Aunt Bekah's visit at Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain

Preschool party at Fun Depot ~ Thursday

We love our uncles

Uncle, Uncle, Aunt

LJ, Joey, and Rebecca came and spent memorial day with us yesterday. The boys played golf and the ladies went to the outlets. Noah was quite the trooper, he's never made it through 18 holes before! I packed his snack pack, but forgot his coloring books which he did not appreciate. We love having family over! Ella loves her uncle LJ and aunt Rebecca, but Joey's still having to grow on her. She did end up giving him a few "fives" but saved the rest of her "lovin" for Rebecca and LJ.

Ella's also become obsessed with searching for the groundhog family that lives behind us. She made Aunt Rebecca search with her several times. She's pointing to the groundhogs in this pic.

Granny's got a pool!

We spent the weekend at Granny's to help her install her new pool. Matt had to level and dig out a huge space so the pool could have a sound foundation. He worked really hard all day Saturday! Finally, after 10 hours of filling up, the pool was ready on Sunday afternoon and the kids got to play. We'll be spending a lot of time in the pool this summer!

Overall it was a busy weekend! The kids played outside a lot, they built tents out of lounge chairs, finally got to swim, got rowdy with their cousins and uncles, and whined just a little bit because all of the excitement was just a little too much for them.

Cinderella

Today I heard that one of my favorite artists growing up, Stephen Curtis Chapman, lost his little girl in an accident at his home. His song "Cinderella" he wrote to his girls and it means a lot to me. My prayers go out to him and his family. It is a reminder of how precious your time with your children is and how you should cherish every moment. Just as his song says.

She spins and she sways to whatever song plays,Without a care in the world.And I'm sittin' here wearin' the weight of the world on my shoulders.It's been a long day and there's still work to do,She's pulling at me saying "Dad I need you!There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited and I need to practice my dancin'""Oh please, daddy, please!"So I will dance with CinderellaWhile she is here in my arms'Cause I know something the prince never knewOh I will dance with CinderellaI don't wanna miss even one song, Cuz all to soon the clock will strike midnight And she'll be goneShe says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressedShe wants to know if I'd approve of a dressShe says "Dad, the prom is just one week away,And I need to practice my dancin'""Oh please, daddy, please!"So I will dance with CinderellaWhile she is here in my arms'Cause I know something the prince never knewOhh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with CinderellaI don't wanna miss even one song, Cuz all to soon the clock will strike midnight And she'll be goneShe will be gone.Well, she came home todayWith a ring on her handJust glowin' and tellin' us all they had plannedShe says "Dad, the wedding's due six months awayAnd I need to practice my dancin'""Oh please, daddy please!"So I will dance with CinderellaWhile she is here in my arms'Cause I know something the prince never knewOhh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with CinderellaI don't wanna miss even one song, (even one song) Cuz all to soon the clock will strike midnight And she'll be gone

Mother's Morning Out

Ella's mother's morning out class ends next week. She's had a lot of fun and met a lot of other kids her age. It's been great interaction for her and she's grown so much as I looked back at pictures for our end of year slide show today. This picture I took this morning. At about 11:30 each day she gets tired and is ready for her nap. She curled up in a toy tote and snuggled a baby for awhile.

Preschool is coming to an end.

Next week marks the end of another year of preschool for Noah. He has had so much fun and made some great friends. Last year and this year he has had the priveledge of being in the same class as his best friend Emma. If you ask Noah, she's his "girlfriend."

The splash pad is COLD!!!

Siak Family day in Lake Lure

This morning we headed down to Lake Lure, NC for a picnic, the park, and our absolute favorite icecream in downtown Lake Lure. On the way we were reminded of how blessed we are to live in such a beautiful place! It was great to get to spend some quality time with Daddy too!

What a week!

Matt went to Minnesota this week and finally returned home last night. I am so thankful for Nana and Granny keeping me and the kids company! We had such a busy week while he was gone. We went to many parks, ate lots of happy meals, snuggled a lot, and waited until daddy came home. Here's a few pics from Nana's stay, I didn't get any of them with granny, I'll have to do that when we see her next weekend...

The Splash Pad is Open!!!

My musician

Anyone who has spent anytime with Noah knows that he is our little musician. I believe he was singing before he was talking. At 1 1/2 he amazed our pastor with his perfect pitch. Jerry tested him by changing keys and restarting his favorite song, "Twinkle twinkle little star," and Noah caught right back up with him each time. I am so glad that I took this picture because one day, when he is known for his incredible musical gift, I'll have proof that it was in him from birth.

Mother's Day

I've watched many shows like Oprah where women come on and say "I want to be a better mother than my mom..." And Oprah (or the host) will tell them to take the good that their mother taught them and build on it in order to become a better mother.

I've thought, "well that doesn't apply to me, now does it?" I've said it before, and I continue to believe, if I can do half as good of a job as my mother did, I will be a successful mother. She was a godly woman who put her family first above all else. She taught us, loved us unconditionally, prayed for us, laughed with us, cried with us, and would've given us the "shirt off her back" if it would have helped us along. She never complained about fixing us a meal or doing our laundry. She was tireless.

This mother's day, I get to celebrate too. God gave me 2 beautiful children and I am trying to follow in the footsteps of my mother. I want to be all she was and is to me, to them. On this mother's day weekend I am thankful. For the blessings God has given me through each day with Noah and Ella, and to have been given to my own parents.

Ella's best friend

Last night I was watching tv at about 8:30 and Ella was snuggled up beside me sleeping. She is a "sleep talker" which she unfortunately gets from me. She rolled over and started saying "daddy, daddy, daddy..." In her sleep she is still looking for him. Everytime we leave the house and come back, she asks for daddy when we pull in the driveway. She knows where Fastenal is and calls for him when we pass by. Every day (that it is not raining) she runs full speed at his car when it pulls up to meet him and give him a snuggle as soon as the door opens. If Matt comes home for lunch during the day, she throws a fit when he leaves.

All this to say. Daddy is Ella's best friend and to me that is so sweet. In a way Ella's pure and genuine love for Matt is an everyday example of how I should love Matt. She accepts him for who he is no matter what mood he's in. She always tries to make him smile. She's happiest when she's sitting beside him on the couch twirling her hair...

I think next week when he is gone to a training for the week, she will definitely take it the hardest. I'm gonna try to keep her busy so she doesn't get the chance to have a "daddy meltdown!"

18 months ago...

Eighteen months ago our world changed again as little Ella joined us. I've been a little sad and reminiscent the past few days knowing that she's hitting the year and a half mark. She's not our little baby anymore! And she is well on her way to being quite the magnificent toddler. They grow up TOO fast!

Our beloved Katy

Katy Cook Photography has been the best discovery we have made as far as pictures go. She took a new round of pictures 2 weeks ago and we are so pleased!

Oh how they love the park. Ella lights up at the mention of the word and Noah warned Nana today that when she comes next week, we are definitely going!

I had to put these pictures in the blog. We've gotten a new pool and the kids have been having too much fun. And, that is mud on Ella, not poo. :)

Noah the Great

Noah, Noah, Noah... His world consists of preschool, playdates, books, coloring, and making sure he doesn't miss SpongeBob at 2:00 everyday. He is such a great little boy. He too loves to jump and play outside and is in love with having a sister. The things he says absolutely crack Matt and I up. He's smart beyond his years and can be surprisingly deep sometimes. He's also quite dramatic at this age and keeps us on our toes. He can always make you smile, and will offer up a song upon your request. He's the little man in my life and I am so glad to be his mommy. Currently he has his 2nd shiner of his lifetime thanks to a run in with Nick. We've taught him to say "you should see the other guy" when someone mentions it to him.

Ella Grace

Our little Ella... she's growing up so fast. She'll be 18 months in a few days. That's a year and a half already! I can't imagine life without her! Right now she is into everything. It might be that we just don't remember well enough, but she seems so much more adventurous than Noah was at this age. Currently she has scrapes on her arm and knees, and it doesn't even phase her. In fact one of her favorite words is "fall." She says it as a warning when she is in a precarious situation (as she's jumping off the couch), or when she peers over the side of the bed... While she is quite adventurous, she is also such a snuggle bug. She loves her daddy to pieces and loves sitting in his lap, with her passy, and twirling her hair. She brings such joy to our life!

Trying this thing out again.

I tried to start the whole "Blog" thing, but ended up getting sidetracked and I honestly forgot about it! I was checking in on another friends blog and realized my blog was floating out in cyberspace somewhere and I thought I should take a look at it!