Bringing in 2013!

We had the best New Year's this year! I feel like New Year's Eve is over-rated. There is always such high expectations of some fabulous party and just the night of your life and it never ends up that way. This year the plan was just a laid back dinner party with our friends and it turned in to an awesome night! Poor Laing is very pregnant and probably did not enjoy the party at much as we did=).

A trip down memory lane on how we spent a few of our past New Year's Eve...

Under the Sea Prom
Colin & Rachel's House
New Year's Eve 2005

Under the Sea Prom
New Year's Eve 2005
Ryan, G, and Toddy-P

New Year's Eve 2007
Maggiano's Dinner

The After-Party at the Novaks
New Year's Eve 2007

New Year's Eve 2012
Todd and Laing's house

our Host and Hostess

The Girls
Katherine, Stacy, C, and Laing

The Boys
D, Todd, Novak, and G

All Night Dance Party
Starring Novak and Christy
Featuring Toddy-P

When I am 5

I had written down this conversation down in a random notebook and just found it. I think it is from the Fall.

Gaines:

Mommy, when I'm 5 I don't want to give away ducky (yellow silky ducky). 

Me:

You can keep ducky forever but when you are 5 you will be in Kindergarden and you will not take him to school.

Gaines: 

What about college? tearing up

Me:

No, you can take him there too. It will be so cool, you live there with your friends and not your Mommy & Daddy...

Now Gaines is bawling. I guess he is too young to talk about moving away! Mommy fail.

Other random thoughts from Gaines that I had written down:

When I am 10, I want a policeman birthday party.

When I am 13, I want a TV in my room.

PUMC Play Group

Fall Break: Zoo Day with Friends

We are still "enjoying" our two week Fall Break (cannot wait for school next week!!!!) and we headed off to the zoo today. It  has been a gorgeous week with perfect fall weather. We met Hayes, Baby Charlie, and Anna Clare. This is the first time we have gotten to hang out since Baby Charlie was born. The boys had so much fun. Hayes and Will were so cute together. I love watching Will with his little friends. They are getting so big. Gaines kept talking baby talk to Charlie.

We did have some drama, Will threw a hissy fit and ended up bringing in his orange blanket and we lost it. Luckily, after worrying about for quite some time it turned up at Lost and Found. Thank goodness - talk about a crisis!!!!

Will and Hayes checking out the merecats

"Come on Hayes!" - Will pulling Hayes across the zoo and the both of them just squealing!

Hayes and Will
October 2011

 Hayes and Will were tickling and talking on the train! Too cute!

Trying to get out All Vol group shot of our boys

The best we got...

Gaines talking baby talk to Charlie - "I just love Baby Charlie."

Will showing Charlie his trick Poppy taught him - Very appropriate...

Shutterfly Holiday Cards!

Christmas Cards

Happy holidays!!!  Too soon?  Shutterfly doesn't think so.  In fact, did you know that 
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They have got a wonderful new collection this year from traditional colors and embellishments to 
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Whatever your style is i'm sure they will have something you’ll love!  Check out their holiday cards 
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(Sponsored by Shutterfly)

Fall Break: Just another day at the Farm

The boys got to spend some time at Mimi and Papa's playing outside and celebrating Mimi's birthday today. I always laugh at what they do at their house. I usually laugh after we survive and no one gets hurt! From climbing ladders leaned up against trees to pushing the wagon as fast as it will go and then letting go with my precious cargo inside - it is always an all boy adventure around the farm.

Can you see Will squealing?!?!? This is him going down the hill in the wagon with Papa Jim letting go. Not safe!!

Sword fighting his Great-Uncle and having no mercy with the piece of wood he found in the yard

Pure delight!

Happy Birthday Mimi!

Today is Mimi's Birthday and we headed over to her house to bring her some lunch. We are having our official birthday celebration later in the month. I am truly so blessed to have Mimi as my grandmother and I am so thankful that my boys get to have a relationship with her as well. 

Since a picture can say 1,000 words, this should sum up Billie Jo Gaines...

I have never been too far from my grandmother

 Do you think we look alike? I am not sure how old she is in this pic but I am around 7 here.

Happy Birthday Mimi!!!! Thank you for giving me my love for mysteries, books, and TV. Thank you for my wit and quick tongue. For the lack of interest in anything domestic or shopping and a Love for denim. I love you!!!

Happy 55th Birthday Mom!

Today's is Mom's 55th Birthday. We started off the day with the boys leaving singing messages for her and then we went out for dinner at Stoney River to kick off her birthday month. We celebrate for the month in our family. I forgot to get a pic at dinner but here was Mom's gift for this birthday celebration.

Oddly enough I read this today and thought it was perfect to celebrate my Mom on her birthday. This sums it up:

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you more than words could ever describe. Thank you for being the person that a daughter could strive to be. I can only hope I am half a good of a mother to my boys as you have been to me. It will take an entire new blog post to go into what a great Grandmother you are to the boys!

Fall Break: Cheekwood

I took the boys to Cheekwood today. We have only been once and Garrick was with me so I was not really sure how long they would last or even what all we would do but it turned out great! We ended up spending 2.5 hours there and got some great pics. We ask the boys what their "Favorites" are all the time so today Gaines's Favorite part of Cheekwood was the scarecrows and Will said the Thomas Train.

Gorgeous! This was in the Color Garden.

"Mommy, we have these at home."

We checked out every single scarecrow they had and read all of their  names.

Japanese Garden

Labor of Love for this pic. This was after yelling at them to get off the rocks that they were going to fall off, etc

Will loves the self-timer pics and he wanted another one of him and his brother. This is him dragging Gaines saying, "Come on Gaines." Can you see Gaines cracking up at him?

The pumpkin patch was so cute and the boys were sooo not into it. This was the best I got with this great back-drop. Hoping to go back and get a family pic before Halloween.

Will tried to kick the pumpkins like they were soccer balls...

Checking out the spotted pumpkins.

trying to "bake" as a team and Will was wanting to be a solo chef. "No Gaines, do not touch."

Will loved the trains!!! There was even a Thomas Train. He would get so excited and yell, "Look Gaines, Thomas!!!!"
Gaines was over it in about 5 seconds like everything else. 

 We checked out our first class at the Learning Center and today's theme was Bluegrass Music and they boys got to make guitars. They actually spent a little bit of time doing this craft. There is hope!

Gaines's worked just fine!

HYSTERICAL

Favorite Scarcrows - Peter Pan, Wendy, and Captain Hook