Going Beachin'

Well, I've just gotten awful about updating this thing! Now that basketball season is over, and I'm working a job during the girls' naptime, it's just hard to find a time to sit at the computer for myself! Poor Nana and Papa up in New York are having to just imagine what their granddaughters look like! We still have not bought a new camera, but I was able to take a few pictures this week (a couple dark ones, and a few outside!) Aly and Caroline's cousins, Warner and William, came in town last weekend (along with Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Bill!) Aly loves her cousins and really looks up to them. Just about every outfit the girls wear were once worn by Warner, and Aly loves hearing that "Warner wore that when she was a little girl." Chad's cousin, Justin, was in town from Charleston for a few days last week. Aly had a BIG crush on him, and was so excited to get up in the morning and eat her breakfast with him! He was super-patient with the girls, as they enjoyed playing his guitar each morning. He even figured out the chords to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and played as Aly sang along.

We are headed to St. Simons on Monday for a week at F.C.A. Coaches' Camp. We are really excited, as is Aly--who has been talking about the beach and building sandcastles since we told her we were going! We're praying for good health, good weather, and extra patience during our drive! I'm hoping we'll even come back with some good pictures, since the beach is outside!

Justin, the 'Guitar Hero'

Aly and Cade on the Grasshopper

The girls' first (and hopefully only!) ride in a police car

Hot Water and Bad Dreams

Let me preface this entry with the warning that there are no pictures, so it'll just be some of my own ramblings. Our camera is broken, and we have yet to get another. It's almost therapeutic for me to not have the camera with me, as it has been attached to me since the minute Aly was born. It broke down within a week of our needing a new hot-water heater, so we had to compromise on the wants vs. needs in our family finances. I don't think that the pictures of two unhappy girls who just took a cold bath would be worth taking, even if we DID have a camera!

Caroline has just hit that point where all she wants is to be down on the ground playing and moving. Almost overnight, she's gone from my baby who loves to be cuddled to a big girl who is always on the move. Where Aly loved to sit on my lap and read book after book after book, Caroline cannot sit still for even a breath! It's so fun to watch her explore. She's just learned that as she stands, she can slowly move herself from one object to another, and she's fascinated with the new skill!

Aly has had two events coincide with one another in the past month: she's officially potty-trained (yeah!), and she is suddenly fearful of everything. We can't figure out the latter, and really don't know what to do: it is genuine fear, as she wakes up crying about certain things. We've had to put about 6 books away, ones that she's loved for her entire 2 years, because she is scared of something in them. Her biggest fear is the policeman that told Frosty the Snowman to 'stop' in a book we read...IN DECEMBER!! She's never been nervous about being left with others (she used to practically leap out of my arms at any church nursery!), but she now is suddenly crying every time that she goes. If anyone has any advice or an explanation, I'd welcome it! I'm sure it's normal, but it makes me hurt for her!

Besides that, all is great here. This is my favorite time of year, as far as Chad's job goes. These couple months make me forget those final couple months of the season! Maybe we will be able to add some pictures to my next post...I know that they are much more entertaining than I am!

Age to Age

I'm sure that I'll be partial to EVERY age that the girls are at, but I have to say that right now (10 months and 2 years) are my favorite two ages. Caroline is just SWEET, and Aly is just HILARIOUS. Caroline is fascinated by everything in sight, and has just started responding to us and doing 'tricks' (the video below.) She can examine a crack on the floor for 2 minutes, every single time she crawls over it--oh to have such innocence!

As is the case with all kids I'm sure, the things that come out of Aly's mouth just crack me up. She has such Chad's personality--she doesn't know a stranger in the world--so I just sit back and watch (a little jealous!) in amazement. Don't get me wrong...they aren't perfect! But what blessings we got when He gave us these two!

The flash on my camera is no longer working, so I guess all pictures will have to be either outside, or in mid-afternoon. Of all of the picture-taking this week (and there's always a lot of it!), these are the only ones that came out. The other kids in the pool are Sam and Lizzy Pardue. We have our own personal country club in the backyard, complete with sprinkler, sidewalk chalk, and a swing set! Who needs to leave the house when you have such luxuries?!

"Under the Table and Dreaming"

The Warner Country Club

First Crush: Sam and Caroline

Caroline doing "Shake and Bake"