Happy Thanksgiving!

This year we decided to stay home for Thanksgiving and have dinner with our close friends Michelle, Drew, Porter and Cameron who are also big fans of a parade! We started the morning off uptown to scope our parade spots (our group came prepared with chairs, strollers, and cones!!). It was a little chilly and rainy but everyone had a great time watching all of the bands and floats walk by. We then headed home to make dinner and watch a little football. Dinner was great and I think we have started a new tradition of parading and eating with friends!

Saturday we headed over to Granny Gary's for a nice visit. I forgot the camera in the car but the kids were having so much fun at her house that I am not sure if I could have stopped them long enough to snap any pictures.

Saturday night we stayed with Nina, Bob, Caroline and Megan (and their dogs Shiloh and Chloe) which might have been one of the best sleepovers ever. Caroline pulled out her old Barbie trunk (complete with 4 barbies, star rocker Ken and clothing to match) which might have topped Santa in the gift department this year. She LOVES the barbies and has carried her trunk around with her everywhere she goes. She also loves that Ken has stars on his head that change color. Hudson loved watching Elmo on their computer and telling Chloe "bang, bang!"as you can see from the video below.

Sunday our cousin Sara had her baby shower and it was great seeing all of the family together. I am pretty sure he's all set with Clemson gear for the next 18 years! Overall it was a wonderful weekend!

Farewell to Soccer...

Well...as you might notice from the picture, Gwennie is missing her soccer uniform. That's because she is battling a cold and ended up running a fever right before her game so we missed the finale of the "Pink Princesses" in action! Our good buddy Ayla brought over Gwennie's trophy and we hope this is the first of many (I think Gwennie wants to do ballet again so we might be back to ballet posts).

Gwennie also had her Thanksgiving performances at school this week. There are a bunch of videos of all of the kids performing. They all were so cute in their "countries". Gwennie is Mexico and in case you didn't hear here her part she said..."Hola from Mexico, I bring you salsa and chips!". We were a little nervous that "Hola, My name is Dora" was going to sneak in there but she's a performer through and through! To view the videos, click on the grey screen once the pictures finish to open Picasa Web and then the video will load.





And this is what we found at Target today.....

Boys...

This weekend we didn't take many pictures because I was out sick all day Saturday with a stomach bug that the kids brought home on Wednesday. The kids actually fared better than I did. They were only out on Wednesday and were back in action Thursday morning. I am still a bit queasy today and am hoping to get some sort of appetite back soon.

So...since I didn't take any pictures I figured I'd give a recap of the past month of what it's like to be the parent of a toddler boy. Mind you Gwennie was all over the place as well but Hudson seems to find ways to scare us more than I ever thought a little kid could. Let's start with about a month ago...that Saturday at one of Gwennie's soccer games he tripped and fell and landed on Corbin which resulted in him biting the sides of his tongue (nothing major...just a few tears and a little blood), then the day after he ran head first into the refrigerator and ended up with a large goose egg. Later that day we had decided to meet his godparents (and Crawford) at a pumpkin patch and as we were walking around, one of the employees was driving a bit too fast to park and as he passed us, Hudson turned and literally ran into the back tire of the moving truck! It's hard to explain (and still hard to talk about because I was right there screaming and right next to him) how it happened because he was all of two feet away from me. Anyhow, miraculously he "bounced" off the tire and was not hurt at all. The only thing he had was a little red mark on his head. Then just about every day that week he managed to run into something at daycare. And....tonight when he was running around before bath, he tripped again and when he fell both Corbin and I knew it was going to be another moment our hearts jumped into our chest. Luckily the worst of it was a fat lip and after a few minutes of tears and an ice pack, he was back in action.

Suffice to say that boys are nothing like girls and I don't know what I am going to do once he starts playing organized sports. As his pediatrician and our good friend Jennifer says "Hallelujah, praise the lord, there must be an angel watching over him". I can't agree more...thank you to the folks upstairs and sorry to keep you so busy!

Happy Halloween!

Wow...this year could qualify as the best Halloween ever! I was a busy week though! Thursday we had "trunk or treat" at school with the kids which was a blast. All of the kids trick or treated through the church parking lot in full costume while the parents decorated the trunks of their cars.

Friday and Saturday I was up at a youth event for our church which was another great experience...although the freezing weather (in cabins without any heat!) was something I could have done without.

Sunday we headed over to our good friend Ayla and Reese's place for a Halloween parade followed by trick or treating in our neighborhood. This is the first time Gwennie really understood what the concept was and by the end of the night her bag was stuffed and she was ready to head home to check out all of her candy! Hudson had his first taste of a lollipop and I think he's hooked as well!

Here are LOTS of pictures from the week!

Parade!

This weekend was the neighborhood Halloween parade! As you can see from the pictures, our friendly fireman paid us a visit and let the kids check out the firetruck and sit up front. Ayla and Reese were a mermaid and an octopus while Gwennie and Hudson dressed up as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Halloween Started Early

Sorry for not posting last week. It's been a busy two weeks! Last weekend Corbin was at a church event with the middle schoolers so the kids and I headed over to "Aw Shucks Farms" for hay rides, pumpkins and lots of fun. The kids had a great time as always.

Friday night we headed to a costume party hosted by Mr. Miyagi and the Karate Kid. As you can see from the pictures below, Ralphie, the Leg Lamp, King Kong and Jane were in full action! Also in attendance were some Chilean minors, the cast of Can't Buy Me Love and a few folks that dressed up as parents out for a nice party (aka...no costume!). Overall it was a great night.

First Soccer Game and Eye Injury

After a week of a roto-virus and then a trip to Baltimore, Gwennie finally got to play in her first soccer game. The Pink Princesses were great and although we aren't supposed to keep score, thanks to our 5 year old players....we won!

Later Daddy was fishing a ball out of some bushes in the backyard and scratched his cornea! As you can see from the pictures, he was sporting a nice eye patch. There is also a few pictures of our buddy Pete (he's a yellow lab) who stayed with us over the weekend. You will also see where Ginger decided to relocate while Pete used her bed.

Happy Birthday Ari and Auntie Hey Hey!

This weekend the kids and I headed up to Baltimore for a visit with all of our favorite people. Friday we headed up to see Aunt Nancy and Baby Clare while Uncle Clark headed down to see us for a boys weekend with Daddy. Gwennie loved spending time with Clare (who will forever be known as "Baby Clare until she's well into her 30's) and teaching her all sorts of stuff! Hudson could have spent days climbing up and down the stairs and taking a ride on their roller coaster.

Saturday was Ari's big birthday bash and as you can see from the pictures, it was a Superhero party. Auntie Hey Hey and Uncle Alan made capes for all the kids to decorate. It was pretty fabulous! All of the kids had a blast. Here is a picture of Gwennie with Bat Girl (Stacey). In case you are wondering what the kids dressed up as...Gwennie was Fancy Nancy and Hudson was Charlie Brown...we decided to go with Super Nancy and Super Charlie!

After the party we headed to Alan and Heather's for the rest of the weekend and as you will see from the pictures and video...Ari's new Jeep made for hours of fun. Matthew and Hudson also got a turn in the Jeep but Gwennie and Ari pretty much occupied the seats all Saturday afternoon.

Soccer and Gaga...

Gwennie started her first week of soccer! Unfortunately she also started her first week of a stomach bug so she made it to practice but was unable to make her first game :-(

Overall it looks as though she really will enjoy soccer (especially because her buddy Ayla is there with her!) and we hope she doesn't get too mad at mommy being an assistant coach.

Saturday I headed to Lady Gaga with cousin Page and her friend Jennifer. As you can see...it was as sequin studded event!

Arizona!

This week the kids and I headed to Arizona for some quality GeeGee and PopPop time. As you will see from the hundreds of pictures, a majority of our time was spent in the water and on the boat! I am pretty sure Hudson would have slept in the golf cart if we let him. Usually if we weren't in the boat, the kids were sitting on the golf cart waiting to go for a ride! We also got to meet Kipper their new dog! She's very friendly...and very much a puppy. Gwennie loved Kipper so much that I am pretty sure the dog was relieved to see us go. Here are a TON of pictures from the week!

Happy Birthday Crawford!

It was a big weekend of fun again! Thursday I finally snapped some shots of the baby birds who have been living in our fern plant. The babies were a little nervous about a camera in their faces but since we had been taking the fern down well before the hatched they did not fly away. Friday we headed over to see Mark, Jena, Ayla and Reese and as you can see from the pictures, clothing became optional. Gwennie and Ayla decided they were tired of dresses and Hudson figured who needs a diaper when there's plenty of "spots" in the backyard?!?!

Saturday we were lucky enough to celebrate Crawford's 6th birthday with her. Gwennie was so excited to see Crawford that she could barely take her nap. Sunday Corbin and got the bright idea to attempt to groom the dogs ourselves and as you can see from the pictures....it did not go very well.

Hotlanta and Sparkle City!

This weekend was probably one of the busiest we have had in a while but it was worth it because we got to spend our time with friends and family which is always a blast! Thursday night the kids and I headed to Atlanta to spend the night with Richard, Lynne, Faryn & Kamryn so I could see my good friend Addie and her two girls Alexis and Reese. The last time I saw Reese, she was all of 1 day old and my how she's changed! We decided the best place to meet in Atlanta was at the amazing Georgia Aquarium! Jess (a great friend of Addie's) came along and was so much fun (as usual) and also helped out with the crazy kids! The hit was probably the beluga whales as well as the big walk through shark tunnel. As you will see from the pictures everyone was amazed!

From there we said our goodbyes and then I headed up to Spartanburg for a visit with all of the cousins. As you can see all of the kids just love to hang out with each other and while the mommies were busy doing other things, the boys occupied their time in the pool...with the barbies. I figured since I didn't have a picture of all of the kids, this still life of Ken flexing his muscles would cover the antics from the weekend. Sunday Russ and Corbin took the girls to the farm (we call it Big Bill's sanctuary) where they both enjoyed a drive in the all terrain cart!

We all enjoyed a wonderful weekend together and now are exhausted! We really enjoyed all of our time with wonderful friends and family!

We Miss You Already GeeGee!

Well, GeeGee left on Thursday but not without spoiling both kids while she was here! Both Gwennie and Hudson have new bikes to ride and as you can see from the pictures Hudson was still getting the hang of his tricycle but LOVED it. Gwennie...not so much yet but hopefully she will enjoy her new wheels. We also had some fun with Ayla and Cameron this weekend. As you can see from the pictures, Gwennie and Ayla had a blast running around the park splashing each other!

Peggy and Keith!

This weekend we left the kids at home with GeeGee and we headed to Chicago for the marriage of our friends Peggy and Keith. It was a beautiful weekend and a wonderful wedding and it was one of the first time since all of Natalie's roommates from College had been together in about 4 years! Peggy and Keith looked wonderful and they planned a great weekend of activities. The day after the wedding Corbin and I went on an architectural river tour of the city and although it was a little rainy to start, you will see that the day turned out to be clear and beautiful and we took some amazing shots of the city!

Here are the pictures from the weekend and a funny video of what GeeGee taught Hudson to do over the weekend.

Rainy Weekend....

Typically I would be happy that it was not 97 degrees with 80% humidity but this weekend the break in the weather was also followed by tons of rain. This meant LOTS of time in the playroom and a nice break in hanging out at home to have dinner with our friends Michelle, Drew and Cameron.

Here are the few pictures that we took over the weekend.

Family Lake Weekend!

This weekend was the annual Webb/Duncan Lake weekend where all of the aunts, uncles and cousins get together to see one another outside of Columbia. Because it was so hot this weekend, most of the day was spent by the pool or in the shade. As always we had a blast and the kids were exhausted when they got home. Sunday we spent most of the day alternating between our pool and our friend's pool (between naps) to keep out of the heat. Overall another great weekend! There are also pictures from Gwennie's school carnival here. Enjoy!



Also - here is a video that our cousin put together from the reunion

First Trip to the Dentist and a Few Steps!

Well....not only did we get through a visit to the dentist with all smiles (and goodies from the trip), we are much closer to having 2 kids walking by themselves!

Gwennie had her first visit at the dentist and she loved every minute of it. She even asks to floss now! Hudson is starting to walk...sort of. You will see from the video, he's pretty wobbly but loves to walk from Corbin to Drew. Saturday we checked out the new Discovery place and you can see that Mr. Drew used some creativity when putting 3 kids in a stroller fit for one!

Another Weekend at the Pool!

Another warm weekend here! Instead of hanging out at our own pool, we decided to head on over with our friends to their pool where you can see that Reese/Hudson and Ayla/Gwennie are good buddies! Sunday we headed over to Melissa's super nice pool at her house and the kids had a wonderful time. Gwennie loves Melissa's dog Bella...Hudson is still warming up to her! Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Happy Anniversary and Happy 4th!

I would have put a picture in of Corbin and I but as would be typical, we both are the ones behind the camera so I didn't have one from this weekend. Saturday we celebrated 5 years of marriage by hanging out with friends and then heading to an early dinner/movie. Sunday we had an early brunch and the kids spent the morning outside playing in the yard. Sunday night Corbin made a wonderful dinner on the grill (see pictures!) that we all enjoyed followed by a night of Gwennie sleeping with us in the bed until the "booms" were over. Needless to say we likely won't be going to any fireworks anytime soon.

Monday we headed to Spartanburg to see Grandma Gary, Nina, Robert, Caroline and Megan. The kids both loved running around Grandma Gary's house and Gwennie remembers the oddest thing. She loves "molly" the stuffed cat and chatted the whole way down about how she couldn't wait to see her.

We then headed over to Lulu's for a much needed nap and some swim time. The kids love the pool and Gwennie is already asking when we can go back to Lulu's to swim and play with Belle again!

Bathroom Flood....

No, it's not what you think. Our plumbing is not out of whack, our 1 year old has a toilet paper addiction that resulted in a flood on Sunday morning. Hudson decided to unroll the toilet paper and Gwennie figured the only place toilet paper should go is....in the toilet! So when Corbin and I saw a large puddle of water trickling from the kitchen into the laundry room, we figured it wasn't the work of the dogs and found both kids splashing in the water.

Then to top things off Hudson decided that he also wanted to go check out his 2nd favorite spot...the liquor cabinet. In his quest to knock everything over, Hudson successfully pulled a glass down and the first picture in this set is Daddy's face during the clean up. We then spent the rest of the day in the garden and washing the cars. As you can see from the pictures, Hudson actually needed a wash himself!

Later we headed over to Ayla and Reese's house for dinner and dress up! Gwennie and Ayla wanted to be addressed as "her majesty" all night. As you can see from their outfits, the girls were in full attire. Hudson and Reese had a nice night sharing their meal and playing in the water table with Cameron who I wish I could have grabbed a picture of sporting his overalls and Fancy Nancy heels. Overall a great weekend! I also put in a couple of videos of week 2 of ballet/tap class, Hudson jamming to the grateful dead with his dad and some of the madness from last night!