The boy LOVES his books! It is so great to hear him ask us to read to him. Makes my teacher (and mommy!) heart happy! I hope that he continues to love books and reading. Some of his favorite books are ones about cars, tractors, trucks... pretty much anything with wheels! He also loves the books that I picked up in the $1 bin at Target - they have lift up flaps and have numbers, colors and shapes in them. Learning starts early! He can ALMOST count to 10! Such a genius!!






And to go with the whole learning theme - he now loves to lug around this toy. It is a Winnie the Pooh toy that I got, who knows where but it has shapes, colors and numbers on it as well as a mini piano. On the side of it is a phone that he pretends to call people on. He is a riot when he gets that thing to his ear and all we hear is "Hello? Yes.. yes. Ha!Ha! Bye, bye." He is too much!

Go Dawgs!!

Last weekend the Georgia Dawgs played and we of course watched the game. Abraham sat for a pretty long time with Michael and every time they showed Ugga he said "puppy". He actually did pretty good saying Ugga!



Half time Play Break



Even though the Dawgs didn't win, there were still smiles in our home!

Boys Playing

So the other day, I'm making dinner and I hear all this squealing coming from the bedroom. It goes on for about 10 minutes before I stuck my head in the room to check out what was going on. There I find my 2 men playing on the "Big Bed". Michael is bouncing the ball off of his head and Abraham is getting all tickled by it that he is belly laughing. I hear Abraham saying "owie" to Michael and pointing to his head. I think we must talk about Abraham's owie on his head too much! He was very intent on Michael's forehead and making sure that he was ok. It was just too cute!

There is no better sound and sight then my men playing together and laughing at each other! I love it!

I LOVE THE RIVER!

We took Abraham to the Gunpowder River in the State Park nearby. This is one of Abe's favorite places to go (and ours!). If we let him, he'd stay in the water all day long. He doesn't care about being wet in the least. Finding rocks with daddy and throwing them back into the river keeps him occupied for long periods of time. I just love watching his face as he gets all excited with his finds. When we get a house, I sure hope it is close to water!!


I love time with Momma!

Being WET is fun!














I can find GREAT treasures in here!

Do we have to leave?? I was just getting started!
















Daddy finds the coolest rocks!

I Love Kenny Chesney!!

Last Sunday Mom, Kari and I had a girls night out... with Kenny Chesney!! Kenny was playing at Merriweather Post Pavillion and Kari had found some lawn tickets for a decent price 2 weeks prior. We kept looking and looking and finally mom decided that she didn't want to sit on a blanket for a few hours. So mom bought us all SEATS for the concert. We thanked my Nanny later who helped us to buy them. We had a fantastic time together enjoying some good ol' down home country music!!



These are the seats we would have been sitting in had my wonderful momma not bought us seats. We sat in the very back but the seats were pretty good. I'm not sure there is a bad seat in the Pavillion. They had huge screens to watch - good thing cause seeing the stage was a bit hard... especially when the entire row of people in front of us were wearing cowboy hats!! Those suckers are hard to see around or over if you are short like we are :)




Sugarland opened for Kenny and they were great too! They are another of my favorite country groups. Such fun and Jennifer Nettles has such energy!!

The man of the night was incredible! He is so down to earth and his songs are songs that kids could listen to - CLEAN! He is an incredible performer and entertainer... sang for 1 1/2 hours straight. We were sorry when he was done cause we wanted MORE!! I'd definately go back his concerts again.

War Wounds are Cool!! :)

Showing off his "owie"!

Momma and her tough boy


Proud of his war wounds!


Yea so we (mom and Kari mostly) had a little fun today - and I say "fun" with all the sarcasm in the world! Our little man took a tumble off of mom's couch and banged his head on the coffee table. He got a gash that needed 3-5 stitches. Poor thing! But he was a trooper during it all and now has his first war wounds to prove how tough he is!! Mimi, on the other hand, looked like she could have used a stiff drink after the day was done... Kari too! My poor family - what would I do without them!!?? They were great in the face of adversity - cool, calm and collected. Way to go guys!!

Play Time with Daddy

Diggin' in the sand is a boy's dream!!


Hot slides are NOT fun!


Ride 'em cowboy!


Even BIG boys like playgrounds ;)


A boy and his daddy - best buds!


One night this week, we took Abraham to the playground after dinner to have some family/daddy time. School starts soon and we may not be able to do it as much so we are squeezing in all the play time we can. As you can tell it was a hit. It's so fun to watch him run all around and take it all in... even more fun to watch my 2 boys playing together. There is no where in the world I'd rather be than with my men!

So D-day has arrived. I start back to school tomorrow.. summer is officially over :(
That sounds so depressing I know ! But really, I think that I'm finally ready to get back to the routine and schedule of school. The only thing that I always hate is leaving Abraham. Harder still, our favorite day care provider decided she needed to spend time with her little girl and is not doing day care this year. We are very sad about this because we loved her but it meant that we had to find a new day care provider to watch Abraham. It was a complete God thing, and I mean COMPLETELY - but we have found another day care provider that I feel really good about. She is a parent of a student I had 2 yrs ago and I absolutely loved them then. Abraham and I visited her home this week and within 15 minutes of being there he was playing and laughing with the other kids. He will be just fine with Miss Shellie!

I'm a bit nervous about this year. Lots of firsts for me... I will have a student intern from the local university, I'm still in the process of taking my Masters, and I might be taking a class from the county. But I'm sure that it will all work out just fine. I have a great support system who always encourage me and push me. I'll be ok!

Thanks for your prayers as I start this new year in my "mission field". I have the privilege of teaching these little lives and impacting them. What an honor and a responsibility that is. I pray that I am able to be the teacher, cheerleader and role model they need.

Ok, my true love shows thru... how embarassing! :)

Abraham in his big boy shoes!


Aren't they the cutest things??!!


This is now his favorite thing to do - climb on the chair and then on to the desk to try to "help" me use the computer!

I'm guilty. I admit it. I have a serious addiction to... SHOES!! Not only for me, but for the boy as well. So, last week we realized that Abraham needed new shoes. I mean the kid is really growing and his foot is bigger than I realized. We kept shoving his feet into size 4 shoes but in reality he needed to be in 5's. He had these too cute Vans with green snakes all over them that I absolutely hated to not be able to put on him... selfish I know! Anyhow, long story short we traded in the blue Airwalks for black ones with a pirate on them! And got these New Balance. I look at him in them and tear up - he looks like such a little man! My baby is growing up! I know, I know.. get a grip Erinn! They are just shoes! Good grief...

Can't believe I'm posting this but I felt it would be good to admit my weakness :)

No. I'M it!!!!

My wonderful bloggy friend, Mel from Life is Like a Box of Chocolates, has therefore tagged me for my first meme. I didn't even know what the heck a meme was until I started blogging and reading Mel's blog!! So here we go... I believe my topic is the top 3 things I'm grateful for. I refuse to tell you that I'm grateful for the "normal" things - you know, family, friends, la la la! I'm going to step OUT of the box for this one..

I'm grateful for:

1. Chick-fil-a restaurants. If I have to eat fast food, I'd so rather eat here than anywhere in the entire world!! I don't know if it has to do with the fact that I worked there when I was a teenager - maybe I developed an addiction then? I don't know. But I love me some Chick-fil-a!

2. Shoes - all kinds of shoes - heels, flip-flops, sneakers, slippers. You name them I love them. I have an affinity for shoes. Ask my parents and my hubby about my shoe problem. Hubby can't understand why I have "summer" shoes and "winter" shoes!! MEN!! I don't believe that anyone (mainly me!) can have too many shoes!

3. Strawberry Cheesecake - especially if it is made by the Amish people of PA. This is typically my ONE b-day wish every year. And typically I get it every year, except this year I didn't get it. So I figure my momma owes me BIG TIME!! :)

4. My Honda Element - I know this is #4 but I had to put it in. I love my car! Just got it in March and I don't know how I lived without it. See the best part about it is the vinyl floors that I can just wipe clean when my sweet but messy son makes his messes. I could even hose it out if I really wanted! and the doors allow for getting him in easily - and it has TONS of room - and I can carry 3 strollers, not that I need that many but I could if I needed to!!


Ok that is all for me here. Am I supposed to tag someone else?? Guess I'll have to ask about the rules and add to this later! :)

Happy Anniversary Baby!

This past Saturday Michael and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. We had a very low-key day, just the 3 of us. We had lunch out thanks to my Great Aunt. It was neat reminiscing about our special day. Michael remembered how his face hurt at the end of the day and how LOONG our ceremony was (it truly was!). My memories included the sound of my dress rubbing on the plastic aisle runner (it was LOUD!), the look on his face as I came down the aisle, and the song that we played as we walked back down the aisle again as hubby and wife. We played Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" and it brought laughter from many. We had a great day, one we'll never forget!

God, in His wisdom, brought us together in the most unusual way. I'm so blessed to have found the love of my life. Michael is my best friend, he is my calm and my ROCK. I love him more today than yesterday. We have been thru so much in our short married life and I know that I would never have made it without him in my life. There is nothing I can't do without him by my side. Michael makes me a better person and he broadens my world view like no one else can. He brings great joy to my heart and always a smile to my face. He is an amazing daddy to Abraham and each time I watch them playing and laughing together I fall more and more in love with him!

I love you baby! You are amazing! Happy Anniversary!!



My sweet hubby and I on our wedding day



Wedding Party - some of our dearest friends (and family!) in the world


I had to put this picture on... my dad had these glasses that we always teased him about. He thought it would be funny to wear them in a picture - and you know what? It is funny! It brings back great memories!

"Let's Stay Together"

I, I'm so in love with you
Whatever you want to do
Is all right with me
'Cause you make me feel so brand new
And I want to spend my life with you

Since, since we've been together
Loving you forever
Is what I need
Let me be the one you come running to
I'll never be untrue

Let's, let's stay together
Lovin' you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad
Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad

Why, why some people break up
Then turn around and make up
I just can't see
You'd never do that to me (would you, baby)
Staying around you is all I see
(Here's what I want us to do)

Happy 4th Birthday Chloe Abigail!

Chloe's birthday was the 26th of July but we just had her party this past Sunday. It was complete with pink balloons and a Princess theme - surprise, surprise! It was even more special for her and for the family because Timmy and Karen Moonsammy were able to be there to celebrate with us. Timmy and Karen were partners with Joel and Kari when they were in Paupa New Guinea. These dear ones are very special friends of J & K and the kids as well. They saw J & K through some mountains and valleys so they have a very tight bond as sisters and brothers. I was so excited to finally meet them... so it was neat to have them at Chloe's b-day party.




Chloe and her b-day cake. The girl knew just what to do with the candles - blow them out and then lick them off!!


Tornado Chloe - she tore into her gifts like they were going to run away!



Chloe loves to dress up - Her other aunt got her a cheerleader outfit complete with light up pom poms!


Abraham was very interested in the lights in the pom poms - not in the actual pom poms themselves - don't worry!


Kari and Karen


Joel and Timmy

Helping Momma Clean!!

I was cleaning up the apartment the other day and he was watching me very intently as I dusted with my Swiffer. I put it down and he decided that he knew what to do so he walked around the house "dusting" too! It was great!! Let's just hope that he continues to be a good cleaner - to help me out!
(Cleaning is NOT one of the things I enjoy!) Now if I can only get him to learn to run the vaccum cleaner... hmm??!!

More random pics of the boy

Easter 2006 - 5 months old



Mother's Day 2006 - 5 months old



Chillin' with Alex - I love this picture of him and Alex! June 2006 6 mo. old


And of course Chloe had to get in on the action too!


Bath time with Grandma Kay - 8 mo old



Abraham and Daddy - 10 mo. old



Momma and Abraham


Abraham and Momma - 10 mo. old