Goodrow Gang

Strawberries!

2011-04-14T19:56:00.005-04:00

The three E's off to pick berries!

Elena and her friend Lana were off on their own filling their buckets and talking non-stop!

Ethan liked to pick the funny looking strawberries.

Emily sampled every single berry she picked.

Together we made fresh strawberry pie for Daddy.

Mexico Beach Spring Break 2011!!!!

2011-04-10T20:44:00.006-04:00

The whole Gang before another yummy home cooked meal compliments of my sister! Lunch out, boy cousin time!

A walk on the beach with my baby bump, big boy, and big girl! Nana and PaPa with the grandkids. Will teaching Elena how to play Star Wars Clone Wars on the computer. Emily was even slightly fascinated! All the kiddos cooperate for a cousin photo opp. Ummmmm.....total sweetness!The boys working on their sand castle!

My sister and I took the kids to Mexico Beach for Spring Break with their Nana and PaPa. MANY wonderful cousin memories were shared and made.

3 E's Dance Party

2011-03-28T16:56:00.002-04:00

Ethan is REALLY rocking out. We think it is the Faux Hawk hair that gets him going. Of course, Emily is not to be out done. Best is Elena's floor dance move. Wonder what the next E child's dance move will be?

March Birthdays!

2011-03-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yikes! Ethan turns 3 years old on March 2nd!!!!
Elena turns 7 years old Elena March 3rd!!!!
What is going on? Oh yeah, our kids are growing so big and tall!

Happy Valentines Day!!!!!

2011-02-13T18:34:00.002-05:00

Elena's team Rosebuds

2011-02-06T11:23:00.002-05:00

Elena will be running on her team Rosebuds that she created last year so Kids can Help Kids with Cystic Fibrosis. If you have a child interested in running with her this March 19th at Grant Park next to the Atlanta Zoo, then visit www.milesforcysticfibrosis.org and click on Rosebuds for more information. Otherwise, please visit Elena's fundraising page and help her raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Research AND for CF families in need.

It is because of advances in research (and loads of prayers) that Elena is so healthy today. Please help us continue this upward healthy trend!

Thank you to the friends and family that helped make this video possible.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T19:12:00.007-05:00

We are ringing in the new year with a family full of sick little ones. Elena was SO close to a hospital stay the week of Christmas, but our awesome CF Doctor and his "go-get-'em" ways had her healthy over the holidays. Elena is still not 100%, but doing so much better. I was sick after Christmas with Emily. Now, Ethan and Joel are the sick ones. Despite the fevers and snot noses, we have had a great Christmas Holiday!
Here are a few pictures from our White Christmas...

Look close and you can see the snow ball in mid air going towards Joel!

Also, much thanks to Grampa Earl and Bev Grama for opening up their home to us in Sarasota, FL. We enjoyed the windy round of golf (Julie shaved 2 shots off her game...we decided that being pregnant has its perks with golf), Joel enjoyed a sunnier day of golf where he took Grampa's money (Joel did play a GREAT round), Julie enjoyed walking through a farmer's market with Bev where we bought yummy quiche and fresh strawberries for our lunch...YUMMM! Joel and I were even able to enjoy some dinner dates AND a movie! Thanks Earl and Bev! Also, the trip would not have been possible without Nana & PaPa watching the little ones at home. Thanks Mom and Dad!

The Christmas Story

2010-12-24T11:26:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Thankful

2010-11-29T18:06:00.006-05:00

Thankful for family near and far...
Thankful for kids and our growing family...

Thankful for good food and family traditions....

What a great thanksgiving! Thanks to my in-laws for hosting this year!

Fall Leaves and Family Fun

2010-11-09T08:49:00.004-05:00

I'm a bit delayed in this posting...
here we are at the doctor for the first ultrasound for baby Goodrow #4!

Thanks David and Susie for a fun Mountain Weekend! We always love our time with you both!The slide show below shows how gorgeous the leaves were! I love fall.

Home School trips galore!

2010-11-05T17:38:00.008-04:00

El Dia De Los Muertos was this week. We took the kids to a festival for the holiday at the Atlanta History Center. What fun! We celebrated this holiday with our family...since Ethan is Mexican and this is a Mexican holiday...it made sense! Plus it is usually combined with All Souls Day (celebrated on the same day as well).Yummy yummy made fresh quesadillas!
Elena's favorite alter. Elena made her own altar at home!

Today we enjoyed a trip to Stone Mountain for the Native American Festival and Pow Wow. This was for education AND for our little Native American baby....Emily. I know you can tell by her skin tone;)All smiles from start to finish of our outing!

Learning how to shoot a bow and arrow. Ethan and Elena have been practicing in the back yard with their very own since we got home today. Look out rabbits that are eating my flowers!

Emily was dancing while watching the Ceremonial dances.
Emily's new shoes...a really couldn't resist purchasing these for our pale-faced Irish/Indian.

The set up camps were Elena's favorite. She loved looking into the tee-pees. Of course, the ceremonial costumes were a big hit, too!

Also, Elena has been learning about Volcanoes this week. She built her own and watched it erupt! All three kids enjoyed watching the eruption and begged for more!

Homeschool has been so much fun for us all!

Family, Festival, and Football FUN!

2010-10-17T09:38:00.008-04:00

We had a short but VERY sweet visit with visiting Aunt Lynn, Cousin Alicia, and her two adorable kids, Elyse and Anthony. The kids had a blast line dancing, playing with balloons, and having a pretend tea party. Thanks for hosting Gram!

A Generations Shot! Joel's Gram Thelma, Aunt Lynn, Cousin Alica, and Elena's Second Cousin ElyseBalloon time!Sweet "E" girls, Elena and ElyseLine dancing fun.Tea Party time.

I went to the Gold Rush Days in Dahlonega for the first time. It was great fun for the kids. I was most entertained by the people dressed up like Gold Prospectors...they even talked with crazy accent. It kept Elena and I laughing.

Gold Rush Days in Dahlonega...these girls in their new hats. Oh my gosh!Elena searching for gems. She didn't want to pan for gold...looked like alot of work for very little reward. :)While me and my girls and my parents were enoying the cool weather festival going, my boys, Joel and Ethan, were at a Georgia Football game. Highlight for Ethan was getting to give Hairy Dawg a High-5!

Tailgate picnic.

They stayed for the entire game (which was easy to do since Ethan slept through the entire 3rd quarter.)

The Dawg Walk!

I love Fall!

GA. Aquarium Homeschool Day!

2010-10-07T06:54:00.004-04:00

I continue to be amazed at all the wonderful homeschool programs in Atlanta!

The aquarium was so organized, efficient, and fun with their homeschool day. We will definitely be going back.

Nana and PaPa joined us for the day. I thought we would only be at the aquarium for 3-4 hours, but we stayed from 10 a.m. open until 5 p.m.! Elena was having so much fun and we were ALL learning so much!

Atlanta Greek Festival....OPA!!!! Atlanta Zoo....Oh My!

2010-10-02T06:50:00.008-04:00

The Atlanta Greek Festival had yummy food, fantastic music, delightful crafts, and most of all...happiness for the kids! Thanks to a high school friend of mine that is Greek, I have been forever addicted to Greek pastries...but then again...who isn't? Thanks Nicole ;)

The girls learning a traditional Greek Dance.
Ethan enjoying the Greek music and dancers.

We also took a day trip to the Zoo. The weather has been so nice! Amanda was kind enough to let us tag along under her family zoo membership. It was another great day!

Feeding the birds, our new favorite zoo activity.

Showing off our new panda stamp "tatoos".

Walt Disney World!!!!

2010-09-27T10:34:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday big Sis! Love you Jenn!

2010-09-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

Rosebuds! Elena ran her first FULL mile!

2010-09-19T21:46:00.004-04:00

Elena ran her first mile! She ran with her team Rosebuds that raises money for Cystic Fibrosis. Her friends Cassidy and Brianna were there for the party. Brianna ran SUPER fast beating everyone in her age group AND winning a Nintendo Wii for her fundraising efforts.

After the race, Elena and Cassidy enjoyed swimming at the Hilton where Cassidy stayed the night before the race. FUN!

Elena's CF Doctor, Dr. McKean, was at the finish to give Elena her medal. What a special end to another special Rosebuds race.

At the end of the morning, the Rosebuds had raised almost $5,000! Way to go kiddos!

Hope you can join us in March for the Publix Fun Run!!!!

Sandy Creek Nature Center Homeschool Day: Wacky Weather!

2010-09-18T13:30:00.005-04:00

Elena and Ethan loved the Wacky Weather program in Athens.

They learned how to read a weather map, create their own forecast, and a lot more! Ethan's favorite part was seeing the venomous snakes at their exhibit. Nature Hike: Elena sees a rotting log and tells the trail guide that it looks like compost, followed with , "I have red wiggler worms that eat our garbage. They turn our garbage into compost that we use in our friend's garden that we are growing together." LOVE it!

Ethan was mesmerized by the eels in the giant fish tank.

Elena being Weather Girl

Learning how sun makes water hotter.

Elena is really enjoying homeschool and her siblings are really happy to have her around all day!

Atlanta History Center Homeschool Day with Abe Lincoln

2010-09-14T20:25:00.013-04:00

A week ago, Elena told Grama, "I would like to marry Abe Lincoln...except he is already married...................and he is dead." So, needless to say, Elena was VERY excited that there was an Abe Lincoln exhibit. She is quick to tell you that he is her favorite president. Here are a few pictures of the fun! Elena reciting some of Abe Lincoln 's humor. She learned how Abe used laughter to reduce stress.

PaPa joined us for the day since Abe is his favorite President, too. He taught Elena a lot about the Civil War weaponry.

Elena and Ethan learning about daguerreotype photos during the Civil war...they even got to make their own!

We couldn't take pictures inside the exhibit, but one of our favorite parts was seeing the Bible that Abe swore an Oath over when becoming President. Cool, VERY cool.

Looking forward to our next field trip...Disney World!

Remember those extra 2,000 mouths eating our garbage?

2010-09-05T18:38:00.006-04:00

Well, they have been very busy over the last 3 months! The worms really did eat our garbage and left us luscious leftovers that will help our garden grow!
We were able to use the vermicompost while starting our latest homeschooling project with friends Amanda and her daughter Lana. The girls (and Ethan) planted carrots, spinach, and broccoli while using the vermicompost which will help enrich the soil.

Thanks to Amanda for letting us use her garden space AND for giving us a tomato plant to take care of at our home. We will look forward to keeping you updated on the girls' garden success!

Mexican Soccer Knocker

2010-08-25T14:38:00.001-04:00

TOTALLY shocked that our little Mexican boy is a natural at soccer!

Mountain Fun with the Grands and Greats!

2010-08-02T14:23:00.006-04:00

Our Mountain Vacation was full of fun times with Grama, Grampa, Great Grampa, and Bev Grama

We...

went on a river hike with Daddy....

played in a tent/ tunnel , always good times...

took Glamour shots while tomato picking...

OMG...had crazy hair and cutie pie smiles...

Took a dip in a local lake. Picked Grama's tomatoes and ate more than we carried up..mmmmm

Played Peek through the tomato vines...

took a swim in the water fall...what fun! (For you Aunt Jenn: there was a caution no tres. sign...so we went AND took the kids)Talked about our dreams....We told Elena that this is what we do in Hawaii...she said, "I want to LIVE there." To which Joel and I said, "Me too!"
Hiked with Grama and Great Grama Bev...

listened to a local musician (one of David's favorites) play at a cocktail hour...

Relaxed on a blanket ...well sort of relaxed

played golf with the boys (Joel, Grampa Great Earl, and Grampa/Dad/David)

The first round Julie seemed to be hitting 7 strokes consistantly so Joel pulled out a favorite line from "O Brother Where Art Thou" and said, "Julie's a geographical oddity. She is 7 strokes from everywhere." I made it up the second round a day later.

Thanks to Susie and David for opening their home to us and letting our kids take over! It was great to spend time with family. So glad Earl and Bev could come up for so long.

Star Spangled Fun

2010-07-14T22:35:00.003-04:00

Local fireworks could be seen while sitting on our front lawn. NICE! Ethan covered his ears while smiling and yelling, "MaMaaaaaa, LOUD! MaMaaaaa!" Emily was more than happy to watch the fireworks while safe in her Daddy's lap. Elena was happy to be sitting on a pool raft, drinking cold gatorade, while waving her American Flag.

2,000 new mouths to feed in our home!

2010-05-13T11:37:00.003-04:00

We are now the proud parents of 2,000 red wiggler worms! As part of Elena's summer projects for school, we started a "worm bin" or worm composting box for our kitchen waste. The kids LOVE it! Ethan and Elena are constantly taking them out and holding them.

Elena is proud to say that worms eat her garbage! Joel says he's not happy with 2,005 mouths to feed. So funny!

The Birds and the Butterflies...

2010-04-29T18:22:00.005-04:00

We have been growing our own butterflies over the past several weeks. All four of our caterpillars became butterflies. Elena journaled it ALL! While at the park one day, a Dad told her that she needed to release a caterpillar otherwise it would die. She looked him in the eye and VERY confidently said, "No, it will not die. The caterpillar turns into a chrysalis or you can also call it a pupa, THEN it becomes a butterfly, which THEN lays an egg that when born is a caterpillar. The whole cycle starts AGAIN." She finished with a smile and walked away with her caterpillar as the Dad looked unsure of what to say next. I guess she told him! So today was the big day and we released the butterflies. VERY exciting!

Emily was mostly enjoying pulling the pretty azalea flowers off of their bushes.

Also, we have blue bird houses in our yard. We always enjoy watching the nest building process and then we love to see how many eggs are in our nest! This time we had four eggs. Today they hatched! Each child had to take their turn looking at the baby blue birds. The babies thought we were their parents coming to feed them. You can see their tiny beaks open. So cute!

Can't wait to see what fun Mother Nature has in store for us next!

Beautiful Day for a party!

2010-04-19T10:23:00.005-04:00

Siblings tried to help Emily get things started!

Many friends joined us in the sunny weather!

It was such a gorgeous day! Sunny, breezy, and full of cuteness as Emily turned ONE!

Emily Julia Turning ONE!

2010-04-12T08:01:00.002-04:00

Yup. It has been almost a year! April 21st will be one year since our Emily was born. What an exciting time the last couple years has been! Enjoy this little video showing just how plump our littliest Goodrow has gotten!

Also, we have been enjoying this weather! We had a picnic and it was a great time with the cousins! WILL was over and all three E's loved playing with WILL! He is the worlds BEST BIG BOY cousin for playing with the kids. Everytime Ethan would fall on the ground, WILL would come running over and give him a hug and then say something to make the kid laugh...it was priceless. WILL THIS SHOUT OUT IS TO YOU KID! We love time with Aunt Jenn and Will. So glad they live close.

Notice Emily smiling at her cousin Will! Ethan being silly!

Elena being sweet!

Emily standing on her own and NOW walking! Way to go big girl!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T10:43:00.002-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Notice Emily's irish eyes smiling! Thanks to Aunt Alison for providing the green attire for my kids and the shamrockin' decor for our house!

Birthday Fun

2010-03-07T07:21:00.007-05:00

Thanks to all who sent gifts to the kids, all who brought their kids over to play with Elena, those who dropped by during the week to visit (and help since Daddy was out of town) or met us at the Mall for a play date...all these things made Elena and Ethan feel extra special on their birthday. THANK YOU!!! Break time in our backyard after some serious John Deer driving.

Ethan's Mickey Birthday Party with Aunt Jenn and Cousin Will

Elena with her girl friends Cassidy and Hannah...such sweet girls!

Aunt Jenn with her favorite neices.

PaPa with ALL the kids trying to figure out how Buzz works.

Ethan's cake that he helped make himself....Let's just say that it was perfect for a 2 year old.

Snowed on Ethan's b-day, so we took a picture of kids in the snow. Elena and Ethan are wearing their new rain coats from Grama and Grampa.

Ethan helping make his cake.

Mall playb date with some friends. Andrea was the brave leader.
Emily shows Grampa her tutu.
Thanks Aunt Theresa for my new Princess outfit!

More tutu ridiculousness with Grama.

Ethan showing his new bear from Grampa Great and Bev Grama! THANK you!

Thanks to everyone for making the kids birthday's special.

Happy Birthday to the two BIG E's!

2010-03-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

6 years ago tomorrow...that is how long Daddy and I have been thankful you defeated the odds after your CF complications at birth...6 years ago tomorrow...that is how long Daddy and I have adored your eyelashes, giant smile, and large vocabulary...6 years ago tomorrow...that is how Daddy and I have loved you!

Happy Birthday to my 6 year old, piano playing, ballet/jazz dancing, homeschooling, toy sharing, cheese dip eating, medicine taking, Best Big Sisiter EVER!

2 years ago today...that is when Daddy and I jumped in the car with much anticipation as we treaked across the U.S. and made our way to meet you in Kansas...2 years ago today...that is when Daddy and I held you for the first time several hours after your were born....2 years ago today...that is when Daddy and I cried as we looked into your eyes b/c we knew you were the perfect Goodrow boy....2 years ago today...that is when Daddy and I adopted you and you were our son...2 years ago today...that is when Daddy and I knew we would love you as our own forever!

Happy Birthday to my 2 year old, crazy dancing, eatin' off the floor, wild Mexican haired, eat everything and then some, sibling hugging, food stealing (see a theme yet for this kid), most fabulous brother there is!

Enjoy the video

Hawaii Fun for Mommy and Daddy!

2010-02-06T20:58:00.002-05:00

Joel and I had a wonderful trip to Hawaii. We left the three kids in the very capable hands of Joel's Mom and Dad. Elena had her own vacation with Julie's parents for a week. Thanks to them all for caring for the kids. No easy chore, but job VERY well done.

Too many pictures to chose from so I created a video montage. Enjoy!

Ummm...WAY delayed post...Happy New Year!

2010-01-19T11:04:00.004-05:00

So, since the New Year...

Elena has gained weight and remained healthy and happy!

Ethan refuses to talk much even though he knows loads of words.

Emily is crawling and into EVERYTHING with the help of her brother.

and it sprinkled a little snow or something like that.

Enjoy the pictures!

Brotherly Love and Tree Decorating Fun

2009-12-08T07:08:00.003-05:00

A family divided...

I meant to make the post after the UGA and GT game...I am a little late! Meanwhile, GT won the ACC championship. Congrats Brian, but Joel will still harass you with witty come backs as you two talk "smack" about football. Yes,...brotherly love. There isn't anything like it!
Brothers after the GT loss of UGA...can't beat the Goodrow Men's sense of humor.

Meanwhile, back home the kids enjoy decorating the tree! This was Ethan's first time that he could actually help. He would put them on and then go back and take them off a few seconds later. Also, Elena put on the Candy canes, so you can imagine they had to be all within her reach. Later that week Ethan discovered this. Joel was sitting in his chair watching TV when Ethan came over with sticky mint face and fingers. Joel took away the cane washed his hands...a few minutes later...another cane...same process..then another...then Joel calls me, "Where is Ethan getting all these candy canes!" Ethan just looks at Daddy an with sticky grin!

Emily finally got her homemade stocking. We still can't believe that there are five stockings on our mantel...who's idea was that?

Don't mess with Texas....or Edward!

2009-11-22T18:10:00.004-05:00

A giant thanks to Bethany and her husband Tim for opening up their home to me in Texas! I had such a great time with my gal pal doing things that dorky thirty somethings do like....visit the Alamo while pretending to squash it, get hit on by a waiter since husband and kids are not present (these thirty somethings still got it...go us! )...go on a riverboat tour in San Antonio to see the sites...managed to get a proposal from the river walk while we floated by...and of course....see New Moon (the Vampire heart throb book series) TWICE in 12 hours! This was a fabulous gal outing that I'm so glad worked out. ROUND ONE
ROUND TWO

Joel's one request to Bethany was that I was returned home without two holes in my neck. At the rate we were going, I wasn't so sure that would be possible...however, I am home safe and sound with my neck as it was when I left. :)

Thanks Husband for being so tolerant of the Twilight ridiculousness!

Atlanta Traditions and Family Visits

2009-11-18T10:08:00.005-05:00

We had the joy of taking Emily to experience her first year of Christmas traditions for us in Atlanta! A trip to Lenox to see Santa and ride the Priscilla, The Pink Pig train at Macy's. Ethan did not want to sit in Santa's lap, but he did change his mind when Santa offered him food...that ALWAYS works. Emily was happy to have a beard to pull on...she loves to pull out hair from your head, your arms, and in Santa's case...his face! Elena gave a mini speech about what she wanted for Christmas and why.

The Pink Pig Train was an adventure! We waited for three hours while they "took Priscilla to the vet"... We finally got on to ride and that made everyone's day. It was a joy to watch Elena with some of her friends! Thanks to the Mom's who made the trip downtown!

Joel's Grampa and his wife came to visit us for the day. They were thrilled to see all the kids again. Grampa Earl spent time coaching Ethan in the game of Golf. Bev Grama spent time playing "ballet" with Elena. Emily was just happy to be held by both! It was a great visit with perfect weather to enjoy the outdoors. Thanks Bev and Earl for the adorable gifts for the kiddos. The fluffy dog is still a big hit amongst ALL 3!

Go DAWGS! Ethan says, "Woof woof woof"!

2009-11-08T08:38:00.006-05:00

Our Tailgate! Hiking the ball so he can throw it to Daddy.

Ethan was most excited about Hairy Dawg and UGA VII. He would point at them and say, "Woof, Woof, Woof" while shaking his right fist in the air! Touchdowns were just as exciting! Ethan clapped along with everyone else. What got the most laughs from all around was when they played rap music and Ethan turned his hat backwards, put his hands in the air, and started shaking his booty....VERY funny.Meanwhile, our girly girl was playing Nintendo DS. She was more interested in socializing with the young kids around us then watching the game. SUCH a girl!

In other exciting news, Ethan is actually starting to talk! He says, "Yes" at the appropriate time, "Go Dawgs" (is there ever an inappropriate time to say this?) "Fork" (the kids LOVES to eat) and "Jeep".

Emily is cooing non-stop and still smiling at anything and everything.

Elena now weighs 42.4! She is so excited about going to Stone Mountain to do the Sky Hike as her reward.

Life is Good at the Goodrows!

Ghastly Goodrow's HalloWEEEENNNNN!

2009-11-01T13:01:00.007-05:00

All the kiddos...as Andrea said, "that is one giant pile of kiddos!" This was most of the kids at our home for our annual Halloween and Trick or Treat party. The rainy weather made for a short outing, but still there was loads of fun to be had.

We had a large amount of people in the house...it was SHENANIGANS! We loved every minute.

Scary dragon with the the Princess and her Knight in shining armor. Logan was "breathing" spit up instead of fire...either way it was still scary:)

Grandparents with their Grand kids...doesn't get much cuter.

Julie's parents surprised them when they were able to stop by on their way home from visiting Great Grandma in Florida! Nana put the tired Pumpkin to sleep while PaPa took Ethan trick or treating SEVERAL times! Ethan kept looking in his pumpkin and saying "WHOOAAA!" at all his candy.

Ethan, what does a pirate say? "ARggghhhhhhHHHHH"Pink Ladies fun with my girls!

My "Twilight" Pumpkin...Edward and Bella.
Our little sweet Pumpkin.

On Friday night we went to a neighborhood party for kids...The kids had a fabulous time! Thanks to Chris and Mary for being wonderful hosts. Daddy was Sponge Bob or "bob bob" as Ethan calls him, Ethan was "Ethan the Kid Cowboy", Elena was Dorothy, Emily was Pooh, and Mommy was Hermione from Harry Potter...we were quite an eclectic group.

Bunny Foo Foo

In School, Elena learned about El Dio De Los Muertos. She had so much fun making Sugar Skulls, and finding pictures of our family that is in Heaven with Jesus. It was a fun Holiday activity.

Emily in costume number 4!

Bunny Foo Foo and her brother Frankenstein.

After our own Family friendly party and Trick or Treat fun, we changed costumes again to crawl across the street to our neighbors for the 80s Zombie Prom...it was SO much fun. Thanks to Mike and Shari for being great hosts!

Woke up Sunday morning and was honored to run by Jason and Andrea's side in memory of Dan, Jason's dad at the MMRF race. Thanks to all of you who contributed towards the cause!

Doctor Visit

2009-10-08T09:05:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Elena's first visit at the new CF doctor office. Please visit www.elenacfupdate.blogspot.com for details.

So much for Safety Locks!

2009-10-06T08:35:00.001-04:00

Check out the dimples...

2009-09-28T14:08:00.002-04:00

...On my kids!

Now that I am done showing them off, I would like to thank you all for the Birthday wishes. It was a fabulous weekend! I enjoyed time with family, time with the Bulldawgs (GOOOO Dawgs), time with friends, a few too many beers (but they were SOOO good compliments of Bartenders Joel and Jason...thanks boys!), a shopping spree, time with the kids, time without the kids, and quiet snuggly time on the couch as a family. It was a most perfect birthday.

A special thanks to my sister, Jenn, for watching the girls on game day. They enjoyed an afternoon and evening of Tailgaiting, Tiaras, and Wings (no not chicken wings, but costume Fairy wings!) Jenn told me of the numerous theatrical presentations that Elena did. There will be a video of one of them to follow.

Also, Anne, watched Ethan. Ethan enjoyed the time alone with his Aunt, and cousin. It was a special bonus when his Uncle came home early! Thanks Anne and Brent!

On Sunday, Gram surprised me with a yummy birthday cake when we came by to attend Mass with her at her apartment. Thanks Gram! You can view pictures on Anne's blog. THEN, Susie and David appeared at Mass and ate brunch with us too! It was a great surprise!

So, there you have it...

Happy 9th Anniversary to us!

2009-09-16T07:00:00.002-04:00

Today is Joel and I's 9th Anniversary. Sounds hokey...put just like Brad Paisley sings, "I thought I loved you then" that was only the beginning! Thanks Joel for many wonderful years. You are a good man, daddy, and husband. I am very blessed that after all these years you still tell me I'm hot...I am the luckiest gal with you in my life. :)

Whoa!

2009-09-08T10:47:00.003-04:00

Ethan's new favorite word is, "whoa". He says it all the time and about anything that is exciting to him: firetrucks, jeeps, golf on TV, football on TV, his baby sister's burbs, his big sister's farts...you know...boy stuff!

In other news, we were able to enjoy an afternoon out in good company last week. We attended a concert in the park with some good friends and one of their four kids. Elena loves anytime with Anna!

Isn't it lovely to spend the day relaxing with your family? That is how we spent Labor Day. The best part was watching Ethan clamor up his Daddy's leg so he could join in on the fun with his baby sister...any guesses at to what they were watching???? Why GOLF of course:)

Half Birthdays and Homeschool Fun!

2009-09-02T20:38:00.011-04:00

Since this week is the "half" birthday for Elena and Ethan, we did a height and weight check and thought you'd be interested in the results!

On a funny note, we weighed Emily at four months and went back to check the other kids at the same age.

Elena was 13 lbs,

Big Boy was 19 lbs, and

Emily is 15 lbs .

Look at that chunky leg....just want to moosh it!

At 5 1/2, Elena is still 50th percentile of weight (41-42 lbs) and 75th percentile in height (44 inches). Her height has maintained well, but we know that her weight can easily turn into a serious problem with just a modest weight loss. Keep up the good fight! We've finally been able to start her on a special "milkshake" regimen that we hope will make a big difference this year.

At 18 months, Ethan is 75th percentile of weight (28-29 lbs) and 85th percentile in height (33-34 inches). His height has maintained the same percentile since birth. His weight used to be off the charts, but has come down to 75th which is pretty obvious when you look at his "thinned out" walking, running, and climbing body! His large size is still quite the mystery when we consider his birth mother and birth father's stats. You never can tell!

Emily starting eating cereal today. She was not all that excited about it at first, but she got the hang of it. Ethan was looking on in the back ground as if to say..."Hey, can I have her leftovers?"

Homeschooling has been so much fun for ALL of us. Elena has memorized three poems, several prayers, read several DOZEN books and answered questions on them, practiced her math, practiced her penmanship (which is MUCH improved), and we have finished reading Charlotte's Web just yesterday (she didn't cry, but I did...the end gets me every time). One of our projects was to grow sprouts! So Elena is pictured here with her egg crate caterpillar FULL of bean sprouts. Ethan was more excited than Elena when he saw the first sprout.

Have a blessed and fun filled holiday weekend!

Hugs, facepaint, water fountains, rainbows...and Giggles! OH MY!

2009-08-20T15:17:00.008-04:00

We went to Gram's place (Joel's Grama) for Mass and brunch. Ethan was mostly fascinated by the outdoor fountain (one of MANY at her fancy apartment). We had a great time and the kids were on their best behavior. Elena was excited that Gram was participating in the Mass...it was like seeing someone famous!

The rainbow over our neighborhood was fabulous! I love how homeschool lessons are molded by events that happen through out our day!
Elena got a face painting book from Uncle Gary and Aunt Beth...so Mommy has had to paint Elena's face once in awhile. This was the request this week....flutter face! Emily is getting So strong! She holds her head up like a pro...
She's gotta stay strong with big brother around! He is so sweet with his "aggresive love" that is usually sandwiched with kisses. He can't resist!
Elena is loving her keyboard typing games! I figured she needed to learn how to type correctly since she is on the computer so much already...never too young!

Emily starting laughing a bit a few weeks ago...but today we got out first REAL laugh while playing with big sister.

We are so blessed to be surrounded by the noise of three adorable kids. Need I remind all that God rocks?!

More School Fun...and a Lake Break!

2009-08-11T13:23:00.007-04:00

We had the great pleasure of spending the weekend with Julie's family. It was family reunion from her Mom's side of the family. We spend the weekend with all of our cousins, Aunts and Uncles, and our Grandaddy. It was truly a fabulous time! Aunt Cindy and Uncle Thad were the gracious hosts. They opened up their lake home to all 22 of us! We enjoyed boat rides, jet-ski speed, bumpy inner tube insanity (even Elena got to try this...for those of you wondering about the pseudomonis...we were able to keep her away from the water b/c of the special kind of tube my Aunt had AND we covered her with hand sanitizer immediately after she got off AND we made her shower as soon as she was done)...we also got some great family laughs in, yummy "Midnight" dinners, and most precious of all was a chance for Grandaddy to finally meet his two newest Great-Grandchildren; Ethan and his deceased wife's namesake (Julie's Grandmother), Emily Julia.
Too many pictures to post, so enjoy the short video of the Williams Family Reunion!

A giant thanks to Uncle Gary and Aunt Beth for bringing Grandaddy down from Virginia for the visit. It was a lot of work and you and your family are true saints for all you do!

Also...of course Uncle Thad and Aunt Cindy for all the hard work and energy of hosting! Brandon for being an awesome tour guide on jet ski and boat!

For those of you who requested more pictures of Elena's "classroom"...here you go! I have also attached a video of Elena's piano and music practice...but the best is Daddy and his magic trick. SO cute.

First Day of Kindergarten!!!!!

2009-08-03T07:07:00.007-04:00

Elena was SO excited about her first day of Kindergarten. It was a busy day full of lots of learning.

She also had her first piano lesson with family friend AND newlywed, Patti.
Then it was off to her second year of ballet. We are trying a new location this year.

Elena is such a big girl!

Joel and I were commenting on how we can totally see how Moms and Dads cry when they see their kids off to school that first day. They still seem SO small and unprepared. Fortunately, we do not have to go through that!

Go Fly a Kite!

2009-07-29T15:16:00.003-04:00

No really...it is the perfect day for it!

Unsuspecting Emily getting aggressive love from her brother.

Growing Babies!

2009-07-22T07:42:00.012-04:00

Ethan and Emily decided to grow up on us! Emily is now three months old and still seems so tiny, but her fat rolls are multiplying. She had her first trip to the pool. Big sister was glad to share her favorite activity with her baby sister. Emily enjoyed the water. Ethan is now 16 months old. He doesn't talk much, but he understands everything you tell him. His favorite thing is to "help" Daddy mow the yard. When he hears Daddy mowing, he runs to the garage door, knocks on it until you let him out, gets his bubble maker lawnmower and runs to catch up with Daddy.

In other "growing babies" news...Ethan decided to climb out of his crib at bed time, fall on his head, and cry about it. So, we put him in his big boy cowboy room! He was so excited that he could hardly get to sleep! He snuggled up with his Woody Cowboy doll. His second night in hi big boy bed, he took everything off the shelves over his bed, tried to throw the baseball from his birth parents across his room, pulled the string on the Woody doll over and over so he would talk, and THEN he DRANK ALL of the Holy Water from his baptism day! At that point, he was TOO full of the Holy Spirit to fall asleep.Emily didn't mind her new bed at all. She fell asleep instantly and enjoyed sleeping thru the night in her own bed. Little Angel!
Also, we have had loads of slip and slide fun. All you in your 30 somethings...remember how fun those were? Andrea, myself, and Amanda are definately enjoying reminiscing and being kids again with our kids!

My nephew, Will convinced Andrea and I to race on the slip and slide. Andrea kicked my butt!

Go Andrea go!

Like mother like daughter or vis-a-versa...
"bubbles" by David...I asked for a smile and this is what I got...actually...I like it!

Thirsty boys?

Bob the builder at Andrea's house!

A fun summer continues. How do you like our new camera? Pictures are turning out great!

Disney Cruise on the high seas!

2009-07-15T07:50:00.010-04:00

I still don't have my camera replacement, but I was fortunate that my parents and sister let us copy their pictures after the trip. We are getting our camera in the mail any day! I can't wait!

Here we are prior to boarding the ship. Everyone was filled with excited anticipation. The kids had already gathered 2 signatures in their signature books.

Once we were on board, we went straight to changing into our swimsuits at the earliest possible moment! The kids and PaPa went to the slide. Elena is so brave now, she goes down slides all by herself. The confidence of being able to swim has changed her.Once we cleaned up for dinner, Elena was determined to find Cinderella....Ethan was determined to find chocolate...and PaPa joined the Lost Boys with Peter Pan!The next day we were at Nassau in the Bahamas. Nana and PaPa stayed on the ship with the kids. The parents went off to play on a small island that was breathtaking! We had the entire beach to ourselves! There were loads of other people that went to the same island, but no one ventured over to the back side of the island. Lucky for us!
Joel and Julie did some snorkeling while Jenn tried to explain to the staff why we were swimming in "Do not Swim Areas". Fortunate for us that Jenn is very good with words.

When we boarded the ship it was time to get ready for the Pirate Party! Captain Jack was on board. The guy was hilarious! He asked Elena what she was the princess of...she was too embarrassed to talk. So he called her the "Princess of nothing". While standing for pictures he would sway as if drunk on rum. He had Johnny Depp's interpretation of Jack down to an art!Even Ethan got into the Pirate spirit.

How do Pirates know they are Pirates?

Because they ARGGHHHH!

Our next port was the private Disney Island called Castaway Cay. You could see the Flying Dutchman prop from the movies as we were pulling into port.

The water was incredible! Everyone was at their happiest here in the sun and crystal water.

Elena was enjoying swimming underwater at the beach...this was a first.

Not every kid can say their Pumpkin Passy has been to the Bahamas. He was sucking salt water thru this thing. We couldn't get it away, but we were on vacation so we were all allowed to indulge in a few bad habits. :)

Elena and Daddy build their "E" castle.

Ethan was so happy to have another boy to play with. He was constantly hugging and attacking Will the entire cruise.

The kids did a lot of pin trading with cruise staff. This was great fun. I think that Nana and PaPa did more pin buying for the kids than the kids did pin trading. What lucky kids they are!Aunt Jenn took the two oldest for a pizza snack. While they were out, Elena noticed this sign and asked, "Jenn, what is Freshly Appled Steak Oil"? How cute is that! Then the two cousins proceeded to argue over what the sign said.After crying about being SOOO hot, Elena plopped down on the stairs and gave Aunt Jenn this pose. This was of course after Jenn asked her to put her dress top back on.A Daddy daughter moment.Thanks Nana and PaPa for a fabulous trip. We all had so much fun and can't wait for our next Disney adventure!

Beach Bum and Bummer

2009-06-16T14:27:00.003-04:00

Joel had a business convention to attend in Naples, FL with one of his co-workers. So, we took the opportunity to go down as a family. Joel was in Naples while the rest of us and David (Joel's Dad) stayed at Earl and Bev's house (Joel's grandparents). We had a great time being beach bums everyday. The boys played golf in the morning and then would join us for beach time and dinner later.

We also had the pleasure of a fabulous evening at Demetri and Patricia's home. They are good friends of Earls. They spoiled us with great beer, wine, food, and play time in the pool. We were even treated to a show by the kids! Patricia's brother was visiting with his three and Elena and Ethan were invited to participate.

I had loads of help with the kids while Joel was in Naples. David would take crying kids in the middle of the night and help with loading up kids and cargo for beach outings. He also helped keep an eye on the two mobile ones while at the beach.

Bev was outstanding with her help with Emily! We were able to focus on the big kids while we played at the beach.

At the end of the trip, Earl gave Elena two giant Conch shells to bring home with her. Prior to that, her shell collection consisted of broken pieces of every possible variety of shell. Very cute! Once we got home, she separated them into categories.

The "bummer" part of the trip was when Joel's wallet and BRAND NEW IPod was stolen. the IPod was a b-day gift for Joel. We had it for less than a week. Oh well!

The dummies who stole from us couldn't steal the joy that the trip to the beach gave us all!

Hope you enjoyed the video.

Happy 31st Birthday Daddy!

2009-06-05T04:33:00.002-04:00

Baptisms, Graduations, & Smiles...OH MY!

2009-06-02T05:20:00.004-04:00

We had a giant crowd at the church to witness and celebrate Emily's baptism. It was wonderful to have such support from our long time friends and fabulous family. Thank you to all who were there. We enjoyed celebrating with you and your family.

Here she is getting the sacrament of baptism...just awesome! It gets me crying everytime!

Here we are with the Godparents, Kevin and Jes, as well as the "God siblings" as we affectionately like to call them since we are Lily's Godparents, as well.
We got the smile on camera. You would smile too if you were just baptized and free of original sin! She is like a little doll baby!

I went to put on my dress on Sunday morning for the baptism, walked downstairs to leave and felt a heavy thud against my leg with every step. I looked down and saw...DARN IT...the security tag was still on. Joel pulled out his vice grips and went to work. He watched some videos on Youtube on how to remove a security tag. The only thing that would work was just the good ole fashion "destruction/ mutilation" technique. Yes, I did pay for the dress. Just ask Andrea, she was there!

Emily enjoyed her night time story with her Big sister. When Elena finished reading, she looked at Emily and said, "Do you love your big sister?" Emily gave her a giant smile! So sweet.

Ethan sat in Aunt Jenn's lap at most of the party at Aunt Cindy's house. He gave her LOTS of smiles. You may be able to see that his hair is in a Faux hawk style. This was the first time we actually did this and got it to stay. He is mostly Hispanic so his hair is extremely course and sticks straight up all over. The average white male hair care product was not even thinking about holding his hair down. So, I asked a young Hispanic boy what he puts in his hair to keep in it in his hair style. He told me I had to go to a Mexican grocery store and get Muca de Gorilla. He explained that it was in a bottle with a gorilla on it that had green snot coming out of his nose...nice! So, I went to a Mexican grocery store, got the gorilla snot, and it WORKS! Thanks kid! You were right.

My cousin Lindsey with her ADORABLE boyfriend! We were at her parent's house to celebrate her graduation from Emory. She is going to continue in school to become a doctor. We are SO very proud of her.

Also, her youngest brother, Brandon, graduated from high school. He is going to Georgia State. Way to go Cousin! Everyone enjoyed holding Emily. She was on her best behavior.

Congrats graduates! Congrats Emily! Yay for smiles!

My Mom's Retirement Party!

2009-05-21T21:53:00.003-04:00

My Mom is now officially retired from Elementary Education. So what does Elena ask her to do when she came to our home after the party? "Hey Nana, let's play school. You play the teacher, I'll play the student." It was a fabulous party that was hosted for three retirees, my mom being one of them. We are all so very excited for her. She had friends their from as early as her very first day she EVER taught (that friend is Sarah Gail, my God mom...VERY special to see her there.) My Mom is a spectacular teacher and Elena looks forward to her help with school.

We were able to get a decent photo of all of Nana's Grandkids together. This was probably the greatest gift...they were all looking the same direction.

In other news, you may remember that Ethan loves to hold his new baby sister. He stands over her, screeches while stretching his arms into the air. This means that he wants to hold her. When you ask him if wants to hold baby Emily, he vigorously shakes his head. Yesterday he insisted on feeding her. This was an accomplishment considering that he usually holds her long enough to hug her and then push her away. It was such a sweet moment.

BUUUSSSYYY Weekend!

2009-05-17T18:41:00.005-04:00

Saturday morning we were up early for the Great Strides walk. Visit Elena's blog for the update on that event.

We had to leave early from Great Strides to make it to Elena's ballet recital on time. Elena was simply lovely in the recital. She danced to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". She was VERY animated. Those of you who have met her in person, would know to expect nothing less.

Also, there was a neighborhood garage sale on Saturday. Our MOST AWESOME neighbors, Mike and Shari, helped us out by adding our items to theirs, selling them, AND watching Ethan (14 months old) and Emily (3 weeks old) while we were at the festivities on Saturday. BOY...do we owe them BIG!

Sunday morning we were up early again...this time for the baptism of our nephew and Godson, Logan! It was an incredible Mass and we enjoyed being a part of this magnificent event. After the ceremony, we went to Anne and Brent's house for a delicious lunch. Sunday night...we spent in recovery!

We love our God children! God bless Joel's Godson, Joseph; our Godson Wesley; our God Daughter Lily; our newest Godson, Logan. We feel so blessed to provide spiritual guidance and support to these children of God. What a VERY special job.

Busy week and weekend with THREE!!!!

2009-05-12T17:52:00.005-04:00

So, it has been busy, hectic, and truly fabulous to have a house full of three adorable kids! Here are several pictures to display the numerous events of this past week/weekend. Elena simply adores her new baby sister. She insists on feeding her, changing her, bathing her, and holding her constantly! She is a giant help and an awesome sister to both of her siblings.

As a treat after Emily's first doctor visit, we went to Long John Silvers (Elena's favorite). Elena enjoyed eating the breading off the popcorn shrimp. Ethan would then take the shrimp off her plate when she wasn't' looking. Ethan also enjoyed stealing the salmon off of Mommy's plate. The kid loves to eat! Emily slept through out the entire meal.

We have been enjoying the pirate ship pool that Aunt Cindy gave the kids for their birthdays.

Ethan thought this was great fun...as long as we was standing in the water and not sitting in it.

Emily, once again, slept thru all the fun.

The next day, we had loads of fun with David, Wesley, Drew, Natalie, Lana, and all their Mommy's. The kids enjoyed "attacking" each other with bubbles. Very funny to watch.

Elena had her last ballet class before her recital. She was VERY excited to take her new baby sister to show off. Elena had picked out this outfit for Emily with Grama. It is really ridiculously cute. A newborn in a tutu!!

Emily's Godparents came over for dinner one night. It was great fun to squeeze on OUR God daughter, Lily. She is SO big and SO adorable with her giant blue eyes!

Mother's Day was full of Mothers! We went to Gram's new apartment and enjoyed Mass (a Priest lives there) and then had a fabulous brunch in the dining room.

Followed with time in the courtyard watching the kids play croquet with their Daddy, Uncles, and Grandparents.

Aunt Anne is now nourishing TWO babies! She not only breastfeeds her son...but she is now pumping and giving the excess to her niece, Emily! Rock on Aunt Anne!

We also visited the pool. Ethan was just fine on the stairs. He didn't dare venture in past his waist. It was TOO cold. Elena, however, was swimming from one side of the pool to the other. Her lips were blue, but she was smiling the entire time!

Lastly, today we went to the park with Aunt Anne and her friend Danielle. This was my first time attempting to walk with all three. Went pretty well! Emily slept in the baby bojourn while Elena attempted to keep Ethan from throwing things overboard. It must have been a sight to onlookers.

It was a fun-filled week that continues to remind me of my numerous blessings that I have in my family.

At home At last!

2009-05-07T06:23:00.002-04:00

The kids were SO excited to see their new baby sister. We were SO glad to be home! Everything went smoothly on court day. We made a stop by Graceland on our way home to break up the trip. We made it home in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with our Mexican boy!

Elena was singing "Skip to my Lou" for us when we got home. She made up two verses: "Elena, Ethan, Emily three" but our favorite verse was "Princess, Cowboy, Indian, too" because we call Elena our Princess, Ethan our Mexican Cowboy, and Emily is part Native American...so of course she is the Indian Princess in the house now.

Ethan LOVES to hold Emily. We continually remind him that he has to "be sweet" with Emily. He leans into her face to hug her (sometimes becomes a head butt). When you ask him if he wants to hold Emily he will throw both his arms in the arm and squeal with a giant smile on his fave. He is such a sweet lovey boy.
The Grandparents were relieved of there child watching duties of which we are MOST blessed to have had available. A giant thanks to Grama and Grampa (Susie and David) for watching the kids for 13 days!!! Also, Nana and Papa (Larry and Linda) for keeping the kids the rest of the time. Of course, they were all delighted to watch them and the kids had a wonderful time.

Elena immediately went into mother mode and has not slowed down yet! She has been holding Emily, feeding her, bathing her, changing her, picking out her clothes, emptying the dishwasher, helping feed Ethan...all with out even asking her to. She is SO adorable with her little siblings. She couldn't be happier to have a baby sister. She calls Emily her little Doll baby.

Arkansas Archives Part 5 (Yes, we have been here so LONG that it requires a 5 part series)

2009-05-03T14:58:00.003-04:00

FINALLY...the time has come for us to pack our bags, load up the car, and go to court! The court hearing is Monday morning. After that, we are making the drive home. We should be home on Tuesday May 5th by lunch time at the latest. WE CAN'T WAIT!!! Give us a call and stop by whenever you can. We look forward to the visitors!

Meanwhile, we have been entertaining ourselves by visiting Hot Springs, AR. Neat little town. I thought it would be neat to experience the Hot Springs bath/massage package. I was unaware that the bath package included an actual bath..in a tub...with a bath assistant...cleaning you with a loofah....ummmmm...just a little uncomfortable since you are wearing what the good Lord gave you. I laughed my rear off envisioning Joel getting bathed with a loofah by his bath assistant. I guess he knew better b/c he waited to go second after I shared my opinion. I could have encouraged him to go b/c it was so great, but I could have NEVER done this with a straight face. I gave the bath house one thumb up and one thumb down: bath-bad; massage-good. I'm still a little weirded out by the whole experience.

We also were able to visit Matt and Becky's Aunt and Uncle in Little Rock. Chris and Denis were kind enough to have us over for dinner. It was so nice to sit down in someones home and have a home cooked meal...much different from a Hampton Inn. Thanks Becky for helping to coordinate this. By the way, your cousin Chase just adored Emily. It was WAY cute.

On Saturday we spent most of the day watching movies. We did a double feature. Emily is ten days old and has already been to 5 movies. She likes the theater.

In other awesome news, we asked Kevin and Jes McCarron to be Emily's God parents! They said yes. We asked them over the phone b/c we are trying to plan the baptism for the last weekend in May. Had to make sure the God Parents could be there! So looking forward to sharing this day with all of you.

Joel is watching Golf with Emily and we are counting down the hours until we can leave. I think that the fact we are close to another SEC rivalry is really starting to get under our skin. Hog stuff is EVERYWHERE!

See you all soon!

Archives from Arkansas Part 4!!!!

2009-04-29T10:29:00.008-04:00

Emily has been a BUSY girl. She turned one week old yesterday. We took her into downtown Little Rock to celebrate.

We started the celebration with an educational visit to the Clinton Library. I know this may seem as a shocker to many of you! Joel DID say he felt "dirty" being there. It was interesting at times. Hard not to laugh at some of the things Clinton would say on his audio guided tour about honesty, importance of life, yadda yadda yadda...

Then we went to the River Market/ River walk where we enjoyed an ethnic lunch (great falafel).

We found this awesome Native American wood carving. Of course, this was the perfect photo opp. for Emily since she has Choctaw and Cherokee Indian Heritage.

Then we ventured over the Big Dam Bridge. It is a pedestrian only bridge that crosses over the Arkansas River Dam. It is a BIG Dam bridge FOR Real!

Here is Emily in the Premie clothes that once were Elena's. Elena folded them and Grama mailed them to us. I honestly didn't think we would have such a tiny baby! I only packed a few premie clothes.
So tiny that Daddy's ring fit loosley over her two little "popcorn shrimp" fingers!

We ended the evening as we do every night: a video conference with Elena and Ethan. This makes being away from our other two kids a little easier.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and the update!

Archives from Arkansas Part 3

2009-04-24T08:16:00.012-04:00

Here's Emily's outfit leaving the hospital. Notice her adorable bird legs and the pacy that is almost as big as her head!

Another Georgia Bulldawg cheerleader for the Goodrow Gang! Go Dawgs!

Joel said her feet were tiny and precious, but looked like they belonged to an iguana...(very peely and wrinkly)...

It has been a GREAT two days! We are thrilled that we were able to bring Emily to the hotel yesterday. SO nice to leave the hospital. Many of you got our text that we were leaving and we couldn't wait to get away from the "special" nurses. We got one text back that said, 'Icing on the cake would be the nurses making you leave in a wheel chair." Well....that is exactly what they did! We explained and reminded everyone that I did NOT birth a baby. We were adopting a baby. WAY funny. I had an 87 year old woman pushing me unnecessarily in a wheelchair. I should have been pushing her! It would have been safer. She knocked me into two door frames. They wouldn't even let me get out of the wheelchair without Joel's help...SERIOUSLY!

Today we took Emily on her first outing. Of course, this is a VERY important place to go as soon as you are born...a brewery! Everyone should know how beer is made! She was a very good girl. We drank some different beer from the tap and Emily had her milk from a bottle. Sorry Miss. Emily, Mommy's tap is dry.

Elena...this video is for you BIG SISTER! We thought you would enjoy seeing how your baby sister eats, sleeps, yawns, and cries. Sorry it is taking us SO long to bring her home to you. Until then, enjoy this video. Mommy and Daddy love and miss you and your brother SO much!