attacks, the news stations scrolled names at the bottom of the screen of those lost in the attacks.  I remember staring at the scrolling names as I ate lunch each day just reflecting on the magnitude of each name that ticked by.  To me it was just a name that scrolled by - someone I didn't know and had never met.  To someone else though - that name that ticked by represented a person who was their world, their everything.

A tribute to those that lost their life in the 9/11 attacks

As I reflect on those names, I realize that those names scrolled across the screen were not the only ones that were affected by 9/11.  Including those that died in the attacks, this is just a small list of those affected by the terrorism on 9/11:

* The 2,823 people killed in the World Trade Center attacks (including firefighters, police officers, and first responders).
* The 189 men and women that died in the Pentagon attack
* The 45 people aboard Flight 93 that fatally crashed into a field in Pennsylvania
* The 1700+ husbands and wives who lost a spouse in the attacks
* The countless brothers and sisters, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunt and uncles and friends that lost a loved one
* The over 3,000 children who lost a parent
* The 1,300 children orphaned because of the attacks
* The 17 babies born to women whose husbands died in the 9/11 attacks who will never know their father
* The nearly 422,000 New Yorkers (and many more from the other attacks)  who are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the attacks.
* The 10,000 NYC school children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
* The ones who took their own lives (suicide) as a result of the trauma of 9/11
* The hundreds, even thousands, of workers suffering from illnesses and cancer as a result of what they inhaled during cleanup from the attacks for 200+ days.
* The estimated 200 men and women who looked out of their skyscraper window of a burning building and felt that the best option for survival was for them to jump
* The thousands of brave men and women who died fighting for our freedom during the war on terrorism - along with their friends and families
* The unknown number of innocent civilians killed in war-related actions while the US was and is fighting the war on terrorism

The list could go on and on... one could never truly document all the people that have been directly (and indirectly) affected by the attacks of 9/11.

Do you remember these iconic images?

I will forever remember the attacks of 9/11 and those that lost their lives.  My heart goes out to them and their loved ones. May we never forget them and the actions of our nation that united together to rebuild ourselves stronger. God Bless America!

Everywhere....

Everywhere I looked tonight, this is what I saw....

One should not complain about my children's obsessions with books.  I know this.  My girls love books and for that it makes my heart sing!!!  With that said, they are e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. I go or step!!! Maybe my OCD is setting in?!

The Things We Love - Letter I

Disclaimer: This post has a recurring theme... with the exception of Sullivan Grace's obsession.  I think it won't be long before we bite the bullet and fulfill at least some of our obsessions!

Quinn - iPod

Quinn received an iPod from her aunt and uncle for her birthday in April.  She absolutely LOVES listening to her music on her iPod with her headphones on.  She feels super cool when she is using her iPod and belting out her favorite tunes - most likely a Taylor Swift song or something from a Kidz Bop album!  It's amazing how far technology has come since we were kids.  If I wanted to listen to music at her age, the tape player would have weighed more than me!  

Sullivan - Ice Packs

For most two year olds, ice is the magic cure for many boo boos (or lack there of in our house).  This is true for our Sullivan Grace.  She loves to pretend that she has injuries just so she can carry her ice packs around with her.  Her "me-now" has the magic touch!

Ryan - iPad

Ryan has wanted an iPad for quite awhile. We have had many-a-discussions about getting one, but Ryan is having a hard time pulling the trigger.  We totally realize that we don't need one at our house, but rather would love to have one.  His parents got one a month or so ago, which I think has pushed Ry that much closer to getting one himself! We'll see what the future holds and how long we can hold out before we are owners of one ourselves!

Audra - iPhone

I am in desperate need of a new phone... B.A.D.!!!  My current phone has seen better days and continually shuts off without warning.  I secretly (or not so secretly) have my eye on an iPhone to replace my other.  I am not sure that it is the most practical for me right now or that I really need it, but I have heard nothing but rave reviews for everyone I know that has one!  I am sort of envious of their ability to play Angry Birds whenever they want!