FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING

Advanced reading material

2011-08-03T17:07:00.003-04:00

Aidan loves to read. He is always getting books down and either reading them to himself or asking one of us to read to him. I found him sprawled out on the floor with a book one day, and I couldn`t help but be amused (and proud) when I saw what he was reading.

**For those of you who are not Mormon, that is a Book of Mormon. It is another testament of Jesus Christ.

Five minutes peace

2011-08-03T16:55:00.004-04:00

This past school year, my nephew Colton(who is 8 months older than Aidan) stayed with us for 4 days a week. Four or five times a day Aidan and Colton would stop being destructive long enough to watch about five minutes of a movie before they would be at it again. Here`s one of their rare quiet moments.

They`re so cute.

He does everything his Daddy does....

2011-08-03T16:49:00.002-04:00

Aidan has known for awhile now that if he opens Bryan`s bottom dresser drawer and stands on it, he can reach whatever is on the dresser. He does this frequently, and this is always the first thing he does:

Random silliness

2011-08-03T16:45:00.003-04:00

Aidan is really good at coming up with silly things. He entertains himself and others quite well. I`m not sure why he thought wearing this hat over his eyes was so funny, but he laughed for like five minutes at it.

Playing catch up

2011-08-03T16:33:00.003-04:00

Bryan`s parents came for a visit in January while the temple was closed for two weeks. They stayed a few different places, visiting various family and came and spent about five days with us. We were so happy they came for a visit, especially Aidan.

Day 20-A talent of mine

2011-08-03T16:09:00.003-04:00

I originally was going to go with my ability to do any kind of voice when reading to kids. My nieces and nephews love it. But I wanted to include a picture of me reading to them, and I couldn`t find one. So I decided to go with me being to strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, about anything. Bryan reminded me yesterday that he considers this to be a serious talent of mine because I always do it and it`s not something that just anyone can do. I`m always striking up conversations with someone in the same aisle at the grocery store as me, or the person behind me in line at the drugstore who is eyeing my coupon binder, or the woman with Edward Cullen on her tshirt or purse; I can always find something to talk about with anyone. Working for years with the public definitely helped me with this, but it stems from the fact that I`m my daddy`s daughter. If you know my daddy, then you know what I mean.

Day 12-Something I bought recently

2011-07-19T21:15:00.000-04:00

We gave Aidan this last year for Christmas. BEST.MONEY.WE.EVER.SPENT.

Philips 7" Dual Screen Portable DVD Player (PD7012/37) - Blackâ : Target

Day 11- A photo of me taken recently

2011-06-15T12:21:00.003-04:00

This was taken back in December at Jackson`s 7th birthday party at Monkey Joe`s.

Day 10- A picture of me taken over ten years ago

2011-06-13T21:08:00.004-04:00

My scanner won`t cooperate with me tonight, so I have given up on it for now and I`m just going to use a picture from nine years ago. It`s close enough. This picture of my daddy and I was taken at a church youth function here in Columbia.

Day 9- Pet Peeves

2011-04-04T02:00:00.002-04:00

1. Whining (For example, Aidan`s new thing is to tell me. "I don`t want to" in the whiniest voice he can muster, anytime I tell him to do something he isn`t interested in)

2. Idiot drivers (I`m from SC, enough said, these are plentiful around here)

3. When someone rolls their eyes at me or suck their teeth at me

4. Selfish/fake/egotistical people

5. Living a long distance from my beloved Publix.

Day 8- Something I Crave

2011-04-01T22:38:00.001-04:00

Day 7- A piece of art

2011-04-01T11:56:00.005-04:00

The Storm by Jim Booth

My awesome husband gave me this on our wedding day. I had wanted it for years, and every time we saw it somewhere I told him that I wanted to own a copy of it one day.

Bryan`s grandfather Bebop painted this one. It`s called San Francisco Evening.

Day 6- A fun fact about me

2011-04-01T11:55:00.002-04:00

I skipped a day. Whoops.

I`ve been having trouble coming up with a fun fact about myself, so I recruited people.

Bryan said I should say I sing Sesame Street songs to myself in the shower. And yep, I do, when I can`t get them out of my head, which is often.

I have never been able to wink.

I always turn on one of the Twilight movies or This Is It when I am cooking dinner or doing housework.

DAY 5- A Favorite Quote

2011-03-30T12:29:00.003-04:00

The first one comes from my paternal grandfather, Bestefar.

At every family dinner, as soon as the prayer blessing the food was over, he would say in a booming voice, "Eat hearty, folks!"

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
— Maya Angelou

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
— Dr. Seuss

I`m a Beautiful Blogger!

2011-03-29T11:39:00.005-04:00

My awesome cousin Laci nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award. Thanks Laci!

The rules of this tag are to share 7 things about yourself, and then nominate 5 other beautiful bloggers.

My 7 things:

1. I want to learn 3 languages, Portuguese, Italian, and Norwegian. I want to learn Portuguese so my dad and I can converse in it. He learned it when he lived in Brazil for 2 years. Now he lives in Mozambique, another Portuguese speaking country. My reason for wanting to speak Italian is that I think it is just such a beautiful language, and when I visit Italy someday, I want to be able to understand what people are saying. My reason for wanting to speak Norwegian is that my paternal grandfather spoke it, and over the years he taught us various phrases in Norwegian and would also tell us stories and sing to us in Norwegian.

2. I love to take pictures, and want to own a really awesome camera one day.

3. I really want to have two daughters close together. I`m hoping this will make them great friends and that they`ll want to do a lot together.

4. I love tiramisu.

5. I am SCARED TO DEATH of the dark. Recently a friend reminded me that I always slept with a light on as a teenager. I still do. Ya`ll can laugh at me. I think it`s funny.

6. I am SO ticklish that it`s not funny. I really hate to be tickled. Someone has to barely touch me in one of my ticklish spots and I squirm away and start howling with laughter. This irritates Bryan a lot. He can`t even hug me without me laughing and trying to get away because I think he`s going to tickle me.

7. I want a Yukon Hybrid if I ever have enough youngins to fill it with.

I nominate:

My cousin Shay
My friend Stacy
My cousin Vanessa
My cousin Hillary
My friend Lacey

They were all chosen because they are all awesome. I love reading their blogs. Narrowing it down was difficult, though. I have a lot of awesome family and friends.

Day 4- A Favorite Book

2011-03-29T11:12:00.002-04:00

Read them if you haven`t.

I think he might be smarter than me....

2011-03-28T09:28:00.004-04:00

I left my laptop closed on my bed one day, and came back in a few minutes later to find this...

He was trying to find Chip and Dale on YouTube. He was doing pretty good, he got the internet up.

Day 3- 20 Favorite Things

2011-03-27T22:43:00.005-04:00

1. Double stuff oreos
2. Anything by Tom Petty
3. Reading(especially Twilight)
4. Listening to Aidan laugh
5. My mom`s homemade mac and cheese
6. Water slides
7. Gamecock basketball
8. Bath and Body Works Lavender Vanilla Body Wash
9. Scrapbooking with my mother in law
10. Glazed pound cake
11. Scary movies
12. Sewing
13. When Bryan comes home early from school.
14. My friend`s chicken bacon ranch cheeseball...YUM-O.
15. Exercising with my sister or friends
16. Singing primary songs with Aidan before he goes to bed
17. Shopping
18. Visits with my grandmothers
19. Singing in the car
20. Watching my parents play with their grandkids

Christmas 2010

2011-03-27T18:49:00.003-04:00

A free slideshow by Smilebox

These four awesome people were greatly missed, but we were able to talk to them and let them watch over a webcam.

Day 2- A favorite movie

2011-03-27T14:16:00.003-04:00

These are the two best movies ever...

But these 3 are so awesome I couldn`t leave them out.

Day 1- A Favorite Song

2011-03-26T15:16:00.002-04:00

There`s no way I could narrow it down to one song, so I`m going to go with these:

30 Day Blog Challenge

2011-03-26T14:58:00.004-04:00

A couple of my cousins are doing this 30 day blog challenge and I could use something to make me blog every day, so I`m going to do it myself.

30 Day Challenge
Day 01 — A favorite song
Day 02 — A favorite movie
Day 03 — 20 favorite things.
Day 04 — A favorite book
Day 05 — A favorite quote
Day 06 — A fun fact about me
Day 07 — A piece of art
Day 08 — Something I crave
Day 09 — Pet peeves
Day 10 — A photo of me taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of me taken recently
Day 12 — Something I bought recently
Day 13 — A talent of mine
Day 14 — Some place i want to go
Day 15 — My celebrity crush
Day 16 — A favorite food
Day 17 — My worst habit
Day 18 — Dream house
Day 19 — My future wedding
Day 20 — A hobby of mine
Day 21 — A favorite recipe
Day 22 — A favorite joke
Day 23 — A video
Day 24 — My day in great detail
Day 25 — A favorite photo
Day 26 — A funny (true) story
Day 27 — A child I love
Day 28 — A place I love
Day 29 — A person I love
Day 30 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Jackson`s 7th birthday

2011-03-26T11:48:00.002-04:00

Jackson`s 7th birthday was at Monkey Joe`s.

This slideshow design made with Smilebox

Edventure In The Winter

2011-03-26T11:26:00.002-04:00

All winter long at Edventure they had a winter exhibit with a polar bear, a snowmobile, a room where you could play with stuffed penguins, ice fishing for wooden fish, and a bunch of other fun stuff. Aidan couldn`t choose between the ice fishing and the stuffed penguins for his favorite thing to play with.

Slideshow design generated with Smilebox

Backtracking a little bit...

2011-03-24T20:13:00.004-04:00

BOO AT THE ZOO 2010

Last Halloween we took Aidan to Boo at the Zoo for the first time. Our awesome friends Tammy and Xavier went with us. There were candy stations set up everywhere, a haunted carousel, a haunted train, a bubble machine, and we were able to feed the animals in the barn. It was so much fun, and better than trick or treating.

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Zoo trip

2011-03-24T12:09:00.002-04:00

Before my parents left, my mom took Jill and her kids and Aidan and I to the zoo for a few hours(Jason and his family had somewhere else to be that day.) It was a gorgeous day, perfect weather. The new wallaby exhibit was up, and we all enjoyed being together.

Free digital scrapbooking design created with Smilebox

And they`re off....

2011-03-24T11:40:00.003-04:00

On November 1st, 2010, my parents left for another 18 month mission in Mozambique. Aidan and I picked them up that morning and drove them to the airport, where Jason and all four kids and Uncle Les were waiting for us. They went to check in, only to find out that Mama had a ticket for their first flight, but Daddy did not. So Daddy sat down and called the lady in Utah who had made all their travel arrangements, and she said she would look into it and call him back. Finally, she did, and during a couple more phone calls over about the next hour, different solutions were discussed. They could hang around at the airport until mid-afternoon, and fly out then, or fly out the next morning, both of which would result in changes in their itinerary and the loss of their World Traveler seats(which Mama was NOT happy about.) Apparently World Traveler seats are bigger and more comfortable, and they were going to be on a few different flights, and some of them were lengthy. Finally they were put on a flight leaving in the early afternoon, so Jason, the kids, and Uncle Les went home and Mama and Daddy and Aidan and I all went to lunch at Ruby Tuesday`s and then back to the airport. Somewhere in the middle of lunch, it hit me that this would be the last meal I would have with my parents for 18 months. But I was determined to enjoy it and not be sad like last time, when I cried anytime I saw someone else start crying. But I`ll blame that on being pregnant. So after lunch we ran an errand for Mama and then it was back to the airport. This time we just parked at the drop-off zone, unloaded their luggage, said our goodbyes, exchanged hugs and kisses and I love you`s, and then they had to go in. They are such awesome parents doing an awesome work. So proud of them and so lucky that they are my parents.

Overdue Posts

2011-03-24T11:37:00.001-04:00

I have so many things that I want to blog about that are so overdue, so here they all are, starting about last November with Mama and Daddy leaving.

Aidan`s first football game

2010-11-23T19:18:00.003-05:00

Bryan and I took Aidan to the Furman game a few months back. He was excited to be there, and see the Gamecocks play in person, and especially to see Cocky and get a picture with him. He was incredibly well behaved and sat still most of the game.

A little Halloween preview...

2010-11-23T19:14:00.002-05:00

The cutest giraffe I`ve ever seen.

They love yogurt and Dora

2010-11-23T19:09:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Aidan and Colton both wanted to have some yogurt and eat it while they watched Dora after their nap. They never took their eyes off the TV the entire episode.

Anna`s 10th birthday

2010-09-09T11:40:00.001-04:00

Colton is 3!!

2010-09-09T10:54:00.001-04:00

He sang Happy Birthday to himself but no one was able to get it on video. It was so funny.

Helper boy

2010-09-09T10:39:00.002-04:00

One day a week my nephew Colton stays with us, and a couple of weeks ago, he walked up to me and told me that Aidan had a dirty diaper. I told him to go tell Aidan to go lay down on the rug and I would be right there. A minute later, when I walked into the room, I saw this:

He must have been really hungry...

2010-09-09T10:23:00.004-04:00

I went to run errands one day, leaving Aidan at home with Bryan, and when I got home, they showed me this picture:

Busy Day

2010-08-27T23:27:00.006-04:00

Aidan and I left the house at 10:00 this morning and went to Edventure, where we played for almost two hours. After that we went and ate lunch at the new Chick-Fil-A in West Columbia, where Aidan was excited to find out that they had built a toddler playplace with steps that he could actually climb. He played for over an hour and I`m pretty sure he forgot I was there. When we left Chick-Fil-A we went up to Babies R Us and then on to Target, where Aidan had the worst meltdown of his life, and four childless women stared at me until I got him calmed down. Target didn`t have what I was looking for, so I went to Kohls and found it there, and then we went to Publix to get Bryan`s birthday cake. On our way home, I realized that both Target and Publix had overcharged me and Aidan was grumpy, so it`ll have to be dealt with another day. We came home and sang Happy Birthday to Bryan and gave him his Gamecock flipflops to match all his new USC shirts. We were gone more than eight hours, the longest I think Aidan has been out and about in one day, so the single meltdown was probably a miracle. After about ten minutes of trying to keep him awake on the way home, I gave up and pulled over, laid his seat back and he was asleep in less than 30seconds. It`s no surprise, though, with all the time he spent running around at Edventure and Chick-Fil-A.

First trip to Edventure

2010-05-31T22:31:00.002-04:00

A couple weeks ago we got a family membership to Edventure and took Aidan for the first time. There are so many things for kids to do. It is an amazing place. Aidan wanted to do absolutely everything and had a blast.

Recent Happenings

2010-05-27T23:51:00.003-04:00

AIDAN:

-Learned to count and say his ABC`s
-Learned to say lollipop and I`m going to get you.
-Loves birds, trees, Dora, and Nascar.
-Does not like flavored milk.

and today, for the first time, ate his fair share of dirt

KELLY:

-Began reading the Sherlock Holmes stories.
-Decided that I am over having a sewing needle break off in my foot four years ago and am now ready to sew again.
-Discovered that sewing is not something a lot of people my age do anymore, making it hard to find what I need to make Aidan a toy bag for church. FRUSTRATING!
-Became addicted to Happy Town.

BRYAN:

-Has begun summer school.
-Lost 20 pounds.
-Redone Grandma`s flower beds.
-Taught Aidan his ABC`s.

Graduation

2010-05-27T23:47:00.003-04:00

Bryan graduated from Midlands Tech last month. Woo Hoo! He`ll start business school in the fall. We are so proud of him. He has worked so hard!

Aidan loves...

2010-05-27T23:41:00.004-04:00

any baseball hat. He wears one every day.

Aidan`s second birthday

2010-05-27T23:35:00.004-04:00

Aidan`s second birthday party was on April 17 at Virginia Hylton Park. We had never been there before, and Aidan and all the other kids had a lot of fun exploring all the new things to play on. It`s a good-sized park. The party was jungle themed like last year with an awesome Madagascar cake. Aidan loved all of his presents and being able to play with family and friends.

Slip and slide with cousins

2010-04-14T19:05:00.002-04:00

During spring break we had a slip and slide at the top of the hill for all the kids. This was our first one of the year. We do them all summer long, but it was nice that the weather was warm enough for one while all the kids were on spring break. Aidan played on them last year, but was so young that it really wasn`t fun for him. He liked it better this time. The first time he walked down the plastic, he slipped and whacked the back of his head on the ground. He laid there stunned for a little bit, and then did it over and over.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-14T18:47:00.003-04:00

On Easter Sunday we discovered that the Easter Bunny had come to visit Aidan during the night, and put Aidan`s easter surprises in one of our toy baskets because Aidan`s Easter basket was lost in the move and I haven`t found one I like yet. Aidan played with his new things, then we watched the first session and then had lunch at Mama and Daddy`s, where we sang Happy Birthday to Bestemor and Aunt Becky. After lunch we watched the second session and then Aidan and his cousins looked for easter eggs. All the pictures from that are on Jill`s camera because we forgot to take ours up there. I`ll put them on Facebook when I get them. It was a fun day, and the weather was really nice.

You would think this would be uncomfortable...

2010-04-10T15:22:00.006-04:00

But he does it all the time!

Aidan`s Easter Outfit

2010-04-10T15:08:00.004-04:00

Bryan`s mom made the smocked outfit that Aidan wore on Easter Sunday. I can`t remember if it was for Bryan or for his nephew Blake, but she used to make a lot of clothes for them, and Aidan gets to wear those outfits now. This one had eggs on the front. He looked so adorable in it.

He was saying cheese as I was taking the picture. That`s one of his many new things.

Zingmark Zoo Trip

2010-04-10T14:58:00.003-04:00

Bryan`s sister Rebecca came down from DC the week of Easter, and before she left she and I took the three youngest grandchildren to the zoo on Good Friday. It was packed and hot, but the kids had fun riding the carousel and feeding various animals. I think Aidan was most excited to feed the giraffe. These three kids don`t get together much, so they enjoyed being able to run around together and bond. Aidan enjoyed finally being able to keep up with them. Becca and I enjoyed getting to spend time together also. We`ve really missed her since she moved. After Becca and the girls left, Aidan and I went to visit the penguins and the aquarium, and then our last stop was at the gift shop where Aidan got a toy lion and a toy giraffe.

Multi-functional furniture

2010-03-14T18:53:00.004-04:00

Halfway there

2010-03-13T19:40:00.001-05:00

Only two years to go!

Tagged by Stacy

2010-03-02T23:40:00.005-05:00

My friend Stacy tagged me on Monday, so here goes. Facts about me in 4`s:

4 shows I like to watch:

1. Brothers and Sisters
2. Lost
3. 19 Kids and Counting
4. The Forgotten

4 things I`m passionate about:

1. Healthy food
2. Twilight
3. Scrapbooking
4. Not allowing Aidan to hit

4 phrases I say a lot:

1. Stay out of the dishwasher.
2. Did you go poo-poo?
3. Drink your milk.
4. Go find your lion.

4 things I have learned from the past:

1. Hug your grandparents.
2. Wear shoes if you have a little one who scatters his toys around.
3. Mama always says you get more with honey than with vinegar, and she's right.
4. Count to five(sometimes 10) before you discipline your child.

4 places I would like to go:

1. Italy
2. France
3. Hawaii
4. Spain

4 things I did yesterday:

1. Talked to my friend Heather
2. Ate grilled chicken and rice and green beans for dinner
3. Watched Lost
4. Played with my dog

4 things I'm looking forward to:

1. Bryan's graduation
2. Warmer weather
3. Eclipse
4. Aidan`s birthday party

4 things I love about winter:

1. SNOW!! (on the rare occasion that we get it)
2. Jackson`s birthday
3. Ashley`s birthday
4. Mama`s birthday

4 things on my wish list:

1. whirlpool bathtub
2. A yukon hybrid
3. trip to the beach
4. new dining room table

4 friends to tag:

1. Laci
2. Melissa Smith
3. Christi Mayo
4. Lacey Costner

Today`s Happenings...

2010-02-23T22:53:00.003-05:00

-Aidan said hi for the first time.
-I found organic yogurt that has servings of vegetables in it, brought one home for Aidan to try, and he loved it.
-Aidan did not empty his dresser drawers.
-I discovered that Mobile Web is harder than I thought to use.
-Aidan can now say Daddy, so I`m holding out for Mommy.
-Bryan and I cleaned the church building
-And then waited in line for a year at Walmart
-My friend Christi had her baby-SO CUTE
-Thought for half a second when I saw the baby pictures,"Oh, how sweet. I want another one."
-And that's how long that thought was appealing.

Inspired By Cousins

2010-02-12T23:37:00.003-05:00

Two of my cousins recently did posts on internet and blogging safety and keeping our kids safe in the digital world. They had a lot of good tips on how to do this and links to a lot of great articles about these topics. Since I would like to keep my blog public as long as possible, there are changes that I'll have to make on here. I'll remove our last name until I decide to go private, so if anyone has suggestions for blog names that don`t include any of our names at all, then I'd love to hear them. I'd also love your thoughts on blogging safety. The last thing is something that one of my cousins mentioned in her post about this, and that is to please not use our last name in any blog posts or on a list of blog links or give out any of our personal information. I'm pretty sure that I don`t have to worry about that, but you can never be too careful. Thsnks for understanding, and thanks you two for your blog posts. Now if there was a way to be safer on Facebook. I hate that I get friend requests all the time from people I don`t know.

Blogging Funk

2010-02-11T23:05:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since I blogged. A lot has happened, some good, some not fun, and some sad. I`m trying to sort through pictures that I want to post, so bear with me.

How cute are these?

2009-12-21T23:11:00.003-05:00

I clicked on a link on a friend`s blog, and while browsing the site I came across these phototinks, and thought I would try to make one. They turned out to be really easy to make. If anyone`s interested, the website is www.widdlytinks.com and then click on the phototinks link on the left.

Digital Scrapbooking Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

A Wonderful Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T18:59:00.002-05:00

We have much to be thankful for this year. It has been a busy one, complete with a move, some challenges and interesting moments. We had a great Thanksgiving, a delicious dinner with my awesome family, visited my dad`s parents, and had yummy desserts and time with my grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins at Grandma`s house. I am thankful that...

1. I have an eternal marriage to a wonderful man who is hard-working and a wonderful father.

2. A healthy little boy who adores me.

3. Parents who raised me in the true gospel.

4. My wonderful in-laws who raised my husband in the true gospel and are loving grandparents to Aidan.

5. Grandparents who love me, and who raised my parents to make righteous choices in their lives.

6. Aunt Ellen, and the love she always showed me. I miss her the most this time of year.

7. Papa, and the wonderful, kind, loving man he was.

8. That I was present at the marriage and sealing of my cousin Miranda to a wonderful young man.

9. The Plan of Salvation.

10. That we sold our house.

11. That we are healthy, the roof over our heads, and that Bryan is able to go to school full time and that I am able to stay home with Aidan.

These are only some of the things that I am thankful for. I would be sitting here all day if I chose to list them all. It is wonderful to be as blessed as we are, and I know that it all stems from the Savior, who was willing to give his life so that we may all enjoy so many blessings.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-04T21:01:00.004-05:00

This year our ward had it`s annual Trunk or Treat. It was out at my family`s farm. This year there was a bonfire and the kids roasted marshmallows, and there was music and the kids danced around. After they collected their candy, we went on a hayride. Aidan was a really cute monkey. He had a lot of fun playing with the other kids and seeing them all dressed up. He especially enjoyed going to visit his great-grandparents and being fed a lot of candy to keep him happy on the hayride. There aren`t as many pictures this year, because we were too busy trying to keep Aidan out of the bonfire.

Double Ear Infections, Round One

2009-11-03T11:29:00.002-05:00

The past few days, Aidan has had a yucky runny nose, a cough, and a sore throat. I told Bryan on Saturday that if he was not better by Monday, that I was going to take him to the doctor. Sunday morning he was the same, so I opted to keep him home from church so he wouldn`t make all the nursery kids sick, and called my mom, who is in Utah for a week with her two sisters and my grandmother. She asked did he have a fever and he didn`t, so then she says to check his throat. That`s a really fun job with a toddler and no tongue depressor(note to self, must keep those around) so I managed to get a really short look and then called her back to tell her that I saw white spots. She said to go ahead and take him to the doctor because it could be strep, so we waited until the Urgent Care in Swansea opened at twelve, and off we went. Thankfully, there was no strep, but he has a bad cold and both ears are infected. The good news is that the ears were already starting to heal on their own.

Gone Camping

2009-10-28T14:32:00.002-04:00

Two weekends ago we went camping at Kings Mountain State Park. It rained on us, and was really cold, but we had fun. Saturday Bryan and Aidan and I drove to Asheville for a crafts show and then walked around downtown. Other than that, we hung around the campsite or took Aidan to play on the big playground.

Jenn`s birthday and fun with Brenna Drew

2009-10-28T11:28:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Emily and Courtney

2009-10-28T11:21:00.002-04:00

Emily and Courtney turned four on September 27th. We only caught the tail end of their party because we were at our nephew`s baptism. For party details and pictures, go to therossfamilycircus.blogspot.com. There`s a link down at the bottom of this page.

Happy Birthday Anna

2009-10-28T11:08:00.003-04:00

Anna turned nine on September 6th. Her party was at a local pond.

Happy Birthday Colton

2009-10-28T10:50:00.001-04:00

Colton turned 2 on August 29.

I could have flipped out....

2009-10-03T16:48:00.007-04:00

But these were just too funny.

For this one, I was watching TV after dinner one night, and kept hearing a rustling in the kitchen. I thought I had left everything on the counter out of his reach, until I got curious and went to see what he was doing, and found this.

These next ones are all the result of me having my back turned for thirty seconds.

On the coffee table with Colton

On the computer desk

The after-effect of getting into a desk drawer

What used to be the toilet paper holder

And now I`m going to go take the thankfully unopen can of diet coke from him before he figures out that throwing it will open it. He already knows this about yogurt.

For Papa

2009-09-11T15:57:00.006-04:00

My beloved Papa, Lester Thurman Carroll, died Wednesday night at 5:23 pm. He was born October 17, 1927 in Horry County, SC. He married my grandmother, Barbara Jacqueline Bone, on August 31, 1946. They have six children, twenty-one grandchildren, and twenty great-grandchildren. Papa was a sailor in the Navy and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served a five year mission in the Atlanta Temple of our church with Grandma. I`ve been thinking for the past few days about what I wanted to say about Papa, and came up with some of my favorite memories of spending time with him and some things I thought were funny growing up.

-He would always put sugar in Laci`s and my cereal(this was probably allowed in Laci`s house, but was not in mine)
-He made the most delicious bran mufifns
-When Laci and I would spend the night at his house, he would give us each one of his big white t-shirts to sleep in, then make us a big pallet at the foot of his and Grandma`s bed, and then he would snore so loud all night Laci and I never got any sleep.
-He and Grandma took Laci and I camping in NC when we were about ten, and he bought us both ice cream cones every day
-Big family dinners in the garage of the house on Cliffside Circle
-That he removed the door of the playroom in that house because all the grandkids slammed it shut so much
-He always called me Lovey or Kelly Jane, which I always thought was funny because my name is Kelly Anne.
-Easter egg hunts in his and Grandma`s backyard
-I think it was the day we were having my fifth birthday party when Hurricane Hugo was supposed to hit, and I was scared, but Papa picked me up and told me that we would all be safe and I had nothing to be afraid of.
-Every Christmas Eve when they lived on Cliffside Circle, a fire truck would come by with Santa Claus, and they would stop at the houses and I think give out candy. I was barefoot and in my nightgown one year, and for some reason wouldn`t walk across the yard like that, but wanted to go out and see Santa, so Papa carried me from the house and out to the fire truck and then back inside.

Papa was a great man, kind, hard-working and loving, and completely selfless. I was thinking tonight, as I stood over his casket, that if he could, he would have wanted to know why we were all making a big deal over him, and told us all to go out to dinner or to a movie, or at least do something more exciting than make a big fuss over him, because it was unnecessary. It would have been the only time that I would have told him he was wrong about something.

I love you Papa. You were a loving and courageous man, and I am thankful for the great example you were to all of us, and that you were able to seal Bryan and I. I am so lucky that I am your granddaughter. I know that you are where you need to be and am proud of you for living worthy to enable you to return there. I love you so much and will miss you, but I am thankful that your struggles are over.

P.S. Hug Aunt Ellen for me.

Love,
Kelly

Happy Birthday to Bryan

2009-08-31T23:36:00.003-04:00

Bryan turned 34 on August 26. My family had a party with a german chocolate cake(his favorite), and his family had this sinfully delicious chocolate cake and then everybody made smores. Terrible for our diets, but YUM.

Coldplay Viva La Vida 8-7-09

2009-08-12T00:39:00.003-04:00

This concert was awesome...we had so much fun!!! I definitely recommend the experience if you can handle bright lights and loud music.

Need help with fonts

2009-07-24T00:23:00.002-04:00

If anybody knows how to add a font to your blog in an uncomplicated fashion, please take the time to explain it to me. Also, if anyone knows how to put a picture in a header, please tell me. I can download the header, but don`t know how to get the picture in there.

Aidan`s First Haircut

2009-07-23T23:48:00.003-04:00

I want to grow Aidan`s hair out kind of long, down past his neck a little ways. Bryan and I had noticed the past couple of months that his hair was looking kinda crazy and unkempt, despite efforts to keep it looking the opposite. So I decided to have it trimmed a little bit, hoping that that would cause it to even out some and grow out a little faster. Someone, no idea who, told me that his hair would grow a little quicker with a little trim. So, I wanted to take Aidan to the same place where Bryan gets his hair cut, and Bryan agreed, but would only let this one lady there cut it, because he didn`t trust anyone else. So I take him up there, and when she is putting him in the seat, she asks do I want it trimmed just a little bit, and I say yes. Aidan loved the booster, did not mind the cape at all, and only got restless the last two minutes, and then sat still after being allowed to chew on her spray bottle. I was really surprised that he did so good. She took off a little more hair than I wanted, but his hair grows quickly.

So behind on blogging...again

2009-07-23T23:38:00.002-04:00

It`s been a busy few weeks. We moved(there`s a really fun process) then there was Fourth of July and Bryan`s dad`s birthday(on the same day), and then I was out of town for a day with Bryan`s family, then there was cleaning the house now that we don`t live there(still not done). So I`m making an effort to catch up, while also trying to figure out some tricks from really crafty bloggers. For those who know me well, know that I am not computer or technologically savvy individual. This oughta be fun. By the way, Christi, your blog has been a BIG help.

Harpers Island Disappointment

2009-07-12T22:32:00.004-04:00

I have been watching Harper`s Island since it first aired, and I`ve been really into it since then. Last night was the series finale, and although I`m glad that Jimmy turned out to be good, and that he and Abby made it out alive, I am annoyed that Cal and Chloe and Trish were all killed. Even though I saw it coming, and I would have rather it been him than Jimmy, I was still peeved that Henry was Wakefield`s accomplice. I loved the show, but I was disappointed with the way the end of it played out.

One more thing:

Hurray for Abby...for spearing Henry with whatever that thing was.

3 years and counting...

2009-05-17T00:20:00.000-04:00

On May 6 we celebrated our third anniversary. We went to the mall and walked around, ate the best cookies in the world(Great American Cookie Company...YUM) bought Bryan a pair of Crocs and me a shirt from Ann Taylor, and then ate at Outback.
It was nice to be able to get out of the house and do something this year. Last year we had a newborn, so we stayed home and dinner that some friends brought us. We`ve had a great three years together and it just keeps getting better. I`m so glad that Bryan decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Happy 3rd anniversary honey!!!

Rosewood Crawfish Festival

2009-05-06T14:57:00.000-04:00

WARNING: LONG POST

Bryan has known how to blow glass for the last nine years, but for the last couple of years he`s taken a break to work and go to school. Within the last few months, he`s caught up with an old friend that also blows glass. This friend lets Bryan come in and make jewelry in his shop, so Bryan has gotten back into blowing glass. A couple of weeks ago, Bryan came to me and told me that he had heard about the Rosewood Crawfish Festival where artists can come and sell their work, and he wanted to rent a space for the day. So we packed up some of his paintings and all his jewelry, left Aidan with Mom, and took off at seven thirty last Saturday morning to go to this festival. Bryan has done a lot of things like this before, but I never have, and I really enjoyed myself. It rained off and on, and was pretty cloudy most of the day, but it was nice because it kept it cool for most of the day. I even ate crawfish etouffee(is that spelled right?) for the first time, something I`ve always thought I wouldn`t like, but it was SO GOOD. So, in retrospect, it was a nice day, we had fun and enjoyed being together, and I enjoyed trying new things. It wasn`t even hard to leave Aidan all day like I thought it would be(he`s never been away from both of us all day before.) I knew he was in good hands with my mom. There was one thing I saw at the festival that made me question some people`s sanity and common sense when it comes to parenting. I would like to know who on earth would bring their THREE WEEK OLD baby to a place that was as crowded as this was, with a ton of drunks and smokers, and completely unsanitary conditions, and lay her down on a portion of THE STREET while they enjoyed the festival. Especially with the while swine flu thing. Who would do that? We left our twelve month old at home because we thought that it wasn`t a good environment for a baby. Come on people.

AIDAN IS ONE!!!

2009-05-05T23:00:00.000-04:00

Yep, my little boy turned a year old on April 25th. The boy who used to have to rely on me for everything is quickly becoming as independent as he can. He has learned how to walk with help, climb out of the bathtub, up the entire flight of stairs(I wasn`t panicking) and onto the coffee table, and how to play in the toilet and bite. Aidan has had his moments where he has driven me crazy, but he has always been a perfect baby. He slept through the night at less than a week old, almost never cried, and smiled constantly. In the last week or so he has started to learn how to share. He has always been a sweet baby. I am so thankful for this adorable and precious little boy. Happy Birthday Aidan!!!

Mama and Daddy are home!!!!

2009-04-17T23:18:00.000-04:00

Valentine`s Day

2009-03-17T02:35:00.000-04:00

We had decided that for dinner on Valentine`s Day we would go to Outback, but when we drove up there that night, there was an hour wait just to put your name on the list, and then another hour minimum to be seated. We decided to drive back to Lexington and eat at O'Charley`s, which brought up a conversation of the previous year`s events. Bryan and two guys in our ward got together and told us three girls that we were watching a movie and eating dinner. Then they disappeared one by one after making up excuses to go out to the cars and upstairs looking for things and delivered clues that we had to go find. They sent us to the riverbank where Bryan proposed to me, to a church building where one of the guys proposed to his wife, and to the restaurant where the other couple had had their first date, which was the same restaurant that Bryan and Aidan and I were at. Then they cooked us this really great dinner. It was a fun night, out first ever Valentine`s Day with Aidan, who sat in his high chair and munched on cheese and a tortilla and was good all night. I even got roses out of it all.

No Stopping This Little Boy

2009-03-17T02:28:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, Aidan had an accident in the exersaucer that resulted in the removal and washing of the cloth seat. I forgot about it and left it sitting on the dryer for awhile, and Aidan hadn`t played in it since the day it was washed. Bryan and Aidan are in the office one day, when Bryan calls for me to come in there and see what Aidan is doing. He was crawling around on the floor playing, and I don`t know what made Bryan turn around, but when he did, he saw that Aidan had crawled onto the bottom part of the exersaucer, and pushed himself up through the empty middle part where the cloth seat goes. Pretty smart thinking, and he was very proud of himself.

Strange and uncomfortable sleeping positions

2009-03-17T02:08:00.000-04:00

Don`t Mess With Aidan....

2009-03-17T02:04:00.001-04:00

You might get a nasty look.

GASTROENTERITIS AND ONE MISERABLE BABY

2009-03-15T14:34:00.000-04:00

This week`s events:

Week was relatively normal until Wednesday night, when Aidan didn`t eat well...very unusual for him. Thursday was no different, he only drank milk and was not at all interested in solid food. So after his lunch bottle, I carried him into the kitchen and was about to clean up his face and wash the bottle, when he throws up everywhere and on both of us. I had to set him down on the floor to clean it up, and he cried and cried because he wanted to be held. I was watching three kids then, so Bryan had to come and get Aidan and take him home, while I disinfected everything Aidan had touched that day. He didn`t throw up again, but he has had about ten bad diapers for the last every day for the last three days. So last night, when there are no signs of it letting up, I call a pharmacist that we go to church with and ask what he thinks about Imodium for a ten month old. He says no Imodium for a child under two, and tells me some things we can try, and says he recommends having him looked at. So we all head off to the urgent care at about 7:30, and there is a four hour wait. We haven`t had dinner, and Aidan is going back and forth between clingy, happy and irritable. I`m freaked out because I`m a first timer, I know nothing about this type of thing(thanks Jill and Rachael, for the advice) and I`m trying not to meltdown between my semi-dehydrated child, whose weight I`m worried about, because he has not gained easily over the last ten months. Thankfully it took less than four hours, and the doctor said he had gastroenteritis, and then couldn`t make up her mind whether or not he needed an x-ray to see if air and gas were trapped in his stomach. So we were sent home with a cranky tired baby, a prescription to treat a bad diaper rash, and instructions to make him drink as much as we could. This morning, after he was awake half the night screaming(again, completely unusual for him)he is still going through the diapers, though not as much, so maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Getting good at these....

2009-03-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

Late birthday posts

Not my best day

2009-02-21T19:30:00.000-05:00

My day started out that I was late to Anna`s basketball game. After it was over, I went on a search for valentine m&m`s that I needed to put the finishing touch on a cake, and every store I went to had every kind of valentine candy in the world, but no m&m`s. Finally, tired of taking Aidan in and out of the car at place after place, I gave up and went to meet Bryan for lunch. When I got to Burger King, their credit card machine was broken, and anyone who knows me well knows that I don`t carry cash. It wasn`t long before Bryan was supposed to be there, so I made Aidan`s bottle with hot water from the coffee maker(someone please tell me why the water in those things is so hot that you have to wait fifteen minutes before you can even think about drinking whatever you used the hot water for). Aidan was very impatient while I was soaking the bottle in cold water, trying to cool it down as fast as I could. Finally I got him to eat, and still no Bryan. So we played and we waited, and we played and waited some more, my blood sugar dropping by the minute, because I had only eaten a thing of yogurt all day at that point, and still no Bryan. Finally he called and said he was on his way. When he walked inside I told him why I hadn`t eaten, so he handed me some cash and went to put Aidan in the car. I get in line, ready for that chicken sandwich and fries after smelling everyone else`s Whoppers and fries for the last hour, and after the ten people in front of me have gone on, I notice a second sign at the register that says that don`t have anything but Whoppers. I get out of line and go tell Bryan what the sign said and then tell him let`s just go. Why do you have signs on your windows advertising all these great looking sandwiches if you can`t make any of them? The reason I didn`t go somewhere else was that A) we were on Bluff Road where there is no other anything, and B) because I was waiting on Bryan so we could go to the Congaree Swamp so he could do an ecology report. Bryan was late because he was taking a test this morning, and he was forced to wait forty minutes at the testing center before they would even let him take his test. What a day...thankfully it got better due a late, great lunch of manicotti.

One very late post

2009-02-16T14:38:00.000-05:00

January 10 was my grandfather`s birthday. For those of you who saw the post about my dad`s birthday, yes, their birthdays are a day apart. I always thought that fact was cool. When I was in elementary school, I always told kids that my dad was a day older than his dad. It probably confused some kids. Anyway, this was Bestefar`s
95th birthday. He was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1914. When I was a teenager he and my grandmother took a trip with my parents and I out west, and we stopped in Nauvoo. If you`ve never been to Nauvoo, Illinois, there are all kinds of things there to make it look like it did when it was settled. There were some games set up that you could play that children played in the 1800`s, and one of them was a game that was still around when Bestefar was a child. You take a large round piece of metal, and roll it down a stick to get it moving, and then you run around pushing it with the stick. Bestefar wanted to play, so he ran around behind that large metal piece for as long as he could. He was about 86 years old at the time, so that was pretty interesting sight. I wish I had the pictures to put on here, but my parents have them. Bestefar is a person with very unique qualities and a lot of talents.
He is an exceptional piano player, and a great person to have a conversation with.
Recently he retold me a story from when he was in Germany in World War Two that I have always found very interesting. Someone from his unit while messing around one day, playfully put a German sailor`s hat on his head, and shortly after some Germans came by, and one of them asked Bestefar in German, "Where are the Americans?" Bestefar thankfully knew some German, so he answered back in German that he didn`t know, and the Germans kept on going. Bestefar has made a lot of sacrifices in his life to give his children and grandchildren a wonderful life, and I am so thankful that he was willing to make those choices and for the example he has always been to me.

Happy birthday Bestefar!

Terrible at posting

2009-02-13T22:20:00.000-05:00

I have not been that great at posting lately. It is most definitely not due to lack of things to post, it is more like lack of time and not knowing how manage what time I do have at night efficiently. I plan to reorganize my daily routine to make more time for blogging and other things that I have let go lately. I say to myself a lot that if Kate Gosselin can be as organized and clean and together as she is, then there is a lot more that I need to do.

Anna and Justin play the piano

2009-02-13T22:16:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago after one of Anna`s basketball games, I took Anna and Justin with me when I went to visit with my grandparents, and they showed me how well they can play my grandfather`s piano.

Christmas morning with the Ross family( a little late)

2009-01-27T12:44:00.000-05:00

Watch out for Colton!!!

2009-01-25T20:34:00.000-05:00

The moral of this story is:

Leave it out, and Colton will find it.

Gamecocks Basketball

2009-01-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

Wow what a game! I was sure we were not going to come back and that we would lose by a point, but I`m glad I was wrong. That was an amazing last second win...and so awesome to see it happen!

>

SNOW DAY!!!

2009-01-20T11:08:00.000-05:00

So the weather guys have been talking of snow for a couple of days now, and I didn`t believe them. I was convinced that we would wake up to another freezing, rainy, and yucky day like Sunday. But this morning I woke up to two inches of snow on my car and lawn. Sorry, didn`t manage to get a picture of the snow covered car, was rushing to leave. But I was so excited to see snow, and two years in a row at that! It`s still coming down out there; although it has been picking up and slowing down for about the last hour.

Videos and pictures to come!

Happy Birthday Daddy

2009-01-09T23:21:00.000-05:00

Today is my Daddy`s birthday. He is over in southern Africa on a mission and will be home at the end of March(yay!) I`ve been thinking about what to say about my dad here for the last couple of days, and had trouble choosing from a lifetime of good memories what to say, but I do have a couple of all time favorites. He took me fairly often as a child to Cromer`s to get peanuts, and then we would go to the State House and feed the squirrels. He took me on a daddy daughter date once to Fuddrucker`s, where I ate the biggest hamburger I have ever seen, and then we went bowling, which he is good at and I am not. Every night when he would come home from work, he would pick me up from where I was waiting at the door and throw me into the air. When I was five and Mama was removing some stitches I had, he stretched out on a big pillow on the floor next to me the whole time while I cried. I remember one time Daddy had the flu, complete with aches and chills and a fever, and he had to get one of their houses painted, and as bad as he felt, he didn`t come home until he had finished. When he was bishop, he always had candy in his bottom desk drawer, and he would sit me up on his lap and give me a piece(usually tootsie rolls.)

Little things about Daddy:

he will eat anything, whether he likes it or not
he can sit down in a chair and fall asleep instantly
he snores really loud
He has always been able to give me a correct answer for every question I have ever asked him.
He loves 7-up
He pronounces some words wrong on purpose, and it`s really funny
he loves to shag(sc state dance)
if he is eating something he claims he doesn`t like, he will say that he doesn`t like it, but then keep eating it.

My dad is a wonderful, sweet, kind, and extremely patient person, and the best father in the world. Happy birthday Daddy and I love you!

Aidan`s very first Christmas

2009-01-07T01:24:00.000-05:00

Aidan probably had no idea what was going on, but he sure was excited about all of the new and brightly colored things he had to play with. I have always loved Christmas morning, but I loved it even more this year because of Aidan.

Aidan and his great grandpa on Christmas Eve

2009-01-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

Aidan with Papa and Great Grandma Carroll on Christmas Eve

2009-01-05T23:21:00.000-05:00

Going to visit Santa at his workshop

2009-01-04T00:58:00.000-05:00

Every year, Jill takes her kids to see Santa Claus at Richland Mall. This year I tagged along and provided my usual help with her three and also took Aidan to see Santa for the very first time. Aidan liked him right off; so much that he sat up on his table and played with all of the toys he had just made and then took his glasses right off of his face. Here are the before pictures; I`ll put the ones with Santa on too as soon as I get them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHLEY

2008-12-23T02:01:00.000-05:00

Yes, folks, it`s true. Ashley Elizabeth Ross is six years old. For party photos, go to therossfamilycircus.blogspot.com.

AIDAN PHOTO UPDATE

2008-12-19T03:52:00.000-05:00

Bryan wanted to have these made from Aidan`s six month portrait since we have so many family members that live so far away. I just think they`re adorable and couldn`t resist putting one on here. Tinyprints.com has awesome stuff!

CHRISTMAS CARD 2008

2008-12-19T03:44:00.001-05:00

I figured that since there was no way I could send out a Christmas card to everybody that we know(which would add up to at least two hundred cards) that I would share it here.

BRYAN AND AIDAN: SO MUCH ALIKE

2008-12-19T03:18:00.000-05:00

Bryan and Aidan must be secretly planning these things; otherwise, how would all of these identical pictures keep popping up?

What`s For Dinner?

2008-12-18T20:25:00.000-05:00

Tonight Anna, Jackson, and Colton dropped by for a short visit while Jill ran some errands, and Bryan helped out by entertaining Aidan while I kept an eye on the other three. We have this large stockpot that is just tall enough for Aidan to pull up on and drum on, so it sometimes stays in the living room. Jackson and Colton were entertained by it as well tonight, and were climbing in and out of it and Jackson was talking about cooking both Aidan and Colton in it. I was occupied with Colton in the living room, so Bryan came and picked up Aidan and the pot and walked out of the room(or so I thought.) This is what I saw a minute later when I turned around. If they do stuff like this when I`m around, what do they do when I`m not?

USC MEN`S BASKETBALL

2008-12-17T15:05:00.000-05:00

AWESOME JOB GUYS!!

Bryan joined this organization called the Bridge Club, that helps with the transfer from a technical school to a four year university, and they gave us tickets to last night`s USC basketball game against NC Central. It was Aidan`s first ever basketball game, and he was excited. We were too, because we love basketball and we beat them 90-43. GO GAMECOCKS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKSON!!

2008-12-17T14:07:00.000-05:00

Jackson, the little boy that I was feeding baby food to last week, turned five yesterday. There was the usual birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, which I have a funny story to share about. Chuck E. comes walking over towards where Jackson and I are playing a game, and I point him out to Jackson and he goes running over to hug him. I`m standing there behind him as he does so, and then he tells Chuck E., "This is my aunt Telly. You need to hug her." in that adorable five year old accent. Jackson thought that it was hilarous that Chuck E. and I hugged. More details: Anna beat me at skeeball again, like she does every year, but then I beat Bryan by 14,000 points(sheer luck, I`ll admit it) Justin and Ashley collected enough tickets to get a prize for about 100 kids, and Aidan and Colton loved the Chuck E. ride. Emily and Courtney ran around all night and looked at everything, but the thing they really liked(I think Rachael liked it more than them, because it reduced the amount of time she had to chase them) was this big seat you climb up into and lay back and watch a TV screen. It figures....those girls love TV.