The A-Team

New Webpage

2010-12-29T21:04:00.001-05:00

Check us out:

http://allenhangar.com

We're moving everything over there & updating on that page

Thanks!!!

Spring Break

2010-04-03T10:22:00.002-04:00

David's new job has some odd hours, but it results in him having off Mon-Thurs every other week! I love it :) We've been wanting to get over to Dinosaur World & some other things & decided to do it this week. This year Morgan was supposed to be with her bio-mother for spring break, but she wanted us to keep her so Morgan got to go too! Perfect timing!

Monday we went to Dinosaur World! The kids had a great time. We went ahead & bought an annual pass, it's the price of 2 days & we'll for sure get back at least that much. They explored all the dinosaurs & dug up a stegosaurus. The weather was perfect. What amazes me is the fact that my 4yo knows more dinosaurs than I ever knew growing up. After a fun-filled day, we checked into the hotel & went out for dinner. Putting the boys in the same bed together for the first time made for an interesting bedtime.

Tuesday we went to the Lowry Park Zoo. We only pay 1/2 price at zoos because we're local zoo members. We got to see a lot of animals, way more than we have at our little zoo. Morgan was exhausted after walking the whole zoo, but they all had a great time.

Wednesday we checked out & headed for Busch Gardens. They recently opened Sesame Street Safari of Fun. We rode most of the little kiddie rides, then they put on their swim suits for water play. The water was really cold, but they didn't want to get out. After about an hour of water it was time to get dressed & head home.

It really was a nice week get-away. I'll be posting pics soon, I have to get them uploaded & have the time to sit in front of the computer to post.

Happy Easter everyone!

Baby GIRL Allen

2010-02-27T09:02:00.002-05:00

Ultrasound was confirmed yesterday, it's a girl!! (well, nothing is ever 100% until baby enters the world:)

Baby Girl, with her hand by her face:

Baby Girl, mouth open, arm up :)

hand by her nose:

21 days

2010-02-25T19:05:00.002-05:00

In 21 days, my baby will be 4!!! Can you believe it? Alexander is growing up too quickly! He starts t-ball (wiffle ball for his age) on March 6. This fall he can play regular t-ball, or soccer. I think he's going to go for soccer. Friday, March 5 we start our parent/tot class at the zoo. Lil David will get to spend Friday mornings with Grandma for the entire month of March. Alexander & I will head to the zoo for 2 hours of fun & hands on education! This class is animal colors. He already knows his colors, has since he was 16 months old. Every week we'll do a different color, get to look at animals that are that color & find out why! I hope to take the camera with me & get some good pics of my little man. .

baby/morgan updates

2010-02-23T12:19:00.002-05:00

Baby is healthy. We finally heard the heartbeat this morning, very strong, perfect, 160. I am being sent to a cardiologist to have another echo done & to be put back on the heart meds. It's not good for baby or me to be having these episodes while pregnant. I go back for a follow-up ultrasound on Friday, should be able to confirm if it's really a girl or not. :) I am 19 weeks, and past my 1/2 way mark. I will deliver via c-section early, so we're looking July 9 or July 12, haven't picked my date yet.

We finally have answers with Morgan. Asperger's, ASD, has been confirmed. An IEP is in place already & I found a support group to attend. I'm looking for blogs, books, websites. She can overcome this, with a lot of help & work. Hopefully we can get custody soon & have more time to work with her. The school is ready to do anything & everything they can to help her. I've said since she was 4 years old there was some mild autism, but what do I know? I'm just step mom, her PRIMARY caregiver, the one that does all the school work, all the extra-curricular activities, the one that deals with the health issues. What could I possibly know? It's never a great thing to hear your child is autistic, but having an answer now, as well as help, has me elated. I no longer feel like I'm banging my head on a wall trying to figure it all out on my own.

Valkaria Air Show 2010

2010-02-20T19:32:00.003-05:00

We spent the day at the Valkaria Air Fest today. The boys had a great day! (Bad Mommy, forgot sunscreen, didn't even think about it with the cooler weather.) We watched lots of planes fly, including Patty Wagstaff!! The boys got their faces painted & spent lots of time in the bounce houses. After a nice day, and some VERY dirty & tired boys, it was time to come home for baths & pjs.

Alexander's dragon:

"Whoa!"

Roar!

Climb buddy, climb!!

This thing was HUGE! The wall wrapped all the way to the top, then a very long slide down:

Patty Wagstaff:

David crashed:

but Xan was going strong!

Balloon Matching Game

2010-02-17T20:06:00.005-05:00

I have this curriculum I bought for the boys, it's all on a cd. It's called "Cait's Curriculum." It's a Christian-based preschool curriculum. It's great for my little learners, and gets me started with home school experience. Anyway, there are a lot of activities on it. Today we did a matching activity that was a lot of fun for the boys, and easy for me! I took construction paper & wrote it's color on it, then hung it on the wall. This was good for little David as he's been working really hard on his colors; he's finally interested in learning them. Then I blew up balloons & the boys taped the balloons to the matching paper on the wall. After we finished, they had lots of fun with the balloons. :)

Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T14:58:00.000-05:00

The kids had fun making things for Valentine's Day. Morgan made homemade Valentines for her class. Everyone got one that said, "You can count on me when things get sticky! ~Morgan" with a lollipop on the back. The girls got wands with their Valentines. The boys also made homemade Valentine cards for Daddy & Grandma & Papa. I made "Love Monster" cupcakes for Morgan's class. We had a lot of fun with it!

David's card:

Alexander's card:

Cupcakes:

The wands:

For Morgan's class:

BABY NEWS!

2009-12-12T22:00:00.002-05:00

We're happy to announce that Baby Allen #4 will be joining us in July 2010! I'm 9 weeks pregnant!!!! We had to go ahead and start telling people because I had friends asking about my baby bump, yes this early! So, hopefully I'll do a better job with our blog this year & keep everyone updated on everything! Love you all!!

Christmas pics 2009 at OneTrueMedia.com

2009-12-09T10:37:00.001-05:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

general update! :)

2009-04-23T10:58:00.002-04:00

At the request of a certain someone, I'm updating some!

Morgan is about to finish the school year. She has a science project due in 2 weeks. Hopefully I'll get to home school her next year, or at least put her back at the better school. Unfortunately, she's probably going to be repeating 2nd grade. Her dance recital is in a month! She's been taking jazz/hip-hop & ballet. Her costumes are gorgeous this year & she looks beautiful in them! We just did recital pictures w/ the makeup & everything. She's really growing up! She loves to read to her little brothers & help teach them things.

Little David will be 2 on May 18!!! He's about 50% potty trained. He's still in physical therapy but has come so far! As soon as he's jumping and a few other little things, he'll be discharged. He can count to 10, knows some of his colors, shapes & letters. He loves music. He likes to sing, play piano & play the drum while singing praise & worship. He likes to draw too. He's our funny guy! He'll do something to make you laugh & just keep going until you have to get up to do something.

Big Boy Alex! Can you believe he turned 3 last month!? He's starting to read & recognizes several small words from sounding them out. He's doing simple math w/ toys. He enjoys being outside & riding his bike he got for his birthday. While the boys fight a lot, he's a nurturing big brother, always looking out for David. He has played a huge role in potty training David. Alexander can write his name now & knows how to spell several words like David, Daddy, Mommy, Papa, Out, Go, In, Stop, Cat, Car, Hat.

The boys & I stay busy with lots of crafts & projects. The walls in the dining room & playroom are covered w/ things they've been working on! We recently made a volcano on paper & then went outside & made a volcano explode!

David's 1st Haircut

2008-12-30T16:19:00.004-05:00

I finally did it, and I regret it, just like I did with Alex. :) We took little David to the Barber Shop today! I've been putting it off, just trimming it at home. The last time I did it, I made it really jagged & wanted it done up nice. Of course, I think they did it too short, and he looks too grown up because of that, but they really did a good job. He was such a good boy, too! He sat still & would turn his head the opposite way of where the guy was cutting. I was so proud of him!

Alexander's 1st Flight!

2008-12-28T22:32:00.001-05:00

Daddy's friend, Mr. Greg, called today to go flying. Daddy took Alexander! We've been to the airport with him before, he's climbed in planes, but this was his first flight. They flew from Melbourne to River Ranch, got out for a while & then flew back. Alex was so excited when he got home! I asked him what he did today & his reply was, "I go flying in an airplane! Way high up to the sky!" Every time he sees an airplane flying over he tells me, "That airplane is flying up high in the sky, just like I do!"

Alexander getting on the plane:

Looking at Alex from outside:

Alex wearing his headset:

Alex & Daddy at River Ranch:

What's out there?

This is Alex sitting in another airplane at River Ranch:

Gingerbread House & Christmas Trees

2008-12-15T17:19:00.004-05:00

Morgan made her gingerbread house with Grandma & Papa. She does this with them every year. The boys wanted to do something, so we made Christmas trees with them. I just wanted to share some pictures of their fun! We've been doing lots of stuff to get ready for Christmas, we'll have a lot of pictures to share soon!

KSC Airshow

2008-11-12T17:32:00.002-05:00

Papa got us VIP passes to the pre-show. I surprised Morgan by picking her up early from school. We then stopped at Grandma & Papa's house, loaded up & went out to Kennedy Space Center. We saw some amazing planes. Alex now covers his ears when he sees a plane, "It's going to be loud!" We got to see many planes. The Blue Angels performed w/ Fat Albert. We saw an F-16, F-18, C-130, Helos, an A-10, and others. It was a beautiful day, cool, sunny, perfect for the airshow. Thanks to Papa and Grandma for allowing us to tag along!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

2008-11-10T16:28:00.002-05:00

Nana's House 5k was this weekend. What a great event! We met at Front Street Park, and walked over the Melbourne Causeway, through another park & back across the causeway to Front Street. I felt so energized when we were done!

http://nanaschildrenshome.com/

Nana's House is a group home for children. Adoption has been on my heart since I was younger than my daughter. I have always had a heart for those children who are neglected & need that love in their lives. David & I are considering becoming foster parents. Now is not the time though. For now, God had directed me to the H.O.P.E. ministries, helping orphans prepare for eternity. I cannot wait to become more involved. I think it's important for our children to realize how blessed we are to have a real family & how we need to share our love with others. Please keep Nana's house in your prayers as everything is being put together. And don't forget those children in need.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T11:03:00.004-04:00

Morgan Carves a Pumpkin!

2008-10-31T09:16:00.004-04:00

Morgan's turn! Morgan & Daddy carved her pumpkin last night. It was a pretty late night for her. She had something to do at school so she was there until 3:45. Then we went straight to dance, stopped at the store, came home, finished the homework for the week, she ate her pizza & got to work. Whew! I'm tired all over again. She got into bed 1 1/2 hours after normal bedtime. Today she wore her costume to school. She should have a wonderful day, it's Halloween & it's Fun Friday! (Every Friday at school is Fun Friday, she really looks forward to it.)

The Boys Carve a Pumpkin

2008-10-29T10:14:00.003-04:00

The boys carved their first pumpkin w/ Daddy. They took late naps & Daddy left class early to have time to do their pumpkin. Alex really got into it! They cleaned the pumpkin out together. Alex picked a "Happy Face" from the book. After getting all the pumpkin guts out, the boys went off to bed, not much they could do w/ helping Daddy cut it. They were both amazed at the face on the pumpkin when they got up this morning. :)

Wow....

Alex digs in for the first time:

David finally gets in on the action:

I caught him eating some pumpkin guts, seemed to enjoy it though:

A little blurry, but you get the idea:

Praise God

2008-10-28T19:30:00.000-04:00

We were listening to Veggie Tale's Praise & Worship cd in the car. At the end of the song I hear Alex shout, "YAY! Praise God!" I look back & he has his hands in the air & then starts clapping. During the next song I kept looking back & he'd be singing w/ his eyes shut, arms in the air praising God. I'm guessing he learned it at church. Anyway, I was playing some praise & worship the other day & there he was, praising God. David now praises God too, I'll say, "David, praise God," and he'll throw his arms in the air.

Spooktacular

2008-10-26T09:36:00.002-04:00

We have SeaWorld passes so we go frequently throughout the year. It's a great place for fun and (shhhh) lots of learning. Every October we take the kids for the Spooktacular. Around 5 we get them in their costumes & join the festivities. They get to go trick-or-treating, play games, there's a DJ so they get to dance, and lots of fun characters to see. This year, Morgan is a detective, Alexander is a spider & David is a penguin. Uncle Christian went with us for our trip. Grandma & Papa met us over there for the trick-or-treat part. After a fun-filled day, all 3 kiddos were asleep before we got on to the 528.

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Dinosaurs Explore

2008-10-18T10:44:00.004-04:00

Alex was a dinosaur his 1st Halloween. He suddenly wants to wear his costume all the time, even though it's too small. We got a matching costume from a friend. Of course if one boy puts it on, the other wants to wear his too. :) The other day, my little dinosaurs went exploring.

Look Mommy, a stick bug!!!

Playroom

2008-10-18T10:21:00.003-04:00

The past few months I've just been rearranging everything! We moved the boys into Morgan's old room, put the office in the boys' old room & Morgan in the old office. WHEW! I want to rearrange the living room, not sure what to do with it yet. I did the playroom this week though. I like it. I got tired of our ball pit w/ slide being in the middle of the room. Now they have more room to play in the floor & the reading corner is back. I keep their books in the wall cut-out but their pillows were in the opposite corner. Thankfully, the love reading! :)

Airplanes & Helicopters

2008-10-08T08:44:00.004-04:00

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Alexander LOVES airplanes & helicopters. He takes after his Daddy! So, Papa put in a call to a friend & we got a tour of some helicopters & an airplane! Alex still talks about that day. He loves looking at all the pictures. We all enjoyed the day. Thanks, Mr. Tim!

*Yes, I'm back! I'll be posting again & trying to post stuff from the past several months. :)

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-27T09:32:00.000-04:00

We spent Memorial Day at my parents' house this year. We all went swimming, perfect day for it. After drying off we had hamburgers & hot dogs. Mom & Dad had so much food, yum! We hung out for a while & then had to pack up to head home. Morgan had school the next morning & had been running a fever so she needed to be in bed early. We had planned on playing a new game but ran out of time.

David chillin with Grandma & Papa:

David hanging out with Daddy, don't they look relaxed?!

Morgan always wears her goggles to see underwater. This time, Alex wanted to get in on it too!

Slide Time:

Alexander is in swimming lessons. This child has no fear of the water, jumps right in! After he goes in he turns himself around & heads back for the wall!!

Happy Memorial Day!!!!

Happy 1st Birthday, David!!!

2008-05-26T08:33:00.001-04:00

Can you believe it's been a year already?! David turned one on the 18th & we celebrated it on the 25th. Morgan had her recital on his birthday & his friend's 1st b-day party was the 17th so we pushed it back a week. My baby is growing up!! We had his party at a park. The kiddos spent some time playing on the playground & most of them eventually made their way into the lake. Alex went in with his shoes, socks & clothes!! They had so much fun! Happy Birthday lil guy!

Party Theme:

Getting Ready:

Our Cakes:

Happy Birthday To You.....

Mmmmm......

What a cutie!

Morgan's Recital

2008-05-20T08:47:00.002-04:00

May 18, 2008

Morgan's 07/08 recital. She looked beautiful. The little Tinkerbells did a wonderful job. They were so happy to be out on that stage. This coming weekend I'll get some better shots, I'll have more time to get her posed & some good background. I'm amazed I got the pics I did running around getting ready. She was perfect.

This year she took a combo class. They did ballet, hip-hop & gymnastics. This summer she'll be taking a ballet/lyrical/jazz/gymnastics class followed by a hip-hop class, totaling 1 1/2 hours every Wednesday. She super excited.

The recital was amazing. She enjoyed watching the older girls on the competition team. All of the dancers were great!! Good Job Morgan, we're SO proud of you!!!

BIG TRUCKS

2008-03-29T16:03:00.001-04:00

Today we went to see the BIG TRUCKS. Satellite Beach hosts the event. The kids had a blast. There were 15-20 trucks. Publix had one of their delivery trucks. Waste Management had a garbage truck. UPS, USPS, North American moving trucks, a ladder truck, fire engine & ambulance were out. There was a cement truck & a big flat bed from CAT. All of the trucks were open so the kids could climb into the driver's seat. They got to pull the horns & put on the hats. It was a loud event, but well worth it! It was free to the community. There were bounce houses & face painting & hot dogs. Whoever came up with the idea for this event is a genius!

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Lawn Mowers

2008-03-28T23:31:00.001-04:00

Alex & Daddy mowed the lawn tonight! Alexander got a bubble lawnmower for his birthday. Thank you, Grandma & Papa! He loves his mower. He mows inside all the time. Tonight he finally got to use it outside! Daddy & Alex mowed the back yard, and the side yard together. When Daddy was all done he took his lawnmower to the end of the drive way, so he could wash it. Alex followed & parked his right next to Daddy's so it could get washed, too! Good work guys!

Easter Bunny visit

2008-03-17T11:22:00.002-04:00

We went to see the Easter Bunny yesterday. At the Mall at Millenia they do a few snap shots with the Easter Bunny, which I'll have to copy & post later, then they do some candid shots. The montage is a little long. I cut out 30 pictures & just couldn't pick any more to take out. :) So, enjoy the show! I'll post birthday, bunny & formal Easter portraits in the days to come.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Fishing

2008-03-02T21:10:00.001-05:00

We went on a picnic & fishing! I hadn't been fishing in a very long time. We went with my parents. They made fried chicken, corn, green beans, eggs & we brought mac & cheese. After a yummy lunch we walked down to the river to do some fishing. Papa caught a fish with Grandma's pole, then Grandma caught a fish with Papa's pole. The kids got to see a puffer fish. After fishing for a while & playing on the shore we took the kids to the playground to run around a while. Alex & David slept all the way home. What a nice day, we need to do it more often!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My son.... the climber

2008-02-21T13:43:00.005-05:00

My son, the climber, about killed himself today. It happened when I was pregnant with David. That time he actually was stuck under the dresser, pregnant mom threw it off of him! This time, Alexander was crawling out from under the dresser when I went in. For the longest time I kept the crib in front of the dresser after the first accident. Then David was born & eventually he needed his crib. Alexander has been in a toddler bed since he was 11 months old. I've looked for the things to attach the dresser to the wall but I can only find the online. I guess I'll be ordering those now. Don't worry, these pics were not taken immediately. I rushed him out of the room to put ice on his boo-boos. I just hadn't picked up the dresser yet & figured I'd get a few shots to share the horror I found when walking into his room after hearing a huge CRASH!

Happy Birthday, Elmo!

2008-02-15T15:19:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday dear Elmo

Happy Birthday to you....

We took Alexander to Elmo's birthday party today. After story time, Elmo & Grover came out to meet & greet the children. Alex was a little shy with Grover, but Elmo got some BIG hugs!!! Elmo had cupcakes for everyone! There were a lot of kids celebrating with Elmo. Alex really enjoyed himself today!

Elmo's decorations:

Story Time:

Alex & Grover:

(with a little help from Mommy)

What a smile!!! Alexander & Elmo:

Valentine Crafts

2008-02-14T08:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Alexander did lots of holiday crafts this week. Morgan had some time after school to do a few herself! We had so much fun. Morgan spent a lot of time doing Valentine cards for her classmates. I don't have pictures yet, but we did some melted crayon hearts, too. They looked awesome!! Morgan sent one to her teacher. Alexander gave one to Papa & one to Daddy. Morgan has another for Grandma.

Alexander's hand & arm as the tree trunk:

Alexander's Heart Tree:

Morgan & Alex working at the table:

Morgan working hard at shaving the crayons:

Alexander's finished work:

Family Trip

2008-02-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we went to Busch Gardens, Tampa, with my parents. David & I really wanted to get over to see the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Our first date was to a studio in Vero Beach for Swing lessons. One of the first songs we ever danced to was "In The Mood." It was nice hearing it live!!! BG was also hosting Irish Thunder but we only saw part of that show.

Alex rode the kiddie rides with Morgan. She would take him by the hand & off they would go. They would wait patiently in line & he had so much fun with her! While the kids played some more in the Land of Dragons, David & I went to catch a quick ride on Shei Kra. That one never gets old! After enjoying a show we headed for Timbuktu. Morgan & I rode Cheetah Chase, a bigger kid coaster. AFter enjoying that her & I headed to the Scorpion. Yup, that's right, Morgan rode her first upside-down coaster!! That ride is soooooo old, has one loop & only a lap bar. She wasn't quite prepared so when we went into the loop she folded in half under the force of gravity. We came out of the loop and she screams to me, "Momma, it's too fast!" It was only a second or two later that she was squealing delightfully again. After we got off she said she didn't want to go on that again, but when David asked her, she was all about it! The 2nd time David told her to hold herself up in the loop, she liked that much better!! She can't wait to get on the bigger rides, but we have 9 inches to grow before that will happen!

Thanks to Grandma & Papa for the lovely time!!

Sleepover

2008-01-21T08:38:00.001-05:00

Sleeping Beauties

Morgan had her 1st sleepover. Friday, after school, Morgan went to snip-it's to get her hair cut. From there Grandma & Papa took Alexander & we went to Ms. Kristy's house to pick up Kaylie! Morgan & her best friend had a wonderful sleepover! They enjoyed some hot dogs for dinner. Then they played dress-up for a while. About bedtime I put on a movie & gave them some popcorn, hoping to get them calmed down for bed. After the movie it was lights-out. It sure wasn't sleep time though!! The little giggles coming through the door, it was precious! One time I went in & told them it was time for sleep, no more talking. Morgan looked at me & adult sounding, said, "Well, we're JUST having a little discussion!" lol. 10 minutes later, they were sound asleep. They had switched beds, switched toys & were down for the count. We had to get up early Saturday morning as we were going to the parenting seminar at the church. Hopefully next time Kaylie can come over earlier & stay later, more time to play & do girl things!

Dinner

Dress-up

Breakfast

Airplane!

2008-01-15T13:20:00.000-05:00

Alexander has taken after Daddy, he LOVES airplanes! He can spot them from a mile away, even in the night sky. He has a few toy airplanes. David & I took the boys to the local airstrip on Saturday. Alexander had so much fun! "Airplane, Airplane, Airplane!" He was so excited to stand right next to the runway & watch the planes take off & land. We even saw one pick up a banner & later dropped off the banner before it landed. The nice people in the FBO let Alex play in their training plane. He sat in the front seat by himself. David showed him how to make the flaps move. He was sad when it was time to leave. I think we'll be making more trips to the airport!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

Merry Christmas!

From All of Us...

2007-12-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown

2007-12-19T17:46:00.000-05:00

Every Christmas Eve my dad would read the Christmas story from the Bible. We'd sit in the floor around the tree & listen. I loved those moments. After finishing the story he would always close with, "And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." The tradition has been passed to my family. We all sit in the floor around the Christmas tree while David reads the story. It a nice time to reflect & refocus on the holiday. Anyway, I'd like to wish all of you a blessed holiday season. Take time from the hustle & bustle to enjoy your family & friends and to thank God for His perfect gift to us.

To our soldiers...

2007-12-18T15:57:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas Comment Graphics

Merry Christmas to all the men & women serving so that we can celebrate freely! May God bless you & your families.

Santa Pics 2007

2007-12-15T23:04:00.000-05:00

I told you they were coming! Merry Christmas, everyone!

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COMMENTS

2007-12-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

Alright guys! I know there are a lot of family members & friends who read the blog. I even get some emails. Please, FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT on the page itself! :) That way I know you guys are still reading & enjoying. Kristy always leaves a comment, YAY!!!

Merry Christmas Weekend

2007-12-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

What a weekend! We did all kinds of exciting things! Friday we let Morgan stay home from school. We finished packing and took off for Orlando. We checked-in at the hotel, Shades of Green, and unloaded the car. We got the kids dressed for the night & hiked to the Polynesian Resort to catch the monorail to Magic Kingdom. We walked around & did a few rides & had dinner, passing the time until Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party started! We got to see Belle & the Beast. She was dressed in her beautiful red Christmas dress. We got hot chocolate, apple cider, apple slices & cookies! Then we went to the dance party at Cosmic Rays. Santa Goofy was there. Morgan got to hang out with Chip & Dale on the dance floor! After dancing & some family pictures we went in front of the castle to watch the fireworks. Baby David watched in awe. Alexander was oooo-ing & ahhhh-ing & clapping! Then we went down Main Street to watch the Christmas parade while it snowed on us. I think that was the coolest parade I've ever seen at Disney! Of course, Santa brought up the rear! At 12:30am we left the park to head back to the hotel.

Saturday we went to EPCOT. We had lunch/dinner at the Biergarten in Germany. YUM! Morgan went down & danced with the other children & gathered around the tree for Silent Night in German & English. After a wonderful meal we went to the theatre in America. We enjoyed an amazing show. Steven Curtis Chapman read the Christmas story from the Bible. The Candlelight Processional was beautiful, incredibly moving. The choir & orchestra were great. If that doesn't get you into the Christmas spirit & focused on the reason for the season, nothing will!

Sunday we went to see Santa! After 2 1/2 hours in line the kiddies finally got there turn! They were so excited & the wait there is ALWAYS worth it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! (pics coming soon!)

6 months

2007-11-26T10:32:00.000-05:00

I can't believe David is 6 months old already! Where has the time gone? I took him for his well-check. He's in the 105% for length & 75% for weight. Big Boy! Alexander has become a wonderful big brother. Watching the two of them interact is amazing. Morgan, of course, is a great big sister.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T10:24:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my friend Kristy, her husband William, their girls, Kaylie & Makezie, Kristy's mom, "Mom," her sister, Tricia & my parents. Kristy & the girls made place cards for everyone, talk about adorable! We had a great time. We went to see a light display after dinner, before we got into all the wonderful desserts! Thanks to everyone for joining us & making the day special!!

Ta Da!

2007-10-29T13:46:00.000-04:00

Ladies & Gentlemen, it is finally here! I'm working on some more, give me some time, but for now, please enjoy Morgan's special birthday celebration!

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Fun-filled Weekend

2007-10-15T11:49:00.000-04:00

This weekend we were super busy! Saturday morning David stopped by the HAMFEST. Then we all went to the zoo with some friends. Kristy & her two girls, Kaylie & Makenzie, met us there. Unfortunately William had to work, but we'll catch him next time! Alaina & Tom were supposed to meet us there, too. Tom's brand new car had a MAJOR issue so David picked up Alaina & she hung out with us. I can't wait to meet baby girl Olivia! (We'll all have to wait until January.) David & Tom have been friends for years. Turns out, Kristy went to school with Alaina one year. I'm telling you, it's a small world in this big county!

Sunday we went to EPCOT with my parents. We all enjoyed the food & drinks of the International Food & Wine Festival. The weather was great too! It was a little warm in the sun if there was no breeze, but most of the time it was perfect!

Thanks to everyone for such a great weekend! Now, it's back to housework! :)

Morgan & Kaylie hangin with the vultures at the zoo:

Morgan & Grandma at EPCOT:

What a beautiful day at the park!

The kids made masks around the park. OK, we really only stopped for the masks twice, but they enjoyed it. We had some temper from Alex upon leaving the stations. I must say, that's when I get a tantrum from him, the end of any coloring time!

Look! It's a picture of Mommy & Daddy! :)

Checking out the sites:

Pretty Girl!

Happy Baby!

I thought this was a really cool picture of the park at night:

Enough Waiting

2007-10-10T11:22:00.000-04:00

OK, I am having difficulties with my montages due to our firewall & David hasn't been able to correct it yet. So, here are some more pics from Morgan's b-day celebration. Sorry it's been so long!

Morgan's new camera:

Opening presents at the hotel:

Look who came to visit our patio:

Morgan's transformation:

For some reason I had a difficult time posting these. I will put some more pics up in a separate entry. I promise, this will be fixed over the weekend!!

Wall Art

2007-10-01T18:02:00.000-04:00

Silly Mommy! Alex & I had crayon time earlier today. There were 2 crayons missing & I couldn't find them anywhere! I searched high & low, here & there & everywhere! Apparently, Alex found them. My walls around the house are beautiful now! I guess I have a date with Mr. Clean & his magic eraser tonight!

coming soon

2007-09-21T10:47:00.001-04:00

OK, we had a GREAT weekend with Morgan! She had so much fun. Miss Morgan went to the bibbidi bobbidi boutique and was transformed into Princess Cinderella! She was so beautiful! I have too many pics to just post them. I have been working on a montage all week but seem to be having a difficult time uploading the pics. I will continue to put it together, but in the meantime, here's something to hold you over!

Happy Birthday!

2007-09-06T16:39:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Morgan! Morgan isn't with us today. Unfortunately, it's the year she's with her bio-mother. We miss her like crazy! :( We'll have miss Morgan next week though, and have HUGE plans for next weekend! We'll share our surprise with all of you September 17.

Potty Time

2007-09-05T11:22:00.000-04:00

Look who's going potty:

Silly face:

Alex has been spending some time getting used to his potty time chair. Recently he started taking his diaper off to sit. Today we started trying. He's been showing all the classic signs. So, we're drinking lots of water and going on the potty! He went the 1st time after sitting for a long time. A little while later, he let me know he was ready to go back & he did it, ALL BY HIMSELF!! What a BIG boy!!! He's gone several times since then, but still has wet diapers too. We'll get there, off to a great start! Good job, Alex!!!!

Spelling Test

2007-08-31T14:50:00.000-04:00

Morgan had her first test today. It was a spelling test! Here's Morgan on her way to school:

Can you believe my baby girl is taking tests already?! She did such a great job, every word was correct! Great job, Morgan!!!

We're so proud of you! ;)

Sunglass Babies

2007-08-30T09:43:00.000-04:00

Her hair is getting so long & she's getting so big!

David's 1st pair of shades. He's one cool dude, and happy about it too!

Ok, so Alex didn't want to keep his on for the pics, but he's handsome too!

Dancing Princess

2007-08-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again! Dance has begun. Morgan is at a new studio this year. There were several things last year that kept her out for the season. She's just starting everything new this year! A new school, new teacher, new friends, new studio, new schedule. She is taking ballet, gymnastics, jazz/hip-hop & tap. She's taking a combo class this year. If things go well maybe we'll split them next year so she can do more than one dance for the recital. Speaking of recitals, her pics are in April and the recital is in May. So many things to look forward to!!!

Elmo & the Bookaneers

2007-08-27T10:02:00.000-04:00

Sunday we took the boys to SeaWorld to see Elmo & the Bookaneers. Alex LOVES Elmo. He seemed a little overwhelmed at the show, too much going on. He never seemed too excited. At home he squeals and jumps and claps when he sees Elmo. I know he liked it though, he cried at the end when the characters walked off the stage. This was David's first trip to SeaWorld. We took Alex a lot younger, but it's just been too hot lately.

The boys on the way over:

The Show:

Alexander's 1st ride on the carousel:

1st Day of 1st Grade

2007-08-20T17:47:00.000-04:00

WOW! I can't believe it, the 1st day of 1st grade has come and gone! What a day! Morgan was so excited about going to a new school, with new friends & a new teacher (who is NOT mean)! She seemed a little anxious last night. She didn't go to sleep for 2 1/2 hours after she went to bed. This morning I could tell she was tired, but very happy about getting ready. I packed her lunch in her new lunch box. She started getting a little nervous before it was time to leave. She said she was "just a little bit scared. Scared that someone will be mean to me. But I'm not scared of someone being nice to me." How sweet!

Like her bag? She picked it all by herself, and loves how big it is!

Grandma made a special pencil cake just for our little 1st grader!

It's yummy!

Momma & Morgan

She came home and told us all about her 1st day. She made new friends. Her teacher was nice to her, not mean at all! Morgan can't wait for her 2nd day of 1st grade. She already has homework. She has to read one book today. They put in her assignment book that she has to do the registration papers too, guess Mom has homework tonight! Thanks to Grandma & Papa for sharing our special day. Tonight we dine on Tacos, Morgan's favorite!

Sick Children

2007-08-16T17:48:00.000-04:00

What a bummer! The last week of summer vacation and all the kids are taking turns getting sick. Morgan came down with some stomach thing Monday morning. It was something going around her mother's house. So, she spent all of Monday and Tuesday in bed. She finally started feeling better yesterday. We've all had some cold passed around our house. It hit David & me for almost 2 weeks. The boys had it but seemed to get over it. Now all of a sudden baby David has a come and go stuffy nose. Alex & David started with a cough yesterday. David's got pretty nasty during the night. Alex had some nastiness to his this morning, too. So, I took the boys to the doctor. They both have their right ears a little pink. There was no congestion in Alex's chest but she thought she heard some in David's. She gave both of them some antibiotics & they got a new nebulizer. It's so cute, a penguin, and the carry case is an igloo! I was going to wait to see how Alex did before I gave him the antibiotics, but he woke from his nap with a fever.

So, needless to say, I don't have a whole lot of fun stuff to blog about this week! Morgan did get registered for school yesterday. I can't believe summer vacation is almost over. I think it sucks, I'm going to miss her like crazy. I'll post some back-to-school pictures soon!

Papa

2007-08-13T13:05:00.001-04:00

Today my Daddy is having surgery on his neck. The kids have been to see him several times since he was admitted Friday. We wanted to go see him this morning and take him his new slippers, but Morgan is sick. Sorry Daddy, wish we could be there! Our prayers are with you! Everyone else, say a prayer for my Daddy!

Aunt Sarah's B-Day

2007-08-11T22:36:00.000-04:00

Today we went to David's mom's house for Sarah's birthday. We had sandwiches, fruit, chips and drinks, oh, and the kids had lots of fun! We all spent most of our time in the pool. It was SO hot! Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Grandma with my niece Amber and nephew Tim:

My nephew Christopher:

Silly Girl!

Wildlife Detective Training Academy

2007-08-04T20:54:00.000-04:00

We all went to the zoo today. We went with Kristy, William & their two girls, Kaylie & Makenzie. Kaylie is Morgan's BEST FRIEND. Kristy is one of my good friends from high school. The Brevard Zoo just opened a new exihibit called the Wildlife Detective Training Academy. It's an awesome indoor play/learning area for the children. They all get to put on lab coats, pick "animals" from the kennels and investigate what's wrong with the animal, a lot like playing doctor. They also have some real animals in there, which the zoo keepers bring out for the kids to learn about. There's a huge sand pit where the kids can dig for "bones." It was great fun, the best part, it's all inside!

The kids all fed the giraffes while we were there. Morgan and Kaylie went everywhere together. After our trip to the zoo we went to Denny's to cool off and enjoying a relaxing lunch.

That's right, Alex is letting someone else hold him!

Splash Pool

2007-08-02T12:29:00.001-04:00

The kids finally got to play in their new splash pool. I think we need to get something bigger for Morgan, but she enjoyed playing with Alex. The pool is so awesome because it's not deep so I don't have to worry too much about Alexander. They played for about an hour then we came in to feed the littlest guy. I was going to send them back out before lunch but the storms have moved in early today.

Mommy, I can't get on the slide!

Summer Vacation

2007-07-31T16:50:00.000-04:00

I can't believe summer vacation is almost over! Morgan will be starting a new school this year, between our house and her biological mother's house. She is very excited about a new school, new friends and a new teacher! After the year she had in kindergarten, I was not looking forward to having to send her back. Our baby girl will be starting 1st grade! Can you believe she'll be 7 in September? We ask for prayers regarding her new adventure with school. Here are some fun pics of my beautiful girl enjoying summer at home with us.

Sissy & Bubby

2007-07-31T16:29:00.000-04:00

Morgan & her baby

Alex & Sissy's baby

Ms. Morgan teaches Alex his ABC's

Morgan works on her math, so smart!

Alexander draws a picture for Mommy!

Morgan and Alex have lunch together after all their work!

The kids play Mommy's new piano!

Brothers

2007-07-02T08:14:00.000-04:00

That's his nose!

Alex, David & Grandma, how happy!

New Things

2007-07-02T08:05:00.000-04:00

Check out Alex in his cool new stroller, courtesy of Grandma & Papa!

Oh yeah, the baby goes too!

Isn't it awesome?!?!?!

Ok, I promised so many of you a picture of the new house, well, here it is:

This is a picture of the lights we picked to hang, how pretty!

2007-07-02T07:42:00.000-04:00

Just some more random pics...

Check out his hawk! No, Mommy's not doing crazy things to the kids, he was born with it like this. He had more, but, like normal, it's starting to fall out! =(

Alex loves being outside!

"I'll just hide behind the ball, she takes too many pictures!"

He's over using the bat, he'd rather just throw the balls.

Look at Alex throw the ball!

Alex & David

2007-06-26T07:59:00.001-04:00

Everyone thinks I'm crazy when I say the two boys look alike! What do you think?!

David

Alexander

David

Alexander

David

Let me know!

2007-06-22T16:34:00.000-04:00

Dr. Alex fixes sickly Morgan

My beautiful girl, with cookie lips!

Dr. Alex on-call

Just some fun pics. David is out of town and I'm a little bored. I shouldn't be, there are SO many things to do around the house. I just needed a quick break. I'm going to go get the kids a snack now.

Father's Day

2007-06-17T22:37:00.000-04:00

We went to Chef Mickey's for father's day this year. Our family went along with my parents and David's dad. It was fun, the kids always enjoy going to see the characters. Later Daddy played t-ball with the kids while grilling steaks. We had a great day. Hope everyone else enjoyed their special day!

Alex's 1st time at bat!

Way to go, Morgan!

Alex's 1st Haircut

2007-06-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

Someone needs a serious cut!

Look at me at the Barber Shoppe!

Whew, that was fun! Now Alex has a nice little boy hair style. Mommy wanted it a little different, but all in good time. It's almost short enough to start spiking it! What a handsome little man!

VBS

2007-06-09T15:24:00.000-04:00

Yes, there was a tooth in that picture!

Notice that tooth missing?! Yup, she lost it on stage!

Wow! These pics are of SOME of the kids from VBS. The closing ceremony was Friday night and was insane! It was a huge party to start with. The music was so loud you could hear the bass from outside the church. The kids were screaming and throwing around beachballs. They had so much fun. Morgan finished the 1st grade VBS class. All she's talked about is how much fun she's had. They had 5 bouncy room things set up outside, and bouncy slides and other stuff. They had a petting zoo one day. They had a shave cream fight one day. I remember some fun in VBS when I was a kid, but nothing like this! Congrats Morgan!

Week One

2007-05-25T09:27:00.000-04:00

DC is one week old today, hard to believe it's been a week already! Things are going well, great even.

Alex is into the baby. He came in our room this morning with his arms up, saying, "Babybabybaby." He wanted me to pick him up so he could look at David in the bassinet. Alex shows us where David's face parts are, nose, eyes, mouth, ears, head plus his toes and hands. He brushed David's hair for me yesterday. Alex walks around the house with his brush, brushing his own hair as well as everyone'sh.

Morgan finished school on Wednesday. She starts 1st grade next year. Hopefully things will go better for her next year. I think the best thing will be having a different teacher. The one she had this year was horrible. Grandma & Papa came to take Morgan last night. She's going to Disney with them today! Morgan really loves her new baby brother. She has a lot more to do with David than she did with Alex. Morgan loves to sit on the couch and hold David. She has her two cabbage patch kids, baby Morgan and her newborn. She takes them everywhere now, with their stroller and diaper bag. She's such a good little Mommy!

David took the week off to stay home w/ Mommy. He's been a great help. We have definitely stayed busy this week. Poor Daddy hurt his neck yesterday morning. Now he's taking muscle relaxers so Mommy & Daddy are both drugged! It's off to work on Monday, Mom will be home alone with 3 kids, two in diapers. Alex is starting to show early signs of wanting to potty train. He likes sitting on the potty chair, knows when he's wet or stinky and sometimes tries to take off his diaper.

Well, lots to do in our busy house. DC is ready to eat again so I should get to feeding him!