tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79070406392620427432024-02-07T06:06:34.799-06:00Diary of an Oreo LoverKalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.comBlogger358125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-22375449084625568302013-08-14T14:46:00.001-05:002013-08-14T14:46:56.237-05:00Arrival.<span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; line-height: 22px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Wesley Paul Johnston! 8 pounds 2 ounces. 20 inches. Strawberry blond peach fuzz hair. </span><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLroZTIh449wvkeIpzXxLwP8ohXlGOKqfSh_BQXmKPwcHE-rTyUrJ4SCeVoqdir-HR2IXRp2DPwYaA068mP1aaYADaGyV2hYmBqvQ1lMB20A3VKtRKHQwjAT7_uS8EFrDAb-B8kUMPEA/s640/blogger-image--133849390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLroZTIh449wvkeIpzXxLwP8ohXlGOKqfSh_BQXmKPwcHE-rTyUrJ4SCeVoqdir-HR2IXRp2DPwYaA068mP1aaYADaGyV2hYmBqvQ1lMB20A3VKtRKHQwjAT7_uS8EFrDAb-B8kUMPEA/s640/blogger-image--133849390.jpg"></a></div>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-74939713160738942222013-08-14T13:11:00.001-05:002013-08-14T13:11:13.562-05:00Feeling the urge!Kali began feeling a bit of pressure and the urge to push. Went from a five to a nine in about 35 min! Shouldn't be longKalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-6978641507776983662013-08-14T11:39:00.001-05:002013-08-14T11:39:19.913-05:00Epidural in, Chillaxing time nowKali doing well. Just waiting now. Thanks for all the prayers. Great CRNA did the epidural. Kali was anxious but handled it all well. Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-38775469730759781852013-08-14T11:36:00.001-05:002013-08-14T11:36:05.785-05:00Water has brokenMost recent check showed some progress and Kali's water was broken. Mom and baby doing well. <div><br></div>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-12677104070079320192013-08-14T08:08:00.001-05:002013-08-14T08:08:49.968-05:008 o'clock updateRegular contractions between two and a half – three minutes. Waiting on M.D. to check on progress. Kali doing very well.Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-36736175972674345632013-08-14T06:20:00.001-05:002013-08-14T06:20:36.516-05:00It has begun!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKw51VXbXWiQMVYKe2umHLV8aYUEHmIML-DHoBR4-M_70V2wTAPRGaChl4bhLs6fQ9Xa8Ecngj61EpYRhGOQg7Ur_9Y8S9-z5KXzh9D2LI8LgT8t19TpwibIj-CTQJN3uH6cw639Pysw/s640/blogger-image--1386247424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKw51VXbXWiQMVYKe2umHLV8aYUEHmIML-DHoBR4-M_70V2wTAPRGaChl4bhLs6fQ9Xa8Ecngj61EpYRhGOQg7Ur_9Y8S9-z5KXzh9D2LI8LgT8t19TpwibIj-CTQJN3uH6cw639Pysw/s640/blogger-image--1386247424.jpg"></a></div>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-91278102575999689962013-08-13T21:41:00.001-05:002013-08-13T21:41:46.857-05:00Testing testingJust testing out blogger from my phone. Getting induced in the morning, so we may be updating this way if it works smoothly. Can't believe the time has come! Be back soon...with much more exciting details :)<div><br></div>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-31470763444332962602013-07-25T14:48:00.000-05:002013-07-25T14:48:18.949-05:00Pregnancy #3 - a recapGood morning! I know, I know...you're shocked to see me, aren't you? Well nothing like nearing the end of pregnancy to make a girl feel like blogging I guess!<br />
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I thought since I'm (maybe? almost? kinda?) officially entering that "any day" stage, I should really bring all of you wonderful people up to speed on this 3rd pregnancy of mind. I've been glad I took the time to write down details of my pregnancies and births on my blog, and last night I spent awhile looking through the last few weeks leading up to the births of my girls - and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to at least record a little info this time around too. First, a little recap:<br />
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DEC 2012: One night I nearly gagged when Dan prepped his morning coffee, and I KNEW that feeling...so I promptly took a pregnancy test the next morning. I'll be honest, it was a bit of a shock this time around. We wanted more children, but the timing wasn't exactly what we had in mind :) Christmas and New Years were spent sharing our news (albeit a bit early) with family, and trying not to smell any of the delicious cooking going on.<br />
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JAN - FEB 2013: Blah. That pretty much sums up those months for me. I felt gross & tired pretty much round the clock, but God gave us the grace to keep up with our growing girlies while we adjusted to the idea of adding a 3rd child to our family. My Mom came for a long weekend and helped to stock our freezer with some meals, some dear friends pitched in, and Dan was amazing to keep things going while I struggled through.<br />
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MAR 2013: I was able to make a nice, long trip to visit my family over the first couple weeks of March. Mom took care of me and the girls, and I felt like I really turned that proverbial corner while I was there. The nausea and fatigue eased up and I felt I was coming out of my "fog." I also started to definitely show at this point, and I think the reality of a baby began to sink in a bit more with the evidence. We also found out that month that this child I was carrying was actually a BOY!!! More shock and disbelief - and a whole lot of excitement!<br />
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APRIL 2013: I relished the coming of spring and finally felt more like myself again. Grandma Ann & Grandpa AJ made a quick trip down with my Dad and brought us some beautiful furniture, Dan expanded and planted our garden, and we watched the various plants and flowers around the house come to life again. Celebrating Easter and our risen LORD was especially meaningful and we sought to teach our girls the precious story, and I watched Caroline's eyes fill with wonder and excitement as she began to understand more and more. Such a sweet time.<br />
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MAY 2013: Dan and I had been anticipating our trip to Iowa for a long time, so we were finally able to head north to our beloved Orange City (were we attended college) for the Tulip Festival and some wonderful time with family and friends we don't often get to see. The girls had a BALL! Dan reveled in the catching up and reconnecting with dear friends, and I had a back-ache that wouldn't quit...but I was still so grateful for the time there, especially with Aunt Linda & Uncle Alan. Then we headed down to Missouri for Torri's graduation (what?!?) & a few days with my family. It was a wonderful vacation all around, and it also felt like another turning point as we returned home and began to feel a shift towards preparing for baby. (oh yeah, and we got iPhones!)<br />
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JUNE 2013: June was full of family (with all 3 of Dan's sisters home), Father's Day, Ballet camp (that should really be a separate post on it's own - it was a bit of a disaster really), a fabulous visit from Aunt Gigi (aka Paige), and my ever-expanding belly. I began to feel "really pregnant," and my varicose veins and compression stockings became more uncomfortable, so the girls and I found lots of indoor activities to fill our time. June sort of came and went in a hurry, and I was thankful to see the calendar turn to July - getting closer!<br />
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JULY 2013: (Whew, almost caught up!) My sister and her family came for a fantastic (albeit rainy) visit over the 4th of July. (She wrote about it in detail <a href="http://kelseylynae.blogspot.com/2013/07/two-villes-some-fireworks-and-lots-of_12.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://kelseylynae.blogspot.com/2013/07/two-villes-some-fireworks-and-lots-of_13.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) It was such sweet time together, and Kelsey was WONDERFUL and painted baby boy's room! Then she was even more amazing and patient with me, and she spent nearly a whole day shopping for said room (and dealing with my indecisiveness when it comes to decorating). After they left, my nesting really kicked into high gear! Having the room nearly ready gave me the boost to start organizing, washing, gathering, and taking inventory of what we have and what we need for little mister. I also tackled sewing my own black-out curtains (which I finished yesterday - yay!), and a few other little sewing projects that I have had fun with. I think my nesting has been encouraged by frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, frequent trips to the doctor, and other such signs that the end is in sight!<br />
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So here I sit at 36 weeks pregnant. The time has gone both quickly and slowly (somehow that's possible, trust me). In January, July felt impossibly far away, and many of the days and weeks have been rather long and grueling. This has not been the easiest pregnancy for me, that's for sure. It's been punctuated by nausea, varicose veins, back-aches, nose-bleeds, contractions, and other unmentionables (we'll just leave it at that!). But it's been "uncomplicated" in the ways that count, in my overall health and the health of the baby, for which I am incredibly thankful. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from my beautiful baby shower this week!</td></tr>
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Somehow in His great grace & mercy, God has chosen to bless us with another child to love and care for. It is overwhelming, truly. Life feels so full with our two beautiful girls, it is so hard to imagine what it will look like to add a son to our family. I am anxious about the transition, but mostly just very eager to meet our little man face to face and hold him in my arms. The anticipation of seeing Dan with a SON makes my heart so full, and to finally share a boy with our family of SO many girls brings a lot of excitement.<br />
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I will try and keep you posted in these next days and weeks as the arrival of our son draws near. If you made it to the end of this post (Mom & Kels), thanks for muddling through :)Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-71454089412380490792013-04-24T14:54:00.001-05:002013-04-24T14:54:47.402-05:00Dirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ever since we found out that our newest addition (coming in August, if you hadn't heard!) is a BOY, we have heard a slew of random comments, congratulatory remarks, and lots of tips on how very very different this little creature will be from our two sweet girls. And while YES, we are over-the-moon excited about all this little guy is going to add to our family, there are a few of these comments that make me scratch my head sometimes. For instance, "You'll never believe how dirty little boys can get!" I may very well eat my words someday, but let me just state for the record that little girls can get awfully dirty, too!</div>
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Daddy has been hard at work in the garden as of late (he expanded it quite a bit, which required lots of digging, removing giant rocks (because this is Tennessee), adding to his amazing rock wall, and adding more dirt of course), and Caroline & Ellie are happy to be of assistance whenever possible. <br />
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Yesterday evening he was adding and leveling some dirt in the new addition, so the girls got to work with their shovels as well. They weren't big fans of Daddy tossing the dirt from one end to the other (as evidenced by their facial expressions in this picture!).</div>
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I only had to ask Ellie not to lick the spade two or three times.</div>
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But she worked really hard on moving big clumps around to make sure things were in their proper place.</div>
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Caroline has gotten pretty handy with that shovel. Although she did ask Daddy for some "softer dirt" a few times. I'm pretty sure they are going to be sorely disappointed when we actually plant the garden and they lose their giant dirt box!</div>
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No comments about child labor laws, please. She's 3 1/2, plenty old enough to start earning her keep around here!</div>
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This is the filth I'm talking about, people. This child. The quantities of dirt do not necessarily show up in these pictures, but it's there alright. The ring left in the bathtub last night could attest to it. And doesn't she look just distraught over it?</div>
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I'm actually a little upset about these shoes. I just bought them...as in, last week. Someone apparently didn't get the memo that they are not her gardening shoes (ahem, Daddy???). I'm hoping they survive the washing machine.</div>
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But how is a mother supposed to be upset over these things? Even when I see stain removal in my immediate future, I can't help but enjoy this sweet, filthy face.</div>
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Ellie spies just about any bird in a 100 mile radius.</div>
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She melts me. Snot & all.</div>
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I guess she'd had enough of the garden for awhile, so she decided to check out her other favorite location...there's ALWAYS dirt and/or mud here!</div>
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And then there's my first born. Crazy Caroline. And while this girlfriend can get dirty, she has also been known to fall into tears of despair when being sprinkled with water from a neighbor boy's water gun. She just needs to be prepared for what's coming. So if dirt is coming, it's okay...so long as she isn't presently in love with the outfit she's in or the shoes she's wearing or won't be forced to take a bath AND wash her hair because of said dirt. And while I sigh in exasperation, I also completely understand what she's going through...she may be a little bit like her Mama :)</div>
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Apparently she was prepared for dirt yesterday. And somehow, her clothes managed to escape with only so much as a smudge on the back. So maybe that's what people are talking about when they say little girls just don't get very dirty.</div>
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But then again, they probably have never met Ellie.</div>
<br />Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-78791675480575244772013-04-12T16:12:00.000-05:002013-04-12T16:12:55.692-05:00ComparisonWell hello there! I know, I know, I've been away for awhile...sorry about that. I'm ready to give it another go. I think. At least today I am...we'll see about tomorrow :) But rather than go on about the last several months that I've missed, I'm just going to jump right in and pretend like that little break never happened - ok? Here we go!<br />
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I just got back from a grocery trip a little while ago that got me thinking. As I was going through the process of getting everyone & everything out of the <strike>car</strike> van, I saw a friend of mine pull up in her sleek white car. This friend of mine leads a rather different life than my own, and the next few minutes highlighted that rather profoundly for me. She is a very successful career woman who is now able to run her own business from home. She caught up to us in the entryway as I was loading the girls into the "car cart," situating grocery bags, wiping down the steering wheels, and trying to find my coupons and mile-long grocery list I had compiled before we left. My friend breezed in without so much as a purse.<br />
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We chatted for a few minutes, talked about community group this weekend and she said she was going to pick up a cake since it was so-and-so's birthday. I racked my brain about what exactly I was going to make since I will be supplying the other part of the snack for that night. Caroline asked about her son, and she told her he was at "school" (daycare). Caroline looked confused, but let it pass. Then she said good-bye and headed for the deli counter to grab a sandwich for lunch, smiled as my girls got their free cookies, and was gone before I had picked up a loaf of bread.<br />
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I took a deep breath as I looked at my grocery list. I had a looong ways to go. And I thought about my friend as we zig-zagged our way up and down nearly every aisle, pausing every now and then to wipe sticky fingers or break up an argument over the water bottle or say "no" for the millionth time to those dumb toys that are hanging about every 6 feet right at cart level. I thought about my friend when Ellie had a complete melt-down in the dairy section because she couldn't eat her yogurt RIGHT NOW (never mind a spoon) and I had to carry her the rest of the way (thank goodness it was the last aisle), and I thought about her again as I checked out amidst my disorganized coupons and crying children. <br />
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Over an hour later, we were finally on our way home. We were all hungry and tired, just thinking about loading in all that I had purchased made my back hurt, and I quickly tried to figure out what would be the quickest route to get them to eat & then (please Lord) sleep. And I thought about my friend again. Jealousy was starting to get the better of me when a simple little phrase came to mind: <br />
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<em>Comparison is the thief of JOY</em>.<br />
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A friend of mine has that posted on her refrigerator, and I'm glad she does, because I needed to be reminded of it today.<br />
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Comparison really is the thief of joy. As I compared my life to my friend's, I could only see the good stuff in hers and the crummy stuff in mine. As I saw her whisk out of the store with her sandwich in hand (that someone else had prepared), I thought about the 2 meals I still had left to prepare before the day's end. I didn't think about the meetings and hours of work I'm sure she still has left before picking up her son, dealing with typical house-hold stuff, and falling into bed exhausted. <br />
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I also didn't think about the snuggles I'd get when I put Ellie down for her nap. Or the sweet song Caroline sang to herself on the drive home. I didn't think about the time I had yesterday morning to oblige Caroline and put both girls in tutu's, watching them dance & spin without a care in the world. I didn't think about the pride I felt just a couple days ago when I was able to bring them to Story Time at the library and another mom watched as Caroline carefully wrote out a couple letters - then asked if she goes to preschool (nope, I taught her that!). I may have been thinking about the loads and loads of laundry I've done this week, the piles of dishes, the never-ending housework -- but I didn't think about the fact that I'm usually done with all that (or can be) when Dan walks in at the end of a day, and we can simply sit down and enjoy our evening.<br />
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Neither did I think about this moment, in which I am able to put my feet up, eat a few M&M's from Ellie's Easter jar (she won't miss them), and just think about how blessed my life really is. I am blessed to have the resources to fill a grocery cart almost weekly in order to prepare (mostly) healthful meals for my family, and then sit down and enjoy them together (okay, so not all meals are exactly enjoyable...I suppose that's another post for another day!). I am blessed to have a beautiful home to care for and maintain and make into a peaceful place for my family and others to enjoy. I am blessed to have TIME. I am blessed to have time with my girls all day every day. My Mom always said that in order to have <em>quality</em> time, you must have <em>quantity</em> time, and now I totally understand that. I am blessed to have slow mornings and restful afternoons. I am blessed to have time with my husband whenever he's available, because I always am. I am blessed to have time to pray, to read the Word of God, and to be reminded of His truths.<br />
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I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mom. It's not for everyone - and I know that my friend feels very blessed in her life, because she said so just the other day - but I am thankful that it is for me.<br />
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<em>Here are a few of the "moments" I'm so thankful I didn't miss over the past few days (please excuse the quality - they're from my phone):</em><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxEkxIXECtXiGRPsd0NzxPjQqCnL-K4rFqiYyWeaOgzFRvLWJGTcg4KWfbT0YLXHYKmynD6OVdgOIuZvBG_JNOKltCJRXtpeIIgCSD6XGVGFay3kaW-0v2nCu38HNDvzl7dH_tUN0caU/s1600/Photo2426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxEkxIXECtXiGRPsd0NzxPjQqCnL-K4rFqiYyWeaOgzFRvLWJGTcg4KWfbT0YLXHYKmynD6OVdgOIuZvBG_JNOKltCJRXtpeIIgCSD6XGVGFay3kaW-0v2nCu38HNDvzl7dH_tUN0caU/s320/Photo2426.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">morning ballerinas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NTRC2cZs0YnC-9tlHadc2ba97Zzx2ckY2usGZWqYc2YWhbb0U8Oct7tJx63wf51ugM-OvcG41gjSh3ZO20YCkVtTcjdVFf6hRM3lsmUb3BT1pVYj9XhRx9MW9iKid3YQxo4qkZzVr5Y/s1600/Photo2446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NTRC2cZs0YnC-9tlHadc2ba97Zzx2ckY2usGZWqYc2YWhbb0U8Oct7tJx63wf51ugM-OvcG41gjSh3ZO20YCkVtTcjdVFf6hRM3lsmUb3BT1pVYj9XhRx9MW9iKid3YQxo4qkZzVr5Y/s320/Photo2446.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My big girl had just come down the steps all by herself after nap (this is a new step for us!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NszcsKRUCnLv7Ze6JyjhK9ZW7YyS0mlYAXuKUdEJuPmkZ1chYvbOEpq9SPP7olLmAsR4g29g83M4kUO4J62Xo7PW6sQS9f9zlcvcy4HlBIFpDWpO9J5MbFWnQD1Rbg6O4DHBVplA5zM/s1600/Photo2451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NszcsKRUCnLv7Ze6JyjhK9ZW7YyS0mlYAXuKUdEJuPmkZ1chYvbOEpq9SPP7olLmAsR4g29g83M4kUO4J62Xo7PW6sQS9f9zlcvcy4HlBIFpDWpO9J5MbFWnQD1Rbg6O4DHBVplA5zM/s320/Photo2451.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIOgU-KufrBbMADL3UBcv4bloEVTQBhBnE5M_bULpcktcVPMyRgUwtoKGQYw9G7A74gn-sqyAtUtbShSgiJ_8ABw8VCpBlE_LlJ8MOkkbmbvVdJ29nU9IoIhqY6bkr15TNbDeGOpW-UE/s1600/Photo2406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIOgU-KufrBbMADL3UBcv4bloEVTQBhBnE5M_bULpcktcVPMyRgUwtoKGQYw9G7A74gn-sqyAtUtbShSgiJ_8ABw8VCpBlE_LlJ8MOkkbmbvVdJ29nU9IoIhqY6bkr15TNbDeGOpW-UE/s320/Photo2406.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nutella monster :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqlD3yJq65gYvwtmy0GxknZWCwcjpVqhtjXpGjM6dH-Wn5lxSCAX0VtCuM6gYTFWJ0vZZl6STpoQKcVVd4VBisPyVc302WbQpn_-TXD4yFWSm8WZi58uhyuPE0B5y3oBIvGPvHZlfx1M/s1600/Photo2409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqlD3yJq65gYvwtmy0GxknZWCwcjpVqhtjXpGjM6dH-Wn5lxSCAX0VtCuM6gYTFWJ0vZZl6STpoQKcVVd4VBisPyVc302WbQpn_-TXD4yFWSm8WZi58uhyuPE0B5y3oBIvGPvHZlfx1M/s320/Photo2409.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These 2 snuggled & wrestled in Ellie's crib for a good 20 minutes the other day - it was hilarious and endearing all at once</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmUyWy6wUMAoTDgkF4OueCVcvYJu4GdwrfdyE2iLoBob-JpCvz9DsVcEFr1N89i4BEYgdxWV0Wh7qd0h2F_cJAp3QpR_IxZbgIxTNek0s-cDFnHfR3RWXEjT84HYj-xNV5Adb19uHSd8/s1600/Photo2417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmUyWy6wUMAoTDgkF4OueCVcvYJu4GdwrfdyE2iLoBob-JpCvz9DsVcEFr1N89i4BEYgdxWV0Wh7qd0h2F_cJAp3QpR_IxZbgIxTNek0s-cDFnHfR3RWXEjT84HYj-xNV5Adb19uHSd8/s320/Photo2417.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the park with Ells-a-bells on a beautiful day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WbGCH5QtwsHvkaYOHGGGc8hOTrLWaWLYYIWeVHKskZlkarVX_6hy_AdoNNyIwmqLcZ18JU2JgyLXDcmfvrWpsouYV6mqS5XWdeOIsiGsiZNxgTZ6s1yWYgGC3dD7SF6fKhiwq8TM110/s1600/Photo2398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WbGCH5QtwsHvkaYOHGGGc8hOTrLWaWLYYIWeVHKskZlkarVX_6hy_AdoNNyIwmqLcZ18JU2JgyLXDcmfvrWpsouYV6mqS5XWdeOIsiGsiZNxgTZ6s1yWYgGC3dD7SF6fKhiwq8TM110/s320/Photo2398.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing me her "roller coaster" she had just created</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdw058zXOMsLN1EBKRuRaE8iidPkg4JmRjEaw9az86qrXVsHoQgFJRLtMq3bgCUxYokcemtFUvDmp_vdD_pXvpoOdFuAW1ttuNS3kwuGQgTMf5OXu5gPxhOfD6V02wwJDrG_Xdsibrw6c/s1600/Photo2394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdw058zXOMsLN1EBKRuRaE8iidPkg4JmRjEaw9az86qrXVsHoQgFJRLtMq3bgCUxYokcemtFUvDmp_vdD_pXvpoOdFuAW1ttuNS3kwuGQgTMf5OXu5gPxhOfD6V02wwJDrG_Xdsibrw6c/s320/Photo2394.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Listening/watching animated books on the computer at the library</td></tr>
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Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-36744722536589955332012-09-17T17:00:00.004-05:002012-09-17T17:00:54.609-05:00help please?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I need some serious blogging inspiration. I mean, it's not like I don't have plenty going on in my little world. But I'm just not so sure that laundry and diapers and dishes and discipline (or lack thereof) is exactly what people are dying to read about. Nor is it what I am terribly excited to write about. So this is where I need some creative input...</div>
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What exactly would you all like to hear about?? Caroline's recent attachment to socks? My latest obsession with the television series Friday Night Lights (yes, I realize I'm a little behind the times)? Ellie's newest skills like high-fiving and scaling small mountains? I would LOVE for you to just drop me an idea or two in the comments below...and I will do my best to deliver on those suggestions. For reals.</div>
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And if this is a total flop, perhaps I'll whip out an inspiring post on a recent foray into carpet stain removal. (Did I use the word 'foray' correctly? I think my vocabulary is slipping these days. Fancy Nancy hasn't covered that one.)</div>
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In the meantime, at least you get to look at a few new pictures! Enjoy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhPLeCgsjK3TmZouw4jEYsGorQjdejrtD5y11Gsoi4-8ZUZyYAah3TtvMpd9rmpflZm8jANdicOgGR6fxzV8uUIidsJmJaLRHUuL2m9OHre8Eb1YlKHIMovWF-oUw2-nLwCOynCZxYGk/s1600/P1050321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhPLeCgsjK3TmZouw4jEYsGorQjdejrtD5y11Gsoi4-8ZUZyYAah3TtvMpd9rmpflZm8jANdicOgGR6fxzV8uUIidsJmJaLRHUuL2m9OHre8Eb1YlKHIMovWF-oUw2-nLwCOynCZxYGk/s320/P1050321.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey peeps! Just chillin on my wood pile, rollin' in style.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqLAGEvbSICo6Wh9aDW6tSnqR7_6pGEOXIiF-XzPLyZWRc23qGmVqjnx4ZCTyiCMkiZB9utRHlIan3wKUQYCnbFk2mR0SNaCAvf7mVUFoO29DJXwHS3fSPRP_F0ifW3bm7T5KBd2FH48/s1600/P1050320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqLAGEvbSICo6Wh9aDW6tSnqR7_6pGEOXIiF-XzPLyZWRc23qGmVqjnx4ZCTyiCMkiZB9utRHlIan3wKUQYCnbFk2mR0SNaCAvf7mVUFoO29DJXwHS3fSPRP_F0ifW3bm7T5KBd2FH48/s320/P1050320.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She seriously wouldn't let us take her off of here when it was time to go inside.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCGvzFwG2CJQOH2IreYAtX6XerlY30H4v1VYKCaqOFutW1fb0uGbjVklkmOAaKg-2AdCH0WGY-UkxDfE4OEzQIUFmmva7FOEu21kx7vcjgvKOookZ2hboYqHYNfZSLL35mBNVFF3o8eM/s1600/P1050334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCGvzFwG2CJQOH2IreYAtX6XerlY30H4v1VYKCaqOFutW1fb0uGbjVklkmOAaKg-2AdCH0WGY-UkxDfE4OEzQIUFmmva7FOEu21kx7vcjgvKOookZ2hboYqHYNfZSLL35mBNVFF3o8eM/s320/P1050334.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet sisters...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCfpr-FFy8ZlrM-yD18lZtxsngXk1ynQzcqFW5rlEXCJVl5FyGP5b3ZwTGr5kb7ONEqCxN7nUrgCJ-Gi2oU72rxVJWR-lQxysI6RxrvLZjimVwMtSXHc-iz4rfmY0fSHUNnHRgo363ro/s1600/P1050335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCfpr-FFy8ZlrM-yD18lZtxsngXk1ynQzcqFW5rlEXCJVl5FyGP5b3ZwTGr5kb7ONEqCxN7nUrgCJ-Gi2oU72rxVJWR-lQxysI6RxrvLZjimVwMtSXHc-iz4rfmY0fSHUNnHRgo363ro/s320/P1050335.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Umm, Mom?? I think you need to do something about this!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUzJg5R0XbmpWVbqZqOkotBbKe8zZG6sqHKlVGFg-aSgvCNYIMgTh1UYpdhv0X1Hx79WY9ZDkpBkxe43zXxst5pMWEmkksvgKK99aJr6S8ydkF3mdOHZuUpRUUels-EF_za6pwXKEslA/s1600/P1050372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUzJg5R0XbmpWVbqZqOkotBbKe8zZG6sqHKlVGFg-aSgvCNYIMgTh1UYpdhv0X1Hx79WY9ZDkpBkxe43zXxst5pMWEmkksvgKK99aJr6S8ydkF3mdOHZuUpRUUels-EF_za6pwXKEslA/s320/P1050372.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A late summer snack on the porch = MESS</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhemune0QjtYuIe30AEAqGm_jfUdVf8hxk0EgdrsIWYXkg6JOm_bsCsWK9GUgu277CL73SL2o2xYYa_4KpxWK6ovMTkdnnO5lOK3KBMibuSQ7bQM0yVjc-iuNREuQyi9uu0jaajbmxLc/s1600/P1050358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhemune0QjtYuIe30AEAqGm_jfUdVf8hxk0EgdrsIWYXkg6JOm_bsCsWK9GUgu277CL73SL2o2xYYa_4KpxWK6ovMTkdnnO5lOK3KBMibuSQ7bQM0yVjc-iuNREuQyi9uu0jaajbmxLc/s320/P1050358.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBZTf9oPt_apb15mTRsxJUGsLZZguS1P-_uFNPslcj-wa9JAfnUsgsdTyqXOPyEoy4mWUJ8cvT3NM4MyMQoold1DkrPPF5dhOe4b4lKHjE9-jdVgLi5A6pYrEfmPNUOYJjwNdXbUXAIs/s1600/P1050350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBZTf9oPt_apb15mTRsxJUGsLZZguS1P-_uFNPslcj-wa9JAfnUsgsdTyqXOPyEoy4mWUJ8cvT3NM4MyMQoold1DkrPPF5dhOe4b4lKHjE9-jdVgLi5A6pYrEfmPNUOYJjwNdXbUXAIs/s320/P1050350.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a race!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGg4gsU8LCnnfddfi3NgLzM0Z3dmyI1Fc5j937f9Ul4PxDfkHEeal6-2RzmqA7rPZF09x5F9CksfqHinEij5IQXHFwD7oZ6wrXMZsmlAEGumPcJ6qxY1lK5UXDqOoE3Td1lshrLPorteg/s1600/P1050317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGg4gsU8LCnnfddfi3NgLzM0Z3dmyI1Fc5j937f9Ul4PxDfkHEeal6-2RzmqA7rPZF09x5F9CksfqHinEij5IQXHFwD7oZ6wrXMZsmlAEGumPcJ6qxY1lK5UXDqOoE3Td1lshrLPorteg/s320/P1050317.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a little morning Bible reading with Daddy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66ofuerZwprPTlaYQPUd58hO1pTx66VCmp0vR6b2AnsiosMiHAT2n0ZYGgJxpEtETe9Nv7bBW9zsK4kr7iozo-UNVKscb5OrvOx2vq1qbm1mCE4rfMpU4uOMmeiISroA8rTG_V8fJBUM/s1600/P1050287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66ofuerZwprPTlaYQPUd58hO1pTx66VCmp0vR6b2AnsiosMiHAT2n0ZYGgJxpEtETe9Nv7bBW9zsK4kr7iozo-UNVKscb5OrvOx2vq1qbm1mCE4rfMpU4uOMmeiISroA8rTG_V8fJBUM/s320/P1050287.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I happened to have my camera along after church last Sunday when we decided to stick around for a little picnic after church. It was a gorgeous day, and I was excited to get some cute pictures. Here are my two darlings!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6ytU9OCTWoOAusdgqTqWlMjGZ_Z40eo34fxMPRq5hFk6DkBCa_cIbu4sRDhBrVO4IukAPvpKx1KW_-09gqhOQZFoBN40ewvquRN78svQ1_SdP9F1jhaNGfzuFM_m8h1HUSyBnRm1_No/s1600/P1050312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6ytU9OCTWoOAusdgqTqWlMjGZ_Z40eo34fxMPRq5hFk6DkBCa_cIbu4sRDhBrVO4IukAPvpKx1KW_-09gqhOQZFoBN40ewvquRN78svQ1_SdP9F1jhaNGfzuFM_m8h1HUSyBnRm1_No/s320/P1050312.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH5ygomkI-xzVWWjlhcbPix9zoB6ulbV1DD3n0ARH6_CAEuFaAz8SoBufUO0cJyuqnOV7lcsuHNmOrZcPXGmxbsJGOUBMzWe-MLdrOm4bUpCENwPfV2pqPvYbhphaFszgpQ6F37C-UDU/s1600/P1050309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH5ygomkI-xzVWWjlhcbPix9zoB6ulbV1DD3n0ARH6_CAEuFaAz8SoBufUO0cJyuqnOV7lcsuHNmOrZcPXGmxbsJGOUBMzWe-MLdrOm4bUpCENwPfV2pqPvYbhphaFszgpQ6F37C-UDU/s320/P1050309.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdY0CRxz032vbt0IicPxcwU9OX7qtrlFUGBDz_8wDP94G9uQwITKUpsUPdC693Q3X-4sB1rvbt5g77IObpU-aOLYfssgcoB9K36uuHDiX_rKXIgAw6m4Q7lq83KsiWrKexlLqWLLJUMw/s1600/P1050306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdY0CRxz032vbt0IicPxcwU9OX7qtrlFUGBDz_8wDP94G9uQwITKUpsUPdC693Q3X-4sB1rvbt5g77IObpU-aOLYfssgcoB9K36uuHDiX_rKXIgAw6m4Q7lq83KsiWrKexlLqWLLJUMw/s320/P1050306.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is just sheer fun right now :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgyYsI5WMrzHNIdwfxtPsxRkFRnSG_L3KqxkJAns51qmK-oyi7rzc6o8kGFz7Z-EAcdVrDuIxaf97TQK9NJ9xZ7O8dvxiNaTCEvtQuiu_ezurKkOFlaZIH_cOaKN3H0bp6M6TRlG_1Wc/s1600/P1050270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgyYsI5WMrzHNIdwfxtPsxRkFRnSG_L3KqxkJAns51qmK-oyi7rzc6o8kGFz7Z-EAcdVrDuIxaf97TQK9NJ9xZ7O8dvxiNaTCEvtQuiu_ezurKkOFlaZIH_cOaKN3H0bp6M6TRlG_1Wc/s320/P1050270.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SAND! Caroline asks every week if we can play in the sand after church (we have a volleyball court). We finally obliged her, and she was ecstatic!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaSMGplwnilzv2Sw3tv6ULKj6VYz8MZqtSBwDvbwSP_SVlSpkJrldf9htrlmIDNExGHo03FJuh3BcY9YT4mSkoqAFkDXl_zqmMAmJPM6wfFCl0PK7d7F3y_gag1YCSgP_EoS5-cEWwDU/s1600/P1050258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaSMGplwnilzv2Sw3tv6ULKj6VYz8MZqtSBwDvbwSP_SVlSpkJrldf9htrlmIDNExGHo03FJuh3BcY9YT4mSkoqAFkDXl_zqmMAmJPM6wfFCl0PK7d7F3y_gag1YCSgP_EoS5-cEWwDU/s320/P1050258.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ha! Such an Ellie expression.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIhlipPxkF_I8wuWL4QhYeeRXytP5OifLTTs_W9NV5VGAk0YOApOE9iFSe_lpwTcTSCS49QKJ9wAaHSVVFjyWsMqRuk-M992-TZ6nXBD9MEgBIt2LIVQMQnnpVOM_DdO4fG0obZNsL6I/s1600/P1050236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIhlipPxkF_I8wuWL4QhYeeRXytP5OifLTTs_W9NV5VGAk0YOApOE9iFSe_lpwTcTSCS49QKJ9wAaHSVVFjyWsMqRuk-M992-TZ6nXBD9MEgBIt2LIVQMQnnpVOM_DdO4fG0obZNsL6I/s320/P1050236.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This captures Caroline right now pretty well -- silly, a little crazy, and still pretty darn sweet. She's growing up mighty fast these days.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ5U2N9R8aZzM6EhqET-EwyugNg4JYhGMmZsKFcWjKAvr6T4Cfb4ti-vL5Qnb0MThrsYhgn0oDeVGlregRAUHm5W7ld6BqX9bJNuzy3Amyl6-qjKiGV-_jeC5GgBo02CssRTHcUcLdfA/s1600/P1050299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ5U2N9R8aZzM6EhqET-EwyugNg4JYhGMmZsKFcWjKAvr6T4Cfb4ti-vL5Qnb0MThrsYhgn0oDeVGlregRAUHm5W7ld6BqX9bJNuzy3Amyl6-qjKiGV-_jeC5GgBo02CssRTHcUcLdfA/s320/P1050299.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two peas in a pod</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_9fVFwuBZVEo-J0UJhl4OgZqTYUDOPUSLmEJSgl6LjfWMCAPQICU6hsrmS6q01TT-kj-O_9nHCBiBrSSTyl3iOvaZclvR0YBn28YMOc8DDML1_P511qNrEo4arXDz80ilY9cb_R0sjU/s1600/P1050247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_9fVFwuBZVEo-J0UJhl4OgZqTYUDOPUSLmEJSgl6LjfWMCAPQICU6hsrmS6q01TT-kj-O_9nHCBiBrSSTyl3iOvaZclvR0YBn28YMOc8DDML1_P511qNrEo4arXDz80ilY9cb_R0sjU/s320/P1050247.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just love this one. Daddy and his girl (well, one of his girls). Makes my heart happy :)</td></tr>
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Thanks for muddling through a really random post! See ya next time!Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-68159826628185051952012-08-14T09:31:00.004-05:002012-08-14T09:31:56.611-05:00The Birthday Bash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had a little party for our sweet birthday girl on Saturday. And by little I mean we kept the crowd small -- just family and a couple of dear friends -- but I maybe got a little carried away with the details (I realized this when my sister called me a liar). I just had so much fun putting it all together and doing something special JUST for Ellie...oh well :-)</div>
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So here are a bunch of pictures, courtesy of my friend Eileen who was sweet enough to bring her nice camera and good eye to the party. (And fair warning - this is really so my family can see, all others may become bored in the process of this blog post...)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdT_7a-_EIBERv2uqsp9cPk0qbfkrmyywEqCDaXBjpoxy6JpbzDv75pyOmX-sdgB9F6ci-QXo9e5ASCtsZZ0UIo1CfHzoIta8fi4DIEqEI-8vfZDHS3NDj3HpPHR1kbJ2OWdQayMR72w/s1600/IMG_5021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdT_7a-_EIBERv2uqsp9cPk0qbfkrmyywEqCDaXBjpoxy6JpbzDv75pyOmX-sdgB9F6ci-QXo9e5ASCtsZZ0UIo1CfHzoIta8fi4DIEqEI-8vfZDHS3NDj3HpPHR1kbJ2OWdQayMR72w/s320/IMG_5021.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We'll start with the main event - the birthday girl! This was about as adventurous as she got with her cake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mHl0Z0lhq_VDYHNdidIU_8wVnxCIReN4v66NktjBLFqo1a49vM1tRNe3prxhdOgNTZfpApqBZRGEGZPl4kZCJTNcZBss0NRWWN65xfoPRrP9iyLsM61YSwJJmYr1Q64QYxVTL65rFwc/s1600/IMG_5020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mHl0Z0lhq_VDYHNdidIU_8wVnxCIReN4v66NktjBLFqo1a49vM1tRNe3prxhdOgNTZfpApqBZRGEGZPl4kZCJTNcZBss0NRWWN65xfoPRrP9iyLsM61YSwJJmYr1Q64QYxVTL65rFwc/s320/IMG_5020.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She did enjoy fingering the frosting for awhile, though.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQ1C0-icQe2248ogMCQbP3uqC7QduOiZUt08mNbsRNtfaivwd1kuqKfarhyphenhyphenypQXTE3p-3zgITP69qox0uLrvywa5z69TZIjqWd6lKkM594oSQcCEU9-jFhWME0dEIypzGveBmtNdkm7o/s1600/IMG_5115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQ1C0-icQe2248ogMCQbP3uqC7QduOiZUt08mNbsRNtfaivwd1kuqKfarhyphenhyphenypQXTE3p-3zgITP69qox0uLrvywa5z69TZIjqWd6lKkM594oSQcCEU9-jFhWME0dEIypzGveBmtNdkm7o/s320/IMG_5115.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family photo at the end of the night. Despite Eileen's best efforts, the was the best we could muster. My poor, non-photogenic family.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslgLQCjZ1s75u4jw7bQtLODChqkICb0W80MLMbRpZCgy5HnxeKUF4VtqpFA6fI0lf9BFldAv7GtvJERhF1HWk4HJ-PEUlhcqoPOq3-AyVCNuHLVggr3sVMpS0S6MDWGvWSN2-fcOy0-k/s1600/IMG_4971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslgLQCjZ1s75u4jw7bQtLODChqkICb0W80MLMbRpZCgy5HnxeKUF4VtqpFA6fI0lf9BFldAv7GtvJERhF1HWk4HJ-PEUlhcqoPOq3-AyVCNuHLVggr3sVMpS0S6MDWGvWSN2-fcOy0-k/s320/IMG_4971.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a watermelon theme, and a cake should generally be the center-piece at a birthday party, so here we have a watermelon birthday cake. Ta-da!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AMv2uxPgCKRGdGJXfc6S716eyLHF8L2r-j_rKYi52upG9_SxGH556M15PtQgt8VuX9CwMVE_qGamj84gMiFPJ6-XnCtdkBrsTdr1evsgfzKA1aO2H2sO46dlGGpfkjdQ5zhHnKehY5A/s1600/IMG_4986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AMv2uxPgCKRGdGJXfc6S716eyLHF8L2r-j_rKYi52upG9_SxGH556M15PtQgt8VuX9CwMVE_qGamj84gMiFPJ6-XnCtdkBrsTdr1evsgfzKA1aO2H2sO46dlGGpfkjdQ5zhHnKehY5A/s320/IMG_4986.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This might have been my favorite thing - watermelon lemonade served out of a watermelon punch bowl. Compliments to Dan for a very fine "carving" job here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpO8hnfnWqbU29YGSli6plxxtBWLo5vdZi9VyaDN9s55YjfR1gAHFkiBhZvDQOBuUphrDv6hgMFtR8PH7VXrWyCg4BuwqiSfVrOgnILTMsW7va3MPAeP5dtg6UFTMHQC7z6P39OQItOo/s1600/IMG_4998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpO8hnfnWqbU29YGSli6plxxtBWLo5vdZi9VyaDN9s55YjfR1gAHFkiBhZvDQOBuUphrDv6hgMFtR8PH7VXrWyCg4BuwqiSfVrOgnILTMsW7va3MPAeP5dtg6UFTMHQC7z6P39OQItOo/s320/IMG_4998.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watermelon pops, and blurry in the background you can see some quesadilla bites (just because we needed something that wasn't sweet).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOD7gVOjvHWR0RjCQ7a_Cn_Bl0GF_OlWGSW6fr-ON3YcfeSWYJJ9mRkgcVV0K13fGs03jyibdhRdbBpimQ2v3Xoo9VcGS5FMvEZmXa5QOJLJd2MLHp9wtIGo8J2Zd4hmt8lViwWZCAwOI/s1600/IMG_5002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOD7gVOjvHWR0RjCQ7a_Cn_Bl0GF_OlWGSW6fr-ON3YcfeSWYJJ9mRkgcVV0K13fGs03jyibdhRdbBpimQ2v3Xoo9VcGS5FMvEZmXa5QOJLJd2MLHp9wtIGo8J2Zd4hmt8lViwWZCAwOI/s320/IMG_5002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I printed off a photo from each month (actually, the same ones I posted on my blog on her actual birthday) and clipped them to some twine strung across the wall. Then I added some little labels so no one would be confused :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT5L7EFzUhzwEY_nXF7UBsyeuQLsCKetB-28wyJaGrpF2xOgdPkza9d-67i8lMqAiAIr_7Hp2laYI6TwncYEg1S5Z_7u8Pb_kfqy1Pa9mxC49AbSdrKcOS7w-FGQ4ClCtltISpEytmA8/s1600/IMG_4977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT5L7EFzUhzwEY_nXF7UBsyeuQLsCKetB-28wyJaGrpF2xOgdPkza9d-67i8lMqAiAIr_7Hp2laYI6TwncYEg1S5Z_7u8Pb_kfqy1Pa9mxC49AbSdrKcOS7w-FGQ4ClCtltISpEytmA8/s320/IMG_4977.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the cake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjuCuh7N4A9U3CLJWEhyTSRrP2zZDffDiPzWce8HStuy-BFe8_hXEvgSGtWqRThMGqRo5YWQgDJIFz23cypeNWOS4VzfsmzlTeIIoF053qJVD9Iq3QLXLgt3chmpAaVXIKWbJTs2QvRo/s1600/IMG_4981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjuCuh7N4A9U3CLJWEhyTSRrP2zZDffDiPzWce8HStuy-BFe8_hXEvgSGtWqRThMGqRo5YWQgDJIFz23cypeNWOS4VzfsmzlTeIIoF053qJVD9Iq3QLXLgt3chmpAaVXIKWbJTs2QvRo/s320/IMG_4981.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also did a knot banner (which I think I strung a little too high - oh well), and you can see the watermelon cupcakes there, too. The little ones enjoyed those.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZCjKFTOaJnZOAsDKT7Ghc62Joi6TbC7LfLmrVsnSmTWZWAmWpzySozlxTgFvwKDFKHDM1XcjEkEtl0o0y6yE1FGmJo7eaOwstP-6mM7VU4id4NvwCh3YqVcmnu2THa_UOxz8GfaFHuM/s1600/IMG_5013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZCjKFTOaJnZOAsDKT7Ghc62Joi6TbC7LfLmrVsnSmTWZWAmWpzySozlxTgFvwKDFKHDM1XcjEkEtl0o0y6yE1FGmJo7eaOwstP-6mM7VU4id4NvwCh3YqVcmnu2THa_UOxz8GfaFHuM/s320/IMG_5013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now, back to the birthday girl. She didn't blow out her candle, and I didn't really give her much of a chance when she tried to grab it instead. We'll work on that for birthday #2.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeOZFXffSXzvy_dwFEHgQ9x_faV53Sy2pG_XOT3ypP246FQJcZP2nK_gMA-xsfr6kl3CHbfg86ETesAAzzQLfRjTnBrClakzrrhFSPW-a3e7yFXSjI3fQLyH0UtY06OT31ENIEzHsPF0/s1600/IMG_5017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeOZFXffSXzvy_dwFEHgQ9x_faV53Sy2pG_XOT3ypP246FQJcZP2nK_gMA-xsfr6kl3CHbfg86ETesAAzzQLfRjTnBrClakzrrhFSPW-a3e7yFXSjI3fQLyH0UtY06OT31ENIEzHsPF0/s320/IMG_5017.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy looking on, as I realize I should probably remove the "seeds" (chocolate covered raisins cut in half) that may possibly become a choking hazard - whoops!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio43u7C1Dt1IfFFe_81q22b4yGuW0EBHAFtgCNbWc1rTPS36I8Ku2KxT3i1asqnygnsGOxsk5puLuze0AQc4KmWxzBn_0vZ4-1Qw4ds9kixrLA_pLNYIEFL9qdDaqLAiMHvAS2aw6gsrk/s1600/IMG_5030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio43u7C1Dt1IfFFe_81q22b4yGuW0EBHAFtgCNbWc1rTPS36I8Ku2KxT3i1asqnygnsGOxsk5puLuze0AQc4KmWxzBn_0vZ4-1Qw4ds9kixrLA_pLNYIEFL9qdDaqLAiMHvAS2aw6gsrk/s320/IMG_5030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivK7FhPXAi-TJhbFxl0uv02O-_XhrSIPSD45abO-G7dpaAh2oU7KCoRWQ9kIqsozLR3B8W_tZMw65iPJNKvRbLkHyLwxsk8qYIyJB8upfEUG179D_lrsWjM_yZ8Wyrqz3vvlwtxmKiwQ/s1600/IMG_5034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivK7FhPXAi-TJhbFxl0uv02O-_XhrSIPSD45abO-G7dpaAh2oU7KCoRWQ9kIqsozLR3B8W_tZMw65iPJNKvRbLkHyLwxsk8qYIyJB8upfEUG179D_lrsWjM_yZ8Wyrqz3vvlwtxmKiwQ/s320/IMG_5034.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Here Pepaw!" He gave the best attempt at getting her to try it, tearing off some chunks for her to grab. But she just thought she'd share, instead.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRo53O4sQlyA_AcK-dD1mHiCvSEGiPyHXsVA1lDxgWL0CvFL6zFe0BPSgEjc6MzVvuCFkJLyjxG2I8VbSiB0U8rT-Tt6g9G86z_AkaGr7fitcaahEkGbD7lBx4WsbLGmeojfLRNWtaWfs/s1600/IMG_5036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRo53O4sQlyA_AcK-dD1mHiCvSEGiPyHXsVA1lDxgWL0CvFL6zFe0BPSgEjc6MzVvuCFkJLyjxG2I8VbSiB0U8rT-Tt6g9G86z_AkaGr7fitcaahEkGbD7lBx4WsbLGmeojfLRNWtaWfs/s320/IMG_5036.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9A5bljbZAV3srurbVN_c3z-_r7zhbyYZoD0v44qMdetP3sI0XTVUQkmhLDYMs59P42cPsJR9yLmgDF79_xg7QCMGVC1jYpXKpaYwPaJ-Jcafcvk30tHsimfWhKlpeJiywPavdNy2Jxk/s1600/IMG_5041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9A5bljbZAV3srurbVN_c3z-_r7zhbyYZoD0v44qMdetP3sI0XTVUQkmhLDYMs59P42cPsJR9yLmgDF79_xg7QCMGVC1jYpXKpaYwPaJ-Jcafcvk30tHsimfWhKlpeJiywPavdNy2Jxk/s320/IMG_5041.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She played with this hat for a long time a few days before the party, walking all over the house with it on. But that night - no way was that thing going on her head! This was about the only picture we got with it. Oh well, it was free!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRm1DsFKKGf1J49LJcKI3qzp-M-lRTK4Rce1CF_GIcNCODzc1dDMpjXpVnBXYkLfQo4706NbfSpF-EbNDOX8nXHDy34Iq3feOlqtXRLVlTp14VF5DtrxQaqIrzEfYhFnv-sZN5dcQFhM/s1600/IMG_5056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRm1DsFKKGf1J49LJcKI3qzp-M-lRTK4Rce1CF_GIcNCODzc1dDMpjXpVnBXYkLfQo4706NbfSpF-EbNDOX8nXHDy34Iq3feOlqtXRLVlTp14VF5DtrxQaqIrzEfYhFnv-sZN5dcQFhM/s320/IMG_5056.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dear friend Jessica and their littlest, baby Claire.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKRXIUmXp_8PztIMqs5jT05XU0fOvCoQsqlVMVB1uzmFaGZrA_r4eTVTe0ONGLcmk6MhXG753TmOk5gSwpHt-VOW74am7ddl0svZJT5IyY7qSAaL8dHBDxpOtMQ-oy5CHdsDunRKLdYs/s1600/IMG_5060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKRXIUmXp_8PztIMqs5jT05XU0fOvCoQsqlVMVB1uzmFaGZrA_r4eTVTe0ONGLcmk6MhXG753TmOk5gSwpHt-VOW74am7ddl0svZJT5IyY7qSAaL8dHBDxpOtMQ-oy5CHdsDunRKLdYs/s320/IMG_5060.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the kid's table, complete with 4 sweet little girlfriends. Caralena (4) and Mally (2 1/2) are Claire's big sisters, and Kaelyn (2 1/2) is Eileen's daughter. These girls have been friends since babyhood (Caralena & Mally were our neighbors once upon a time), and they played together all night long. It was wonderful! (Eileen's 4 month old son Drew, her husband Dave, and Jessica's husband Jason were also there -- I just didn't get any pictures.)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwFFqrr3WCI-ZKjHbahzkHZsIUIyAYgGGDD_UOkFDlfGnKtykDeOyT2sP9HvFpwbDTNgqVbv-P3Dlwx1y4aA_jL6wigKb0eBbqqH1Q3qav1MPEicBInw0s9vMhtG5lB0JW_LZFabJwnA/s1600/IMG_5063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwFFqrr3WCI-ZKjHbahzkHZsIUIyAYgGGDD_UOkFDlfGnKtykDeOyT2sP9HvFpwbDTNgqVbv-P3Dlwx1y4aA_jL6wigKb0eBbqqH1Q3qav1MPEicBInw0s9vMhtG5lB0JW_LZFabJwnA/s320/IMG_5063.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here they are with the bubble machine & some chalk. What else do you need?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHwQjb5vq23NohugW1w-uISSQuTRvFHfWWUYnu-NP8zzQTFX9oL2oQ9KqS62RKd_26880bhLREwYaeg-Tr6vfQaEMVdJhyAzezVU6klU1BfBp1OI6o7Bp9cIaXrwMukhdyml5qkDxaBs/s1600/IMG_5079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHwQjb5vq23NohugW1w-uISSQuTRvFHfWWUYnu-NP8zzQTFX9oL2oQ9KqS62RKd_26880bhLREwYaeg-Tr6vfQaEMVdJhyAzezVU6klU1BfBp1OI6o7Bp9cIaXrwMukhdyml5qkDxaBs/s320/IMG_5079.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie had lots of help opening her gifts (although no one seemed to help me with the toy packaging...)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ViowzlRKSj_mD1u16yhIHE6rmKydr25C0DTGzf1jRL_MOMJJ_f99x_f2Tx59bi6-XPUdm3CBllwci4Eb1vHWO5nvM-nMemZULbCjkL7rg9mThWen2AXHo8AMn1TbBgGGn4t-H-EX0dU/s1600/IMG_5090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ViowzlRKSj_mD1u16yhIHE6rmKydr25C0DTGzf1jRL_MOMJJ_f99x_f2Tx59bi6-XPUdm3CBllwci4Eb1vHWO5nvM-nMemZULbCjkL7rg9mThWen2AXHo8AMn1TbBgGGn4t-H-EX0dU/s320/IMG_5090.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline didn't seem to mind that the presents weren't specifically for her...she just scooped them up to play with before Ellie had a chance!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxeuHQWCwp-srLUKiRsr-rJ8LbhA3iCTw5YTtWnkfXhefPGELJxF3SH4b-jQ5B2TzDrb9fsRzSgQdJE3C8AGKUIhnKlD7ZXEqB5eN78ARJgp82aMhGXdyVfeU1WWf3JG5pi4HzDhpfcE/s1600/IMG_5092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxeuHQWCwp-srLUKiRsr-rJ8LbhA3iCTw5YTtWnkfXhefPGELJxF3SH4b-jQ5B2TzDrb9fsRzSgQdJE3C8AGKUIhnKlD7ZXEqB5eN78ARJgp82aMhGXdyVfeU1WWf3JG5pi4HzDhpfcE/s320/IMG_5092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8__l__0De7OS8B2xEUNp35lkqG9AveE4VgUVzINAHaxUXAZN4a0rNSvsyroFV60NUeRU-gfkrXSBojl7u0Mn88BLPvtepnkr5kKrpXdAVj839Pr8wcK_8UA3p7-ukzbSV88VYo2-pecU/s1600/IMG_5099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8__l__0De7OS8B2xEUNp35lkqG9AveE4VgUVzINAHaxUXAZN4a0rNSvsyroFV60NUeRU-gfkrXSBojl7u0Mn88BLPvtepnkr5kKrpXdAVj839Pr8wcK_8UA3p7-ukzbSV88VYo2-pecU/s320/IMG_5099.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie's new giggling baby doll from the Pankake's -- she's giving it some snuggles here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhez9fStpjiHk6ykC2ezS5Leltp_QG8U6de1gvqmpKjp2W2PSVulpC14ClwkzCmypia1wQL1ZQP5yHfW3sFgtghPmgHlmKwQBzsQ3sSwpp8dp7lxwutFUc3QhXDRZBqGr5hIJuGlJBZ62E/s1600/IMG_5104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhez9fStpjiHk6ykC2ezS5Leltp_QG8U6de1gvqmpKjp2W2PSVulpC14ClwkzCmypia1wQL1ZQP5yHfW3sFgtghPmgHlmKwQBzsQ3sSwpp8dp7lxwutFUc3QhXDRZBqGr5hIJuGlJBZ62E/s320/IMG_5104.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's my Ellie!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Happy birthday again, my sweet Ellie! I hope you enjoyed your special day!<br />
<br />
<em>And now I will continue on with my (ir)regularly scheduled blogging...thank you.</em>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-51884694472331417282012-08-09T09:46:00.000-05:002012-08-09T09:46:08.683-05:00Happy Birthday Ellie Kate!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One year ago today, our precious Ellie Kate joined our little family, turning us into a family of 4 and changing our lives forever. This has been the FULLEST year of my life, of that I am certain -- full of JOY, full of diapers, full of sleepless-ness, full of nursing, full of tears, full of smiles, full of laughter, full of TWO babes, full of family, and very very full of LOVE. </div>
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To my sweet baby girl -- you are my absolute joy! Your sweet little personality lights up a room, and that smile of yours makes even strangers stop and smile back. You are so full of life and ENERGY...and a bit stubborn...and you make us laugh every single day. Your sister thinks you are the greatest thing that every happened to her (and in fact, you probably are!), and your Daddy is absolutely head over heels for you. And your Mommy, well, Ellie girl -- you are my sunshine! Now and always.</div>
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So happy 1st birthday Els-a-bells (as Caroline likes to call you)! We love you to the moon and back...times a million.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie by the month:</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAE6UAnRnGTFDKHgiFwhLY9Okh59xWUVfG7GCLqddV_8x5ILjXGMPjcTqV6hy2cMH7JLXvfrEScd9KTtShdXeMNd8iqepoWr_6kmjF-DKjTzDA0lQOXpfsxB2lwmC29vTJWViRTm5F_yc/s1600/P1010511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAE6UAnRnGTFDKHgiFwhLY9Okh59xWUVfG7GCLqddV_8x5ILjXGMPjcTqV6hy2cMH7JLXvfrEScd9KTtShdXeMNd8iqepoWr_6kmjF-DKjTzDA0lQOXpfsxB2lwmC29vTJWViRTm5F_yc/s320/P1010511.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 day old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJR5HgZiBNJZnsHIanpydsJtKvPoGb3ZCiHTYtRYwONfGjV0S6wLpsMddD3SGTrLkoO7MEYP171EUOndRMcN5IqkdIN_wgdH1WKtsuhh5ZrBFfFGh0LdDLAsMutej_GQoYPIQL8Bvk4k/s1600/P1010858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJR5HgZiBNJZnsHIanpydsJtKvPoGb3ZCiHTYtRYwONfGjV0S6wLpsMddD3SGTrLkoO7MEYP171EUOndRMcN5IqkdIN_wgdH1WKtsuhh5ZrBFfFGh0LdDLAsMutej_GQoYPIQL8Bvk4k/s320/P1010858.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 weeks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5T69IX0f2ZyHJBskyENdTfDlgBY-JfEMUJwupvEegZT68t_pxVGdLx4sKSe5TkwgFnId0KfpBruTeKBXowysjg6IIe1N0owP2eFQd2FOFdr-osfqpX0eIq26yrfBAKCb_k85kROQZcCk/s1600/IMG_7285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5T69IX0f2ZyHJBskyENdTfDlgBY-JfEMUJwupvEegZT68t_pxVGdLx4sKSe5TkwgFnId0KfpBruTeKBXowysjg6IIe1N0owP2eFQd2FOFdr-osfqpX0eIq26yrfBAKCb_k85kROQZcCk/s320/IMG_7285.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September - 1 month</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MLtJAsexg5Xnw0wKUDy14How3s7O6Xtq2g4ALoUcVQvtyigb7Qcc8BfM_aEGBvOlInxfrlAZKkwP4QqDKopDxhGFR3bf7JRbWIhhFNgCh5V-zkHMJ_p72gyZu8rByVrCKvzi-iKD0CY/s1600/October.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MLtJAsexg5Xnw0wKUDy14How3s7O6Xtq2g4ALoUcVQvtyigb7Qcc8BfM_aEGBvOlInxfrlAZKkwP4QqDKopDxhGFR3bf7JRbWIhhFNgCh5V-zkHMJ_p72gyZu8rByVrCKvzi-iKD0CY/s320/October.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October - 2 months</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJQQX8n0HBTOU6agGvBuD9mtGbc7ppevWSvj-vO07lAMJqe7Nhs8tQY5ZdDPOY8U1U_1ocLhIPpoua_86gkGNLbbOYWJ-8Q4D6ADZ1fZrZG5x9BSGtB3cbGGLC-4gWZgaM__CJc5vKFc/s1600/IMG_6636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJQQX8n0HBTOU6agGvBuD9mtGbc7ppevWSvj-vO07lAMJqe7Nhs8tQY5ZdDPOY8U1U_1ocLhIPpoua_86gkGNLbbOYWJ-8Q4D6ADZ1fZrZG5x9BSGtB3cbGGLC-4gWZgaM__CJc5vKFc/s320/IMG_6636.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just couldn't resist including this one -- from our family pictures in October</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzN14flFAv3PuE2fRqMHhtAEDKlscUBSG-xQZKXFIyyzF6gvcvWcRWr3y9oMePZ6oAvph5GKcPiJI-hx6_zjZBHmf8cM30z-AvCc2ylQzNz8JoumOucZu6HKG9CgLhc1BY_T0a1CRXvIg/s1600/November.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzN14flFAv3PuE2fRqMHhtAEDKlscUBSG-xQZKXFIyyzF6gvcvWcRWr3y9oMePZ6oAvph5GKcPiJI-hx6_zjZBHmf8cM30z-AvCc2ylQzNz8JoumOucZu6HKG9CgLhc1BY_T0a1CRXvIg/s320/November.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">November - 3 months</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguucckPRgcIwjhjn1YJtPKAS0RkJ3M5ZFizVf397XPjtfqTAAHxnNbzTWy03qW8R23FXp3fNSGU3Ycd0-pXFosZB0gOVhu4HsoSTXcDqE-5HsFzS0D-aEkJLJoUUjYS8Zp3qf2YMVfyoY/s1600/December.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguucckPRgcIwjhjn1YJtPKAS0RkJ3M5ZFizVf397XPjtfqTAAHxnNbzTWy03qW8R23FXp3fNSGU3Ycd0-pXFosZB0gOVhu4HsoSTXcDqE-5HsFzS0D-aEkJLJoUUjYS8Zp3qf2YMVfyoY/s320/December.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December - 4 months</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKIMNaQda0l03QmQe4k2o_acgnBb8zNChngGRHXQjN6cAOF5_qxZUS_pSr2DIAAAdIZi0_plp-vwd3emI7DEtqjIvsCec9Ixd0CPHHD4SabZ5p4T2XaHO0HhOOnbKqxGR21HKbas67-I/s1600/January.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKIMNaQda0l03QmQe4k2o_acgnBb8zNChngGRHXQjN6cAOF5_qxZUS_pSr2DIAAAdIZi0_plp-vwd3emI7DEtqjIvsCec9Ixd0CPHHD4SabZ5p4T2XaHO0HhOOnbKqxGR21HKbas67-I/s320/January.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January - 5 months</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fT4A6blMCkBJu9oUj8WbrfJMcVSqUX9EK1wN02Fs3wrYncEtQiRQd3tEHsjQjhPJ1iticWnvd5QQElBbrp6JLyADLYIDx6NjrZ1pnyMBvP1lRXyyilvGPDNmIoys-b3-6rFtsjdlVaw/s1600/February.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fT4A6blMCkBJu9oUj8WbrfJMcVSqUX9EK1wN02Fs3wrYncEtQiRQd3tEHsjQjhPJ1iticWnvd5QQElBbrp6JLyADLYIDx6NjrZ1pnyMBvP1lRXyyilvGPDNmIoys-b3-6rFtsjdlVaw/s320/February.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">February - 6 months</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh820tTGl40yCL-FYZTVHocU3LkqavlGbQ8hL5UDpD1EHhveyL9rF-_iQ2GdOo_Ffj-tl4NY8EE6xpubUcCS5v4o2qBe0aNLB7kbPaklzsV8R6Fy71k83gak6nWM_6-2k8TUglXDITWJK4/s1600/March.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh820tTGl40yCL-FYZTVHocU3LkqavlGbQ8hL5UDpD1EHhveyL9rF-_iQ2GdOo_Ffj-tl4NY8EE6xpubUcCS5v4o2qBe0aNLB7kbPaklzsV8R6Fy71k83gak6nWM_6-2k8TUglXDITWJK4/s320/March.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March - 7 months</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgyuLlmdVV5SfMBWhL5Ac86huwvUA1gZhUG1c5ebzBpBnRgc_K-V4GBNR46icn7waZ82zMKC3r4uwtqaKDrFDp-OhJP2yBfBW8mNvIT0lBrisw1s2eS3e1NZK4Dav28VFl208GlfBXNE/s1600/April.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgyuLlmdVV5SfMBWhL5Ac86huwvUA1gZhUG1c5ebzBpBnRgc_K-V4GBNR46icn7waZ82zMKC3r4uwtqaKDrFDp-OhJP2yBfBW8mNvIT0lBrisw1s2eS3e1NZK4Dav28VFl208GlfBXNE/s320/April.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April - 8 months</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May - 9 months</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June - 10 months</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July - 11 months</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKu4tAYW328G4lxG3vEvOMtQpWK8PmKkAr7QZehZCnm9B9ASHlAU0FsHBLI8TuHNv7VUNXjhDUWF2o3Bh3CuLfBOzq4Sb2Pl-I9gIFrNJd_hGbVjCwOBJIqv6YtW3Rt9rm_TZsUsTrQ4/s1600/P1040921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKu4tAYW328G4lxG3vEvOMtQpWK8PmKkAr7QZehZCnm9B9ASHlAU0FsHBLI8TuHNv7VUNXjhDUWF2o3Bh3CuLfBOzq4Sb2Pl-I9gIFrNJd_hGbVjCwOBJIqv6YtW3Rt9rm_TZsUsTrQ4/s320/P1040921.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">August - 1 year old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-18588139421773646572012-08-03T15:11:00.001-05:002012-08-03T15:11:33.985-05:00ReentryAlas, I have failed at blogging this summer. Here is my attempt to re-enter the blog-o-sphere. I make no promises :)<br />
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Funny how it's so hard to get rolling again when I haven't been at this for awhile...and how easily ideas seem to come to me when I'm consistent. I would think it would be the other way around in that one would have more ideas when they haven't been shared for awhile. Strange. This feels a bit like that first painful post when I didn't have the slightest clue what I was doing and/or if anyone besides my Mom & sister would ever even find this little corner of the internet.<br />
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So I guess I'll start with some of my most recent pictures. Perhaps they will provide a little inspiration:<br />
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We had a wonderful, low-key, do-nothing sort of weekend last week. It was wonderful (did I already say that?)! On Saturday Dan really wanted to do something fun with the girls outside after they got up from naps.<br />
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So we got them in their swimsuits...<br />
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and filled up the pools.<br />
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Yes, I said pools. You know, because keeping things simple can just get boring when you're 2 1/2 and 11 months old. Daddy thought an obstacle course would be fun.<br />
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It started out pretty well.<br />
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And we were careful to stay in the shade since we hadn't applied sunscreen (as Caroline was quick to remind us when we briefly stepped into the sunshine).<br />
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Daddy even let them pick a few flowers.<br />
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And I could stop there and let you think we had a fine afternoon, whiling away the hours with lots of splashing and giggling. But here's a dose of reality:<br />
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Yup. Probably not even 15 minutes in to our super-fun-filled afternoon, both of the girls were melting down. Perhaps the water was too cold, the naps too short, and the expectations too high. So it goes. <br />
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So we moved on to Plan B: gardening. And the time had come to harvest the onions. Dan had already pulled them and dried them for a few days, so we chopped off the stems, and Caroline collected them for us:<br />
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But in the end, she decided gardening is best done like the original gardeners did it...<br />
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...you know, just like Adam & Eve.Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-75739093905011180842012-07-03T07:38:00.006-05:002012-07-03T07:38:52.051-05:003 Little Firecrackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy 4th of July!!</span> </div>
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These cousins have been enjoying each others company for a few days - such sweet time. Hard to believe that only one of these little ladies was around this time <a href="http://kalijohnston.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-4th-of-july.html">last year</a>. What a difference a year can make!Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-68767711725457080582012-05-27T09:20:00.001-05:002012-05-27T09:20:34.822-05:00Tea with Memaw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Mother's Day this year was spent on a trip to Minnesota to see Dan's sister Jewel graduate from Northwestern College (not my alma mater, a different NWC). It was a busy, but exciting trip filled with lots of great family time as some of Dan's extended family made the trip as well. And while it was wonderful to actually be with several of the dearest "mom's" in Dan's life (and now mine) on Mother's Day, that time was really only gathered around the contintental breakfast table at our hotel before they all headed to the airport. Sweet time, but rather rushed. So as I anticipated that, I wanted to do something a little more meaningful for Dan's mom, our dear Memaw, blessing her for all of the wonderful things she does for us. </div>
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And so...we had a tea party :)</div>
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I had so much fun putting this together! I was given a tea set as a wedding gift and have rarely gotten to use it, so this was the perfect opportunity to dust it off. My Grandma Ann has also given me several BEAUTIFUL serving pieces, including that silver tea set you see above and some pieces of crystal scattered across the table -- it was wonderful to get to use these and I felt a bit like Grandma was a part of it, too. Plus, a dear friend here loaned me several additional pieces (like that stand above) that finished everything off nicely. So fun :)</div>
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Aunt Katee got to attend the party as well! It was so fun to spend some time with her before she heads off on her next big adventure to South Carolina for the summer. She's such a wonderful auntie!<br />
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Every good tea party needs some floppy hats! Even Ellie joined the party for awhile -- although she mostly enjoyed puffs and milk.<br />
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Dan picked the wildflowers out of our backyard. They were perfect, don't you think?<br />
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I hardly know how to describe to you the excitement of this little girl throwing a tea party for her beloved Memaw. I tried to involve her in the process as much as possible -- she was the perfect little hostess! She made the decorations, helped me bake, cleaned up her toys and even helped set the table. </div>
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Can you feel the excitement?!<br />
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I also let her be a big girl for the party and use the real stuff instead of her plastic-ware. Oh man, did she ever think she was a big girl!<br />
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She was all business, adding as much honey/sugar/cream/sweetner/etc. to her tea as she could manage...<br />
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...then carefully stirring after each addition. She never took a sip, but she certainly enjoyed it :)</div>
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We had a wonderful time putting this together for Memaw, and I think she enjoyed herself. Caroline informed me as we were cleaning up that we needed to have another tea party for Daddy "the day after Saturday". Yes my dear, that would be fun :) Happy [very belated] Mother's Day, Memaw! We love you!</div>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-89006530820795432882012-05-21T19:10:00.001-05:002012-05-21T19:10:22.732-05:00CHEESE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My sweet Ellie girl just hasn't gotten enough air time on this blog of mine. And this little ham deserves her fair share!</div>
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She has become VERY mobile lately, crawling quickly and efficiently to wherever her little heart desires (usually chasing her sister), and now pulling up on just about anything she can get ahold of. She is especially fond of Mama's legs, which is a little problematic in the kitchen, but quite endearing.<br />
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She LOVES this little table we have that plays music and makes all sorts of noise. And it's just the right height for her to pull up on. And she is so very proud of herself for this milestone reached.<br />
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My baby blue-eyes. Man I love this kid.<br />
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And she really is becoming quite the little ham. She can go from throwing a fit to smiling ear to ear if someone just looks at her and smiles (someone generally other than Mommy or Daddy - as in, an audience!). She absolutely knew she was the center of attention last night during community group, and she took full advantage - waving, smiling, saying lots of "mamama's" (her new favorite!). It was rather distracting, but really cute :)<br />
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And I think she's starting to figure out this camera thing...whatever this little cheesy grin is, it cracks me up!!Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-51574391961718862462012-05-09T17:20:00.004-05:002012-08-03T15:15:19.317-05:00Daughter of an Oreo LoverLast night after dinner, we gave the girls an early bath and headed over to a local frozen yogurt shop (because we had a buy one get one free coupon, of course). It's one of those where you fill your own bowl with whatever flavor and toppings you choose...and there are a LOT of toppings to choose from. Caroline and Daddy filled a bowl with cupcake batter yogurt and a smattering of toppings, including her favorites M&M's and Oreos.<br />
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As we sat outside and enjoyed the deliciousness, another family sat down next to us. They had a little girl who appeared to be about the same age as Caroline, and the two hit it off right away. I should add at this point that the other little girl had about 5 times as much hair as Caroline which was cut in a perfect little bob with a beautiful pink bow holding back her bangs just so, and she was taking tiny little licks of yogurt from her Mom's spoon. Caroline's wispy fuzz was still a bit wet, she was in her pj's and had already dripped something chocolate down her yellow shirt. The two starting chatting in adorable 2-year-old babble, and that's when it happened.<br />
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Caroline: "Do you like ice cream?"<br />
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Other girl: "Yep."<br />
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Caroline: "Do you like Oreos?"<br />
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Other girl: "What's that?"<br />
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Caroline: "I LOVE Oreos!"<br />
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Other girl's Mama (also looking quite pristine) tries to describe - in detail - what an Oreo cookie is to her 2-year-old. It becomes quite apparent that this child has never experienced an Oreo.<br />
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Caroline: "You don't like Oreos? I LOVE Oreos! But they're Mommy's cookies."<br />
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Well, at least she didn't tell her that she might get one if she goes poopy.Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-57217089406939731182012-04-20T17:13:00.000-05:002012-04-20T17:13:52.626-05:00I love my jobI was tired this morning. Really tired. So when I woke up at 7:30 to tell Dan good-bye and realized no one was crying or talking or moving yet, I went back to bed. Then at 8:00 I got up and fixed myself a cup of coffee and had a solid half hour of peace and quiet to read my Bible and start my new study. It was pure bliss.<br />
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Then they woke up. And things got busy in a hurry. Actually, that's not true. Our mornings are pretty slow around here when we want them to be. We lounged around, red some books, played on the floor, had waffles for breakfast. When Ellie took her morning nap, Caroline played with a box of packing peanuts for at least a half hour, probably longer. I did laundry and dishes, made some phone calls, etc. But mostly I just enjoyed my girls today. When Caroline woke up from her nap before Ellie, we played in the massive piles of pillows on my bed -- mostly because I was sleepy and it was a sneaky way to convince my busy girl to snuggle for a few minutes.<br />
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Some mornings, like yesterday, everyone is up at the crack of dawn (and some mornings, it's before that). So when I realized we were already done with breakfast by 7:30, I decided we'd pack a quick lunch and go to the zoo. It was 10 before we left, but that gave Ellie a nap and me a chance to get a little laundry done. It was perfect weather and all 3 of us enjoyed it thoroughly.<br />
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I got to be here on Wednesday morning when Ellie really took off with the crawling, learning to sit herself back up when she made it to her destination. I was here this morning when Caroline decided her babies needed real names, so she named them Bob, Babe & Mommy (brilliant!). And right now, I'm watching my two girls play together, Caroline simultaneously performing and teaching Ellie how to drum, Ellie crawling towards her sister, grabbing for anything she can (and occasionally making big sister quite distraught in the process as she is beginning to disturb her plans...). <br />
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Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of days when no one sleeps and everyone needs it and the to-do list is 100 miles long and has to get done with both girls hanging all over me. And I am no fun to be around on those days. But on days like today and yesterday, I am reminded of how richly blessed I am to be a stay-at-home mommy. I am forever grateful to Dan for working as hard as he does to allow us days like these. And I pray that God will remind me of this blessing often and deeply both now and in the years ahead.Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-838000234796929372012-04-11T14:38:00.000-05:002012-04-11T14:38:32.283-05:00Happy [belated] Easter! He is RISEN!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvjLxhiAvaGU8NvZXJ2-nT_98efqEvv6NKgEPHkuDXcA9QVb-P8bG34njm-RakdCL2xUTynYip8J_MZQi3BEUE1Aw77ziELDsGNS73njezvG9ZUXiQiQH__PhtPc1MkspQu6Rgiukmu8/s1600/Kelsey%2527s+camera+254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvjLxhiAvaGU8NvZXJ2-nT_98efqEvv6NKgEPHkuDXcA9QVb-P8bG34njm-RakdCL2xUTynYip8J_MZQi3BEUE1Aw77ziELDsGNS73njezvG9ZUXiQiQH__PhtPc1MkspQu6Rgiukmu8/s320/Kelsey%2527s+camera+254.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_3GBqF4ASkS_a3NVqYE9Wr5K0jPyOyLllVTcedMkfRjS3Nhiv6LMnxR4twBJfI45JdZjENu_NA1wpAk1i4hJACmqATP1C-QXC5RJnv24IsttCEEerFYCZAV3HaymBMtvzA0nwRU6Azw/s1600/Kelsey%2527s+camera+263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_3GBqF4ASkS_a3NVqYE9Wr5K0jPyOyLllVTcedMkfRjS3Nhiv6LMnxR4twBJfI45JdZjENu_NA1wpAk1i4hJACmqATP1C-QXC5RJnv24IsttCEEerFYCZAV3HaymBMtvzA0nwRU6Azw/s320/Kelsey%2527s+camera+263.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmTm_KDA4p7BdWuRIkCnNLT9ygP7E49aPL5i_LWrnXGmoNhfewDUZIK6CWy1wEUEwwdpTodC78HLJk-f89eVYI4xJGGqxQfE2UnhXfLPp73iG5qdSKAMyFQhSODIhktpPZR7ydkUctWA/s1600/Kelsey%2527s+camera+344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmTm_KDA4p7BdWuRIkCnNLT9ygP7E49aPL5i_LWrnXGmoNhfewDUZIK6CWy1wEUEwwdpTodC78HLJk-f89eVYI4xJGGqxQfE2UnhXfLPp73iG5qdSKAMyFQhSODIhktpPZR7ydkUctWA/s320/Kelsey%2527s+camera+344.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZKZtfuQZmF53UfOJdOAuTk1kJwQ4pHlq4otvu41l37ATuOfNn7-DNbZ6wEbc3QjWkOvdUljtpGUTnQ_v9MHygJSThMGSbZAb_cmrZ0JknJuE6KgcjcyAxbS8asbjNt6OsUriM8b9Tio/s1600/Kelsey's+camera+297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZKZtfuQZmF53UfOJdOAuTk1kJwQ4pHlq4otvu41l37ATuOfNn7-DNbZ6wEbc3QjWkOvdUljtpGUTnQ_v9MHygJSThMGSbZAb_cmrZ0JknJuE6KgcjcyAxbS8asbjNt6OsUriM8b9Tio/s320/Kelsey's+camera+297.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-15573731004366712012-04-02T17:44:00.000-05:002012-04-02T17:44:58.355-05:00a-hiking we will go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dan and I love to be outside. Okay, Dan loves to be outside and I love it when it's between about 50-80 degrees. I tolerate it at other times. But last weekend fell very nicely within that range, so we packed up and headed out for a morning hike at a nearby state park. It was actually chilly enough for jackets (for most of us), which has been a rarity around here lately! Anyway, we had a fabulous time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Caroline has been drug along on enough "adventures" with Daddy in her short little life that she is really starting to get into this stuff. For example, being the potty-trained girl that she is, Daddy ran into a bit of a problem awhile back while hiking. But our little nature-girl prevailed and mastered the art of "going in the woods." Fast forward a few days, I'm in the front yard one morning with both girls and a new friend helping us with our computer (whom we don't know well at all). I hear Caroline tell me she needs to go potty, so I try to wrap up my conversation with computer man when he suddenly bolts for his car mumbling something along of the lines of "oh-i-better-go-and-let-you-take-care-of-that." I turn around to find my lovely little redneck princess with her panties down around her ankles, talking proudly about how "Daddy taught me to potty in the grass!" I'm pretty sure our ranking of classiness went way up that day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At least no one will accuse us of being city people! Here are a few pictures of our most recent hike (don't worry, there's nothing indecent!):</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSUyPZi-ZauR9CzFFXd0orGBsYynM7onCcKVQ_bqaIm7KuEjYMnChCNKYbMFsTiGVLu4gqw-CYhCivTADXFCFBftaJOBj0RUWo6zzlxRrEm7qNOXJ0bxxR101MfEBXEc0CGADHB5g240/s1600/P1030584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSUyPZi-ZauR9CzFFXd0orGBsYynM7onCcKVQ_bqaIm7KuEjYMnChCNKYbMFsTiGVLu4gqw-CYhCivTADXFCFBftaJOBj0RUWo6zzlxRrEm7qNOXJ0bxxR101MfEBXEc0CGADHB5g240/s320/P1030584.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two peas in a pod</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTtaa3EWuCsSzTnUt3QWs-Q5sWLWFI_WAilbQam7iPxjwNYUlG7IZt9Otc2mQmzgM-TMDmFB79TYGGocSCOgJSir1Q_qVW40LP3HEpHW1Xre49TL9TQ73G3PMkRRDUxsuKQBS78T054M/s1600/P1030575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTtaa3EWuCsSzTnUt3QWs-Q5sWLWFI_WAilbQam7iPxjwNYUlG7IZt9Otc2mQmzgM-TMDmFB79TYGGocSCOgJSir1Q_qVW40LP3HEpHW1Xre49TL9TQ73G3PMkRRDUxsuKQBS78T054M/s320/P1030575.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture took a little work to get by ourselves!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2TRBJRpVSQ8JzqX0-P6MbU9sed2T9SDYoJB96ij9JvfXSQceCxLUtN6KcQEbwOFcnRf0r4hss-w5qw0FpntqcB53qSZiJDuXOteRFdirQrEmyX5GhdUhprcZsNCOq9MhKGRFc_0ShPc/s1600/P1030569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2TRBJRpVSQ8JzqX0-P6MbU9sed2T9SDYoJB96ij9JvfXSQceCxLUtN6KcQEbwOFcnRf0r4hss-w5qw0FpntqcB53qSZiJDuXOteRFdirQrEmyX5GhdUhprcZsNCOq9MhKGRFc_0ShPc/s320/P1030569.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie is following in her sister's footsteps...she's a pretty happy camper outdoors, too</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFFiPtEZgBHlkd-Qo3dBwYARDymYs2nHNk2xmUVYbLbb-AQAPuR-XaVLoVXf5I9t0y_k42uSL6RCU5dkVoU9CXRpOJIy-ZfvN4q_kXkOjaO55FJvig1TZgl3nlW5XDlfXHRVtLq3TLzA/s1600/P1030563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFFiPtEZgBHlkd-Qo3dBwYARDymYs2nHNk2xmUVYbLbb-AQAPuR-XaVLoVXf5I9t0y_k42uSL6RCU5dkVoU9CXRpOJIy-ZfvN4q_kXkOjaO55FJvig1TZgl3nlW5XDlfXHRVtLq3TLzA/s320/P1030563.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stranded!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkZA0AbirE4cPjuVqo2pz6FleSVRYkzkKzoZX2IRnIDuYNimgrMyoOlc5XQbECpJjCeIQbECv7h8eUZxRwgaQXr0SWyPwpZ_fCjBqVL06EUsW-pcUM6sRMQsIQkDATV1nOO-kHcFoqB0/s1600/P1030548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkZA0AbirE4cPjuVqo2pz6FleSVRYkzkKzoZX2IRnIDuYNimgrMyoOlc5XQbECpJjCeIQbECv7h8eUZxRwgaQXr0SWyPwpZ_fCjBqVL06EUsW-pcUM6sRMQsIQkDATV1nOO-kHcFoqB0/s320/P1030548.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ofmaCI24I44BEWEl5B2oyM0bi87Eyq5rcogjoSWTP3IJdrVpQwm5RCOeZei3TiFg8wHeUlVM1j_0GnlDpMHIe148Z0lCfGhNZMwLPfOuIXdYfJ0wNfjt5mabW1Y8XkauB3hwl4F9IFc/s1600/P1030539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ofmaCI24I44BEWEl5B2oyM0bi87Eyq5rcogjoSWTP3IJdrVpQwm5RCOeZei3TiFg8wHeUlVM1j_0GnlDpMHIe148Z0lCfGhNZMwLPfOuIXdYfJ0wNfjt5mabW1Y8XkauB3hwl4F9IFc/s320/P1030539.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie's first swing - very successful!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FsyB63IGVs_hRtmYvR97l5-1u9DM6_ylJOCS7BfClv4rWBEgKBeWuTva88kp4aS3HXDoQv1x5irKmbRtZSYmeT1ptkc-JYC_Zg2C4uaN_rbdT3NcY33PHM_RQlxPAF7orsYynbfULQs/s1600/P1030533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FsyB63IGVs_hRtmYvR97l5-1u9DM6_ylJOCS7BfClv4rWBEgKBeWuTva88kp4aS3HXDoQv1x5irKmbRtZSYmeT1ptkc-JYC_Zg2C4uaN_rbdT3NcY33PHM_RQlxPAF7orsYynbfULQs/s320/P1030533.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2U1_FE5cXtgTspNSdDL_bmYmbGsW9lj-nQAzz-N5wCe2ZaERkfQKcwYZJrY4dI3HtPrtr2_t61IrZVP3cO08MPpxuS-Sg_dbVsdMWtliU7W5GwQVuxc1k2ygxnDS0Ci7wQgaHl04ZNEE/s1600/P1030531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2U1_FE5cXtgTspNSdDL_bmYmbGsW9lj-nQAzz-N5wCe2ZaERkfQKcwYZJrY4dI3HtPrtr2_t61IrZVP3cO08MPpxuS-Sg_dbVsdMWtliU7W5GwQVuxc1k2ygxnDS0Ci7wQgaHl04ZNEE/s320/P1030531.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We coudn't convince our little ballerina that tutu's aren't the best hiking apparell.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-2518294511848880732012-03-24T00:50:00.000-05:002012-03-24T00:50:22.590-05:00She's HERE!!!My beautiful niece arrived just a little while ago - at 11:12 pm - after a crazy fast delivery for Kelsey. I'm sure she'll want to tell much much more, but I can't stand to not share the news right now! Sweet little <span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Blythe Kathleen Irwin</span> -- welcome to the world! Your Aunt Kali is head over heels for you! <br />
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P.S. Why do I have to live so ever-lovin far away???<br />
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P.P.S. I have 3 precious pictures on my phone that I am trying to transfer to this computer, but I'm just not that tech saavy, nor do I have internet on my phone. My guess is that by the time anyone reads this there will be a gazillion [much better quality] photos already posted and no one will care. But let it be known that I tried.Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-27814344358225280102012-03-22T09:41:00.000-05:002012-03-22T09:41:25.221-05:00another day at homeHave I mentioned before that I LOVE being home with my girls? Oh sure, it's a lot of work, and some days we all get a little stir crazy if we don't go anywhere. But most days we find plenty to do around here. Like playing on an air mattress, for instance. It's been laying on the floor of the play room since Monday night, and everyday Caroline has found a new use for it. I love seeing that girl's imagination come alive! I don't exactly know what type of "use" you would call this for the mattress (maybe a stage?), but here's an example of my girls hard at play:<br />
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Did you see my little Ellie waving?!? She's growing and changing everyday it seems right now. In fact, here's something else she's been up to:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBfKA4rfmCdBAcQLMJWrPgprJSaoYAHr8lxzLZQArMfOnUQIa_USEY3nyfHVLqCje9Gv1JUU9f4vrtbYcWDt4klYTJJ9bnTtU1pxKcEBCtaXeyEIRCSsuySmxOTFcFrl9H_FNzeBiQ5w/s1600/P1030444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBfKA4rfmCdBAcQLMJWrPgprJSaoYAHr8lxzLZQArMfOnUQIa_USEY3nyfHVLqCje9Gv1JUU9f4vrtbYcWDt4klYTJJ9bnTtU1pxKcEBCtaXeyEIRCSsuySmxOTFcFrl9H_FNzeBiQ5w/s320/P1030444.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>You see that little play table waaaay back in the distance? Well that's where I left this little monkey. Sitting up, playing nicely at her table. Stationary. And then I turned around and found her here!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYkVaIVsXHrg-Q6Gf0gkq_nu0Txh0x8PKVr-2Y38fVzicWLTacJjQ1H8bQYS1zg2ekFa3jd0Wsk9bTEXaahGD-gybjLM77MijB3gD9_6Oz9XbwlPrtHkWdScylSIPophKMnkzgZYxnLM/s1600/P1030445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYkVaIVsXHrg-Q6Gf0gkq_nu0Txh0x8PKVr-2Y38fVzicWLTacJjQ1H8bQYS1zg2ekFa3jd0Wsk9bTEXaahGD-gybjLM77MijB3gD9_6Oz9XbwlPrtHkWdScylSIPophKMnkzgZYxnLM/s320/P1030445.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
She's quite the determined little thing. Roll, scoot, reeeaaaach...whatever it takes to get to whatever she wants :) She's not really crawling yet, but scooting for sure.<br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And this little Missy is rather proud of herself I think!</div>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-47519124762519966212012-03-21T14:41:00.000-05:002012-03-21T14:41:45.378-05:00Spring Has Sprung<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkTVsZjEkQ13TgLLbyZ7pe0E7qciRhdxmAmHZU0FvX7DFLWqElZJ7xqt-_AWUI4UaAQse5DVbV8pIO-Bmog1S1j_vOFj7rn3TwCC-G1UHgEke7mntHe3XBLgBR8EYy0Si6y1zyNBW7Tg/s1600/P1030464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkTVsZjEkQ13TgLLbyZ7pe0E7qciRhdxmAmHZU0FvX7DFLWqElZJ7xqt-_AWUI4UaAQse5DVbV8pIO-Bmog1S1j_vOFj7rn3TwCC-G1UHgEke7mntHe3XBLgBR8EYy0Si6y1zyNBW7Tg/s320/P1030464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Spring has come early this year in Tennesee. And while I'm not so sure how I feel about 85 degree days in March, we have definitely been enjoying the beauty of the change of seasons. This time last year we were house hunting, preparing to move, and I was still nauseously pregnant which somehow caused me to feel like I missed Spring entirely. I'm determined to not let that happen again this year, so we are thoroughly enjoying watching nature awake all around our home for the first time. Here's a little glimpse of what's going on (slightly out of order - oh well):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing me some of her new flowers before church on Sunday</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6k2ePGbt0DldOGyMFgM85yuu3iXWwSVXDQOTqaJesSiNYW3ySCxpe_0czAwBuyuPtJZSq7eRndRhM4k4sGRxNJyv0Ea_NNEP0uY2kc-qF31wVnJ8mY8UykZ1zCYrDpV_U29-WQ__FXU/s1600/P1030480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6k2ePGbt0DldOGyMFgM85yuu3iXWwSVXDQOTqaJesSiNYW3ySCxpe_0czAwBuyuPtJZSq7eRndRhM4k4sGRxNJyv0Ea_NNEP0uY2kc-qF31wVnJ8mY8UykZ1zCYrDpV_U29-WQ__FXU/s320/P1030480.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in front of the cherry blossom tree on Sunday</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is the same tree today -- how quickly the blossoms disappear! (that's our house in this picture, the neighbor's in the other)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSY-yX75Hr6kaTSXBShRRNJZI8lrP2nGuX-xabw9zC1zVevn-Cu0qYIrdBwvlpVe0bRLU6-YzM4c6Od_pFFpJN3B2h49qCTvmU6aZOBdCzgmLk__vdX034W1oNpJ1klQEkMNqDpY430E/s1600/P1030523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSY-yX75Hr6kaTSXBShRRNJZI8lrP2nGuX-xabw9zC1zVevn-Cu0qYIrdBwvlpVe0bRLU6-YzM4c6Od_pFFpJN3B2h49qCTvmU6aZOBdCzgmLk__vdX034W1oNpJ1klQEkMNqDpY430E/s320/P1030523.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan's been working very hard to prepare the garden this year. We've had a compost pile since last May in hopes of improving the soil, and he built an incredible stone wall in front and back since it's on a hill. He's planted broccoli and cauliflower now, and we think we'll be able to harvest these in May -- just in time to plant our tomatoes & squash!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsI9udJv1H8rw-TMmRkFC8C4uWr9n903OuwgOtmraVxjairO9khw7x0VcAYhDbouswiz2GTeept4amWupJnn0zPjJDCGLf4hWSbHbu6PR3hGTLEjD-4mONchujshwzoAAJtQ41BmyxX4/s1600/P1030515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsI9udJv1H8rw-TMmRkFC8C4uWr9n903OuwgOtmraVxjairO9khw7x0VcAYhDbouswiz2GTeept4amWupJnn0zPjJDCGLf4hWSbHbu6PR3hGTLEjD-4mONchujshwzoAAJtQ41BmyxX4/s320/P1030515.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the weather warms up, the kids come out to play! A couple of the neighbor boys joined Caroline this morning to watch a bird build a nest on our porch. When they ask tomorrow where the nest went, I had nothing to do with it...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNd7fwDXHjl1cQl-QHvoBDpuEVvYp1u1-_uh4FYfx7rPlNJ1w0loPfnRiyqTxTYBlPs31HXV5Ei56-dMJwnQMP_d_s-53w1LJ4HtsR-AMSODBE3UokW7M2QsGoO7iXxDPg_hyphenhyphenQ0oYAV0/s1600/P1030504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNd7fwDXHjl1cQl-QHvoBDpuEVvYp1u1-_uh4FYfx7rPlNJ1w0loPfnRiyqTxTYBlPs31HXV5Ei56-dMJwnQMP_d_s-53w1LJ4HtsR-AMSODBE3UokW7M2QsGoO7iXxDPg_hyphenhyphenQ0oYAV0/s320/P1030504.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will & Caroline are big buddies. She even lets him smell her flowers -- especially when he's dressed as a super hero.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two are lots of help for Daddy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySj3LWxeWcGzg3JShCZY689cWP26g2_fUiJasbr-Xk4YKRDtM4t0xSSe2Y7iWX1DSIzKSc00RZIa3PJt8Yy923U-pDsaQEnATc_2bQZvf4udzkU0AcZUG7-hoPR3XEb2aw8OKSAUVvC8/s1600/P1030457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySj3LWxeWcGzg3JShCZY689cWP26g2_fUiJasbr-Xk4YKRDtM4t0xSSe2Y7iWX1DSIzKSc00RZIa3PJt8Yy923U-pDsaQEnATc_2bQZvf4udzkU0AcZUG7-hoPR3XEb2aw8OKSAUVvC8/s320/P1030457.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan's masterpiece - he carried all of these rocks in and built it himself. Such a manly man. And those red buds nearly make me sing! (okay, so it honestly doesn't take much to make me sing. now you know.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0GF1O4EkiQRVUmfAcUFSHo5DHvsVzEN30ZQLzoa9jlw1WP4HYueCmQUCX2FloTDsesOXHNNi6-YVfgZUHKuYpVumKVbwDq30DLID9-zwz12FZDN3gVllQUzKrOP6FCB4cOt_vBbpU9Y/s1600/P1030452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0GF1O4EkiQRVUmfAcUFSHo5DHvsVzEN30ZQLzoa9jlw1WP4HYueCmQUCX2FloTDsesOXHNNi6-YVfgZUHKuYpVumKVbwDq30DLID9-zwz12FZDN3gVllQUzKrOP6FCB4cOt_vBbpU9Y/s320/P1030452.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to see the top one, but this was a complete double rainbow behind our house last week. It was so beautiful I cried! (Just kidding...but have you seen that youtube video?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Here's to Spring sticking around for awhile...and Summer not creeping in too quickly!Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907040639262042743.post-83710368866596656922012-03-16T09:45:00.001-05:002012-03-16T09:48:26.492-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have been busy having a FANTASTIC week here in Tennessee. On Friday, Aunt Katee ("my Katee" as Caroline likes to call her) and three of her college friends came through our little town on their way back to school after a spring break trip to Florida. They weren't here for long, but we were grateful for even a little time together. She got in as many squeezes as she could!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ALsYhxn3JuJQJM7MA_xGQhO0au6HlZeVOf8nNNYqkOAj2hIhW9RaFDFZVlSSDgqrID4P7OR-BzTO32PRvs237k9dI4YabYbMTSWD32BQAJIYmw8ix4tt88QQjCIFQTzmPvewcJfdhCo/s1600/P1030397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ALsYhxn3JuJQJM7MA_xGQhO0au6HlZeVOf8nNNYqkOAj2hIhW9RaFDFZVlSSDgqrID4P7OR-BzTO32PRvs237k9dI4YabYbMTSWD32BQAJIYmw8ix4tt88QQjCIFQTzmPvewcJfdhCo/s320/P1030397.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline is quite the hostess - she wanted to make sure Aunt Katee got plenty of tea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> On Sunday night, my dear friend from college Katrina and her husband Louis rolled into to town to spend a few days with us over their spring break (they're both teachers in the Houston area). Sadly it had been 3 years since we had seen each other, and this was the first time I had met her husband of nearly 4 years (!), so needless to say we had LOTS to catch up on. It's difficult to put into words what a blessing it was to spend time with these two. I'm so thankful they made the <em>loooong</em> trip up to see us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline was fast friends with these two!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing on the "2pad" (as she called it) -- baking some cupcakes together</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gJvo9V0N6Mjt9gykG5uL04mP_doJITqEzZWLmFjVLgEBOWvvqbOy8Vr7hkMi8pijLxKGc8JC69vpKSLAQ0KJK-BM25Hvsp3nqpRoQ_O-LCo38sJZeQtqkR7af6hdntdeAjqd5wu1qUo/s1600/IMG_4870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gJvo9V0N6Mjt9gykG5uL04mP_doJITqEzZWLmFjVLgEBOWvvqbOy8Vr7hkMi8pijLxKGc8JC69vpKSLAQ0KJK-BM25Hvsp3nqpRoQ_O-LCo38sJZeQtqkR7af6hdntdeAjqd5wu1qUo/s320/IMG_4870.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">of course we waited until the last night right before bed to remember to take a picture together! Oh well :) Such sweet times with such a dear friend. I am beyond grateful to still have her in my life.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6moiJ8prZ7T59XjF-mFdwa5YnaNr6YClHHOC-Jh2seTyGIKWASVKRaa6NVB00_diVTFEEUlHLixzIw-Mr3-x7eh-GBCYJ9NPn3WcM_ktHQIzq0x-LOQMFgCpScri-kVBssEkWBpZU4c/s1600/IMG_4872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6moiJ8prZ7T59XjF-mFdwa5YnaNr6YClHHOC-Jh2seTyGIKWASVKRaa6NVB00_diVTFEEUlHLixzIw-Mr3-x7eh-GBCYJ9NPn3WcM_ktHQIzq0x-LOQMFgCpScri-kVBssEkWBpZU4c/s320/IMG_4872.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two bonded over several games of frisbee golf, Settlers of Catan, and lots of food. I loved how it really seemed like we had known him for years, too. Thanks for jumping right into the craziness around here, Louis!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSvJjiNUMTg0I4PfCM3XRSlHwNbJtAZlZBKXCHNw6T7R1M56mCgElcahorRbCi8Hnw4uPwCMF_SRTR1Otuz5915a0AhKo8WPl8VO81glna3QRdUU5t5pJ0_SqY7ofRRNBp2NaBG9GbcY/s1600/IMG_4831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSvJjiNUMTg0I4PfCM3XRSlHwNbJtAZlZBKXCHNw6T7R1M56mCgElcahorRbCi8Hnw4uPwCMF_SRTR1Otuz5915a0AhKo8WPl8VO81glna3QRdUU5t5pJ0_SqY7ofRRNBp2NaBG9GbcY/s320/IMG_4831.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying some pizza at the Mellow Mushroom. The only picture of ALL of us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tLNY5Pmh5c6gwGF9Kcgbp5tbpc8UGZn0g3b_JS8P1zdDw4U9tzn3f6k1dAgiAN_Dg42I0m0YpWx9aiYuwZ9siDNA_5m3jAGStTlerzVdJFxSZEw4JxJleSq1ClBQ3sx60IAQA_P9X9g/s1600/IMG_4869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tLNY5Pmh5c6gwGF9Kcgbp5tbpc8UGZn0g3b_JS8P1zdDw4U9tzn3f6k1dAgiAN_Dg42I0m0YpWx9aiYuwZ9siDNA_5m3jAGStTlerzVdJFxSZEw4JxJleSq1ClBQ3sx60IAQA_P9X9g/s320/IMG_4869.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An evening walk before bedtime in which both girls ended in tears before we made it back home. Walks around our old alma mater were much less eventful!<br />
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</div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">Such a wonderful week, such dear friends. Thank you guys for making the trip! Hopefully it will be far less than three years before we see one another again!</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Kalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03474522803949686126noreply@blogger.com0