Moss Madness

Endings & Beginnings....

2010-09-03T13:16:00.019-05:00

We are so blessed to have children who are also best friends!

Signing in at Preschool for the last time

We love Ms. Katy!

Cole & Savannah were in the same preschool class for the summer. I ate lunch with them on the last day of summer session.

Taking Bubba to school for his first day of Kindergarten.

A little apprehensive walking in.

Ready to be brave!

"Take my picture before you leave!"

Missing Bubba

Kindergarten is GREAT!

Cole is LOVING Kindergarten. He is learning so much. It really seems that he has grown up overnight.

Easter 2010

2010-04-22T22:01:00.010-05:00

Katie is here!

2009-12-08T11:54:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Cristina, Daniel, & Big Brother Ben! Katie was born this morning at 7:27 a.m. She is 9 lb 4 oz & 21 1/2 inches. I hear she has a head full of brown hair!

Katie,

God has blessed you with a wonderful mommy, daddy, & brother. We all love you & have been praying for you for a very long time. I can't wait to see you!!

Love,
Aunt Sara Jo

Raising the Roof

2009-05-13T23:49:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week we came home to a notice from our home owners' association letting us know of a meeting coming up to discuss replacement of the roof on the townhomes and the financing of the replacement. Following is the comments made after I told Matt about the notice.

Matt:"Who's going to pay for that?"

Cole:"Obama!"

(Much laughter followed!)

Oh we are raising a political genius!!

Cole's Prayer - Morning of April 27, 2009

2009-04-27T10:54:00.004-05:00

"Dear God, thank you for Mommy, Daddy, and Savannah. Thank you for my cousins. Thank you for all the trees that God made for us. Thank you for the horsies and the fences, and the cars. Thank you our houses. Thank you for our bodies. Thank you for Jesus' blood and Jesus' body. Thank you for Jesus rose from the grave and the disciples. Thank you for all of my friends at school today. Thank you for when we get home tonight that I can get some gum. Thank you for all the people that we love. Thank you for all of the animals at our zoo. In Jesus Name, AMEN. Mommy I said a long prayer!" (I am sure I did not document every "thank you" from the prayer. It was much longer than this and oh so much sweeter to hear it said by my sweet 3 year old boy!)

Matthew 18:3 NIV
And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

happy birthday uncle daniel!

2009-03-28T20:15:00.002-05:00

ta da

2009-03-28T20:10:00.003-05:00

Prayer Request

2009-02-28T11:25:00.003-06:00

Please pray for Matt, Patrice, & Jonah Williams. Patrice gave birth to baby Jonah yesterday. He has a skin condition for which diagnosis is yet to be finalized. Last April, Jonah's big brother Gabe was taken to heaven during the 37th week of pregnancy. This family has been through so much this year and continued to praise our LORD through it all. Please pray for them. Updates can be found at their blog below.

http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday Papa G

2009-02-07T20:45:00.004-06:00

Wish we could be there to celebrate it with you!

Christmas 2008 Part 2

2009-01-04T17:06:00.002-06:00

We left Nana & Pawpaw's & headed to Gram Gram & Papa G's house. It was a busy & exciting week. All of the "Bradshaw kids" were home for Christmas for longer than 24 hours. It had been quite a few years since that had happened. We had a lot of fun along with the usual travel illness & bumps on the head. We got there on Sat. night & by Sunday afternoon Cole had pink eye & a nice size knot on his forehead. Gotta love traveling....

They just couldn't be serious for a nice photo. Not even for a couple of seconds!

Gram Gram reading to ALL of her grandkids!

Cole's awesome photography take 1.

Cole's awesome photography take 2.

He has such a gift with the camera!

Aunt Cristina, Uncle Daniel, & Ben got Savannah this neat tent for her birthday. Doesn't Papa G look good in pink!

He used to be wrapped around my little finger....

Gram Gram took her turn in the tent too!

All of the grandkids riding on Papa G's back.

Cristina's face says it all - we were afraid that they would break his back!

And nobody even fell off!

Cole's awesome photography take 3. This is Cole's favorite Christmas toy at Gram Gram's house. It plays "Jingle Bells".

Great Uncle Chris & cousin Taylor with Cole, Ben, & Savannah

Playing the "Jingle Bells" AGAIN!

Snacking on Snickerdoodles & milk on Christmas Eve

Leaving Snickerdoodles & milk for Santa

Papa G & Gram Gram with the kiddos on Christmas Eve

Santa Claus came to town!

Santa brought Cole a firetruck & a full fireman's suit.

Santa brought Savannah an easel with all of the art supplies she could think of and a Minnie Mouse dress.

Santa brought Ben a kitchen.

Check out the fireman!

Definately the cutest Minnie Mouse I have ever seen!

Cousins sharing a moment with Gram Gram's old fashioned sugar cookies. Yummy!

Ellen came to play!

Poppi with all of the grandkids in town!

top row - Cristina, Daniel, Poppi, Matt, me

big bottom row - Forrest, Dalton, Rachel, Taylor

little bottom row - Savannah, Ben, Cole

She just couldn't take any more....

Hanging out with Papa G.

Artists hard at work.

"I can spell my name!"

These are the letters that came with one of Cole's Christmas gifts.

We had such a nice week. By the time the week came to a close, it was definately time to get the kids back home & on a schedule, but we wouldn't trade a minute of the chaos for anything.

Happy New Year!

Christmas 2008 Part 1

2009-01-04T16:35:00.001-06:00

We left home on the Friday night before Christmas at 7:00 p.m. Way too late to leave, but it took me that long to get everything done & together to travel. We stopped at Nana & Pawpaw's to spend the night & have some Christmas time with them. Of course it was late when we got in, but that didn't make the kids sleep in the next morning. After breakfast & showers we opened gifts.

Cole's favorite was his racetrack.

Cole likes to help others open their gifts.

Daddy & Pawpaw working hard on putting the racetrack together.

Pawpaw was such a good sport!

I don't think I will exchange this one.

Savannah had so much fun playing with Nana's broom!

Finally! Success!

Can you see the excitement on that face?

Whose racetrack is this anyway?

Savannah helping Daddy make chicken enchiladas!

Nana & Cole decorating cookies!

A three year old with a can of sprinkles = Dangerous

Gotta love those smiling faces!

"Nana I think we need more sprinkles!"

The cookie artists hard at work!

No sooner were they iced & sprinkled than Savannah was popping them in her mouth. Nana couldn't keep up production fast enough for this cookie monster.

A happy bunch!

We had a great time with Nana & Pawpaw for Christmas. It was just too short of a trip!

A Taste of Christmas Spirit

2009-01-04T16:00:00.003-06:00

My dad, aka Papa G & Granddaddy, HATES to have his hair touched by anything other than his comb & his hands. Over the years it has become a practice to try to mess with Daddy's hair & then run as if your life depended on it. What a beautiful change a granddaughter can make...hehehe! We love you Dad!!

Most of December 2008...

2009-01-04T13:42:00.022-06:00

As is true for most families, December was a very busy month for us! I am guilty of "over committing" our time, which is both fun & stressful. We managed to have a few Kodak moments along the way.

As we enter 2009 Matt & I feel truly blessed to have children who love each other so much. This picture can not even come close to capturing the sweetness this moment held between Cole & Savannah and the joy it brought to Matt & me.

Our first Friday Family Game Night. I hope to make this more of a habit in 2009. We had lots of fund playing Chutes & Ladders.

Look at those fierce competitors!

Cole won!

Those faces say it all! Matt & I thought it would be fun to take the kids to the Grinch ice sculpture display. It really was a truly amazing sight, but the kids were not quite as impressed as we were. It was miserably cold (six-nine degrees F) and I suppose the Grinch can appear a little scary.

We found someone kind enough to take a family photo for us. This was the only part of the whole thing that Cole liked. "The part where they had their hands up." - at the end of the story!

Goofing off at home on our snow day!

My little purple princess!

Gotta love this face!

"Mommy! It is too bright out here!"

The snow melted rather quickly, so we went Christmas shopping...right after we documented that there really was snow!

After about 6 months of trying to plan a time to get together, we finally were able to have an Allen/Miller/Moss dinner night. The kids had a great time playing. I am not sure who enjoyed the play-doh more....Cole & Clark or Matt & Jeremy...

mmmmmm....looks like it was really Jaxon who loved it the most! Yummy play-doh!

We attended our first ever Breakfast with Santa. Santa's workshop was full of activities to enjoy. Cole & Savannah each created a winter scene with stickers and a couple of ornaments.

I am so glad to have several Cole & Savannah creations on our Christmas tree now!

The big moment finally arrived to sit with Santa & Mrs. Claus. At that moment Cole & Savannah decided Mommy & Daddy should join in the fun too!

Cole took a picture of Savannah...

...and then one of himself. He found the zoom button after he took this picture. It was a little too close!

Finally asleep...but something's not quite right here...

Though quite busy, pre Christmas 2008 holds alot of dear memories that we will treasure.

Cole & Savannah funnies

2008-12-05T19:20:00.003-06:00

Cole's Funny

After bath tonight we were on the phone with Uncle B. Savannah was telling him that she was putting on her chapstick. B asked me if I had read Mindy's blog entry that tells what Hannah calls chapstick (which is "crap-tick" if you are not going to click on the link & read it yourself). Anyway, I said "yes isn't that hilarious", and Matt says "what does she call it?" So since we are talking in front of the kids I say "C-R-A-P-T-I-C-K". This is the conversation that followed:

Cole: No Hannah doesn't.
Mommy: Yes she does.
Cole: No she doesn't.
Mommy: Yes she does. That's silly isn't it Cole.
Cole: (Laughing) It is silly. I call it C-M-O-H!

(I am still laughing!!!!)

Savannah's funny

Last week on our road trip we stopped at McDonald's on the way out of town. Cole & Savannah each got a happy meal that had a zebra toy in it from the Madagascar movie (i think). Anyway, the zebra says two things:

"Holla at ya' boys" and "You guys are crazy"

As I was buckling up Savannah when I picked them up from school yesterday, the zebra started "talking" (it does this whenever it gets slightly bumped, you can imagine how much I love this happy meal toy).

When Savannah heard the zebra she said:

"Crazy boys!"

Sometimes I think God blessed us with children just so we could laugh!

p.s. Mom - please forgive me for typing the word "crap" two, I mean three times!

So much to be thankful for!

2008-11-29T23:49:00.004-06:00

My little Princess

My little Monkey

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to All!

I think the problem is....

2008-11-29T22:37:00.016-06:00

We have had a whirlwind of a week...

On Monday, the director at the kids preschool called to tell me that Savannah had a 102.3 temperature. By the time I got to pick her up it was 103.2. We headed straight to the doctor. (Yep sure enough we were going to be traveling for Thanksgiving!) Thank goodness it wasn't an ear infection (thank you whoever invented tubes for the ears) & the rapid strep test was negative, but her throat looked like strep so we got antibiotics. The next morning Savannah is feeling better & looks more like she is playing hookie than having a sick day!

On Monday night/Tuesday Matt comes down with a 24 hour stomach bug that we think he caught from Cole who was sick last Friday. (Yep we are still considering traveling for Thanksgiving.)

On Wednesday we decide that since Matt & Savannah are feeling better we will go ahead with our plans to travel to Matt's brother's for a Moss Family Thanksgiving. We get everything loaded and into the car a few hours later than we had hoped, and the DVD player power cord had blown a fuse the last time we used it, and we had to stop to get the oil changed, and we went a couple of different places to look for a replacement fuse, and we had to stop by the grocery store to pick up a couple of things I needed to take with us, and we had to pick up some lunch, and we had to go back home to take the smelly trash out. So we finally got on the interstate about two hours after we left home - the first time - without a replacement fuse for the DVD player power cord, but with a power solution rigged for the DVD player, that only lasted about half of the trip. Yeah, we arrived at our destination at about 11:00 PM. It was a LONG Wednesday, but everyone was feeling better so that was good.

Thursday we had a really nice Thanksgiving dinner at Mike & Lorri's. Cole & Savannah had a REALLY good time playing with their cousins and getting spoiled by Nana & Pawpaw. Right before we sat down to eat Matt started getting sick again. We guess it wasn't a 24 hour bug!

The Moss Girls - Courtney & Savannah

The Moss Boys - Josh, Justin, & Cole

The Moss Boys Wrestling

Cole LOVES his cousin Courtney.

Savannah gave Uncle Mike some special luvins!

Did I mention that Cole & Savannah LOVE their cousin Courtney. They wanted to wear scarves just like her!

Gotta love that smile!

We drove over to see a Christmas lights display at an assisted living complex. It was one of the best & most detailed displays I have ever seen that isn't commercially done. This "ski lift" was part of the display.

Matt took some medicine hoping to make himself feel better on our way back to the hotel Thursday evening. Ummm, it apparently made him worse because at 1:30 AM I was knocking on Nana & Pawpaw's door asking them to take him to the ER. Yeah, it was that bad. (Did I mentioned we considered not traveling for Thanksgiving?) He got back from the ER at 6:00 AM feeling some better & proceeded to rest for the remainder of Friday. I was ready to come home before anyone else got sick, but we decided to stay since we were there so that we could have a little more family time & so Matt could rest.

This morning we left the hotel around 6:30 AM. Matt was feeling back to normal & was even driving. We took a "backroads" route that the GPS mapped for us. It was a beautiful, curvy, two lane road through Amish countryside. We saw lots of farms and several horse & buggies (check out the road sign below).

(Queasy Stomachs Quit Reading Here)

Not too long after I took this picture I heard Savannah give a little cough, and then gag. I turned around to see her tummy emptied all over her in her car seat. (Yeah, did I mention I wanted to go home yesterday before someone else got sick?) Luckily there was a farm right there & we were able to pull over quickly to get Savannah & her seat cleaned up. We started on our way again and had to stop one more time to go through the clean up process again. The rest of the drive home was fairly uneventful - thank goodness - and the kids were really good considering a) Savannah felt awful and b) the battery on the DVD player only lasted about 1.5 hours.

Cole managed to break his helicopter toy not long before we got home. His response to the broken helicopter was "I think the problem is...." at this point Matt & I laughed so loud that I don't actually know what Cole thinks the problem was with the helicopter.

I tell you what I think the problem is....we shouldn't ever travel or ever invite family to our home, because EVERY time we do someone gets sick or hurt.

And yes, we are planning to travel for Christmas!

Tricycles, Stickers, & Christmas Tree...oh my!

2008-11-23T23:02:00.012-06:00

It was a productive weekend around the Moss household. Matt & I (mostly Matt, who am I kidding) got a lot of things done around the house this weekend. It is nice to enter the new week with a sense of accomplishment. The kids did manage to have some fun while Mama & Daddy were being busy bees. Lucky for me, the kids like to "help" me clean, so I hand them some baby wipes & tell them to clean their toys. It actually does help!

I realized Friday morning that if we didn't decorate for Christmas this weekend, it wouldn't happen this year. Matt & I put the tree up & lit it last night, and the kids helped decorate it today. It was a fun family time. It is so much fun to see the anticipation Savannah & Cole have for Christmas this year. We hope to put a desire of giving on their hearts that far outweighs the desire of receiving. The holidays viewed through the eyes of a child is such a blessing of pure joy!

One Saturday in November...

2008-11-23T22:50:00.010-06:00

On the second Saturday morning in November, Buzz Lightyear dropped in and built us a log cabin...all by himself. See his masterpiece below!

Cole, Savannah, & sidewalk chalk....what a mess!

Serious faces

We went to family movie night at church and saw the new VeggieTales movie.

In the car, after the movie....

Cole:Mommy, you know what ?

Mommy: What Cole?

Cole: Bob & Larry have feet.

Savannah's Second 2nd Birthday Party

2008-11-23T22:34:00.010-06:00

Ready to blow out those candles!

Savannah LOVES her purse from Great Mama & Great Granddaddy!

Crocs, Crocs, Crocs

Thank you Hannah for my Cabbage Patch baby!

Savannah's birthday party was actually on her birthday this year. It was Minnie Mouse themed. We were blessed to have lots of family & friends come to celebrate with us. Thank you all!

Savannah's First 2nd Birthday Party

2008-11-23T22:24:00.007-06:00

Nana & Pawpaw were not able to come to Savannah's big birthday party this year, so we had a little one with just them!

Savannah on her tricycle from Mama & Daddy.

Nana giving Savannah her princess helmet.

"Yeah, this cake is crash test certified."

"Icing only for me please."

"So can I eat the cake now??"

Soccer ended....a long time ago....

2008-11-23T22:13:00.007-06:00

Cole in action!

Cole's signature move. It is called "Mama, I thirsty!"

Cole's final throw in of the season.

This one was staged...but he looks like a natural!

They were bribed with cake to take the picture at their end of season party. It worked!

Ummmm, three might have been a little young to start organized sports....

Happy 2nd Birthday Savannah!

2008-10-25T20:51:00.005-05:00

We can hardly believe that our sweet Savannah is 2 years old. How blessed we have been to watch her grow!

Weekend trip to Florida

2008-09-29T10:06:00.008-05:00

That's my girl, watching the game!!!

Cole & Ben at the football game

Matt, Savannah, Ben, Cristina, & Cole - on the sidelines at the end of the game

We took a quick trip to Florida for a long weekend to visit Daniel, Cristina, and Ben. It was funny how many times people asked us if Cole & Ben were twins. These cousins were born about 6 months apart. Cole is the oldest, but Ben outweighs him by at least 6 pounds and is a few inches taller. We went to the beach on Friday and had a sandy picnic lunch. After naps & dinner we headed to the football field to watch Uncle Daniel (or "Ben's Dad" as Cole said) coach. On Saturday we hit the pool for a little while. A trip is not complete for the Moss familiy without Cole getting sick or hurt, so he kept with tradition by coming down with an unexplained 101.9 fever on Saturday night that was gone when we woke up Sunday morning. The boys had such a good time playing together, and Savannah made sure she was in the middle of whatever they were up to. Cole was very disappointed when we had to leave. He wanted Ben to ride on the airplane with us.

Soccer

2008-09-29T09:46:00.011-05:00

Just chillin'

getting tips from Coach Len

There isn't much to say about soccer. We spend most of the time just trying to keep Cole on the field when it is his turn to play. He does look cute all dressed in his soccer gear though!!

A Day Out with Thomas

2008-09-29T09:20:00.007-05:00

We had such a good time at "A Day Out with Thomas" this year. Cole & Savannah each got Thomas "too-tats" and played with the train sets. Of course, the highlight of the event was the train ride. We definitely enjoyed the event more this year than last!

"Look Mommy, I'm a junior engineer!"

All grown up...

2008-09-29T09:08:00.004-05:00

Should I be a soccer mom???

2008-08-18T23:55:00.004-05:00

Cole had his first soccer "practice" tonight. I wish I could post a picture, but I forgot the camera. Practice had just started when, oops, Savannah fell off the bleachers. She was fine, it just scared her more than anything, but it doesn't make a mommy feel too good to see her baby laying on the ground underneath where she is sitting. Then Cole didn't want to stay on the field because his shinguards were too small and it hurt to wear them. Ummmmm I suppose we should have tried those on before we got to the field. When practice was over, Matt tried to toss me Cole's jersey and it landed on another mom's head - which he of course felt terrible about. I guess the one redeeming thing is that on the way to the minivan after practice Cole kept screaming "I want to go back and play soccer ball!" So we will try again, maybe we can make more memories on the field next week!

Four years and counting....

2008-08-14T23:21:00.000-05:00

A LOT can happen in four years!! I love you Matt!!!!

Monday Morning Laugh

2008-08-11T10:06:00.005-05:00

Conversation on the way to school...

Mama: Cole would you like to say our prayer?
Cole: (said with a why did you wake me up so early voice) No! You!
Mama: Savannah would you like to say our prayer?
Savannah: (looks at Cole for confirmation, and then with the exact same tone & scowl as Cole) No! You!

Standing at the sink at school after using the potty...

Cole: Mommy can you do me a favorite?
Mama: Do you mean favor?
Cole: Yeah, can you get me some soap?

The County Fair

2008-08-10T21:31:00.014-05:00

Friday night we surprised the kids by taking them to the fair. They had such a good time. The first thing they did was a pretend day in the life of a farmer. They got to plant seeds, harvest corn, soy beans, potatoes, tomatoes, & peppers, pick apples, milk the cow, drive the tractor, feed the chickens, gather eggs, sell their goods at the farmers market, and purchase something in the store with their earnings. We skipped the petting zoo at the end, but Cole did ride on the pony. We all rode the carousel & Cole had his first "roller coaster" experience. What is a fair without funnel cake & cotton candy?? - so we all shared those treats too!

My little farmers waiting to get their corn & soy beans.

Poor Cole kept having to pull up his shorts. Bless his skinny little booty!

"Feeding" the chickens

"Driving" the John Deere

"Planting" the seeds

Just for fun!

Cole was really excited to ride on the pony. Savannah wanted no part of it - so she helped me take pictures & video. Of course, once the ponies started moving, all she wanted was to be on one with Bubba.

Cole's favorite part of the evening was riding the caterpillar roller coaster. I didn't really care for the way that it jerked him around, but he loved it. The big boy who sat next to him helped buckle him up. Cole thought that was really cool.

"Is this candy?" - Cole loved it! Savannah took two bites, said "Yummy", and then wanted no more cotton candy. Little miss priss wanted CLEAN hands!

Too tired to stand up, but not ready to go home!

July 2008

2008-08-09T22:51:00.022-05:00

July is a blur. I can't believe it has come & gone, but at least we documented a little bit of it!! Somehow we managed to take no pictures of our 4th of July adventure. But thanks to Ellen, Alaina & Phillip for letting us tag along for dinner & fireworks!

(Drumroll) And most importantly, Cole conquered potty training in July. Now that is exciting news!

Cole has a few (hahaha) trains. He lined them all up on his windowsills and got very upset if you tried to move them out of the order he put them in. I don't know where he gets that from....

Savannah figured out how to open the "childproof" lock we had on our doorknob. So much for that safety measure. She decided that she was going bye-bye. Where she went...we will never know.

I just love her expression.

Doesn't he look just like his Daddy??? (just kidding Matt!)

Cole grew his first mustache in July.

He got glasses too. We had to take them back to be adjusted.

He looks so serious playing in his glasses.

If Bubba has them, Savannah has to have them too!

Ta-Da! Look at Cole's Potato Heads!

Aunt Alaina, Uncle Phillip, & Ellen came over to eat & play. Ellen was too pooped to play Potato Head with Savannah & Cole. If you want to see what happens when Ellen is too tired to play Potato Head click here and scroll to the bottom picture. It was a fun Friday night with friends!

Talkin' on the phone with Nana.

Mr. Helpful

We went to the zoo with the Peden crew one July morning. Bryant & Cole were loving the meerkat tunnel.

All four of them sort of looking at the camera. (Cole, Bryant, Savannah, & Ellia)

Did I mention that if Cole is doing something Savannah MUST do the very same thing?

Aunt Mindy, Uncle Chris, & Hannah came over for lunch one Sunday. It was a long overdue visit with friends. I used the fact that we didn't get to celebrate Hannah's birthday with her as an excuse to have cupcakes for dessert. They all enjoyed their cupcakes.....

...but something makes me think Savannah enjoyed hers the most!

June 2008

2008-08-09T22:49:00.002-05:00

Uhhhh....we didn't take ANY pictures in June (except for the ones of Cole on his birthday that I have already posted). Oops!

Pretending Cole

2008-08-09T22:39:00.003-05:00

While 3 seems to be a "challenging" age for a child, it is also a very precious time. A couple of today's pretending moments by Cole:

Cole turns over his Elmo chair onto its back, sits on his knees behind it, and declares "Does anyone want a ice cream? Can I get you a ice cream??? You want a ice cream (points to the Lightening McQueen bouncy ball to his right, and then gets up and rolls it in front of his "ice cream stand", then returns to his post behind the stand)? What kind of ice cream do you want (said to the bouncy ball of course)? (pause) "Mommy I have to go potty." Cole runs to the bathroom, the ice cream stand game is over.
In the car today Cole sang a beautiful rendition of London Bridge is Falling Down, picked up his play cellphone, and said "Hello. Cookie Monster? Can I talk to Big Bird?"

Oh what a wonderful imagination he has been blessed with!

May 2008

2008-07-05T22:41:00.012-05:00

May held lots of funny moments for us...mostly after the kids went to sleep as Cole found some interesting places to fall asleep. The pictures below capture a few of those - but definately not all of them. We had a trip to the zoo with Phillip & Ellen, played at the park, and just goofed off alot.

We were thankful that he chose to fall asleep on something that was easy to slide out from under the bed. We successfully moved him into bed without waking him up!

Fell asleep under the bed - AGAIN.

He must have gotten bored of falling asleep under his bed, so he decided to fall asleep in Savannah's crib....more than once. It is a lot more difficult to lift him out of a crib than it used to be - especially when he is sound asleep!!

Savannah & Cole bring us so much joy. Thanks for letting us share it with you!

Cole's 3rd Birthday Party Weekend Pics

2008-07-03T15:21:00.023-05:00

Well this post is REALLY LATE, but better late than never, right? We had Cole's birthday party on Memorial Day weekend - one week before his birthday. Nana, Pawpaw, Gram Gram, Papa G, Great Mama, Great Granddaddy, & Aunt Candace were all able to come into town for the festivities. Because of the holiday weekend not many of Cole's friends were able to make it, but we are so glad that the Peden's & the McCullough's were in town & able to come celebrate with us! We had a nice lunch, Cole opened way to many presents, and had some yummy cake & ice cream. It was lots of fun and we really appreciate everyone who came & made it so special.

Nana, Pawpaw, Cole, & Savannah

Cole was very excited to see Bryant!

Savannah giving Gram Gram a "haa" (hug)

Presents...for me??

They learn about money way to early!

Jammin' on the "geetar"

So Mickey Mouse had a bit of a tan....FYI - it only takes a little food coloring

Cole & Great Daddy

Papa G & Great Mama

These boys were serious about their cake & ice cream!

Savannah enjoyed hers too!

Who got Lincoln Logs for his birthday...Cole or Uncle B???

I think we know what to get Bryan for Christmas...

Playing checkers at Cracker Barrel

This one is mine, and this one is mine, and this one...

Great Mama & Gram Gram

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!

2008-06-12T21:03:00.003-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL HUBBY!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Cole!!!

2008-06-01T22:09:00.013-05:00

Three years ago today Matt & I were blessed beyond our wildest dreams with a most precious gift from God. Cole arrived at 11:52 am that day and our lives have not been the same since that moment. The flood of love that filled our hearts when he was born continues to grow more and more everyday. Today we sat down with Cole and looked at pictures from his first few months of life. It was so sweet to listen to him talk about being a "tiny baby". Cole is such a joy, and though he tries our patience quite regularly, I know that he is jut growing and trying to understand the world around him. Happy Birthday Cole!!!

In the hospital

3 weeks old - Praying Hands

6 weeks old - I caught him sleeping just like this a few nights ago!

Cole's 1st Birthday Party

1st Birthday - Cole developed a love for birthday cake very quickly.

Running around in a onesie at the zoo on his second birthday...that's what happens when mom forgets to pack an extra outfit!

2nd Birthday - Enjoying his new T-ball set

Today - Thank you Aunt Mindy, Uncle Chris, & Hannah - Cole loves his story reader!!

Our little man on his 3rd Birthday!

I asked Cole this morning what today was & he replied "It's my birthday cake", I said "No. It's just your birthday." He said "NO! It's my birthday cake!"

Comments & Conversations with Cole...

2008-05-14T23:03:00.011-05:00

We are having some pretty funny comments from & conversations with Cole lately. The mind of an almost three year old is amazing. These don't come close to all of the sweet/funny/silly things he has said lately, but I wanted to at least get these "memorialized" before I forgot any more. As you read, try to imagine him saying these things with a rapidly developing thick southern drawl, which adds to the humor most of the time!

Savannah: "Thank you."
Cole: "I welcome."

"I love you so much! MmmHmm"

"Daddy my hero. Daddy my Daddy's hero."

"Daddy my best friend, Pavannah (Savannah) my best friend, Mommy my best friend, everybody my best friend."

Regarding the horses in the field we pass each morning...
"That Black Beauty and Black Beauty friends, playin' on the playground."

Cole: "Mommy, where is God?"
Mommy: "God is everywhere. He is always with us."
Cole: "Oh"

"Just one more big luvins'"

"Stay with me."

After doing/saying something he thinks if funny...
Cole: (Laughs) "I/That funny Mommy?" (Laughs)
Mommy: "Yes Cole, you are funny" (Laughs too!)

"You sick? (gives a kiss) I make you feel better?"

Going to a public restroom with Mommy...
Cole: "We go to the gurlz?"
Mommy: "Yes, you go to the girls' potty when Mommy takes you."
Cole: (pointing to the door of the Men's restroom) "That one for friends?"

Mommy: "Cole can you say my name?"
Cole: "Sara Jo"
Mommy: "Can you say Savannah?"
Cole: "Pavannah"
Mommy: "No. Savannah. You can say Sara Jo, why can't you say Savannah?"
Cole: "I can say Sara Jo and Pavannah....(points to Daddy) Matt!"

Daddy: "Cole, can I have a big luvins?"
Cole: "I don't have any more big luvins."
Mommy: "Cole, do you have any little luvins you can give Daddy?"
Cole: "Yeah" (gives Daddy "little" luvins)
Mommy: "Cole do you think your little luvins can grow to be big luvins?"
Cole: "Yeah, (laughs) they grow."

In response to asking Cole to repeat ANYTHING...
"I just did."

A little more vacation..

2008-04-29T21:53:00.004-05:00

Family Photo

Beach - Day 4

2008-04-25T21:36:00.021-05:00

Cole started his day off by getting back into bed - his outside bed that is. He loved to take the towels we had drying outside and make a "bed" out of them.

Savannah started her day out screaming & crying. Partially for good reason, she rubbed sunscreen in her eye. She produced plenty of tears to wash it out though. Cole & Savannah both HATE getting their sunscreen put on. They scream & cry through the entire process which only makes it take twice as long as it would if they would just sit still. It is going to be a LONG summer....

The BOSS

"What mommy?"

We attempted to make a sand castle again...Savannah destroyed it.

Savannah thought pouring her water bottle into the bucket was a real treat.

Eating some fruit snacks in the shade.

I took Savannah inside to change her diaper, so Daddy & Cole rushed to make a sand castle in the peace of a Savannah-less beach. They did a great job. They were just finishing up when Savannah & I got back on the beach....

....Savannah finished it off. She managed to destroy it in no time flat making her way around to each dome one at a time & flattening it.

Then she stood back and looked at all that she had conquered. (Check out those feet buried in the sand! She definitely conquered her fear of sand this week.)

Cole standing triumphant on what is left of his sand castle. His comment during the destruction "Oh no! Pavannah!" (spoken with a heavy southern drawl, and that is not a typo - that is how he says her name!)

Gotta love the after nap time grin!

We went out for a really yummy dinner, and then went to ride the airplane. Cole has been asking to do this every day since we went to play mini golf. He has also been asking to play "putt-putt" every day. We didn't play golf again, but we did take him to ride the airplane. We were afraid he would be scared to do it alone (no grown ups allowed on this one), but he had a great time.

Savannah, who usually hates the carousel, really enjoyed her carousel ride tonight.

We had one ticket left, so Cole decided he wanted to ride on the kiddy ferris wheel. I couldn't believe that he didn't get upset. He did so great. He stood in line and handed his ticket to the worker all by himself. He is just getting way too big!

We did some shopping at a tourist's shop, stopped for some homemade key lime pie, took a stroll on the beach, and then got ready for bed. One thing about this place - it is not childproof. Savannah thought playing peek-a-boo inside the cabinet was very funny. Cole got in on the fun too (cabinet to the left), but somehow I didn't get his picture.

So our Moss party of four vacation is coming to a close. It has been a fun time. We have watched almost no TV, sang lots of songs, played in the sand, swam in the pool, let the waves tickle our toes, and eaten very well. Tomorrow it is back to reality and Cole's question of "Where is our home?" How do you explain to a two year old, that home is not a place, it is the family you love and the feelings you have when you are with them?

Beach - Day 3

2008-04-24T20:28:00.022-05:00

Today was another beautiful day on the beach. It was warm & breezy. Savannah & Cole only took about 5 minutes to warm up to the sand today. They even enjoyed splashing in the water as the waves crashed onto the sand. Savannah kept wanting to go back for more. She said "outside, beach" all day. We built a sand castle, but before it was finished, Cole was tearing it down. It was fun to build it together though. Cole dropped his snack so Matt decided to feed it to the pigeons. They came swooping in & both Cole & Savannah thought this was great fun. Matt had missed picking up one of the fallen crackers, so Cole picked it up and threw it to the pigeons yelling "Eat my cracker birds, eat my cracker". Needless to say, they ate it. Everyone sitting around us is quite entertained by Savannah & Cole. After lunch, a nap, and me burning the back of my legs (it really hurts to sit down), we got ready for dinner, took some pictures from our balcony, and headed to a local dive on the harbor. We ended the day with another evening swim & then a bedtime snack. All in all a great day. (Although I could have done without the sunburn!)

Beach - Day 2

2008-04-23T23:21:00.002-05:00

Well day 2 started very similar to day 1 - they didn't like the sand. Evidence below with their feet in their chairs. I thought kids liked to get dirty? They both love to play in the sandbox at school....

With the Elmo kite high in the air, it didn't take long to get Cole out of the chair!

Savannah had to finish her snack before she left her chair. It wasn't long before she got over her fear of being dirty - she was covered from head to toe in sand and salt water! Both Cole & Savannah had so much fun playing in the sand today. They both enjoyed getting dirty more when they realized they could rinse their hands off in a bucket of salt water. It was so fun to watch them play. They were fascinated by the birds and wanted to chase them. Savannah still doesn't want to put her feet in the ocean, but Cole will let the water tickle his toes.

We went to dinner at a restaurant on the beach. They served the kid's meals in a bucket with a shovel. The kids both had mini corn dogs - which they LOVE! Savannah literally shoveled hers in!

After dinner we drove around a little bit and then came back to the condo for a night swim. Cole & Savannah were unsure of getting in the pool. Savannah warmed up to the idea more quickly than Cole did, but eventually Cole got in too. They ended up loving it & didn't want to get out. Apparently it was one of our better activity ideas, because after some fruit snacks Savannah was calling out "Bed, bed, bed" and Cole went to sleep right after his head hit the pillow - and that NEVER happens!

There is nothing as beautiful & peaceful as a sleeping child!

Beach - The way there & Day 1

2008-04-23T22:17:00.027-05:00

Our first (just us) family vacation. I am so excited about the four of us having some quality family time away from all of the usual hustle & bustle of our daily lives. We took off Monday morning to head to the beach. It wasn't very long before we stopped at a Welcome Center in Alabama. Cole & Savannah had a great time running around and looking at "Buzz Lightyear's spaceship".

We arrived at our condo and wouldn't you know it, there are built in bunk beds with their very own light switches. This was fascinating to Cole & Savannah. Cole keeps saying things like "Why are we here?" and "This is not home." The perception of a two year old is quite amusing. We managed to get all settled in, but next time I think we will order pizza for dinner the first night...dinner at the restaurant got a little exasperating....for everyone!

We ate breakfast Tuesday morning from our balcony. We have a beautiful view. The kids really enjoy sitting outside in their little chairs. After breakfast we headed down to the beach, Cole & Savannah were not very sure about the sand at first, in fact Savannah didn't like it at all today, but Cole warmed up to the idea of getting dirty after some coaxing by Daddy.

This bathing beauty was not about to put her feet in the sand willingly!

Mommy & Cole's footprints

Cole wanted so badly to go kayaking. When I told him it was for big people he responded with

"I OLD!"

Cole & Savannah both took great naps after their beach time and lunch. Matt let me go down to the beach & read a book while he stayed up with the kids during naptime. Am I blessed or what?

Savannah had an Oreo for her afternoon snack. Can you tell?

I love Cole's expression in this picture. He had just woken up from the longest nap he has had in a very long time. Looks like it was good for him!

So we made the ambitious decision to take the kids to play miniature golf after dinner. I didn't know it was an ambitious decision until hole # 3. We had a good time though.

Waiting for his turn

Cole hit a hole-in-one this time!

Very proud of himself

Petting the rhinoceros

Riding the train

Sick days at home...

2008-04-12T23:08:00.000-05:00

Cole woke up Tuesday morning with a fever. Of course this was the day that we had planned to go spend some time playing at "Cam-cam's" house. Why do kids always get sick when you make play dates? All day Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday Cole would say "I feel betta Mommy. We go Cam-cam's house now?" And I would have to say, "You still have a fever. We can't go to Camden's house until you are fever free for 24 hours." I wonder how long it will be before he understands 24 hours? Cole also started asking "Why?" this week - CONSTANTLY! And when we ask him "why?" - his response is "'cause I said so!"

Savannah is talking so much! When you ask her where everyone is she points and says their name. When you ask "Where is Savannah?" she points to herself and says "Nannah". It is so sweet. Luckily she hasn't caught the fever virus, so hopefully we are in the clear. Below are our sick days in pictures....

My little cook in her kitchen

Does he look like he is sick?

Playing dollhouse

Playing Computer Games

One of the MANY "I sorry" hugs this week

Sharing "Sista's" rocking chair

I absolutely love this picture. I have no idea why he was making this crazy face!

"Papa, Papa, Papa, Gam Gam!!"

Yummy! Fresh Pineapple!

I just want to be where you are

2008-04-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

Savannah wants to be wherever Cole is. Even in his chair at snack time!

Peek a boo!

2008-04-12T22:33:00.003-05:00

Another quick visit from Nana & Pawpaw

2008-04-06T22:42:00.007-05:00

Nana is a very talented quilter. The last time Nana & Pawpaw came to visit, she brought Savannah a BEAUTIFUL quilt that she had made. Of course Cole immediately wanted to know where his quilt was. So Nana got to work and made Cole a very cool firetruck quilt of his own. Nana & Pawpaw made a speedy trip to bring Cole his quilt and have a little quality time with the grandkids. It was way to quick of a visit (less than 24 hours) but we were so glad that they were able to come. Thanks so much for coming to visit & all the love you both poured into these quilts!!!!

Savannah's Quilt

Cole's Firetruck Quilt

Easter 2008

2008-04-06T21:43:00.030-05:00

Congratulations "Untle B" & "Aunt Kansas"!!! We are so excited that you are getting married!!

Mom, Dad, and my future sister came to visit for Easter weekend. Yep that's right folks, my "baby" brother is getting married. We couldn't be happier for him and Candace. As you can see above, Candace has such a wonderful heart and sweet spirit. Cole & Savannah took to her immediately and Cole even gave her a nickname - "Aunt Kansas". Cole loves for Candace to play with him & read him books. Way to go Bryan!!!! You found a wonderful woman to add to our family!

So as you can see we had a very busy weekend. Friday evening we went to eat & then came home to relax. We got up early Saturday morning to go to our zoo's "Eggstravaganza" egg hunt. The kids had lots of fun "hunting" for eggs and they each got a goody bag for turning in the eggs they found. A trip to the zoo would not be complete without a ride on the carousel. Savannah is not so excited about riding on the animals. She enjoyed the ride from the safety of Gram Gram's lap while Cole had a roaring ride on the lion with Papa G by his side. We made our way to see the farm animals after the carousel ride and Cole participated in his first spoon race. I was so proud because he didn't drop his egg and he finished the race even though he didn't win! Savannah fell asleep with her sweet tart sucker in her mouth on the way to lunch which was definitely a Kodak moment. After lunch Matt, Bryan, & Candace went to the hockey game and I went to the grocery store while Cole napped and Papa, Gram Gram, & Savannah played. As you can see the playing ended with Gram Gram & Savannah falling sound asleep. Alaina, Phillip, & Ellen joined us for a cookout dinner & then we dyed Easter eggs before it was time to go to sleep so the Easter Bunny could come for a visit.

The Easter Bunny brought sunglasses and some other non sugary treats for Cole & Savannah. The kids got all dressed up in their beautiful matching Easter outfits - and they wouldn't stand still & smile to take a picture for anything. What you see above is the best we got! It was a wonderful weekend. Thanks for coming to visit Papa G, Gram Gram, & Aunt Candace!!!!

Lots of new posts...

2008-04-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

Savannah has a horrible double ear infection so I stayed home with her this morning while Matt & Cole went to church. I have caught up on some long overdue blogging so check out all the new posts below. I have a couple of more to add about recent visits from all of the grandparents (so check back soon), but Savannah just woke up from her nap, so I am going to go spend some quality time with our sweet baby girl...

Getting so big...

2008-04-06T11:05:00.016-05:00

Wow! Cole & Savannah are growing up so fast.

Cole is working on being a big boy. He has his good and bad days with using the potty and listening/obeying. He amazes me daily with he critical thinking and vocabulary. He is so loving and aware when someone is hurt or sad. He always makes us "feel better" when we are sick or hurt by patting our arms or faces & saying "It be alright." He is so funny and says that everything is "handsome" instead of pretty or cute. He is a very good big brother and we are so thankful for the love he has for his sister. A day is not complete without "BIG luvins" from Cole!

Savannah is such a joy. She has started testing us so we can tell that the two year mark is quickly approaching. Her smile lights up the room and her sweet words could make the hardest of hearts melt. She wants to do everything that "Bubba" does, so she has being using the potty some too at the young age of 17 months. She has also developed a very loving spirit and gives the sweetest hugs & kisses. She likes to get down & walk on her own now, which is good and bad.

What wonderful blessings children are from our Lord!

It snowed in March!

2008-04-06T10:51:00.010-05:00

One Saturday morning in March we awoke to a beautiful blanket of snow outside. It didn't last long, but we had some fun playing in it before it melted. Here is the fun we captured to share with you....

Savannah wasn't so sure about the snow at first.

Can you see Cole's little snowman standing next to him? The snow was very dry so it didn't stick well enough to make a big snowman.

Cole helping Daddy clean the snow off the car. He is such a good helper.

Doughnuts & "Pupcakes"

2008-04-06T10:35:00.008-05:00

They inherited a sweet tooth.

Cole was introduced to Krispy Kreme one Friday evening in February. He loved it!

Melanie, Bryant & Ellia came to play & have lunch one day. We completed lunch with some yummy "Pupcakes" as Cole calls them.

Why is food all over a child's face so funny and sweet????

A surprise visit from Mom...

2008-04-06T10:22:00.009-05:00

...well sort of a surprise. I called Mom on my way to the office the Monday morning before Valentine's Day and she says "Can I come see you this weekend?" I said sure, and then called to tell Matt we would be having company for the weekend. His response was "We have a babysitter and do you think she'll cook Sunday dinner for us?" So we had an all out Gram Gram weekend. We went to the mall for lunch on Saturday and the kids rode the carousel with Gram Gram (Savannah wasn't so excited about the carousel). Matt & I went to dinner & a movie while Gram Gram was in all of her glory making castles and taking pictures. And Matt did get his Sunday dinner! It was a great weekend.

The Many Moods of Cole

2008-04-06T10:16:00.006-05:00

The moods of a two year old are many and quickly changing. Cole is really into being a "monster" these days. (See second picture below)

Savannah Wonder & A quick visit....

2008-04-06T09:41:00.002-05:00

Nana & Pawpaw came & stayed a night with us before their flight out to see Great PawPaw in Colorado and stayed a night with us after their flight back. While they were here they were entertained by Savannah Wonder & LeapFrog games with Cole. We had a good time even though it was a quick trip!

Sparkle Factor Designs

2008-02-27T22:42:00.005-06:00

My best friend Mindy & her mom Joni have started a business to add that special touch to your day. Their first product is hairbows for little girls. Check them out frequently as they will be adding new products on a regular basis. You can always get to them from my "Links I Love" section!

Rivalry week...Start 'Em Young, Raise 'Em Right

2008-02-09T21:04:00.001-06:00

Matt did a wonderful thing for me at Christmas. He got Cole and Savannah each t-shirts with Duke and Arkansas logos on them. This was a BIG deal because he really doesn't like either of my favorite teams. So I really appreciate him humoring me with the shirts for the kids. I couldn't let college basketball rivalry week pass without saying how awesome it was to see the Duke boys win in Chapel Hill. What a wonderful time it is to take down the Tarheels on their turf. Anyway, here are some cute pics of the kids in their Duke shirts! Cole wants to wear his all the time now!!! I LOVE IT!

"Look sista, I wear my Duke shirt!"

How academic is reading Dr. Seuss?

Proud to be Duke fans!

Where's Cole?

Drinking milk is smart...like Duke!

Savannah holding her baby doll

Just chillin'

My little engineers...

2008-02-09T20:59:00.002-06:00

Conversation with Cole before the stomach virus week:

Cole: "Mommy I drive Toby (one of the Thomas the Tank engines)"
Mommy: "You will"
Cole: "Yes, I sit in front seat. You and Daddy sit in back seat."
Mommy: "Where will Savannah sit?"
Cole: "Next to me!!!"

Sick of it...

2008-02-09T20:32:00.000-06:00

WARNING:THIS POST IS NOT MEANT FOR THOSE READERS WHO ARE FAINT OF HEART OR HAVE WEAK STOMACHS!

I am soooooo ready for cold/flu/germ season to be over! On the morning of Friday, February 1 at around 5:30 AM the evil stomach virus made its presence known in the Moss household. It didn't go away until Friday, February 8! Everyone got sick but me. Savannah got it twice, Cole got it twice, Matt had it once. It was terrible. The thing about this virus with the kids was that they would be better - eating normal stuff, acting like themselves - for a full 24+ hours and then they would vomit again - just one more time for old time's sake! Cole chose a Chick-fil-A for his round two vomiting fest - we won't be going there again any time soon. And this brings me to the real subject of my post. I am cursed! When I was pregnant with Cole, Matt & I were having dinner with some friends at a little pizza buffet place that had just opened. In the middle of our dinner a family came into the restaurant with several kids. Not very long after they got there, the youngest little boy (older toddler age) took off for the bathroom with his pregnant mother. They didn't make it. The little boy vomited all over the floor by our table - the kind that splatters on surrounding shoes (I told you this wasn't for you if you had a weak stomach). I felt so sorry for the mom. I got her some napkins and opened the bathroom door for her so that she could get cleaned up without having to touch the door handle with vomit hands. She was very appreciative. All I could think was, "Please don't let this ever happen to me..." She must have cursed me. It must be some kind of reverse "pay it forward" thing. Since Cole's arrival a little over 2 1/2 years ago he has thrown up in the following public places: The Emporium at Disney World, Blue Coast Burrito, Otters, and most recently Chick-fil-A. I think I may have blocked a couple of other times out of my memory - or he has just thrown up so much at home that it feels like it should be more times. See Cole has an incredibly sensitive gag reflex. And he freaks out hysterically every time he throws up. It is terrible. So today, at Cracker Barrel our food had just arrived at the table, and Savannah threw up...it better not be that stupid evil stomach virus again!!!!! So to the mommy whose child got sick at the pizza buffet place 3 years ago...NO THANK YOU for cursing me with public vomiting as a part of my children's lives!!!!

Christmas Take 2 (This is my 100th Post - Woohoo!!)

2008-01-13T21:38:00.001-06:00

Due to my new "employment", I was VERY BUSY the week between Christmas & New Year's. Therefore, we did not travel this year for Christmas. Matt's parents came here for the actual Christmas holiday and then my family came the week of New Year's to celebrate. It was so much fun to have the time together. It is very rare for us all to be in one place. My grandparents and Uncle John even got to come visit for a couple of days. We celebrated New Year's, then Christmas, then my Dad's recent graduation, and then Christmas again. In between all the celebration were some "competitive" games of Monopoly, Upwords, Rook, and Taboo and lots of Kodak moments. Cole decided to have his debut overnight stay in the hospital. You can see the beginnings of his allergic reaction in one of the pictures below, but I will spare you the pictures from the ER - they are sad!!! Thanks so much Mama/Gram-Gram, Daddy/Papa G, Daniel, Cristina, Ben, Grandmother, Granddaddy, Uncle John, and Candace for coming to visit and Bryan (even though you live here)!! You each made it a wonderful week for us.

Why I've been absent....

2008-01-12T22:11:00.000-06:00

So Savannah had a stomach virus, 3 ear infections, roseola virus, bronchiolitis caused by RSV, she turned one, started going to preschool, started walking, is cutting molars, is trying to talk, and managed to get herself into the bath tub during Cole's bath while she was fully clothed the other night.....

Cole had 2 ear infections, a couple of viruses, wants to use the potty, doesn't want to use the potty, started going to preschool, became a Mama's boy, is talking in complete sentences, pulled 6 eggs out of the refrigerator and onto the floor the other night, and taught us the hard way that he is severely allergic to one of the antibiotics he was taking for his ear infection....

I started working "outside the home" again on a sort of part-time basis, am learning what it means to let things go, am really tired all the time, and trying to keep up with everything above....

Matt is being a REAL TROOPER about our lives being topsy turvy right now....

All of this in the middle of the Holiday Season....So... all that being blogged... I will try to do better.....

Merry Christmas....

2008-01-12T21:55:00.000-06:00

Here's a peak at our Christmas Season...

....we didn't take enough pictures on Christmas morning!!

Thanks Nana & Pawpaw for coming to visit us for Christmas!!!!

Just for fun...October & November

2008-01-12T21:39:00.000-06:00

Some of my favorite pics from October & November in no particular order...

Happy 1st Birthday Savannah!!!!!

2008-01-12T21:25:00.000-06:00

Savannah was so cute when she opened her pretty dress from Gram-Gram & Papa G. That face is just priceless!!!!

Even through an ear infection and roseola virus, Savannah enjoyed her party and cakes. Thanks so much Gram-Gram for making sure there were homemade cakes even though I was sick!!!

I would have posted more pictures, but it is January now & this did happen in October. Thanks so much to all of our family & friends who came to celebrate our beautiful baby girl's first birthday with us!!!

Savannah's 12 month pics....REALLY LATE

2008-01-12T21:21:00.000-06:00

They really weren't interested in having there pictures taken that day....

Almost 2 months without blogging and this is what I post first?????

2007-12-04T22:24:00.001-06:00

We have been Elfed! Click here and Merry Christmas!!!!!

11 months....

2007-10-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

So in just a few short days we will be celebrating Savannah's 1st birthday. I can hardly believe that a year ago she wasn't here yet. She is growing so quickly. She has outgrown the shoes we bought her two months ago and they were too big when we bought them! She is climbing the stairs, cutting two more teeth, holding her own with her big brother, saying a few words, and trying to walk. Of course the latest is her first stomach bug - a first I would gladly do without. Below are the pictures I took of her at 11 months. Once again she and Cole would not cooperate at the same time. You can really see her dimple in the close ups! And she comes by that scrunched up nose naturally!!!!

Favorite Pen

2007-09-28T19:01:00.000-05:00

I have had lots of favorite pens in my life. Currently my favorite is my dollar store pen. It is just the right size so that I don't get hand cramp when I right with it. It is blue ink and has a yellow highlighter on top. It twists open so there is no cap to mess with (except for over the highlighter). I love my dollar store pen!

My Five Factor Personality Test Results

2007-09-26T12:31:00.001-05:00

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion:

You have medium extroversion.
You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party.
Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences.
But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time."

Conscientiousness:

You have high conscientiousness.
Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life.
Most things in your life are organized and planned well.
But you borderline on being a total perfectionist.

Agreeableness:

You have medium agreeableness.
You're generally a friendly and trusting person.
But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism.
You get along well with others, as long as they play fair.

Neuroticism:

You have low neuroticism.
You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.
Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.
Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure.

Openness to experience:

Your openness to new experiences is medium.
You are generally broad minded when it come to new things.
But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it.
You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Savannah's 10 month pictures...very, very, late

2007-09-22T16:06:00.001-05:00

So here are the 10 month pics. They are very late. I did take them on time, I just haven't gotten them posted. In just a couple of days I will be taking the 11 month pics so I thought it was about time to put them on here. I guess I wasn't in too much of a hurry because they really aren't very good pictures. Cole was in no mood to have his picture taken and Savannah wouldn't sit still for 2 seconds. Anyway, here they are...Savannah, Cole, and "the chair"...

Behind in my blogging...a month in review...

2007-09-22T15:38:00.001-05:00

I realized that it has been a while since I posted much of anything. Over the last few weeks we have spent A Day Out with Thomas, Nana & Pawpaw came for a short visit, Savannah learned how to do the touchdown sign, we went to a retreat with our youth group, Savannah learned to climb - EVERYTHING, and we spent a morning at the zoo where Savannah really got to see the animals for the first time. Cole and Savannah are really starting to play and have fun together too! It is so much fun to watch them laugh and play. Below are some pictures from our recent adventures (with a few just for fun ones thrown in)...

Favorite Laundry Detergent

2007-09-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

I love All liquid laundry detergent - the original scent formerly known as Surf. It just smells so fresh and clean. I love putting clothes in the dryer after they have been washed in it. I have been washing all of our clothes in All Free & Clear ever since Cole was born and have reserved yummy smelling detergent for just our sheets and towels because when I was little I was very sensitive to laundry detergent and my mom had to wash all my stuff in Purex so I am trying to avoid yucky skin stuff with my children. Anyway, I decided that today was the day to at least wash mine and Matt's clothes in yummy smelling laundry detergent again. Call me crazy, but it smells GOOD!!!!

Also, All has there 3x concentrated version of detergent that is bottled in smaller plastic bottles with the same great smelling cleaning punch! Check out their website for how it helps the environment!

For All the Alabama Fans I Love...

2007-09-15T07:55:00.000-05:00

Favorite Elementary School Teacher

2007-09-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

I went to 5 different Elementary Schools in 3 different states in 6 years. I don't even remember most of my teachers' names. But for the first half of 3rd grade my teacher was Mrs. Guy. I don't remember a whole lot about her, but she is the one who taught me that peanut butter is really good on apples! She was also very kind. I remember that she was probably in her 50s when she taught my class and she was taking piano lessons. I thought that was really neat. She even participated in a recital. I don't remember much about my school lessons from her, but I do remember the simple way she taught life lessons.

What crayon are you?

2007-09-11T21:59:00.000-05:00

Your world is colored with bright, vivid, wild colors.
You have a deep, complex personality - and you are always expressing something about yourself.
Bold and dominant, you are a natural leader. You have an energy that is intense... and sometimes overwhelming.
Your reaction to everything tends to be strong. You are the master of love-hate relationships.

Your color wheel opposite is green. Green people are way too mellow to understand what drives your energy.

What crayon are you?

I am cracking up that Mindy & I are color wheel opposites!!!! :)

Favorite Cartoon I Watched as a Kid...

2007-09-07T23:10:00.000-05:00

My favorite cartoon I watched as a kid was the Smurfs. I loved the little blue guys and all the mischief they got into. I wish cartoons were still like that!

Alvin & the Chipmunks come in a close second!

Favorite Candy That has Chocolate In It

2007-08-31T10:13:00.000-05:00

I love Reese's peanut butter cups! I especially like the holiday versions (Easter eggs, Christmas trees, etc.) because they have extra peanut butter. I LOVE peanut butter!! I also like the white chocolate and dark chocolate varieties. I don't care so much for the kinds that have all the extra stuff - crispy wafer, crunchy peanut butter, etc. - I like plain old creamy peanut butter covered in chocolate!! YUMMMMMM.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM/GRAM GRAM!!

2007-08-26T00:33:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Mama/Gram Gram
Happy Birthday to you!!!!
And MANY more.......

More things Cole has said recently...

2007-08-25T15:26:00.000-05:00

(Stopping at a stoplight)

Cole: "GO GO GO GO"
Me: "Cole, we have to wait our turn."
Cole: "My turn, my turn, MY TURN!"
Me: "No we have to wait for the light to turn green."
Cole: "MY TURN!"
(Light turns green and we proceed through intersection)
Me: "Cole now it's our turn."
Cole: "(S)top, (s)top, (s)top Mama."

"Await now." (Awake now.)
Regarding the zit on my chin - "Mama boo-boo. Fall Down. Hurt."
"No nap."
"No eat. Play now."
"Mama ree boot." (Mama read book.)
"Eat more."
Regarding the car Matt usually drives, "Daddy car."
Regarding the car I usually drive, "Cole car."

And my new favorite......

When he completes a frustrating task, such as putting the covers back on the armrests of his car seat or turning the light in the bathroom on,
"Got it myself!"

Favorite Thing About Fall

2007-08-24T12:16:00.000-05:00

Since I don't think Fall is ever going to arrive, I thought I would let you know what I am missing most. My favorite thing about fall is the crispness in the air. I love the way it makes it "feel" like football. I am really ready for the air to feel crisp instead of my grass!!!!

What can happen when you are blogging and your baby is very sleepy but will not lay down for a nap

2007-08-21T17:08:00.001-05:00

All of a sudden it got very quiet. I turned around and this is what I saw. She is just too cute!!!

Proof that I didn't leave her in the exersaucer

Over the mountains and through the woods...

2007-08-21T16:37:00.001-05:00

We spent a few days at my parents house this weekend. It was so great to see them and so hard to leave. I really do wish we could live closer to them. Anyway, we had a great time while we were there. Mom & I got to spend some time together just the two of us and that was really nice. We got to eat the best pizza and wings at one of our favorite local restaurants. We drove up to Blowing Rock and had a picnic and some of the yummiest ice cream I have ever had. Cole had a great time playing at the park with Papa and Gram Gram. We got to spend an evening with my Uncle Chris and Aunt Beth and a little bit of time with my cousin Taylor. Cole got very attached to each of them and has been talking about them ever since (it probably helps that Taylor handed some old toys down to him that he loves -- Thank you Taylor!) Mom helped me start making a dress for Savannah that I am going to finish sewing on my own. I will post a picture of it when it is done. All in all it was a wonderful little vacation - it just went by too fast. Here are some pics from our trip!

This is the best nap couch in the whole world. Savannah has now gotten that wonderful nap experience.

Playing with Papa

Cole climbing...this was so out of character for him ---HAHAHA!

Picnic at a park in Blowing Rock

Looking at the fish at "Chris and Bess (Beth)" house.

Want to know what Savannah will probably look like when she is older? My cousin Taylor is holding her in this picture. We looked at some of Taylor's baby pictures while we were there and there is a definite resemblance between these two.

Papa trying to feed Savannah applesauce.

"MMMMM...So Gooooood! Thanks cousin Ben for leaving some strawberry applesauce for me!"

Cole was so good in the car on the way home. Portable DVD players and naps are wonderful!

A good little traveler.

Favorite College Football Team

2007-08-17T16:28:00.000-05:00

WoooPigSooie! Go Razorbacks!! Or as Cole would say "Wooooo Pig Soo Soo!! Go Azorbacks!" I am so proud of him. Savannah is learning to call the hogs too!!

If I can ever get my videos to post I will put one on here of the kids "callin' the hogs". It is so funny!!

3 years and counting...

2007-08-14T15:06:00.000-05:00

Three years ago today I married my best friend. Who knew so much could happen in 3 years?

InfantSEE - Free Eye Exam for Children in their first year of Life

2007-08-14T14:19:00.000-05:00

http://www.infantsee.org/

I just recently found out about a national public health program that offers free comprehensive eye exams to children once during their first year of life. I took Savannah today and she has perfectly healthy eyes. I only wish I had known about this before Cole turned one. Our pediatrician recommended an optometrist to us. Click on the above link for more info and to locate a doctor.

Recent things Cole has said...

2007-08-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

Me: "What is your whole name?"
Cole: "Mattew Cole No No!"

Conversations with Cole are hilarious these days. His vocabulary and personality are growing everyday. Here are a few things he has said recently...

To the tune of the Alphabet song "O, P, O, P, O, P, O, P, R, S, T, EW, V, DOUBLE, X, Y, Z, sing with me -- Cole..."
While changing his teddy bears diaper "More wipe, Gross, Dry Now."
While eating pretty much anything, "MMMMMMMMMMMMM (head shake), SO GOOD!!"
"Help, Pease"
"Hey Mama"
"Too loud!!!"
During a dirty diaper change, "Cole tinks, Cole tinks"
"Wooooooo, Pig Soo Soo"
"My turn, my turn, MY TURN"
"Va-Va" - His version of Savannah

Cole's ER Debut & the Kindness of Strangers

2007-08-06T13:42:00.001-05:00

At 11:00 this morning Cole, Savannah, & I were making our way into Wal-Mart. About 5 ft. from the front door Cole tripped and fell. From the sound that was made as his head hit the concrete, I knew I didn't really want to see the right side of his forehead nor did I have any idea what I was going to do with Savannah who I was carrying in my left arm. At about the instant I decided I was just going to have to set her down on the ground, a mother with her small child came out of Wal-Mart with a cart full of stuff and asked what she could do. So she held Savannah for me while I took a good look at Cole. As expected he had a GIGANTIC goose egg above his right eye. Another mother had come up behind us and offered her help as well. She went in and got an entire bag of ice for us. A man who had been standing outside Wal-Mart put some ice in a Wal-Mart bag for us so I could hold it on Cole's head. Cole didn't really want the ice, but I was able to hold it on there a little. I quickly called the doctor's office to find out if I should go to see our pediatrician or head to the ER. They said go to the closest ER so that is what we did. The mom who was holding Savannah carried her to the car for me while pushing her cart and buckled her into her car seat while I got Cole into his car seat. Luckily the closest ER is only about 5 min. from Wal-Mart and was not busy at all so we were able so go right back. Matt was able to meet us there shortly after we arrived. Cole is fine and we will just have to watch him closely for a couple of days. He was lucid and acting normal through everything. We will go see our pediatrician for a follow-up in a couple of days. Thank you so much to all of the "strangers" who helped us. I did not hold it together quite as well as this little narrative sounds and if each of those people had not been there to help me I am not sure what I would have done. God really does provide for our every need!!

Here are some pictures of the "boo-boo". Within 2 hours of the fall we were home and watching Veggie Tales. The swelling is already much better than it was. Cole is dancing in circles, jumping, and climbing as usual. Children bounce back so quickly!

Favorite Color

2007-08-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

My favorite color is purple...bet you couldn't tell that from my blog's new color scheme!!!!!

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2007-07-29T16:42:00.000-05:00

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Savannah sat here so patiently while I got caught up on my blog, I decided to let her do a post of her own. What do you think???

Security Larry

2007-07-29T16:23:00.000-05:00

Before Cole was born I thought he would one day have a "blankie". I assumed that of all the beautiful baby blankets he had received, that he would have a special one that he would want all the time. Just recently Cole has picked his security item. It took a lot longer than I thought it would and it is not one of his beautiful baby blankets. It is Larry the Cucumber. Larry does everything with us. He eats meals with us (in a bib and buckled into a booster seat), he goes to the grocery store, restaurants and church, he goes to the potty and is present for baths. Larry is very much a part of the Moss family now. I must say that it is nice that Larry is so agreeable with me about naptime and bedtime. Larry wanting to go "night-night" makes Cole much more enthusiastic about it too!

Doughtie/Moss Family Night

2007-07-29T16:15:00.001-05:00

So Mindy and I have been trying to find a time to get our families together for what seems like forever. We finally did it last weekend. Here are some of the pictures of the kids. I apologize for the funny camera angle. I was attempting to be artisitc...ATTEMPTING!!

"Mom, why did you dress me like her????" - Hannah

Aren't they sweet???

Going in for the steal...

"Mama, Daddy, do you know what Cole & Hannah are doing...gross!" - Savannah

Favorite Recipe from Mom

2007-07-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

My favorite recipe from my mom has been previously posted as Favorite Church Potluck Casserole. There are so many yummy recipes, but this is truly my favorite. So, in case you missed it the first time, you can find Mom's Chicken Rotel recipe by clicking HERE.

Savannah is 9 months old....

2007-07-25T16:04:00.000-05:00

I know that I say this every month, but I can't believe how fast Savannah's first year is going by. She had her well check this week and Dr. Collins says she is a healthy girl. She weighed 17 lbs. 10 oz. and is 27 inches tall. She is just getting so big so fast. Here are the 9 months pics....

For those of you who think she ALWAYS smiles....Cole is not quite sure what to do when she cries. She gets her feelings hurt VERY easily these days...

...thankfully the tears don't last long.

Favorite Vacation Spot

2007-07-20T13:17:00.001-05:00

My favorite vacation spot is Hawaii!!! Matt & I went to Oahu on our honeymoon. It was my first (and only so far) time to go there. It was absolutely beautiful. Here are some pictures from our trip. (I was anti digital camera at the time, so I don't have very many pictures in digital format. These don't do justice to how beautiful it was.)

Newlyweds just arrived in Honolulu.

That fresh pineapple was yummy for breakfast every morning. If there was one thing I could take from our honeymoon and have everyday for the rest of my life it would be the breakfasts. The view, the buffet, the Kona coffee, and the yummy pineapple - and I didn't have to clean it up!!

Diamond Head - Our view from breakfast every morning. We climbed it one day. It was a difficult climb, but the view from up there was breathtaking.

Somewhere off the beaten path.

Our last sunset.

Hard to believe it's been almost three years ago!! Wow, so much has changed.....

This little light of mine....

2007-07-16T16:38:00.000-05:00

I was reading someone's blog a few weeks ago - she doesn't know me, but I really enjoy her blog. Anyway, she had an entry about how she had lost "the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart". She went on to discuss how through her bible study of joy she discovered that the absence of study, prayer, and contact with Christ was keeping the joy from her heart. While this may seem like common sense to some of you, it really struck a cord with me. At about the same time I read her blog entry, I started singing "This Little Light of Mine" with Cole alot.

This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine
Let it shine
Let it shine
(Oh, yeah)

Full lyrics here

I confess that I have been feeling spiritually empty lately. This simple "children's" song holds so much power in its words. Why do we coin such beautiful messages as kiddie songs? I have decided that this is my new theme song. I know there will be times when I fail, but I want to have "the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart" and I want my light to shine BRIGHT! Just singing the song with Cole makes me feel better.

Also, Crosswalk.com has this really cool tool I stumbled upon today. It will track you reading the whole Bible in a year. You can start anytime. Just click here, then select "Bible in a Year". It is really easy to setup. I started today - so I am publicly announcing my attempt to read the whole Bible before July 16, 2008.

Moss Family Time

2007-07-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to Nana & Pawpaw's house. It was so much fun. We hadn't seen Mike, Lorri, Courtney, Josh, & Justin since Christmas of 2005. That was way too long between visits. We will have to make sure it is not that long before next time. Cole & Savannah had so much fun with their cousins.

Happy 4th of July!!

Savannah's first watermelon.

Justin and Cole REALLY enjoying their watermelon.

Nana and Pawpaw invited Gram Gram and Papa to spend the 4th with us. Here is the Bradshaw/Moss family picture.

Almost the whole family...Lorri was giving Justin a bath to wash off the watermelon.

Nana and Pawpaw got to spend some quality time with Justin, Cole, & Savannah while Mike, Lorri, Courtney, and Josh went horseback riding.

Justin and Cole taking a walk with Pawpaw.

Josh & Cole building

Fun in the Sun

2007-06-30T19:09:00.000-05:00

Let's go swimming!!!

Didn't want to stay!

Splash!

All on his own.

Relaxing after her first swim.

Didn't want to leave!