ALLEN CREW

Best Christmas Pageant Ever 2006

2011-12-25T14:40:00.000-05:00

Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever 2007

2011-12-25T14:39:00.000-05:00

Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever 2008

2011-12-25T14:38:00.001-05:00

The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever 2009

2011-12-25T14:35:00.000-05:00

Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever 2010

2011-12-25T14:27:00.000-05:00

Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever 2011

2011-12-25T14:22:00.007-05:00

Emmett Wilson Allen

2011-03-06T14:02:00.005-05:00

#4 - another boy

born at 5:37pm 3/5/11

7 lb 8 oz

20 inches

Emmett -

Hebrew - truth

German - whole, entire, strength, strong worker

(Emmett Till - African American youth whose lynching was one of the key events leading up to the American Civil Rights Movement)

Wilson - after Royal Wilson Jones - Chris' maternal grandfather

German - determined, resolute

Princess Party

2011-03-04T14:17:00.004-05:00

Here are a few photos from Ellie's 3rd birthday party. The girls all had fun...and the boys were great helpers! Lots of pink (as requested by the birthday girl)--pink crowns, pink necklaces & bracelets, pancakes with pink strawberries and whipped cream and pink cupcakes. Happy Birthday, Ellie!

Midwest Trip

2011-02-25T14:03:00.003-05:00

Studying Daniel Boone

2011-02-25T13:56:00.003-05:00

It doesn't get much cooler for a group of young boys--studying the great frontiersman, Daniel Boone. Indians, hunting, exploring, guns...pretty exciting stuff!

2010-12-24T11:47:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas Cousin JR!

from tait & grayson

Happy Birthday, Grayson!

2010-12-23T22:55:00.002-05:00

We have some creative boys in this household who like to mess around with video technology. Here's the silly video Tait and Chris made for Grayson's bday. Boy humor--they giggle every time!

Merry Christmas, Nana and Papa!

2010-12-23T22:20:00.013-05:00

This year Chris's parents proposed a cool idea: rather than buying them Christmas gifts, they asked that we would bless someone else instead. So our family was able to support a sweet refugee family in our city through Sports Outreach (the same ministry we travel to Africa with). It was a joy to have the opportunity to personally meet, greet and deliver Christmas gifts to Luon, Ayoi and their family. Plus a powerful testimony for our kids! Merry Christmas, Nana and Papa!

For some reason the video clip is getting cut-off when it's embedded into the blog. Double-click on the video to make it screen size or you can also watch the video here!

Christmas Tree Farm in Virginia

2010-12-19T22:17:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving in Snowshoe, West Virginia!

2010-12-19T17:05:00.002-05:00

Fall Helpers

2010-10-16T20:45:00.004-05:00

Chris and I enjoyed a few conferences/get-aways thanks to some special help--two visitors from the Midwest!

Auntie Shorty

Nana Deborah

THANK YOU!

Family Fun

2010-10-15T20:53:00.001-05:00

Family outing to Carowinds, our amusement park!

Big night Uptown seeing Mary Poppins! We all managed to stay awake during the whole performance (with the help of M & M's, soda and coffee at intermission)

Backyard Camp-out

First Days of School

2010-10-05T14:39:00.003-05:00

We're enjoying another year of school at Ridgeloch Elementary. Here are some shots during our first full week of school. Tait--1st grade; Grayson--K-4; Ellie--wild and crazy 2's

Uncle Matt Graduates

2010-06-06T14:03:00.006-05:00

We had a fun weekend in High Point celebrating Matt's graduation! It seems like he just moved down to Charlotte and graduated from Charlotte Christian. Everyone's grown a bit since then (bigger families, bigger muscles and bigger hearts for Him)--praise our Faithful God!

Summer and Sunscreen

2010-05-03T07:12:00.007-05:00

Out to find sunscreen again! Here's the link to the new shopper's guide from EWG (Environmental Working Group). Let me know if you have any favorites!

Christmas Highlights 2009

2010-01-29T14:36:00.004-05:00

A few glitches in uploading this slideshow...but I've been wrestling with it for too long (I mean it's almost Valentine's Day). Enjoy!

Highlights from Early 2009

2010-01-29T07:45:00.003-05:00

Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever 2009

2010-01-13T20:59:00.002-05:00

Presenting Movie Night at the Allen Theatre

2010-01-06T14:28:00.002-05:00

Tait and Grayson kicked off the month of celebrations with their Movie Night birthday party. We were thankful to have a house full of boys and some special out-of-town guests (Uncle Matt, Uncle Marky Boy, Aunt Jenn and Grandma Sue). Chris set up the projector in the playroom and we had an official movie screen! Wallets and cash (thanks for the "mola", Nana and Papa) were the party favors...which kept our concession stand quite busy throughout the movie!

Christmas Morning 2009

2009-12-25T12:12:00.009-05:00

To our entire family:

Thanks for making Christmas morning so special for our kids!

Ben and Leah Wilson - you guys need to be added to the credits (sorry)

Thanksgiving in Snowshoe, West Virginia!

2009-12-07T21:37:00.005-05:00

We had a blast with Nana, Papa, Aunt Marissa and Great Aunt Laura in West Virginia for Thanksgiving. It was beautiful and quiet! We had a big storm on Black Friday (a bit ironic!). Thankful for a fun family weekend!

Sniper

2009-11-18T16:59:00.005-05:00

This is just proof to a father-in-law and two brothers-in-law that I can sit in a tree stand and kill things. Can't wait to hear about the small rodents you kill in Wisconsin next week!

Cool Video

2009-11-13T22:31:00.005-05:00

Came across one of our church's videos. Our church showed it at Easter. It was really powerful then--and still is! Love how the Lord can speak in the art of video technology. Check it out.

Elevation Church Easter Opener from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

Special Guest

2009-11-08T21:39:00.004-05:00

About mid-week, I announced to the boys that we had some special company coming this weekend. They were so excited! Grayson asked, "Is Auntie Shorty coming again?"

It wasn't Auntie Shorty this past weekend, but we did have her visit in early October. Here are some photos from her time in NC. In fact, she held down the fort while Chris and I went to the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. She was amazing! And it's no wonder Grayson wanted her to come back--they all got to pick out new toys when she arrived (Grayson--playmobil pirate ship; Tait--legos, of course; and Ellie--shopping cart). And then I heard some stories about Transformers fruit snacks, McD's happy meal, puzzle parties and board game competitions while we were gone.

Hmmm...kinda sounds like the same kind of fun I had when I was little...when Shorty babysat me (and my siblings) while my parents were gone. You're the best, Shorty! (Especially glad you're still not afraid to threaten with a wooden spoon!)

Thanksgiving coming up!

2009-11-07T22:01:00.003-05:00

We've been talking about our Thanksgiving plans this week and I came across this cool centerpiece on another blog. I think it would be fun to make for any holiday. For the directions go here. (And by the way, I don't know these kids--just look at the craft!:)

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T22:15:00.003-05:00

Pumpkins

2009-11-01T21:57:00.005-05:00

Thanks to some special seeds from grandparents, we grew our first pumpkin in the garden this summer. We only got one pumpkin, but it made it through the end of October, and the boys were quite excited with the size! Spent one evening this week pumpkin carving. Ellie Girl worked diligently in getting her pumpkin cleaned out. Not bad for a first-time carver! :)

Baby Product Info

2009-10-23T21:52:00.002-05:00

Was talking about baby/kid products with a friend the other day...thought I'd pass along a helpful guide. I'm going to take it upstairs and just glance over some of my products and see how they compare. Should be interesting! See the guide here.

Everyday School

2009-10-15T21:21:00.002-05:00

Still enjoying our time together with homeschooling! Meet our one-year-old, tabletop student, our baby spiders (did you know that the big brothers eat the little brothers within the sac of eggs? fascinating!), and "crayon hand."

CATALYST 2009

2009-10-15T21:08:00.003-05:00

Chris and I had the privilege and joy to get away and attend an amazing conference in Atlanta called Catalyst. The Lord used it on so many levels--we laughed, we cried, we worshipped, we learned, we talked, we prayed and we fell more in love with the author and perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ. Not to mention it was refreshing to enjoy some long car rides with my husband in a quiet car:)!

Chris and I obviously both have a love and passion for what the Lord is doing in Africa. The Lord continues to stir our hearts for this region of the world. At the conference, they increased awareness and challenged all of us to have compassion on "the least of these" in our world--specifically the 143 million orphans in our world today.

Check out this video (particularly the story of the Kenyan man, Jimmy, which starts at 3:45 minutes). Certainly the most moving event during our conference! I pray that it will challenge you as well!

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

First Week of Homeschool

2009-09-17T20:19:00.003-05:00

The decision, or rather the call, to homeschool Tait this year was quite a process. Combine a background in education and a love for research & information...and what do you get? A cross-examination of every option for my first son's education (from schools we could never afford to schools we'd figure out how to afford to "free" (i.e. public) schools to alternative options).

So as we've started into our first year of homeschooling, I've been overflowing with joy in this first 1.5 weeks. It's been such a blessing! I still have a lot to figure out (like how to balance direct instruction with authentic learning opportunities), and will certainly need to rely on the Lord's wisdom and grace to carry this each day (what we ought to rely on for any situation); nonetheless, i am just so excited for what this year has in store.

Here's a glimpse of one of our class visitors this week. Mr. Eastern Box Turtle showed up in our yard--just as the boys were getting a little feisty. Perfect for our science lesson and nature journal. We studied the turtle, looked him up in our field guide, played with him (Grayson only accidently dropped him once on the brick patio--oops), and wrote/drew a journal entry about him.

Doesn't get much cooler than that--for a teacher or for 2 young boys! So thankful to have the time to examine and admire God's creation!

First Day of School

2009-09-17T19:57:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday, Sept 8th school officially started for the Allen crew. Everyone was quite excited! On Chris's orders, we didn't forget to take our "first day of school" photos (good tradition passed down from Papa Paul--and Grandma Sue). Wet hair for the boys (at least they smelled good from a morning shower) and almost a smile from Miss Ellie.

Ellie--18 months

Tait--5.5 years old

Kindergarten at "Ridgeloch Elementary"

(as he fondly named our homeschool)

Grayson--3.5 years old (in his favorite "golf shirt" from Gma Sue)

Carmel Baptist WEE School (2 days a week)

Safe Sunscreen??

2009-06-13T07:02:00.004-05:00

Love to do research...and love to try to find the "best" things for our family...

Here's the guide I've referred to when buying sunscreen this summer. EWG (Environmental Working Group) is always so helpful. And they're supposed to come out with the new 2009 list soon.

So far I have purchased the California Baby products. While I feel good about using quality sunscreen, I have 2 complaints about these products: expensive and my kids look like Casper the ghost bc so difficult to rub in!

Anyone have other suggestions?

Easter

2009-05-09T13:01:00.002-05:00

Spring Happenings

2009-05-05T09:24:00.003-05:00

Everyday Events of Tait and Grayson

2009-03-31T20:30:00.002-05:00

Catch Up

2009-03-31T20:29:00.001-05:00

Ellie is Walking

2009-02-20T19:44:00.003-05:00

Uncle Mark and Jenn's Wedding in Florida

2009-02-15T14:25:00.006-05:00

Catch-Up: Daddy goes to Africa and everyone else goes on the Midwest Tour

2009-02-15T14:24:00.000-05:00

More to come!

Catch-Up: January at Duck Bottom

2009-02-15T13:33:00.003-05:00

Family outing to Daddy's hunting lodge in SC with the Fox family. We all shot guns--target practice and clay pigeons. Even the moms! So cool!

Catch Up: December

2009-02-15T13:15:00.005-05:00

Can we explain December in one breath...Wheaton College soccer game with Linders, Uncle Matt saves the birthday party, visit from Grandma Sue, Grayson's 3rd birthday, Tait's 5th birthday, Best Christmas Pageant Ever-2008, Merry Christmas with Aunt Sarah, Uncle Jason, Cousin Caden and Uncle Matt? Whew!

Catch-Up: November

2009-02-15T12:47:00.004-05:00

Great family day at the park! And even more fun with our photographer friend, Sarah. She made taking pictures an enjoyable event!

Lots of exciting visitors at Thanksgiving--Uncle Markie Boy and his fiancee, Jenn, Nana, Papa and Marissa! Like the T-day craft--we made turkey hats for everyone to wear during dinner.

Family Night--Tait enjoyed singing on stage at his school.

October 31st

2008-11-10T23:04:00.001-05:00

Windy Hill Apple Orchard

2008-11-02T13:22:00.005-05:00

Our Bible study moms and kids journeyed to South Carolina for a little apple history and fun at Windy Hill Apple Orchard. We heard the story of Johnny Appleseed (the Gospel message even made it's way into the story!), watched the apple cider mill, hopped on the hay ride, stuffed a life-size scarecrow, saw the pigs and goats, and ended with filling our goodie bags with pumpkins, apples and apple cider. What a day!

Goofy Guys!

2008-11-01T12:33:00.002-05:00

Tait and Grayson are never afraid to be goofy! And if it's not initiated by their daddy, there's another main source--an uncle! So thankful to have Uncle Matt here for his fall break. It worked out well for this mama too because Chris was out of the town that same week. Uncle Matty Boy was so helpful (and fun, of course)! Lots of baseball, wrestling and shooting (result: one dead Terry, the squirrel). I did ask Matt who was more excited for Chris to come home--him or me? :)

Wisconsin Visitors

2008-11-01T12:22:00.004-05:00

We were thankful to have Papa Jim and Grandma Jeannine come down for a visit. They took care of the boys while Chris, Ellie and I headed to Atlanta for a leadership conference with our church (check it out... called Catalyst. It was amazing!). Eating Costco raspberries with Papa, visiting the pumpkin farm and playing with new legos were some of the boys highlights. I think Papa had to take a few naps! Papa and Jeannine squeezed in the the Nascar race with Uncle Matt and the CROP walk for hunger with our church. Fun!

Ellie Crawling

2008-10-13T20:25:00.001-05:00

Campfires in the Fall

2008-10-12T16:17:00.003-05:00

Some of our favorite desserts--roasted marshmellows and/or s'mores over the fire. I don't know who likes them more, this mama or her boys. So as we are slowly having cooler nights, we look forward to having fires. Thanks, Auntie Shorty, for the cool fire pit! We use it a lot!

Riverbanks Zoo

2008-10-12T15:47:00.003-05:00

We had a fun road trip to the zoo. Charlotte is a growing city, but has yet to have its own zoo. So with 6 mamas and 17 kiddos (yes, wow!), we spent the day at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina. It was a great adventure, well worth the trip and craziness! Feeding the giraffes and watching the noisy, active monkeys were two of the highlights.

Knight in Shining Armor

2008-10-12T11:25:00.002-05:00

Here's to Raising a Modern Day Knight! (For those of you who don't know...that's the title of a great book that Chris highly recommends.) Careful for the underarmour! Ha--why does this not surprise me...Grayson is a goofball!

Rainy Day Fun

2008-10-12T11:06:00.003-05:00

What do we do on rainy days...get creative! The boys got out their costume box, wrestled (even with Ellie) and played super heroes. Always an adventure! (Thanks, Cousin Tyler, for sharing your old costumes!)

Mmm, Mmm Good!

2008-10-12T10:58:00.003-05:00

Ellie is loving the new world of food. She's happy to try anything! She's pretty good at opening her mouth and swallowing now too.

September Fun

2008-10-12T10:47:00.002-05:00

Ellie joined her Mama and Dada in Charleston for a wedding. While we enjoyed a weekend away, Uncle Matt held down the fort and chased the monkeys.

Making pizzas with our big buddies, Jamesy and Sage. Jamesy and Sage got to spend the night one weekend---and Tait and Grayson followed their every move:)!

We had another buddy, Dylan, with us one weekend. Tait was showing off his skills, reading the BOB book.

Milestones for Ellie

2008-10-02T14:42:00.004-05:00

Ellie learned how to sit all by herself this past month. After a little practice in the green bumbo seat (below), she's on her own now.

Ellie is on the go. Thankfully, not crawling yet; however, she can make a pretty quick 360 on her belly! She's even trying to climb her brother's chair (photo above). No more playing legos on the floor, Tait and Grayson! (We've already caught Ellie tasting a lego piece a few times--ut oh!)

Fall Fun

2008-09-29T19:01:00.007-05:00

Tait is playing for Team Rwanda this fall. Can't miss Team Rwanda in neon green and navy jerseys. So fun to see his development, especially compared to last fall. He loves it! And loves having Daddy and Dustin as his coaches.

Kathy, our NC Gma, and her husband, Paul, came to watch a game. Rolling in an ant hill forced Grayson to lose all his clothes!

Here's my latest yard sale find for a buck...a new plastic lawn mower. Of course, Grayson had to be just like Daddy or Mommy so he borrowed Daddy's IPOD and headphones. Check out that thick grass in the background....still on watering restrictions this summer (only water once a week).

Here's the Buttercream Bike Gang (a little reference for those of you who grew up watching Christian videos in the 80's). Five boys and two girls...not bad for two families! Definitely thankful that wearing helmets is the trend with this group of boys!

First Day

2008-09-26T11:57:00.005-05:00

Tait's first day of preschool.

Trikes on Tait's playground

Ellie and Grayson going to pick-up their big brother

Tait's school is so fun! Here's the "pet store" in his hallway.

Tait's school:

Carmel Wee School (less than 2 miles down the road--yeah!)

4 Year Olds, Tues and Thurs

Miss Mimi and Miss Danna Jean

More Midwest

2008-09-26T11:56:00.001-05:00

More photos from our Midwest Tour!

Sarah's Shower

2008-09-07T14:13:00.004-05:00

Our 10-day trip to the Midwest started with a celebration for Auntie Sarah. Sarah and Jason are expecting their first little one October 30, our first cousin on the Gantner side. We all had fun guessing the sex, weight and day & time of arrival. Sarah was blessed with many wonderful gifts from family and friends. She's looking great!

We did allow one boy at the shower...Uncle Matt dropped off the guest of honor and got to mingle with the ladies--and get some grub. He's quite the politician ("Matt for President!" as we tease). :) Ellie meet her Great Grandma Mary, many great aunts and good friends for the first time.

Open House

2008-09-07T13:25:00.004-05:00

Tait is off to pre-school this year! He'll be attending Carmel Wee School, which is thankfully just 2 miles down the road. He'll just be at school on Tues/Thurs from 9:00-1:00. He's so excited!

Here are some pictures after his first open house. Tait stayed in his classroom for an hour while Mommy, Grayson and Ellie went to a meeting. He loved it!

He caught a caterpillar that day too!

Jumpers

2008-09-07T13:14:00.002-05:00

One morning I returned to the kitchen after checking on the laundry to find Ellie in her jumper...with her brother. Ha! My sweet boy Grayson never seizes to amaze me. He comes up with the most fascinating ideas, trying things his older brother would never even dare to. Ellie didn't seem to mind sharing her jumper. In fact, she got a pretty good end of the deal...jumping higher and chewing on Gray's little green digger. Fun!

Grayson--2 1/2 years Ellie--6 months Tait--4 1/2 years

Ellie

2008-09-06T14:09:00.004-05:00

Hard to believe this little girl is getting so big!

Practicing a little sitting up in her mama's laundry basket (below). Like the bow (thanks to her good friend Ava!)? I've definitely been checking out little girl's hair whenever we're out. And asking "girl moms" a handful of questions. How do they do it? What's in? Barrettes, bows and headbands....what's best? Ellie, fondly nicknamed "Spikey" by her daddy and brothers, has pretty wild hair. We'll see how we can tame it!

She's the non-stop jumping queen. Loves to jump!

Ellie and I headed to Colorado for a wedding. Fun girls' weekend with Grandma Sue! Despite the flight delays, we enjoyed the beautiful wedding (family friend, Shay Perry) and getaway time.

Happy Birthday Nana!

2008-08-11T21:21:00.001-05:00

Tennis Boys

2008-08-08T08:45:00.002-05:00

We've enjoyed some family time on the tennis courts this summer. Our little lefty, Grayson, gets pretty frustrated and his racket is often flying through the air. Ha! On the other hand, Tait has really gotten into it and has quickly gotten the hang of it. Ellie usually chills in her stroller, wearing a wet hat to keep her cool.

First Eagles Soccer Camp

2008-08-08T08:31:00.002-05:00

Tait had a blast at his first Eagles soccer camp. He loved being a "mighty, mighty micro," and came home telling Grayson all about the games he played and the songs he sang. Fun week!

Hot Goalie!

Buddies Tait and Bryce

Tait and Hayden show off their goods from camp

Visit with Cousins Julie and Jenna

2008-08-08T08:05:00.004-05:00

We were so excited to have my cousins come down and visit for a week.

Jenna and Ellie

Our boat escapade ended a little early as a storm came in. We had fun swimming and playing in the rain.

Cooled off at the pool!

Hmmm...do you think we're from the same gene pool (double cousins...only happens in Wisconsin!)

We rode the train into the city and hung out at ImagineOn museum.

Mini Golf

Fourth of July

2008-07-26T20:55:00.002-05:00

Visitors from Chicago--Aunt Leah, Uncle Ben and Cousin JR. Fun week of the fourth!

Uncle Matt

2008-07-17T14:26:00.003-05:00

Always thankful for our time with Uncle Matt. I know Matt wasn't happy to have a broken arm, but we enjoyed the extra time it gave us with him! The boys love their Uncle Matty boy!

Hilton Head--Date Nights for Adults

2008-07-17T14:18:00.004-05:00

The fun part about Hilton Head is that we were able to get away as a family...but also enjoy some time with good friends. Chris and some other Eagle friends had to do two days of camps in exchange for our week's vacation. We even got to enjoy some evenings out--minus the kiddos.

Hilton Head

2008-07-16T14:01:00.002-05:00

Little Sister

2008-07-16T13:44:00.003-05:00

Little Ellie loves her big brothers...and they love her. In fact, I caught them in action a few times. Hmm...and I taught one little boy, Grayson, what NOT to do to his sister.

Grayson--such a little helper. Took off Ellie's pjs and got her dressed--with stickers.

Believe it or not, Ellie was laughing and smiling during her first "wheel barrow" (despite the rug burn:).

Jamie and Tait Baptisms 2007

2008-06-23T20:41:00.001-05:00

GLORIOUS

2008-06-21T19:33:00.003-05:00

BOYS WILL BE BOYS

2008-06-13T16:51:00.004-05:00

Scooter

2008-06-13T16:42:00.002-05:00

Ellie is turning into a little "scooter." She "scooters" when she's on her back, moving all over the floor; she "scoots" down (sometimes even face down) when she's sitting up. Guess she's gotta keep up with those big brothers.

And lately, she always has her fingers in her mouth (not just her thumb). Maybe we'll see some teeth soon....hmmm?!

Ellie and Ava

2008-06-10T07:54:00.004-05:00

Girl Time: So Ellie and Ava finally got a little time together--alone and away from their brothers. Ava was checking out Ellie, and Ellie was talking back! It was especially funny since Ellie was wearing Ava's clothes and sitting in Ava's chair. They were pretty cute together!

Hot Days in Charlotte

2008-06-10T07:32:00.005-05:00

So welcome to Charlotte and over 90 degrees of heat--for 7 days straight! We've been trying to keep cool--anyway possible. The boys had some fun in the kiddie pool with their friends Hayden and Logan Fox.

They try all kinds of new things in the kiddie pool...tennis balls, basketballs, slides, baseball bats, watering cans, diving boards, swimsuits, birthday suits, etc.! Never a dull moment!

So here's a funny question: go from 90 degrees outside to the cool, air conditioned house and what do you get? Two boys who get on their flannel pjs, wool socks and crocs and read books after popsicles. Hmm, I think it was Tait's idea. Why do I have to convince my son everyday that flannel pjs and wool socks are for winter? He sweats and soaks his bed every nap time!

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-29T21:26:00.006-05:00

Camping Adventure

with Mike, Kathleen, Hayden, Logan and Griffin Fox

and Josh, Angie, Alyssa and Kaitlyn Blackson

and Uncle Matt

campsite--three tents, one for each family!

cookout--corn, hotdogs and pizza pockets made on the fire!

adult table

someone loved his s'more!

tait's silly marshmellow horns!

breakfast and pjs!

After our travel plans to a vacation house got canceled, we decided to still plan an adventure with our friends. The substitute: camping. And the best way for families with young kids...in the backyard! It was great! A perfect night! Dinner on the fire and the grill. A few lawn games. The kids stayed up for some s'mores. Then the adults stayed up extra late for some exciting games. Spoons and Murder in the Dark provided plenty of entertainment. The best part was the sleeping arrangement: dads and kids in tents; moms and babies in the house (in beds:)! Well, and the donuts and eggs for breakfast. Lots of good memories!

Myrtle Beach

2008-05-29T21:20:00.002-05:00

We had a fun Mother's Day weekend at the beach. Grandma Sue and Uncle Marky Boy joined us to watch a little baseball--Uncle Matt was playing Coastal Carolina at Myrtle Beach. I've got some photos to put up, but our computer crashed last week so I'll have to get Grandma Sue to send me some of her pics.

The boys had fun playing with Daddy and their uncles in the sand and in the waves. Grandma and I walked Ellie up and down the beach. However, one of the biggest highlights (for the boys) was the number of motorcycles. Harleys all over for "Bike Week" at Myrtle. What a treat!

Ellie Rae

2008-05-03T21:04:00.003-05:00

Ellie continues to be a sweet girl and a great sleeper! Here are a few updated pictures of this little one.

Bundled up on one of our cold spring days (too many this spring!).

Ellie loves riding in the double jogger with Grayson for our "exercising." Tait's pretty into riding his scooter or his bike when we tour the neighborhood.

So Tait was a paci-baby; and Grayson is a thumb-sucker (only allowed to do it in his bed). So look what we have here. We decided that it's easier to take away a paci in comparison to removing a thumb, but Ellie obviously has a different idea. She'll take her paci when I give it to her...and then spit it out to get her thumb. Humph! We'll see if she's officially won the battle.

More and more smiles! She loves to talk and coo back to us too.

We've been slowly trying to finish Ellie's nursery. Here we are in front of our new curtains made by Nana Deborah. Yeah! It's fun to add some spice (pink and black and white) to our lime green room.

High Point Baseball Games

2008-04-28T14:25:00.003-05:00

We love going to watch Uncle Matt's games! Shorty and I took the boys up there during her visit. We even survived the thunderstorm and 3 hour rain delay last week. The boys did great! (Good job taking the pics, Shorty:)!)

Auntie Shorty Comes to Charlotte

2008-04-28T14:06:00.004-05:00

We enjoyed having Auntie Shorty for a week! She was the helpful "firecracker" who helped this Mama get lots done (and stay sane while Chris was out of town for the week). We washed and ironed curtains, weeded the sandbox and back patio, planted summer flowers and the garden, mailed broken cameras (I can never get to the post office!), watched a movie and even went out on the town one night (minus kiddos) for dinner and shopping.

Visitors from Wisconsin

2008-04-28T13:53:00.004-05:00

Papa Jim and Jeannine came to visit for a week. They got to see Tait's soccer game and lots of Uncle Matt's baseball games. Tait and Grayson loved going to the baseball games too (and I'm sure getting a whole bag of Skittles from Papa made it extra exciting:)! The boys have also been crazy over their new baseball hats and new High Point stuffed animals.

Nana AND Papa AND Marissa

2008-04-16T15:56:00.004-05:00

We had some fun spring breakers come visit us in Charlotte! We loved our time with Nana, Papa and Marissa!

What a playground! Plaza Fiesta is so cool! I spy Papa, Grayson and Tait!

Finally Tait's dream came true--a city bus ride! Nana, Papa, Tait and Grayson took the city bus (CATS) down to Daddy's office. Marissa, Ellie and Jamie met them for lunch after a little quality time at the mall (Pac Sun rocks, right, Marissa?).

Ellie enjoyed meeting everyone too!

Fun with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Marky Boy

2008-04-16T15:35:00.002-05:00

We loved having Aunt Sarah and Uncle Marky Boy with us! Lots of excitement: fiesta playground, waterpark, "roger and terry" hunting, wrestling, singing, etc. Thankful for all the helpers!

Easter Memories

2008-04-16T14:49:00.003-05:00

What a treat to celebrate Easter with my siblings this year! It was so fun to have Sarah, Mark and Matt! Once again, Matty boy was the last one to find his hidden basket. Poor little guy:)!

Easter Party

2008-04-03T18:23:00.004-05:00

We had a fun Easter party with our Bible study friends. Made homemade pretzels, hunted for eggs outside and ate a yummy lunch. Thankful for fun friends!

Easter with Ellie

2008-03-30T21:13:00.005-05:00

Of course, everyone loves to shop for a little girl (and I appreciate it!). Here's Ellie in a few of her Easter outfits from grandparents.

Silly Grayson

2008-03-30T21:06:00.004-05:00

So...Grayson always seems to be coming up with creative entertainment. I thought finger painting at snack time would keep him occupied for a bit. Well, it did...in an interesting way! Snack time (trail mix) in finger paints...hmmmm! Never a dull moment with this little man!

Busy with the Boys

2008-03-21T15:52:00.002-05:00

Tait had his first soccer game of the spring season. He's definitely grown from last season! And Grayson is now all about it too. He had to wear a uniform like his brother (good thing we have Tait's uniform from the fall).

"I'm in the Lord's army! Yes, sir!"

Backyard Easter egg hunt with our buddies, the Swineharts. The boys love eggs, but this mama will be glad when we don't have them all over the house and yard!

Ellie Girl

2008-03-21T15:08:00.002-05:00

We're so thankful for this little girl! She's been such a sweet baby...even giving her mama some great stretches of sleep. Her daddy calls her "chica" and her mama calls her "Ellie girl". The boys have been calling her lots of cute names:
"pretty sister"
"little sister"
"beautiful girl"

2008-03-19T21:35:00.002-05:00

Grayson is always keeping an eye on Ellie!

Ellie's first phone conversation with Grandma Sue!

So...we now have some pink to go around in this household! Grateful for the dear friends who have shared some girl clothes with Ellie!

ACC Basketball

2008-03-19T21:26:00.003-05:00

Since Daddy was at the game here in Charlotte, we decided to watch a little ACC basketball ourselves (at home). Tait and Grayson lasted a little while (not until the end like Mommy would have liked:), and Ellie passed out some where in the first half. The boys sure do love their little sister! Go Tar Heels! (We're still Big 10 fans first though.)

Crazy Brothers

2008-03-11T20:58:00.001-05:00

So grateful for Uncle Marky Boy!

Never a dull moment with these two monkeys!

Grandma Sue and Egg Hunts

2008-03-11T20:42:00.004-05:00

We loved having Grandma Sue here for a week after Ellie was born. So grateful for good help!