Everyday Events with the Edwards

These are a few of my favorite things…

2011-12-27T15:03:00.001-05:00

Christmas has to be one of my favorite times of the year. It’s a time where we celebrate the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have to say it just melts my heart to hear Gabriel and Becky share the story of His birth and why we celebrate Christmas. It’s also that time of year where we visit with family that we don’t get to see very often and everyone gets creative in the kitchen.

Here are a few of my favorites from this season

Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip

1 lb grated cheddar cheese
2 bundles chopped green onions
1 cup chopped pecans
4 Tablespoons mayo
Pepper Jelly
Mix first four ingredients (cheese, onions, pecans and mayo) together thoroughly. Spread mixture into a shallow dish. Spread pepper jelly over mixture.; May be chilled. Serve with Ritz crackers or Wheat Thins.

(Thanks Madison!) And by the way, I don’t like half of the ingredients in this dish BUT they are OH SO GOOD together!

Salsa Roll Ups

8 oz. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese

TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

4 flour tortillas (6 inch)

1/2 cupKRAFT Mexican Style 2% Milk Finely Shredded Four Cheese

1/4 tsp.chili powder

Mix cream cheese and salsa; spread onto tortillas.

Roll up tortillas tightly. Cut each crosswise into 5 slices.

I look forward every year to the creative things the kids make a school. I decided to put some of their ornaments on a tree in the kitchen this year instead of our big tree. Love this angel on top of the tree!

This little snowman is just too cute as well!

This gift is one of my all time favorites~ Gabriel made me open it the day he brought it home so he could display it throughout the Holiday season

I also love the fact they everyone cooperates with pictures this time of the year as well!

LOVE THIS! A gift from Jena and Shane~ blanket with one of the pictures from Amelia Island this summer.

Gene has a gift at gift buying for me! Just when I think he can’t out do what he did the year before……… he does!

This year he surprised me with a Pandora bracelet~ to make it even more special, Gabriel picked out the charms!

Later Christmas afternoon, we went to mama and daddy’s. Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite people!

Gene wasn’t feeling up to pictures at this time (he was a little under the weather) so here are my favorite little people!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed time with your family!

We are off to Gatlinburg for some quality Crosby~Edwards~Waters time!

Blessed Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T23:31:00.000-05:00

We may only celebrate Thanksgiving once a year but I am thankful everyday for so many things.

In everything, give thanks………….1 Thessalonians 5:18

Becky enjoyed her 1st Thanksgiving feast at school this year. I was so fortunate to be able to enjoy watching her celebrate!

And my handsome Pilgrim

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Brannen’s. We always have such a good time visiting with them! We arrived Wednesday night and started our time with then with another birthday celebration for Becky and Madison~

Pretty Girls!

Present time!

Even Gabe got in on the action! Geaux Tigers!

Thursday was a day of too much eating, nature trail walking, family talking and cold trolley rides. We made our way up to Callaway Gardens to see the Christmas lights. I love going here and I think the lights get prettier each time we visit.

Spring Fairies

Jack Frost

Swan Lake

12 Drummers Drumming

Inside Santa’s Village

Rudolph seemed to follow Ashton everywhere :)

We are truly blessed to be able to travel and spend time with family we don’t get to see very often.

We were also blessed to make it safely back home and spend time with the “Crosby” family and eat more turkey Saturday night! God has blessed us with such a wonderful family.

Happy 5th Birthday

2011-11-28T23:12:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated the fun loving, always smiling, hug giving, never a dull moment birthday of our very special Becky! She has brought so much happiness to our lives during the past 5 years. May your personality always be as out going as it is today. May your smile always be a ray of sunshine that always brightens our days. We are so blessed that God shared you with us! I thank him for you everyday~

American Girl Experience

2011-11-27T23:05:00.001-05:00

Meme and Papa wanted to celebrate Becky’s 5th birthday by taking her to the American Girl doll store. While Gene was pheasant hunting in South Dakota, Meme, Papa, Jena, the kids and I loaded up and headed to Atlanta.

We arrived and were all overwhelmed with all the choices there were. There were dolls in plenty and outfits galore~

Becky wanted one that looked like her and therefore that is what we did first.

Meet Emma Grace, that has curly hair, blue eyes and freckles or “dots” as Becky calls them.

Now to find the right outfit and accessory. Matching pj’s were first on the list.

Give Emma Grace a BIG hug before she heads back to get her ears pierced, just like Becky.

She was such a big girl. Now Becky is listening to how she should take care of Emma Grace’s ear rings.

Then we were off to one of my favorite spots…….mostly for the dessert…. The CHEESECAKE FACTORY.

Here is the BEST big brother EVER! He never complained the first time as we celebrated and shopped!

Happy Birthday Becky! We had the best waitress EVER~ she was so attentive and made Becky’s night!

Here is my dessert~ it was so YUMMY!

Meme and Papa made reservations at a hotel next to the store and they had American Girl packages. This was a surprise for Becky. It was a “pink” themed room with gifts for the doll and milk and cookies for Becky and the doll. Can you tell she was excited?!

Pink beanbag

Pink Towels

Saturday morning we got up and went to the American Girl Bistro for brunch. Even Emma Grace had a spot at the table with her own plate and cup.

My two favorite LITTLE people~ well not so little anymore :(

Thank you MEME and PAPA! This will be a birthday NEVER forgotten!

Happy Birthday Becky

2011-11-14T21:36:00.001-05:00

Becky had her 5th Birthday party @ 30 Volume this past weekend. Thank Melissa for the invitations!

I think the girls had a good time getting their hair, make up and nails done. They colored Ariel pictures, made tiaras and just enjoyed being “GIRLS”!

Nails

Make~ UP

Hair

BIG Thanks to Jena, Taylor and Jenae for making this day so much fun and a day she will NEVER forget!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-14T21:09:00.001-05:00

We had another fun year trick or treating with great friends!

This year Gabriel wanted to be a zombie…..

AAaHHaahahaHHHAAAA……

Whew……… it’s just Gabriel!

Don’t worry~ SUPER GIRL is here to save you!

Fun times with Friends!

Hello Darlin, it’s been a long time~ We’ve just been busy!

2011-10-08T22:52:00.001-04:00

I don’t think I have ever been this long between posts. In my defense, there has been so much going on! I spend so much time on my computer doing assignments that during my “free time” the keyboard is the last thing I want to see. So to try and bring us up to speed, here’s what’s happened between vacation and now :)

Starting School

Becky started K4 this year. I can’t believe my baby is in school and is doing so well! She loves going~ although I think she likes the social aspect more than the actual learning. She wanted the teacher that had the trains and that is who she got~ Mrs. Cofield

Gabriel started 2nd grade! He lucked up as well and got the teacher he wanted, Mrs. Swindell. He is really enjoying school this year…. is eager every morning to get up and get out the door.

South Tattnall Sluggers

Gabriel had his first experience with baseball this Fall (where you keep score, 3 strikes you’re out, 3 outs, etc). He has had such a good time! He has had such a great group of boys to play with!

Father/ Son moment after his 1st game! Way to go Gabe!

And of course Becky loved tagging along for the fun so she could play with all her friends!

Spirit Week @ PCA

Flashback

Tacky Day

Spirit Day

Becky enjoyed her first field trip to Disney on Ice

First Wee Cheer Performance

Until next time :)

Night Time Fun

2011-08-04T09:25:00.000-04:00

Ghost Crab hunting

Around 9 or later, we would venture out to the beach with our flashlights and crab net in search of these

They would shine their flashlights and run and chase them down before they went back into their hole

Nothing like nighttime walks on the beach…….

Beach Time~ Surf’s Up

2011-08-04T09:15:00.000-04:00

These two loved having their toes in the sand and boards in the water!

Their faces say it ALL

Oops… she got a little to far up on her board

Waiting on a BIG one

We just can’t get enough of the beach~ we were so blessed to be able to go and stay and enjoy the beauty of it.

Pool Time

2011-08-04T09:09:00.000-04:00

We have so much fun when dad goes with us to the pool.

Little game of toss the children

Becky flipping off the side

Places to EaT

2011-08-04T08:02:00.001-04:00

With so many places to eat around Daytona, it was hard to choose where we ate. Some of our favorites were,

~North Turn~

This was right next to our condo. It has old race cars and memorabilia from the days of racing at that stretch of beach. The food was really good!

~Booth’s Bowery~

Famous for their hamburgers

Christmas in July

Two Little Birds

~Aunt Catfish’s~

We stopped by here on the first night we were there, and decided NOT to stay for the 2.5 hour wait. So the night we decided to go, I called ahead and we walked right in :) The food was good but the cinnamon rolls that come with the dinners were even better!

My second favorite “EAT” was Bubba Gump’s! We love the atmosphere and the food is just GREAT. We watched SmUrFs before headed to dinner. It was such a CUTE movie! Afterwards we headed down stairs to Ocean Walk to eat at Bubba Gump’s.

While we were waiting

~Bubba Gump~

Kids tried to ring a mug with ping pongs on the top shelf while we waited.

Once seated~

Becky REALLY liked the crab and shrimp stuffed hush puppies. Well, so did everyone because we had to put in another order :P

More entertainment afterwards with the

Hu-pa-loop-a-s as Becky calls them :)

A shot of the kids and the strip

And my favorite meal of the week

~Takara Steakhouse and Sushi~

This is the BEST Japanese restaurant I have EVER eaten at. You have the choice of the hibachi grille or they can bring it to the table. We chose to have them bring it to the table.

Becky trying out the chop sticks

Gabriel was DETERMINED to eat with them

Doesn’t that just look SOOO good?

Determination

HE DID IT

And Green Tea ice cream for dessert~ YUCK

the ReAl Ice Cream

~Cow Licks~

Putt Putt Time

2011-08-03T17:10:00.000-04:00

We played putt putt a couple of times. The first was at

And yes, there were live alligators

They even got to hold one

And

Yes he did!

Becky took this one

Deep Sea Fishing Adventure

2011-08-03T12:42:00.000-04:00

Me and my two guys boarded the Sea Spirit for a half day deep sea fishing excursion. Gene and I have always enjoyed deep sea fishing in our boat but have never taken Gabriel for fear that he would get sea sick. We figured while we were in Daytona, we would let Gabriel try it to see how he would do. He loved it!

Getting ready to board the boat

Posing on the way out to sea

A few shots on the way out

FISH ON

Gabriel was the first to get a bite and pull one in. It was a Pig Fish. From then on, he was hooked

He caught several more and had a great time

Here are a few more shots from the rest of the trip

Look closely at the center of the picture~ that round pink object is a jelly fish! They were everywhere out there and were HUGE!

On the way back in, we came up on a pod of manatee. There were about 8 of them.

Love spending time with my guys!

Daytona II

2011-08-03T08:53:00.001-04:00

I could really get used to this view

While watching my three favorite people do this

It was nice just to sit around, with no clock and no where to be and just enjoy each other.

End of Summer Break Vacation ~ Daytona Beach

2011-08-02T19:20:00.001-04:00

Well we decided to take one more trip before summer break was over. Since the kids and I had such a good time in Daytona last year, we decided to go back this year but took Gene and Meme and Papa with us. We had a great time but it went by too fast. We got there Saturday and on Wednesday, I said “I can’t believe it’s ALREADY Wednesday”, Gene said “I can’t believe it’s ONLY Wednesday”. He was a trooper :) Here are our two SuRfErs~

4th of July 2011

2011-07-13T14:31:00.004-04:00

We spent most of our morning just being lazy before heading over to mama and daddy’s for a delicious lunch and swimming. Afterwards we all headed over to Statesboro to watch fireworks at Mill Creek.

A little football and monkey in the middle before the show

Quick pose for the camera

Watching the fireworks

~I’m Proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m Free~

Thanks Melissa!

2011-07-13T09:28:00.003-04:00

For my awesome header! I LOVE IT!

Amelia Island 2011

2011-07-09T17:05:00.001-04:00

We made our annual GACS trip this year! I was worried that the smoke was going to suffocate us but we were very lucky and had no troubles~ I wanted to take some pictures of Becky in the dress she wore in Shane and Jena’s wedding at the beach. One night while Gene and I were at dinner, Jena took them out and got some great shots on the beach and surprised us!

Since there are so many beautiful trees, flowers and such on the plantation, the next morning we set out to take some more! Gabriel was even eager to participate this morning!

Had another great year at GACS, looking forward to next year already~

Time……. Please stand still….

2011-07-02T17:57:00.001-04:00

We are having SO much fun this summer and we don’t want it to end~

Taking naps

Riding 4 wheelers in the Pond (well what was once part of the pond)

Waiting to get gas in the 4 wheeler

SWInGiNg

Chasing “Ruby” the short lived pet chicken that was dropped off with 3 other friends that didn’t make it :) (Thanks Audrey!)

Catching minnows

And fish

Hitting golf balls after BaTh TiMe

Enjoying God’s Handiwork

Beach time and pictures

Swimming and swimming

Picnics by the pool

Playing DrEsS Up

Being SiLLy!

Water baLLoons to try to wet mama

Growing pumpkins (this is what happens when the kids bust their pumpkins on the front porch in the fall….. they grow in the summer)

Mastering the cartwheel

But most of all, loving every minute that we are able to spend together. What a WonDerFul summer we’ve had so far!

Disney 2011

2011-06-30T10:36:00.001-04:00

As I said in my last post, we came home Sunday from Atlanta and decided to leave Monday to see MICKEY!!! We were so excited about going we couldn’t wait~ so we called and added two days so we could leave earlier and come home later :) We took Gene’s camera so some of the pictures didn’t turn out quiet like I wanted them but oh well, that’s what the Photo Pass is for right!

After what seemed like FOREVER, we finally made it!

What we found when we got to our room

Kids just couldn’t wait to go explore and get something to eat.

The kids put in to swim after dinner so we stayed long enough to get wet. We had a BiG day ahead of us!

Day 1 Magic Kingdom

This is Becky and I while we waited on Gene and Gabriel to ride Space Mountain. This was Gabriel’s first BIG roller coaster and he LOVED IT!

Becky drove her first car

Gabriel and Gene stayed in front

We all love the TEA CUPS

First performance of the day…..

Watching her face was priceless~

Off to see the PRINCESSES!! She was so excited :0)

Him……. not so much!

Sleeping Beauty and Becky

Beauty and Becky

Cinderella and Becky

We’ve got ears, say CHEERS. After trying on every single pair of ears, she FINALLY chose these.

Gabriel created his own ears, we thought that was pretty neat.

Gabriel, Goofy and Becky

Well we had a wonderful day at the Magic Kingdom. The weather was beautiful, the crowds weren’t bad and we got to ride everything we wanted with little or no wait. Now it was time to settle down in a front row spot and grab a bite to eat while we waited on the parade to start. This is when I wished I had my camera for the Nighttime parade.

What a great day~ now time to head back to the room and get rested up for another fun filled day at…….

Day 2 Hollywood Studios

We LOVE this spot!

Becky spots Pluto making his way through the park and grabs a “High Five” before their meet and greet….

Beauty and the Beast Musical…one of our favorites at this park. Would really like to see it on Broadway on day!

These pictures don’t do these pink dresses justice. They were the most vibrant pink I think I have ever seen. They were just beautiful.

Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun Parade

My two absolutely must watch Phineas and Ferb every time they come on Disney~ These characters were the most interactive with the kids. It was as much fun to watch them with the kids as it is on television.

Star Wars was one of the favorite rides at this park. They were a little nervous before we went in but as soon as we got off, they were ready to get back in line. They especially liked it when their mom was chosen as the “Rebel Spy” and the reason we were being chased.

This prop was really neat. It was shaped like an action figure box and the kids stood behind the glass so it looks like they are inside. Gabe struck his “Ultimate Action Figure” pose.

And here’s Becky’s……lol Looks pretty tough huh?

Cars 2 mural

Gabriel wanted to take a picture of Gene and I

My babies and I~ LOVE them

Being their WILD~selves

Waiting for the new Toy Story ride. This had to be the most fun ride for me! Becky and I smoked Gene and Gabriel’s score :)

And well, last but not least…… The Rockin’ Roller Coaster. I used to love to ride these things but two kids and ten year later, not so much. It has been over 10 years since I’ve been on a roller coaster that wasn’t made for 40 inches in height and under. So needless to say, when Gabriel put in to ride and Gene couldn’t because Space Mountain did a number on his already hurt neck, that left me to go with him. I was so nervous while we were waiting and thinking to myself, how crazy am I? When we got to the actual ride, and I saw how fast that thing took off, I almost backed out but he was so excited so I hung in there. We got fastened in and we were off….. needless to say, my eyes stayed closed the majority of the ride but after a while I did peak a couple of times. When we got off, we found our picture and of course my eyes were SHUT but Gabriel’s were WIDE open. He said that was the coolest roller coaster and it went SUPER fast~ I agree on the SUPER fast part.

Day Three Ohana’s Breakfast and Animal Kingdom

We have eaten at Chef Mickey’s and the Crystal Palace in the past, so this year we decided to try the Ohana Breakfast at the Polynesian. This was the best so far. The Polynesian was absolutely beautiful and breath taking itself (definitely put that Hawaii trip back to the top of the list). We walked in, were given leis and had our picture taken.

Then we were taken to our table by our “cousin”, this is what we were referred to by our host/ waitress. They started the meal by bringing cinnamon bread and pineapple bread to the table (which was out of this world delicious) and some kind of pineapple, mango, orange juice which was great too. After we had time to sample this, they brought out our food, which was served “family style” verses the buffet which we were used to at the other restaurants. It included sausage, bacon, eggs, homemade fries, biscuits, Mickey waffles and a platter of fresh fruit.

As we enjoyed our meal, we were visited by Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto.

On to the Animal Kingdom……

The Lion King is one of our favorites and must do’s at the Animal Kingdom. We love the music and MONKEYs!

They were so excited to see MINNIE

Gene and Gabriel wanted to ride the Kali Rapids, but since we had ordered pictures from breakfast, I sacrificed and stood out so I, I mean the pictures wouldn’t get wet.

They both wanted tattoos but Gabriel was a little nervous when Gene told him they used needles…. poor child will probably grow up with some kind of complex because of all the “tricks” Gene plays on him.

So I have to add this in…… Becky’s tattoo stayed for almost 2 weeks and when it finally came off, she had a tan line tattoo to take it’s place.

We had a blast at It’s a Bug’s Life……..

Dinosaur

and the Safari’s

Later that evening we headed back to Hollywood Studios to see Fantasmic~ it’s amazing

This would make the 2nd night Becky left the park in someone’s arms because she was asleep.

Day 4 Epcot

The only reason we come to this park is for

I absolutely love this ride. It’s almost relaxing…. you’re flying high in the sky with the wind in your face looking over the land. It’s just breath taking.

So breath taking that Gene keeps his eyes shut for most of the ride because he’s not a fan of heights….. but isn’t he the best for overcoming his fears to ride with us!

Another meet and greet….. Gabriel looks like he is being eaten by Pluto :P

Day 5 Typhoon Lagoon

Since we were able to have a day at each park, we were able to do everything we wanted. Saturday, we decided to go to Typhoon Lagoon at Gabriel’s request because he saw somewhere that he could swim with sharks. We were all going to go but when they said the water was a warm 70 degrees, I was relieved when Becky said she wasn’t wearing that mask and didn’t want to go.

Gene said Gabriel was shaking the whole time, but not sure if it was because he was cold or nervous.

So being the protective mother that I am, I was ok with us just hanging by the kiddie section and lazy river. Gabriel had other plans……. he wanted to ride slides. So off we go……. here is the 3 story drop slide that he rode first….. then 3 more times afterwards

Must say he is braver than me because I have NEVER liked to ride those things! We also ventured on the family raft ride which was fun. There was also a HUGE wave pool that sent out a 6 foot wave

This was our first trip to a Disney Water park and I don’t think it will be our last!

So what do we do on our last night at Disney????? Eat with MICKEY again. We managed to find one reservation at Chef Mickey’s for dinner and off we went. I have to say that I think I like the dinner better than the breakfast at Chef Mickey’s

Gabriel wanted a turn with the camera!

Becky’s turn

Since we were so close, we headed back over to the Magic Kingdom for the parade and fireworks show. It was just as good as it was Tuesday night! We had a great week. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family.

May Madness (a month’s worth of posts)

2011-06-07T10:09:00.001-04:00

It seems that May is always the busiest month for our family. This year is no different. Our first weekend started with Becky and her first dance recital. As I have said before, it has always been my dream to have a little girl that enjoys dancing as much as I did when I was growing up. I think she LoVes it more than I did. This girl seems to dance non stop, even when we are walking placing, such as the mall. She is in constant dance motion. We are entertained at home with nightly performances by Becky. She has a combination of dances she’s seen as well as her own dance moves. She was so excited once again to put on make up and get on stage.

Becky and Daddy

Becky and her dancing BuDdIeS

Showing off some dance moves

The next day was Mother’s Day~ Gene spoiled us once again with lunch. For the past 5 years or so, he has cooked lunch for my family and his and this year was no different. Our menu consisted of low country boil and homemade apple pies~ even the shell was made from scratch! Needless to say, it was DE~LISH!

Later in the week, on Thursday, we celebrated Gabriel’s 7th birthday! Can’t believe that 7 years have gone by since we were blessed with this boy. It seems just like yesterday we brought him home. He has brought so much happiness to our lives~ he continues to make us proud everyday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABRIEL!

Gene has been training for the past couple of months to run the 5k Onion Run. We decided to make it a family affair so the kids, Jena and I ran the 1 mile and Gene ran the 5k. Gabriel got 1st place in this age division and Jena and Becky got 2nd place in their age division. Gene beat his normal time of 36 minutes and finished in 34 minutes! So proud of all of them!

Gene and Gabriel walked with the Clyde’s Market group during the parade.

After the parade, we had to head home to get Becky ready to dance at the Festival~ she was super excited once again!

The following week wrapped up the ball season for both Gabriel and Becky!

As I rounded up my last week of school, so did Gabriel. He had a wonderful time at his end of the year party. I think LIMBO was the kids favorite activity!

Of course Gabriel tried to see how close to the ground he could get every time!

Friday ended his 1st grade year. We were very proud of his progress and how well he has done~ he is off to a great start will all A’s! Keep up the good work Gabriel….. WE LOVE YOU! You are doing GREAT!

Last few minutes as a 1st Grader

Music Award~ must get this from his DADDY!

Physical Fitness Award

AR Award

Our 2nd Grader

Since the previous weekends were busy, we had to put off having his party until the Saturday after he got out of school. A HUGE THANK YOU goes to Melissa for helping with all the decorations! She is SO very talented~ I sent her an idea for a Nerf party (Gabriel’s idea) and here is what she came up with!

Birthday Banner

Cupcake Toppers

Water bottle labels

Goody Bag Toppers

Thanks to all his friends for coming to make his Nerf/ Swim party such a fun day!

Poor Becky had one more day of school and then had her end of the year program that Monday night. She has practiced singing every song and said everything that was done at the program that night.

Sammy Square

Becky got the Busy Beaver Award~ which I thought was just what it said “BUSY” but I was wrong~ This award is the “Highest award given to the student that excelled in the following areas: Christian Attitude, Academics, Bible Memory and Leadership”.

Becky we are so PROUD of YOU~ You are the sunshine of our lives. You are so full of life and love~ we hope your personality will continue to grow and that you will always be the HAPPY person that you are! We LOVE you!

Busy Beaver Award

She also got a Cleverly Creative award in art because she was ALWAYS wanting to add PINK GLITTER to every activity Mrs. Robin had planned….Go figure :)

And so we spent our next 3 days at meme and papa’s pool just enjoying our 1st couple of days off. Then it was on the road. Gene and I celebrated our 11th anniversary at Ashton’s Graduation in Atlanta. She graduated Friday night and had her party on Saturday. Gene decided we should stay downtown Atlanta at the Westin. He wanted to see Gabriel and Becky’s reaction to the outside elevator~ which he found out they are NOT scared of heights like he is. When we checked in, Gabriel went straight to the window to look down and out. Becky was a little more hesitant at first, she just kind of stood back by the foot of the bed.

Saturday we went to Mimi’s cafe, Gene and my favorite breakfast place (where we go when we are in Atlanta for SEC or shopping). Then we ventured up to Yellow River Game Ranch where the animals such as deer, rabbit, ducks, and chipmunks roam free. The animals would come up to you and eat out of your hands. They also had other animals in cages that you could feed as well~ buffalo, bear, burro, donkeys, turkeys, etc. The kids thought it was neat.

After that we went back to the Westin for a trip up to the Sundial.

Later that evening we headed back to Peachtree City for Ashton’s party! LOTS of fun~ I think Becky danced the entire time. Gabriel had fun dancing as well…… We wrapped up the trip Sunday with lunch at Taco Mac, YuMmY~ Congratulations Ashton! Good Luck at Belmont in the Fall :)

A couple months ago, we made reservations for Disney! We were supposed to leave Tuesday morning but couldn’t wait! We called and had two extra nights added to our stay, packed everything Monday morning and were on our way by lunch!

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed

2011-04-24T21:08:00.001-04:00

Isn’t this beautiful~ Our Church requested that every family bring a flower to put on the Cross this morning. “You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my HeArT~

Saturday Egg Fun

2011-04-24T20:59:00.001-04:00

We started our Saturday off with Gabriel waking me up at 4:00 wanting to go turkey hunting. Needless to say, they went and I went back to sleep :)

Around 10 we headed over to Hubbard Park to enjoy the Church Family Fun Day~ which consisted of great food, wonderful fellowship, putt putt, Bouncy Slides and lots of eggs to hunt.

Later that afternoon, we colored eggs~ that was loads of fun.

PCA 1st Grade Easter Party

2011-04-24T20:33:00.001-04:00

The entire 1st grade class enjoyed their Easter party Friday. They were escorted by the Easter Bunny to the festivities as they walked from PCA. It was really funny to watch as they had to follow 1st grade tradition and walk 10 giant steps before they could hunt eggs. But as soon as Mrs. Haddon counted 10 they were OFF and there was no stopping them!

Here they are listening to the rules~

And getting ready to take their 10 steps…….

And they are off……………………..

What a great morning! It was so nice to see the smiles on all the kids faces as they ran around and spent time together. What a great group of kids! Gabriel is so blessed to be surrounded by great friends!

Busy Little Beavers Egg Hunt

2011-04-24T20:08:00.001-04:00

Becky and the other BLBs had their egg hunt Thursday. Becky was excited to have meme go with her. She had lots of fun and from the pictures, I think Becky did too!

(Poor Cooper!!!)

First Ball Games of the Season

2011-04-12T19:36:00.001-04:00

Whew…… two ball games, 15 minutes apart is how our ball season has started :) Luckily the Rockies and Rays were playing on side by side fields. I ran back and forth to take a few pictures.

Gabriel’s First Game~

Becky’s First Game~

I think they both enjoyed their games~ Now to get rested up for pictures and games on Saturday :)

Purple Glove + Pink Bat +Pink Swoosh on Shoes + Bow = Becky’s First T ball Practice

2011-04-07T20:28:00.001-04:00

Becky had her 1st tball practice this afternoon! I have to say she paid more attention than I thought she would. I think she had a good time! We’ll see how she does next week when she has her first game.

A few before we left for the park~

Becky being Becky

Posing with her glove

And bat

Few from practice~

He Lost it…..

2011-03-12T11:09:00.001-05:00

finally! Gabriel lost his first tooth a couple weeks ago. (yes, I know I’m a little behind). And if you look closely, you will be able to tell that the other 3 front teeth are loose too~ because of the way they appear to be going everywhere! We tried for 2 weeks to pull this tooth and he wouldn’t let us. Gabriel got off the bus that Monday afternoon with a HUGE smile and handed me his bag~ “Look mom, I did it all by myself”. He said “Grayson showed me what to do, I got a kleenex and pulled it all by myself……… and it only hurt just a little”.

Gatlinburg

2011-01-20T19:19:00.001-05:00

(sorry, long post)

I see the sunrise and sunset and am always in awe at how beautiful God made our world. However, there is just something about seeing it from another perspective that just makes me really understand how GREAT He truly is.

Gene and I wanted to take a quick trip somewhere during the last part of our Christmas break. We started thinking about places to go, SOUTH where it was warmer, Snow Mountain where the kids could play, and ended up deciding on the mountains. We searched and searched for cabins to stay in near Gatlinburg but got disappointed every time we checked the availability dates~ guess everyone wanted to celebrate New Years in the mountains. I spent most of my Wednesday afternoon on VRBO and of course~ NOTHING. Later that evening, I was trying just once more because I knew if I pushed this button just a little harder something will be available. First three places, nope, then on my LAST attempt, YES, this cabin was open. I got Gene to call to make sure because SURELY there was NO WAY this could have happened. Guess what, YEP it was available, renters had cancelled 30 minutes prior to us calling…… GOD’s work~ Definitely!!! So we booked the cabin and by 11:00 the next morning we were headed out.

After finding a grocery store and what felt like a really tight turn on ice and snow…… we finally made it to our cabin. Gabriel was super excited to get out of the truck and see snow.

Then next day, as I walked up stairs to look out the windows, this is what I saw…..

Just breath taking although these pictures don’t show the true beauty of God’s Handy Work.

Here are two other creations!

A few shots along our route that morning.

Our first venture was to Cade’s Cove. This was an 11 mile track that you were able to drive through but could get out and walk to different places or pull off to the side, should you see something you wanted to photo or look at, such as deer, Elk or bear, yep that is what the big black thing in the top of that tree. Luckily he would rather sleep than worry about all the people below that would have made a delicious dinner!

Here are a few other pictures from along the trail~

We also wanted to see a waterfall while we were there so we decided to hike the 2.5 mile trail to Abrams Falls. Now if we could have all had Becky’s way of getting there…..

And back……

We wouldn’t have had those sore muscles the day after. Here are a few pictures from the hike.

Finally, Abrams Falls……just amazing.

And the trip back….

Gabriel wanted to make sure he made it to the top of the mountain.

Ok, so if you look toward the very center of the picture, you will see an eye shining. Yes, that was another bear but no we were not one of those crazy people that got out of their vehicles to follow the bear so they could get a better shot. When I say follow the bear I mean they were probably within 20 feet of it. Not me, nope……not feeling bad at all that this is the only picture we got of that bear :0)

Pictures of the cabin~ Becky’s favorite spot was the hot tub!

Saturday was a pretty dreary day so we went to the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge. We played black light putt putt which was really fun.

The ride home was interesting. When we left the cabin, it was close to 50 degrees. Well as we traveled, and headed up the mountain, it got colder and we drove through what we thought was fog until we reached this point to realize that it was clouds and not fog. This was the first time I had been above the clouds other than in an airplane.

Can you say FREEZING????!!!!!!!

Interesting stop on the way home~ Tallulah Falls.

Luckily this hike down the mountains was guided by stairs, then a suspension bridge and more stairs to the bottom of the gorge. These first pictures were taken from the first look out point.

From the bridge looking down~

In front of the falls~

Looking up to our first look out~

The way down wasn’t bad but man, the 400+ up took a toll on my already out of shape legs :0) Gabriel however, sprinted up the stairs and then wanted to run the rest of the trail back to the truck.

Becky, well, she had to rest…..

Thank you GOD for allowing us the opportunity to witness your artwork in it’s truest form. I am so blessed to call these people my family. They are truly gifts from above!

Christmas Day

2010-12-28T21:31:00.001-05:00

My two have been sleeping until 8:30 since we’ve been off. This day was a different story. Becky was up by 6:30 and wondering if Santa had come. We had to wake Gabriel up and then had to contain them for a few minutes while I got the cameras ready.

Becky’s stuff~

Gabriel’s Surprises~

What could be behind there?

Gene: Maybe Santa is still out there and put that up so you couldn’t see him.

Gabriel: I bet it’s more presents, let’s look!

Becky: NO GABRIEL, don’t do it.

What’s behind the paper????

Both were thrilled~ Becky didn’t even mention the dirt bike when she saw all the pink :0)

stockings~

Everything is opened, now lets ride!

Later at mama and daddy’s! So much to eat, so many good memories, so lucky to be so blessed!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-27T09:50:00.001-05:00

We started our Christmas Eve decorating cookies for Santa. We LOVE cookies at our house so it was really tempting not to leave any for Santa.

Becky’s first cookie was a snowflake~ and of course she wanted it to have pink sprinkles.

Uh-oh mama, they are all gone.

Here is Gabriel decorating his elf. Yummy~ LOTS of icing on this one.

Can’t resist the temptation to get the icing off the knife.

The final products~

We cleaned up our cookie decorating and got ready for the Christmas Eve Church Service. We really enjoyed hearing scripture and remembering the true meaning of Christmas. God has really blessed our family this year.

Afterwards, we headed to mama and daddy’s for hamburgers~ yum yum~ The kids were “needing” to open one present so they opened their gifts from each other.

After we returned home, we got ready for bed and continued our tradition of reading the Christmas Story and The Night Before Christmas. Gabriel of course wanted to read it this year and it was extra special.

Putting out cookies for Santa~

Next was to put out the reindeer food~

Gabriel’s turn~

Becky’s turn~

What’s that???? Is that sleigh bells I hear?

Hurry let’s finish so we can get in the bed. NORAD says Santa’s next stop is South Georgia :0)

Annual Trip to Guido Gardens

2010-12-23T10:30:00.001-05:00

Last night, the family took our annual trip to Guido Gardens. As always, we had a wonderful time. Remember~ Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Merry Christmas!

Miss Tiny Show Stopper

2010-12-08T21:15:00.001-05:00

This weekend was, I’m sure, the FIRST of MANY, MANY dance recitals. Becky has been talking about this day for weeks. She was going to “dance on the stage, be on TV, Shake~Shake”. I was one proud mama when she got up there and did her thing. She did such a great job. I think she was more excited about getting to put on make up than the actual dance. Here is our little Show Stopper~

Of course, I made her morning when she got to see Mrs. Tidy, Cooper and Parker :0)

Take a bow~

Of course I tried to get one of her and Gabe outside~ this picture says it all…… Think I may use it for our Christmas Card~

And here she is with her red rose that Gene gave her. You would have thought it was a million bucks! She carried it every where when we got home. Those of you that know the true Becky will get a good laugh at what happens next….. While I am getting everything back together for show #2, I hear Becky fall to pieces. She crying hysterically~ when I get into the living room to see what’s wrong, I find her rose on the floor with petals all over. Of course I assume Gabriel has done something right???? Well, when I asked what happened, Gene informs me that she slapped Gabriel upside the head with it. Yes, she looks very innocent but, as I said for those that know her……. She wanted Gene to go get another and PROMISED not to bust her red rose again upside Gabriel’s head :0) Gotta love our GIRL!

Great job at the show Becky! We are so proud of you!

Indian and Pilgrim

2010-11-24T10:18:00.001-05:00

I am so THANKFUL for these two special gifts! God has blessed me with so much more than I deserve in this life.

Have a WoNdErFuL Thanksgiving!

Happy 4th BiRtHdAy BECKY!!!

2010-11-24T10:15:00.001-05:00

On November 20th, we celebrated Becky turning 4! We are so blessed to have this girl in our lives. She is full of energy and gives us more love and laughs than anyone deserves. I can’t believe it’s been 4 years since she graced us with her presence. Happy Birthday baby girl~ We love you to pieces!

~The Cake~

~The cupcakes~

~The Birthday Girl~

In one of her presents!

Becky and Daddy as he’s headed to the wedding!

Happy Birthday Becky! Hope you’ve enjoyed your special day!

Disney on Ice: Princess Classic

2010-11-24T09:39:00.001-05:00

We took Becky to see Disney on Ice as an “early” birthday present. She was so excited! She started counting down the days the week before. This the the first “girl” event Becky has been too and she really enjoyed herself. Gabriel was not so excited but the thought of staying up late and cotton candy seemed to ease the pain a little.

Here is the birthday girl getting ready for some cotton candy.

Becky and I before the show~

From the time Tinker Bell came out, Becky was glued to the show. She loved it and was so excited! We loved watching her face and expressions as the night went on.

Some pictures from the show…..

And here is Gabriel as he “enjoyed” the show…….

We were so excited that Emery and Marley could join us! (Jenae and Travis too)

Wonderful Times ~ Wonderful Memories!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T20:03:00.001-04:00

This year we had Strawberry Shortcake and Jango Fett grace us with their presence. Becky has been into Strawberry Shortcake lately and picked this out all by herself in the costume magazine. Gabriel, once again, changed his mind 100 times before he settled for Jango Fett at the Spirit Store.

Ever since Gabriel was born, our family as well as Lori’s have always got together at mama and daddy’s. This was Gabriel and Anna Kate’s 7th year together. I LOVE traditions. A couple years ago we decided to make a ‘hayride’ out of it once they were old enough to really enjoy trick or treat. We had a few additions since we started and look forward to it every year. We now enjoy Heidi’s family as well as Katie’s crew. It’s always a fun time of fellowship. After the Trick or Treating, we head back to mama and daddy’s for supper. Can’t wait to see what next year holds.

Gabriel, Wilton and Becky

I’m pretty sure it was after this picture that Becky puts her hand up and say “No more pictures mom”.

Boys/ Girls Weekend

2010-10-31T19:37:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, Gabriel and Gene headed out to Albany for a hunting trip. Becky and I had our “girls weekend” all planned out. Unfortunately for Becky and I, our trip stopped short Saturday morning around 3:30 when I got sick~ but at least we were able to get our toes done Friday afternoon as well as visit Cats and Dogs (Petco), Hobby Lobby, Max and Ruby (TJ MAX) and eat at Long Horns :0)

Gabriel and Gene got back Sunday afternoon and said they had a blast! Gene said Gabriel did great considering he sat in a deer stand for 6 hours straight….I would have gone crazy! They saw turkeys, quail and everything but a deer. Oh well, they had a great time together and spent some quality time together :0) Here are some pictures Gene took……

Here is the “lodge” they stayed in:

Getting ready for the afternoon hunt

Their “guide”

Camp Site

Hanging from the skinning rack

Whittling a stick with his first knife.

Wonderful memories :)

Daddy’s Girl

2010-10-12T21:56:00.001-04:00

I came in the other day to find this……….. I just couldn’t fuss about putting shoes up this time :0)

While we were inside working…….

2010-09-26T21:26:00.001-04:00

Gene has decided to update our house~ I am so excited. We are replacing all the molding (stained) and putting in a different style and using white. Anyway after a fun filled day celebrating Emery and Marley’s 2nd Birthday at Monkey Joe’s, Gene gets busy working in the foyer. Gabriel and Becky are outside riding bikes, scooters, and doing whatever else they can find to entertain themselves. Gene goes out to cut a piece of wood and calls out to me, “look what Gabriel has done”………. Of course thinking something bad, I almost panic only to find one PROUD boy! He went fishing and caught a fish…… of course he’s caught plenty before but this one was “all him”.

Here’s what we, well I should say Gene is working on…. (replacing the stain with white and adding headers to the entry ways.)

Couple of shots from Monkey Joes……

Becky was super excited b/c it was her first trip.

Flipping down the slide :0)

LOVE spending time with my 3 favorite people! God has blessed us with more than we deserve!

Labor Day Fun

2010-09-26T21:13:00.001-04:00

The whole Crosby gang got together at SSI for Labor Day! We had so much fun!! Spent some time by the pool, beach and village. I just love being at SSI, it’s the perfect little get away, close enough to home but far enough to get away (without that LLLOOONNNGGGG drive). Of course, since Gene was with us, we had to go Ghost crab hunting b/c according to Gabriel “Dad’s the only one who knows how to catch them”. And at meme’s request, we took a family shot…… it was SO hot that morning (guess that’s what we get for putting it off all weekend).

Taken after an early dinner @ CJ’s Pizza. My absolute FAVORITE pizza!!

Once we got home, Gabriel had to work on his Show~N~Tell project on the Solar System. He had lOts of FuN making it.

Becky’s First Day of Preschool

2010-09-26T21:01:00.001-04:00

Went as well as I thought. She was very excited that morning, so excited that she wouldn’t eat and had her book bag on by 7:00. We had to have a discussion with her the night before because she asked Gene “how many nights she would have to spend the night before we came to get her”. I guess when she asked me if we were staying with her and I said “no” she assumed she would have to spend the night….

Here is our Busy Little Beaver~

Time to wake up!

Pictures at the house~

Pictures at school…….

Becky and Mrs. Glenda

Our Busy Little Beaver

2010-08-30T21:35:00.001-04:00

Will start preschool next Tuesday! We went to open house tonight and she had so much fun. She said she can’t wait to be a Silly Little Beaver………….watch out Mrs. Glenda!

Here is her bookbag that she picked out.

And her pencil and soap box that Mrs. Denine fixed up for her.

Now we’ll just count the days! We are off to the beach for the weekend and can’t wait for Friday to get here!

Becky Ballerina

2010-08-17T19:35:00.001-04:00

I have to confess, ever since we found out we were having a girl and even before, I have long awaited the day for her to take dance. Just imagining what she would look like in her little pink leotard, ballet shoes, hair pulled up in a bun……. just brought a smile to my face. Here 3 years later, our Becky is all signed up for dance and tumbling! She is so excited and looks forward to Monday mornings (papa, probably not so much since he gets her ready. I have to say that we are so fortunate to have such a great papa who loves us and spends so much time with us AND does so much for us!!!) She started lessons last Monday and just seeing her in costume brought a smile to my heart as well. Her daddy was so excited too! He just thinks she’s the cutest thing! Here are a couple shots from the first day (we didn’t have her “dance attire” yet)

Let them praise His name with dancing…. Psalm 149:3

Today her shoes arrived………… so this is her official dance attire~ I won’t post all the pictures however, I will note that she took it upon herself to pose SEVERAL times as if she was doing a photo shoot :0)

Daytona Beach

2010-08-04T00:20:00.001-04:00

Who says last minute trips are not worth it? Not us! Angie called me at 8:30 on a Thursday night to see what our plans were for the next couple of days…. nothing of course. Did we want to go with her and the boys to Daytona for a few days…………. Why YES we did! So by 8:30 the next morning we were Daytona Bound! The kids had a blast and enjoyed spending time with Caleb and Jacob. Poor Becky was the only “girl” but I think she handled it pretty well. I think she entertained us the entire trip, from seeing Jesus at Target to saying how sad she was that we only had “one more night of sleep” at the beach.

Gabriel was so excited to see one of his friends from Glennville! He and Matthew got to spend some time together on the beach!

The last night we enjoyed dinner with Mrs. Delores, Breanna and Andrew. We set out for Bubba Gumps but the hour and 20 minute wait was just to long for our crew. We headed up stairs to Sloppy Joes. The food was good and I’d recommend it if you are ever there!

We spent one evening looking for ghost crabs using Gabriel’s night vision goggles. That was a hoot! Aren’t you supposed to be quiet when you are sneaking up on them???? Not this bunch!

Thanks Aunt Angie for the invite! What a great way to end our summer!

Boat Ride @ the Coast

2010-07-29T21:38:00.001-04:00

After our boat sat in the yard for over 2 years, we decided to take it out for a ride. The kids had a blast. We rode out past Blackbeard and then stopped there for a little beach time.

We then headed over toward Sapelo and ate lunch in the boat. I think Becky really enjoyed her lunch because she wouldn’t stop eating. We had a great time together and can’t wait until our next venture!

(note: Becky fell the night before while we were washing the boat and hit the same spot she already had a scar. She was trying to swing Gabriel around and slipped. It formed a scab and when the scab came off last week, she was so EXCITED because it was “PINK”. )

~Good Times~

2010-07-16T11:51:00.001-04:00

I can’t believe how fast this summer is going. I am having so much fun with Gabriel and Becky! (Although, there are some days where August 6 seems years away) We’ve had some great times over the past couple of weeks from another beach trip, to the aquarium, a couple of trips to Splash, girls night out, pool time, fireworks and just plain old family game nights. Here are a few pictures from a couple of our ventures.

*****Saddle Ridge Ranch*****

Our VBS theme for this year……. I signed up for the 3 to 4 year old class…….wheeeewww, that’s all I can say. I had wonderful help but when you average 22 to 24 per night, and your own child, well, you can imagine. BUT I thank God every night for such a great group of children so eager to learn about Christ! We had a great time and the kids hated to see it come to an end!

***** Amelia Island*****

Ashton went with us to AI and I don’t think she knew what she was signing up for :0) We had a couple of “lights out” episodes during the trip but thank goodness for cell phone lights and Spongebob books!

Of course we had to make it to the premiere of ECLIPSE! Oh man it was awesome~ All Ashton could say was “there was a WHOLE lot of JACOB”. It was so good, may have to go back and see it again.

***** Peachtree City *****

We hit the ATL for the 4th for a great parade, fireworks and quality time with the Brannen’s! We had an awesome time with them. On Sunday, we made our first trip to the aquarium. It was so neat and there were so many creatures to see. You could see some of God’s wonderful handy work. It’s just amazing to see some of his beautiful creations in motion.

Trading Silly Bands

And of course there are days when we do nothing but this……. Who needs to travel when you have free entertainment like this at home :-)

Another Becky Episode…….

2010-07-16T11:31:00.001-04:00

This morning, while Papa Byron came to visit and bring us some yummy peaches~ Becky goes to her room and gets her McDonald’s cash register. Now mind you, this girl has been asking “Do you want fries with that” for the past 2 years and often asks “are we going through a drive thru” when we say we are going somewhere to eat. Anyway, here is how the scene played out:

Becky: Papa what do you want to eat?

Papa: Cheeseburger

Becky: Give me the money…….

Papa pulls out some change from his pocket and gives it to Becky. She takes it and puts it in her register and closes it.

Becky: Sorry, but we are closed!

Nope, Papa didn’t get his food, but Becky got her money :~)

We Love St. Simons

2010-06-06T17:28:00.001-04:00

After spending the first week of our summer break with the stomach virus, we were very happy to make it to the beach. We spent the weekend with the Brannen’s and enjoyed some beach time and pool time. We even spent a day at the new water park near the village. It is a great place for the kids to play.

After that we moved over to the condo with meme, papa and Aunt Sandi. We spent our time at Summer Waves, playing with Jena and Shane. Spent most of our evening eating out at the local spots. A couple of our favorites are Gnat’s Landing, Crab Trap and CJ’s Pizza. The kids love the playground at the Village so we spent sometime there as well. Of course we had to make a trip to Jekyll for some photos.

Gabriel is off to a great start swimming…….Becky on the other hand. Last year she was not afraid of the pool at all. We couldn’t put our hands on her because she wanted to swim and she did great. This year, she wouldn’t get off the steps. We tried floaties, bribery and everything else that we could think of but she was not having it.

Then of course there was the photo shoot. We went to our favorite spot on Jekyll and there happened to be TONS of fiddler crabs. She was terrified and showed us how scared she was. I wasn’t able to get to many shots of her but Gabriel was fully cooperative as always :0)

We also LOVE going to St. Simons Sweets. They have a ton of goodies including ice cream.

Here are a few shots from our week.

For Gabriel’s room……….

Remember those fiddlers………..

Things we LoVe about the BEACH

Naps

Play Ground

Pier

Sunsets

St. Simons Sweets

AnD

Tan Lines