Keeping up with the Connors'

Christmas Fun 2011

2011-12-30T23:37:00.000-05:00

We have had a very blessed Christmas season at the Connor household. I just love when Christmas falls on a Sunday...what a better way to spend the morning than at church, worshiping the One who we are celebrating! We enjoyed having both my mom and nannie come on Christmas day to join in the celebration and are currently visiting with all of the rest of our family in NC. We even got to skype with my dad, which was a blessing! Especially since I am normally having to rush to work when I get to talk to him because of zones. Here are just a few photos from our fun; I will share a shutterfly.com link soon! Merry Christmas to those who we didn't see in time to tell you and HAPPY NEW YEAR! to all.

2011christmas card

2011-12-15T22:21:00.001-05:00

Good Blessings Religious Christmas Card

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Santa Photos

2011-12-11T15:14:00.001-05:00

Happy thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T22:25:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful thanksgiving. Gigi came to town, Aunt Kayla and her new husband visited, and we got to talk to Papa on Skype. Madeline had everyone say what they were thankful for and her list included family but also toys and Santa...oh the fun of three year olds! Benjamin LOVED his food and cleaned his plate fast. All in all a blessed day. We also joined in the black Friday fun both at midnight and 6am. Target was by far the worst. The line to check out wrapped the store...twice.I hope to post some photos soon and can't wait to get to work decorating for Christmas!

Caught in the act...

2011-10-16T19:02:00.001-04:00

Our little Benjamin ...he can't walk but he sure can climb!

Breastfeeding

2011-10-06T23:32:00.000-04:00

Well, my little man is a big boy now. Yesterday was his last day breastfeeding. These time around it's been a totally different process. He started on whole milk around September 12th and started the self weaning process. With Madeline it was more controlled because I was pumping the whole time. It's been even more emotional for me with Benjamin since he was actually nursing. It was a special experience that while I enjoy the freedom I will miss greatly...I'm not ready for him to grow up so fast. It seems like just yesterday I was holding him for the first time; and now, he is crawling all over, babbling up a storm, and working toward walking. Time flies! I am enjoying that though he is not nursing, he is still my little snuggle bunny when he gets sleepy. I will cherish this because one day all too soon that won't be "cool" anymore.

Madeline's first soccer game!

2011-09-18T19:57:00.001-04:00

Happy 1st Birthday Benjamin!

2011-09-12T21:03:00.001-04:00

19lbs. 28.5 inches and cruising all over the place! I can't believe that a year ago my little man made his surprise entrance :-) I love you Mr. Ben :-)

Black bean expert

2011-07-27T18:39:00.001-04:00

Carolina Girl

2011-07-27T18:37:00.001-04:00

First taste of frozen yogurt, yumilicious!

2011-06-26T00:13:00.001-04:00

Blueberries!

2011-06-20T21:58:00.001-04:00

Pooltime fun!

2011-06-07T22:12:00.000-04:00

The Beach (and a few others) thru Madeline's Eyes

2011-06-06T22:11:00.000-04:00

Just thought I would share a few more of Madeline's photos with everyone:

Just a peak

2011-05-22T21:00:00.001-04:00

More beach photos to come here's a taste...

Our Easter Family photo!

2011-05-04T21:17:00.002-04:00

Madeline's First Strawberry pick with Mommy

2011-04-24T22:07:00.000-04:00

Madeline and I went to City Roots in Columbia, which is the coolest place! It's an in town sustainable farm...complete with chickens! Madeline had a blast and can't wait to go back...and the best part is the strawberries are organic (not certified but the meet standards)!

Benjamin's 1st easter and Madeline's bed'head basket fun:-)

2011-04-24T21:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-24T21:25:00.002-04:00

Preschool Easter Picnic & Egg Hunt

2011-04-14T22:54:00.000-04:00

Yummy carrots and green beans

2011-04-06T17:44:00.001-04:00

She can do it! (down hill anyway)

2011-03-21T22:23:00.000-04:00

My healthy eaters!

2011-03-21T22:09:00.000-04:00

This is what Madeline asked to have for dinner...super healthy:-)

Benjamin had yummy avacado and he LOVED feeding himself!

Spring!

2011-03-21T22:01:00.000-04:00

It never fails, SC weather is crazy! 82 degrees on the first day of spring!

Our growing sprouts!

2011-03-13T21:47:00.000-04:00

Ben's first slide on 3/12

6 months old!

Teething? I think so!

Outside flower fun!

Yummy! Ben's 5th food: Avacado

2011-03-06T22:51:00.000-05:00

Some new Pictures!

2011-02-23T22:17:00.002-05:00

Benjamin's 5 months old!

2011-02-13T21:32:00.003-05:00

Here's some quick updates now that Ben is 5 months old:

- can roll from tummy to back

- has had his first taste of real food (acorn squash)

- enjoys his cereal

- sleeps from about 9pm until about 745am each night

- makes cute zerbert noises and grins like crazy

- does "tiny giggles" when you tickle his underarms

- can sit with support

- loves the ergo carrier; especially with mommy (he's my little koala)

- has been to the zoo for the first time

- finally let mommy stay in a church service the whole time

- still spits up a lot (hopefully that stops soon...doctor says until about 6 months)

Benjamin's First "real" Food (not cereal)

2011-02-13T20:25:00.002-05:00

On Saturday Ben had his first taste of "real" food - acorn squash. I made it on Friday night and he had it for lunch on Saturday. He seemed to really enjoy it but it did give him some gas that evening...but then again his little tummy has never had anything but breastmilk and rice cereal so that was a big change. But he didn't ever spit it out...hope that means we have another veggie lover on our hands! :-)

Benjamin's first zoo trip

2011-02-12T22:04:00.003-05:00

Checking out the penguins

Once he woke up

Where am I? face

Woah! This place is awesome!

Attempt at a family shot.

Well today we went with Gigi and Pop-pa to the Riverbanks Zoo. It was Benjamin's first trip and he slept over 90% of the time. He did wake up in time to see the flamingos, penguins and the aquarium (but the last got cut short for a diaper change). He was wide eyed the whole time taking in all the sounds...

After that we fought traffic at Harbison to go to Babies R Us and then had an amazingly yummy dinner at Al Amir's on St. Andrews. All in all a very fun day; I can't wait to take Ben back to the zoo when he knows a little more of what is going on.

Riverbanks Zoo thru Madeline's Eyes

2011-02-12T21:35:00.002-05:00

Today Madeline took her camera with us to the zoo and here are a few of the photo's she took...pretty impressive for a 2 1/2 year old if you ask me. Her favorite thing by far was the elephants but she also had a blast in the kangaroo habitat.

I caught Ben's 2nd roll on camera!

2011-02-09T22:34:00.002-05:00

Pine cone birdfeeder fun!

2011-02-07T21:58:00.002-05:00

We had a fun time this morning learning about nature and making bird feeders out of pine cones...then Madeline helped daddy hang them in the trees out front. She was super excited! Be sure to check out how to make this super simple craft on my new eco-lifestyle blog (the link is at the top of this site)

Quick photo update

2011-02-01T21:38:00.000-05:00

Benjamin is 4 months old already!

2011-01-16T21:26:00.003-05:00

Here are some stats:

Loves to grab his feet and his toys

had first taste of rice cereal on 1/16/11

is a little over 13lbs.

is a little over 24in. long

makes zerbert noises with his mouth

grins from ear to ear

continues to sleep thru the night

still 100% breastfed

wears 3 to 6 month clothing

loves his big sister

is trying to roll over but just rocks back and forth right now

I will be back...promise!

2011-01-09T21:50:00.002-05:00

I have many photos and such and hope to update soon! Just trying to get through rush at work first...but I will update with Benjamin's 4 month stats on Wednesday:-)

album 12\25\2010 (159 photos), by Heather Connor

2010-12-25T22:55:00.001-05:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Merry Christmas! (pics. to sidebar soon!)

2010-12-25T21:34:00.002-05:00

Ben loves his organic frog chewy blanket

Adam loves his hat and scarf:-)

Santa, Santa! He brought Maddie her own camera!

Christmas Eve photo

Best Buddies! Madeline and Hannah after the Christmas Eve Service

album 12\22\2010 (61 photos), by Heather Connor

2010-12-22T21:43:00.001-05:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Little Kid Craft Extravaganza!

2010-12-20T21:44:00.002-05:00

"Sharing" the pink chair

CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hannah and Madeline's gingerbread houses

Mary Scott and Benjamin got to "play" too!

So Cute!

Tonight we had craft time with Madeline, Benjamin, Hannah and Mary Scott! Thanks everyone for coming (special thanks to Llora, a much needed extra helper:-) Ben slept through most of it but did wake up to make something special for his grandparents;-0 wink, wink. Mary Scott even got in on the fun! The gingerbread houses were a great hit too! The could care less if it looked right but it was amazing that they just knew to but decorate the houses. Such smart girls. Thanks to Katy for bring the balls and to Katie for the paints and such. I hope we all can do this in the future; Mary Scott and Benjamin are super close in age just like Madeline and Hannah so we have years of fun to come:-) MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Sprinkle overload!

2010-12-19T23:17:00.001-05:00

Madeline "helped" make and decorate sugar cookies and she COVERED the cookies with sprinkles! But she had fun and they are just a little sweeter so whatever:-)

Adam took these close-ups of Benjamin today and I love them! Super cute!

Benjamin's Baptism

2010-12-15T19:29:00.002-05:00

Christmas with Grandma Burns and Papa TC

2010-12-15T19:15:00.002-05:00

Ben was asleep so daddy opened his gifts (well, daddy and Madeline). Thank you for all the wonderful things! Madeline loves her tag junior and Benjamin's new diaper is wonderful.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-12T23:49:00.001-05:00

Initially Yours Green Christmas Card

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1st Annual LUMC Christmas Cookie Exchange

2010-12-12T22:31:00.002-05:00

Fixing cookie bags and tasting

Cindy, Trudy & I worked on this event

Table decorations

So Festive

Everyone got a recipe booklet

Christmas with Gigi & Poppa & Great Grandma

2010-12-12T22:00:00.003-05:00

Our tree with all the presents Gigi, Poppa and Great Grandma brought

Opening gifts

Ben in his new hat

Madeline with her "lips"

Happy Baby

We had a wonderful visit with family. Friday night after a very yummy dinner at Uno we celebrated Christmas with my parents and grandma. The kids had a blast; especially Madeline...she totally "gets" Christmas this year. She loved all her gifts; especially the baby doll bed from great grandma, the lip gloss from Gigi and Poppa, and the toy box from Great Nannie. Ben was so cute the whole time and had as much fun as a 3 month old can. Adam and I both loved our gifts are we are all so thankful for family that loves us so much to bless us with these new things.

Some cute pictures

2010-12-06T22:53:00.003-05:00

Highlights from the week in NC

2010-11-27T23:10:00.004-05:00

Watching the Corn Huskers win with Pop-pop.

Goofing around on Turkey Day

Playing in the backyard with Nanny and Nana & Papa's house

Cutest picture to date!

Eating a tomato from Gigi's garden (yes folks they are still producing tomatoes at the end of Nov.!) she ate the whole thing like it was candy!

We had a wonderful visit with family and friends. We got to go to Crabtree with Chad and Sarah on Monday evening & have a great time catching up on things with them. We saw our families throughout the week and chatted with Adam's sister on turkey day. Adam got a great black friday deal at 12:01am and that evening he and I went to the outlets and got another deal. All in all a wonderful week!

Benjamin's first Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T23:05:00.002-05:00

Our Little Flower Girl

2010-11-27T22:50:00.002-05:00

Picking up petals and saying, "clean up, clean up"

Waiting to take pictures

little ham!

so pretty! one of the bridesmaids flowers

CHEESE!!

Madeline did a great job in my cousin Ashley's wedding as the flower girl. She almost cried but saw mommy and was okay. She and Landon walked down the aisle together and when he got to me he said, "here" and gave Madeline's hand to me even though they had about two more rows to the front. Everyone giggled. It was a lovely wedding and a special experience that I was so blessed to be a part of. And they cutest moment before the wedding was when Madeline told Ashley that she looked like a princess.

2 months old!

2010-11-13T09:48:00.003-05:00

I cant beleive my baby boy is 2 months old! We took him for his 2 month wellness check but he also has a little cold so we held off on shots until next week. Here are a few stats for the two month mark:

- a little over 12 lbs. (60%tile)

- a little over 23 in. long (80%tile)

-15.5 in head circum. (35%tile)

- smiles at you

- coo's and makes adorable baby sounds

- will follow you or an object around with his eyes

- holds his head up really well

- likes to try and fly like superman during tummy time

- pushes up when on tummy and holds up for a little while

- has done a great job of taking both breast and bottle

- 100% breasfed

He is growing so fast! I cant beleive how long he is...but he is already in 3-6 month clothing comfortably. Such a cute, big boy!

Ps- I couldn't help but add the photo with Madeline...she loves her little brother and is so good with him!

Trunk or Treat LUMC 2010

2010-10-30T10:43:00.002-04:00

Weekend with Pop-pa and Gigi

2010-10-30T10:28:00.002-04:00

Gigi and Pop-pa came down and we had a great time. We went to Harmon's Tree Farm Sat. and it was a great photo opportunity but the activities have really gone down hill. We went to Buy Buy Baby and had dinner at Al Amir also. Plus, the biggest news of all...Maddie has been big girl pottying for about a week now! She even pooped in the potty on Sunday! We are only in panties during the day and she has had a few accidents but all in all potty training is going great! Goes to show that you should wait until the child lets you know she is ready because once it clicks it sticks!

Ist Bottle

2010-10-30T10:22:00.002-04:00

Last week we introduced the bottle (breastmilk of course) to Benjamin and he did really well. We got the 1st years Breastflow bottles because they are more like the breast...the even "let down" and everything. This week I went back to work 4 hours a day and Adam fed Ben once each day and said he did great. I am so glad that he is able to go back and forth between breast and bottle and that I dont have to pump unless I am working. Answered prayer for sure!

A day at the fair...

2010-10-18T20:24:00.002-04:00

We took the kids to the SC State fair today and had a great time. Ben even went on his first merry go round ride! Madeline enjoyed the rides and seeing all the animals (especially the ponies). It was a nice day and I just love all the memories we are making!

Justus Orchard Family Apple Adventure

2010-10-16T21:24:00.002-04:00

Today we went to the apple orchard in Hendersonville, NC. I have always wanted to go apple picking (it's such a fall thing to do) and today we had the most wonderful family day trip! Be sure to check out all the great pictures, a link is posted in the sidbar to see more than these three. Ben slept in his carrier the whole time but we take that he had fun since he didnt cry. Madeline had a blast! She kept saying, "ubples" "pick" and "eat". She helped pick some and carry the basket (until it got apples in it) but once she got one to eat she went to town! The also had draft horses giving hayrides and while we didn't take a ride she was super excited about seeing the horses. She kept saying "hos" and"yide" once she saw it. Once we paid for our apples (a GREAT price by the way!) we enjoyed a cider slush and apple cider doughnuts...YUMMY! We ended up picking Mutsu, Cameo, and Pink Lady apples and I can't wait to get cooking. It was a wonderful day and I think we have definately started a new Connor family tradition.

One Month Old Today!

2010-10-12T21:55:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that Benjamin is already one month old! It seems like I just had him! He is growing like crazy and such a cutie. We measured him at home and he was 22.5 so he has grown an inch and a half. Not sure what he weighs but he has definetly gained. He is a champion at nursing which is great and totally different from having to pump the whole year with Madeline. All I know is that maternity leave is going by way too fast! But we have done lots of fun family things and we are enjoying the time together. This picture is just after bathtime tonight.

One week old

2010-09-20T23:02:00.002-04:00

Ben went on his first outing on Sunday to the family picnic with our church at the YMCA property. We had a great time and everyone was very understanding about just looking at him and not holding him since he is so young. Maddie and Hannah were really cute playing with the cornhole boards and bean-bags at the picnic.

Nana and Great Nana came to visit Fri. night/Sat. (I will post pics. soon) we enjoyed their company.

All in all the first week has been great; Madeline is a great big sister, Benjamin is a sweet baby boy, and I am married to the best man in the world. Very Blessed.

Welcome to the world Benjamin Vance Connor!

2010-09-15T22:22:00.003-04:00

Benjamin Vance Connor, 8lbs. 6oz. born 09/12/10 at 4:29am. Our little guy decided to come 2 weeks early but we are so happy he is here! I woke up at 1230am and my water had broke but I wasnt having contractions. Llora was sweet enough to come stay the night with Madeline and Adam & I got to the hospital about 130am; by that time I was having contractions. This labor wasnt bad at all...not that it felt good but it was fast. I labored in a rocking chair, which was great. Long story short, 4 minutes after I started pushing he was here; and praise God I was able to go natural again and he is healthy as can be!

Madeline is a great big sister and she loves to name his eyes, mouth, etc. and "hold" him with our help. She also rocks him in his carseat and is very gentle with him. We are so proud of her!

Ben is a champ nurser! A nice change for me with having to pump with Madeline.

We came home on Tuesday afternoon and all has been great...except he didnt want to sleep that night. We think we figured it out though so hopefully tonight will be better.

My mom and dad got to come down and see him; it was nice that my dad actually got to see him as a newborn because Maddie was 6 months when they met. My mom helped out with Maddie while we were in the hospital and she went home Tuesday morning.

Anyway, that is the rundown of the newest little Connor...we hope you will come visit us soon!

2nd Birthday Preview

2010-09-07T21:39:00.004-04:00

I should have all of the party pictures up soon but here are a few that Adam's Papa TC send us. (note: the party was 8.28.10) Thank you to everyone who helped make her party such a special day!

Happy 2nd Birthday Madeline!

2010-08-26T21:25:00.003-04:00

Tonight we went ahead and gave Madeline the main part of her birthday gift...her very own play kitchen! She was SO excited! It seems that her favorite thing to do right now is "wash" her hands and her veggies in the sink. She also really enjoys the working kitchen timer on it. I can't believe that she is already 2! It feels like yesterday that she was rocking in her baby swing just home from the hospital. Here are some of her two year stats (more will follow on Tuesday after her checkup): weighs around 31 pounds, says a ton of words, favorite color is purple, calls alvin "annin" and simon "wowoof", can repeat the alphabet after you and recognizes some letters, can count to 5 by looking at your fingers holding up the numbers, is still working on the big girl potty, sleeps in a "big girl" bed, likes to say cheese for the camera, and is 1000000% loveable! She's such a big girl but she will always be our baby girl! Happy Birthday Maddie!

La la la-la la la

2010-08-19T18:40:00.006-04:00

La la la-la la la,

Sing a happy song.

La la la-la la la,

Smurf your whole day long.

So apparently Madeline has been on the Internet googling the shows Mommy and Daddy watched when we were kids. She must have fell in love with the Smurfs because this is what I walked in on after nap time today.

See before Madeline's room was Madeline's room, it was Mommy scrapbook room/Daddy's grad school room. Evidently a blue sharpie got lost. Well Madeline found it, and boy did she find it. She was covered, her Violet was covered, as were her sheets and pillow case. Luckily she didn't color on the walls or any furniture, or in any books (Heather would have freaked!). I was having a pretty uneventful day...Heather closes tonight so she was home until after lunch, we did some grocery shopping (Hooray Coupons...saved almost $40!) and I got our bathroom clean. Little did I know my evening changed when I "woke" Madeline up from nap! Thankfully she's back to "normal". I threw on my bathing suit, her in the tub, and hoped right in there with her. She came out pretty clean, and the tub didn't get stained in the process, Yippee! (Side note, it did look like the toilets with with blue water for a little bit) Here is the after shot:

Take that Sharpie!

Sunday's Park Fun

2010-08-10T20:09:00.002-04:00

Here are pictures from Hannah and Maddie's fun play date at the park...The girl's had a great time! They got covered in sand running back and forth between the playground and palm tree sprayer but had a ton of fun! I was suprised how quickly Madeline was running under the sprinkler and having a blast. Hannah loved to stomp around in the water once she warmed up to it and she had a great time going down the slide. Madeline prefered the swings over the slide but they had a lot of fun together! It is so much fun to see them actually playing together now!
Thanks Katie for the great pictures!

A little late but Madeline's 1st tea party

2010-08-08T21:36:00.003-04:00

So here a post of pictures from when Maddie and Hannah had a play date and their first tea party. It was SO cute! Katie already did a post on this but I wanted to post the photos she sent me here too. The two of them are so cute playing together! They really love to play now...Madeline asked for Hannah all weekend after this night...

Oh, and tonight we went to Corley Mill Park for the sprinkle palm tree and the girls loved it! Katie took pictures so I will post or link those once they are up. It's a great park for their age though and we had a wonderful time; thanks Hannah & Katie!

Silly Girl!

2010-08-01T21:49:00.003-04:00

We tried out the spongy curlers (the only kind that work with my baby hair that Maddie was blessed with :-) but they didn't stay in long... was cute while it lasted though!

Such a sassy cheese!

Violet had to have two hair bows because Madeline had two hair bows...such a girlie girl!

What a fun weekend!

2010-07-05T16:24:00.003-04:00

We had a wonderful July 4th weekend with our friends Chad, Sarah & Justin. I had to work Sat. for most of the day but they all went out to the waterpark at Fort Jackson and enjoyed the day splashing around. Once I was off work and Madeline napped we all went to Hudson's for a yummy dinner and then headed out to the Gilbert Peach festival. In the year's past we have gone there earlier in the day but it was nice not to go at the heat of the day plus enjoy a great view of free fireworks. We ran into our friends from church, Breanna and Elliot, and bought some really good peach shortcake for dessert. Madeline was a BIG fan of the dessert! She enjoyed playing with her god parents and "uncle" from NC and ran around in the grass playing & "tickling" everyone. She also stayed up way past her bedtime but LOVED the fireworks. She kept saying "ohh" and "whao" and what we think was pretty.

Sunday we went to church and heard our new pastor speak then went to lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. Then later that afternoon (after naps) we enjoyed the swimming area at the lake. For dinner we had a tasty grilled selection of veggies and chicken...perfect on July 4th. The watermelon & chocolate eclair was the best though!

We all seemed to have a really great time and had lots of fun together. I am glad that Madeline got to spend time with them; she had alot of fun! Now today we are enjoying my day off and relaxing after running out to Toys R Us to get Madeline's Birthday gift (it was on clearance so we had to go ahead and get it)....not bad to get a $100 toy for half price:-)

Madeline is now in a toddler bed!

2010-06-26T21:41:00.003-04:00

I'm such a big girl!

Her "big girl" room

Her toddler bed. Thank you Pop-pop and Gigi! Her nursery bedding works great as the comforter and bed skirt!

She didn't even fall out after her first nap in the new bed!

I cant believe how fast Maddie is growing! It was so bitter sweet tonight to watch her crawl right into bed and lay down. I love being able to tuck her in again though because being 27 weeks pregnant the crib was crazy hard for me to get her in and out of.

Also, I have to say a HUGE thank you to my wonderful husband who, while I was @ our yard sale cleaned our room, moved the crib into our room, cleaned Madeline's room and set up her big girl bed. Thank you honey!

Picture People, Take Two & Fun Weekend

2010-06-20T16:24:00.002-04:00

Thursday night once I got off work we tried to take Madeline to have her picture taken...only she wanted NOTHING to do with it. Welcome to the almost two's it guess...:-) Lucky for us they do not have sitting fees so we just rescheduled for Sat. and went home.

My parents also came down for the weekend and brought Maddie's new toddler bed; which once we get it set up I'll post pictures! They were a big help @ pictures Sat. since they provided a new distraction. The session started off rough because all Madeline wanted to do was cry because we wouldn't let her play on the computers but in the end we got some really cute shots. Some of the weekends other highlights included getting Indian food (yummy!), watching movies and getting to spend Father's day with the best Dad a girl could ask for and the best husband ever! Two very awesome men, for sure! All in all a wonderful weekend...Madeline had fun because she said her goodbyes and went down for her nap without a fight...a sure sign of a happily worn out toddler:-)

$1 night at Edventure! And our other Adventures!

2010-06-08T21:48:00.003-04:00

So all of the following pictures are from our fun time at Edventure. Madeline had a wonderful time! She really liked getting the eggs from the chicken and cooking at the little grill shop they had. Some of the stuff is still over her head but for only a dollar it was great!

She went to sleep great tonight after all her adventures today! We had fun pool time with Hannah and Katie earlier in the day. The girls were so cute tossing a ball back and forth in the water and splashing each other! Such a big difference from last year! It is hard to believe how fast they are growing! Sadly, I forgot my camera but we had a great time; Thanks for having us Katie!

2010-06-08T21:45:00.001-04:00

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2010-06-08T21:43:00.001-04:00

2010-06-08T21:41:00.001-04:00

2010-06-08T21:40:00.001-04:00

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2010-06-08T21:39:00.001-04:00

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

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2010-06-08T21:36:00.001-04:00

Ultrasound Pictures of Benjamin Vance Connor

2010-05-31T20:45:00.003-04:00

Myrtle Beach Part 3

2010-05-25T20:44:00.003-04:00

Feeding fish @ Barefoot with Pop-pop

Cheese!

Madeline with Pop-pop & Gigi

Our family of four (well almost:-)

Myrtle Beach Part 2

2010-05-25T20:26:00.004-04:00

Hollywood

Gathering shells on day two.

One of the few times she kept her hat on.

Drying off before heading back for lunch and naptime.

"Helping" Gigi blow up her hippo float.

The first of many beach photo posts

2010-05-25T20:14:00.002-04:00

Madeline hard at work. She would fill the castle mold then give it to us to flip over.

Gigi, Daddy and Maddie playing in the sand.

All smiles!

Getting water for the castle with Daddy...I love this picture!

Madeline is having a baby brother!

2010-05-20T15:25:00.002-04:00

Well found out yesterday that baby #2 is a little boy. I am so glad that I can now say "he" and not just baby!

Big Girl Potty!

2010-05-17T22:02:00.002-04:00

On Sunday night Madeline went in the big girl potty for the 1st time! I dont think she really understood why we got so excited and why she got a cookie but its a step in the right direction! I cant believe how fast my little girl is growing up!

Yummy! I made homemade strawberry jam!

2010-05-04T21:26:00.003-04:00

So, this is the finished product. For some reason the pictures are in reverse order. I am so proud of myself! I have been wanted to try my hand at canning for some while and went with something "easy" to start and it turned out great! It spreads well and best of all it's 100% organic!

All you had to do to seal the jars was ladle the hot jam in the jars, put on the top and ring and flip them upside down to cool completely. Once they cooled 100% you flip them over, press the top down and if it doesn't pop back up it's good for one whole year!

This is the jam "in process"...it was a GREAT recipe that to do everything only took about 1 hour. Plus there isn't any store bought pectin in it! I found out green apples have a high pectin content that contrasts strawberries lower content so all you do is grate a granny smith apple and you have plenty of pectin without using a chemically derived product! I can't wait to try something else...salsa maybe? (If my tomato plant will ever flower...)

Walmart just gained a few points with our family...

2010-05-02T18:25:00.002-04:00

Most people know that I am not a huge Walmart fan but they have started to win me over a little. They just switched the Faded Glory clothing line (babies thru adult clothing) to organic cotton and recycled denim! While the dyes used to color the clothing are not natural this is a BIG step in the right direction! The way I look @ it...Walmart is one of the largest purchasers of many different things and if that is now the case with organically grown cotton that will increase the demand and decrease the cost. That's a win for the environment and our wallet. While I still feel that consignment "gently used" clothing is the most eco-friendly and I LOVE KD's Treehouse on Devine Street for a special occasion I can now say that if Madeline (or any of us for that matter) need some type of new clothing item I will actually think of Walmart now. Check them out! I didn't look at everything but the little girls clothing is very cute and very soft!

Dinner Time

2010-04-28T18:38:00.002-04:00

Madeline was so ready for dinner tonight she wanted to get it out of the oven herself

2010-04-27T22:01:00.001-04:00

Here is a cute video of us asking Madeline some "earth-friendly" questions and her opinion on things.

PS: We totally understand she would answer this to any question asked. We just thought it was too cute not to post.

Crazy Park Hair

2010-04-24T21:51:00.002-04:00

What happens when Madeline and a static filled slide meet:-)

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T13:52:00.007-04:00

Madeline had a wonderful Easter. Heather's parents and grandparents came down Saturday and we all had fun hanging out with her family. Sunday Maddie opened her Easter basket and then we went to church. After lunch we came back to the house for an Easter Egg Hunt. Maddie LOVED "hunting" for eggs.

Day at the Beach

2010-04-02T09:00:00.011-04:00

Heather's company sent us down to Charleston for Thursday/Friday before Easter. While she was working, Madeline and I took off to see the area. We drove down Thursday morning, dropped Heather off and headed to the BEACH!! The weather was perfect! We went down to Folly Beach and headed to the northern part of the island to see the Morris Island Lighthouse. It's pretty cool because it is sitting out in the middle of the ocean. Madeline loved playing in the sand.

After the beach we got an excellent lunch recommendation to try the Lost Dog Cafe. One of the best burgers I've ever had, no lie! Before heading back downtown, we stopped in James Island at the James Island County Park. For some reason Madeline could care less about the playground or swings. Since she didn't feel like playing, she went in the stroller and we took a trail around the park down to the marsh. Very peaceful at the water.

She was pooped and it was about time to check in so we headed back downtown. We checked in at the Francis Marion and got ready to meet Heather for dinner. After meeting Heather we walked down King towards food. We decided to jump over to Meeting and try Hyman's since we heard it was a must. Being a Thursday we didn't have too long a wait, maybe 5-10 mins. It was pretty good, plus free ice cream! Not sure what we're going to do today, but can't wait!

Ultrasound

2010-03-17T20:50:00.005-04:00

Thought I'd make a quick post with an ultrasound picture of Baby #2. Hope you all enjoy!

18 month and Easter 2010 picture

2010-03-14T20:15:00.002-04:00

just warming up to the camera

retro lighting, one of my favs.

another retro

all smiles!

so cute! Its the "I got caught" look.

A little late but... 18months old!

2010-03-02T20:40:00.002-05:00

Maddie is a big kid!! She is running all over the place and turning into such a toddler and not a baby anymore. It's kinda bitter sweet. But anyway here are some of her stats at 18 months:

*weights 27.5 lbs.
*is 32" tall
*can say: mama, dada, dog, uh oh, duck, door, up, down, that, yum, hi & kinda says night-night
*LOVES her tent and tunnel; even has a "reading" corner
*climbs onto the coach and chaise
*eats MOSTLY with a fork and spoon
*isn't crazy about meat but loves hummus, sweet potatoes, pb&j, any fruit, spinach & curry
*Loves to see her best buddy Hannah
*hugs her dog-dogs
*loves to babble/talk to you in person or on the phone

This is just a little taste of what she's up to but I will def. post pictures soon!

First taste of snow cream...yummy!

2010-02-13T20:44:00.002-05:00

Snow Day!

2010-02-13T20:27:00.001-05:00

Nothing much new here...

2010-01-26T21:11:00.002-05:00

Well, Rush is over and I finally have a minute to breathe. The new rental program at work went over really well and is sure to be a big hit from here on out. I have been working on getting another Go Green Bible Study going in conjunction with other studies at the church and cant wait to start the book Serve God, Save the Planet with the group.

Adam is still pushing forward in the job markets and we feel we are on the verge of a breakthrough. God provides, God is Good, God WILL answer. One things for sure, he has been the best during rush. Cooking, cleaning, everything... I married the best man ever!

Madeline is growing and learning more each day. She has starting trying out the r sounds and can say dog, mama, dada, dat (that), duck, and yum. Sometimes we think we understand more but she sure does jabber lots:-) She is 17 months old today! Most of her 18 month clothing is getting too short and she just got new shoes... size 5.5! Wow! It's like her foot ate some miracle grow or something!

I have a few new pictures to come soon! Thanks for following!

Quick Update of our lives...

2010-01-08T21:40:00.002-05:00

Well Rush is here (at my job) so the blog is not getting updated nearly enough. So here's a quick run down of our lives:

Madeline is all over the place every day. She's trying really hard to talk & LOVES to dance! She also loves to read and be read to. I cant believe she's already 16 months... 17 months here soon! Feels like we just had her birthday party!

Adam and I are well. He's still on the job hunt daily but we feel that God is really at work and will open doors soon. Along the same lines, I have recently been promoted to the Trade Book Manager position and I LOVE IT! I am incharge of all our general reading (which is alot at USC), our marketing/signage, as well as the pilot textbook rental program. So while I love all my cafe friends I truely enjoy this new position and feel that God is/will truely bless us through it.

A Peek @ Maddie's Christmas!

2010-01-01T20:08:00.001-05:00

Some Christmas Pictures

2009-12-24T14:37:00.004-05:00

Katie and Hannah joined Madeline and I for dinner and pictures on Tuesday night. The girls did great! Hannah was interested in Santa, but Madeline was NOT a fan! Hopefully next year will be better. Here are a couple of pictures...

Wow! AMAZING savings at Publix this week!

2009-12-12T10:01:00.002-05:00

This is the best deals I have ever done!!

Total Spent: 19.86
Total Saved: 61.07
That's 75% savings!!

Plus, everyone should really watch what your items ring up for... I got two free items because they rang up incorrectly! That's one policy that makes a Publix shopper out of me! I am LOVING the $2 plus credit you get with the revlon beauty tools advantage and SS coupon! Lots of ladies in my family will be benefiting from these free tools AND I get $$ off groceries! Win, win!

Lexington Christmas Parade Fun

2009-12-07T21:26:00.002-05:00

Madeline's favorite part of the parade was the "dog-dogs"

Maddie and Daddy

My Favorite Photo!!!

Super excited for the parade...and took a LONG nap afterward!